Hamza El Din - Eclipse (1978)

Utterly mesmerizing sounds from this Egyptian-Nubian musician. Nothing but his voice, oud, and tar. Partially due to his association with Mickey Hart (who produced this and his previous record, the equally great Escalay: The Water Wheel), and partially because he's supremely talented, El Din achieved as great a level of success in the US as one could possibly expect from an Egyptian-Nubian artist with seemingly little-to-no interest in catering to Western tastes. Eternally grateful to him for his music, and to the random yuppie-hippy who years ago sold his entire CD collection at my old work, inadvertently exposing me to this gem.

Track listing:

1. Helalisa (Nubian Song)

2. The Visitors

3. Ollin Azageed

4. Your Love Is Ever Young

5. Mwashah

All the years combine

They melt into a dream

You might also want to hear:

Pramad Kumar - The Indian Sitar: The Language of the Raga (1973)

David Ming-Yeuh Liang - Chinese Masterpieces for the Ch'in - Ancient and Modern (1980)

David Ming-Yeuh Liang ‎– Chinese Masterpieces for the Ch'in - Ancient and Modern (1980)

Striking, contemplative solo pieces for guqin, as performed by David Ming-Yueh Liang, about whom I know nothing. Not my rip -- I continue to drag my ass with regards to getting myself an apparatus -- but you can thank me for that shitty, crooked picture of the album cover.

Track listing:
1. Three Variations of Plum Blossom
2. Prelude for Huaxue
3. Mist and Clouds of Dunting Lake
4. In Mountainous Seclusion, Recalling a Friend
5. In Memory of an Old Friend
6. Roaming in Zhangan

Wild geese descending on the sandbank

Similarly sparse, meditative sounds:

Robbie Basho -
Venus in Cancer (1970)

Six Organs of Admittance -
For Octavio Paz (2004)

Pramod Kumar - The Indian Sitar: The Language of the Raga (1973)

A collection of ragas that somehow, despite the current state of the world, might help you to find your center. Goddamn, I wish my country's traditional music was beautiful, kaleidoscopic, slow-burning drone music, instead of a bunch of hootenanny-soundtracking clusterfucks about milking cows or some shit.

Track listing:
1. Raga Purya Kalyan
2. Shudh Sarang
3. Thumree Sindhi Bhairavi
4. Dhun

The sky remains the same as ever

You will also enjoy:

Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar -
Grands Maitres de la Rudra-Veena (1987)

Robert Rich & Lisa Moskow -
Yearning (1995)

Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar - Grands Maitres de la Rudra-Veena (1987)

A single, hour-plus-long raga for transcending the physical realm. Upon scoring and falling in love with this LP, I got to thinking that, from new age to psych rock, I've posted a whole lotta music that's deeply indebted to Indian classical music, but never the real deal. That's some major weak sauce, and it ends here.

On a somewhat related note: I really want to start making my own vinyl rips, as I have a constantly growing stack of killer Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and South American LPs that don't seem to exist in digital form. Anyone have any advice on the best/easiest/cheapest way of doing that?

One song, titled "Raga Pancham Kosh"

Infinity eyes

Along these same lines:

Vasant Rai -
Spring Flower (1976)

Alain Presencer -
The Singing Bowls of Tibet (1981)

Alain Presencer - The Singing Bowls of Tibet (1981)

Related:
David Hykes & the Harmonic Choir - Hearing Solar Winds (1983)

The haunting, ethereal droning of singing bowls, accented by flute, gongs, and the like. Spacious, patient sounds with a sense of true timelessness.

Track listing:
1. Invocation
2. Shepard's Song
3. Bowl Voices
4. Lullaby
5. Bon-Po Chant
6. Lamentation
7. Symphony of the Bowls

Liberation is easy

You might also enjoy:

Georgia Kelly -
Seapeace (Music for Harp) (1978)

David Sylvian -
Approaching Silence (1999)

BaBa Zula - Üc Oyundan Onyedi Müzik (Seventeen Pieces from Three Plays) (1999)

A vibrant fusion of electro-jazz, instrumental hip-hop, psych, Turkish folk, and a million other styles that's pretty much impossible not to love. One of those records that's so uniquely great that it seems to actually cleanse the effects of inferior music from your system as you listen.

