sitar beat and grooves review page

Disky Comm.

Harvey Summers : Ayurveda (US,2001)***

This is one of the first "New Age" items I heard which musically are finally worth listening to from another point of view (like from a musical point of view) than such music only works as as a percussionless motionless relaxation after a hard day of work. This release my girlfriend bought with a book about Ayurveda (the Indian system of medicine, which did stand a model for old European systems like for instance used by Hildegard Von Bingen). It is mostly sold separately. Different with most New Age items it has different working layers of music beautifully worked out : complex rhythms, some textures of sounds, a somewhat Gothic like use of synthesizer but then with ethnic references, which gives it strength. There's a well thought over adaptation of Indian melodies and sounds, which makes this highly enjoyable.

I asked how much Harvey did sample anything because there was not much instrumentation mentioned. Harvey answered "Obviously I do use some sampled instruments but I feel that integrity of composition is very important, so, if I am using samples of performance etc, I cut them up into tiny articulations so I can make them play my own melodies but with authentic performance features. This, mixed with the live instruments (I play guitars, synthesizers, flutes & whistles, ukulele, moncena, harp and percussion) and occasional contributions from colleagues (particularly vocals) make the line up." That's what explains the natural feel of the complete mixture : a combination of acoustic composition mixed with varied electronic and sampled melodic textures.

Compairing with some other works I heard from Harvey Summers ("Feng Shui", with some Chinese influences, "Reiki", with some Japanese influences, but lots of synthesiser too,in New Age style, "Tai Chi" also in a more more definite New Age style) I think this work really stand out. It can surely also be of interest for people with no interest for New Age.

Contact label : bluedot.music@virgin.net

Contact composer : info@harveysummers.com

Website : with composers at http://www.productexchange.co.uk/pxm/compo.htm)

His early works at Home Page : http://www.harveysummers.com/

Spirit Singer Prod.

Maya & Sage : Spirit of Love (US,2004)°°

A strong aspect of this group is the female voice (Maya) and the dual vocals. Also fine is the devotional aspect on the first track, “Calling Sita Ram”. A weaker aspect is the use of rhythm box in the second part called “Jai Sita Ram”. Like in all new age items musical creative aspects suffer a bit through more use of synthesizer. New Age be-good ideas rarely work, too often blind the musical creativity and especially the musical structure and natural balance of creative sounds. At this point music shows too easily this wanna-be good idea, with less musical intuitive and creative foundations, in the opposite mode of a certain richness that it tries to bring. When there’s enough acoustic lead the music works best. “Utopia” for me is a better track, with electric and acoustic guitar with bass and tabla giving a perfect musical balance to the ethereal aspect. (Both preference tracks will be airplayed). “Spirit of Love” might remind someone who knows music and music history either of the flower power movement in the sixties and the summer of love, or in the acoustic movement of the wonderful COB release of this name, but this is another, more new age related context.

Homepage : http://www.mayasage.com/ & (with audio) : http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mayansage

Info : http://emol.org/music/artists/mayasage/

PrivateBarbara Markay : Shambhala Dance (US,2005)-

Barbara worked with many big names and has various credits on her biography. This does not necessarily mean this is music rooted in a deeply inspired musical idea. Like all “new age” labelled releases (-here it is mixed with world beat-) the musicality is incredibly lightweight.

I noticed before that for more women than men a “relaxed feeling in music”, with some elements to confirm this, seems to be fair enough for them. These type of women seem to judge music and many other things, including relations and spirituality, much more from a rational viewpoint with a practical sense. They are mostly interested in if it will suit them and is able to confirm their immediate existence. This music is also world beat music, but in such a relaxed way the beats themselves become relaxing. The additional title says “a meditation through movement” which is in fact more like a correct stylistic description. When people would dance to such stylistic movement, it is easy to relax all kinds of inner and bodily aspects. This still is not the same as meditation. Making conditions for such relaxation and meditation are often confused, but this has the intention and who knows one day the possibility. One must surely start from the condition to being able to relax all tensions first, before a start from just any meditation (in silence or in movement). Solving and transforming the tensions to more peaceful conditions however are of course not the general meditation itself, but it does prepare a body to get rid of the daily tensions when they would benefit from a normal neutral condition.

