It’s the least self-conscious album I’ve ever made

Nitin Sawhney on Human, his sixth album, which explores autobiographical themes and emotions.

Multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, Nitin Sawhney’s trademark style merges Indian classical music with jazz, dance beats and electronica and has won him a host of awards including the coveted MOBO Award.

The genesis: Sawhney grew up in Kent, near London. Early music influences ranged from playing classical piano at school to learning the sitar and tabla at the local gurudwara. "I can’t remember a time when I didn’t improvise with music; my first memory of composition was as a six-year-old."

Human: It reflects much of the trauma of his early years. In the ’70s, the racist National Front was at its most active in Britain. "I remember being followed home by a National Front van, filled with thugs shouting abuse. I was beaten up at school on a regular basis." He took refuge in his compositions. "Music allows you to create and redefine your own space which very few can intrude upon." Betrayal and the erosion of innocence are recurring themes.

Identity: Sawhney is proud of his Indian roots. But, "as an artist the concept of nationality is one that I have disdain for. It is used as a tool by politicians to instigate people against one another."

World view: "The more articulate you become, the more you simplify things. We are arrogant, thinking that our will controls the universe – we are part of a giant pattern."