OK

preexperimentalno za mene

I liked it okay

traveller- 4. nah why is this 11 minutes. butterfly- 5 sutrix- some shit that would play in a video game. 5 or 6 mombasstic- 5 decca- "we call this first position, nasty" iconic to be honest 7 eclipse- 6 ok- 7 light- 5 disser- 5 soni- 5 vikram the vampire- 5

Apt title.

I mean, it’s DVD menu music, but it isn’t bad

Pretty sick blend right here. I rock with the Indians (shout out young turbo). This list has a weird obsession with 90s trip-hop & dance fusion. I feel like the list badly needs someone younger to redo it and make it more modern. I’d still include this album though

Love a lot of the ideas here, it just feels a bit outdated now.

Full of interesting ideas, although getting this on a day when I'd barely slept and needed to drive an hour and a half each way to work probably wasn't ideal - it's a little too relaxed for that sort of thing. Not really my sort of thing, but interesting and something that certainly belongs on the list. Not sure if I'd listen again though

Was quite intrigued on first listen but ended up being a little forgettable. Nice combination of instruments and influences though

A curious mix of dnb world music and orchestrations.... washed over me a bit.

interesting mix of indian percussion and electronica - worked well both as music to listen to and then for a second spin, background music while I was working.

Liked it as background music while working. 3 stars

It was enjoyable.

I like how the songs float through the room. Worldly, ethereal, and exotic. I think it would partner well with a run outside.

Very interesting. I wonder how this strikes younger people who didn’t live through this time period. It is one of the most “1998-sounding” albums I’ve ever heard. Brings me back. However, I think it’s aged sort of poorly. I’d still call it a must-listen though, for the originality. #68

I like jazz with vocals more

"OK" is ok. It is light, pretty chill D&B with Indian Bhangra percussion and stringed instruments layered over the beats. It's a bit Buddha Bar, quite pleasant to listen to, a little bit background 'musak' in places. I had never heard of the artist or the album previously, but it doesn't feel like an undiscovered gem that had been waiting for me to dig it up.

A fantastic fusion of traditional Indian sounds combined with modern Drum and Bass-driven low-lying blankets of percussion, exhibited in a flowing hour’s-length display. This has more of a spatial, atmospheric feel rather than the club-oriented Drum and Bass you might’ve found at the same time, or indeed the more grandiose of Indian Classical music that this album so very clearly takes inspiration from. It’s certainly unique, but without showing off as such. Instead OK lurks in the background (or, more appropriately, the underground) of the British music industry and seeps through into the music that follows.

Cool album. It's a really strong flavor so you have to be in the mood. I kind of was and wasn't. Trying to be objective about its place in time I have to critically say that it feels a touch repetitive even in considerations of contemporary artists. Maybe that is the Tabla influence? It is, to an extent, a trance album. That said so is Terrence Mckenna and his works at an earlier time were frankly a tad more stimulating to me personally.

I recognized the name Talvin Singh, but this album was entirely new to me, wikipedia says he played with Siouxsie and the Banshees and Björk and Madonna, so that's where I know him from. Electronic music with Indian traditional influence.

This sounds like if someone was having a rave at the back of a yoga studio. Favourite songs: Sutrix, Traveller Least favourite songs: Decca, Soni 3/5

Hated the first 4 minutes or so. After they switched to real instruments, I actually kind of liked it. I can see the appeal, especially if you grew up with this kind of music. It did get old and worse as it went on, though, and I’m not a huge fan of the back half.

This is the first time I haven’t necessarily agreed with the low global rating. Not as bad as I thought it would be based on impression I got reading other reviews first. It was a nice background listen.

I like the idea of this album a lot more than I like the actual album itself. The concept of fusing different cultures and genres, past and present is fascinating to me. There are points in each song where you can hear the promise of just how amazing it could be. Unfortunately they are drowned in crappy drum machine beats and repetitiveness.

Blind album and artist. Indian drum n bass is never something I thought I would listen to. Thank you album project. Glad I tried it but not my style.

Rolling into the second track I felt like there was a solid bit of momentum but at an hour long the album just felt long by the end. Overall good.

Chill. Just OK, though.

not bad

This definitely a sub genre I haven’t learn too much about. But I enjoyed it for the most part. It was great for working in the background.

Indian electronics isn’t some trying I would have ever chosen to explore in my own, but I would be missing out. This is great workflow/soundtrack music and I love how their complex timing melds seamlessly with the digital world here.

2.7 1x cool blend of genres. Wouldn't have known tabla without seeing Wikipedia

I found this to be pretty compelling! The album definitely won me over by the back half. I don't feel like returning too quickly to this world– wasn't keen when the album started looking again– but it really beat out the premise that I figured we were working off of (trip hop plus Indian classical) and managed to be funny, pretty musical, a little odd and intriguing at points. Really, everything I said above is the beginning of falling in love, and I wouldn't be surprised if it started happening. I'll give it a high 3/5

2-3

It was jus OK

experimental Indian, pretty good 6/10

Cool mix of Indian and electronica. I like the cultural mashup. Is it great, no, but it’s interesting and I’d listen again.