Track listing:
1. Babasiz Kizlar Balosu (Prom of the Fatherless Daughters)
2. Korsan (The Pirate)
3. Maduray'da Sabah (Morning in Maduray)
4. Erotika (Erotica)
5. Hıdırellez Gülleri (The Roses of 'Hıdırellez')
6. Bahar (Spring)
7. Kurabiye Dansi (The Dance of the Cookie)
8. Tohum (The Seed)
9. Anam (My Mother)
10. Dini Bütün Bir Gece (A Religious Night)
11. Çiçeğin Doğuşu (The Birth of the Flower)
12. Çöl Aslanları (Desert Lions)
13. Mutfak Kazalari (Kitchen Accidents)
14. Kurbağa Öyküleri (Frog Stories)
15. Çöl Havası (Desert Weather)
16. Adam (The Man)
17. El Filan Sallıyorum (I Am Waving and Everything)

Sacrifice your secrets, sacrifice yourself

Nicky Skopelitis -
Ekstasis (1993)

Goat -
World Music (2012)

Stephan Micus - Implosions (1977)

A far-out set of Eastern-influenced acid folk from German musician Stephan Micus. While none of these songs feature more than two different instruments at once, each one has a different instrumental approach from the last, there's a good deal of layering, and Micus sings on three out of five of them, so it's a consistently dynamic, engaging listen. Not to be missed.

Track listing:
1. As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams
2. Borkenkind
3. Amarchaj
4. For the Beautiful Changing Child
5. For M'schr and Djingis Khan

Circular sky

If you like this, you should listen to:

Robbie Basho -
Venus in Cancer (1970)

Bruce Palmer -
The Cycle Is Complete (1971)

Najma - Qareeb (1987)

First LP from Indian vocalist Najma Akhtar. A lush, evocative instrumental base of tabla, fretless bass, violin, sax, and synth, with Najma's effortlessly commanding voice front-and-center.

Track listing:
1. Neend Koyi
2. Jane Kis Tarha
3. Dil Laga Ya Tha
4. Apne Hathon
5. Zikar Hai Anna Mehfil Mehfil
6. Karoon Na Yad Magar
7. Har Sitam Aap Ka

End of fever

If you like this, try:

Al Gromer Khan - Divan I Khas
(Visions of a Mogul Prince) (1987)

Robert Rich & Lisa Moskow -
Yearning (1995)

Robert Rich & Lisa Moskow - Yearning (1995)

Peaceful, meditative sounds from ambient/New Age composer Robert Rich and sarod player Lisa Moskow. Rich's gauzy synth textures, ethereal flutes, and gently clanging percussion provide a weightless, enveloping backdrop for Moskow's evocative, spacious melodies. The perfect accompaniment to laying in bed, hydrating, and reminding myself to stop taking whiskey shots at the end of the night.

Track listing:
1. Bija
2. Suspension
3. Nada
4. Kali
5. A Thousand Tears
6. The Mirror

Black skies

Al Gromer Khan - Divan I Khas (Visions of a Mogul Prince) (1984)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Al Gromer Khan - Utopia (1993) + Attar (1996)

Y'all. School just blew the fuck up in my face. Due to overconsumption of coffee and a bit of Adderall, I may actually be turning into an unfeeling, essay-writing machine. But I'm done for the day, so I'm off to the gym to blow off some steam, after which I will fall face-first into this beckoning, pillowy cloud of sitar, drum machines, and dated synths.

Track listing:
1. Visions Of Vilayat Khan
2. Hirubilal (Part 1)
3. Piz Pakiza
4. The Anahat Syndrome
5. Barhat Anga
6. Hirubilal (Part 2)
7. Zuban
8. Oiram Qarz

After the crash

Moğollar - Moğollar (1976)

The sounds of Turkish folk music run through a hard psych rock filter. Offbeat, percussive grooves, fuzz guitars, and bağlama, bağlama, bağlama! I admit it, I'm just trying to score some extra page hits by piggybacking on the bağlama craze that's currently sweeping the nation.

Track listing:
1. Kâtip Arzuhalim Yaz Yare Böyle
2. Bahçelere Geldi Bahar
3. Hicaz Mandıra
4. Üsküdara Giderken
5. Karşıki Yayla
6. Yine Bir Gülnihal
7. Şehnaz Longa
8. Drama Köprüsü - Bolu Beyi
9. Çanakkale İçinde Aynalı Çarşı
10. Misket
11. Özüm Kaldı
12. Behind the Dark
13. Halicte Gunesin Batisi
14. Hitchin
15. Berkay Oyun Havasi
16. Ternek
17. Yalnizilgiin Acikli Guldurusu
18. Dag Ve Cocuk
19. Garip Coban

Too much

Steve Roach & Jerry Fayman - Trance Spirits (2002)

Heavy tribal drumming, deep synthscapes, spaced out guitar textures (courtesy of Robert Fripp). Perfect for exploring jungles on Saturn. Credits listed in the booklet include "Mercurial Sounds," "Soundworlds," "Hybrid Groove," and "Mystic Chord."

Tracklist:
1. Taking Flight
2. Trance Spirits
3. Off Spring
4. Seekers
5. The Calling
6. Year of the Horse
7. In the Same Deep Water

Blood music