OK

Talvin Singh

1998

2.57

Rating

17059

Votes

Distribution

Electronica

Album Summary

OK is the debut studio album by English / Indian tabla player and record producer Talvin Singh, released on Island Records in 1998. It won him the Mercury Prize for 1999. The record was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It took nine months of travelling around and recording to complete the album. Singh recorded in London and on Okinawa Island to capture folk singers, as well as in India to collaborate with the Madras Philharmonic Orchestra.Singh hired various collaborators, including guitarist Jon Klein, with whom he had previously recorded on Siouxsie and the Banshees's single "Kiss Them for Me" and toured during the inaugural Lollapalooza festival. Ryuichi Sakamoto played flute on the album and sent his parts via a computer with an email which was a first in the late 1990s. Rakesh Chaurasia also performed flute. Singh recruited an eight female singer choir for the song "Soni". Guy Sigsworth played keyboards on the opening track "Traveller", and also on "Sutrix" and the title track of the album. Vocalist Suchitra Pillai joined in for the song "Sutrix".In the NME, reviewer Christian Ward noted that Singh was "trying to cover the globe with his music", as a voice intones "The world is sound", at the start of the album. The record is rooted in India with odes to Asian underground scene, dub rhythms and jazz. There is also a contrast between "geisha choirs and cut-up beats", along with plaintive orchestral arrangements. Reviewer noted that "convulsive rhythms compete with sensuous strings to create a deep, dark atmosphere", concluding with this positive sentence, "There are still more sonic territories to explore, but on this evidence, it seems that Talvin Singh will get there first."

Keywords from Reviews

Reviews

Sort by: Top Date

Apr 24 2023 Author

OK is OK, until it isn’t. For me, that was about 5 songs. Once again, my rule of thumb for the list hasn’t been disproven: If you haven’t heard anyone talking about an album on this list in 25 years, you don’t need to hear it before you die.

May 26 2021 Author

Loads going on here, most of which I didn’t like. The album is tedious and gets progressively worse from start to finish. I wouldn’t say I hate it, but I certainly didn’t enjoy my listen and wouldn’t go back.

Dec 05 2021 Author

If Yanni and Kenny G had a baby, that baby would grow up to make music like this, have sex with Linda Evans and be a surprisingly decent golfer.

Apr 21 2023 Author

oh, you put South Asian instruments on top of your boring-ass techno. cool, i guess.

Jun 10 2021 Author

The concept is fantastic! But if I was to record puppies sleeping and put it on an album, that might also sound like a great idea. I just couldn't get through it. Most likely not listen to it ever again.

Jun 04 2021 Author

"The world is sound" Great eastern tonalities and rhythm that mix in with hard driving beats. Pulls in a lot of eastern music (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, etc) Great beats.

Nov 17 2021 Author

OK, Talvin. Talvin, OK. I legitimately don't understand what the hell I just listened to. But it wasn't enjoyable, I know that. Nope. Not at all. Sorry, Talvin. That's a no for me, dawg.

Jun 10 2021 Author

OK is ambitious in scope and execution, simultaneously futuristic yet ancient in sound. A wonderfully layered fusion of styles and influences gives it a sense of timelessness. Equally at home on the dancefloor as it is on your headphones, this is a beautiful album.

Jun 06 2021 Author

Craptastic. 1.7/10

Sep 15 2023 Author

BL: never heard of this artist before but the cover reminds me of the Roni Size brown paper bag album so I’ll be interested to hear if it’s in a similar vein AL: funnily enough, my 90s ambient DnB assumption was correct, and wow. This album blew me away. I wasn’t too sure about the opener, but by track 3 this album had me in a chokehold. The fusion of ambient DnB & Sourh Asian instrumentals and vocals was mesmerising, the drone of DnB was meant to go with the resonant frequencies of the sitar. Definitely some Bhangra influence in there too. Highly recommend this. It reminds me of another comment I saw under a different album (can’t remember which one though), with albums like this on the generator, you have to wonder why the people who wrote those chose so many 80s new wave and post punk albums. FT: “Eclipse”, “O.K.”, “Light”, “Vikram the Vampire” 5/5

Feb 05 2025 Author

If I have to listen to another record like this I swear to god

Jul 28 2021 Author

Really tried but couldn't get into this one.

