The Beginner's Guide to Bollywood (2003)

«Bollywood music has been loved in the West for the way it Cuisinarts different styles together, mixing and matching like crazy in the same song. This extensive collection places a great emphasis on that side of the music, which makes for an easy introduction to the myriad styles that have made up Bollywood over the last 50 years. There’s plenty of music from the’70s (one whole disc is devoted to it, plus part of another), which was a golden era for Bollywood, and the development of the music – which comes from the soundtracks of the gloriously successful Bollywood films – is well laid out here, both by example, and in the excellent booklet. While some might feel too much emphasis has been placed on the eclectic side of the music, that’s the big drawing card, as composers and arrangers constantly seek new things. The “playback singers”, as Bollywood vocalists are called, are, along with the composers, the real stars, and the big names all get an airing. While more space could have been devoted to the '50s and '60s, and the '80s and '90s, which have seen such a rich development in the form with composers like A.R. Rahman showing the full possibilities of Bollywood music, greater exposure would have been nice. But with just three CDs on which to try and capture the madness and the melody, the compilers have done an excellent job of putting together this beginner’s guide.» (AMG)

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Trilok Gurtu & Arkè String Quartet - Arkeology (2006)

«Another Trilok triumph. Once again, the Indian percussionist and composer Trilok Gurtu proves himself to be among the world’s most adventurous, skilled and intelligent fusionists, on this spectacular marriage between East and West, in collaboration with Italy’s Arkè String Quartet. Many of the best fusions are sound collisions, their very success based on a thrilling clashing of cultures. Arkeology is different, for it seeks to emphasise not the differences but the seamless empathy between two apparently contrasting musical worlds.

The opener, ‘Balahto’, is one of Gurtu’s three featured compositions and is typical of the approach, kicking in with an urgent insistent bass pattern over skittering Asian percussion before the Western classical strings take up a dancing melody with a vaguely Celtic feel.

Nobody’s showboating or trying to outplay each other: every instrument, Eastern and Western is carefully calibrated in perfect balance.

Oddly, it’s often the compositions by the Italian quartet that have the strongest Asian feel. ‘Kermanşah’ is written by violinist Valentino Corvino but has Gurtu’s dreamy tabla playing to the fore, and bursts of Indian tala singing over some lovely, Gypsy-like strings, while ‘Fes’, composed by fellow violinist Carlo Catnini, is another sublimely moody piece that unites Asian, Mediterranean and North African influences. There’s both an attention to detail and a broader, cinematic quality. To say that in places it sounds like high-class film music is no criticism at all. (Nigel Williamson, Songlines. More reviews here)»

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Trilok Gurtu - Broken Rhythms (2004)

«A world class, virtuoso percussionist, now in his mid fifties, Trilok has attracted a world class set of collaborators over a long career; these started with John McLaughlin in whose trio, Trilok flourished as the featured soloist for 4 years, other jazz greats continued this path – Joe Zawinul, Jan Garbarek, Don Cherry, Bill Evans, Pharoah Sanders, Dave Holland were all attracted to Trilok’s burning sense of rhythm. Of course he is deeply rooted in the Indian tradition, so it is no surprise to see that collaborations also took place with the glitterati of Indian musical society – his mother, Shobha Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, L. Shankar, Shankar Mahadevan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, The Misra Brothers and Sultan Khan. World music has become an established genre in which Trilok has further “ploughed his own furrow” with his own group, to great effect, performing and recording with Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare, Angelique Kidjo, Neneh Cherry, Omara Portuondo, Tuvan throat singers, Huun Huur Tu, to such effect that . Rita Ray of BBC Radio described him as “a serial collaborator”. […]

Trilok started 2004 with a 10-date tour of Norway in February followed by an extensive tour of 25 concerts in France to announce the release of his eleventh cd “Broken Rhythms”. As with all Trilok records, the accent was on rhythm and drumming – but this one more so. Featured collaborations with the Tuvan Throat Singers Huun Huur Tu, the Arké String Quartet and an outstanding screaming guitar part from Gary Moore bring a heady mix of bright and fast with gentle and peaceful. The album was released in France in March 2004 and received all 4**** reviews.» (trilokgurtu.net)

