Michael Reilly
Brief but very intriguing, Śaraṇaṃ paints an attractive picture built on the rubab and other traditional sounds of the East. These fine instrumental compositions have the weight of history within them, with new life added through a modern interpretation.
Favorite track: Ghazni (Avidyā).
TheEliteExtremophile
The latest release from this Australian act draws upon the Central Asian folk-meets-progressive metal flavors of their last release and hones them even more. Here, much of the focus is on an Afghan instrument, the rubab.
Maarten de Weerd
A truly mesmerising journey along the silk road that will simultaneously have you lost in the mountains as you find yourself within. Superb musicianship, genre defying and leaving you hanging for more.
Favorite track: Ghazni (Avidyā).
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Hashshashin return with their new record Śaraṇaṃ - a lush and meditative record of hypnotic rhythms, cinematic post-rock, and Eastern musical traditions on Art As Catharsis.
On Śaraṇaṃ the Sydney-based trio weave three intricate compositions, drawing inspiration from artists like Secret Chiefs 3, Om and Grails as well as the classical and folk music of Afghanistan.
While still grounded in the band’s signature blend of odd time-signatures, psychedelia and transcendental drone, Śaraṇaṃ demonstrates how the trio have evolved since their expansive sophomore album Badakhshan (2019), which featured stringed instruments from across Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in addition to bass and drums.
The new record reveals a more focused and cohesive sound, primarily centered on the Afghan rubab, which guitarist Lachlan R. Dale has spent much of the last five years studying. Each song embraces the sonic and dynamic possibilities of the ancient instrument, creating a mood that is both reflective and hypnotic, with evocative compositions that slowly transport listeners across deserts, small towns, and the Hindu Kush.
“I’ve fallen in love with the Afghan rubab,” says Lachlan. “I find myself drawn to it. Its sound has an intoxicating and trance-inducing quality, so it’s no wonder that it has had a place in mystical and shamanic practices of South-Central Asia. Specifically, I’ve been studying Afghanistan’s beautiful classical rubab tradition, which draws on Indian classical music, and is exemplified by artists like Ustad Mohammad Omar, Ustad Rahim Khushnawaz, and Homayoun Sakhi.”
This record also marks a change in production, with drummer Evan McGregor taking on mixing duties, providing the band more time to experiment and refine the sound of the album.
In spite of the cinematic feel, this is a more inwardly-focused album than its predecessor, following a concept explicitly grounded in spiritual practice. Śaraṇaṃ is a Buddhist-Sanskrit term meaning ‘to take refuge’, while each song names both a historical region of the South-Central Asia and a Buddhist concept - Dhyāna (a blissful state of meditative absorption), Ahiṃsā (non-violence and respect for all life), and Śūnyatā (emptiness/impermanence). The record’s jacket shows a cave retreat on the front, and a beautiful shot of the Swat Valley in present day Pakistan - an allusion to the region’s Buddhist history.
“Śaraṇaṃ is the natural outcome of our many years playing together, and of getting comfortable with our methods of experimentation and expression,” explains drummer Evan McGregor. “It’s a logical progression in our songwriting process, blending and refining elements from our debut nihsahshsaH and the following album Badakhshan.”
On the final song on the album, Sindh (Śūnyatā), Lachlan reprises his role as guitarist to accompany Evan’s beautiful composition on the Estonian hang drum, which he plays alongside a hybrid drum kit. It’s a peaceful way to conclude a release that encourages reflection and contemplation, and seeks in its own small way to bridge the cultures of east and west.
With Śaraṇaṃ, Hashshashin continue to explore the possibilities of evocative, instrumental music, pushing beyond the bounds and limitations of post and progressive rock. They remain one of Australia’s most interesting and rewarding underground acts, breaking their own path to new sounds and inspirations, and seeking to take listeners on the journey with them.
"Often ragged and cathartic, this is, in its own way, soul music, music that taps into a primal, tribal, part of our consciousness that we, in our too comfortable Western civilisation, rarely draw from.”
I've been listenining this non stop since I discovered it. incredible musichanship and taste for harmonies. the tracks flow incredibly well but surprise you at every change. Love the rhythm fuckery that's going on, so inspiring. Gata Vrangr
I like the stylistic dialogue between this and Yamadori, which appear to me as an expansive study on contrasts, while Years Under Glass is like a subtle, nuanced etching examining harmony and balance, denser and more spiritually distinctive, and the album artwork captures that aptly. It's amazing how it plays with genre tropes, with an amount of this spontaneous, intuitive dynamics and rhythmic power most of the bands don't possess. Thank you for your art guys! Much love from Ukraine :) Terrence Falconer
Clocking in at a brain-breaking 62 tracks, “Walk Tall for Papyrus” offers genre-spanning songs from members of a private Facebook group. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 5, 2021