HAVING performed her music far and wide songstress Saritah is pushing her sound beyond its limits with the inclusion of electronic elements in her latest album Ancient Forward.

Fans of her earlier work will note her tunes aren’t the acoustic masterpieces they once were. Instead Saritah opted to beat out some riffs on the electric guitar, aiming for a more worldly sound. Saritah said she went about writing her latest album Ancient Forward in a very different way to her previous releases, beginning the process with a drumming program on music program Garage Band. "It created a much more evolved sound because I wasn’t scared to use programmed drums or a loop here and there," she said."I used a lot more instruments on this one too, like some traditional Persian instruments and a drumkit."

Always a spiritual writer Saritah has taken much of her inspiration for this album from the way humans interact with nature and the history of life on Earth. "I like to look at where we’re at with everything that’s happening in the world," she said."I feel like it’s building up - the effect we’re having on the planet. so it’s about looking back to where we’ve come from and looking forward to the future."

Not one to pass up the opportunity to work with other musicians Saritah features several collaborations on Ancient Forward, including one entitled Time Will Come which saw musician Ranking Roger be included on the track without the two having ever met. Most High featuring Aranha is a favourite for the songstress and was the last to be written for the album. It takes listeners on a journey through her spiritual side. "It really inspired me because I realised we are all divine beings in our society," she said. "It’s about the connection we all have with each other and it’s about celebrating that connection."

While Saritah isn’t inclined to have any regrets for her album, she admitted to wanting to include samples of her Korean grandmother chanting but not having the time. However she plans to make the trip to Korea and feature it on her future album. "I’ve got lots of ideas for new songs that are trying to make their way out so a new album is definitely on the horizon," she said. "But there are a lot of places I’ve wanted to take the new album so I’ve got a lot of plans for international touring first."

By Nikkita Dixon