Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25241
a The music of India has long capt ivated humanity. Ravi Shankar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Zakir Hussain-to name a very few-have served as ambassadors of t raditional Indian music, spreading their auditory scripture to global audiences. Originally art forms reserved fo r ceremony and soul-searching, this music is consistently appearing within the modern ritual of our dance floors (and yoga classes). The pulsing beat, roving bass and trance-inducing rhythms unite thou- sands in elevated ecstasy. Living in a digital culture, our music reflects our evolution; decidedly animated, generated by machines created by human hands. Today, as our culture grooves to the beat, numerous musicians are exploring the limitless fusion of South Asian electronica. This is a look at who's breaking ground with these innovative excursions. I a • • TEXT: DEREK BERES C R 1> CHEB I SABBAH Krishna Lila (Six Degrees) Few people can accomplish the utter simplicity and grandiose beauty OJ Cheb I Sabbah captures with Krishna Lila. For the third in his tri logy exploring the fusion of India and electronics, he stripped sound to its barest essentials, literally pulling the soul f rom its roots. Connecting not only east to west but north to south- five tracks dedicated to Hindustani and four to Carnat ic- Sabbah chose various bhajans to fuel this collection. A plethora of musical scholarship, features among ot hers brothers K. Sridhar and K. Shivakumar as Krisha Lila's enduring beauty transcends restrict ion of time and space with lucid bril- liance. From the haunting vocalism of "Narajanma Bandage" to the thumri "Tum Bin Shyam," a wor ld of tablas, violins, and sarods float above throbbing beats and down-tempo rhythms. A new blueprint of musicality is born , Sabbah sketching notes with precision. 2> TABLA BEAT SCIENCE Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove (AxiomJPalm) It would seem impossible to assemble such a historic crew, but bassist and producer Bill Laswell accom- plished just this in 2000 when Tabla Beat Science released Tala Matrix. Comprised of India's foremost classical instrumentalists-tabla player Zakir Hussain and sarangi player Ustad Sultan Khan-along with Karsh Kale, OJ Di sk, The MIDI val PunditZ, Gigi and Fabian Alsultany, t his li ve SF show f rom 2001 takes thei r studio work a giant leap beyond. Two CDs rewrite custom as representatives of India, Ethiopia and America create innovative sounds for the millennial culture to groove along with. When the opening "Taaruf"-a sixteen-minute travel through classical Indian t radit ion- bursts into "Sacred Char-nel," a new paradigm was born, disparate elements of musical definition merging as one consoli- dated form. In one night the history of the world took place; fortunately we can listen in. 3> KRISHNA DAS Breath of the Heart (Karuna) A purely organic release, Krishna Das's 1998 Pilgrim Heart tastefully fused backbeat electronics with devotional chants. Tu rning back to t radi t ional kirtan, Breath of the Heart marks three decad es of chant i- ng with roots in early pilgrimages to India. Now a tour de fo rce on the yoga circuit (play ing sold-out ce n- ters worldwide), he continually exposes the power of this ancient art form to western audiences as the repetition of names or phrases invokes camaraderie between singer and cosmos. Produced by Rick Rubin, Breath of the Heart features six standout tracks, including the swinging "Baba Hanuman" and "Kainchi Hare Krishna," the latter starting slowly and exploding with buoyant gravity. Using an instru- mental base of harmonium, tablas, and various woodwinds and percussion, Krishna's experience is best live, captured brilliantly here on record . 4> KARSH KALE Redesign: Realize Remixed (Six Degrees) By now a classic in South Asian elect ronica, 2001'S Realize set a standard in how tablas and electronica meet on common ground. Redesign: Realize Remixed sees Kale's creation morphed by the hands (and ears) of a variety of DJ s and producers, each masterfully crafting th eir takes on his thumping dance-floor fusion. Ming and FS reformulate "Saajana" deep and dissonant with driving drum-and-bass, while OJ Spooky conjures his usual mayhem on "One Step Beyond." Realize's power lies in the blending of soft acoustics and angelic vocals existing wit hin hard rhythms and harder bass lines; musicians like The MIDIval PunditZ, Banco de Gaia, and Bill Laswell craft "Home," "Distance," and "Empty Hands" with meticulous care. As tabla player, Kale represents the future of rhythm; as OJ. a roving minstrel with hands on the cosmic pulse. Kale has laid a bright destiny before him; Redesign is proof posit ive of the lasting power of his genius. 72