Memories of A Shadow

Votek composed Memories of a Shadow immediately after a period of complete immersion living in Mumbai, India learning at the feet of his guru Dr. N Rajam. “I had this river of raga melody running in my head all of the time, my understanding of melody and sound had been completely transformed. I wrote Memories of a Shadow when I returned to California, an exploration combining raga with Medieval polyphony . My aim was to reveal a hidden strand of unexpected connection between these geographically distant styles, to show that there is always an opportunity to overcome the boundaries of language and culture to create harmony.”

Genre: Classical, Chamber, Hindustani Raga

Searching

Searching is a record of intimate and detailed electro-acoustic music in the same musical world as artists like The Books, Harold Budd, and Brian Eno. Votek’s honest and unaffected singing lives in an organic sound world of slowly shifting tides, where orchestral minimalism seems to melt into the digital plane of ambient music. The album is about the search for divine inspiration and romantic love in a civilization driven by the spiritless forces of technology.

Genre: Art Pop, Ambient, Musique Concréte

Press Photos

Chris Votek’s work over the past 15 years has pulled him in two very different directions: into the ancient music traditions of the East and into the cutting edge of modern classical and independent music. Now he is creating that music that braids these paths together. Votek is set to debut two records in 2021, Memories of a Shadow and Searching, each emphasizing a different strand of his musical trajectory.

On one path, Votek is a disciple of the legendary Indian violinist Dr. N. Rajam. He is one of 5 people in the world adapting Gaayaki-Ang, vocal style Hindustani Raga to the cello. He has collaborated with Ustad Zakir Hussain, Homayoun Shajarian, Mamak Khadem, the Silk Road Ensemble, and Arabic Orchestra MESTO performing at top venues throughout the world as an expert of Hindustani, Persian, Arabic, and European classical music.

While Votek has devoted much of his life to keeping the oral traditions of the past alive, his work as a producer and cellist is in constant collaboration with leading innovators of contemporary music. Votek has worked with Julia Holter, Father John Misty, The Dirty Projectors, The San Francisco Symphony, WildUp, Kamasi Washington, Haushka, Jonathan Wilson, FUN, The Marias, Amanda Palmer, How to Dress Well, Jherek Bischoff, and many others. His own chamber music and electro-acoustic works have been presented at REDCAT, the Hammer Museum, Clockshop, and SF Soundbox. 

Hindustani Raga Duet with Neelamjit Dhillon