THE atmospheric and captivating sounds of the Astrakan Project return to the Cellar Bar, Cardigan, on Friday (March 4) as part of an intimate UK tour.

Astrakan Project’s music sees a lush tapestry of influences from their time spent living in Brittany and Istanbul. From their homeland, Yann Gourvil (strings, programming and loops) and Simone Alves (vocals) bring in ancient songs and legends that they blend with Turkish instruments they discovered while living in Istanbul.

All the songs are sung in the beautiful Breton dialect of Brittany, which they both speak. It’s a Celtic language that is closely related to Welsh and Cornish.

Over the course of two acclaimed albums and a nomadic international touring schedule the duo (who are named after the Breton words for clapping and singing) has cultivated an enviable reputation for mesmerising and powerful live shows, which are unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.

Haunting and achingly beautiful, they create a patchwork quilt of traditional Breton tunes, long-forgotten folk stories, Middle Eastern detours and looped inventions delivered with passion, humour and interaction. On stage, Simone and Yann have also been known to explain the meanings behind the lyrics before each song, so the audience can learn about Breton culture.

This distinctive sound is further intensified by talented multi-instrumentalist Yann, who plays a succession of guitars and Middle Eastern instruments complemented by laptop and guitar pedal loops. It’s a portal to a universe of swirling world music sounds and Celtic folk that is gloriously strange, yet thoroughly irresistible.

Tickets are £10, and the gig starts at 7.30pm.