Dhara / Jaya by Maxton Hunter

✽ “Tranquil soundscape that is sure to elevate the headspace around you.” ~Aquarium Drunkard

✽ “Warm and feathery tones that resonate with the same open sense of yearning as any Tim Buckley song where the sun could claim a songwriter’s credit.” ~Longform Editions

✽ “Relaxing journey that honors traditional sitar pieces while blending Western musical feel.” ~Santa Barbara Independent

✽ “Utterly captivating.” ~Tome The Weather Machine

After a long-time infatuation with Indian music, Santa Barbara-raised songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maxton Hunter releases his debut sitar pieces “Dhara” (meaning Earth; constant motion) and “Jaya” (meaning victory). Both pieces were inspired by Raga Alhaiya Bilawal, one of the late morning ragas he most resonates with. In the West, a raga is difficult to explain because it is neither a scale nor a mode, but it is based on both. It’s a cluster of notes where you give life to each of the notes, or more literally “to color an emotion.”

At the top of 2021, Hunter joined the Los Angeles International Music & Arts Academy where he met his guru Rajib Karmakar. The sitar maestro has performed and collaborated with legends such as Herb Alpert, Beck, Chris Martin, Sandeep Das, and has also been featured in films for Disney, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. Studying Indian classical with Karmakar profoundly impacted Hunter to explore a new creative direction, pursuing music with more spiritual intent. Through the LAIMA Academy, Hunter also connected with the Festival of Tabla organizers where he assisted as a stagehand last summer.

Produced and engineered by friend and fellow bandmate Ryan Pollie, founder of the Academy of Light, an LA-based ambient ensemble they both perform in. After the Eagle Rock sessions with Pollie, the recordings were mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos by Noah Bruskin, the house engineer for Alan Parsons’ ParSonics Studio in the hills of Goleta, California.

“Recording these pieces was an absolute delight. I believe we chatted, reconnected for a bit. Then did some breathing, and captured these songs many times in repetition with no break for conversation. It was pretty intuitive and seemed to be exactly what I needed that day!” ~Ryan Pollie

Artwork was designed by local graphic artist and singer-songwriter Cecilia James. One of my Hunter’s oldest friends and even the first person he ever co-wrote songs with back when they were 11 and 12 years old. Music video was directed and shot entirely on 8mm film by friend and long-time collaborator Roberto Johnson. Locations include the Ellwood Bluffs (Goleta), San Marcos Foothills Preserve (Santa Barbara) and Lake Shrine / Self-Realization Fellowship (Pacific Palisades).

“Creating the visual world for these songs was a deeply rewarding journey. Our aim was to capture something that would amplify the feelings present in the music - stillness, tranquility, joy, elation. The locations we chose were scenically compatible but also personally meaningful, making this a special project from start to finish.” ~Roberto Johnson

ॐ ॐ ॐ

✽ Maxton Hunter is a producer and songwriter based in Santa Barbara, California.

✽ Debut sitar singles "Dhara / Jaya" streaming everywhere!

maxtonhunter.com
Instagram
YouTube