Arora, Kush – Bhang Ragga: Dancehall Bhangra in Future Dub (Kush Arora)
Reviewed by Sadie O., 3/6/06
San Francisco based electronica/experimental fusion with a bit of Bhangra/dub. Really more electronica than World. Vocalists and instrumentatlists from Jamaica, the Punjab, Antigua, and many Indian musicians. Label info says you can file it under Bhangra or Dancehall, but they must be on crack. They also didn’t catch two extremely clear “Fucks” on track 7…. I’ve burned a clean version (notes refer to original), not because I like it much but because cleaning is kinda fun.
This gave me a headache. Some of you will LOVE it.
Tracks 5 and 8 and 14 are pretty nice, 1 and 7 and 12 are ok.
1. *FCC – Fuck at 3:35. Starts with random talking for a few seconds, then sort of midtempo laid-back reggae beat with Indian drums and instruments, as well as some electronica. Ends many seconds short.
2. FCC – Fuck at 0.20. starts out with talking and naughty noises. Random Jamaican talking with rather subdued beats and bits of flute/dhol. Definitely more experimental than Bhangra or dub.
3. starts with tabla, some Jamaican talking, random noises, and bits of Bhangra floating around, remains mostly tabla and other percussion, phone noises.
4. starts with random soft noises for several seconds, bloops, then vocals and random musical bits. Nice toasted vocals and drums very gradually form into a song about being busted for weed.
5. **various tough noises and odd vocals along with pretty Punjabi singing. Mostly electronica, but a cool midtempo dance beat. A bit panic-inducing. Lion roaring then random quiet noises for last half a minute, near silence for last 10 seconds.
6. glitchy Santoor (Indian dulcimer) and drums/percussion/ electronica, keyboards. There’s a beat, but not to dance to.
7. *FCCs – Fucks. a bloop, and then actual Bhangra dhol/tabla drumming, but it comes and goes (mostly goes). Angry Jamaican yelling. Very glitchy, almost silent last 15 seconds.
8. **very downtempo and soft bhangra beat with nice Indian singing (sort of Bollywood/qawwal). Mellow, trance-y. some pretty guitar. Only really “World” track on the CD. Silence with a couple of boops for the last 10 seconds.
9. random playground (?) noises, then electronica. Kind of nice beat, assembled from found noises rather than human hands. Rough Jamaican yelling. (Jamaican FCC – Bloodclot), ends with a lot of bleeps and silence.
10. dramatic keyboards and random dhol, gradually merging with electronica to make sort of a beat. Interesting noises. No vocals.
11. electronica, angry Jamaican yelling, very random. Very angry. ARG!!! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!
12. *water running, random noises. Turns into something like fast dance music about a minute along. Slight Bhangra sounds. Thick randomosity for last minute or so, LONG fade.
13. FCC – ass at 1:23. glitch and random, bits of Indian singing. Occasional moments of near-musicality – singing is nice. Kind of violent-sounding electronic noises.
14. FCC – Shit at 1:44. **random sounds, then Bhangra beat and instrumentation and angry Jamaican yelling. Actually ends at 2:50.