May 06 2021 Author

I really enjoyed the drops and the multicultural influence. "OK" was the best track rightfully so, but there were a few other stand outs as well that covered a variety of energies

Feb 03 2025 Author

nope for the love of god. just because you can doesn't mean you should

Jul 16 2025 Author

There's a genre of British electronic music that mixed it together with traditional Indian classical themes which I've always enjoyed. This is a great example, mixing in D&B, jazz, it keeps the songs varied. Some real standouts I was already familiar with.

Jan 26 2022 Author

This. Is. Madness.

Sep 04 2025 Author

Good Songs: Butterfly, Sutrix, Eclipse, O.K., Light, Vikram the Vampire Mid Songs: Traveller, Mombasstic, Disser / Point. Mento. B., Soni, Bad Songs: Decca

Apr 16 2025 Author

It’s cool at first but gets real old and boring after a while

Dec 08 2022 Author

This is a superb album. I loved it in the early 2000s and while I prefer Ha!, this is a really great album too.

Sep 15 2022 Author

this fucks

Sep 15 2022 Author

OK! Loved it. Cool fusion of eastern sounds with electro beats. Can't believe it's from 1998.

Aug 10 2022 Author

This is a very refreshing album this morning, Travelor is very busy yet free at at the same time. Its lush sound really just hit right today.

Jul 15 2022 Author

Loved it, my new everyday listen

Jan 28 2022 Author

Love this! It’s a must listen to, chilled out, sits there and makes you feel good type

Jun 22 2021 Author

5/5 - Really cool

Jun 27 2021 Author

Electronica,indian classical,exotica

Jul 11 2025 Author

This was an interesting one - Indian, classical, electronic. The first half of this album was crazy good, the second half was fine. I'll certainly keep coming back though. 3.5/5 -> 4/5

Jun 17 2025 Author

Way more unique and interesting then, say, a third Dexys Midnight Runners album or similar. Good uptempo driving music as well that works for me.

Jun 22 2025 Author

I did not hate this. Beats were good. I would have loved this in college.

Jun 09 2025 Author

Jun 08 2025 Author

OK is the debut album from Talvin Singh, a British musician who plays the tabla, and produces electronic music. His work integrates Indian traditions - like the rhythmic patterns he performs on the tabla - into electronic music that ranges from ambient to dance tracks. The album was very well received, critically, and won the Mercury Prize in 1999. This is an interesting collection of tracks, highlighting the unusual mixture of traditions Singh utilizes. The result is good, but uneven. The ambient material is slow - even boring - in places.

May 19 2025 Author

an extremely strange album, but still quite interesting. some songs I found entirely difficult to listen to and skipped, some i solidly enjoyed. some songs I saved but not one I think I’ll revisit much.

May 11 2025 Author

this was challenging, but interesting. sort of like moby x some of the classical south asian musicians on this list.

May 10 2025 Author

I'll say this: I appreciate what this thing was going for. Combining Indian classical music with electronica? That's interesting, and, from what I understand of both genres, could result in something great if handled right. But, y'know... Well, when the album leans into its Indian classical influence, I like it quite a bit. Of the little of the genre I've engaged with so far, it's far from my favorite, but it does just well. If the whole album were like this, I'd give it a solid nod of approval. Of course, then there's the parts where the album leans into the electronica influence — which it does way more commonly — and when it does... B'oof. Being fair, it's nothing I can be too hard, since, believe me, I **have** heard worse, but... Like, I don't know. It's just not terribly interesting. When you're listening to it it's perfectly fine, but jeez, even as wallpaper there's stuff out there with more to chew on. Really, the album title sums it up pretty well: it's "OK." And this leaves me with one of those disappointed 3's that're never fun to give. Again, I can only imagine how combining Indian classical and electronica could've gone off — when they do happen to intermingle, it's neat stuff. And I don't wanna rate this thing based on what it's not, but jeez, it could've been so much more interesting. Like, if it weren't for the fact that my group's coming up on our 500th album, I probably could've let it sit in the backlog for a week like I did that French hip hop, and I wouldn't have missed anything. Y'know? Bleh, whatever. I'm not gonna pad out the word count any more. I just wish it coulda been more than OK.

May 02 2025 Author

I respect the concept behind the album, mixing Indian/south asian influences with electronic music, but it's not something most people would be interested in, myself included. Still, Talvin did a pretty good job keeping this from sounding like a horrible mashup of sounds.

