Saturday, January 23, 2021

Day 0875 - OK

Talvin Singh “OK” (1998)


For once I didn’t read the blurb in the book ahead of listening to this album.  At first, listening to opening track “Traveller” I thought it sounded like pretty straight-ahead trancey electronica… then the orchestral section kicked in and I was blown away.

Throughout, the music is adorned with tablas, chants, strings and sitars that evoke India, where Singh studied tabla.  Singh is apparently viewed as the godfather of the 'Asian Underground' subgenre of electronica, but being a bit of a Luddite in regards to that genre I was unaware of this.

Singh spent 2 years in India studying the tablas and had worked with artists including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bjork and Madonna.  So even if his own music wasn’t great (it is), his credentials are pretty solid.

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