An even more subtle touch is given to the music by some fusion violin, various parts of acoustic studio-flavoured flamenco guitar. Also mentionable is some guest musician participation on electric guitar. Two tracks are songs. “Your Fire” is a rather naive mainstream song with the kind of willing spirituality-without-any-foundation-of-philosophy, with a definte to be positive goal.

I noticed that in the earliest stage when people live their daily life in an authomatic mode, then start to search for some spirituality, they connect this “spiritual goal” often to some illusion of increased potency of friendship, which is valued as equally positive as long as everybody involved confirms the wanna-feel-good-conditions for it. Although these kinds of remarks will be hated by music lovers of this kind of new age/world beat, I can assure them that my comments are more spiritual than negative or as coming from a non-believer. What I’d like to say here is that instead of confirming here the wanna-be-spiritual part, I can still conclude this is an album suitable to relax your muscles, to dance calmly to it, and rid one of irrational tensions. No more and no less.

Audio : "Message from Morpheus", "Your Fire" or more audio http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markay3

Info : http://www.mythingmusic.com/mythingmusic/

Other review : http://home.nestor.minsk.by... & http://emol.org/music/artists/markay/

Dutch review : http://www.folkforum.nl/content/view/5256/55/

Outcaste MusicV.A. : Bollywood Funk (IND,comp.2000)***°'

A very enjoyable well compiled compilation. Some of it has mainstream, but very fine early 70's Bollywood brass & strings and jazzband filmmusic, with funky elements, and with at least some surprising elements. There are also various groovy, danceable tracks. For DJ's there might be a few essential samples to be found here.

Unfortunately not not much added additional info about the tracks.

The compilation is done by DJ Harv and Suni (aka Sutrasonic) from Outcaste Music.

Audio : "Hum Kisise Theme" (or here), "Dum Maro Dum" (or here), "Baby Let's Dance Together" (or

here), "Shalimar", "Dance Music", "Qrbani","Jewel Thief","I love you","Pyar Zindaghi Hai","Raffo Chakkar"

Info : http://www.outcaste.com/index.cfm?do=viewRelease&releaseID=14

Mystic Jazz Prod. Dawoud : Renegade Sufi (US,2004)**°

Dawood has succeeded in bringing a group together with a rather improvisational rhythmical fundament (bass, some programmed rhythms or percussion) with a very individual sound. The style is partly with an often rather loose chill-out groove, a partly jazzy improvisation. There are improvisations with sitar and flute combined, or sometimes sitar and acoustic guitar on one track. There are talks with a spiritual or philosophical ‘fusion’ spoken word element, (on “Freedom” it is as a more frustrated expression –here like a kind of ‘dub hiphop fusion’-). The improvisations on keyboards with a pitch control stick, I like this less, because to me they sound rather weird and slightly off-key, trying to imitate the effect of the sitar ; for me this gives it a more melodically confusing effect. Similarly confusing to me are the low key variations of singing on “The mathematics of Love”. One the nicest and most successful moments I think is where bass and rhythm contribute to the evolution on “Silent Sanctuary”, groovy and appealing, a track with improvisations on sitar and acoustic guitar. The electronic sequenced grooves on the last titletrack “Renegade Sufi” I think are also very attractive in a different, also groovy way. All tracks hang well together with enough spontaneous variation in expression.

Audio : "Walk in the Night", "Women", "The Unique Necklace", "Call to Peace"

or http://www.cdbaby.com//cd/dawoud & http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=CDB1051960012

Info : http://www.mysticjaz.com

Private Pooja : Dard-e-Mohabbat (The Pain Of Love) (demo) (IND,2005)**'

Pooja is an Indian artist who works with synthesisers and voice mostly. Her music is a very orchestrated mix (the synths imitate many instruments like sitar, sax, piano, electric piano, tabla, drums, and some strings) with Indian music. A synthesizer like this makes the music sound somewhat kitschy and limited in colours of sounds, but at the same time the melodic arrangements are rich and pleasant. Similar bright happiness in sounds I have found before in the more brilliant compositions of composer Ilaiyaraaja.

