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OK
Talvin Singh
1998
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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."
Thought I was going to get right into this but just kinda didn't. It's still good though.
Meditative. Extremely unique; can't say I've listened to Indian electronic music before. The vocals can get a little hit and miss, and the writing/lyrics on this can occasionally be pretentious. Still, didn't hate it. Favorite track: "OK"
Quite peculiar, but necessary experiment. Primarily, I got to know with the phenomenon of Asian Underground.
This was pretty interesting. At first I was like nah, but then by the third song I was really into it. It was hit or miss after that, but overall pretty cool. 3 stars.
About what I expected from the cover. You could look at this cover and know nothing else and know that it came out in 1998 and EXACTLY what it sounds like
Listened Before? N This was a fun album. I'd have to be in the right mood to listen to it again. It wasn't the worst thing I've heard, but not really my style. Edgy beats mixed with indian music. Shrug. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist: Light
Modern instrumental, mostly ambient world music. I kinda like this, even though it contains some filler material. All in all 3/5.
This was incredibly unique, yet somehow not at all memorable. It wasn't awful, but I also have no desire to ever listen to it again.
So late 90s it hurts. It's a fusion of Drum n Bass, classical Indian and various other bits and pieces from the time. Can imagine it was a coffee table classic back then, but now it struggled to hold my attention. Loved the first track - at 11 minutes it frequently changed direction and ended with some lovely sounding strings but the largely instrumental tracks failed to engage me as the album progressed. May revisit though, could see it being a grower.
It was OK (I bet no-one's done that joke before, and can't wait to go to the global reviews page to confirm this) I was a bit spaced out from the old 'rona when I listened to it so some of the trippier bits freaked my nut out a little, but it is certainly a lovely plinkly plonky trippy album.
Ehkä sienien kanssa voisi olla nerokasta ja lumoavaa menoa. Nyt jätti genreen suuremmin vihkiytymättömälle lähinnä kiusallisen kokemuksen.
It starts better than it finishes. I like the atmospheric electronic world music as it ebbs and flows, but by the time we get to O.K., they've let Yoko Ono loose on this album and the squeeling and high energy makes it interesting but not entertaining.
Having links to Indian music is pretty cool. I like it, but don’t love it... not quite an album for this list
Ik houd van drum 'n bass maar dat Aziatische gezang en die steeds terugkomende sitar trek ik minder.
It was ok, not really my thing but I can appreciate the thought gone into the arrangements 2*
че-то вощще полумузыка какая-то. ну наверн можно зачиллить под этот абстракт как-то, но слушать на серьёзке желания никакого 3/10
Talvin Singh's OK is a very creative and atmospheric effort, full of uncoventional jazzy and dubby sounds, though it's a bit too weird for me. I am not particular fond of Indian culture or of music that has more focus on instrumentals than vocals, so I am not a big fan. 2/5.
Everything sort of blends together. This is pretty avant garde with electronica and experimental music, which I don't particularly enjoy, but I understand the concept behind it.
"Bella l'hindi, bella l'elettronica, bello il tabla! Bello, bello, bello tutto! Bravo, grazie! Adesso te ne poi pure annà!" Semi-cit. Io e Talvin non abbiamo legato. Non c'è stata alchimia. Al primo ascolto mi son detto: "E mo che voto gli do?" Ho provato un secondo ascolto per capirlo meglio, ma ho lasciato perdere. Voto: 2 perché non mi ha fatto schifo/vomitare
27th July 2021 Listened throughout the day on my phone while working before going on a huge bike ride round Richmond Park with Sam. Interesting listen, reminded me of when I was a kid and my mum bought this on cd.
Ok, never heard of this before. Looking at the cover I'm gonna say scungy 90s UK techno - my guess is by the name, UK but son of Indian migrants. Potential Indian sounds. Baseline 3/5 but liable to drop. I also get the feeling this is gonna be an hour-long jobbie, not sure why but even without loading it yet I just get vibes of outstaying its welcome (like all scungy 90s UK electronica). HA! exactly one hour according to Spotify. Fuckin nailed it. Ok you might as well call me Nostradamus: UK but Indian background, scungy 90s UK techno. Has a bit of an Indian flavour along with the scungy beats. It sounds like the soundtrack to a snowboarding game on the ps1 lol. Honestly, I kinda like the exotic bits but as expected it just goes far too long. Even by halfway I was bored and completely lost interest. Would have gotten higher if it had the sense to be a bit shorter. 2/5.
