Charanjit Singh Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat

Charanjit Singh's 1982 Album Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat on Colored 2LP: Newly remastered by Johanz Westerman, Pressed at Optimal Media.

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Originally released in 1982 and unheard by the world for decades, Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat is now widely recognized as one of the most visionary electronic albums ever recorded. Long before Acid House had a name, and before pairing Roland drum machines and synths to create dance music became de rigueur, Charanjit Singh fused ancient Indian ragas with cutting-edge technology and created a sound that still feels impossibly futuristic today.

Decades later, in the wake of the dance music scenes of Chicago and Detroit that blossomed in the mid-1980’s, some crowned him the “Godfather of Acid House.” The real story, however, runs much deeper…

A native of Mumbai, Singh spent much of his career as a Bollywood session musician, collaborating with renowned composers like RD Burman, and appearing on some of the most iconic Hindi film hits of the ’60s and ’70s. By the turn of the ’80s, however, Singh was disenchanted by the creative limitations of session work and embarked on a solo career. Not long after, he discovered three Roland devices that had just hit the market: the TR-808 drum machine, the TB-303 bass synthesizer, and the Jupiter 8 synthesizer. While this trio would fuel early electronic dance music in the coming years, Singh was among the first known artists to pair them on record when he was inspired to create his next album, Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat.

Recording live at Mumbai’s HMV studios, the album marries the past to the future—blending the ancient Indian tradition of ragas with pulsating, electronic dance beats. Released without fanfare, the album faded into obscurity and Singh retired from recording to focus on private concerts. Years later, Ten Ragas still resonates deeply with so many artists and music lovers around the globe. Now in 2026, the record is finally available again in this newly expanded, definitive edition.

Features:

• Deluxe 2xLP reissue of the landmark album
• Audio newly remastered by Johanz Westerman
• Original artwork with expanded gatefold and booklet feat. unseen photos and liner notes from Discostan’s Arshia Fatima Haq & Jeremy Loudenback, plus Singh’s former manager, filmmaker and writer Rana Ghose
• Release produced in cooperation with Charanjit Singh’s Estate
• Vinyl pressed at Optimal Media