Anupam Shobhakar’s Liquid Reality: A Sonic Fusion of East & West
Artist: Anupam Shobhakar
Album: Liquid Reality
Following the groundbreaking 2023 release Raga Jhinjhoti on Fretless Guitar—the first-ever recording of Indian classical music on fretless guitar—virtuoso guitarist, composer, and sarodist Anupam Shobhakar returns with Liquid Reality, a bold new album that redefines the possibilities of cross-cultural fusion.
Rooted in the ancient Senia Maihar Gharana lineage and trained under legends like Aashish Khan. Anupam has carved a unique path in global music. From his early rock guitar days in Bombay to prestigious performances across the world, Anupam now resides in New York, where his vision took shape with the invention of a custom double-neck guitar—blending fretted and fretless styles to span the full spectrum of Indian classical expression and Western harmonic exploration.
On Liquid Reality, Anupam crafts a powerful tapestry that moves from Sufi ghazals to progressive jazz-rock. The album features an elite international lineup, including pianists Utsav Lal and Santiago Liebson, kanjeera legend Swami Selva Ganesh, vocalists Ona Kirei and Ben Parag, and percussionists Satoshi Takeishi, Chris Savarino, and Gumbi Ortiz.
Highlights include:
“La Danse de Bonheur” – A breathtaking reinvention of the Shakti classic, honoring Anupam’s enduring inspiration, John McLaughlin.
“Anjaneya” – A powerful rock-fusion track invoking the spirit of the Hindu deity Hanuman, fusing intricate Indian rhythms with electric intensity.
“Formless” – A meditative guitar and kanjeera duet that distills the essence of rhythm and silence.
With Liquid Reality, Anupam Shobhakar not only expands the vocabulary of the electric guitar but also advances the ongoing dialogue between Indian classical music, jazz, and global fusion. Fans of Kurt Rosenwinkel, Nels Cline, John Mclaughlin/Shakti will find resonance in Anupam’s boundary-defying sonic world. This is essential listening for those who crave adventurous music—and a must-hear for guitarists worldwide.
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