Though all of the albums recorded by Parsons are highly recommended, this double CD (which includes 35 minutes of material not featured on the cassette versions) offers a balance of shorter, more up tempo pieces and longer, more contemplative works.
Yatra (which means "journey" in Sanskrit) is a musical travelog through the Indian countryside, with its busy open-air markets and joyful folk melodies.
Gradually, the composer moves into the ethereal realm of Tibet, a landscape imbued with secret ceremonies and hidden knowledge.
David Parsons has long been fascinated by India and Tibet, two ancient worlds characterized by potent mythologies, mystical sacred sites, and sublime musical traditions. Over the years, this respected electronic composer has made numerous yatras (journeys, in Sanskrit) to India, experiencing the sites and sounds of this exotic land.
Yatra is Parsons' first comprehensive attempt to log the essence of his Far Eastern adventures. Unlike his highly successful 1989 release Himalaya (17059), an artfully austere sonic ascent of the legendary mountain range, Yatra opens with a more earthy approach. The recording gently leads you through the Indian countryside, with its busy open air markets and joyful folk melodies, gradually moving to the ethereal realm of Tibet, a landscape imbued with secret ceremonies and hidden knowledge.
Tapes recorded during a 1987 trip to the East merge with the Macintosh–manipulated samples of Indian instruments Parsons has collected over the years, to create a vivid sonic representation of the land and its people.