Pretty mid, songs go on for too long.

Might listen again

OK

curti até

I do enjoy Indian music. This got a little repetitive.

Okay for background music while I'm working, but not something I'd listen to again.

World Music in its truest sense, as Talvin covers the globe to record its beauty in sonic form. Music for the soul - if you've had a bad day, put it on; if you've had a good day, put it on.

Drops of water in a digital atmosphere

Very interesting blend of world music and trip-hop electronica.. Not sure if I really like it, but there is a certain exciting atmosphere around it

Well, that was odd

parvati mentioned

for sure interesting comparing middle eastern influences (forgive my ignorance) with electronic music

Ambient soundscapes meet drum and bass. It's good background/chilling music.

I didn't really enjoy most parts of this album, but the title track... The title track is something 🙂‍↔️

Pretty average EDM, in my opinion. It's got an international flavor, but so what?

90s background Indian electronica.

sticker de DIOSSSS!!!!! 6/10

Listened to this while playing Tainted Grail: Kings of Ruin. This album sounds like the stuff my partner would listen to when he did tons of acid in the 90s. Definitely not essential listening, but I enjoyed it much more than the cultural appropriation of Deep Forest.

Fun Indian techno? Love it late 90s 3.4

This isn't something I would put on often, but it was very pleasant as background music for work and driving.

This album is weird. It has a few banger tracks and a lot of sleepy tracks. If there were more tracks like Crystal or OK, I'd be pretty into it. Alas... 3/5

Combining more traditional Indian compositions with ‘90s electronica tropes is a very, very cool idea on paper. It’s also a pleasant, unoffensive listen in practice – never a chore – and well-executed on wax. But as a final, full, tactile product? It’s like, yeah, this is exactly what I expected….cool…and that’s kind of…it. In many ways, it doesn’t feel all that deep; it’s the record you imagined based on the description, and either you enjoy that kind of Mom Jeans Yoga Vibe™, or you’re a normal person. It’s bland, watered-down Indian classical with white-bread drum and bass backbeats. It’s not difficult, but it’s also far from fulfilling, and even farther from essential. This is one of those British Mercury Prize albums from the turn of the 21st that this book has an affinity for, clearly because Dimery and Co. thought a lot of those albums would become modern-day classics. Very few of them did. While a lot of them now sound dated and annoying, though, Singh is talented enough and palatable enough to never upset anyone with Ok. He falls flat because Ok has nothing unique to say beyond the face-value conceit of its concept, which you get after the first song. No one needs to consume multiple tracks exploring this idea, let alone a whole album. But a single listen won’t put a bullet in your brain, either. Ok is okay, like, okay…let’s move on to the next one.

Just what I expected after 30 seconds of play: nice to work to but not an album I must hear before I die.

probably a 3.5, but not a 4. Fine for backgrounds, but nothing that great.

I like Butterfly, Suttie, I kind of like Decca, Eclipse, OK; I almost like Traveller, Mombasstic

A surprisingly unique album! Very interesting mix of Indian music with electronic. Not exactly my kind, but can see how it's considered a good album for the originality.

We all concluded that 1998 was an exceptional year in music. The atmosphere at the time was of an increasingly globalized world with rapid technological developments that led to more innovation in electronic music and its embrace by mainstream culture. 'OK' by Talvin Singh is an album that leads you to think it's a seminal record from this crucial period until a deeper immersion into the subgenre shows you that this is...just ok. Hence the title. So goes the saying: a pool is deep if you have never seen the ocean. I don't want to discredit it entirely, however. Talvin Singh has worked with some cool people: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees, Björk, Ryuichi Sakamoto, etc. But the beats are a little anemic and it all is awash under this very safe adult contemporary yoga-class electronic music aesthetic contours. And unlike Aphex Twin, there is no depth or beauty or innovation found within. Still, I appreciate the fusion and the attempt to recontextualize (seemingly) 'traditional' sounds. Just don't stop and think this is where the electronic music of this period ends. Far from it. B-

Conceptually interesting tapestry of musical styles, with some great drumming, but it left me flat overall. I think I just had the experience my kids have when I have them listen to a piece of seminal music that has been taken further over the intervening time. If they can appreciate the pedigree, it’s usually still a review of “Meh”. Did anyone else have sense that they were listening to the soundtrack album for the Bollywood remake of “Blade Runner”?

fun n foreign.

Could kind of get what he was going for, but ultimately it was too trance-y for me and that ultimately means it fades into background music and can't rise above 3 stars. Nice to hear a different set of sounds in trance music though.

OK!

I love the concept behind this album, and I feel like he’s successfully blended various world music in a really interesting way. Kind of a little journey around the planet. It didn’t connect with me in a very deep way, but I enjoyed all the different sounds.

I'm not really into the Indian music. There was clearly an effort to include some other ethnic expressions and so there was some variety but it all still felt fairly Indian. Nothing came across bad, but it was kind of a background ambient album overall. Perhaps my Western ear is not attuned to the finer nuances of Indian music, but unlike the Hives album whose title "Your New Favorite Band" was very wrong, this album's title was spot on: it was ... "ok". "Wear your colors or you look stupid, ya?" and then I looked stupid anyway listening to the 48-seconds of silence at the end of the Vampire track.

