Searching by Chris Votek

True to its name, Searching is an exploration—sometimes chaotic, often hauntingly beautiful, and always compelling. Blending elements of Hindustani, folk, ambient, and Western classical music, Votek crafts a vivid self-portrait across six immersive tracks. The album traverses rich electro-acoustic soundscapes and intimate songwriting, drawing comparisons to The Books, Brian Eno, and Arthur Russell.

Votek’s musical journey spans continents and traditions—from ancient Indian ragas to contemporary classical and ambient frontiers. This global perspective shapes Searching’s distinct pancultural sound world, where unexpected instrumental combinations—violin, guzheng, clarinets, saxophone, cello—ebb and flow in layered waves.

The album features tabla maestro Neelamjit Dhillon, modular synth wizard Jeremiah Chiu, violinist Andrew Tholl, and harpist Sheela Bringi. As both composer and songwriter, Votek intricately weaves these textures around his introspective vocals, creating a deeply personal yet expansive sonic experience.

“Searching began as a series of personal recording experiments, an opportunity to be purely creative. I spent time toying with the objects and instruments I had around: How many percussion sounds could I get from striking my oven with various implements? Can I build a drum machine out of cello harmonics? What happens if I bow a Guzhung? I learned through this process that every little sound can be imbued with meaning when I made it with my own two hands, and these “handmade” sounds became the seeds that the songs grew out of.” -Chris Votek

Raga cellist and composer
Bridging Indian and Western Classical Music 🌎

chrisvotek.com