Oct 30 2024 Author

Ambient, Drum & Bass and Classical Indian music meld to create a vision of a future that never came. Yes, the spoken word sections can come off as pretentious and some of the synths are cheesy, but it just adds to the charm. A forgotten artifact of Britain in the Y2K era.

Sep 07 2024 Author

At first sounded like post rock and then some indian (?) vocals came along as well. Interesting mix

Sep 05 2024 Author

Far better than native British electronic DJs from this list. I've enjoyed the softer tracks. The Indian spice adds very much to the whole composition. Something new for me.

Jun 30 2024 Author

No. 211/1001 Traveller 3/5 Butterfly 4/5 Sutrix 2/5 Mombasstic 2/5 Decca 2/5 Eclipse 2/5 OK 2/5 Light 4/5 Disser 3/5 Soni 2/5 Vikram the Vampire 2/5 Average: 2,55 Very interesting mesh of genres I never heard before. On most of the tracks I didn't work for me. Really enjoyed Butterfly and Light though.

May 18 2021 Author

Esto qué es como para correrte pa dentro o como

Jul 21 2021 Author

Interesting! All kinds of influences and styles present behind groovy beats and fun instrumentals. I'll give this one another listen in a week or so and see how it settles.

May 15 2021 Author

This was good, drifted into irrelevance at times but overall enjoyable

May 25 2021 Author

Just too many pan pipes :/

Nov 12 2025 Author

Rave music with an Indian vibe and some tracks feature what sounds like screaming children. Not my jam.

Jun 14 2025 Author

Quite creative to merge electronica/dance with Indian instruments but I found it a bit tedious eventually

Aug 29 2024 Author

My previous commentary got wiped out some how, but honestly, it was about as important as this album really is/was. That is to say, not so much. To sum it up, OK is hardly worth the time and is likely taking up a spot on this list that should be going to a far more deserving album. I'll give it 2 stars because there is some interesting live instrumentation on this album, but it's not enough to save the otherwise boring electronica album..

Jul 06 2021 Author

😫

Sep 25 2025 Author

# 575 : OK OK – But Mostly Not OK This album starts off like it might be something—cool textures, intriguing fusion, a sense of promise. Then five minutes pass. Then boredom sets in. Then you start wondering if your speakers are broken or if the album is just gaslighting you into thinking it's still interesting. It’s challenging, sure. But so is assembling IKEA furniture, and at least that comes with instructions and a sense of accomplishment. OK is long, meandering, and progressively worse with each track. It’s like watching a beautiful sunset slowly turn into a PowerPoint presentation on ambient noise. No standout tracks. No desire to revisit. No idea how this got past quality control. Verdict: 1 Star for initial curiosity. File under “albums that should’ve ended after the intro.” Best Track (if you must): [None stood out.] Listened: 24/09/2025

Jun 18 2021 Author

A little bit too experimental for my taste. Some of the songs were a nice mix of modern and traditional but they quickly get too drawn out and weird. Felt like being in a washing machine of music.

Nov 26 2025 Author

There’s something really familiar about this record, it may well have been in the collection of an old housemate, but I don’t have any specific memory of listening to it. Anyway, this is some high quality 90s IDM, and it’s right up my street. Super complex drum patterns with droning sitars, soaring strings and wandering flutes, as well as a lot of jungle and dub influence. It’s as if Goldie and Squarepusher had an Indian baby. I love that the tracks have so much time to breathe and evolve, there is something cinematic about it. This is what I’d have classed as a 5am album back in my partying days, mellow but with enough action to keep heads nodding and bodies moving. The album also builds and flows very nicely, it’s not top loaded at all and I found I got more and more involved as it went on. Absolutely solid 90s electronica, interesting till then very end, what a find!

Nov 21 2025 Author

Indian drum and bass, fucking Sihk! 9/10

Nov 14 2025 Author

Amazing except the cringe 1 minute part in the middle with the fake indian accent.

Nov 09 2025 Author

Eine glatte Stunde voller Genuss mit diesem Meisterwerk. Die asiatischen Einflüsse sind prägnant und zugleich elegant in die Atmosphäre des Albums eingewoben. Das hat Spaß gemacht!

Sep 26 2025 Author

Damn this album hit me hard out of nowhere. The combination of traditional Indian and Japanese instruments with 90s drum and bass is so unique and cool. If an album deserved the title "this is an album you should listen to before you die" this would be my top pick so far. Absolutely incredible. The song OK is such a banger.