Twas a vibe

En indisk Aphex Twin med mer analoga instrument. Några schyssta grooves och ganska bra låtar. Lyssnar hellre på Aphex Twin dock. Funkar.

I’m not entirely buying it.

This sounds like the 90s trip hop equivalent of George Harrison going to India and coming back and infusing sitar into all his music. The big difference is that Singh is of Indian descent, grew up playing tabla, and spent years in his childhood studying the instrument and Indian classical music in India. OK ends up being a much more earnest fusion of western and eastern music, and I can’t say I’ve heard anything quite like it, aside from maybe Thievery Corporation (who are much more like George Harrison than Singh). When using the word “world” as a genre descriptor it’s usually a copout, but here it feels appropriate since Singh fuses ideas from India, Japan, the UK and Europe, and beyond.

Relaxing and enjoyable for the most part.

5 / 10 Extraña mezcla de New Age electrónico con sonidos Indus tradicionales. Demasiado raro mucho rato. Conforme avanza el disco se hace más pesado y pierde puntos.

Как эксперимент хорошо, но слушается оч трудно

Very much 90's electronica. There were some spots that sounded a bit low tech but that could have been on purpose.

I liked it, and even bobbed my head to a couple of songs, but overall, it felt to me like a rough framework of what was to come later with acts like Shpongle and Entheogenic.

At the risk of being the least original of all reviewers, this was...ok.

Well I have no idea what to make of this! At first I thought it was unbearable but I got kind of into it in the middle... Then I went off it again towards the end I have to say. Would be good to dance to when off one's nut, not so much for our chill holiday

Nice background music and a bit different but nothing special

Rarely does an album’s title describe its contents so succinctly. There’s a vision here, and the musicians are no doubt talented, but it can’t sustain itself over runtime.

Not terrible, but also not for me

It's ok

Tabla mix of traditional Indian and east Asian music with modern trance drum beats.to be listened to loud or with headphones. Traveller Butterfly Sutrix Eclipse (very percussive) Light (incredibly fast finger drumming on the tabla at 3:30 mark along beautiful flute playing)

Once you get past the first looooong track it improves. Wikipedia lists the genre as Electronic & Classical Indian - the Electronic part is tougher to take.

Ok.

He was asking for criticism when he named the album. I remember when this came out and was really big. I remember it winning the mercury prize. Whereas with Primal Scream who won the first mercury we are still listening to the music and they’re still making music in various iterations, I don’t know anyone who is still talking about Talvin Singh. It dragged! Some of it was quite hypnotic, but not enough for me to care.

I wanted to like this more than I did, especially after reading how long it took to get the various parts recorded.

This would be OK background music for me while making a curry. But as a solid straight listen I found it too much of the same. He didn't take me on the same journey that Ravi Shankar does.

Decent

I recall the fuss when on this won the Mercury, though looking at the shortlist now it was a lean year. Oh no, it beat one of Blur and the Manics worst albums! Still, I gave this a listen at the time or shortly afterwards, think I got the CD out from the library. It washed over me then, I didn't dislike it, I didn't love it, I didn't return to it. Today, the dnb sounds a little dated, but it's still pretty nice. Traveller was pretty interesting and just when that interest is waning towards the end you're hit with lush strings that really go. Next track Butterfly, energetic sitar and what is that, piccolo? Too high to be a flute surely. Oh there's definitely flute at the end. Over a lovely warm bed of smooth synths. I do wonder if I will enjoy this for a full hour, we shall see. I'm not finding lots to love about Sutrix for example. Hmm. Not really enjoyed anything else until OK. This is clearly what happened last time I listened to it 20-odd years ago. I have heard OK the song on occasion over the years and that's a banger. Loads going on. After this highlight, Light is fairly standard fayre chill out trance. The slower chant Soni would be a good closer. Although actual closer Vikram is pretty decent. Generously I would say I enjoyed about half of this. But the good stuff was really nice and interesting, so it gets a 3.

I am three songs in and I really like this album so far! I am halfway through and now some of the songs are starting to get annoying. Was feeling a 4/5 before but its probably a 3/5 now.  

good

Interesting...quite long though. Very 90s sounding

This was OK, but didn’t quite match the high hopes I had after reading the description on Spotify. It was a bit flat, and in some parts a bit cheesy, but there was some nice instrumental parts 3

I quite liked this kind of ambient quirky world music album. It is easy to listen to, definitely an artist I will consider listening to more, yes. This album is "good." Not to be mean or undervalue the album in any way, the only thing it "suffers" in a very lightly held sense, is that it doesn't have anything in particular that other albums in world music or ambient music don't have. So, it almost feels like those late 70's rock band albums that get kind of lost in the crowd, but (!) Not quite! And that makes all the difference.

Interesting, but difficult to sing along to :)

'Talvin Singh, is renowned for creating the bridge between Indian and electronic music.' The easy joke is, "Maybe some bridges shouldn't be crossed." Butterfly was pretty but that was probably one of the more Western tracks. Actually the album is interesting. I'll never listen to it again. 3*

This is similar to a lot of 90s electronic dance music I listened to but with an Indian like twist. I didn’t mind it, but nothing really stood out to me. Probably why this only sold 60,000 albums when it was released.

