Loosely translated, Tayatha is a Tibetan Buddhist term that means "it is like this." This particular recording marks an unprecedented foray for Lhamo into post-minimalist improvisation with Batagov, a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory who has been described by the L.A. Times as "a Russian Terry Riley." Intimate and unusually personal, Tayatha traces a journey of spiritual transformation, invoking the universal themes of love, family, faith and renewal.

"The point where East meets West in this story is not where they usually meet," Batagov says. "It's definitely closer to the world of chamber post-minimalist music than to the world of pop arrangements. That's why we called the album Tayatha. Buddhist mantras usually begin with tayatha -- that's why we hope people will play the whole album without interruption. It's a trip that has its special trajectory, like a modern vocal cycle.