Danish tabla master Ole Theill teams up with Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad to produce Transparent – a 6-track LP on Music For Dreams. A suite which mixes classical Indian music, the sacred hand-drums` – the daya and baya`s – mnemonic syllables, with mysterious, sometimes mournful, strings. The latter arranged by Assad, and performed by the chamber quartet, Halvcirkel. Joined by Thomas Fonnesbaek on double-bass and Kenneth Knudsen on keys, the results are a fusion aimed at enlightenment – like a mini Mahavishnu. 

Knudsen and Theill go back a long way. They starting playing, and recording, music together, in the late `80s, as members of ensembles such as Alpha Centauri, Anima, and Caracas. On Transparent they revisit a tune the duo first recorded as a trio, with guitarist Mikkel Nordso, under the name Bombay Hotel. Between Leaves was released in 1993, on a CD only album, called Flower, in 1993, and quickly became a favourite Phil Mison spin at Ibiza`s Cafe del Mar. In 2017, Moonboots included the track on his Moments In Time compilation, finally putting it on vinyl. Like the other pieces on Transparent it`s cinematic – with the set as much about the orchestration as the percussion –  and, of course, perfect sunset, or sunrise, gear. Other standouts include Sunfoni – which is like the day-ending / dawn-breaking to Theill`s breakneck, fleet devotional fingers and palms – while a Romany, story-telling, violin lends Ekaas Ballad a classical edge. Kinda like the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, or Seigen Ono, with a Bhakti / Qawwali twist. 

Transparent was released digitally late September, but the vinyl is now also in shops. You can purchase both formats directly from Music For Dreams.