Never heard a mix of electronic and indian styles until now, fun listen.

Sometimes felt like Windows XP was finished loading, or something. So pre Y2K.

Quite chilled with nostalgic throwbacks to late 80s backpacking tunes

I remember this when it was new and didn’t try it out but it’s nice. A lot of atmosphere and a decent album. Just not one I can see myself coming back to, but that’s probably not Talvin Singh’s fault to be fair.

weird music 3 stars

2/27/24. Very relaxing downtempo electronic music with an Indian taste, I've never listened to something like this! I feel this album is perfect for working or getting tasks done, it's easy to focus with these sounds behind you. Very easy and cool listen.

Love the concept, some of it’s a bit scatty and some of the vocals are hard to listen to though

I like a lot of the elements of Indian Bhangra and have really enjoyed other Indian/western fusions (think Cornershop), so I was a bit disappointed with "OK." For one, the drum n bass and Indian elements seem to be kept apart a lot more than I'd like; " Butterfly" and "Sutra" get the closest to what I was hoping for, but none of it ever quite got there for me. The rest of the songs tend to go on entirely too long, and the longest sections also seem to be the dullest parts. Case in point is the intro track "Traveler." At 8 minutes it would be a fitting lead in to a more energetic album, giving hints of what is to come, but then the strings come in for no apparent reason and meander for more that 3 more minutes. I feel like this album would be better suited as an ambience setting soundtrack for a video game or short film than as something to listen to on its own. Overall, "OK" is cool but not what I'm looking for.

Turn of the century tabla drawing sonical inspiration from equal parts trip hop and drum and bass. Intruiging idea and excellent execution - but much too repetitive and long.

eh ok, lijepo al nis spesl

Pa fora, al nije bas everyday listen. 3.5 Bolji sam od 'ok' fora. -_-

Pretty good, but it was overly long and had some misses. I like the mix of Indian music and electronic.

This was fine, but nothing special. It faded into the background.

Great opening track. Overall decent album.

Very different music for me, but also very relaxing.

It’s great if you like it, but for me, I didn’t feel like I needed to hear this before I died.

ok. but i dont love it

Interesting album, i found it interesting how they recorded all of the samples for the tracks. 3/5

Very interesting

Come-se na ocasião certa

habibi core

Yeah, this is OK. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it. It’s fine. I was never really into liquid drum and bass and don’t like the tone of a sitar, but I didn’t mind this in the background. It didn’t piss me off, I won’t listen again.

3.4 - Difficult one for me, found that I enjoyed parts but other times felt like it was dragging. It's pretty unique but just not sure if I'd fancy sitting down to listen to it again. I think the electronic elements would sometimes marry up really well, and other times feel repetitive and grating.

I'm aware of the name Talvin Singh from some remixes (this beaut for instance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1hyj9yOya4&pp=ygUldGFsdmluIHNpbmdoIGJldHRlciBvbiB0aGUgb3RoZXIgc2lkZQ%3D%3D) but I did not think he would be of the calibre to make the 1001. Traveller is rather meandering, I think it takes too long to move between themes, and the mix of synthetic and more natural sounds I don't find particularly effective. I prefer the Asian influence on Butterfly, though again I'm not really a fan of the dancier aspects of the song. I wonder if Jai Paul would cite Talvin Singh as an influence? I think this album is better when it tries to do a bit less, like in Mombasstic. Decca is just a bit silly isn't it. Jungle! O.K. is the first track that pulls me in. Light also more enticing with the intro. As I go through this I think my main takeaway is that the electronic beats used are often pretty tacky, but the blend of eastern and western sounds has an undeniable appeal. There's something about this music where it feels like I could love it, if one or two small things were different, but instead I find I actively dislike it. It reminds me of when I was a teenager getting into Indie Rock and Pop Punk and the like, and someone bought me a Classic Rock compilation CD and I hated every track. For me it treads the wrong side of a fine line. Fave Tracks: O.K., Light, Vikram the Vampire 2.8/5

This should be right up my street but never really got into it.

This is an interesting album with all kinds of music styles blended in.

Já já, þetta er allt í lagi. Smá tabla, smá electróník, smá seiðandi. Ekki grípandi, ekki til að leita uppi, en það má hafa smá ánægju af.

3.75

It’s fine for what it is. Could’ve died without hearing it and felt no regret. “World music” mixed into electronica is such a painfully late 90s cliche. Someone really loved listening to this while wearing a floppy bucket hat.

3.0 - I won't knock the quality of these arrangements or the production, which all seem quite good. But, there is very little here that feels especially original or innovative. Fusing EDM beats with traditional music feels like an easy way to sanitize old material for a politically correct audience (see also my review for "Play" by Moby). While I wouldn't mind hearing one of these tracks playing at a museum gift shop, I would never choose to endure another full listen.

mid

Just OK. Has some interesting ideas, but really dragged.

liked it more than i thought i would

3,75 😅

Som meio épico, pegada trilha sonora. Interessante mas não pra ouvir em qualquer ocasião

Elektro-indisch-klassik. Kannte ich noch nicht. Hörenswert.

