CD Review: Stevin McNamara's 'Shakti Guitar'

Stevin McNamara
Shakti Guitar
White Swan Records

Stevin McNamara's latest foray into meditational bliss on Shakti Guitar adds a beautiful serenity to soul-soaked compositions ripe with engaging melodies and soothing rhythms. Stevin's contemplative guitar stylings are accompanied by drums, gongs, bells, bass, Bansuri flute, sarod, tabla, acoustic bass, tamboura, frame drum, and other percussive instruments. The sweeping sounds are very fulfilling and addictive. There are even a few vocals (thanks to Sheela Bringi), but the majority of songs are instrumental. Stevin's nylon guitar strums and plucks project listeners into a trance-induced coma of a higher consciousness. The light sounds are more akin to new age constructions or even film soundtracks. The spacious sounds and heavenly ambiance attract listeners with entrancing elements and shape-shifting progressions that never disappoint. If you want to do yoga, sleep, relax, chill, or think at a higher level, then Stevin McNamara will get your shakti's aligned with this one! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Marti Nikko & DJ Drez's 'Dreaming In Sanskrit'

Marti Nikko & DJ Drez
Dreaming In Sanskrit
Black Swan Records

Blissful, electronic, and yoga-inspired, Dreaming In Sanskrit is the debut work of husband and wife duo, Marti Nikko and DJ Drez. The thirteen tracks are soaked with lush dub melodies, sitar-sizzling riffs, and down-tempo beats that cannot be ignored. Marti and DJ Drez are accompanied by Bansuri flute, cello, bass, sax, chinese flute, piano, flute, and tabla. The repeated Sanskrit mantras are very soothing and rhythmic, while backed by symphonic sounds and ambulating beats. There are even Arabic sounds on a few tracks, but the most prevalent influence is modern mantra and yoga-inspired music with lengthy melodies and electronic wizardry that is not too overt. Fans of yoga, meditation, down-tempo, groove-laden, and world fusion music will love. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Manika Kaur's 'I Bow To You Waheguru'

Manika Kaur
I Bow To You Waheguru
United Sound

The supercharged beats of kirtan dance music are reduced here to cinematic and serene morsels of cosmic and spiritual beauty that are best categorized as new age and world music fusion. Manika Kaur's Australian and United Arab Emirates roots bring a spirited mix to the music that is inherently Sikhism with strings, light percussion, and sweeping arrangements. Manika's sweet and light vocals are a perfect addition to the music foundation. This is the first album I've observed with a cinematic appeal to kirtan music. The result is an album of seven awe-inspiring tunes that bring to light Indian, neo-classical, South Asian, and European musical arrangements in a calm and engaging package. Fans of vocal music, kirtan, Indian music, and new age tunes will love Manika Kaur's latest offering. It's guilt-free and blissful.  ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Simo Lagnawi's 'The Gnawa Berber'

Simo Lagnawi
The Gnawa Berber
Riverboat Records/World Music Network

Based in the U.K., but inspired his Moroccan-Berber origins, Simo Lagnawi presents us with an exciting and entrancing album of a dozen songs that successfully and faithfully adheres to North African gnawa traditions. There is some improvisation of sorts, which cover Saharan folk songs and ceremonial compositions. All of the songs are diverse and feature the guimbri -- a plucked lute that is native to North Africa. The authentic and tribal sound of the guimbri is haunting and natural with vocals, flute, fiddle, and banjo accompaniment in spots. Hassan Hakmoun fans will find some similarities, but the music is not electronic or rock-oriented. This is for fans seeking unadulterated gnawan trance music. Find your inner gnawa today! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Sonido Gallo Negro's 'Sendero Mistico'

