How glass beams revived Charanjit Singh’s legacy

Sometimes you stumble upon music that feels like it’s from another dimension, something that doesn’t just play in the background but takes you, envelops you, takes you on a journey. That’s what Australian trio Glass Beams have been doing since their breakthrough in 2021.

Their music is a hypnotic mix of auditory panorama and visuals, shrouded in mystery, thanks in part to their anonymous identities hidden behind glittering masks. It’s the kind of music that makes you stop whatever you’re doing, close your eyes and let your imagination run wild. When it comes to mixing old-school nostalgia with futuristic sounds, few do it better than Glass Beams.

A big part of Glass Beams’ magic comes from their ability to mix sounds you wouldn’t expect, like traditional Indian music with melodies created in the West. This fusion isn’t just some random experiment, it’s ingrained in the band’s DNA. Founding member Rajan Silva comes from an Indian background and you can feel that influence running through their tracks. It’s no wonder they’ve built a huge fan base in India. The sound feels like home, but it’s dressed up in a way that’s totally fresh and new.

Their latest video, “One Raga to a Disco Beat,” is a perfect example of this seamless fusion. It’s a reworking of “Raga Bhairav” by Charanjit Singh, a name that may not ring many bells unless you’re a fan of deep-cut music. But make no mistake: this man is a legend, and not for nothing is known as the acid house pioneer. Back in 1982, Singh released an album called Ten ragas on a disco beatand it was way ahead of its time. He experimented with the Roland TB 303 bassline synthesizer, which would later become the signature sound of what is now known as acid house. If you listen to it now, you would never guess that it is over 40 years old. Go to YouTube, read the comments and you will see people sharing the same thought, Singh was playing in the future while the rest of the world was stuck in the past.

But what makes this song so special is not just the synthesizer or the beat, but the raga itself. In Indian classical music, ragas are not just a series of notes; they are emotions in musical form. “Raga Bhairav” is one of those pieces that has been around for centuries and is known for its deep, meditative atmosphere. Traditionally performed in the morning, it often opens classical concerts. There is something about it that feels almost like a sacred mix of solemn seriousness and philosophical depth that pulls you into another state of mind.

But here’s where things get fun. Listening to Glass Beams’ “One Raga to a Disco Beat” is like stepping into a time machine. You’re in the middle of a Bollywood mafia chase scene from the 1980s. Think dimly lit alleyways, creaking old cars and the aesthetic grittiness of old Bombay. Or maybe your mind wanders further back and you’re floating through the animated landscapes of Ali Baba and the Forty ThievesThere’s something about the fusion of these old ragas with synth-heavy disco beats that feels like a point of contact between periods, cultures, even fantasies.

Glass Beams nails this sense of otherworldliness while bringing Singh’s work to a new audience. Singh’s genius was never fully appreciated in his time, but now, through Glass Beams, his music is getting a different kind of recognition it deserves. He was a one-man band making acid house before anyone even knew what it was. And here we are, decades later, grooving to his beats with a whole new generation of listeners.

What makes Glass Beams so incredible is that they don’t just make music, they create experiences that take you through a range of emotions without a single lyric or word. They take sounds from different worlds and stitch them together in a way that feels both familiar and brand new. Whether you’re a fan of Indian classical music, psychedelic music from the West, or just anything that takes you on a wild ride, Glass Beams is the kind of band worth getting lost in.

Watch the video for “One Raga to a Disco Beat” below

Listen to ‘Raga Bhairav’ by Charanjit Singh