Sep 12 2025 Author

Psychedelic blend of traditional instruments and dnb beats. Flute solo won me over.

Aug 20 2025 Author

So stoked I found this. This is my favorite type of work from coffee shop forget you have music on but it’s scratching the brain just right.

Aug 08 2025 Author

I am rocking with this!!!!1

Jul 21 2025 Author

I know nothing about this album, its history, its context or the artist. What I do know is that I've had this on repeat at work all day. The perfect blend of background beats, storytelling moments and eclectic but smooth musical choices.

Jun 02 2025 Author

Outstanding!

Mar 27 2025 Author

Brilliant!

Jan 17 2025 Author

Really loved this one! I'd never heard of the Asian Underground subgenre/scene so this was a great discovery for me. I love electronica so much, it's cool to hear different varieties of it.

Jan 02 2025 Author

“World Music” is an idiotic term born of Western ignorance and ethnocentrism. However, in the case if this gorgeous mosaic of a record, it’s entirely appropriate.

Dec 27 2024 Author

Holy fuck!

Dec 06 2024 Author

First time listening to Talvin Singh. Interesting stuff. I appreciated the blending of world styles. Not my usually listen but I'm glad I heard it.

Nov 25 2024 Author

Super fun trance edm but with an eastern meditation vibe to it. Great listen.

Nov 15 2024 Author

Wow, brilliant. Loved this.

Nov 14 2024 Author

Weird but I like it

Oct 04 2024 Author

I was there too, the places Marco mentioned. We said नमस्ते to each other while floating into space

Aug 26 2024 Author

August 25, 2024 HL: “Traveller”, “Butterfly”, “Sutrix”, title track, “Light” Had low expectations going into this (the late 90s picks of this list are hit-or-miss imo), but it blew me away. Somehow equally fitting for a rave & a spa. I was worried when the grandeur of “Traveller” gave way to the dirty synths in “Sutrix”, but by the end I believed it was all part of the same artistic vision. For comparison, I didn’t always feel that way with Red Snapper and Nitin Sawhney from this list, era, and country (the UK, surprise surprise). An uneasy 5 stars from me

Aug 15 2024 Author

ggood

Aug 08 2024 Author

We’ve listened to some albums lately with painful mashing of genres, but Talvin Singh stands out for the way he weaves diverse influences and world music into a genre-bending electronica album. I checked out LTJ Bukem right before this, and while they both have a great atmospheric vibe Singh does more to break out from the chill monotony that can create. (Apparently Singh’s London club often featured Bukem, and in many ways “OK” feels like a logical progression from Bukem.)

Aug 05 2024 Author

i have very little to go on here in terms of reference points but it turns out this guy is the missing link between late Siouxsie, early Bjork, and 2000s Madonna...true world music in the sense that it brings any and everything together in a blissful sonic landscape 10/10

Jul 18 2024 Author

The mix of drum n bass and India classical works so well together. What utter genius. This is a great relaxing listen if a bit on the long side (some drag near the end)

May 19 2024 Author

Very interesing sound!

Mar 08 2024 Author

Loved this combination of old and new.

Jan 28 2024 Author

Electronica,indian classical,exotica.

Nov 26 2023 Author

Surprisingly good.

Nov 15 2023 Author

innovative

Nov 10 2023 Author

My goodness what an interesting journey. Loved that.

Aug 25 2023 Author

Hey, this rips ass. Between this and Call of the Valley, I guess I’m just learning that I like Indian/Indian inspired music. Eclipse in particular goes hard.

Aug 01 2023 Author

Love it. Right up my electro weird avenue.

Jul 10 2023 Author

I'm happy I decided to start this journey of reviewing an album every day for 1001 days. Even if it feels tedious sometimes, knowing that every day I must listen to an album, even when the album isn't a good fit for my mood that day, or I just do not have the mental energy to gather an opinion or write anything, it all pays off when it recommends something amazing and very much up my alley that I wouldn't have found otherwise. This is one such album. It has more of that Indian and generally Asian flavour that I fell in love with when I was introduced to Nitin Sawhney's "Beyond Skin" earlier in the list. This is a crazy, trippy, dramatic journey that blends orchestra, Indian classical music, electronica, drum and bass, IDM, dub, and so many other genres. It's chaotic but never loses its direction. And yet, it's all pretty chill but never boring. Just a pure journey of sound with influences from across the globe. Favourite: Butterfly

May 25 2023 Author

Electronica,indian classical,exotica.

