On this, Simon Thacker’s Svara-Kanti’s debut, his ensemble delivers in spades. In an era of declining CD sales, let’s start with the physical artefact. No last legs of jewel box mediocrity this. Rakshasa, from a Sanskrit word for an evil or good male supernatural being populating Hindu and Buddhist scripture, ‘starts’ with Sam Hayles’ truly arresting artwork. Like a grandson of Bill Walker’s Tantric-inspired Anthem of the Sun cover for the Grateful Dead back in 1968, his art can be discerned as Tantric Buddhist, fractal and psychedelic. The booklet has copious yet concise notes.Rakshasa the album mixes together South Asian, Far Eastern and contemporary Western classical elements, Punjabi folksongs – notably two associated with the late Surinder Kaur (1929-2006), the female folksinger of her time – and original compositions. The unveiling of Terry Riley’s splendid ‘SwarAmant’ for guitar, violin and tabla is a true coup (with Sarvar Sabri’s tabla playing simply luminescent). Rakshasa begins with Thacker’s own ‘Dhumaketu’, a composition for instrumental trio, which starts slow and develops into a kiss-chase of a performance. Nigel Osborne’s suite entitled ‘The Five Elements’ – ether, air, water, fire and earth – is a quartet composition and the listener’s introduction to Japjit Kaur’s vocals. From the opening ‘Ether-Akasha’ to the ‘Earth-Prithvi’ sign-off, her phrasing and delivery will captivate while the way she handles Thacker’s ‘Three Punjabi Folksongs’ is simply delicious. Finally, in Jacqueline Shave they have the first non-Indian delivering Indian-style violin to really spin my head since Jenny M. Thomas.

Rakshasa has an extraordinary authority and musical surefootedness to it. The musicians are in complete control of its various idioms and are capable of springing the most unexpected surprises. And Thacker’s solo closing title track! (No details to preserve that surprise.) No matter what comes after it, Rakshasa will remain one of the essential albums of 2013.