Piyush Bhatnagar a.k.a The Sound Avtar, has some serious acceleration behind his career. We are constantly riddled with updates of his activities and of course aren’t the only one’s covering him. As a Producer and Remixer his work is addictive with bass heavy treatments that range from organic to destructive. We eagerly await his full album but in the meantime check out his recent work, especially his remix of ‘Bad Boy Bass’ and @ 1:44 its a one hell of a vibrating experience.
I literally walked right into Vikas Swarup’s novel Q&A at a bookstore in 2006. It was just the feel good story I was always looking for, a chaiwalla that goes from rags to riches. Its no surprise, that when the film Slumdog Millionaire was released in Fall 2008, theatres here in Winter WonderLand, Canada had line ups stretching outside the picture house for weeks and peaked around this time last year when Slumdog won 8 Academy Awards.
Garam Masala Rice Krispie are like nothing you have had before. The flavor is clearly dessert but more complex. So, why not play a game with guests and get them to guess whats in their Rice Krispies!
Buying whole spices and grinding them yourself is recommended. They are so much more powerful.
Dry roast all spices in a skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes. When cool, grind in a spice grinder or small processor of some sort. (I grated a little less than half the nutmeg on a microplane instead of putting it whole in the grinder.) This will make more garam masala than you will need for one batch of rice krispie treats, but it keeps well for some time in a sealed container in the pantry. I’m sure you’ll find other uses for it. (You can always go back and add more cumin, coriander and bay leaf to use in more savory dishes.)
In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle in about a teaspoon of the garam masala. Add cereal and stir until coated.
Evenly press mixture into nonstick 13 x 9 pan. Dust with more spice if desired. (I like the strong spice flavor, but some might want just a hint. You should sneak a taste at this point and decide for yourself.) Allow to cool, then cut and serve
Now how about another left field concept, called the
The Polish Version of Rage Against Machine Meets the Orient. Folk soaked dance tracks is the underlining sound by band founder Max Cegielski. Their musical philosophy is cultural differences should not be the source of conflict rather a basis for a fascinating musical dialog in the spirit of common joy.
On March 8th, Jaya will release her first single ” Dj Do It Again”, and it might just blow up. She has all the potential to appeal to the masses with her catchy rhythms and larger-than-life image. Jaya is the first British-Asian Female to be signed to a Major Record Label and if you thought Jay Sean was contagious and infiltrating, wait till this one gets started.
It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, the headlines will always read
CRISIS, TERROR, SCANDAL, ASSASSINATION ….though the media always misses the most important part of these unfortunate circumstances, the courage to overcome and the flowering of a new human consciousness . This new wave of higher thinking might be rare but the people who possess this state are purpose driven and believe the future of humanity lies not in territories and boundaries but in unity.
On the musical fore-front of this ‘flowering’ is the SuperSoul Connection out of Slovenia, made up of two membersRMD (producer, composer and musician) and Dhyan (MC and composer). It is a band with substance, whose aim is to spread a multicultural message of understanding; love, tolerance and peace, presented from a spiritual point of view. Their style is a mixture dub, hip-hop, breakbeat, eastern ethno, electronica and even rock. When all these styles are brought together by the Supersoul their message is powerful. Its know wonder they were on Oprah’s Website.
“Enlightment” is the word that comes to mind when I think of Deva Premal and her track “Hari Om Shiva Om”. Premal, a German born vocalist known for her new age Hindu mantras was remixed by Cheb i Sabbah in 2005 on a compilation titled “Journey to the inner east vol 2″. Sabbah and Premal together deliver a spiritual feeling that transcends time and this classic takes me on a pilgrimage every time I hear it.
