Search - Various Artists :: Rough Guide to Indian Lounge

Better Than Buddha Bar

Zekeriyah | Chicago, IL | 07/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Over the years, World Music Network has released several compilations focusing on South Asian music, ranging from classical Hindustani music to Sufi Qawwali from Pakistan to hard rocking bhangra. In recent years, there has also been an explosion of Indian-themed electronica, remixes of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and 'exotic' eastern lounge music. What makes this particular release different from anyone else with a sitar in one hand a synthesizer in the other? Well for one, the selections on this album are outstanding!



Of course, some of the old, familiar faces from the 'Asian Underground' are here - Apache Indian, Niraj Chag, even a cool new track from Bally Sagoo (featuring Indian American singer Gunjan). But there are so many new faces included here too. Big names like the Bombay Dub Orchestra and Calcutta guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya should be familiar to anyone who has been following Asian music these days. And there are also contributions from New Age composed James Asher and classical Hindustani singer Ajoy Chakrabarty. But what really sold me were the artists I hadn't heard of... I was particularly impressed the light Pakistani pop of Atif, the hypnotic ambiance of Tribali, and the haunting voices of both Lopa and singer/actress Karen David.



Over all, this is quite and outstanding CD. While it may not serve as an essential history of cross-cultural fusion from the Indian subcontinent, it certainly is good listening, and even introduced me to several artists I was not aware of. Definitely worth adding to your collection, especially if you want to impress your friends by keeping up on the latest, Indian-themed releases. Welcome to the Asian Underground."

A mixed bag

Dale Dimelo | Seattle, WA | 04/04/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This seems to be less of a Rough Guide to Indian lounge music than just a collection of music. "Lounge," of course, could mean anything, and this compilation includes a bit of everything, with staggering variety. It starts out with a westerner making Indian music (James Asher, who blends dozens of Indian instruments into an enchanting mix) and ends with someone of Indian descent making western music (Karen David, whose totally non-Indian western pop is a letdown and seems incrediabally out of place.) In between there are lots of enchanting songs. The Pakistani pop of Atif, for example, and the incrediabally compelling Apache Indian, who fuses reggae and bhangra in "Om Namah Shivaya," a song about spirituality and meaning in today's world. Though there's no real bhangra music on this compilation, bhangra producer Bally Sagoo interprets a famous Bollywood song, adding modern beats. There's also, much to the credit of this compilation, a Hindustani classical vocal piece by AJOY CHAKRABARTY. There are a few great instrumental pieces, like DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA's Indian slide guitar which leans toward the classical but in a modern way, Tribali from Malta who explore the sitar, and an intimidating Asian Underground song from SONOROUS STAR, which layers beats over a sitar loop.



All in all, it's a compilation worth having. Almost none of what's here is pure Indian music - it was produced to mark the anniversary of India's independence, and as a lounge album, it explores collabarations between Indian and western music. Not all of the songs are great, but that's a side-effect of having such a wide variety of songs that appeal to a wide variety of tastes. Another slightly irritating thing is that the album is very short - they could have fit more music. But it's still, all in all, a worthwhile album."