«This recording completes a four album musical journey which began with Africn Fantasy, prceeded through Beat of Love and Remembrance and comes to a beautifully composed conclusion on Broken Rhythms. Every element in Trilok's musical palate is used, from percussive experiments to rockier pieces to orchestrated arrangements that would satisfy many an old Mahavishnu fan. And the ensemble of musicians which he has chosent o accompany him and perform these songs are some of the finest in the world of Indian music and World music today. I am at a loss to imagine what he will do to "top" this release. If you have ANY of his earlier recordings, this one will have a certain logical sense and feel to it that you will really enjoy. This is the artist at his most mature to date.» (Amazon)

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Malkit Singh - King of Bhangra (2004)

«Malkit Singh was born in the village Husainpur near Jalandhar. He is the oldest child of five. He started singing at the age of four and attended a local school in his village where is talent was recognised. He then carried his talent through to college where he participated in competitions and won many awards. And now has taken his music from the Punjabi vernacular to cross-cultural experiments with various types of music such as rap, house, dance, Bollywood film screens and so fourth. As a result, traditional Punjabi folk music has gone from the relative obscurity of a Punjabi village to the heady heights of a world stage. As the music spreads its wings across the globe, Malkit Singh encompasses audience of all ages and backgrounds. With this, Malkit Singh has received numerous awards and accolades for his musical talents in that his contributions to Bhangra music and the Indian community have been greatly noted. […]

Malkit Singh has been hailed the ‘King of Bhangra,’ and is one of the few Punjabi icons around in today’s Bhangra industry. Punjabi’s all around the world look up to Malkit’s original style, melodious voice and unique music as he represents the true traditional Punjabi culture to worldwide audiences. His fan base keeps on growing from strength to strength. He encompasses an audience of all ages, from old to young. He has maintained his true Punjabi image throughout his career, which people have respected and feel they can look up to him as a role model. His popular music and videos have won over today’s generation of youngsters as well as keeping his die-hard fans happy, and will continue to do so in years to come.» (Hollywood Bowl)

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Tabla Beat Science - Tala Matrix (2000)

«The North Indian drums know as the tabla were said to have been invented in the 13th century by Amir Khusrau, a disciple of the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizemuddin Aluya. At the time, Khusrau sawed a pakhawaj (a single two-headed wooden drum) in two. Though no one may never know exactly why Khusrau felt it necessary it to saw a pakhawaj in half, his act gave birth to the tabla. Since that time, the tabla have been conceived to accompany vocalists and such instruments as the sitar (a multi-stringed lute), bin (a seven-stringed tube zither), venu (a side-blown cane flute), saord (a lute with a parchment soundboard and metal frets), and the sarangi (bowed lute).

The late Ustad Alla Rakha, who played for many years with Ravi Shankar, is widely credited with having expanded the repertoire and the role of the tabla. Thanks in great part to his ingenuity and determination, today the tabla is no longer considered to be merely an accompanying instrument. In honor of his impressive contributions to the world of tabla, the musical consortium known as Tabla Beat Science has dedicated their debut CD, Tala Matrix, to the memory of Ustad Alla Rakha. By asking some of the most highly regarded tabla players in the world to play with a variety of musicians and programmers, producer and bassist Bill Laswell has essentially appropriated the ancient tradition of the tabla and fused it with contemporary electronica studio wizardry. Tabla Beat Science is comprised of Ustad Alla Rakha's son and tabla superman Zakir Hussain, venerated sarangi player Ustad Sultan Khan, Indian and jazz percussion innovator Trilok Gurtu, New York drummer Karsh Kale, bass and drum visionary Talvin Singh, music programmer Brad Somatik, and producer/bassist Bill Laswell. Laswell, who “conceived and constructed” the CD, acts as the catalyst for the outfit, adding the bottom end with his dub basslines and the overall aesthetic with his studio prowess. More of a consortium than a full-blown collaboration, not one of the songs on Tala Matrix features all members of the group. Zakir Hussain's many tracks are among the best on the album, though Trilok Gurtu's funky Big Brother and Talvin Singh's Don't Worry.com are both extremely compelling. The often zombie-ridden doldrums of electronica should benefit immensely from this experimental union with tabla. An excellent CD that deserves to be heard many times by many people, Tala Matrix manages to be innovative without loosing sight of tradition.» (AMG)

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Ghazal - Moon Rise Over The Silk Road (2000)

«Westerners have become increasingly familiar with the classical music of India since it first became fashionable in the 60s. But the Persian tradition, without a Beatles/Ravi Shankar collaboration to promote it, has remained a mystery, although it is becoming more recognized. Ghazal creates (or rather, re-creates) a musical bridge between two of the world's most expressive and distinctive musical traditions.

