Leeds-based Yaatri present “Raina” as a collaboration with Rebel Elements, released on 19 November and featuring Hindustani classical virtuoso Zuheb Ahmed Khan on tabla, sitarist Adnan Khan and Classical Indian singer Shuheb Hasan. Led by Indian-American guitarist and composer Liam Narain DeTar, the group have built their work around Indian rhythmic cycles, electronic production and rock instrumentation since their 2022 debut album Lucid, followed by touring across the United Kingdom and Europe. “Raina” sits outside that album cycle as a standalone single released under the Rebel Elements banner.
Zuheb Ahmed Khan’s tabla patterns, built from tala cycles, run directly against a mix of drum kit and programmed percussion, with synth bass and guitar forming the underlying frame. Adnan Khan’s sitar lines and Shuheb Hasan’s vocal phrases move across those rhythms, so the track turns on the meeting point between the Indian classical parts and the electronic and guitar backdrop. Harmony and keyboard work lean towards the language of current UK jazz, but the defining element is how the tabla and sitar lock into the combined live and programmed drums.
The collaboration extends work that began on Lucid, where Zuheb Ahmed Khan first appeared on Yaatri recordings. “Raina” brings that relationship into the band’s Leeds-based studio project, tightening the connection between Indian classical performers and DeTar’s electronic and guitar framework.
Stream and listen to the single through THIS LINK