Audio : "Dard", "Har Saans Pe Tera Naam","Is Mein Kya Rakha Hai","Kiseka Pyaar Miljaye", "Koye Bhool Jaye","Saanson Ne Tera Naam Liya"

Info : http://www.poojamusic.com

Elsewhen Rec. Loop Guru : Bathtime with (UK,2005)***

In the name Loop Guru you can hear how the group, (mostly a duo consisting of Jamaad & Saam), tries to combine organically looped samples (tabla percussion, used sounds) with a guided inspiration to make an Indian-exotic flavoured Trance music, with a focus on a real musical creation with a natural rhythm. The use of spoken word, organ, nature, trumpet, sampled tabla and so on, on the first track are described as “quantum oganics, wandering blancmange trumpet, psychedelic canary, lion taming, beaudelaireophon, gloop drums, alarm clock, luminous wetlook, strings of Hades”. They know what they’re doing. The descriptions of used instruments are a world of their own, but the sort of naming describes well their conscious use. The third track, "Devotion No.1" also features a (semi-) Indian female vocalist, called Tamarind Free Jones. This track with tampura (?), handpercussion, rhythms, organ touches, tabla, bass, nature sounds,.. is described as having “sympathetic springs, fruit bat orchestra, gamelantics, wail bones, backwards explanations, tantric torpedo tablatics, Ning blatters, soup dish and wattle bird, Lo Rumble stick, whoosh manoeuvring in the light, Da Float Carlino, swirl, insect manipulation, pins, peeping sitars”. I can’t get enough of such descriptions, but also the music is extremely moody between a soundtrack, a trance rhythmic lounge experience, and a real journey through sounds with here and there even groove-jazzy touches. There is an ear for sounds mixed with a certain technique that adds structure and rhythm. In an interview I read that their first idea was “to use tape loops (for underlying rhythms), tape sound collages (cassettes containing environmental sounds, chants, solo instruments etc.) and live playing (tuned percussion, drones, ethnic instruments, prepared piano) either on tape or overdubbed”. Very good !!

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Other contributors for Loop Guru during their history : Mad Jym (percussion instrument builder), Nidahl Bulbul (aka Linda Goldfinger) (vocals), Eskimo Bob (ethno instruments), Lydie Pfeiffer (vocals), Liz Fletcher (vocals), Daniel Bartley (mixing musician), Jamie Harley (Sound engineer), Millennia (vocals), Dave Parker (vocals, composer), The Pleasure Dome (percussion), Sussan Deyhim (vocals), Natasha Atlas (vocals).

Audio of "Bathttime with" : "Spring", "Bathtime", "Devotion n°1","Promenade Sentimentale"

& http://www.indiestore.com/loopguru or http://cdbaby.com/cd/loop & http://musicstore.connect.com/...

Review with audio : http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fpen97idkr0t

Review and distribution : http://www.voiceprint.co.uk/web/Release/LG001/

General info : http://www.elsewhen.org.uk/ & http://www.loopguru.demon.co.uk/

& http://www.mechanismrecords.com/Artists/Loopguru/LoopGuru.html

& http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/loopguru

Bio : http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:7cvyxdsb8olj~T1

& http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/loop_guru/bio.jhtml

Article : http://www.global-trance.co.uk/fr_index.html?/Loop_Guru.html

Italian info : http://www.scaruffi.com/vol6/loopguru.html

Elsewhen Rec.Loop Guru : Elderberry Shiftglass (UK,2006)***°

This third release by Loop Guru is much more a '60s flavoured psychedelic Soundtrack.

You can find the review on

http://psychemusic.org/sixties2.html

Ricituno Rec. Franco Baggiani : Santur (I,2006)**

Jazz trumpetist (trumpet and flugelhorn) Franco Baggiani on this release went to try to make his own fusion approach with Indian flavours and use of ideas from North African beats (rai is mentioned as an influence) and electronic beats in general, with the help of ‘Madhava Das’ aka Mario Leonelli (samples, loops, electronic arrangements).

The electronic arranger succeeds in giving some range and variations in mood, ranging from acid beat harshness to trance fusion beats, and experimental ambient, in combinations with the trumpet improvisations. There has been made the best effort and maximum out of the separate elements they are used to explore. Franco Baggiani is a good improviser on moods, and while using attentive listening, but both artists and arrangers are also depending on the elements there are gathered, when colouring improvisations before the compositions flourish. When there are enough elements combined, like with the World music related ideas, and with some strange ambient sounds, this works well as the third element that gives the effect as if the tracks are deliberate results of a composer’s creative brain.

