Sound Shikari - Ranjha

Sound Shikari, a Muscat based dubstep artist who used to go by the name G Productions, has released a track on his SoundCloud page. Ranjha is a moody dubstep track. It starts off slow and brooding and speeds up two thirds of the way in which gives it an unusual ending. Perfect for cold dark evenings.

Sound Shikari has put this up as a free download, so get it while you can!

Desi Gangnam Style

Almost everyone all over the world has heard of Gangnam Style, the Korean pop single that is the most like video in youtube history. The song has spawned numerous remixes and parodies. But apart from incorporating Gangnam Style into dances at Asian weddings, very few of these parodies have a Desi theme. There have been a few bhangra remixes put onto youtube, but they were so bad that they were not worth blogging about.

Finally there is a good Desi remix of Gangnam Style. Mickey Singh has come up with a Punjabi version that pays tribute to PSY's hit without destroying it. Unlike the other remixes, the use of dhol is kept to a minimum which doesn't drown out the Gangnam instrumental. The lyrics are in Punjabi and work well with the Gangam theme. There is definitely a bhangra flavour to the remix and is almost as crazy as the original. It is a pity that this remix has been released now at the end of the wedding season, as I think it would have worked well on the dancefloor at Desi weddings.


If you like the Desi remix of Gangnam Style, you can download it  from Mickey Singh's SoundCloud page here.

Hat Tip to UrbanAsian

Ash Roy - Train To Ragasthan

Ash Roy, a founding member of the Dj collective Jalebee Cartel, has released a track on his SoundCloud page. Train To Ragasthan was made by Ash ahead of the the Ragasthan music festival which he is playing at in November in Jaisalmer. The house track has a modern feel with clean lines. The middle section skilfully incorporates some of the ambient sounds of everyday India.

Train to Ragasthan is available for free download, so why not add it to your collection.

Tigerstyle - Ay-Ha!

Tigerstyle, whose music featured on the soundtrack of a video game called Project Gotham 3, are releasing their new single Ay-Ha! tomorrow. Ay-Ha! is the third song from their upcoming album Digi-Bhang.

The track kicks off with some inventive beat boxing before launching into a  loud and proud bhangra dance track. However, as this is a song from Tigerstyle it is no ordinary bhangra dance track. Traditional vocals from Sarbjeet Kaur and Billa Bakshi are set against some heavy bass and choppy beats. The various effects and instruments blend well together and the track makes an instant aural impact.

Ay-Ha! should please those who thought Ik Banere neglected bhangra fans. Whilst not as unique as Ik Banere, Ay-Ha! is far more accessible. However, it is significantly shorter than both Ik Banere and Kudi. I have listened to the complete track but just I was getting into it, the song finished. As there is so much going on another minute would have helped to process all the great new sounds that Tigerstyle are throwing out. 

Yash Chopra Passes Away

Yash Chopra, the film maker who launched Yash Raj Films in 1973, has died at the age of 80. According to the Times of India, he was admitted to Lilavati hospital in Bandra Mumbai on 13 October after being diagnosed with dengue fever. Yash Chopra had been suffering complications of the disease and suffered multiple organ failure. He was getting ready to release his latest film Jab Tak Hai Jaan and reportedly cancelled a trip to the Swiss Alps to film a song after he was admitted to hospital.

The director, screenwriter and film producer was born on 27 September 1932 and was the youngest of eight children. He worked as an assistant director to I.S. Johar before working for his brother B.R. Chopra. He directed his first film in 1959 called Dhood Ka Phool and went on to make hits including Khabi Khabie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayange and Chandni. He won six National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare awards, including four Filmfare Awards for best director. Yash Chopra was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

Sound Shikari - The Silver Cord

Sound Shikari, a Muscat based dubstep artist who used to go by the name G Productions, has released a track on his SoundCloud page. The Silver Cord is an ambient dubstep track which is over six and a half minutes long. It builds slowly and there is a chilled vibe throughout the track. The Silver Cord has a nice mix of traditiona sitar, tabla and flute whilst keeping things modern with some added bass.

Sound Shikari has put this up as a free download, so get it while you can!

Jab Tak Hai Jaan Review

Jab Tak Hai Jaan is full of big names acting, singing and collaborating together. AR Rahman, Gulzar, Yash Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Raghav, Rabbi, and Shreya Ghoshal. Accordingly the expectations are sky high and there is still another month of hype to go before the film releases this Diwali on the 13th November. However, the soundtrack was released a few days ago and is already number 1 on iTunes.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan did not sound like a work by AR Rahman on the first listen. The songs somehow lacked some of that intangible magic that AR Rahman’s compositions usually have. This is one of those sountracks that grows on the listener. It takes a few listens to fully appreciate the subtleties in the music and to understand all the lyrics.

The title track is buried towards the end of the album. It takes a while to warm up but the slow intro allows the listener to fully appreciate Javed Akhtar’s vocal talent. The song is good but lacks the grandeur of a title track and needed to be a bit longer to leave a lasting impression.

There are two Punjabi language songs on Jab Tak Hai Jaan and both have a reflective philosophical feel. Sung by Harshdeep Kaur, Heer is a girl’s plea to be one romantic literary character over another. It’s soft, lilting and traditional. Challa by Rabbi is well rounded and provides a good start to the album. It’s nice to hear his lyrics and vocals on a Bollywood soundtrack.

Jind Mahi - Saday Naal

Jind Mahi, the latest signing at Three Records, has released his debut single and a video to go with it. Saday Naal is taken from his debut album Like Father Like Son, which is a collaboration with his father and Binder Pasla.

The video starts with Jind sitting at a piano and singing his story about his love for a girl. This story was slightly confusing and I had to watch it a few times before I understood it. The woman starring in the video showed little emotion or expression and it was hard to work out whether she was the unrequited love interest, wronged victim or had done something wrong herself. The story line would have felt more developed had there been less shots of Jind singing and the shot in the bedroom should have been longer to clarify it.

Saday Naal has a reflective mellow mood. The piano used in the introduction gives way to more electronic sounds. The beats used change tempo throughout the song. It's a clever technique and means that the feel of the song changes constantly. Jind's vocals are good and give Saday Naal a memorable haunting quality.

Overall, this is a good debut from Jind Mahi despite a slightly confusing storyline. I look forward to hearing more from this new artist.