The latest album from Kaya Project is titled "...and so it goes," and it's a joy to listen to. Seb Taylor and Natasha Chamberlain are a UK duo working on a variety of projects, who come together to produce some magic for your listening pleasure. Interchill Records says that this album is more focused on "acoustic instrumentation" than earlier albums, and it's a sound that's perfect for the coming summer.

1. Always Wanting
2. Jamming With Marco
3. Deep Kaya
4. Zema Lasu
5. The Source
6. Five Plus Eight
7. Saranghi Breaks
8. Hirajoshi
9. ...& so it goes
10. Shifting Sands
11. Dark Roads
12. Obsidian Beats
13. Drift
14. Awaken
15. Bekhudi
16. Outside Looking In
17. Under the Spell

A lot of other musicians appear on this album. The first track features Irina Mikhailova, and is called "Always Waiting." It sets a nice tone with some piano and hand drums. Some guitar trickles in, forming a day dream about a creek in the woods in springtime. At about a minute and a half, the beat kicks in, along with some flute, and we're on our way. The vocals continue to build the mystic journey vibe.

The second song, "Jamming with Marco" has a wonderful Southern blues mood. Faint tribal drums sift behind a slide guitar and harmonica. The vocals are mostly spoken word, and I think they're Russian.

"Deep Kaya" brings back Irina's mysterious vocals. The oboe and orchestral sound help create an exotic sound, while an organic trip hop beat keeps it slow. This track demonstrates Kaya Project's skill at putting together unusual combinations of instruments for spellbinding sounds. A definite winner.

Next up is "Zema Lasu," which brings us to Africa. The vocals are low, almost whispered, magic. The acoustic guitar picks out an easy rhythm. The drums don't over-power. I think the vocals on this track are the star. If it were just the vocals and the guitar, it would still be a breathy piece of wonder.

Breaking out a ton of drums is "The Source," which quickly builds an Indian rhythm. Deeyah handles the vocals here, his lyrics soaring over our dancing feet. It's interesting here that instead of using the obvious sitar, Kaya Project uses a variety of electric guitars, including one with a glass slide that sounds like a sitar. As I said before, an unconventional blend that really works in the hands of these skilled musicians.

"Five Plus Eight" is an instrumental track with a crazy percussion section. Bells, the triangle, rattles. A variety of drums to create different tones. The guitar and flute are kind of like icing on this cake.

The next song is "Saranghi Breaks," which has a really peppy hand drum belting out our beat. The violin sounds almost Asian, but the vocals are definitely Indian. Full of vibrant energy and rhythm, another gem on this album.

Continuing East, "Hirajoshi" starts with a classically Japanese splash of strings, and then pings out a mystic melody. It's just a short piece of ambiance, but it's nice.

The title track on this album is a smorgasbord of instruments. It kicks things up a notch with some Wild West guitars, which drop out just after the beat kicks in. Natasha's flute flits in an out, and so does her violin, while tribal chanting punctuates things. The melody repeats and builds until you're really not sure where you are anymore, but it wherever it is, it sounds like a really fun place to be.

Now that we're thoroughly exhausted, Kaya Project gives us a break with "Shifting Sands." Slide guitar and a simple drum, some light vocalizing, create something to relax to in the afternoon sun. The vocals are breathy Brazilian honey.

"Dark Roads" gives us a substantial beat, layered with acoustic guitars and that wonderful oboe again. The vocals are abstract and Indian, and help create the soundtrack for our nocturnal travels through distant lands. There is a lot of energy in the drums, struggling against the rest of the sounds on this track.

Keeping things moving is "Obsidian Beats." This song reminds me a lot of Bombay Dub Orchestra, with their electronic beats, traditional Indian instruments, and masterful production. It's a more uptempo track with melodies that just keep pushing us along.

"Drift" is exactly what it sounds like. An ambient piece of gentle guitar and orchestral sounds that resemble waves. There's some simple piano, the oboe and faint vocals, but everything is very relaxed. Maybe we're rafting down a river.

Another slow, drifting song is "Awaken." It has a sort of Asian vibe, with triangles and other percussion instruments, and the melody of the guitar. The violin puts on a little performance for us, and the vocals keep it down. For a bit. Things start to pick up toward the end of the song, as if we've been dreaming the whole time.

"Bekhudi" is a song for the morning. With mystic sounding vocals and piano fit for the sun rise, the beat comes in and we're on our way again. The drums are really lively, and the Indian vocals lend a layer of the exotic.

On "Outside Looking In" we hear the sort of Wild West guitar we heard earlier, but this time the beat's a bit heavier. The vocals veer into Africa, with some interesting female backing vocals. At the end there are some epic sounding piano chords and strings, which hint that the end of our journey is near.

... And So It Goes closes with "Under The Spell." A beautiful acoustic guitar melody is joined by a tambourine, and then backed up by a hand drum. Entrancing vocals wind their way through.

The songs on this album are fantastic whether you listen to them individually or together. There's a lot of really great material here. It's a rare thing to find an album that gets better every time you listen to it, and offers something new each time. If you're going anywhere this summer, bring this album with you. I was happy to learn that "...and So It Goes" is the third album from Kaya Project. I look forward to checking out their previous efforts, "Walking Through" and "Elixir."

~ Ethan Georgi

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