OK by Talvin Singh (1998) It only takes one listen to India tabla playing to recognize its potential for fusion with techno/pop, and OK by Talvin Singh almost shows how it can be done. But first, a correction: The world is not sound, contrary to the theme-establishing lyrics on this album (in the opening track, “Traveller”). The singer (Singh?) sings “The world is sound. . . Leave the troubles behind”. This is a clumsy ode to the musician’s conceit. Of course “the world” is much more and much other than “sound”. The opening eleven-minute track insufficiently introduces what is clearly important about the album. By relying on the saucy background provided by the Madras Philharmonic Orchestra, it points the listener in the wrong direction. The album really takes off with the second track “Butterfly” and picks up speed with track three, “Sutrix”, adding vocalizations, techno flourishes, and standard western trap drum accompaniment, with a modified backbeat. The female choir on “Soni” has some serious pitch problems (although the spoken poetic conclusion of this track is interesting). And the rather manic and obscene Kama Sutra-‘inspired’ “Decca” fails musically on the erotic level. But the highlight of the record is “Light”, which capably provides the flavor of the project—heavy on tabla and flute. I recommend listening to this track first and then starting at the beginning if it meets your taste. Hearing the album twenty three years after its release, one gets a sense that it could have been better if it had incorporated influences of hip hop. It seems to be pulling in that direction, but it doesn’t even really leave the station. It sounds more like a suitable soundtrack to a Bollywood sci-fi epic, if there even is such a thing. The album is suitably titled. It’s OK (barely). 2/5
Not for me. Kind of an "Enya" style electronica. Might be nice stuff to play in the background when I'm working or something.
I really didn’t feel this one. I will note that appreciate the attempt to do electronic music with an international influence, particularly with the use of Indian music. I also think the flute work of Sakamoto and Chaurasia was very nice, as well as Suchitra Pillai’s vocals. But overall, the album ends up being a bit of a hodgepodge mess. A little goes a long way when you do fusion in music, and Singh struggles to have a cohesive sound here. Additionally, the frenetic pace of some of these songs makes them a rather unpleasant listen, like I felt agitated and impatient for the album to just be over. Fave Songs: OK, Disser/Point.Mento.B, Sutrix
Meh. I want music to listen to. Dance music does nothing for me at all, it's just pointless if you don't dance.
Can't help but notice it's just common Indian compositions (and not very profound) on common EDM stuff (and not very exceptional structure). It got a lot better for the final few tracks. Still there's a great recipe here, so it gets some credit assuming it led that principle a bit. (I think the Prodigy may have played with this a bit earlier, tho.) It was explored more, and better, by Tabla Beat Science's "Tala Matrix" so check that out if you liked this.
While Indian influences proved to be a fresh take on electronic music, the album is too long and the new idea also gets old fast
It's grand and cinematic, but for most listeners it's nothing more than a fusion of late 90s electronica with classical Indian music. Too long, no standout tracks, dated in the sense that it sounds too much like similar music of its time, relying on the Indian music gimmick as an identity. But it's atmospheric and cohesive (kinda), with nothing sounding bad. There are some rough cuts, like "Decca" to "Eclipse" where I'm not sure what to feel, but again nothing that bothers me too much.
No es que me moleste la música del mundo, pero mezclada con lounge se vuelve pesada. Encima la cantadera en hindi y Vikram el Vampiro… no, no me gusta. Hay un pequeño momento que me pudo gustar porque se asemeja a Yoshida Brothers, pero se va rápido y vuelve al lounge.
This mix of indian classical music with electronica has its moments and interesting collaborations (like Ryuichi Sakamoto on the flute), but its also very dated and kind of all over the place. Some dub rhythms and jazz moments are worth the listening and the beats are not bad at all, but it lacks cohesion.
"OK' is just that, OK. I didn't get anything from this one. I've heard it before and it didn't get any better this time around. 2/5.
Not familiar with the artist, so I had no idea what I'd be listening to. After a listen, I still don't know what I was listening to. So much going on, some good, some...not so easy to listen to. An interesting mix, but not enough to hold my interest throughout the whole album, but overall, could be worse, I suppose.
Välillä heräs fiilis, et onkohan tässä sitä jotain, mut jos 95-prossasesti muuten vitutti kuunnella, nii ei yhtä tähtee enempää ansaitse. Ja kesti muuten kolme päivää kuunnella kokonaan...
pfff, voor mij niet te doen. Na het eerste nummer kwamen zelfs de kinderen klagen. Snel uitgezet, klaar!
Associare strumenti indiani a ritmiche e sonorità elettroniche l'ho sempre trovato infelice e questo disco non mi ha smentito. Copertina e sound sono da cesto dell'autogrill.
The story behind the album creation is awesome, but this is so weird. Way too experimental to actually sit and enjoy.
So this was half electronic ambient meets world music and half drum n bass where the bass is replaced by traditional music from India or other parts of Asia? It started out really OK with the long and nice ambient track Traveller and then went downhill fast when the album continued with it's weird drum n bass-ish fusion electronica. I guess this gets a couple of points for originality. But those couple points are not enough, since I still hated all of it. Sorry Talvin Singh, but I never want to hear your music again.
sitars and flutes and chanting over a bunch of clicks and pops. I can appreciate the incredible effort that went into producing this album but damn, this is not my thing
hm.