The Kominas - Kominas Review

Everyone loves getting something for nothing and over the past few months quite a few high profile artists have released their albums as free downloads. Kominas is defiantly the edgiest out of all them. With the current issues about internet piracy and legislation to stop file sharing, knowing I legally downloaded this album from a website that is now being shut down makes me feel rebellious before I started listening.

I only discovered The Kominas recently, after their brilliant BBC Live Session at Maida Vale. Other reviewers better acquainted with The Kominas’work have said this album is more grown up, less Taqwacore. The sound of the band has changed with the line up and they now sound less angry. Perhaps this is a grown up sound, but I can still hear the anger in this album. but it’s more well thought out protest than full on riot. Although not as shocking as a large riot, a protest can still get results and this album does.

Parichay - Human Machine

Parichay, the Canadian singer who gave away his album All New Everything as a free download after Christmas, has released a video for Human Machine. This song opens the new album and it’s a nice energetic song. It deserves a separate release and I’m pleased Parichay made a video for it. The song is catchy and has a good beat. I like the way the different elements of the track have been put together and the production makes it sound great.

The video is set in a club with lights so bright that Parichay was forced to keep his sunglasses on. Apart from Parichay and his dancers, the place is empty. There is no drinking and no flashy cars like in the video for Queen of Spades. Thankfully there is also no smoking involved like in the other videos that Parichay has made. The scenes are well edited with fancy effects and Parichay models a new outfit in each one.

The dancers are standard for a song that talks about making a man go insane. They forgot to put on skirts and some of the moves are racy, but considering that the lyrics are about winding up booty everything is relatively PG. The women should have taught Parichay some of their moves as there are times when he doesn’t know what do by himself on the multicoloured light up dance floor. 

I’d heard the song but it was only until I saw this video that I thought about the lyrics. “Beat it like a human machine” is obviously a metaphor for something with an 18+ rating. But it is a metaphor that doesn’t make sense. Taken literally, a “human machine” is impossible. A person can work or act like a machine, but a human cannot be a machine in physiological terms. In a literary sense, there is no visual imagery. I even asked Parichay on Twitter what it meant to see if there was any meaning behind it e.g. on seeing the woman his thoughts and actions become base and mechanical like a machine so he can get the girl. But apparently there is no deep meaning behind the lyrics.

I like lyrics to make sense, especially when they form the chorus and the title of the song. Parichay should be given credit for writing lyrics that are different and interesting enough to make people stop and think before they sing along. The lyrics in the rest of the song are great. The languages that Parichay sings in all have wonderful expressions which he could have used. But he invented his own, which for me didn’t quite work.

Overall this video is one of the better bhangra videos currently around. It does not turn boring after a few viewings thanks to flashy lights and slick effects. More conservative relatives might raise an eyebrow at the dancers, but hopefully they won’t ask what “beating it like a human machine” involves.

Bikram Singh - Bik.I.am Review

 

Album titles are important. They represent the songs in an album and suggest the themes that they contain. Although it sounds like the name of a certain singer, Bik.I.am is a nice title. I think the letter “I” in the title should represent identity, innovation and independence. The album has 14 tracks. Nine of the songs are produced by Tigerstyle and have the duo’s instantly recognisable beats. The remaining five are collaborations with other producers. These collaborations show that Bikram is prepared to take risks, explore new ideas and develop as a solo artist outside the successful Bikram - Tigerstyle marriage.

The album opens with 2 singles that Bikram has previously released: Kinna Sohna Munda, which I blogged about here, and Beyonce. Listeners expected a traditional bhangra track but Beyonce sounded very different to everything Bikram had previously released. Beyonce makes more sense musically when listened to as part of the album as it blends in with the other fusion tracks.

Electro Love Boliyan is a modern twist on a traditional style of song. This is my favourite out of the more experimental songs and I‘m pleased that it is has it’s own video and single release. The production by Ranbir S is brilliant and manages to maintain a good balance between Bikram’s vocals and fancy effects underneath. Just for a Dance has a few Arabic samples in it as well as some more modern beats. The overall effect is nice, even if the lyrics don’t quite make sense and Bikram is sidelined by guest vocalists.

Bilal Khan - Khabi Gham Na Aey

Bilal Khan, the guitarist who started his musical career under a tree in a University in Lahore, has made a video for the song Khabi Gham Na Aey. This is his second professional video after Bachana.

