OK
Talvin Singh
1998
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."
WikipediaLoads 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
"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.
This was good, drifted into irrelevance at times but overall enjoyable
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.
Love this! It’s a must listen to, chilled out, sits there and makes you feel good type
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.
OK! Loved it. Cool fusion of eastern sounds with electro beats. Can't believe it's from 1998.
This is a superb album. I loved it in the early 2000s and while I prefer Ha!, this is a really great album too.
9/10 super creative and definitely stands out from mainstream electronic/DnB with its Indian/Asian influence
Pretty OK, haha. No seriously an amazing album. With kinda trippy vibes and some good melodies I really liked it.
Wonderfull music, brings a number of genres together - will listen again and explore more
Рубрика "Этнический чил", новые гости - индусы. Чёт новенькое, хорошо. Хотя чувствуется экспериментальность, внутренней дисперсией чёт не особо пропёрся. Где вот чил, классические мотивы, медиация эта всякая, эксхэйл-экспел, балдёж, что аж пятёру бы ёбнул. Это как в последней трети вступительного, ваще прям охуенчик. Есть скука ебаная, типа Light. Есть какая какофония не менее ебаная типа Eclipse или Vikram The Vampire. Но в целом похоже на то, к чему могу обратиться. Так что 4, хуй с ним.
This album was a new artist and new music for me. I liked the album, in part because it was a chance to listen to something different than I would normally listen to. Based on a first listen, the album as a whole may not get replayed, but there were tracks that I wouldn't mind hearing again. This album got enough for 3.5 stars (round up to 4)
Traveller: Io spero fortissimo che non mi deluda dopo perché sto pezzo m'ha già conquistato di brutto. Sutrix: Molto figo, il pezzo finale fatto con la voce è bellissimo. Eclipse: M'ha fomentato OK: Pure questa m'è piaciuta. In mezzo pensavo fosse finita e mi dispiaceva. C'è un pezzo che sembrava in giapponese. Soni: Figa pure questa ammazza, bella la produzione, mi ricorda un botto Kenji Kawai, quello delle colonne sonore di Ghost In The Shell. Forse questa e Traveller sono le mie preferite. Mi è piaciuto molto il testo della conclusione. In Conclusione: Sono davvero stupito, non me aspettavo un album così. Probabilmente Andrea essendo più esperto del genere magari sarà meno colpito, però ho trovato davvero interessante questo misto di musica etnica indiana e elettronica mezza drum and bass. Non è niente di necessariamente nuovo ma l'esecuzione qui mi è arrivata molto sapiente e raffinata, non una cosa fatta tanto per, probabilmente perché immagino che Talvin Singh sia indiano e quindi è musica che gli appartiene. Comunque nonostante l'ora di disco m'è volato e vari pezzi me li riascolterei volentieri. Poi per essere il 98 comunque, tralasciando certi suoni che mi sono arrivati come un po' démodé, comunque la produzione regge bene. Se mi avessero detto che era tipo di 10 anni dopo c'avrei creduto. Bella sorpresa!
Slumdog millionaire got nothing on this timeless sound. Transition is the word that keeps coming to mind. Things are changing but the future is unclear.
how powerful do you have to be to name your album "OK" favorite tracks: traveller, butterfly, eclipse, OK, vikram the vampire
Lurvely. My dad had this album when I was growing up, but I didn't remember what the music was like (just the cover). Was a pleasant surprise and really enjoyed listening with my good headphones. One of those albums that needs a decent soundsystem to shine.
