This album is one of the newest in a string of world music releases from the Mondo Melodia label. This group is Pakistani, but the music is characteristic of the other acts on Mondo Melodia in that it mixes a whole lot of different sounds. Though a couple of the tracks are pretty adventurous, I felt most could have been much more interesting. The first song, for example, does a cool thing at the beginning with vocal samples, record scratching, and Middle Eastern instruments. Others, however, sound sort of new-agey and very dull. Take your pick. They¡¦re mostly pleasant songs.
1. Mixes traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation with Urdu vocals and even some cool record scratching. Tres cool!
2. Starts off with a cool old school rap DJ scratching. Joined by funky bass and then the Urdu vocals.
3. Has a little bit of an easy-listening feel. This is the price to pay for having the former manager of the Police produce your record.
4. Similar sound to number 3.
5. More traditional sound with violins in the background and chant-y sounding vocals. Has a more Middle Eastern sound than Pakistani or Indian.
6. This one builds up really slowly. Has a stormy sort of feel and mixes electronic sounds and a country-ish sounding cow bell. Pretty interesting.
7. Nothing really to say here. Pretty similar to the other stuff on the album.
8. Heavy percussion-driven tune with intermittent vocals. Shifts paces a number of times throughout.
9. Sort of sounds like a club tune. Heavy bass with vocals layered over. Very techno.
10. This sounds the most like traditional Pakistani or Indian pop music.
11. Another really danceable song.
12. Female vocals over really deep drums and percussion.
13. Kinda new-agey. However, it does maintain more of a traditional South Asian musical sounds than any of the other tracks.