OK

i haven’t heard this before. this might be my favorite album of all time. this is fucking awesome. yea this was like made for me. i loved this.

Exceptional album - great mix of old and new. Very interesting sounds and rhythms. Gets better with each listen.

First listen to an interesting album, thank you!

Very unique combination of sounds. This album is awesome

it's just sooo good. It's weird, but it's powerful, full of Arab and Indian vibes. Each song is a fraction of a whole masterpiece. I'd listen again and, in fact, it got a space on my permanent library on Apple Music.

I really loved this album. The mix between drum and bass (a genre I really like) and the cultural instruments and vocals and the whole atmosphere was great. The only thing Im wondering is how I haven't heard of Talvin Singh sooner. Butterfly, OK, and the end of Decca had my favorite moments. Would def listen to again. 9.4/10

Love the creativity

No me lo esperaba. Las trompetas con los Violines generan una sensación que nunca habia sentido. Tiene muchas influencias de Jazz. Lo que destaca en este disco son las percusiones que presentan las canciones a lo largo del disco. Tiene muchas influencias, a mi parecer, al Drum and Bass y/o al Drill and Bass. Como juega con los sonidos electrónicos lo hace un disco unico.

Loved it! Great experience

Indian drum and bass, fucking Sihk! 9/10

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

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!

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.

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

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.

I am rocking with this!!!!1

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.

Outstanding!

Brilliant!

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.

“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.

Holy fuck!

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.

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

Wow, brilliant. Loved this.

Weird but I like it

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

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

ggood

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.)

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

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)

eclectic, engaging and funky; finally a good electronic album on the list (although I think simply calling this "electronic" music really doesn't tell the whole story)

Very interesing sound!

Loved this combination of old and new.

Electronica,indian classical,exotica.

Surprisingly good.

My goodness what an interesting journey. Loved that.

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.

Love it. Right up my electro weird avenue.

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

Electronica,indian classical,exotica.

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

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

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)))

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.

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

Electronica,indian classical,exotica.

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

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

This is a classic Indian fusion album

Epic

Good album. Nice blend of Indian influences and gentle drum and bass. Not the strongest 4 but I will give a 4 nevertheless.

Interesting to compare and contrast to Cornershop, the slightly earlier Anglo-Indian entry - this is less poppy, less irreverent - while being somehow more rooted in both Indian classicalism and clubland. Could detect some influences - Leftfield in Mombasstic and he out Bjorks Bjork with the way the strings drop in from nowhere in the opener - but this has clearly also influenced others through the years - including the most recent Gorillaz. In short, a very good reflection of eclectic Britain in the 90s.

I really can’t figure out why this passed me by upon release. I was aware of it, it got critical acclaim, it fell squarely into what I was broadly listening to. Strange. Anyway, I loved the fusion of influences and the experimentation it gave birth to. It was both a fun and interesting listen. I guess it’s never too late to catch up!

This isn't a genre I typically listen to, but I have to admit that this album was far better than "OK" to me.

Very cool blend of world music and various forms of electronic.

I can't spare myself from joining the club: this was OK. You know what, this was even a bit more than ok. I felt inside an ambitious movie score. I felt the grandfullness of my morining commute and the amazement of my early office day. Elecro-futurism mixed with eastern sounds is working wonders. This is meant to be flown through. To be lived in. I liked it a lot.

OK, Dimery. That one was pretty cool. Electronic/tabla crossover with widely varied world influences? It's hard to gauge what that'll sound like from the description but it works. The leaning is definitely clubby -- this calls to mind a sweaty dancefloor -- but it's excellent. It's a hard one to describe in detail. It's absolutely filled with sounds and textures. Some are from the physical world and some are digital inventions. There's no distinction, here. 28 years later (I write in 2026), I hear those sorts of musical synthesis more and more as globalism bounces ideas back and forth between cultural centres but in 1998, this was remarkable (though England was certainly a longstanding centre for both Indian immigration and electronic music). A good listen. Not one I'll return to but that's genre-related. Not my cup of tea for regular listening but a refreshingly modern-sounding dance record with a cosmopolitan heart. 4/5

probably my second favorite album starting with OK. I'm always down to listen to jungle-adjacent music.

Did not expect this to like this.

You’re so right king the world IS sound.

This was really cool! Could def see myself revisiting this!

Oh man, this one caught me by surprise. I’m not sure the album itself is as significant as the feelings it evoked for me: from the opening track with its repeated intonation of “The World is Sound” it makes me think of a hopefulness for peace and a global multiculturalism and coexistence that existed in the 90s, that in retrospect feels naive, but that seems entirely absent and wanting now, in a world succumbing to small-minded nationalisms. This album is a mix of the skittering breakbeats of drum n bass and Asian (primarily Indian) music. So you get these interesting consonances with the down pitched bassline on the title track recalling the timbre of the baya tabla; elsewhere parallels are drawn between the drones of Indian classical music and synth pads. It doesn’t all work for me. Sometimes it’s all a little too new agey for me, particularly towards the end of the album; I think the album also runs the problem that a lot of albums of this type run, which is that in trying to reconcile music with its origins on the dancefloor with the listening structure of an album it doesn’t quite achieve either.

Great mood music

This was genuinely such a treat to listen too. It has a really unique and intriguing sound. I'm already a fan of Indian Classical, so adding on the more experimental elements really made this stand out. Not every song is a winner, but the overall vibe is immaculate. Favorite Track - Butterfly Least Favorite Track - OK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Es raro, es lindo.

This is the kind of music that gets played at lunchtime in a beachfront bar in Goa or Phuket frequented by Russian tourists with plastic surgery and translucent white shirts. Four stars.

the first 2 thirds or three quarters of this is a five star album. this is exactly the kinda stuff I wanted to find through this challenge

P good when you're taking a sauna

talvin singh salvame de las garras del cosnumismo

Woob si fuese indio

Nice

Lowkey hypnotic.

Enjoyed this a lot - glad to have been introduced to it by this challenge

A very interesting mix of traditional Indian music and techno. It was a great listen but I don't know that I'll come back to it.