At a certain moment, when the techno rhythms did not use any associations or subtler sounds, and became more dancefloor rhythms, they worked more as a downbeat overload, showing the thin line of inspiration now becoming poor. (-but I must say this album sounds still much more interesting than all hard and harsh rai I have heard until now-). When more into moods and when coloured enough, and with a use of multiplying elements, the music shows its most convincing nature. “Indian Dreams” used also tabla, sitar, guitar and keyboards. There has been made enough effort into the album that in general the acid fuse gives a satisfying result to make repeated attentive listens possible, showing some hidden surprises of sound experiments which build up certain tracks.

Homepage : http://www.francobaggiani.it

Other review : http://www.allaboutjazz.com/... ; Italian review : http://www.sonicbands.it/articoli/...

A more recent album I reviewed on http://www.psychemusic.org/jazz.html#anchor_193

Guerilla Reïssues V.A. : Sitar Beat! Indian style heavy funk vol.1 (IND,F,pub.2006)***°

The sitar beat CD seems like a compilation of the first 3 great compilation LP’s with old groovy sitar beats. Mostly the tracks are slightly edited. I have no time to review this. I just say this is "party fun"!

Audio : Serge Gainsbourg with Michel Colombier : "Pyschastenie", Kalyanji Anandji : "Somebody To Love", R.D.Burman with Asha Boshle & Kishore Kumore : "Aa Dekhen Jara"

Audio : http://www.turntablelab.com/cds/0/0/14969.html

& http://www.discshopzero.com/item/30863.html

Description with short audio tracks : http://www.moviegrooves.com/shop/sitarbeatvol1cdversion.htm

Review with audio : http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/store/detail.asp?UPC=SB01CD

Audio of first LP : http://www.juno.co.uk/products/124097-01.htm

demo K.P.E.Fusion Project : 4-track demo (Ö/S,2006)***'

KPE Fusion Project is the melting of 2 groups : the Austrian Klangrausch and the Swedish Poorva Express, which were founded as a unity in April 2006 in Varanasi, India. While Poorva Express is specialised in North Indian classical music, Klangrausch is an experimental soundorchestra with overtone-instruments and -voices in combination with multimedia arts performing in churches and other sound oriented places. The combination makes a groovy soundscape-like performance with basically one layer of the sitar-raga, with tabla, and another one of a chill-out performance, with keyboards and bass. The group performs live with a really impressive visual art show, and with the instrumentation of monochord, sitar, mohanveena, sur-navaj, udu-drums and tabla. For this demo CD it is the mentioned core of sitar/tabla mixed with chill-out keyboards, and especially a very groovy bass on “Piloo dhun”. Very pleasant !

Live they have performed mostly in Austria and Slovenia.

Audio : http://kpefusion.culturework.net/index_w.php?page=sound

Homepage : http://kpefusion.culturework.net/

& with audio : http://www.myspace.com/kpefusionproject

About Poorva Express : http://poorvaexpress.culturework.net/

Holy Cow Prod Roman Astra :Sitar Lounge -review cdr- (AUS,2004)***

I was disappointed to notice that Roman’s releases were only cdrs and were released as such. My old cd player accepted only this one, so this will be the one whose music I will describe a bit. Roman’s sitar playing is very melodic, a sing-a-long popular song-alike approach, with bass for the groove and some drumbox or with hand percussion (Middle Eastern hand drum too), and some piano textures. There are a few songs too, in Indian style and vocals. So, with the easy smooth relaxing dance groove in mind, real Indian elements appear too, making the range of inspirations from mainstream popular lounge related grooves reaching towards the more so called serious traditions. This album was inspired by the furniture settings in Hobart’s “Kaos Café”, which looks like being very retro-vintage 60s styled.

Homepage with audio : http://www.romanastra.id.au/music.html & http://www.myspace.com/romanastra

Description : http://www.islandwebs.com.au/applications/search/search_result.asp?ItemID=728

Other review : http://www.duckscrossing.org/tradshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_39_45&products_id=601