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OM SHIVA OM by Deva Premal ( Cheb i Sabbah Desi Remix)
Born in Ludhiana, g-ta is an upcoming Producer from Dubai. Highly influenced by the artists like Panjabi MC, Tigerstyle, Specialist – Tru Skool, Sukshinder Shinda & Bally Sagoo he started making beats at the age of 16. Kuldeep Manak, Chamkila, Surinder Shinda, Gurdas Maan & Mohd. Saddiq were the singers he grew up listening to. Making beats was the all time fav hobby. Starting with simple beats to complex ones, g-ta Remixes have caught our attention.
Okay, so heres the scoop. These guys are called G-TOWN DESI and hail from Glasglow, Scotland. They cover everything from Breaks to Drum N Bass in their sound and man are they ever sick. Innovation in the bhangra industry is tough but once in awhile a group will get you dancing on a rainy day.
The snow is finally starting to melt and running season is back. If your wondering what these men have on their ipods while pushing that extra mile, its the SoundPipe Mix Session. Full of energy and tastefully put together this mix is recommended for those difficult uphill runs.
Mr. Ghulam Muhammad is a Pakistani/Kashmiri wrestler and the only wrestler in history who is undefeated. He has been billed as the greatest Pehlwani wrestler in history and this isn’t some folk tale. He’s destroyed European wrestlers within minutes including the great Stanislaus Zbyszko, who is the most influential European grappler of all-time. Muhammad thew Zbyszko down in 42 seconds. Lets not forget he is also the inspiration behind the character in Street Fighter EX ‘Darun Mister’.
Mr. Ghulam Muhammed is the inspiration behind todays ‘Disco Warrior’ track and no relation except warrior being in the title of the track
The Kalyan Disco Warrior EP was released in 2007 with four versions of this infectious dance floor smasher, it’s worthy to be in every DJ’s collection.
So today its about “My Lover Dances Before Me” but before I continue, I need you to experience how this song came about, the process, and the collaboration because this is very different.
CHECK THE VIDEO TO SEE AND HEAR WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT
Isn’t that just amazing, come on now “Punk Bhangra” that is such a cool concept and this youtube teaser is just the surface of whats to come once the full album is released, imagine everything from edgy punk bhangra to stylish love ballads. This is very special :)
Mayur of Bandish Projekt is one busy man, fresh off his first EP release Correkt, he is back in the studio and just reworked Badi Dheera off the movie ISHQIYA. The vocals in the track are absolutely wonderful and his electronic distortion is the perfect imbalance of culture
FREE DOWNLOAD (CLICK THE DOWN ARROW ON THE FAR RIGHT)
Its that dreaded weekend when all the social-able’s are off to over-rated dinners and prey to the mighty Hallmark and Carlton cards. We @ Chaiwallas Boombox are taking a different approach, we are giving away a tune. A funky mashed up love tune, to make you sing and dance the weekend away.
New York Fashion Week for Fall’10 is officially a go and Alexander McQueen will be dearly missed this year on the runway but isnt Fall like 7 months away ?
Yes, which is why we are posting an inspiring photo for this Spring, we call it “The Nonchalant Sartorialist”, he is a man who takes pride in the comfort linen offers and prefers paisley pocket squares and scarfs, rather then the restricting neck tie and belt. Its the new fifth avenue.
So what does New York Fashion Week and a photo of some dude on 5th AVE. have anything todo with it being Friday and you needing a music fix ?
Well how about some Frank Sinatra Bhangra by Jags Klimaxxx.
The first time I heard the voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was in Harlem, 1990. My roommate and I stood there, blasting it in his room. We were all awash in the thick undulating tide of dark punjabi tabla rhythyms, spiked with synchronized handclaps booming from above and below in hard, perfect time.
I heard the clarion call of harmoniums dancing the antique melody around like giant, singing wooden spiders. Then all of a sudden, the rising of one, then ten voices hovering over the tonic like a flock of geese ascending into formation across the sky.
Then came the voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Part Buddha, part demon, part mad angel…his voice is velvet fire, simply incomparable. Nusrat’s blending of classical improvisations to the art of Qawwali, combined with his out and out daredevil style and his sensitivity, outs him in a category all his own, above all others in his field.
