Biography
Originating in Melbourne, Australia, Glass Beams drew notice both through their spiraling guitar lines—blending trance-like Western psychedelia with the textures and instruments of Indian traditions—and through their enigmatic stage presence concealed by gold-plated masks. Only weeks prior to the arrival of the band’s follow-up EP, Mahal, in 2024 did the principal figure step forward to disclose his name: Rajan Silva, the group’s chief songwriter and guitarist.
Silva’s parents relocated from India to Australia during the 1970s; one of his earliest musical touchstones came from repeatedly viewing his father’s copy of The Concert for George: A Tribute to George Harrison, issued on the first anniversary of the former Beatle’s death. The contributions of Ravi and Anoushka Shankar alongside Jeff Lynne, Eric Clapton, and additional performers left a lasting impression on Silva, who found comparable influence in Bollywood singers Latra Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle as well as American blues pioneers B.B. King and Muddy Waters.
These varied strands shaped Glass Beams, assembled by Silva together with two still-unidentified collaborators amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Their first release, the 2021 EP Mirage, centered on mesmeric riffs rooted in surf and psychedelic traditions, supported by bass, drums, and intermittent vocals without lyrics. The trio began attracting wider interest through masked performances that deliberately withheld their identities. In 2023 Silva publicly confirmed his role as the band’s leader in the Indian edition of Rolling Stone, just ahead of Glass Beams’ initial shows in that country. Later released on Ninja Tune, the 2024 EP Mahal extended the thematic thread of their earlier work.
Silva’s parents relocated from India to Australia during the 1970s; one of his earliest musical touchstones came from repeatedly viewing his father’s copy of The Concert for George: A Tribute to George Harrison, issued on the first anniversary of the former Beatle’s death. The contributions of Ravi and Anoushka Shankar alongside Jeff Lynne, Eric Clapton, and additional performers left a lasting impression on Silva, who found comparable influence in Bollywood singers Latra Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle as well as American blues pioneers B.B. King and Muddy Waters.
These varied strands shaped Glass Beams, assembled by Silva together with two still-unidentified collaborators amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Their first release, the 2021 EP Mirage, centered on mesmeric riffs rooted in surf and psychedelic traditions, supported by bass, drums, and intermittent vocals without lyrics. The trio began attracting wider interest through masked performances that deliberately withheld their identities. In 2023 Silva publicly confirmed his role as the band’s leader in the Indian edition of Rolling Stone, just ahead of Glass Beams’ initial shows in that country. Later released on Ninja Tune, the 2024 EP Mahal extended the thematic thread of their earlier work.
Albums
Singles
