Rakkatak / Small Pieces
Album: Small Pieces   Collection:World
Artist:Rakkatak   Added:Apr 2017
Label:Self-Release  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2017-05-04 Pull Date: 2017-07-06 Charts: Reggae/World
Week Ending: Jul 9 Jul 2 Jun 25 Jun 18 Jun 4 May 28 May 21 May 14
Airplays: 1 2 1 1 2 3 3 2

Recent Airplay
1. Mar 14, 2022: At the Cafe Bohemian (rebroadcast from Jun 14, 2017)
Heliosphere
4. Jul 13, 2017: Melange
Thoughts Of You
2. Feb 11, 2022: At the Cafe Bohemian (rebroadcast from May 10, 2017)
Medley Feat. Norwegian Wood
5. Jul 05, 2017: At the Cafe Bohemian
Medley Feat. Norwegian Wood
3. Mar 01, 2018: Melange
Medley Feat. Norwegian Wood
6. Jul 01, 2017: Music Casserole
Eesha's Song

Album Review
Margy Kahn
Reviewed 2017-04-30
Rakkatak is a group of young Canadian musicians spearheaded by tabla player Anita Katakkar who play a mixture of classical Indian and electronica. Bassist Oriana Barbato and sitarist Rex Van der Spuy add to the mix. The rhythms and modes are grounded in classical Indian music with a pop music aesthetic. World fusion at its best.

NO FCC's; Favorite tracks 1, 2, 6, 7

*1- Medley Feat. Norwegian Wood – 4:55 – modal template for Beatles song starts; very clean almost crisp sounding acoustics-- lovely embedding of actual tune; contapuntal tunes going on around and under it

*2- Dreaming – 4:58 –shimmering santur plus dreamy sounding voice

3- Heliosphere – 4:46 – skillful sitar; airy but with a drumbeat

4—YYZ – 5:21-- cover of Rush's YYZ; harder driving rhythm; segues into edginess

5- Eesha's Song – 5:13 – fast tabla with sitar and violin; dense tapestry of sound; rhythm segues western two thirds of the way through

*6 – Rain After the Fire – 7:06 – a soundscape of rain falling on charred ground; slowly at first and then picking up speed; santour adds urgency; drum sounds speed toward end with glimmers of glockenspiel

**7 – Thoughts of You – 5:18 – opens with Indian-style vocalizing over bass chords and switches to English lyrics; lushly sensual hymn to Lord Krishna

8 – Riffing on 9 –3:48 – electronic beat and synth; early Katakkar work

Track Listing
1. Medley Feat. Norwegian Wood   5. Eesha's Song
2. Dreaming   6. Rain After The Fire
3. Heliosphere   7. Thoughts Of You
4. Yyz   8. Riffing On 9