Calkiem egzotyczny piczek, chociaz troche wyspiarski, bo wydany w uk, debiutancki album pana talvina singha, czyli producenta/dja/bembenkowicza urodzonego w uk, ale z korzeniami w indiach, co dosc mocno slychac na tym materiale, stad wlasnie jego egzotycznosc, bo chociaz jest to elektronika pelna geba, to jednak uzywa elementow muzyki klasycznej, w tym wypadku glownie brzmien rodem z indii, jakies sitarki, drumersowanie tez typowo indyjskie, nie wspominajac o przewijajacych sie wokalach brzmiacych jak ludowe rekordingi, co dziwne pojawiaja sie rowniez w niektorych trakach hinskie wokalowania jakis pan, z tego co wyczytalem to czesc byla nagrywana na okinawie, wiec pewnie to jest efekt tych prac, co najbardziej slychac na tytulowym traku OK, ale plyta jest nawet bardziej niz OK, bo naprawde dobrze sie tego sluchalo od poczatku do konca, slychac ze tworzone bylo to z mysla o kompletnym krazku, struktura przechodzenia miedzy trakami, tempem w poszczegolnych czesciach plyty, wiec jesli zazwyczaj nie jestem przekonany do elektroniki, w wydaniu junglowo breakbeatowym, to w tak orginalnie podanym wydaniu, bo polaczyc drumowe brejkowanie z klasyczna muzyka rodem z filharmonii i tradycyjnymi spiewami folkowymi, to naprawde ciekawie polaczenie, wiec na plejke wrzuce tytulowy kawalek, butterflaja i soni, a cala plyta laduje na polce plyt w sam raz na czilowy odsluch polaczony z innymi aktywnosciami, bo wokale hinsko hinduskie nie rozpraszaja, a dobrze wpasowuja sie do lamanych beatow
Very interesting album. Debut album from the pioneer of "Asian Underground". I liked it quite a bit.
-"Sutrix" do be getting groovy -The second half of "Decca" becomes really good but then it just stops after like 45 seconds and it makes me sad -"OK" kind of sounds like some anime nonsense but it gets more intense than a lot of other songs on the album so I'll let it slide -"Light" got the thumping bass and the flute-like instrument wailing -Lots of cool bits but also some slow bits but also overall solid
Beautiful music! Helps me to understand and appreciate electronic music. Sometimes resembles of turbo folk
It's pretty cool I'll be honest. Feels very 90's this almost nostalgic view of the future, while being very clearly from the past. I dig it. Electronic Bass and drum mixed with Indian folk maybe? It's fucking cool either way.
Yes, love a bit of electronica with world music blended in. This pairs nicely with Nitin Sawhney's "Beyond Skin" which is also on the list. Fave track - "Butterfly" perhaps. I also enjoy the jabbering of the title track!
Not sure why the mixed reception for this one. It's so good! Definitely a much different take on electronic music which I will always welcome as I feel it's a genre that gets bogged down by too much of the same sounding records. Give it a listen.
Imagine blending classical Indian music with electronica and ambient, finishing with a garnish of western classical and jazz, until you have a musical Arrack- the generic term for a variety of distilled spirits found throughout India and Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines, that are often unrelated, and can be made from different ingredients. And the effect of listening to Talvin Singh’s 'OK' is about as heady as I can imagine a tumbler of Arrack over ice would be. The opening track, clocking in at over eleven minutes (but passed too quickly), introduce the listener into Singh’s ambient world before then segueing into an electronica infused uptempo hybrid, only to then quiet down into a tempo-less traditional Indian drone set with two very talented flute players- Ryuichi Sakamoto and Rakesh Charurasia- when, out of the blue, a gloriously melancholic western orchestral score! And that was just the first song. Please don’t get the impression, though, that it was bombastic, or too busy. To the contrary, it was quite relaxing, infused with subtle meaning, and very often beautiful. Musically intriguing, with lots to explore. And while they weren’t featured often, Suchitra Pilai’s vocals soared when they were, aiming straight for the sun on ‘Eclipse,’ for example, and further propelled by the wonderful keyboard manufactured beats of Guy Sigsworth. Hats off to all on this wonderfully creative collaboration. It's been reported that Indian music can be off-putting to certain individuals, possibly due to the spiritual nature of what the artists are co-creating. Divine light is not immediately pleasurable when you’re accustomed to the dark. That, and not everyone necessarily recognizes their own dis-ease in the first place. If that’s where you’re at, do yourself a favor, and don’t bail on this too quickly. Give it time to root first before expecting flowers. Much like the free jazz of Ornette Coleman, don’t expect to walk away from 'OK' whistling an easily accessible tune. This is more like tattoo music, a gradual integration, intended for permanency. And if you are already hip to the sounds of this part of the globe, and open to, or at least curious about what the modern electronica lads are putting down, then you’ll immediately enjoy this LP, and it’s euphoric after effects. I sure did.