Ambitious. Hugely influential on the music that emerged after this released. Dragging indian music into the electronic age with it. The compositions are rich and usually lovely. A wild mix of styles and influences. Production is tight. It's just not very engaging. It's ok.

Some of the electronic flourishes feel a bit repetitive, but this is a very interesting and unique album where the best songs goes much deeper than just new age background music. This reminds me a little of Yasunori Mitsuda, particularly his work on Xenogears and Chrono Cross. I'm rating OK a little low because some songs fall a little flat for me.

A well-made blend of Indian and synthy electronic music. If you were going to blend the two genres, this is how to do it. Very unique. Would make a great soundtrack for something like cirque du soliel or something.

the genre combination you never knew you needed.

Ok.

As the first song started, and we hear "the world... is sound..." I was reminded of Ross from 'Friends' and any DJ who thinks he can easily do electronica. Fortunately, this turned out to be a lot better than most of that, and that had to do with the instrumentation. I am always a fan of the tabla, so hearing it in combination with the music playing was a real plus and elevated the music some. Still, there were songs that had some minuses to them (the first track was too long IMO, and "Soni"... I have never been a fan of that type of high, nasally singing.). I would also have liked the last song too have been explored more. "Decca" suffered from being an oratorio, with only 10 seconds of music. An easy one to skip in the future if I ever listen to this again. Not a big fan of this type of music, but the instrumentation and Singh's singing made it decent. I would like to hear his work with other artists (except Yoko Ono).

Interesting. British electronica meets classic Indian. When Singh stuck to this formula, I really dug it (Butterfly, Sutrix, Eclipse, OK). When he went more straight ahead electronica, I cared less (first half of Traveller, Mombasstic, Light). Not that they didn't have some Indian or Asian elements, but they were more whimsy or airy (too much flute?). And when he didn't really do either and just went weird, I didn't enjoy it (Decca, last third of Soni, Vikram the Vampire). So, there is some really cool stuff and I can see myself putting this on again or sharing with my Indian, West Indie, and Sri Lankan friends, there were a few too many points where I was not impressed.

Eh, nice background music with a few good moments (Traveller, Mombasstic, O.K., Light) and a few weird moments (end of Surtrix, Decca, Eclipse). Harmless enough, nothing I need to check out again.

It was OK

I enjoyed this a bit. Takes a turn at the end and the Indian influence isn't always working I think. 1 extra star for effot

I like a lot of Asian Underground music such as Niyaz and Cheb I Sabba. This one, though, is a bit too atmospheric. Seems suitable as background music at trendy spa.

Probably one of the most unique albums I've listened to so far; interesting blending of styles that turned out pretty well. 3.5

Techno raga. Interesting melding of Indian percussion and electronic beats. Surprising melodies and textures.

Niet percé slecht, maar ik begin te twijfelen over mijn vertrouwen in dit experiment.

Surprisingly fun. I’m not a Drum & Bass guy, but the other instrumentals and sampling were good.

A really interesting mix of electronica and Indian classical that works a lot better than it could, and is stronger than a lot of the dnb/garage scene of the 90s for me. Still feels a bit long towards the end, I could do without the last two songs

An unusual blend of chilled out techno pop with hints of traditional Indian. Interesting Not bad...was OK!

I liked this - it's a pretty massive project and was quite well done but I didn't fall in love with it. Not a bad listen at all though

Cafe music

Plenty of interest, but a persistent new age electronica kind of vibe that put me off.

Música un tanto experimental. Alternancia de ritmos de percusión junto con música electrónica. Ambientes más relajados en otras canciones. Se puedes escuchar, pero no destaca en ningún aspecto

This is unlike anything I’ve heard before. Very cool, not something I would come back to regularly but still a solid listen.

I was torn between 2 and 3 stars on this, but thinking about it there isn't really a bad track on the album, just that all the tracks are very, very samey. It really doesn't need to be an hour long, either.

Interesting. At first I thought great. Another album that's noise for the sake of making noise. But this was not what I anticipated. It's actually quite musical. Almost in the vein of Ummagumma.

Not my thing, but I get it.

It was fine. Moments of brilliance and at least one moment where I had a visceral reaction to the cacophony of noise and had to shut it off. But very creative, imaginative, and very much a "world music" kind of album. Probably won't remember Talvin's name tomorrow, but he's definitely talented.

very cool

Not something I would put on by choice, but ok ;) for background music

oontz oontz oontz punjab oontz

It's a good concept. Travelling the world via drum and bass and the tablas. Singh also has some high profile collaborations both on and off this album so there was a lot of potential here. Unfortunately, the result is ok but most forgettable, aside from one or two songs.

It's okay. In terms of a list of albums to listen to before you die, this album is an interesting merging of Indian and electronic music, but just like examples from both of these genres, it just goes on and on. 3/5.