Sonido Gallo Negro
Sendero Mistico
Glitterbeat

Mexico's engaging and psych-inducing ensemble, Sonido Gallo Negro, brings the sounds of the 1970's alive with cumbia-infused beats, boogaloo, chicha, huayno, and other styles in an action-packed, Farfisa organ-soaked delight of musical exploration in a contemporary context. The mostly instrumental tunes are littered with psych references that contain electric guitars, flowing rhythms, indigenous percussion, and electronic samples. The head-bobbing music is ripe with cumiba sounds and instrumental riffs that strike the soul with such a powerful chord that nothing is impossible for these guys. This is psych-funk music at its best. Fans of Turkey's Hayvanlar Alemi will find similarities with Sonido's music. Overall, Sendero Mistico is a wild journey with danceable rhythms and great melodies that transcend a defined description. However, everyone will find happiness in the tunes of Sonido Gallo Negro. Get your psych-on today! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Various Artists' 'Bombay Disco'

Various Artists
Bombay Disco
Cultures of Soul

Bombay Disco celebrates the 1970's disco-inspired music of India's Bollywood scene, along with North American influences that shimmer with notions of dance, cinematic instrumentals, and infectious rhythms. There are thirteen different tunes on the album attributed to about a half-dozen artists. You will hear Usha Uthup, Bappi Lahiri, Kishore Kumar, Amit Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, and Salma Agha. The music is steeped in filmic constructions with strings, synth, drums, and a frolicking bass. The music is suspenseful and danceable. Bad is not one of the words to describe the album. Instead, astounding and memorable come to mind. Anyone familiar with suspense, spy, and thriller films of India's Bollywood past will love the music on Bombay Disco. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Hassan Hakmoun's 'Unity'

Hassan Hakmoun
Unity
Healing Records

Based in Brooklyn, NY and born in Morocco, Gnawa musician and sintir player, Hassan Hakmoun, brings us an energetic release steeped in cultural brilliance and trance-inducing beats. The instrumental arrangements of "Balili" are nothing short of a miracle. The opener, "Zidokan," is a gritty, steady beat of a song. The rock elements of "Hamadiyi" showcase a more rock instrumental medley without squealing guitars. However, the instrumentation is rather alternative and grunge-like in a world fusion sort of manner. Anyone familiar with gnawa music will recognize the sintir instrument, but the musical melodies also give it away. This is also the most cohesive album to date. Consequently, the beats are tight, memorable, and full of organic, soul-stirring, trance-inductive qualities that stick with the listener long after the tracks end. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Elements Of Life's 2-CD 'Eclipse'

Elements Of Life
Eclipse [2 CD]
Fania Records

Spearheaded by Louie Vega, Eclipse is a 2-CD set of songs that traverse the worlds of jazz, latin, R&B, gospel, soul, Afro-Latin, Caribbean, Afro-beat, and blues music. The second album contains remixes of classic Fania songs as an homage to the record label. There are a variety of guest artists on the first album, including Urusula Rucker, Nina Rodriguez, Josh Milan, Anane & Lisa Fischer, and Cindy Mizelle. There are electronic, trance, dance, jazz, and down-tempo grooves with classic sounds of from the 1960s or 70s. There is plenty of edgy percussion, guitar-work, and brass sounds. Fans of Brazilian, jazz, Afro-beat, and world fusion will love the sounds of Eclipse. For excellent poetry, smooth rhythms, and catchy hooks, Elements Of Life is where it's at. ~ Matthew Forss

CD/LP Review: Various Artists' 'Diablos Del Ritmo' 2-CD/2-LP Set

Various Artists
Diablos Del Ritmo
Analog Africa

Analog Africa's latest release, Diablos Del Ritmo, is a 2-CD or 2-LP set of historic African-tinged Colombian music. Part 1 contains mainly afro-beat, funk, terapia, and palenque music, while Part 2 contains more specific, traditional styles, including porro, gaita, puya, cumbiamba, mapale, and chande. The music is taken from 1960-1985. This is a historic set of songs with numerous artists contributing, including Wganda Kenya, Grupo Abharca, Abelardo Carbono, Andres Landero, Cumbia Soledena, Conjunto Son San, and many others. The music is highly danceable, trance-inducing, and psychedelic. The Latin and African funk sounds are memorable, addictive, and a pleasure to experience with each listen. The thirty-two tracks come alive with a deep cultural significance regarding Colombian music as a whole. The CD and LP set comes with a 60-page booklet with 40 old photographs and 24 interviews. Anyone with a sincere interest in Colombian, Afro-Caribbean, and Latin music should check out this compilation. ~ Matthew Forss