His every enunciation went straight into me. I knew not one word of Urdu, and somehow it still hooked me into the story that he weaved with his wordless voice. I remember my senses fully froze in order to feel melody after melody crash upon each other in waves of improvisation; with each line being repeated by the men in the chorus, restated again by the main soloists, and then Nusrat setting the whole bloody thing alflame with his rapid-fire scatting, turning classical Indian Solfeggio (Sa, Re, Gha, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) into a chaotic/manic birdsong. The phrase burst into a climax somewhere, with Nusrat’s upper register painting a melody that made my heart long to fly. The piece went on for fifteen minutes. I ate my heart out. My roommate just looked at me knowingly, muttering, “Nusrat…Fa-teh…A-li…Khaaan,” like he had just scored the wine of the century. I felt a rush of adrenaline in my chest, like I was on the edge of a cliff, wondering when I would jump and how well the ocean would catch me: two questions that would never be answered until I experienced the first leap.
That is the sensation and the character of Qawwali music, the music of the Sufis, as best I can describe it.
-Jeff Buckley, New York, 1997
THE SONG THAT CHANGED JEFF’S LIFE IN HARLEM, 1990
After hearing his first Qawwali in 1990, Jeff executes his first cover of “Yeh Jo Halke Halke” in 1993, just 3 years after discovering this art and having no formal training, let alone unable to speak Urdu. We @ Chaiwallas Boombox shed tears and had goosebumps for weeks after hearing this.
Can music be forensic evidence to understanding the advancement of the global South Asian Diaspora ? if so, then the Engine-Earz have just ushered us into a new realm of innovation.
My first listen to Kaliyunga by the Engine Earz, felt like I was transported to the year 1310 when the sitar first arrived, the plucking of its strings awakens my soul but the meditative state is quickly broken and thrown into a black hole within the space of 1 min, spitting me out into the year 2020. Its an epic start to a cinematic journey that is accompanied by live guitars, drums and Prashant Mistry in central command, taking you where no man has gone before.
The Engine Earz Experiment is brilliant and we anxiously wait for a full album. They have set the bar very high :)
From Harlem, New York this is Charles Hamilton and this is what hes thinks about sampling music.
” When I sample, I’m not just doing it to sound good. I’m trying to tell a story. To convey an emotion. If I sampled it, there is a reason I sampled it. I believe that music is based on moments, and that there are some moments that people may have missed back in the day. They may have even missed it a year ago. When I sample, I’m giving the artist their respect, while simultaneously creating something new.”
Hamilton is just the rough and arrogant MC you have been looking for and his track “Air Again” is addicting. The bhangra samples is what caught our ears and they tell a story of an MC who would care less and is very sure of his opinions. What better way to musically say “I am the shit” then with some punjabi folk.
This is the funkiest live bhangra band in the world and their sound is cool as hell. They call themselves the Black Mahal and are from San Francisco. Their immediate awesomeness is due in part to the lead vocalist and the ‘Godfather’ of the Dhol drum, Lal Singh Bhatti, an American and Indian music icon. Black Mahal’s music reflects Punjabi tradition in the context of timeless funk and contemporary hip-hop. They have no album as of yet but will be performing on Feb 27th in Vancouver @ the Queen Elizabeth theatre for the 2010 Winter Olympic celebrations. Highly recommended show.
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Save the Flavour – Black Mahal
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Meh Nee Bhendi( David Starfire Remix) – Black Mahal
Phaeleh known for his wide range of musical production from disturbing bass lines to the more soulful, restrained tracks, takes you on a spiritual journey this time with “Healing”. Incorporating the angelic vocals of Indi Kaur with a cinematic soundscape to create this downtempo masterpiece. It’s just what you need to start the week.
If there is one person right now in the Asiatic House Movement worth mentioning, its Sonnyji, the man is intense and his house sets will melt big rooms and even bigger crowds. The way he takes classic samples of Noor Jehan, Amar Akbar Anothony and countless others to some crisp bass lines, will get even the most timid turning their heads and taking notice.