I'm deeply biased. Its pretty good

I wasn't sure who Talvin Singh was at first glance. Upon further reading, I noticed that he started his career as a session musician, having played on tabla for the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Björk. In fact, he's worked alongside other producers and DJs in an underground movement that focused on fusing South Asian music and instrumentation with electronica. Thus, I'm not surprised Talvin took that next step and released a solo debut. With that said, how does OK hold up? Well, I will say this is a very eclectic mixture of Indian classical instrumentation and drum 'n' bass electronic music. It definitely fits within the notion of "atmospheric" electronica that I've come to appreciate with my album journey. The blending of live and digitized elements can seem mesmerizing at times, as if the world were a canvas that Talvin painted on with his compositions. From the sprawling 11-minute epic of "Traveller", to the breakbeat flute and sitar pairing of "Butterfly", to the hypnotic vocal-led trance of "Sutrix", to the tingling jazz fusion with the liquid drops of "Mombasstic", to the meditation on "Eclipse" as the tabla and electronic beats seemingly become one, to the clash of the geisha choir, wailing guitar and chopped-up beats on the title track, there are some rich and diverse soundscapes on display here. That said, I do not consider this album to be perfect. I didn't feel that "Decca" was a meaningful interlude to open "Eclipse", and "Disser/Point.Mento.B" also felt similarly underdeveloped. Conversely, I felt that the ending of "Veckram the Vampire" was drawn out longer than it needed to. Towards the end of the record, the momentum significantly slowed down and wasn't as engaging to me as the first roughly two-thirds were. Still, I cannot deny how genuinely intrigued I was by OK as a melting pot of world music and electronica. Talvin Singh knew how to take his understanding of Indian classical music and transform it for a new generation.

Actually really good music to work to, not sure i'd enjoy it in other circumstances but in this context its great.

Very enjoyable, ‘Light’ possibly my favourite track

This really surprised me, what an exciting sound mixing traditional Indian music with break beats. This was electric from start to finish, and I’d have never listened to this without doing this list so I’m thankful for that.

This was really great focus and background music. It tried something and it just really sat with me

this is ok, a postmodern indian electro-lounge album. this album blends the clean and trippy drumbreaks, drum machines, stabs and pads with... you guessed it, indian folk singing, tabla, sitars... the works. also with extra orchestral accents. this fusion works for the most part, the mainly instrumental collection of soundscapes are ideal if you're studying or working on something. this sounds like music that would be bundled with windows xp/7 installations. it's a very interesting concept and i would love to hear talvin's other work sometime, in the hopes that his sound becomes more refined with time. i feel like dhalsim when i listen to this album, floating and stoic, achieving immerse enlightenment.

I've felt this compilation of albums tends to be quite Anglocentrist. It's logical, in the sense that marketing this as other thing than "some good and interesting albums for an Anglocentrist audience" it's nonsense. But it shows how limited in its worldview can be a book about some essential and important albums that you "must" listen, and then, these albums are from principally from 3 or 4 countries. In that sense, and in risk of sounding orientalist, it feels so much like a fresh and interesting take on electronic music, this album. It's noticeable that some artists have evident influences from music from other countries, sometimes due to their ethnic roots, sometimes due to experimentation. But this album in particular, I've come to found it quite enriching and honest in his interpretation of sounds from Indian music ( and other cultures music, now that I've read how it was made ). It's quite a mix, and maybe it's not what some people would prefer (the Beatles take in this type of sounds it's more popular and accessible). But the way it's executed and represented, I like it a lot. It's this type of world music, that since I was a kid, makes me feel like it would be an agglomeration, a mix of human music and can represent us in front of the aliens. In other words, with this album, and Tool's albums, i realized that I like the Tabla.

Good

don't understand the hate for this album. a well done carnatic rhythms & electronica fusion. Favorite track: Butterfly other picks: traveller, listh, sutrix

I liked this quite a bit. It is electronic music with some elements of trance, but more high energy. I particularly enjoyed the non English vocal samples and singing.

Incredible idea and I absolutely loved the vast majority of the execution, especially the trip hop beat/tabla/sitar combination (and the chopped vocal on Eclipse)...this would be five stars if he had simply done a search and delete all for "Cheez-E Ethereal Synth" across the album.

Definitely worth a relisten

Must be one humble guy. If this album's just OK, I'm scared to know what an album called "Pretty Good" would sound like from him. I like all of the south Asian influence on this album, it gives it a character I haven't heard before in this kind of music. Pretty slow start but it's great once it gets a few songs in.

Mmm yes I like this

OK

This is the kind of stuff I love to see on this list- something I never would have discovered on my own!

“Electronica” as a genre doesn’t come close to describing what this record really is. Such a fascinating mashup of styles, instruments, music cultures. Sometimes danceable, sometimes atonal, sometimes both at once. Bizarre and beautiful and fun. It’s albums like these that make me aware of how many people on this site clearly didn’t want to hear anything other than what they already liked. If you open your mind to it, there’s a lot to like on this record.

One of the first non-country albums that I disagree with the general rating— I thought this was a cool album to listen to, lots of influence from many different artists and cultures

Albums like this are tough to judge today. It was probably very innovative at the time to bring such an "exotic, old world sound" into drum and bass. From what I read, Talvin Singh seems to have played a decent part in bringing asian classical music together with electronica. That alone is worth a star, I think. The real question is, does this album hold up? Yeah, more or less. It's certainly not bad, there are a lot of fun tracks in here. As an album it tends to take its time and breathe. It definitely felt a little repetitive and long after 9 or so tracks. Still, a cool listen and I am thankful to learn more about music history.

One of my favourite musical pastimes is to go to bed early and listen to BBC 3 Night Tracks programme or on a weekend Elizabeth Alkers Unclassified. As well as learning and discovering a lot of lesser known music it is an excellent way to wind down and immerse oneself in the ambience of the programmes. Never heard this album before but having now listened, it mainly features the type of music likely to feature on these programmes. I also enjoy musical crossovers be it rock and classical or in this case, east and western music mixed with a good sprinkling of jazz. A good album with plenty in it to keep coming back to. 4/5 22/1/26

Det va fint. Det hadde fortjent en bedre lytter enn mæ, men æ likte det.