Song Review: Miss Diamond DJ's "Voodoo Girl"

Miss Diamond DJ
"Voodoo Girl"

"Voodoo Girl" opens with a heavy, static-driven, but distant tone, that blends well with the electrified, male voice after a bass slide. A wash of colorful electronics signify the beginning of the pulsating dance beat that blends the club sound of Ace of Base with the trance-driven music of Madonna's early work. The laser-like, pulsations contain both male and female vocals that are interspersed with successions of dance beats with all the fancy blips, blurbs, and electronic embellishments that are part of any superstar DJ repertoire. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Miss Diamond DJ raises the bar higher than the Alps with a balanced mix of club, house, trance, techno, and party elements. The end of the song contains an ambient wash of cascading sounds with a quick, but fluid conclusion. "Voodoo Girl" is not about being cheesy or too flashy. Instead, Miss Diamond DJ astounds listeners with her uncanny ability to create a simple tune and make it stand out. If you are seeking electronica with a dance element, then "Voodoo Girl" is for you. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Shubhraji's 'Chants For Healing'

Shubhraji

Chants For Healing

Namah Inc.

Shubhraji's meditative, Sanskrit vocals lead the twenty-seven songs on Chants For Healing. As a devoted disciple of Swami Chinmayananda, Shubhraji is classically trained in Vedanta philosophy for the past twenty-plus years. All of the tracks feature Shubhraji on vocals and Rafiq Khan, from the Kalavant Center for Music and Dance, on sarangi. The instrumental drones and Shubhraji's trance-induced vocal delivery make it very easy to understand the lyrics and follow along in the liner notes, as all songs contain either Sanskrit and/or English translations. Interestingly, the songs play as one long, continuous song, even though there are twenty-seven songs listed on the back insert. The fairly, crystal-clear, yet slightly aged voice of Shubhraji is an inviting sound that transcends borders and cultural lineages. Put on some incense and bring out the yoga mat for a journey from within. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Tarun Nayar's '22 Degrees of Beatitude'

Tarun Nayar

22 Degrees of Beatitude

Chaiwalla's Boombox

Vancouver-based DJ/producer and electronica wizard, Tarun Nayar, is a global pioneer of Indian fusion and dance music. 22 Degrees of Beatitude is an album of lighter dance music and electronica that veers away from heart-pumping, dub-thumping sounds. Tarun's other work as a tabla and electronics guru with the Delhi 2 Dublin group certainly shaped and beautified his current release. The songs are mostly instrumental with little vocal accompaniment, except on "Innocence", "Kezang La", and "Mamaji". Taking the lighter side of dance music, Tarun shines with trippy, trance-inducing compositions without fatigued results. With titles as diverse as "Kezang La", "808s and Sheikh Sarai", and "Mamaji", the album is bound to be an intriguing journey through the aural sounds of the world. In fact, the double-pronunciation of 'beatitude' and 'beat-itude' still means utter bliss or happiness. Tarun Nayar is sure to conjure up loads of happiness wherever his tunes are played and performed. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Master Musicians of Jajouka

The Master Musicians of Jajouka

The Source

Maquis

Named after a village in Northern Morocco, the Master Musicians of Jajouka is led by Bachir Attar on ghaita, lira flute, quimbri, and vocals. The long introductory track, "Habibi Tsitini", is a guimbri (lute) anthem with violin, drums, and some vocals. The calming flute and drums of "Hanging Out In Jajouka" reflect the lighter musical side of The Source. After twenty-some years of music-making and collaborations, Bachir Attar returns to 'the source' of his musical roots by recording the album in his home. The spiritual and ritual music of Jajouka is rich in Sufi musical traditions that provide curative or healing properties through music. The mostly instrumental approach to 'Jajouka music' involves a rhythmic, traditional beat without modern arrangements, albeit interruptions. Jajouka means 'something good is coming to you'. In this case, 'something good' is Bachir Attar's Master Musicians of Jajouka. Trance on over to your favorite record store this holiday season and buy it. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Reviews: The Music of Sussan Deyhim

