Can it really be 35 years since the last live, direct-to-vinyl recording? This sad state of affairs is addressed by British-Asian renaissance man Nitin Sawhney, who – sans post-production editing and modern sound correction techniques – went and recorded 17 songs of old and new material before a live audience at London’s Metropolis Studios this April.

Here, then, is material from his illustrious back catalogue: old favourites such as ‘Shadowland’ and ‘Homelands’ feature the talents of sarod master Soumik Datta and flautist/vocalist Ashwin Srinivasan; the bluesy ‘Devil and Midnight’ is buoyed by instruments including bansuri flute and plucked cello to kit and kettledrums. ‘The Conference’, Sawhney’s rapid-fire vocal-tabla duet with Aref Durvesh, captures the energy and adrenalin of the moment.

Four new songs include the closing ‘I Ask You’, a piano-led soul ballad featuring the fragrant Joss Stone, and one just clever and leftfield enough to stay this side of cheese, even with the overabundant celestial harmonies. A work of old school craftsmanship, then, and one that will hopefully set a precedent.