Robbie Basho was an American composer primarily active in the 60s and 70s. Spiritually driven, he studied the philosophies and music of various Japanese, Indian, Middle Eastern and Native American cultures, even naming himself after the Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho.
His album, Zarthus, released in 1974, comprises six mystical, psychedelic, raga-folk pieces, densely layered with eastern arpeggios played on finger-picked 12-strings and lightly-stroked pianos. Imagine if John Fahey had been born and raised in Persia and you might get a sense of how the pieces sound. Occasionally Basho will sing in deep, sorrowful tones over the top, in a manner similar to Tim Buckley at his deepest. Zarthus is considered Basho’s best album by many of his fans, and perhaps represents the point at which he most effectively infused his passions for oriental culture into his music.
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