Pretty good. Although, and I mean this in a good way, this would be great as a video game soundtrack instead of just an album. Maybe I said this before, but whenever the album is electronic my baseline/bias for evaluating it fluctuates depending on what year it was released, which I typically don’t do (as much) for other genres of music.

Great combination of Eastern instruments and break beats. Right up my alley.

Low 4 for me, impeccable production and some great fusion stuff, really interesting in parts if a tad overlong and lacking a banger or two

"OK" is the debut solo album by English/Indian tabla player and record producer Talvin Singh. Electronic, Indian classical and exotica are the Wiki-listed genres. The music was recorded over eight months in London, the Okinawa Islands and India to capture additional vocalists and musicians. Besides Singh, those additional musicians and singers were John Klein (guitar), MC Cleveland Watkiss (vocals), Ryuichi Sakamoto (flute), Rakesh Chaurasia (flute), Guy Sigsworth (keyboards), Suchitra Pilllai (vocals) and the Madras Philharmonic Orchestra. Commercially, the album reached #41 in the UK, and in 1999, it won the UK Mercury Prize. The album opens with the 11-minute "Traveler," a song of three parts. The first part starts with a flute, piano and MC Cleveland Watkiss saying "The World is Sound." The song turns busy with layers of drums, the tabla, flutes and additional vocals. It then goes stark with a flute and a piercing synth and finishes loud with Madras Philharmonic Orchestra. Quick electronic beats begin "Butterfly." A droning synth leads to a flute then to an Indian-sounding guitar and tabla. The instruments trade off lead. "Sutrix" combines rock drums and the tabla. Vocalist Pillai appears in a song that keeps bringing additional instruments. Tabla beats and a flute begin "OK." A guitar/sitar Eastern melody. Female singers chanting. Underlaying the melody are electronic beats and synth noises. The next song "Light" brings back the jazz and ambient. A gentler piano and slower tabla beats. A jazzy flute and electronic beats are added. The song interestingly and weirdly ends with a Madonna "Ray of Light" dance beat. This album successfully combines a variety of styles (electronica, classical, Indian, jazz, world and dance) and instruments (flutes, the tabla, drum, electronic beats, guitar, strings and guitar). It is at times busy, ambient and stark. Using one of my common, cliches, it is an album that kept my interest throughout. Recommended for any electronic music fans and those who appreciate fusion of styles and mixing of instruments and beats.

Very laid back album with some cool electronics. Was a great album to listen to while mostly playing video games at the same time. Not sure if it would be that good in all situations but it caught me at a good time. I have a coworker named Vikram, so now I will only be able to picture him as Vikram the Vampire.

Actually some straight banger work and chill music. Not always the mood, but this goes hard for people that need no-lyrics lo fi music to study or grind to.

Really interesting, unlike any electronic I have heard before

For sure the best electronic classical Indian album on this list!

Honestly a bop

A little house trans music with a middle eastern sound

Parts of this are incredible, other parts are kinda weird and forgettable

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.

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

I liked the diversity of this album

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

I love tabla so much

Behagelig og med mye spennende lydkulisser. Svak firer.

As a fan of electronic / ambient / D&B whatever you want to call it at the time, this album was already in my collection at the time and was a regular love of mine and has continued to be over the years. It's obvious that this style of music doesn't appeal to many hear (or is unknown / uninitiated) but for me this is a fabulous twist on things with his Eastern influence.

Definitely not someone I’ve heard of before, but this was more than okay. Turns out mixing Indian music and electronica is a great combination! A worthwhile listening experience.

Ok, sigh. It's one of those - Robert Dimery et al. dilettantely including electronica - but I actually have no ill feelings about this one. Certainly, admittedly a stand-out album in its blend of ~World~ and late 90s DnB adjacent sounds, for whatever that's worth. And, hey: Ryuichi Sakamoto on some flutes; that's a plus. Not crazy about what I listened to, but I can respect it.

I think this is pretty underrated. I don’t know that I’d include it in this list, but I’m not at all on board with the complaints of it being boring.

Che esperienza folle, non è il mio stile di musica solito, ma mi è piaciuto molto comunque

7/10

First track had me worried. Glad it picked up from there. Haven't even finished it yet but it's getting a 4 just because Eclipse goes so hard

Oll Korrect

put your collars up, you look stupid ya

Not back-to-front enthralling but I thought this was really sick, had some fantastic sounds!!

Loved it. Like nothing i've ever heard before. Mysterious. Relaxing. Other worldly. The mix of East and West. The Indian style vocals. Instruments you wouldn't usually hear over a drum and bass or trance style beat. Different. Imaginative. New. Interesting. Exciting. Long tracks but i didn't get bored. Favourite track - Sutrix or Light. 8/10

Really great album. Such range and diverse sounds.

Electronic music that has a very interesting and listenable mix of eastern musical instruments, in addition to the sounds that you would typically associate with the genre. Above average listenability, reminds me a bit of Enigma with an eastern twist.

absolutely brilliant

I liked this. Helped i was working while listening. Got a little long. Very very 90s.

some of this was delightful, some a bit too heavy techno.

4.95 fabulous

indian electronica highly conceptual

I like these vibes a lot

I really liked this. Very unique, a little weird. A vibe.

Ricura. Repetiría. OK hermoso. Nada más que decir. Muy de su época pero muy bueno, que se yo, rico, muy bueno. Nota: 4.1

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this!

Un elettro veramente forte

Really good love the composition

Killer drum n' bass mixed with Indian influences makes this an excellent, atmospheric, and immersive listening experience. Super underrated.

Fav: Butterfly Least Fav: Mombasstic This is where I find out that Ambient DnB mixed with Asian instruments is secretly what I’ve been waiting for (as a big fan of the Sitar)

Electronic Indian music. Cool album i probably otherwise never would have found!