Enjoyable fusion of sounds, pushing the boundari3s of edm at the time. Nothing that is incredable though

1997: Radiohead releases their critically acclaimed album OK Computer 1998: Talvin Singh releases his album OK, with no hard stance on Computers. As far as atmospheric drum and bass goes, this album stands out for it's incorporation of South Asian music influences, including the sarangi, veena, and sanshin. Apparently, Singh even travelled the world to record multiple folk singers and even the Madras Philharmonic Orchestra. I can appreciate this level of involvement to understanding the incorporating regional sounds into the drum and bass. These are used to great affect, bringing a refreshing and unique variation to drum and bass that enhances the overall experience. Breakbeats will play in parallel with tabla rhythms, keeping pace while a beautiful medley floats along.

It was nice to hear some electronic music circa the 90s that was utilizing Indian/eastern sounds AND was actually BY someone of Indian heritage, rather than just a westerner utilizing the sound due to its exotic-sounding properties. There are definitely some similarities to the two approaches, but also a fair bit of difference! Ultimately, I'm not quite sure what led to this album being included, but it was a good listen, in any case.

Class this album as "interesting". Was a surprise when it first started with a good mix of influences in an up beat 90s dance style. Not all of the fusions worked but glad I listened

Een beetje vage shit. Schijnbaar overal ter wereld opgenomen voor de ideale terroir. Dat mag. Als liefhebber van drum 'n bass-achtige toestanden zitten er her en der tracks tussen die ik kan waarderen. Track 3 "Sutrix" bijvoorbeeld vind ik wel lekker. Jammer van het maniakale lachje op het einde, maar vooruit. Het album gaat wel als een nachtkaars uit. Een nachtkaars met een iets te lange brandtijd eigenlijk. 2.5

Enjoyed the jazzier Basement Jaxx-esque songs. Could do with another listen to decide whether it deserves bumping up or down a star.

Light 7

Un parfait mélange d'indienneries et de roboteries. Bravo Talvin.

Talvin Singh sera tout le long de l'album pris en étau entre ses racines et sa passion pour la robotique. Il tâchera donc de nous proposer un voyage dans son pays natal indien, à travers de belles voix/sonorités qui feraient rougir votre charmeur de serpent local, tout en ajoutant différents cliquetis, bruits de bras articulés ou encore bip intéractifs non sans rappeler un super épisode de Transformers. Un combo osé mais qui fait mouche.

Some songs are really interesting, some are quite boring. Right in the 3 zone 3/5

drum and bass, met duidelijke Indische invloeden. Ik vond het album best.... Ok

I enjoyed having this on in the background today; set a good vibe in the office. Interesting, but not violently so. Favorites: Traveller and Light. Not favorites: Decca, Soni. 3.5

Eh

A diverse mix of electronic, industrial, and ethnic sounds. Some songs seem very chill and trance like, while others are very fast and hectic, but it all melds together to somehow work. Not sure I would choose to listen to this driving, or in the shower or anything, but it’s alright background music. Listen again: probably not Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song:

Decent

It was OK

A globetrotting melange of genres befitted for the turn of the century, OK finds Tavin Singh finding what works and making them click together. Pulsing and bursting with Indian classical, Japanese dance and British electronica, this is as of its time as it is futuristic, ambitious whilst being unpresuming and it's as tethered to the unlikely origins of its creator while at the same time being as far from it as possible. OK, indeed. Favorites: Traveller, Butterfly, Eclipse, OK, Light, Soni.

Aptly named

V. interesting, not sure if I'd ever listen to it casually though

Ambitious and interesting

Very pleasant Sunday morning listening, very nineties mix of Indian and drum and bass. Almost almost really really good.

OK

Sounds like a soundtrack for fin de siecle globalism , perhaps because that's exactly what it is.

This is the sort of album I've been hoping to get for a while

The fast paced songs bring me a kind of discomfort that really scratches an itch. The slower songs make me want the faster songs. Unique experience

Ok, well actually, pretty good

It was at least ok

Meh

I’ve never heard of this performer before today and I gotta say, I don’t hate it. He sounds like an Indian Moby. Not normally my type of music (Indian or electronica) but I’m kinda sorta digging this, especially when some orchestral stuff plays like halfway thru the first song. Some of this sounds like a soundtrack for an Indian film noire. Like Mumbai Confidential. And then it talks about a vampire at the end? Hmmmm. Not bad but not going into my regular rotation. Glad I listened, though.

Different, some good bits

Quite a variety of sounds and styles on this record. Very interesting. I had not heard of the artist or heard any of his work before. Serious effort when into this in many ways, and very early pioneer in the development of music production as the internet was just ramping up.

It was OK, but the songs that Spotify randomly played afterward were outstanding!

While I didn’t have the best time listening to this album, I think as background music it would be fine so it lands on the 3 spot

One time album to listen 👂

Trying way too hard at times, but there's some interesting stuff in here. Rounded up from 2.5.

Powerful and masterfull precussionist, exploring a combination of indian instruments and electronic music. Very cool, experimental, but works!

This album was pretty cool. The electronic elements were nowhere near overkill and enhanced the music. Favorite track: Decca

The traditional Indian elements in an electronic music framework work very well. But I still find electronic music boring due to the repetitiveness. The good moments are spread too thinly through the hour long album.