The song in this version is a different version to the acoustic version from the Bilal’s album Umeed. I like this video version more than the album version. The production is better and the extra instruments add interest. I like the option to turn on captions and sing along. Translated captions, like those on Bilal’s performance on Coke Studio, would have been nice for those who can’t understand what he is singing.

The video is set in a clothes shop and stars a shop assistant and Bilal as a mannequin. Nothing much happens in the first half. There are some arty shots of rain against the window and footage from the security cameras as well as close ups of the characters. In the second half it’s all action as the sales assistant accidentally knocks off Bilal’s head and puts it back on. There is an earthquake and lightening strikes. Bilal comes to life and makes his way over to his girl. But when he gets there and reaches out to her he finds that she herself doesn’t move.

Music videos starring shop mannequins are not new, but these are the first mannequins I have seen who suffer an existential crisis. I like it when a music video tells a story, but I’m not sure I want to spend time trying to figure out what that story is.  I like Bilal’s music because it is simple and beautiful. This video detracts from the music and the view spends too much time thinking about the video and not about how beautiful the song is.

There has been confusion over the story and what the exact meaning of the concept is. The film’s director Abdullah Haris tried to explain his abstract concept on his facebook page, but I’m of the opinion that if you have to explain your concept so that people can understand it then it doesn’t work in the first place. I rather like the following story suggested by a youtube user: the girl is not a shop assistant, but a mannequin who comes to life at night and spends her time admiring Bilal. When she has finally willed him to come alive, he touches her and their time together runs out.

Overall, this video is different, creative and interesting. The concept might be too abstract for some people, but I like the ambiguity of the story. Both the song ad the video are good but it’s a shame that there has been more talk about the concept of the video than the music.

Romay - Playing With Sound Review

I have never managed to win a game of chess. Remembering what piece moves where is the easy part, it is knowing how to use the different abilities of each piece to win the game. Like chess, music tracks are made up different pieces which have to work together. Romay is a producer who knows this and the cover from his album Playing With Sound is witty, clever and unique. Although it did leave me wondering how Sound would actually move the chess pieces and who would have won if a chess match between the two was possible.

The music on the album switches between East and West then mashes them together. Each track contains a bit of each, even if it is only a subtle hint of an Indian vocal. There is a good mix of tracks with vocals and tracks that are purely instrumental. The beats and basslines range from the incredibly dark and grimy to those that are light and sunny. Each track is different to the last yet they are all connected to each other through great production and awesome beats. Romay knows what he is doing and it shows in this album. Every track is incredibly well put together and I didn’t feel the need to skip any due to poor production.

Romay has used original vocals on Playing With Sound rather than Bollywood samples, which makes the tracks sound fresh and is something he should be given credit for. Saahvan is a great song. Indian vocals are set against a drum and bass background and the effect is stunning. Sapna is another Indian vocals English beat song, but the effect is lighter and sweeter and compared the other songs on the album and feels like a chill out track.

Nothing Without You is another song that uses Asian vocals, but this is heavier on the bass. Sajana Tere Bin is hauntingly beautiful. In Realisation, Romay again floats vocals over a strong beat, but these are sung in English. It’s a happy track and a great one to end the album.

Even though I usually prefer tracks with vocals, the instrumental tracks on this album are very good. There is a bit in The Time is Now that reminds me of the theme from the film Goldfinger. Despite this it is a great dark track. Moonshadow and Step To My Toe are two more dark grimy tracks worth listening to.

Heritage is my favourite track on the album. It’s an addictive funky sitar track with a slightly grimy edge. Retro yet modern, this is what it would sound like if Ananda Shankar had a studio in Berlin. The sitar is relatively simple, but the mix behind it is complex and the overall effect is unique.

Verdict: Romay mixes beats and genres like a barman mixes cocktails and he has a unique way of drawing the listener into his music. This is a solid album which is well put together and wants to be played again and again. On the cover, Romay might be struggling to play chess with Sound, but after listening to the album it is clear that he won the game.

Read the Sari-Clad Speakers interview with Romay here.

Foji - Sajnaa

Foji, the singer who staged a bhangra flash mob in Birmingham, has released the video for his new single. Sajnaa is a love song from his album Daafa Ho Ja and was written and produced by Foji himself.

Thanks to the bhangra flash mob at the Bull Ring, Foji’s last video Pumbeeri won the award for best video at the Brit Asia TV awards. The pressure must have been on to create something great for his next video. But Sajnaa is slower and more mellow than Pumbeeri, so a fast paced video would not have worked.

