Cafe De Anatolia (Monika Ilieva (left) & Nickarth/Rialians On Earth (middle) & Billy Esteban (right)
Music has always had the ability to cross borders, languages, and traditions. That idea sits at the center of EKTĀ, a nine-track New Age & Ambient album built around spirituality, meditation, mindfulness, and shared humanity.
The album takes its name from the Sanskrit word for “oneness,” reflecting a project that brings together musicians, voices, instruments, and cultural influences from around the world.
With EKTĀ, internationally renowned collective Cafe De Anatolia moves deeper into the world of New Age & Ambient music, collaborating with GRAMMY®-winning artist, producer, and composer Antaeus; Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Madame Gandhi; Amani Sol, creator behind the Relax My Dog brand; and an international group of musicians, vocalists, producers, and engineers.
Released on August 14, 2026, the album reached #1 on the iTunes New Age Albums chart in the United States and #1 on the iTunes Overall Albums chart in India. It has since surpassed 100,000 streams across all platforms.
A Journey Across Nine Tracks
Each track approaches the idea of oneness from a different musical and spiritual perspective.
“Home” opens the album with a cinematic and mysterious New Age atmosphere, featuring guitars & tambura by Billy Esteban and vocals from GRAMMY® nominee and three-time Latin GRAMMY® nominee AleMor.
On “Ocean,” Madame Gandhi introduces a conversation with nature and a deeper state of awareness, while “Goddess Mantra” draws from Indian mantra & chant traditions.
“Echoes of You” moves toward a more classic New Age sound and features violin from two-time GRAMMY® Award winner Frederika Krier. It is followed by “Shiva Nirvana,” an extended guided meditation combining elements of Indian culture, the voice of Madame Gandhi, spirituality, and a downtempo electronic beat created by Cafe De Anatolia.
The atmospheric “Kyrie,” by Antaeus, is conceived as a musical blessing, before “Aether” expands the record into a wider cinematic soundscape.
On “Deep Water,” producer Nickarth brings together flute and the East Balkan Noble Voices choir for one of the album’s most contemplative moments. “Desert Night” completes the journey with violin performances from two-time GRAMMY® nominee An Vedi.
Global Musicians, Traditional Instruments
The international character of EKTĀ extends throughout its production.
The album features keyboards & music production by Antaeus; arrangements and music production by Nickarth; dulcimer by Pete Giatrakus; ney flute by Thanassis Vassilopoulos; sitar by Iasonas Psarakis; tambura and guitar by Billy Esteban; and kaval, duduk, and oud performed by members of Rialians On Earth.
Vocals come from Madame Gandhi and AleMor, with lyrics by Monika Ilieva, violin performances from Frederika Krier and An Vedi, and contributions from the East Balkan Noble Voices choir.
The engineering team includes GRAMMY®-winning engineer Joe Maldonado, multi-GRAMMY®-nominated engineer Tony Correli, recording engineers Stefan Petanovski and Valdera, and multi-GRAMMY®-winning engineer Alex Psaroudakis.
Together, these contributions give EKTĀ its meeting point between acoustic instrumentation, spiritual traditions, ambient textures, and contemporary electronic production.
Finding a Quiet Place Through Music
For Cafe De Anatolia, the album is also an exploration of what New Age & Ambient music can offer beyond conventional listening.
“New Age and Ambient music are spaces where silence becomes part of the composition. We believe this album has the power to create environments where healing can naturally unfold. With Ektā, we blended organic instruments, meditative voices, and ambient textures to create a soundtrack for reflection and inner peace.
What makes this project truly special is that it brings together so many incredible artists from different cultures, traditions, and musical backgrounds, each contributing their own unique voice to a shared vision of unity. Our hope is that every listener finds their own quiet place within these compositions.”
The Sony Music Publishing MENA Connection
Sony Music Publishing MENA is the exclusive publishing team behind five tracks from the album produced by Cafe De Anatolia: “Home,” “Ocean,” “Shiva Nirvana,” “Deep Water,” and “Desert Night.”
The works are composed by Nikola Iliev (Nickarth), Monika Ilieva, and Zoran Iliev (Billy Esteban), exclusive songwriters signed with Sony Music Publishing through Cafe De Anatolia’s publishing arm, CAMELWAV.
Dounia from Sony Music Publishing MENA says:
“EKTĀ is a wonderful project that Nick and Monika presented to us, and we are happy to support it. Cafe De Anatolia, together with their collaborators, created a wonderful piece of music, and we all enjoy this beautiful New Age album, probably the best one in 2026.”
EKTĀ Beyond Streaming
The concept is also moving beyond the album itself through a series of intimate listening and experience events.
The team planned events in San Francisco on August 18, New York on September 24, Los Angeles on October 4, and London on October 18, giving audiences an opportunity to experience the music and philosophy behind EKTĀ in an immersive setting.
These experiences return to the idea at the heart of the project: oneness. Across nine tracks, EKTĀ brings different cultural backgrounds, traditional instruments, meditative voices, choirs, ambient soundscapes, and electronic production into one shared musical space.
For Your Consideration
EKTĀ is currently running an active For Your Consideration campaign.
Listen to EKTĀ:
https://vibe.to/ekta
EKTĀ — For Your Consideration:
https://cafe-de-anatolia.com/fyc-ekta
https://antaeusmusic.com/fyc-ekta
https://madamegandhi.blog/2026/08/06/fyc-ekta-by-madame-gandhi-antaeus-cafe-de-anatolia-amani-sol-best-new-age-album/