They don’t just perform;
they *invoke*.
In the sprawling jungle of contemporary psych-fusion, *Glass Beams* slither like a cobra through incense smoke—silent, deliberate, hypnotic. Draped in mystery and metallic masks, the Melbourne-based ensemble has conjured a kaleidoscope of sonic alchemy that dances somewhere between Ravi Shankar’s cosmic sitar journeys and Daft Punk’s chromatic anonymity. If you haven’t yet slipped into their silky, serpentine world, consider this your velvet invitation.
Glass Beams is primarily the project of Indian-Australian musician and producer Rajan Silva, who founded the group in Melbourne in 2020. While Silva is the only publicly known member and creative force behind the project, the band appears as a trio on stage and in music videos, often wearing bejeweled, doily-like masks. The band’s music blends Eastern musical elements with contemporary Western sounds, drawing inspiration from Silva’s father’s Indian heritage, classical music, disco, and pop.
This video introduces the band Glass Beams, their mysterious nature, and their music:
- Rajan Silva: He is the core of Glass Beams, serving as the producer, musician, and creative force behind the project.
- Founding and Concept: The band was formed in Melbourne in 2020. Silva, drawing from his Indian heritage and musical influences, created a sound that fuses Eastern and Western musical styles.
- Anonymity and Masks: The band’s use of masks is a deliberate choice to maintain a sense of mystery and let the music speak for itself, according to Silva.
- Musical Style: Glass Beams’ music incorporates elements of Indian classical music, psychedelic rock, and disco, creating a unique and immersive experience.
- Father’s Influence: Silva’s father, who immigrated from India, played a significant role in shaping the band’s sound by introducing him to diverse musical genres.
- “Mahal” EP: The band’s debut EP, “Mahal,” released in 2024, further explores this fusion of sounds and cultures.
Who (or What) Are Glass Beams?
The identity of Glass Beams is an enigma—by design. The trio (or is it a duo? Or a solitary sound magician with an excellent wardrobe?) keeps personal details obscured, preferring ornate golden masks and flowing robes during performances. Their aesthetic is as curated as their sound: mystic, pan-global, and spiritually psychedelic.
Formed around 2020, with their debut EP *Mirage* released in 2021, Glass Beams exploded like a slow-burning incense cone—gradually intoxicating, impossible to ignore. Their music is instrumental, beat-driven, and heavily layered, blending ancient Indian scales with Middle Eastern motifs, analog synths, 70s library funk, and bluesy guitar lines soaked in reverb.
If you’re looking for lyrics, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for vibe, you’ve just found your sanctuary.
Sounding Out the Influences
Glass Beams’ front-facing member—often referred to only as “the artist”—has spoken in rare interviews about being inspired by his father’s collection of Indian classical, Bollywood disco, and world music vinyl. Names like Ananda Shankar, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, and Kalyanji-Anandji loom large in their sound, albeit filtered through a prism of modern psych and groove.
Add to that the pulse of Afrobeat, a dash of Turkish psych, a nod to krautrock’s motorik rhythms, and something vaguely French-electro around the edges, and you’ve got a brew that defies borders—musical or geopolitical.
Tracks like **”Taurus”** and **”Mahal”** showcase this alchemy perfectly: steady, hypnotic drum patterns, glittering guitar riffs, and synth work that evokes stargazing in a desert somewhere between Goa and the outer rings of Saturn.
Live Rituals
Live, Glass Beams aren’t just a band—they’re a ritual. Clad in gold, bathed in warm-hued lights, and shrouded in incense-like fog, their performances are less about the spectacle and more about a collective trance. The band remains stoic, letting the music and aura do the speaking.
No crowd banter. No egos. Just looped magic that stretches the mind’s eye across centuries and continents.
Why Now?
Glass Beams’ emergence isn’t just musical—it’s cultural. In an era of fragmented identities and global diasporas reconnecting with their roots, the band taps into a growing desire for spiritual and sonic hybridity. They’re part of a lineage that includes Khruangbin, Altın Gün, and Yīn Yīn—bands that mine non-Western musical traditions through a modern lens, but Glass Beams take it a step further, becoming almost mythological in their execution.
Mirage or Message?
Perhaps the most compelling thing about Glass Beams is that they never let you pin them down. They hint at origin stories, drop sonic breadcrumbs, but never confirm. They’re a mirage in the desert—real enough to move toward, elusive enough to stay mysterious.
And in that mirage lies the message: Music is borderless, timeless, and sometimes, the less you know, the more you *feel*.
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Recommended Listening:
- “Taurus” – For the cosmic funk enthusiast.
- “Mahal” – A gateway track that fuses East and West.
- Their live KEXP set – A spellbinding performance that feels like stumbling into a hidden temple rave.
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So next time you’re searching for music that isn’t just heard but experienced—put on Glass Beams, close your eyes, and let the gold-masked mystics take you wherever they’re going. You won’t need a passport. Just a good pair of headphones.