A remarkable fusion. Truly original and a great listen

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a slightly biased 4. When it comes to mostly instrumental albums like this, I don’t think there’s too much to say, because you either like it, or you don’t. In this case, I liked it. I didn’t like it enough to give it a flat 4, because there’s certainly enough repetition in the soundscape and enough filler moments to create a DBZ arc, but I like this enough to bump it up to a 4. My bias is simply that this appeals to a lot of my VGM sensibilities. That is to say, give me a PS1 jungle style beat, and I’ll vibe with it a lot of the time. This feels a LOT like PS1 jungle, and I love the way this blends aspects of traditional Indian music, Japanese DnB, & electronica. It makes for a really coherent soundscape, one that’s not too far removed from the Ridge Racers or Ape Escapes of the world, but just distinct enough to feel unique, at least for the hour-long runtime that this has. I do fully understand why this has a 2.61 average on the site, because to an ear that’s not paying attention, every track here sounds the same. Hell, even to my ears, I’m sure there are a few tracks that sounded the same that I just sort of chose to ignore. At an hour long, it’s shorter than some of the other DnB albums we’ve gotten, which helps a bit. It’s still long though. However, when it fully clicks, there are moments here where it just feels great to listen to – the stretch of Eclipse to Light in particular is the best stuff on the album, by far. If I gave this another listen, I might find it tedious, but I do think the floor here is a 3 regardless. It’s totally competent Indian-infused electronica that I vibed with on most of the tracks, and even at its most bland, it still sounds pretty good to listen to. Hence, a 3.5 bumped up to a slightly biased 4.

The title track is by far the weakest song on the album by far. That being said... This is the soundtrack for a turn of the century hacker film, right? Because it would excel at that. If I was making a movie about westerners robbing an Indian target, or vice versa, I'd call this guy to do the music.

Liking a lot of this. The tabla and flute work is fantastic, and fusing it all with drum-machine dance beats and bass drops is kinda wild. Not sure this will become something I listen to often, but I really dig how different it sounds.

A really interesting blend of Indian sounds and electronic. Adding the tabla to the mix really expands the possibilities.

OK, Talvin, go off and traverse the world with your tablas in tow, bridging continents through your boundary-breaking beats.

I really dug this.

Интересная музыка с этно колоритом

15/03/25 This Surprisingly wasn't as bad as I was expecting.

Indiase klanken met een beatje eronder. Een beetje of je de Hindoestaanse versie van Café del Mar opzet. Ik heb verder geen context of dit veel betekend heeft voor de muziekgeschiedenis van het Indiase subcontinent, maar het klinkt wel, eh, OK.

Op basis van het internet had ik mij voorbereid op een percussie-plaat van een "tabla-player". Ik moest daardoor even schakelen. Het bleek veel meer digitaal. De ritmes blijven de nummers maken, dus in die zin zit het ook weer niet heel ver van de verwachting vandaan. Er wordt gewoon over de grenzen van een hokje heengestapt en dat is alleen maar te waarderen. Het eerste nummer spreekt mij erg aan. Ik luister vaker naar meer relaxte break-beatmuziek, maar heb deze artiest helemaal gemist daarbij. Wellicht ben ik zelf niet voldoende de grenzen van dit hokje overgestapt. Dankzij de 1001 een leuke ontdekking. De plaat varieert best aardig. Er wordt in elk nummer een andere muzikale insteek gekozen of een andere zang of instrument te voorschijn getoverd. Zelfs binnen de nummers zit vaak veel variatie. Ik stuit af en toe wel op een te saai moment of iets wat mij niet pakt, maar in totaal blijft het interessant. Dit album verdient een dikke 4.

Ik weet niet zo goed wat ik van dit album moet vinden. Ik had een soort punjabimuziek verwacht, maar dat was onterecht. Het is elektronische muziek. Maar niet alleen dat, er zit van alles in, van filmmuziek tot drum n bass, en van wereldmuziek tot lounge. Dat maakt het ook buitengewoon gevarieerd en bijzonder leuk om te luisteren. Het kleine uur vliegt om. Het is misschien niet iets wat ik vaker op ga zetten, maar ik heb me prima vermaakt hiermee.

first listen i dug it

Fuck yes man, this is the sort of stuff I'm looking for. It brings the best parts of techno and adds in some Asian elements and it creates a godlike combination. Really unique, really talented, a nice breath of fresh air. Probably the only reason I am not giving it a 5 is my opinions on techno and genres adjacent. I need to be in the right mood to listen to it, and especially with this album due to it's far-fetchedness. A high 4, nonetheless.

More than OK

Super cool! This is basically the best of SomaFM's Suburbs of Goa station, which I listen to a lot.

An interesting album. Must confess I preference the more mellow and laid back tracks. Nice interplay between electronic beats and traditional Indian music. The odd track I found a bit jarring. I can find time for the experimental nature of this album.

Very fun and unexpected

Great listen. First track, Traveller, really transports you and makes you feel like you should be on a train in India having an existential moment. Overall enjoyable album

А я вот ставлю четвёрку. Это интересно, любопытно, местами брейкбит на табле с этническиии мотивами Я бы слушала, но при этом конкретно ничего не выделила. Но - на заметку неплохо вполне

I remember when this came out - I have it : ) it was so IN and new at the moment (late 90s) and this Cafè del Mar genre was exploding. A whole disc I learned is too much.. but very cool, ethereal, other worldly ambient music that fits very nicely into a playlist

way cooler than i expected it to be. the ‘world’ music on here is sometimes hit or miss but this was a very nice listen. the heavy techno core with the various world elements, especially the percussion, throughout worked really well

An interesting journey into a weird and wonderful soundscape. Truly experimental with the tools available at the time.

YES wait I love and 11 minute song with like 6 lyrics let's gooooo loving this - Light gets some BEATS going like when will I hear this at the club ?? Vibey and atmospheric, I love a good percussion moment AND 1998 moment. it's a yes from me!

etno dnb nice nice

Well that was a cinematic experience. Though I may never listen to it again, it is a worthy addition to the project and I did enjoy it.

A good fusion of late 1990s electronica and Indian music. It's always great to listen to something different and unique on this challenge. Not surprising that I liked this record as it was released on the Island label, which always releases quality albums that are likeable and unique.

What a fucking crazy album, especially for 1998. You wouldn't think that a full album of electronica mixed with tabla drums would be meaningful, but this album has so much depth to it, especially for being largely instrumental. The album is consistently high BPM, but it never feels exhausting. Instead, it feels well-crafted and experimental. Really cool album that still feels relevant, even if the brand of electronica on it is a bit dated now 4/5

Quite a belter

My pretentious tastes are perfectly pandered.

