Prem Joshua
Haunting sitar and bamboo flute melodies floating over sophisticated lounge beats. A bridge between ancient Indian ragas and modern European chillout.
Haunting sitar and bamboo flute melodies floating over sophisticated lounge beats. A bridge between ancient Indian ragas and modern European chillout.
Prem Joshua creates a sonic space where the ancient and the modern don't just coexist, they dance. The music is anchored by the organic resonance of the sitar and the breathy, human quality of the bansuri flute, but it is propelled by the polished, rhythmic pulse of contemporary downtempo. It feels like a high-end sanctuary, blending the discipline of Indian classical music with the accessibility of a late-night lounge set.
What truly sets him apart is his background as a multi-instrumentalist who approaches Eastern traditions with a Western jazz musician's ear for improvisation and arrangement. He avoids the clichés of 'new age' music by maintaining a rigorous melodic structure and a sophisticated rhythmic interplay between live tabla and electronic percussion. The result is music that is deeply meditative but never stagnant.
Start with 'Dance of Shakti' to experience his most iconic fusion of energy and stillness. If you prefer a more electronic, club-adjacent sound, the 'Dakini Lounge' remixes offer a fascinating look at how his organic compositions can be re-imagined for the dance floor without losing their spiritual core.
Prem Joshua (Hindi: प्रेम जोशुआ) is a German musician, active since 1969. Born in the south of Germany in 1958, Joshua learned to play the flute at the age of five and played this instrument and the saxophone since the age of 12 in various local bands. At the age of 18, he traveled overland to India studying the indigenous folk music of countries along the way. Joshua was the name his parents gave him, he later was given the prefix "Prem" from his spiritual master Osho, dropping the family name, to remind him of the essence of Love (Prem means "Love" in Hindi). Prem Joshua cites sitarist Ravi Shankar as an early musical influence. On reaching India, Joshua learned to play the sitar with Ustad Usman Khan as well as the Indian Bansoori (Indian bamboo flute). Osho inspired him and his music. His website states that "In the presence of this man with a long white beard, eyes as deep as the ocean and a strong sense of humor, he came in touch with the art of the “inner music” - Silence. This was really coming home!" Throughout his career, he has experimented with various forms of music, creating a blend of the East and the West. He has also worked extensively with other producers, making remixes of his own songs and infusing traditional Hindustani acoustic instruments with lounge and trance beats. His music has immensely contributed to the Asian Underground and fusion scene. In 1991, Prem Joshua, Kora player, British Ravi, and Sarod player, Chinmaya Dunster launched their project “Terra Incognita”. They released two albums, "No Goal But The Path" and "Tribal Gathering". He subsequently released four solo albums and co-founded the band, “Hamsafar”, with which he released the album - "Lifeprints" in 1998. HAMSAFAR split up in 2000, after the band had reached quite a peak in their career, playing extensive concerts in Germany, France, Holland, Denmark and Italy and a well received concert at the "Shantipi"-festival in Israel in front of 10.000 people. After the split, Prem Joshua played in smaller formations with Manish Vyas and dancer Hina Sarojini. Until he formed "Prem Joshua & Band" in 2007 and started touring in Europe and even more in India, where he gained quite a reputation in fusing classical Indian music with western contemporary styles. In his records, Prem Joshua had begun to experiment with genres like drum and bass, lounge, and trance, while still focusing on classical Indian music.
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