So much better than I expected. An interesting album which combines a number of musical styles.
Unusual but very enjoyable. It pulls off a genre fusion remarkably well
A really interesting album - it gets a bit weird at points, but will definitely listen again.
Really enjoyed this. The fusion of the table with drum and bass is really addictive
One of the pioneers of Asian fusion/underground, I love the combination of drum n bass beats with Tabla playing, almost feels like they were meant for each other. And then the incorporation of both western and eastern classical instruments and themes, this really is a world spanning album.
This for sure won't be in my normal rotation but I really enjoyed this. The mix of Indian and electronic was a really interesting combo to listen to. Great background music for work.
I honestly don't know why I like this album so much, but I do. The last two songs are absolutely nutty though and honestly a bit creepy. Would I listen to it often? No. Am I happy I listened to it? YES!
Would I listen to this album again, yes absolutely, it's dedication to his Indian heritage is there to be seen no matter what the genre. It's a grower of an album with something new in every listen.
Feisty and interesting and cool, much like the artist himself. And one's reminded of the double-edged sword that is ambition in popular music; in this case, it's a plus, drivingg toward compelling contrasts and nearly-titillating textures (see "Mombasstic"). There are moments of great beauty (e.g., "Light" and, to a lesser extent "Soni") and powerful atmospherics (multiple moments in "Traveler" and the hip and groovy "Butterfly"). But an excess of overly ambitious, globally-inspired noodling and overdetermined vibing – not terribly surprising given the time and place and dramatis personae, plus the well and truly maligned [and often justifiably so] genre] – leaves the record just short of being a full-on classic. It's the merging of modes that makes this cool but one thinks it's music that sounds best in a first-class seat on a very long international flight. TS would no doubt take the point, but disagree. The maximalism generally works but defeats timelessness, as there's simply too much that can date it or anchor it to the time/place of its creation (see "Decca" and "Eclpse"). That's especially true of the spoken-word bits. These moods remain relevant only as long as the Zeitgeist of their creation remains readable and in 21st century time signatures and cultural flux, that's not very long. Plus high-tech instrumentation only remains so for a season or two, given relentless progress, advancement, innovation, etc., etc. But no doubt a fun and interesting listen from a big (and undoubtedly global) mind and one's inspired to listen to more.
That was interesting! Really loved the instrumentation and Indian influence. Less fond of the painfully 90's electronica.
Maybe it's a biased opinion because I like this type of "environmental" music
Let me start by saying I totally understand why this album was on the list. However, I wasn't always grooving with the songs. This is not a fault of the artist, but just the fact that I probably need more exposure. I really appreciate the fusion of genres here and wish I enjoyed it more. 3.5
Surprisingly relaxing and surprisingly doof at points. Sutrix was my highlight
I would say this was a strong album with some interesting stuff, distinct punch to its sound. Would love to see another album after the sound has matured!
What a unique blend. I don't think I've ever heard Indian Classical fused with electronic/breakbeat before. It is not a project I am going to return to a lot, but at the same time it is something I would be eager to hear more of.
Slow start but much of it was enjoyable. Not really my style. Probably won't listen again.
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.
Not really my cup of tea, ok as background noise, but didn't think much of it
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.[9] The record was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[10] 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. 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.[6] 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.[6] 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."