This is world music I can get into. When Ravi Shankar and George Harrison started mixing Indian and Western Music, this is the nirvana they would have liked to achieve. 4.5/5

## Overview of "OK" by Talvin Singh Released in 1998, *OK* is the debut studio album by Talvin Singh, an influential figure in the fusion of traditional Indian music with contemporary electronic sounds. The album not only showcases Singh's mastery of the tabla but also his innovative approach to music production, blending various genres to create a unique auditory experience. This review will delve into the album's lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence while also evaluating its pros and cons. ## Lyrics **** Lyrical Content The lyrics in *OK* are often minimalistic and abstract, focusing on themes of connection and universality. The opening track, "Traveller," sets the tone with a spoken word introduction that emphasizes the idea that "the world is sound." This phrase encapsulates Singh's vision of music as a universal language, transcending cultural and linguistic barriers. Many tracks feature vocal contributions that are more about texture than narrative. For instance, "Soni" employs a choir of female singers whose harmonies add depth rather than convey a specific story. This approach aligns with Singh's intent to create an immersive experience rather than a conventional lyrical journey. ## Music **** Musical Composition Musically, *OK* is a rich tapestry of sounds that blends traditional Indian instrumentation with modern electronic elements. The album is characterized by: - **Tabla**: As a classically trained tabla player, Singh uses this instrument to anchor many tracks, providing intricate rhythms that drive the compositions. - **Flute and Sitar**: Collaborations with musicians like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Rakesh Chaurasia introduce lush melodies that complement the rhythmic complexity. - **Electronic Beats**: The incorporation of drum and bass rhythms alongside bhangra beats creates a dynamic soundscape that feels both familiar and innovative. Tracks such as "Light" exemplify this fusion, combining Indian flute melodies with atmospheric electronic backdrops. The result is a sound that is both hypnotic and engaging. ## Production **** Production Techniques The production of *OK* reflects Singh's commitment to high-quality sound and innovative techniques. He spent nine months recording in various locations, including London and Okinawa, to capture diverse musical influences. Notable production elements include: - **Layering**: Singh expertly layers traditional instruments with electronic sounds to create depth. This technique allows for a rich listening experience where different elements can be appreciated on multiple levels. - **Field Recordings**: The use of field recordings adds an organic quality to the tracks, grounding them in real-world sounds that enhance their authenticity. - **Collaboration**: Singh's collaborations with various artists contribute to the album's eclectic sound. For example, Guy Sigsworth's keyboard work on "Traveller" adds a contemporary flair that complements the traditional elements. ## Themes **** Central Themes The overarching theme of *OK* revolves around cultural fusion and global connection. Singh aims to bridge Eastern and Western musical traditions, reflecting the multicultural landscape of late 1990s Britain. Key themes include: - **Unity through Sound**: The idea that music can connect people across different cultures is prevalent throughout the album. This is particularly evident in tracks like "Butterfly," which blends various musical styles seamlessly. - **Cultural Identity**: Singh explores his own identity as an Indian artist in Britain, using his music to navigate and celebrate this duality. - **Exploration**: Many tracks evoke a sense of journey or exploration, both musically and culturally. This theme resonates with listeners seeking new experiences through sound. ## Influence **** Impact on Music *OK* has had a lasting impact on both the Asian Underground movement and electronic music at large. By successfully merging traditional Indian sounds with contemporary genres like drum and bass and techno, Singh paved the way for future artists exploring similar fusions. The album won the Mercury Prize in 1999, further solidifying its significance within the music industry. Its inclusion in lists such as *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* highlights its critical acclaim and enduring relevance. Singh's work has influenced numerous artists across genres, encouraging them to experiment with cultural blends in their own music. His approach has inspired subsequent generations of musicians who seek to break down barriers between musical styles. ## Pros and Cons **** Pros - **Innovative Fusion**: *OK* successfully merges traditional Indian instrumentation with modern electronic music, creating a unique sound that stands out in both genres. - **High Production Quality**: The album features meticulous production techniques that enhance its overall listening experience. - **Cultural Significance**: It represents a significant moment in British music history, highlighting the contributions of immigrant artists to the cultural landscape. - **Critical Acclaim**: Winning the Mercury Prize and receiving positive reviews from major publications underscores its artistic merit. **** Cons - **Abstract Lyrics**: Some listeners may find the minimalistic lyrical content lacking depth or narrative engagement compared to more conventional albums. - **Niche Appeal**: The fusion of genres may not resonate with all audiences, potentially limiting its mainstream appeal. - **Pacing Issues**: Certain tracks may feel lengthy or meandering for listeners accustomed to more structured song formats. ## Conclusion Talvin Singh's *OK* is a groundbreaking album that successfully bridges cultural divides through music. Its innovative fusion of traditional Indian sounds with contemporary electronic elements creates an immersive listening experience that remains relevant today. While it may not appeal to every listener due to its abstract lyrics and niche soundscape, its critical acclaim and influence on subsequent artists affirm its place as a significant work in modern music history. Overall, *OK* stands as a testament to Singh's vision of unity through sound, inviting listeners on a journey through diverse musical landscapes.

Cool fusion music. Blog review called this "tabla tronics" or asian fusion music? I could see it. I liked that this was unique and spotlighted the tabla which I'm not too familiar with. I feel like 15 minutes could have been cut from this album to get me to enjoy it even more, some songs dragged on.

Quite good,

Very cool combination of Indian and dance

So sweet, so chill, so melodic! Really good on a relaxing day!

This is a good discovery, what an atmosphere he can create! From rhythm to melodies, this is a super interesting record.

What a wild mix of styles from across the globe. The general combination of electronic music with Indian classical is just a perfect compliment, and then he adds influences from a ton of other places to really put it over the top.

It was like a modern version of a jazz experience. I found the music deep and interesting. Also, the sub-bass was well used

Great background music

very interesting, diverse sound. I definitely enjoyed, more on the chill side and would like to listen more.

