Anupam Shobhakar – Liquid Reality (Self-Released, 2025)
Indian-American musician Anupam Shobhakar’s Liquid Reality, set for release on March 14, 2025, coinciding with the Hindu festival of Holi, represents a bold fusion of Indian classical music and Western electric guitar traditions. A trained sarod player with a background in rock and jazz, Shobhakar’s latest work introduces a custom-built double-neck electric guitar that combines fretted and fretless techniques, allowing him to bridge both musical styles in a single instrument.
Raised in Bombay, Shobhakar was influenced by guitarists like Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai before discovering the sarod through a performance by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Inspired by the Indo-jazz innovations of Shakti, he sought to integrate the expressiveness of the sarod with the technical range of the guitar. This vision culminated in Liquid Reality, which showcases his hybrid approach alongside a roster of accomplished collaborators.
The album opens with “Anjaneya,” a spectacular display of intricate fretted and fretless guitar wizardry interweaved with fiery South Indian percussion, featuring Swaminathan Selvaganesh and jazz drummer Satoshi Takeishi.
“Ladders to the Sky,” a composition influenced by Pat Metheny, brings together Brazilian rhythms as well as the vocals of Spanish artist Ona Kirei and percussionist Gumbi Ortiz.
Next is “Formless,” a dazzling duo piece with Swaminathan Selvaganesh on kanjira. The track begins with a mesmerizing example of Indian vocal percussion known as konnakol. It explores elegantly-adorned rhythmic structures that mix Eastern and Western concepts.
Shobhakar also revisits Shakti’s legacy with a reinterpretation of “La Danse Du Bonheur.” It features Indian pianist Utsav Lal. This version introduces harmonic layers and an original composition within the track, offering a fresh perspective on the 1976 classic. By expanding on its foundation rather than replicating it, Shobhakar pays homage while pushing the boundaries of the genre.
“Swami and I are very good friends, and we would always nerd out to Shakti,” the guitarist says, and quickly points out that Swaminathan Selvaganesh is the third generation of his family to play this music: his father, percussionist, and vocalist V. Selvaganesh, has been performing with Shakti since the ensemble reformed in the late 1990s as Remember Shakti, taking on the role played by his father, percussionist Vikku Vinayakram, in the original ensemble. “He was literally born to play this music,” says Shobhakar.
“Fallen Leaves” is an unapologetically daring jazz fusion piece with electrifying guitar work and wordless vocals.
The album ends with “Home,” where Shobhakar bends notes beautifully, evoking the emotive and elegant music traditions of India.
Previous releases featuring Anupam Shobhakar: The Middle of Everywhere: Guitar Solos Vol. 1 (2024); Still Point: Turning World – Joel Harrison (2020); and Multiplicity – Joel Harrison & Anupam Shobhakar (2016).
Buy Liquid Reality.