SANJAY Drops Long-awaited Debut LP ‘Ancestral Visions’
The multi-talented Joshua Tree-based artist presents a fusion of electronica, tribal rhythms and acoustic songwriting to deliver a transformative message across nine immersive cuts.
Hailing from the Joshua Tree desert in California, the multi-faceted artist, SANJAY, breaks new ground in 2024 with the release of his highly anticipated debut studio album. Through 2023 he slowly introduced the world to his ‘Ancestral Visions’ LP in bite-size pieces, helped by several standout remixes of the album singles from such high-profile artists as Steve Lawler, DAVI, Zoo Brazil and Myon. Following a trip to the Peruvian Amazon, SANJAY now unveils this long-awaited passion project on January 31. Download/stream it via https://ffm.to/sanjayvisions.
Inspired by a trip to a silent meditation retreat in Peru in 2019, ‘Ancestral Visions’ weaves through stories of heartbreak, transformation and rebirth. Over nine tracks, multi-instrumentalist SANJAY blends intrinsic lyrics with live electronica, found sounds of the jungle and a variety of native percussive instruments and acoustic guitar, altogether creating an album with a bohemian soul that transcends genres.
A long-time activist in the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and with honoured one-to-one experiences with its indigenous tribes, SANJAY’s spiritual and personal experiences are deeply rooted in ‘Ancestral Visions’, with his ethos of ‘Music is Medicine’ at the heart of every beat and lyric.
“A lot of the thought behind the album came from tuning into the ancestral energy in the jungle. It made me think about my ancestors and what I aim to do with my life by breaking patterns in my ancestral lineage. I wanted to make a full-length record that told the story of everything I went through on the journey towards writing it, including heartbreak, self-esteem, moments of victory and rediscovering myself throughout the process. These songs tell the story of those experiences. The whole album, front to back, is a journey of its own.” – SANJAY.
Citing James Brown, Prince, The Neptunes and Joni Mitchell among the influences for his overall craft, SANJAY’s unique, eclectic style can also be traced through the deep, dancey DJ sets he span on the playa at Burning Man, and his time playing acoustic guitar with the Gypsy Kings as they toured the world.
With an array of musical genres and enveloping energies that fuse both acoustic and electronic sensibilities, ‘Ancestral Visions’ is laid out in two distinct parts. Tracks one to four take the listener on a relatable journey of difficult times, ranging from the instrumental opener ‘Transmission’ that captures the meditative energy and real-life sounds of the jungle, and the previously released singles; the ascendent ‘Dive2’ and the destructive themes of ‘Dark Force Angel’, previously remixed by Zoo Brazil.
‘Fireplace Interlude’ then interjects the album’s energy with Native American percussion and drums and the enchanting voice of Trevor Yazzie of the Diné or Navajo tribe. SANJAY then switches things up into themes of rebirth. These include indie dance fusion ‘New Roads’ featuring the talents of the afro ingenious artist, Lavva, the powerfully cinematic ‘The Awakening’, and ‘Waiting For The Sun’, which saw a stylistic remix by VIVa MUSiC boss, Steve Lawler in late 2022.
Aside from the personal connection to his work, SANJAY hopes the album can inspire others towards their own spiritual awakening and help them through the experiences he credits for the album’s creative influence.
Recorded at the Bright Eyes owned ARC Studios in Omaha Nebraska, SANJAY’s ‘Ancestral Visions’ is available to download/stream via Purple Condor Records: https://ffm.to/sanjayvisions
‘Ancestral Visions’ Tracklist:
1) Transmissions
2) Dive2
3) Bittersweet Memories
4) Dark Force Angel
5) Fireplace Interlude (feat. Trevor Yazzie)
6) Desert Child
7) New Roads (feat. Lavva)
8) The Awakening
9) Waiting For The Sun
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My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