Honestly, this one is very hard to really review. I think your experience with it will really depend on what your mindset is when you hit play on that first track. I could sit here all day and list off how great the drum programming is. Or how the orchestral backdrops mixing with instruments and flavours from all around the world over solid electronica makes for a very unique experience. Or how the mixture of atmospheres will have you engaged for the entirety of the 1 hour+ length. I could. But I feel like 'OK' goes beyond just discussing the details, and more into the feelings and emotions Talvin Singh was attempting to convey to the listener. As someone who has recently gone on their own personal journey of self discovery in an attempt to fix myself and realize the importance of self acceptance, this album really spoke to me. As I listened in the darkness of a mid-October morning - before getting ready for the day - I almost felt like I was transported into a meditative state as the music played, despite how up-tempo most of tracklist is. This album is more than just music, it is a spiritual and artistic journey. Sometimes I tend to look at the overall reviews on this site before or while I listen to an album; and I was worried I wasn't going to like this. But after a complete listen I found the negative reviews are kind of baffling. But it's good to live in a world where we all have different tastes. 'OK' is honestly a great work of art featuring familiar elements that are typically incompatible, yet are ultimately forced to be; and the end result is something wonderful that you virtually never get to hear. I am very happy with this nice surprise the generator gave me today. 4/5

lovely

Good background sounds.

4/5. Beautiful and haunting, the techno beats give me an energy of danceable 90's horror that takes place in India. It's an interesting vibe and I dig it, upbeat classic beats and great samples/actual performances. There were definitely some misses as the performance was not good or it got a little too repetitive, mostly near the end. Overall though, a great album, especially for getting into this Indian music. Best Song: OK, Traveller, Sutrix

Cool Electronica, sounds of India. Imagine Mike Oldfield in India.

This album brought me places... I was constantly playing the game of guessing how certain sounds were made and what kind of instrument were used. Loved the second song specifically

Kinda weird, kinda cool. Felt like some D&B. Idk if I've ever listened to a full Indian album before this. Feeling generous so a 3.5 rounds up to a 4

When I read the description I realized I should play this through my main stereo. So glad I did and didn’t listen on a smaller device. The recording quality and complexity really benefited from the soundstage and imaging that a quality system can provide. Sounds jumping around the soundstage little details tucked in everywhere. This made for a great listening experience even if it is not a style I typically seek out. Won’t listen again, but so amazing that I did on this list.

Very cool and filmic, like a soundtrack to a number of different movies. I probably don't know enough to properly judge it, other than knowing I really liked it!

Interesting album, maybe a bit on the dated/trashy side, need to listen again in the future to properly grasp it.

Ok English/Indian sound

Heel mooi openingsnummer, duurt ook wel meteen 11 minuten, maar het is geen seconde saai! Sowieso echt craaaaazy muziek dit! Het is een soort psychedelische, elektronische Indiase fluitmuziek? Ok sorry, Eclipse is gewoon drum n bass En dit is echt de allerbeste shit die ik in tijden heb gehoord hahahaha Wat een fantastisch album is dit! Ik kende het niet, maar dit is zeker een leuke verrassing geweest! Ook totaal niet een album dat ik verwacht had in deze lijst. Is het een perfect album? Nee zeker niet, maar dit is absoluut 4 sterren waard! FAVO: Traveller, Butterfly, Eclipse, Light, Vikram the vampire

Again, this is why I'm doing this project. I had no idea this person existed and I totally enjoyed this album. Its a fun fusion of music.

Very good. Has a nice vibe.

It's surprising that I have never heard of Talvin Singh before. Very unique and original mix of electronic music and traditional indian elements. It got a bit boring in the second part of the record, but overall a very nice example of experiment going right.

I really enjoyed this album for how eclectic it was. I loved the story behind it and imagining where in the world each song was recorded as it came on. The combination of Western instruments like strings and the orchestral flute paired and juxtaposed with Indian instruments was beautiful and refreshing.

Really enjoyed listening to this. Added Light to my rotation. Absolutely one I’ll listen to again.

Easily my favorite Talvin Singh album-- he's made several good ones. I love the traditional sounds balanced by strings, tabla, and then the bass beats. Overall this is where traditional meets drum and bass or something like that. I dig it.

So, for the first part of this review, I want to say that this was actually a pretty good drum and bass album that was experimental with an ambient atmospheric sound. It also has a great story to it and all the traveling that went into creating this album. A lot of the production was pretty ahead of its time and experimental for the late 90s. It reminds me of a combination of 90s-style Squarepusher with 90s-style LTJ Bukem. The downside of this album is that although it had a great backstory and it’s an innovative album for people who are into the music and understand it, it also has the same monotone vibe throughout the entire album. Even for me, by the time the album was wrapping up, I was getting bored and burned out. For someone who is not into this style of music, I can definitely see how they will not like this album and they would get extremely bored of it. To be honest, that’s why I don’t really think it belongs on a list of 1001 albums you must hear before you die. This album is a very niche genre and audience that it appeals to and although it has a great story, almost everyone won’t resonate with the album.

I love this kind of genre and musical culture fusion!

Such a throwback to the pre 2000 feeling. Where the internet still felt new.

I liked this! Very vibey, kinda reminded me of something Bjork could sing over upon the first few tracks, then I researched the artist and realized he played on and contributed to Debut! Some of that same energy here, and I liked it a lot.

This was really kind of cool! Light, OK and Eclipse were my top three. It was amazing to see a blend of electronic, Indian and classical influences together in such a unique yet perfect manner. Light especially was so beautiful with the electronic beat emphasizing the melody that had classic vibes but played with an Indian instrument (I think) supported by Indian rhythms. Electronic is not my thing so I probably won't listen again, but I give this one props for being something I would say is influential and different to the music world (or at least my music world).

It could be the novelty of listening to something completely new and foreign to me, but I liked it! Trance like ambient music, but with toe tapping beats. I found it helped to focus on doing things that require focus, like a hard Wordle or yoga. I'll listen to this again, but in smaller doses, it's a lot at once. Particularly liked Butterfly, with the overlaying drumming and flute fluttering about.

