Contemporary Raga Invention: Explorations in Raga-space

This page contains original compositions of Jonathan’s calling them Contemporary Raga Inventions. There compositions are extensions of traditional Raga music interpreted through a contemporary transcultural lens. This projects aims to subtly stretch the fabric of Raga-space by maintaining the integrity of Raga-essence or a Ragas being-ness, by utilizing traditional technologies of Raga-becoming. This means maintaining the ontological ground the Raga/Tala system, based melodically on dronal Sa-centric tonality, and rhythmically on the eternal return embodied by the spiraling system of taal. The integrity of Raga-becoming is based on an cosmic geometry of architectonics, relying on an intuitive understanding of the Ragas swara (notes) interrelationship, and co-individuating alongside the musician, the Raga-becoming is vitalized, creating a world of sonic life-becoming through an integral flow of melodic rhythm and archetypal seed-sound symbology.

The drone allows Indian subtleties of just intonation (non-western temperament) give cross-cultural dimensionality to western modes hitherto not explore in this medium. The experiment is based on bringing musical being-ness to these musical assemblages of notes extending and folding Raga-space into new lines of flight.