Improvisation lies at the heart of both Indian and Persian classical music. According to Kalhor, “The music that we play together reflects the improvisatory styles of our cultures. This means taking a small idea or melodic form or phrase and developing it into something much larger, beyond its primary character.”

Kayhan Kalhor is a master of the kamancheh, the traditional fiddle of Persian classical music who has performed with and composed for some of Iran's greatest artists. As a son of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, Shujaat Husain Khan is a virtuoso sitarist and scion of one of the greatest families of Hindustani (North Indian) music. They are accompanied on tabla by either Swapan Chaudhuri, one of India's most acclaimed artists, or Sandeep Das, a rising star of the younger generation.

The Persian and Indian traditions are, in a sense, musical cousins. In fact, there is a connection that goes beyond the notes themselves: Several centuries of Moghul rule in northern India left a strong imprint on Hindustani music: a result of the mysticism, poetry, and musical subtleties of the Persian language and culture. The name Ghazal reflects that link: in the Persian tradition, a ghazal is a specific genre of poetry, characterized by an unusual blend of ecstatic spirituality and earthy desires. In India, ghazal has evolved into a form of semi-classical music that remains popular to this day, and usually takes the form of a love ballad.» (World Music Institute)

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Ravi Shankar - India's Master Musician (1963)

«One of Ravi Shankar's first Western recordings – made at London's Abbey Road Studios in 1963 (a full two years before George Harrison was introduced to Shankar's music) and originally released in the U.S. on the tiny jazz-oriented indie World Pacific – India's Master Musician makes some slight concessions toward the untutored Western audience. The liner notes are almost teacherly in their dry explication of Indian musical forms, and the five brief pieces (the longest, "Raga Charu Keshi," clocks in at a mere 13 and a half minutes, which by the expansive standards of Indian classical music is downright Ramones-like in its brevity) do little more than introduce a theme, suggest some variations, and conclude. Yet for all that, there is no attempt here to dumb down this difficult but rewarding music for Western ears, and the occasional resemblances to Western musical forms, like the almost jazz-like call-and-response section between Shankar and his sidemen, tabla player Kanai Dutt and tamboura player Nodu C. Mullick, are entirely coincidental. This is an excellent introduction not only to Ravi Shankar, but to Indian classical music in general.» (AMG)

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Indian Ocean - Black Friday OST (2005)

Another incredible album from one of India’s finest bands (in case you missed it, click here for their Kandisa album). Enjoy!

«Indian Ocean is a musical ensemble that refuses to pigeonhole itself. Others spend considerable time trying to define their music; the members of the group sidestep that issue politely. Almost every time. But, a few things are certain: their vista is phenomenally wide; they sing in multiple languages and weave in many diverse traditions of music in their works. The languages they sing in include Hindi, English, Urdu, Sanskrit, and even Aramaic. Many songs have interludes in at least half a dozen other regional Indian languages. The musical traditions that they draw upon include classical, folk, sufi, slokas, baul, and contemporary melodies. And they do all of this without sounding gimmicky for a second! All their melodies are intricately crafted works of art, which are guaranteed to marvel and awe.

The Indian Ocean quartet includes individuals from diverse backgrounds. The closest they have come to in the process of defining their music is referring to it as "organic fusion." One must be careful; "fusion" is a tired and a much-maligned concept in contemporary Indian music. Almost anything set to the dull thud of a mindless drum-machine gets labeled as "fusion" these days. In sharp contrast, Indian's Ocean's music is infused with the riches traditions of world music. From rock to raaga, classical to contemporary, blues to baul - Indian Ocean draws inspiration from a vast bank. What emerges is music that is completely peerless.