The video for Sajnaa is simple. It shows Foji talking a long walk. First in a market, then in a park and then he strolls around London. His walk is intersected by shots of a woman also walking around. There are no glitzy effects, no back up dancers getting drunk in a club and no costume changes. The simplicity of the video could be mistaken for pretension, but I don’t think the bhangra industry has enough time and depth to be pretentious.

The mystery woman and Foji obviously don’t go for walks in the park very often. Foji wears bright white trainers, which cannot have stayed white for long after trampling down a muddy path. The woman must have been feeling cold without a jacket to cover up and I don’t think she could walk very far in skimpy flats.

I can’t work out if Foji is in love with, or has recently broken up with the woman as he takes his own life into his hands. Foji walks in the middle of a busy London road and crosses one traffic filled street like they do in India. You only walk down the middle of a London road if you want to get hit by a motorbike and have a death wish.

Overall this is a nice simple video and it makes a refreshing change to those set in a club. But the simplicity also means I will get bored of it after a few views and it will probably not win Foji any more awards.

Desi Boyz Soundtrack Review

“John”, “Dancing”, “Pole”, “Abraham” and “stripping” are words that I never thought I could string together in a logical sentence except in an alternative parallel universe. However on this very earth, a genius has mind read many women’s minds and made John Abraham pole dance in his latest film. Its just a shame that he had to cast Akshay Kumar to pole dance along side John. In my opinion Akshay does not have the same talent for pole dancing as John, Hritik or even Arjun Rampal.

After watching the trailers for the film I am  a little confused. If John and Akshay are the strippers, why are they surrounded by girls wearing less than they are in the song promo? It seems that men who watch Bollywood films today can’t do so without seeing a few bikini-clad women.

Allah Maaf Kare has a nice modern feel to it, and I like this track apart from the weird vocals at the beginning and after the chorus. Jhak Maar Ka is another nice track. It’s peppy and upbeat and it’s probably my favourite track on the album. The video for it is pure Bollywood with multiple costume and location changes.

Let It Be is well sung but it is a bit bland. This is one of those songs that will probably sound better when it is picturised on someone. Suba Hone Na De is a bad attempt at a club anthem. It is cheesy and I couldn’t listen to it more than once. Tu Mera Hero is Suba Hone Na De by another name.

I have heard Make Some Noise For The Desi Boyz somewhere before. The vocals and chorus sound incredibly similar to another Bollywood hit, but I can‘t work out which one. This track is great, it will probably get a few plays on the dance floor, but after a few listens it has started to get on my nerves.

There are the obligatory remixes. The remix of Jhak Maar Ka was dire and the version of Suba Na Hone De was a slight improvement on the original, which shows how bad the song was. Make Some Noise For The Desi Boyz was tolerable, but nothing special.

Verdict: Sometimes a film isn’t all about the music and even if I hated the music I would still see this film to watch John Abraham pole dance. This album is ok, but it is full of clichés. Soundtracks are used to boost film revenues, but the producers would have made more money bringing out an John Abraham underwear range or ab enhancers to tie in with the release rather than wasting the money coming up with this album.

5 Days of Facebook

I remember the early days of facebook, when the only members were those from America or students at red brick universities. Some of those students, who obviously had far too much time on their hands, even wrote their own facebook song. It was cheesy and funny at the time, but now looks incredibly dated. Does the friendly monster still exist?

Now India has its own facebook song that it can be proud of. 5 Days of Facebook by Rahul Bhatt is a masterpiece that has gone viral. The video is great as it tells a realistic bollywoodesque love story and completely absorbed my attention for the whole seven minutes and fifty seconds. When I usually watch a music video, I usually switch off after a minute. Admittedly I guessed how the video would end on day 3, but even so I could not stop watching. The spilt screen is both simple and clever once your eyes get used to it.

I was so absorbed in the video that I failed to notice how beautiful the song is until I watched it again. It is understated and well written. The track is modern and fresh and will be around for much longer than 5 days. Rahul Bhatt has an album called Kal coming out soon and if the other songs on it are as good as this, it will be a great album.

Nindy Kaur - Deewani

Nindy Kaur, the poster girl for Three Records, has released a video to accompany her song Deewani. This is the third single from the upcoming album Nindypendent.

The song itself has a similar vibe to Akhian, but a softer sound. It has a funky yet modern feel to it. I can’t wait to try it out on the dance floor. The lyrics were written by a friend of Nindy’s and the slick production on the track is thanks to RDB.

