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Glass Beams emerged in 2020 during the COVID lockdown period as an anonymous project that blended Indian classical/world music with 60’s style psychedelic rock by Rajan Silva. Silva eventually revealed himself as the person behind the project in 2023, while the identities of the other musicians have remained private. Silva wanted to reconnect with his Indian heritage and explore the intersection between Indian music and Western psychedelic/electronic music. His fascination about the concept came in his early childhood when he watched the 2002 Concert for George, the tribute to George Harrison at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The concert featured Indian musicians Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar performing alongside Western musicians such as Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Jeff Lynne.
Glass Beams music often features groovy bass riffs on top of the drums to create a hypnotic atmosphere. This is where the band draws inspiration from 60’s psychedelic rock, surf rock, funk and disco. The project uses the rhythms, scales and textures of that era, recombining them into their own sound instead of recreating the era. Indian melodies played on guitars and synths sit on top of those grooves and emphasize the hypnotic atmosphere of the song. Rather than forcing integration between eastern and western music, the project erases the lines separating those traditions and incorporates elements from both traditions to achieve a unique sound. The project rarely uses vocals and is an instrumental project. In Glass Beams’ music the guitar almost functions like the singer.