Ok this is exactly the kind of stuff I was into in late middle school/early high school. Kinda new agey electronica. I seriously wondered if I would find that kind of stuff on here. I never came across this one but it gives me a very nostalgic feeling. It maybe deserves a 3 in all actuality because I have heard stuff in the genre of new age electronica I like more as a whole. But there are some really good tracks on here, and I really am glad something of that genre is on the list so I am inclined to rate it higher.

cool

3.5 some of the electronica got a little annoying but overall an enjoyable album

An interesting electronica album

Early dnb. Check. Indian instrumentation. Check. Orchestral flourishes. Check. Meandering, sparse and relaxed composition. Check. Loved it

Classical Indian music meets Electronica / Drum and Bass - music to chill to. I liked it.

Hey, I love the EDM & Indian cultural blend. Fun listen.

I bought this album in the 90s and don't remember it being on repeat too many times. It's pretty cool and ambient with hints of trip-hop/DnB but not as much substance. The Indian flavour works well but the tracks are a little lightweight.

This...honestly kinda slaps. Damn

Fusing drum and electronica beats with traditional Indian music is a wild ride, man.

I was gonna make some dumb joke like "This album was OK lolol" but honestly it's too good to not write more about it. After the first track I was hoping it'd stay in this electronic/classical mix (this entire track is euphoric). I was only mildly disappointed that it didn't not revisit the string section often. That being said, the rest of the songs are really quite a nice listen and perfect for enjoying a walk in good weather. 8/10

Better than OK! Added to my library, really great album.

NAHSTEEE

Strange experience for me, but i mostly enjoyed it

Computer. This record should've been released under a different title. There should've been enough time to update it after Radiohead's album came out in the same country about a year before. But it was the nineties, speaking of which I find the whole cover of the album off-putting as well. It's a shame, because I think that the album is a rewarding listen — it's both timeless and modern. It would've been well-served to have a design that was less 1990s and a better name. The music isn't its packaging, of course, but some music deserves better and this is the case.

Like a Traveller seeing an Eclipse at first Light.

The first track is a little Bollywood for me. Thereafter this becomes quite a lovely album. Will definitely revisit.

Really out there. Kinda like breakbeat but that first track really pushes the envelope. I think I like it?

Cool. Really enjoyed it. Break beats with sitar? Works great

Super interesting blend of EDM and Indian sound and rhythm

Surprised at how much I liked it.

I really enjoyed this, and damn it sounded fantastic. more of a 3.5 but i'm rounding up because why not

Combining drum ‘n’ bass with Indian tabla music is an inspired and ingenious idea. The two styles work so well together. It’s a natural fit. I’m also always intrigued by the ways different cultures mix and influence each other. India and Britain of course have a long, complex history but there’s also this rich shared culture now as a result of that colonial history and this album is an interesting product of that. “OK” is a banger! Sounds like something that could be on an M.I.A. album. Some of this gets pretty dreamy and spacey. I like the dance and electronic leaning tracks the most. But all of this is beautifully and thoughtfully made. Awesome sound!

I was so happy when the drum n bass elements came at the 2 minute mark of the first track. Prior to that, I was thinking "this sounds like Caucasian film composers trying to write a middle eastern / Indian song for a part of the film they are scoring". Then when that hit I thought "oh OK this is something else!" I really, really love drum n bass electronic music. Most genres of music that I listen to have been shared to me by someone or something else- like rock music from my brother, oldies from my mom, pop music from the radio, classical and jazz from music school. But this sound is one that I felt like I genuinely discovered on my own without someone saying "you need to hear this style", and I feel an added sense of love for the genre because of it. Often times on this album, the Sitar or Sarangi or Indian flutes will be the focal point, while the relentless tabla-supported drum n bass will be the backing force. But listening closer I think there's many times where the underlying synths are really the star. It's almost like when you get a few tracks in and are now familiar and comfortable with the sound, you can finally sit back and enjoy the foundational composition ideas of the track's basic harmony and melody. "Butterfly" has a great example of this, from the 3:30 mark onward is like an Aphex Twin song- a big compliment. This was a great listen. Very happy with it.

Smooth, trance-like

Best Song: Butterfly. The drums at the end had an compelling, driving rhythm. Worst Song: Disser/Point.Mento.B. A weird synthy track that contains none of the interesting percussion from the rest of the album. Overall: A rolling and spirited album. You can tell that the artist principally trained as a percussionist because the percussive rhythms were consistently the best parts throughout the album. Especially when the rapid intensity of the drumming was contrasted with something softer and smoother from the woodwinds. The whole album was a pleasant surprise.

Beautiful album. It sounds like a movie score.

OK I have a recollection of you having this at Durham, Paul? I’m aware of him but can’t recall ever giving him a listen. I thought this was great. Eno-esque in places, particularly My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, but obviously filtered through his own cultural upbringing. Obvious Indian classical influences, but quite a lot of traditional Japanese influences too. Subsequently found out some of it was recorded in Okinawa, so that makes sense. Some of the hip hop and dance/drum n bass beats do sound quite 90s, but they are so well woven amongst the other sounds it works really well Traveller is great, has a bit of everything that’s to follow, love the strings. OK is great too And I loved Light. I’m glad this came up, I’m looking forward to listening to it some more ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Überraschend gut. Elektroweltmusik

Idk wtf this is or why it's here, but it's pretty dope actually. 3.5/5

Singh explores the tabla depths of the electronic music scene with an incredible ease. Clocking it at just over an hour it’s no surprise that OK might be a bit too long. But the ideas are never not interesting and I would’ve had a difficult time deciding what to get rid of. The mix of the bass is beautiful and I have no problem overlooking the slightly problematic runtime. The name is underselling this record.

Opção acertada para variar os elementos eletrônicos devido às camadas de sonoridade hindu.

I was a big fan of "Soundz of the Asian Underground" back in the day and listened to this album a fair bit. Some of the samples/voiceovers feel a bit corny upon revisiting, but you can't argue with the production and soundscape that this album creates. It was eye-opening for me at the time and holds up really well. I thought it added a new dimension to a lot of the atmospheric drum'n'bass tracks that were floating around at the time.

Interesting. Liked it.

More than OK! I loved it.

Chemical Brothers? Nope. This? Sign me up! I guess I didn’t know that what I really need is south asian vibes and a geisha choir in my EDM. Here’s the crazy thing about this record. I may never return to it but I did add it to my Spotify (don’t judge me) library. Now if I ever find myself wanting to sit down and intentionally listen to something super interesting and insanely chill … I’d be more than “OK” with this album. Good job Talvin. You even got me to create an electronica playlist. Who even am I now?