The video is much simpler than the other two singles. There is no storyline like there was in Akhian. It consists of just a few dancers, husband Manj and Nindy herself in several different outfits. The dancers have been chosen for their ability to dance, rather than the lack of clothes that they wear, which is a refreshing way of selecting them. I like the fact that the simplicity of the video allows the view to focus on the song itself rather than getting distracted by the other things going on. The video reflects the clubby vibe of the song, without actually setting the action in a club. It means it is safe for watching with the more conservative relatives.

Ultimately, I find Nindy Kaur is a breath of fresh air in an industry that is overwhelmingly male dominated. Deewani shows that she has staying power in an environment that if full of one hit wonders.

Ra.One Soundtrack Review

Never has a soundtrack suffered from so much hype and high expectations. First there were the leaks, then the attempted live broadcast of the launch on you tube. Artists include internationally known Akon and the Prague Philharmonic. It was also composed by Vishal-Shekar, a duo known for hits such as Om Shanti Om and Bachna Ae Haseeno. Surely Ra.One has to has to be an instant hit?

I will admit that I am still sceptical and cynical about the leak. If the early unofficial release was not backed by the producers composers and singers, why would respected radio stations be playing it? I cannot believe that radio stations are allowed to legally broadcast what was essentially an illegal download. 

At least the mole picked the right song to leak and thanks to him or her we have all heard Chammak Challo. It is a mix of styles, beats and genres. Catchy and multilingual, this is going to be played all around the world for a long time. Akon’s pronounciation is impressive, but it does not strike me as an Akon song. Chammak is a great song, and it think it would have worked even if a lesser known artist was providing the vocals instead of Akon. Akon’s voice is used to better effect in Criminal. He sounds much more like himself. Akon sings in Hindi again, but leaves most of the Hindi to Vishal Dadlani.

There are 15 songs on the album, three of which are instrumental themes. There are no less than five versions of Chammak Challo. Even if you love the song, this is a little too much. In my opinion none of the remixes are as good as the original.

Chammak Challo dominates this soundtrack, but the other songs are worth listening to. Dildara is a nice song. It’s romantic without being too slushy. The inclusion of Stand By Me works, but I would have like the whole song to have been original. Right By Your Side is a fun catchy pop track and Raftaarein has a great feel to it.

Bharein Naina is another nice song, but suffers an identity crisis. Bonus points for getting the Prague Philharmonic Choir to sing on this track, but all the elements don’t quite gel together. In places I feel like I am listening to two different songs. It’s a shame, as in places it could have been an amazing song, but doesn’t quite get there.

Jiya Mora Ghabaarye has a futuristic feel to it. This ties in with the theme of the film and I thought there would have been more songs like this. It reminds me of Prodigy’s Omen as it has the same dark tone to it. Sukhwinder Singh performs admirably out of his comfort zone, but his voice is lost among the heavy beats.

Verdict: There are some gems on this soundtrack, but they feel like an afterthought on an album that is all about the catchy Chammak Challo. It is a good album, it's just not as great as the hype suggested it would be.

Punjabi MC - Jatti

Punjabi MC has released a video for the single Jatti. This is the fourth single he has released from the album The Raj. The song has a more traditional sound than the other singles and the video reflects this.

The video plays up to the stereotype that in the good old days the Punjab was a green and pleasant land. Punjabi girls wore ghagras and parandas and spent their time embroidering phulkaris, dancing gidda and swinging on swings hung from trees. This old world Punjab provides the backdrop for a boy meets girl scenario.

There is a love story here, but I’m not quite sure exactly what it is. She goes straight from eyeing him up to lying in his arms then hits him with a stick before waving her paranda at him. Has she met him before or did she decide that running off with a stranger and his horse was preferable to doing embroidery and making saag and maki di roti? Either way, she is very quick to run away with him.

There is one element in this video that does not fit and annoyingly flashes up throughout. Why is PMC dancing alone in the woods in a leather jacket and sunglasses? He looks slightly scary and I would not like to bump into him if I went down to the woods. He does not fit the description of the handsome stranger, so cannot play him in the video, but looks out of place where he is. If he wanted to star in his own music video, he should have been the girl’s father running after the happy couple and demanding that his daughter finishes the cooking before eloping with a stranger.

Overall Jatti is a nice video, but doesn’t always make sense. It does however make a change from the usual bhangra videos and is safe to watch with parents or other conservative relatives. I hope in future PMC concentrates on the music rather than trying to get himself in the video.