Indian Ocean, however, has wowed audiences not only in India but also in Europe, Australia and, more recently, in the USA. The foursome came together in the early 1990s and consists of Asheem Chakravarty, Susmit Sen, Rahul Ram and Amit Kilam. It was a fortuitous meeting more than a decade ago, which brought Sen and Chakravarty together, sowing the seeds of Indian Ocean. Even then, it was an interesting mix: Susmit's fire to do something big and his ingenuity with the guitar, and Asheem's traditional, steady, if somewhat laid back background. Then Rahul appeared on the scene, with his romance with the bass guitar and magnificent stage presence. Amit and his drums were soon to follow. But, Amit just doesn't play drums. In any given performance, the number of musical instruments he handles with perfect aplomb, sometimes simultaneously, is quite amazing.» (From an Indian Ocean Fansite)

Read more about this amazing band:

Fused Brains, free music – The story of Indian Ocean

Ratan Prasad’s Indian Ocean page

Black Friday: Music Review by Joginder Tuteja

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Untouchable Outcaste Beats, Volume 1 (1998)

«London’s Outcaste Records continues to sate those in the know with some of the most intriguing fusionary sounds on either side of the Atlantic. Untouchable Outcaste Beats, Volume 1 will serve as the label’s American calling card – an amalgam of tracks from its roster as well as from other seminal works in the genre. Dance Music Federation’s essential “Cybersitar” stands out as a pioneering work, lacing a furious breakbeat with confused sitars and repetitive chant. Artists like Shri, with his serene “Meditations”; Nitin Sawnhey, who takes it to the lounge with “Bengali Song”; and Badmarsh, who abuses the hardsteppers on the dance floor with “Jungle Sitars” all take the music on divergent paths yet still find roots both in traditional Indian sounds and more frenetic U.K. club rhythms. The Outcaste sound fails to be monolithic, and precisely because of that, it paves the roads toward tomorrow.

The great thing about this disc is how it mixes older funk/psychedelic rock tunes with sitars (“Mathar” and “Streets of Calcutta”) with newer techno sounding ones (“Cybersitar”) and songs that could be considered acid jazz (“The Hand of Contraband”). It also captures more traditional sitar playing in its own rite. Listening to this disc is like taking a trip to different countries and worlds to hear many artists interpretations and styles of sitar playing melting with many different music genres.» (Amazon)

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Musafir - Gypsies of Rajasthan (1998)

«The title comes from the supposition, since borne out by linguistic and DNA evidence, that the Roma, or Gypsies, originally migrated from northern India. Just why they left their homeland over a millennium ago to wander the face of the earth is not known. Musafir, who are often described as "proto-Gypsies," consist of singers, dancers, instrumentalists, fakirs, and Sapera snake charmers. They are led by Hammed Khan, a non-Roma tabla virtuoso. The music is Indian folk, with sinuous vocals, harmoniums, and flutes built over a framework of Khan's virile drumming. While it is possible to glimpse assorted Roma traditions in embryo, a lot has happened since the tribes embarked on their endless walkabout. It is probably best to avoid speculation and simply enjoy Musafir based on their own merits, which are considerable indeed.» (Christina Roden, Amazon)

«“La vita per me è un viaggio gitano; per alcuni la vita è un fatto pratico, per noi è possibile entrarci solo attraverso lo spirito del viaggio”, dice Hammed Khan, leader dei Musafir. Il Rajasthan, la terra dei principi, è il punto di partenza della migrazione del popolo rom verso l'Europa. I Musafir, che discendono da alcune caste di musicisti e poeti, con artisti sufi, musulmani e indù, portano in scena un vero e proprio circo musicale: canti, danze e numeri circensi della festa popolare, amalgamati in un repertorio in cui traspare l'influenza delle culture gitane, araba e indiana. I molteplici influssi popolari sono sostenuti dai rigorosi canoni estetici della musica dotta indiana, anche grazie alla direzione artistica di Hammed Khan, maestro di tabla alla Rajasthan University di Jaipur e studioso di musica popolare della sua regione. Hammed, infatti, lavora con i maggiori maestri della musica dotta e popolare del suo paese e rivisita il repertorio delle tipiche fanfare dell'India settentrionale con la big band Jaipur Kawa Brass Band; inoltre, ha collaborato con molti artisti occidentali, da Thierry Robin e Erik Marquand nell'ambito della musica folk ai jazzisti Henry Texier e Syslain Kassap e la coreografa Carolyn Carlson.» (Portale di Venezia)

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The Rough Guide to the Music of Himalayas (2002)

