Ajay Saggar, known for his work as Bhajan Bhoy, trades his usual kosmische explorations for something more grounded, yet no less cosmic, on Summer in St. Mary’s. Recorded over two long, meditative days in a 15th-century church in North Yorkshire, UK, this new album is a hauntingly beautiful departure: minimalist, reverent, and spellbinding.
The record centers around a 19th-century Packard church organ, discovered almost by chance while Saggar visited historic sites with his mother. Tucked into the corner of the decommissioned St. Mary’s Church in South Cowton, the organ became the focal point for a set of longform, slow-burning pieces. Rather than layering synths or effects, Saggar lets the space itself do the work, harnessing creaks, echoes, and the hum of air moving through ancient stone.
There’s a sacred stillness here that recalls Popol Vuh or the solo works of Kali Malone, but Saggar’s palette leans even further into texture and atmosphere.
These aren’t songs so much as rituals, meditative spirals shaped by repetition, time, and place. The stained glass, Latin inscriptions, and alabaster effigies that surround the organ become silent collaborators in the compositions. The result is music that feels ancient yet immediate, ceremonial yet intimate.
Saggar’s background in psychedelic and experimental bands like Water Damage and CHELA is present only in spirit; this is a much quieter transcendence. Where previous Bhajan Bhoy records chased the astral plane through ragas and kosmische grooves, Summer in St. Mary’s finds that same magic in dust, wood, and holy reverberation.
A deeply personal and place-rooted album, Summer in St. Mary’s is a communion between artist, architecture, and time. Whether you enjoy delving into devotional music or not, it’s a beautiful record you may enjoy.
Check out some of the pictures below from the 15th century church of St. Mary’s in North Yorkshire (UK) that inspired the record:
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