Lachlan R. Dale is a Sydney-based musician whose work traverses odd-metered rhythms, ritual drone, cinematic composition, and the modal traditions of Central and South Asia. His evolving sound draws from a deep engagement with classical and folk music of the East.
Originally emerging from Australia’s experimental rock and post-metal scenes, Lachlan’s early work in bands like Serious Beak and Adrift for Days pushed the boundaries of guitar-driven composition. In recent years, however, his focus has shifted toward modal traditions, improvisation, and cross-cultural collaboration. Since 2018, he has studied and performed Afghan classical and folk music on the rubab, increasingly working with musicians from Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Pakistan, and India across both musical and charitable initiatives.
Lachlan currently performs with a number of projects, including the trance-inducing post-metal trio Hashshashin, the ritualistic electro-acoustic trio Black Aleph, and traditional Afghan group Arya Ensemble. He also creates ambient and immersive solo work under his own name, where his distinct compositional voice continues to evolve.
Whether navigating distortion-laden textures or intimate acoustic modal improvisations, Lachlan’s music is united by a commitment to deep listening, cross-cultural respect, and musical storytelling that blurs the lines between ancient and modern, East and West, composition and ritual.
Lachlan also owns and manages two record labels and touring companies:
- Art As Catharsis, with its focus on progressive Australian music, and;
- Worlds Within Worlds, which focuses on Eastern classical instrumental music.