Apr 19 2023 Author

Unique style and combination of instruments give a relaxing ambient sound that I thoroughly enjoyed. An hour of soft groovy beats.

Apr 17 2023 Author

это что-то совсем не из этого мира невероятная энергетика, безумное смешение жанров, один заглавный трек альбома Traveller чего стоит незабываемая работа возможно, лучшая из этого списка

Apr 17 2023 Author

Как только я начал слушать альбом, то я понял: он или гениальный или говно. Здесь все же первый вариант. Очень необычные сочетания медитативной индийской музыки и хауса/IEM/техно. В результате одновременно получается, что тебя вгоняют в транс и заставляют танцевать/рейвить. Поэтому очень необычно и круто звучит и по сей день. Сэмплы чувак взял, конечно, мое почтение. А теперь субъективный обзор: я только встал и сел за стол работать. Хочется очень спать, работать даже особо не хочется и тут я думаю: хм, а может включить альбомчик послушать с утра, взбодриться. И когда я его включил, то я думал что я сейчас умру от душноты (реально, первую половину первой песни можно смело пропустить, имхо). Но слава богу дальше все норм было. Честно говоря, реально думал что сейчас еще хуже станет)))

Apr 17 2023 Author

Ахахаха, это слишком хорошо, чтобы оказаться 100ым альбомом! Ладно, теперь серьёзно: индийская музыка не от мира сего. У них свои гармонии, которые могут казаться неправильными (непривычными) на первый взгляд. Это интересно услышать и оценить, но на постоянку возможно будет тяжело. Опять же, говоря об индийской музыке, возможно присутствует навязанный Болливудом и мемами стереотип о том, как это должно звучать. Это не относится к этому альбому. Где-то это техно, где-то симфоническая музыка, где-то акустика. Всё и вся собрано здесь, но основывается на вот этой восточной музыкальной гармонии (тут пусть лучше Егор в подкасте расскажет, как у них интервалы устроены). Но сука))) c "The True Story Of Extasy" я конечно улетел, это просто ор. Ещё и вот этим индийским голосом из видосов по программированию... Альбом крутой по задумке, лёгкий по восприятию (настолько лёгкий, что когда после заиграл Apex Twin, я был уверен, что пластинка не закончилась). Я не готов поставить 5 за музыкальность, ибо вопросики остались, но готов поставить 5 за вклад в развитие индийской музыкальной культуры.

Apr 17 2023 Author

Альбом создаёт вокруг тебя какое-то новое пространство, которое заполняется всеми звуками мира, как будто. Однозначно не на постоянное присутствие в плейлисте, но иногда вернуться и переслушал вполне кайф

Apr 13 2023 Author

Electronica,indian classical,exotica.

Jan 19 2023 Author

I really enjoyed this album! It was unexpected and had elements from so many different genres that I enjoy.

Feb 02 2023 Author

9/10 super creative and definitely stands out from mainstream electronic/DnB with its Indian/Asian influence

Jan 05 2023 Author

This is a classic Indian fusion album

Jan 04 2023 Author

Epic

Nov 26 2025 Author

130/1089 Based on title, cover, and artist name alone, i think this’ll be right up my street and the first song alone is giving me exactly what i was expecting/hoping! the dramatic set of violins that come in at the 8 minute mark are stunning Overall, i really enjoyed this album, I love this type of cusp-of-the-millennium, enlightened ethno-futuristic electronic music. The combination of traditional Indian elements with contemporary European dance music is so enchanting to me. I can definitely see this becoming part of my background chill music rotation. faves: Butterfly, Eclipse, Light, Traveller, Sutrix, Vikram the Vampire, OK 79/100

Nov 12 2025 Author

I don't really get the bad reviews. I really fw with this kind of music. I can put it on as background music for when I am studying or reading. I never heard any song that is similar to this which shows how unique it is.

Nov 09 2025 Author

Sehr experimentell, sehr spaßig. Noch nie was von dem Künstler gehört, hat mir aber von Anfang bis Ende gut gefallen.

Nov 05 2025 Author

I liked the diversity of this album

Nov 02 2025 Author

Very glad to have listened to this but, aside from Butterfly, unlikely to listen to it again. Super fun, though.

Oct 31 2025 Author

I love tabla so much

Oct 30 2025 Author

Behagelig og med mye spennende lydkulisser. Svak firer.