Back in 2015, New York-born Israeli musician Shye Ben Tzur and the expansive Indian band The Rajasthan Express teamed up with prolific Radiohead mainstay Jonny Greenwood to make Junun, a broad-ranging celebration of music that they recorded at the Mehrangarh Fort in Rajasthan, an incredible hill-top fort that contains wonderfully preserved palaces and historical artefacts.
For this long-awaited follow-up (neither Shye nor Jonny anticipated the length of time between projects), the ensemble moved to the rather more modest setting of Greenwood’s studio in Oxford, but maintained pretty much the same crew, adding The Smile’s Tom Skinner on drums.
Perhaps hinted at in both albums’ titles (Junun means madness or obsession, while Ranjha means selfless, devoted love), the aim behind Ranjha was to create a clearer sound in a more orthodox studio environment, while still making space enough for twenty-one musicians’ creativity. The logistics involved certainly confirm this band’s pure delight and desire to celebrate the art of music on a grand scale.
What becomes clear after spending time with this meticulous, often astonishing set is the success of Greenwood’s aim to make a funk album. Although he was aware of the pitfalls of arranging Shye’s songs in a Western music structure, artists like these guys were always going to get the balance right, and the funk bent suits these songs very well.
There is even a hint of dub on pieces like Aviv, with a strange, loose bass line bringing that trippy dub feel to the sound. That is, until the band digs right into the groove two-thirds in and the bass anchors itself into a solid piece that carries the Indian stringed instruments beautifully.
But these guys aren’t afraid to get a bit strange on this record, as we hear on the short Marbolot (Reprise). Here, the song begins in a party atmosphere, with a fun bass line and brittle percussion, before the sound distorts and bends, with studio trickery reshaping the music. The original Marbolot is a very different beast, with Shye’s strong vocals leading the sound and ethereal woodwind working nicely with the wooden percussion line.
Elsewhere, Saqi gives us a more electronic backdrop, with thick synths and drum machine framing the vocals. In fact, the darker beats of this one have hints of Radiohead or Thom Yorke’s early solo work on The Eraser, and the minimalism of the music balances beautifully with some pretty energetic duelling vocals… And the brass playing in the final minute is just great.
More traditional, eastern-sounding from the outset is Shemesh, the longest song here at just over six minutes. This one sees lower bowed strings providing a haunting focal point, while a soft drone holds twinkling sounds and space. After a couple of minutes, a tightly picked guitar line takes the lead and a loose percussion line frames overlaid vocals. By the end, the bowed strings are back, the studio effects are playing with the sounds, and the bass line is killing it. The whole thing is lots of fun.
Ranjha is a big, rich album full of complex, beautifully composed and performed music, so give it plenty of your time to fully appreciate it. In a way, it’s small wonder it’s taken the (considerable amount of) artists a decade to get to recording it, and it more than justifies the wait. It feels like there is no ego here; Jonny Greenwood’s touch is subtle, and the whole album feels like ensemble music from players who love making music. If you enjoy hearing music that is rich and full of heart, you will love this album, enjoy.
Ranjha (May 8th, 2026) World Circuit Records