This proves my rule of listening to an album all the way through because the first song Traveller was tough, a definite skip. But the rest of the album was nails and just on the edge of my comfort zone, a light stretch of of my normal electronic listenings.

Really liked this album. great background/working music

Put me in a good mood. Nice melodies and fancy and funny

vibin'

Vette plaat, lekkere nummers

This is great!! The first track, Traveller, was a curious introduction. The following piece, Butterfly, really made my ears stand to attention; I remained delighted throughout. OK is well-deserving of the 1999 Mercury Music Prize. Talvin Singh was a true breath of fresh air with his contemporary Indian / drum & bass fusion. A wonderful discovery via this project.

interesting sounds pretty interesting and calming

erittäin luova, mahtava yhdistelmä intialaisesta (jos et tiedä, lue oppikirjasta, ravi shankar school of india...) ja elektroniikka pämpytystä. jarre influenssin huomaa siitä. en tykkää kun kaksi eri rumpua eri maailmoista pämpyttää menemään. intialaismais hoilotus, kurkun intonaatioita värähtellen menemään, masiinan luomat bassolinjat. hassu konsepti ja talvin teki sen ihan mainiosti traveller

this should prove to be aloada

yes very cool

I enjoyed this quite a bit. The Indian elements, the drum n bass and oh my gosh the low end is something.

A very light 4. I just think it's super interesting. A really earnest mix of south Asian classical music and electronica. Not great but definitely one I'll be going back to

accidentally listened to it on shuffle so i got a very random selection but overall i really liked the vibe! fun and I could see myself listening to it as background music.

OK computer Indian techno matrix version lol

Wow, just wow. Pioneer of electronica with folky vibes

This was a pleasant surprise. I don't typically like electronic music. This one has some cool breakbeat stuff tho. I also love Indian music so I loved the Indian Classical influence on here. The production is killer too. Overall very enjoyable.

My initial thought would be that I would hate this within the first couple minutes, but I didn't! This was a cool concept album and I appreciate the approach and the detail that went in to it. A cool cultural exploration. I dig it.

Super interesting record. Very impressed actually. During this time period (late 90s) I was into this band called Delerium which had a similar kind of vibe. The last track Vikram The Vampire really hit hard.

I thought I'd hate it, but I didn't. It does what it's supposed to do, entrance you. Favorite song: OK.

Drum and base avec des influences indiennes traditionnelles, et parfois classiques occidentales. Je ne suis pas très portée sur l’électronique, mais je le réécouterais volontiers à cause de cet éclectisme

Cinematic bangers abound! Love the mixture of sounds on this thing and how reverently it takes dance music. Certainly some tracks I felt had a lot more drive than others, but for a style I find it hard to listen to extensively on my own time (and when I can't dance), I really enjoyed this and was very impressed. Strong three and a half. Fave track: Sutrix

Good meditative sound

Getting in real early on the Internet-brain wave was brilliant; The popular-but-specific dance basis granted anciency provides the specificity necessary for universal appeal. It's all so poppy and well-produced that doubt regarding cheese is inevitable. Music more than a little treacherous for analysis, simple enough to say I enjoyed.

I can't remember the last time I listened to this. Such an eclectic mix of styles that somehow works. I need to listen to this some more

Je ne pourrais pas defnir le style de cet album. mais pour vrai j'ai trouvé ca priginal et ca fitait vraiment avec mood. Genre d'ambiance electro, plein de sons weird. J'ai aimé ca 4

Definitely interesting, kinda good

Headphones and breathtaking views required for this one, at lest the first 4 or 5 tracks. It sort of loses its way after that but isn't wholly unpleasant.

Highly successful marriage of modern, western, techno-style rhytms with eastern melodies and instrumentation. Beautifulk music that I'm sure would reveal subtleties with each listen. First impression very favorable. 4 stars

I really enjoyed the mix of traditional Indian instruments and electronic music. Some of the spoken word parts were a bit cheesy. Very cool!

this album kept me on my toes, and not always in a good way. the album opens with "traveller," a song i can describe no other way than gorgeous. orchestral, full, emotional. the following songs were noir-like or peaceful with electronic used, but still a south asian sound was there, through and through. the regional sound tied the album together and forced the album to be so different from the other electronic music we've had on this list--and in such a good way. anyway, then you got a weird ass song like "decca" that stands out, and really drops this whole album down from a 5 to a 4. thank goodness spotify allows you to omit a song from your listening.

Oho! Onpas tiukkaa kamaa! Vähän ysäri haisee mut ihan on kyl mieleistä! Perhana vieköön 4/5

Miksi, kysyn, miksi eivät intia-perkussiot lyöneet enemmän läpi elektronisessa musassa? toimii todella hyvin ainakin tässä! 4/5

This was quite good imo, probably the best of the late 90s electronic that the list has given me, outside of like Portishead obviously. World music inspired trip-hop with some dope tabla playing. Definitely snagging some of these to go on various playlists.

Interesting and overall enjoyed it.

8/10. In general I quite liked this, cool fusion of different sounds.

I appreciated this for being distinctive and interesting, and I enjoyed listening to most of it.

I was pretty excited to give this a listen after skimming over the description. It didn't quite live up to what I was hoping for though. I do appreciate the innovation, but the execution was kind of dull.

This was manically exotic and I definitely am glad to have listened to it. More frenetic a lot of the time than I might want, but still cool.

Música electrónica ambiental. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Indian triphop-fusion, slightly overambitious at times but overall a welcome surprise.

Indische Drum & Bass, prima!

Música electrónica ambiental. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Love the mix of styles

Fun and interesting album

Intriguing mix of influences.

Would be great for a yoga session. I felt zen afterwards.

Maybe it's a biased opinion because I like this type of "environmental" music

That was interesting! Really loved the instrumentation and Indian influence. Less fond of the painfully 90's electronica.

he's a twat but the music is top notch

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.

Nice album, love the crossover

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.

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!

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.

Actually a fun listen. Very good background for working.

Lovely soundscape. Happy surprise

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.