Watching You

\"Watching You\" is a composition by Indian violinist L. Shankar featured as the third track on his 1985 studio album Song for Everyone. Released on March 5, 1985 under ECM Records, the album marked Shankar’s collaboration with producer Manfred Eicher and showcased his fusion of Carnatic classical traditions with Western jazz and ambient textures. The label issued the recording primarily on compact disc, aligning with the format’s emerging prominence in the mid-1980s.

The track spans 13 minutes and 17 seconds, exemplifying Shankar’s extended improvisational approach on the double violin, an instrument he pioneered. \"Watching You\" integrates layered melodic phrases with rhythmic cycles derived from South Indian tala systems, while incorporating electronic processing and sparse percussive elements. The composition reflects the album’s broader exploration of meditative soundscapes, blending acoustic virtuosity with studio-enhanced atmospherics.

Song for Everyone received attention for its cross-genre experimentation, with Shankar’s performances bridging classical Indian raga structures and contemporary production techniques. The album’s liner notes credit Jan Erik Kongshaug as the recording engineer, with sessions conducted at Rainbow Studio in Oslo, Norway. No additional musicians or vocalists are documented for this track, though the album features contributions from other artists on separate compositions.

The context of \"Watching You\" within Shankar’s discography remains tied to his period of international collaboration, following his earlier work with artists such as Peter Gabriel and Frank Zappa. ECM Records’ cataloging positions the track as part of the label’s broader commitment to avant-garde and world music fusions during the 1980s. Further details on the composition’s live performance history or alternate recordings are not publicly verified.