The Ethereal Music of Digital Diva - Sussan Deyhim

Born in Iran and current resident of New York City, Sussan Deyhim is the 'Digital Diva' of experimental/avant-garde music. Her innovative musical creations emanates from a varied background in multiple creative disciplines, including ballet, theatre, dance, and music technology. The music transcends description, but incorporates trip-hop, ambient, atmospheric, and traditional sounds and instrumentation. The result is a mixture of classic mysticism and contemporary arrangements. Her own record label, Venus Rising Records, features 5 of her albums for sale.

Out of Faze

Sussan's vocals provide a perfect balance between electronic beats and trip-hop elements. The music is more organic than somewhat similar groups Waldeck, Hooverphonic, and Morcheeba. Of course, there are ethnic elements which should solidify Out of Faze as a major player in the world of contemporary world/electronic music. Every track is solid. 10 tracks included. Remixes are included by Bill Laswell. Jah Wobble is also featured.

Soliloquy

Sussan's vocals take a backseat in this release. Instead, the ethereal sounds of electronic music and mysterious vocalizations amid a ghostly ambiance pervade the album's musical backbone. Soliloquy is a collaboration with visualist and filmmaker, Shirin Neshat. This release is ideal for fans of experimental world chant. Sussan does not disappoint on any track. 16 tracks included.

Logic of the Birds

A mixture of classical Arabic and modern electronic soundscapes meld together with Sussan's cascading vocal abilities. Other vocals provide accompaniment with the musical rhythms, though this is primarily an instrumental effort. Sussan's musical ingenuity is prevalent on every track. This release echoes back to early-Tangerine Dream's music. It's contemplative, serene, engaging, and mesmerizing. The Logic of the Birds makes very much sense to me. 13 tracks in all.

Trouble Man

This is an ode to the funkier songs of the late 1960's and 1970's. The title is taken from Marvin Gaye's 1972 song of the same name. Sussan adds her own take on three classics. The other two songs are 'While You're On Your Way' by Tim Hardin and 'Right Wrong Or Ready' by Major Wiley. Sussan's soulful and sultry side is showcased on this recording. This is potentially the most musically-structured of her albums, because they are covers, but Sussan makes the songs all hers. 3 tracks in all.

Possessed

The opening track is uniquely Sussan, as it features dramatic sounds and electronic waves of musical energy seemingly fitting as a soundtrack to the outer planets. Yet, it is created on and for planet Earth. If you like Enigma without drumbeats and native vocals, then this is the album for you. If you liked Sussan's Soliloquy, then pick up Possessed, too. As with Sussan's other releases, Possessed takes the listener on a transcendental journey to the outer reaches of reality. 5 tracks in all.

All reviews by Matthew Forss.

CD Review: Melvin Gibbs' Elevated Entity

Melvin Gibbs' Elevated Entity
Ancients Speak
Live Wired Music

Bassist Melvin Gibbs explores the transnational connections between the heart of New York City, Brazil, Cuba, Caribbean, and West Africa in song and rhythm. Scheduled for release on March 17, 2009, Ancients Speak is a title that inspires a close association with today and the past. In fact, Melvin covers modern trance and trip-hop beats with sporadic rap verses. At any rate, this album is deeply cross-cultural and echoes the beginnings of humankind as a unified collective. That is the main thrust of this album. Additionally, some of the electronic elements resemble music by the group, The Dining Rooms, even though Ancients Speak contains more diverse percussion and faster rhythms. Overall, the nature of the music should strike a chord with the urban aficionado and others with an affinity for dance, techno, hip-hop, and Afro-funk. ~ Matthew Forss