Huh

Crazy fusion of lots of different electronic music and world music genres. Feels a bit cliche and boring now though, but at the time it was probably pretty neat.

Indian DnB?!?!??!

Where is the 2.75 stars option?

A surprise, I’d never even heard of the artist. Interesting fusion of traditional Indian instruments with electrónica and drum and bass. Enjoyable but I wouldn’t necessarily listen again.

It was ok.

Lots of great really cool ideas but man is it slow to get going!! Good news is the latter half is great despite the first half’s flop. Very groovy and love the combination of so many different cultural sounds. Best tracks: OK, Light, Decca

Album started really good and got progressively worse

Good

I guess it was interesting? Definitely feels like “world music” so sure, I’m happy I heard it before I died.

Interesting that this comes a few days after Nitin Sawhney's Beyond Skin. Singh and Sawhney are very similar given that they are both Indian/English artists that blend classical Indian music with modern electronica and their albums were released about a year apart in the late 90s. This album starts out fabulously with Traveller, which features mostly classical Indian ambience but then gorgeous lush strings come in at the 8 minute mark. Butterfly is also a very nice fusion of tabla with dance beats. But the album falters after that and the remaining songs are bit of an incoherent mess with too much drum and bass for my tastes. I prefer Beyond skin to this but it is saved by a few very nice tracks so it also gets 3 stars.

Average.

Cool background music, if more than a bit strange

Such a strange sound - strange meaning different from the usual western sound. I don’t think I’ll come back to this, but I really appreciate the uniqueness of this record. I would probably like it more in smaller doses.

notes - indian/british tabla player and producer - collaborated with musicians from around the world, blending traditional indian music, japanese flute music, and idm/drum n bass elements - The string & flute arrangement at the end of the first song is beautiful! - This album has a very 90s sound palette, the long reverb and delay, wet sounding ps1 synth patches, chopped glitchy drums - Like a musical time machine, could imagine listening to this on a walkman while rollerskating fav - sutrix - made me feel like the protagonist in a cyberpunk movie least fav - eclipse - least effective use of the glitch sounds, kinda gave the vibe that he was just trying to cram a vunch in 3/5 interesting vibe and cool way to hear what was going on in electronic music at the time

Really interesting dance music. A lot different from the stuff that's out today.

Ambiant electronica with an experimental feel. I liked it.

1999 mercury music prize. what a strange bunch of albums that is. but on closer inspection of 1999 and the best selling albums we're greeted with an absolute mess of a time. we've got the year of trance and nu metal. manufactured pop is still huge mainstream with backstreet boys selling 40m albums. Eminem resurrecting dr dre. europop is big with vengaboys and eiffel 65. film soundtracks are selling like made (notting hill 2.4m). the indie offering is the wet singer songwriter thing that was the push back to britpop led by travis. we've got moby, will smith, macy gray, lou bega, sisqo. this year was fucking mental. i implore you to go here and have a look for yourselves as to what the fuck was going on; https://bestsellingalbums.org/year/1999 so back to the beginning with the mercury music prize list, it now makes a bit more sense. in hindsight it probably should have been won by the chemical brothers surrender but none of the others have really stood the test of time, faithless 8PM, stereophonics - performance and cocktails, manics - this is my truth, blur-13 all fairly un-innovative. so after all that waffle, it's alright. nice production, good sounds but the pace of it kind of stumbles along rather than flows.

After hollowing out my eyeballs and dipping my face into a bucket of frogs, I can see myself falling deeper and deeper in love with this cowardly record. It will fuel my passion for the next 16 hours. In this time I will complete a complex jigsaw of an elderly man bent over with his sagging, withered ass pointing towards us as he sucks on a large lollipop and takes a photo of his enormous dick. Yes, today will be just fine.

The album title has pretty much done the review for me.

Indian sounding, drum and bass, trip-hop. It won the 1999 Mercury Music Prize. Woke up from a post-Sunday-long-jog-snooze right at the end. So it clearly didn't do much for me.

Prefs: Traveler, Butterfly, Sutrix, OK, Light Moins pref: Mombasstic

Interesting without being amazjng

Every time I think this album is going to do something interesting, it disrupts the groove and switches beats. 2.5, going to round up here because I suspect there are layers I am missing here.

Listened to this a lot when it first came put, but now it disappoints me - too much of it is unfocused and meandering. The earlier compilation "Anokha – Soundz of the Asian Underground" that Talvin Singh put out does stand the test of time however.

Got a lot of work done today with this running in the background, managed to keep me interested with the mix of styles and upbeat rhythms. Some songs become repetitive and a tad cloying, but for the most part I was able to zone out and let the music wash over me.

Ethereal sounding, lits of layers, almost too much at times but interesting

Definitely a different sound then I’m used to but was into a couple tracks. Not my style, but not bad.

Didn't hate it but it was a one and done.

Skemmtileg og áhugaverð tónlist, mun pottþétt hlusta á meira frá Talvin Singh.

