Various - Talvin Singh Presents Anokha

Talvin Singh Presents... is not simply any old compilation album. He both writes, plays and produces on several of the tracks, and the album’s diversity stems from the fact that this has been compiled only under the heading Asian Underground. Anokha is the club night that has become synonymous with its originator, Talvin Singh, at the controls. Held monthly at the Blue Note in Hoxton Square (north east London, for those who have somehow foregone visiting this top-class establishment) it has become a night integrating all the very best of the so-called ‘Asian Underground’ sounds with his own crew the Future Soundz of India. From cutting-edge Asian flavoured drum’n’bass (or should that be tabla’n’bass?) to drawn out Hindi soundtrack-style soul, both the club and the album are setting the audio-backdrop for late nineties Londoners and Asians nationwide.

The album itself is generally a laid-back affair chopped up with a few tracks featuring some seriously heavy breakbeat technology. The opening track itself, ‘Jaan’ by Mr Singh and featuring Amar, is Asian Soul of the highest order; this is most definitely not swing, but real soulfulness for the 21st century. The second track ‘Flight IC408’ by State of Bengal, is an introduction to your tour around the musical influences of the Asian continent, taking on board the attitudes of Asian youth in London today. The scenes then change almost as rapidly as the tabla beats are mixed up, bringing the likes of Osmani Sounds and Lelonek into play. The Lelonek track ‘Kizmet’ really makes this album for me - tuff Asian drum’n’bass burned up with real venom like no other. If you really want new soundz for your poundz, let the new Asian Underground take you down with it.(7) Jame