Full Moon (Chandra-Kauns)

Full Moon (Chandra-Kauns) is a raga-based instrumental composition performed by Indian flautist G.S. Sachdev. The track appears as the third piece on the album Full Moon, released on CD by Fortuna Records in 1987. The recording spans 11 minutes and 24 seconds and showcases Sachdev’s interpretation of Raga Chandra-Kauns, a melodic framework associated with the late-night aesthetic in Hindustani classical music.

The album Full Moon features Sachdev on the bansuri (North Indian bamboo flute), accompanied by traditional instrumental support typical of the genre. The label Fortuna Records, active during the 1980s and 1990s, specialized in Indian classical and fusion releases, though specific production details for this recording remain undocumented. The tracklist sequence and liner notes, if included in the original release, are not widely archived.

Sachdev’s performance on Full Moon (Chandra-Kauns) adheres to the alaap-jor-jhala structure common in instrumental classical music, with gradual elaboration of the raga’s phrases. The composition emphasizes the komal (flattened) notes characteristic of Chandra-Kauns, particularly the shuddha dhaivat (D) and komal nishad (n). The recording captures a live-studio ambiance, though the exact session location and accompanying artists are not verified in available sources.

The 1987 release marked one of Sachdev’s commercial recordings during a period when Indian classical music gained broader international distribution via CD formats. Fortuna Records’ catalog included collaborations with artists from both North and South Indian traditions, but the label’s operational history and discographic scope are incompletely documented. No reissues or remastered editions of Full Moon have been confirmed as of the latest available records.