Originally released in 2000 on Sub Rosa, 2007 reissue. Another India project Bill Laswell classic featuring esteemed collaborative musicians. Lo. Def Pressure is a no-nonsense, take-noprisoners invitation to cyber-ethnic a... more »nthems, devoted to jungle beats and other hard-kicking fusions from New York to New Delhi, Kingston to London. This is a virtual trip through space and time: fasten your seat belt. Artists include: Bill Laswell (bass, keyboard, beats, sounds); Kadri Sriram, Arif Singh & Hassan Akber Ali (additional music, elements and sounds); Zakir Hussain & Badal Roy (tabla matrix, rhythm elements).« less
Originally released in 2000 on Sub Rosa, 2007 reissue. Another India project Bill Laswell classic featuring esteemed collaborative musicians. Lo. Def Pressure is a no-nonsense, take-noprisoners invitation to cyber-ethnic anthems, devoted to jungle beats and other hard-kicking fusions from New York to New Delhi, Kingston to London. This is a virtual trip through space and time: fasten your seat belt. Artists include: Bill Laswell (bass, keyboard, beats, sounds); Kadri Sriram, Arif Singh & Hassan Akber Ali (additional music, elements and sounds); Zakir Hussain & Badal Roy (tabla matrix, rhythm elements).
CD Reviews
Bill Laswell does it with panache
foxdancing@aol.com | Scotland | 08/25/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Continuing a fascination with Acid-Jazzed-up Indian music, there's some microtonal work here. A lot of the music here is in western key signatures but it's been shifted off a bit to make the whole thing really feel different. "Lo Def Pressure comprises" just two very long tracks it lets you get into a really deep trance in much the same way as DJ Cheb I Sabbah's "Sri Durga" and The Saafi Brothers' "Mystic Cigarettes" the world you are in, but as you follow Laswell into his world of Indian markets and alleyways with goodness-knows-what going on in them, you start to unlearn a lot about time and key signatures and reapply it to his crossover world of Indian and Western music. Its not really world music, its not really electronic or dance or even techno either, more a good mix of the lot. Pass me a blender someone.tf"
Ambient asian drum&bass jazzy dub
Chris Meyer | Los Angeles, CA USA | 01/29/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Given the description of "tabla meets drums&bass", I was expecting a furious teeth-chattering high-speed workout. Instead, the result is two long, flowing, ambient dub inspired pieces with jazzy elements (guitar, electric piano) that faintly remind me a little of cooler-but-electric period Miles Davis. Yes, tabla, D&B style grooves, non-English voices and Laswell's spare bass are here as well, but I think you'll find the end result more relaxing than you expected. Currently one of my favorite Laswell as well as Asian Massive-inspired albums."
Take a chance
Chris Meyer | 08/02/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Beautiful mix of drum and bass and Indian classical music. If you like Tabla Beat Science you'll probably like this one."
Smooth stuff, relaxing
eric | 09/19/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"smooth stuff... relaxing... more drum and bass than indian, but with the sitar and tabla in there. if you wanted to slide more on the scale towards more of an indian music sound, but still with the mix/electronic aspect, I recommend dj cheb i sabbah ... glad that I own both."
Track Listings (2) - Disc #1