«Rough Guide to the Music of the Himalayas gathers together a varied assortment of music from the high altitudes and plunging valleys of Tibet, Nepal, and Ladakh. Centuries of geographical and political isolation have preserved some traditions virtually intact, while others have been exported to the West via the perceptions of well-meaning and/or culturally rapacious musical tourists. The 13 tracks range from folklore and devotional styles to the sort of new age pastiches one imagines might cling to the inner ear of a frost-bitten, oxygen-deprived Sherpa somewhere on Mount Everest. Wisconsin-born guitarist Steve Tibbetts supplies a pair of the latter. He sits in with a husky sweet-voiced singing nun named Choying Drolma, and if the resulting collaboration has its cloying, aging-hippie moments, it is also rather charming in an aggressively mellow way. On the more authentic side, a field recording of the cloistered inhabitants of a Buddhist nunnery perform a looping a cappella chorale, exhibiting unexpected overtones and a cyclical, repetitive momentum that Philip Glass would certainly recognize. A nearly seven-minute sample of a bass-grounded, gradually ascending chant by monks from the Drete Dhargon at Drepong Monastery could, in the right hands, be one of the most effective lease-breakers of all time. Many music lovers would not expect to have much fun listening to a compilation from this part of the world, but should they decide to give it chance, they would be agreeably surprised.» (AMG)

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U Srinivas - Mandolin Duo (2000)

Another significant contribution from Madhu (many thanx! Thanx also to AOR for the cover), this time introducing us to the fascinating world of Carnatic music from Southern India and to the work of mandolin master U Srinivas. Enjoy!

«Indian Classical Music», writes Madhu, «is divided into two parts, Hindustani Music that has its origins in the North of India and Carnatic Music from Southern India. U Srinivas is one of Carnatic Music's most renowned and popular artists. His fame and recognition come not only from his extraordinary talent but almost as importantly for introducing a Western Instrument, the Mandolin to Classical Carnatic Music.

U Srinivas picked up the Mandolin at the age of six and showed enormous natural proficiency with it and was hailed as a child prodigy. Coming from a musically inclined family, he was encouraged to use the instrument and was entirely self-taught; despite this he made a huge splash in the very traditional and difficult Carnatic Music Scene, making his “arangetram” (public debut) at the age of 10. He was instantly hailed as a special talent, and the boy and his strange instrument were eagerly welcome into the fold.
Since then Srinivas has gone from strength to strength performing not just with the best names in Carnatic Music but also performing frequently with hindustani Musicians and several world musicians including John McLaughlin, Michael Nyman, Zakir Hussain, L Subramaniam, Michael Brook, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and many more.
Srinivas is great to watch live as his total abandon and love for music comes through in his performances. This particular album features some of the best loved compositions of great classical composers like Muthuswamy Dikshithat, Thyagaraja, Arunachala Kavi, Vyasaraya Tirtha and two compositions of Modern master GN Balasubramanian.
This album features U Srinivas on the Mandolin, accompanied by KV Prasad on the Mridangam, V Nagarajan on the Kanjeera and EM Subramaniam on the Ghatam.»

NOTE: 1. All files are in m4a format.

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Indian Ocean - Kandisa (2000)

I owe many thanks to Madhu from India for this wonderful discovery, that I really can’t stop to listen to.

«Indian Ocean, according to the band», writes Madhu, «is the sound of contemporary India getting to know itself. Presenting a unique fusion of traditional Indian folk, modern funk and groove, rock and jazz, blending western structures with Indian instrumentation and melodies, Kandisa, their second studio album, captured a sound entirely unique and yet entirely familiar. Kandisa not only uses Indian lyrics, but the title song itself is in the ancient Aramaic tongue.

Indian Ocean use a variety instruments, both Indian (tabla, tarang, dhol, gabgubi ) and Western (bass guitar, accoustic guitar, drums, electric violin) blending them seamlessly to result in one harmonious sound that truly captures the energy and spirit of a shrinking world.»

For additional info, you can check also the band’s official site, or its accurate Wikipedia bio, which sports another appropriate definition of its sound as «Indo-rock fusion with jazz-spiced rhythms that integrates shlokas, sufism, environmentalism, mythology and revolution».

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Ravi Shankar - Charly OST (1968)

A little known and not easy to find soundtrack from Ravi Shankar to Ralph Nelson’s 1968 cultish movie about a mentally retarded man who becomes a genius through scientific experiments. While certainly not the highest peak in the indian master’s extraordinary career, it’s a very fine and enjoyable example of his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West.