London based producer and solo artist Gaudi’s latest project, No Prisoners will be released on March 23, after a very fertile year in which the renowned artist toured the world, rocking dance floors and gathering fans with his unconventional innovative performance style and irresistibly floor friendly tunes. It was also a year where Gaudi was nominated for a BBC World Music Award for his Six Degrees release, Dub Qawwali (in which he added all new reggae & dub production to rare and previously unreleased tracks by the revered Pakistani vocalist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan). On his previous releases, Gaudi has worked to create his own unique synthesis, using elements of dub, electronica and world music producing tracks that have been mostly down-tempo in nature. No Prisoners is a very different and definitely up-tempo creation. Stylistically its primary energy comes from breakbeat influences underpinned with fat basslines and subtle live world instrumentation such as Oud and tribal percussion.
Six Degrees Records, in association with the Generation Bass blog &Fairtilizer, are happy to be offering you the opportunity to remix No Prisoners’ lead single “Bad Boy Bass” – a floor shredding homage to the chest -rattling, speaker-shaking power of the all mighty bass. The winning remix gets to be included on a digital EP along with mixes by Liquid Stranger, Bandish Projekt and others.
4. Upload your remix here and name it: “Bad Boy Bass” -Adding your remix name – Add “Six Degrees Remix Contest” in the tags. Note: You have to register to Fairtilizer to be able to upload a track (it takes 30 seconds and it’s free).
5. The winner will be selected by Six Degrees Recordings & Gaudi
Prize: The best remix will be released in digital format on Six Degrees + gets bonus goodies package by Six Degrees, Generation Bass and Fairtilizer. DEADLINE TO SUBMIT REMIX: All entries must be received by March 2 in order to be eligible.
I am a music junkie and all my friends are music junkies, so its difficult to have a conversation at times without everyone running into different musical genres or what they are particularly into at the moment. Though we all do share one common thread and its a mix that has had a viral effect on the digital download community for the past 5 months. Its at the point now, even while shoveling the snow off my driveway that my neighbour is telling me about his new discovery of the “calling dub-step” series. Its infiltrated everyone I know.
Though I have an explanation for this and its simple. The mix series ROCK’s ! and you need to download it. It is the perfect stamp of our time, showcasing the whose who of the underground and overground of good dub-step. The man behind this dubstep mix series is also a compilation album rockstar from compiling the “Budda Bar” to a “begginers guide to”. His name is UMB and you should defiantly check out hisgeneration bass blog.
Chaiwalla’s Boombox also had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. UMB recently to compile a list from A-Z of whats happening and will be using it to launch our monthly podcast series. Its cool beans my friends and will be up soon.
* a majority of UMB’s links on soundcloud have reached max limit for downloads but follow the comment thread and there will be a link to fairtilizer to download*
The Prodigy meets Kaka Bhaniawala is full out war on them aliens threatening the very lively-hood of good mash-ups. Brought to you by Delime, who buy the way is an exceptional bhangra producer. His original work is even better then the remix posted. Will bring more of his originals to the blog in due time.
Since the launch of Dj Rekha’s legendary Basement Bhangra night in 1997, it has helped popularize the genre into the NYC club scene. Rekha is relentless in her pursuit to share the energy and intensity of her acclaimed night and is even infiltrating the museum world of Brooklyn, leaving spectators twisting light bulbs and jumping with joy.
Does the name Amar ring a bell ? she’s been making appearances all around the globe since 1999, from working with famous Algerian singer Khaled to more recently in 2009 with the mighty hit-maker Timberland. Now in 2010, Amar has collaborated with the legendary Sonu Nigam to make a cocky Bollywood track titled “Bombay Billionaire” and it has all the momentum to be a massive hit. Mark our words, you’ll be hearing this track everywhere by this summer.