Interesting, don't really love it tho

interesting

This was mega-hyped on it's release. I was underwhelmed when I got it. I may have been a drop too harsh on my initial review. There is too much ambient music for me and the tracks go on a bit too long. Elements are interesting, but the songs don't seem to gel.

Another drum&bass album? I'm game! I enjoyed this one, but it's certainly not up there with Goldie and Roni Size. This has some lovely Indian sounds which I guess expanded the range of the 1990s electronic scene. The strings and vocals cohere well with the beats. But it ends up a little samey across the record, and it is definitely on the lounge/chillout end of the electronic spectrum. 3*

Really enjoyed this album. Very electronic with Asian influences. Feels like it was ahead of it's time, both sounding new age but also feeling stuck in the 90's.

Very interesting vibe. Love the traditional Indian instruments and sounds, and the sort of techno/trance update is pretty cool. I think I’d prefer some more traditional stuff, but I also think there’s some Ravi Shankar on this list so I’ll look forward to that. This was good though! Very chill. Favorite tracks: Traveller, Butterfly, Light. Album art: Not a whole lot going on here, but I guess enough to indicate the two styles that are blended together. Very forgettable cover. 3.5/5

OK.

Cool. I’m always for unique fusions of styles

Well travelled world beats, with Indian and Japanese influences.

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.

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.

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.

Modern instrumental, mostly ambient world music. I kinda like this, even though it contains some filler material. All in all 3/5.

Electrónica tranquila, fusión con música india. Más movida y entretenida que el ambient, aunque tiene periodos bastante apagados, pero no siento que sea música para bailar. Muy lounge. Lo podría poner de nuevo para trabajar y no ponerle atención. De lo que más me puede gustar de electrónica.

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

OK

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

Love indian classical instruments.

Pretty neat. Little lollygagging going on, but lotsa cool ideas

Interesting as a sound but nothing spectacular.

Very different but I like it though.

This sounds like the background music in every '90s upscale hotel.

would give 3/5 Interesting mix,really unique rhythm

Interesting experimental world music.

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.

Quite peculiar, but necessary experiment. Primarily, I got to know with the phenomenon of Asian Underground.

Very much of its time, still quite fun 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"

It's rather beautiful to start off with.

Reminded me of my Indian friends in college.

Thought I was going to get right into this but just kinda didn't. It's still good though.

Some parts sound incredible, other parts sound monotonous or slightly weird/annoying

Best Okinawa-inspired tabla record I’ve ever listened to!

"Complain (ah) Complain (oh)" (Traveller)

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."

It was a little more than OK

K

Soft ambient. Quite nice

Not really my cup of tea, ok as background noise, but didn't think much of it

3.2

An easy album to listen to in teh background. Very much of it's time

Some creativity but doesn't really hold up over time.

Slow start but much of it was enjoyable. Not really my style. Probably won't listen again.

Felt like it took the whole album to get going and then it stopped.

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.

I liked this. Different.

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!

Surprisingly relaxing and surprisingly doof at points. Sutrix was my highlight

Very light & ethereal sounding. Easy to get high to.

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

Not quite

Didn't find it very entertaining - neither over- nor underwhelmed.

Favorite track(s): Butterfly, Sutrix Without all the spoken word passages, this might've eked out another star.

Good ideas, not a great execution.

Review: This album was not good at all. I have no clue how this made it into the book. I understand that the sound may have been influential for the time and that the production is good but there is just so much stupid stuff that ruins the songs. This is the first album I have ever listened to where I did not add a single song to my playlist. Even the best song Traveller was good and then he decided to loop the beat for 30 more years before ending the song.

Indian Massive Attack was more than I could handle today. This late '90's international electronic never really did it for me. It sounds like music that would be in some 3D videogame or the credits of a bad movie from the era.

So incredibly boring. Songs long for the sake of being long. Very transy and airy, but not in a good way.

If I had a nickel for every middling turn-of-the-century electronica album I’ve gotten that fuses underground western dance music with traditional Indian samples and melodies, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice!

This won the Mercury Prize in 1999? Over, among other albums, Beth Orton’s Central Reservation? Oh dear. I wish there were more tabla and sitar—and less, erm, Windham Hill (which largely did it better). Mostly inoffensive. Nowhere near essential, however. 2.5?

I prefer the new Gorillaz album 2/5

An album that had totally passed me by. It's novel and not unpleasant, but once I'd heard a couple of tracks I'd got the idea more than enough. The shine really comes off as the album goes on, and it's not something I think I'll revisit. Maybe you had to be there!

First track is awful and not a great set up for the album. I can imagine this is the sort of music being listened to at a grubby festival on the outskirts of Bristol - not somewhere I would ever want to be. Butterfly and Sutrix, OK are okay but not good enough to justify the dullness of the rest of it

Never really got the hype with this (like MOST mercury winners I think), it's basically 2 good tracks ('Butterfly' is a true 5/5 banger) and then a load of nonsense after it. The drum programming is good but all the synths sound like they were made in Magix Music Maker (is that still a thing?). This isn't a hindsight thing either, btw, it sounded lame even at the time.

ehh 2

Väldigt unikt och ändå coolt men ser mig inte lyssna jättemycket på detta