«This soundtrack is an enchanting group of compositions. The sound that is presented is fundamentally progressive orchestrated world music. The sitar is a beautiful and gentle instrument that is very adaptable and flexible with just about any other genre of music, and this album serves as a fine example of that. […] The sound is superbly rendered and the originality and musicianship is exquisite. If you have been into this music this is a must acquisition, if not and you enjoy world music, then you will love this.» (Progressive World)

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Love, Peace & Poetry - Vol.3: Asian Psychedelic Music (1999)

"Love, Peace and Poetry is a consistently high-quality series, with nine volumes to date covering almost all of the world. The focus here is on psychedelia, with most of the recordings coming from the late sixties and early seventies. These collections have very little overlap with any other series out there. Each volume is well documented and the tracks are varied and well chosen. A particularly nice touch is that each volume includes information on obtaining original records or reissues, as well as other psych related contacts.

This collection of Asian psychedelic music, the third volume in the series, is perhaps the best of the lot – and that's saying quite a bit. Perhaps the reason that this collection is so strong is that many of the artists on this compilation were stars in their homelands with long careers, despite being little known in the West. As the liner notes point out, the combination of Asian musical traditions and the experimentalism of psychedelia often produced breathtaking results. This is particularly true of the four Turkish artists on this volume of Love, Peace and Poetry. The chords and rhythms that drive these tracks are not rock and roll, but the guitar sounds featured on these tracks draw freely on Western influences in the late 1960s, from the fuzz guitar of Erkin Koray and Baris Manco, to the trippier guitar sound of Mogollar. Japan is also represented by three artists on this collection, all of whom were no doubt listening to what was going on in the West in the late 1960s. You Know What I Mean by Justin Heathcliff (apparently the band's name was an attempt to sound British) had the Beatlesque sound of I'm Only Sleeping, complete with backward guitar solo. Blind Bird by the Mops could be mistaken for an American record (other than the Japanese lyrics) and Yuya Uchida & the Flowers cover the Jefferson Airplane's Greasy Heart. That is not to say that these artists were just imitating Western music, but rather they were creating compelling hybrids. And while British and American rock and roll bands were drawing on Indian music, the two Indian artists on Love, Peace and Poetry demonstrate that this was a two-way exchange. The tracks by the Confusions and the Fentones are taken from the Simla Beat collections, which came from «battle of the bands» competitions in India where the winner was determined by who could play the best garage rock. Though the title Voice from the Inner Soul by the Confusions would suggest a psych freak-out, this track is straightforward garage rock. The other Indian entry in this collection, Simla Beat Theme by the Fentones, is one of those transcendent tracks that stays with you long after you hear it. It's ironic that the Fentones achieved that «eastern» sound with a guitar-bass-drums arrangement that so many American garage bands were trying to achieve by adding a sitar to their sound. The two tracks from Korea (It Was Probably Late Summer by San Ul Lim and Korean Titel A2 (huh?) by Jung Hyun and the Men are latecomers, having been originally released in the 1970s but they each have a sixties light psych sound. Also represented on this collection are artists from Hong Kong (the trippy Magic Colours by Teddy Robin and the Playboys), Singapore, and Cambodia (the best track from the comp Cambodian Rocks). In fact, every track on this compilation is interesting." (Turnmeondeadman)

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Ali Akbar Khan - Journey (1990)

The classical music of North India is an uplifting and extraordinary music, dating back thousands of years. Ali Akbar Khan is one of today’s most accomplished Indian classical musicians. Considered a «National Living Treasure» in India, he is admired by both Eastern and Western musicians for his brilliant compositions and his mastery of the sarod (a beautiful, 25-stringed Indian instrument). (For a full biography and a detailed summary of Ali Akbar Khan’s various activities consult his official web page)

At 67, Ali Akbar Khan successfully blends tradition and technology on Journey, a moving CD produced by his protege and student Jai Uttal. Journey, however, isn’t modern secular Indian pop, but rather is best described as traditional Indian spiritual and devotional music using high-tech elements. Under Uttal’s direction, Khan’s sarod and other acoustic Indian instruments like the sitar, the tabla and the dholak successfully interact with electronic synthesizers (none of which sound forced or mechanical). Uttal had learned a lot from Khan, and showed his appreciation by seeing to it that technology was used soulfully throughout this album. (AMG)

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