This week – the final Flashback Friday of 2016 – a beloved artist’s 1997 release that encapsulates the essence of our global movement: Shakta’s classic track ‘Spiritual Beings in Physical Bodies’.

A versatile musician producing various styles that include breakbeat, world music, psychedelic trance, and more orchestral downtempo music under projects that include Kaya Project, Digitalis, Foxglove, Somaton, Hibernation, Eight:Ball, and Angel Tears, Seb Taylor was first involved in bands, having his first gig in a death metal band when he was 17 or 18. Once introduced to electronic music, he found himself planted in front of a computer for 14 hours a day exploring all the possibilities and honing his skills as a producer.

Seb’s first project was the more breakbeaty Digitalis (which was signed to Matsuri) and he signed his trance Shakta project to Dragonfly in 1997, releasing the classic album Silicon Trip that year.

Shakta’s sound has a high-energy vibe with richly textured analog synths and beautiful harmonic melodies and figurations that have a strong Eastern influence. The track featured here, Spiritual Beings in Physical Bodies, has an uplifting atmosphere with his mid-range syncopated riff, beautiful arpeggiated harmonies, a catchy melodic riff, brilliant structuring (great breaks and drum effects!), and of course that wonderful spoken sample that speaks to the deeper reality of our presence on this planet and the awakening that can take place in a psychedelic dance event.

A marvellous heart-opening track from one of the most dedicated artists in the scene!