Dub Kirtan All Stars - Subsonic Devotion

Dub Kirtan All Stars, a fusion music collective formed by David Starfire and FreQ Nasty, have released an EP. Subsonic Devotion mixes ancient Indian music traditions with the cutting edge musical technology of today. 

There are just three songs on the EP, but all of them make an impact. Subsonic Devotion  is funky, fresh and has some great bass. Brilliant vocals are provided by Arjun Baba and Chaytanya, who sings on two of the three tracks, complimenting the atmospheric beats.

You can download Subsonic Devotion for free from DKAS' bandcamp page.

Swami - Back It Up (Nazran Beats Remix)

Swami, whose track Mehbooba featured in a film starring the Olsen twins, have released a remix of their latest single on their website. Nazran Beats has remixed Back It Up which was released last month as a free download. This new version features additional vocals from Lovely Pawar, who trained under Kaka Bhaniawala. 

This remix changes the feel  of Back It Up completely. Lovely's added vocals make the track sound more Punjabi and give it a rustic touch. However, I'm not sure if they blend well enough with Sups' and Liana's. It's a good remix, but the Desi version of Back It Up is still my favourite so far.

The Nazran Beats mix will be released on the full digital single of Back It Up in March. If you can't wait until then, you can download it from Swami's website.

Harlem Shake - The Desi Versions

The Harlem Shake is the youtube sensation of the moment. Using a clip from Harlem Shake by Baauer, a person performs crazy dance moves and then is joined by friends usually wearing funny costumes. It seems like every minute someone uploads their version of the song. There were some great Desi versions of Gangnam Style, and there are some Desi versions of the Harlem Shake emerging. Here is a round up of the best.

The Desi Hype Sarj Step Edit

The Freshie / Bollywood Edition

Parichay - Meri Only One

Parichay, the Canadian artist who won Zee Tv’s Antakshari at the age of 12, has released a new single. Meri Only One is a romantic track released especially for Valentine's Day.

Meri Only One is a good track. It has some great vocals from Parichay, but the chipmunk effect got a bit annoying after a few listens. I like the mix of languages in the lyrics. If you want to sing along the lyrics are helpfully provided in the description box.

Interview With Surj From RDB

RDB have been part of the music industry since the late nineties. They have founded their own record label, worked with artists including Akshay Kumar and Snoop Dogg and even made their own TV show. The music they make mixes genres and has earned them fans all over the world. I caught up with Surj during a sound check in Dubai to talk about We Doin' It Big, piloting helicopters and starring in Bollywood films.   

You've been in the industry a long time and you released your last album in 2005. What have you learnt since Three?
Learnt a lot to be honest because our last official album was for the UK bhangra market only. I think from there we started doing more of the Bollywood stuff. We have been touring a lot more. We did the Germany tour, that tour was a big thing, the IIFA Awards. I think it's amazing that we haven't officially released our own stuff but used our music to other people's advantages and that has made us bigger than releasing our own stuff. Doesn't actually make sense, but in terms of what we've learnt from it? Oh god, I can't even explain! The Germany tour was a big eye opener, the Snoop deal and was a big deal and the IIFA Awards were big thing and just generally touring across India. I think India is a new market that we weren't really planning to go into it just happened. From there we’ve learnt a lot. 

It’s 10 years since Punjabi MC broke into the UK charts. Back then there were loads of artist saying we're going to break into the mainstream but recently there has been a lot less of that. Why do you think that is?
Because bhangra, Indian music, has its own industry now. I don't think there's a need to bring it into the mainstream into any more because the underground market has become more well known internationally and not just in the UK. India, America, everywhere. Asian music is becoming bigger in its own industry rather than using the mainstream to make it bigger.

Do you think for artists the main stream Indian market is more important than the UK pop charts because it's such big market?
For Asian artists yes it's very important to break into the Indian market. That music generates from there, it’s the original source of our music and I think it's becoming even bigger and better than what it ever used to be. Not just Bollywood, the actual independent music scene is becoming bigger so for artists from wherever, India should definitely be on their list.

AUM - Eclipse

AUM, a production duo made up of Sanscript and Numatix, have released a track called Eclipse on their SoundCloud page. It's an ambient electro dubstep track with a mix of delicate samples and rich bass.

The overall effect of Eclipse is simply gorgeous. The bass never overpowers the other instruments and the balance is just right. Each section of the track builds on the last and the repetition is soothing. At the end of Eclipse, the track just stops dead and it's a great finish.

David Starfire - House of Bhangra.

David Starfire, whose grandfather was a famous horn player in New Orleans, has released a new track on his SoundCloud page. House of Bhangra features Afrika Bambaataa, Desert Dwellers and iCatching. It's an funky blend of bhangra, tumbi and dubstep. Plenty of bass pulls all the different styles together.

House of Bhangra appears is from the album Ascend out on the 19th of February. If you can't wait until then, you can download the track from David's SoundCloud page.

Bally Sagoo - Thori Ji Kori

Bally Sagoo, a producer who appeared on Top of The Pops in 1996, is back with a new track. Thori Ji Kori is Bally's first new track since Hanji, which was released in 2004. 

All of Bally's past albums have been innovative and exciting. I've been listening to Thori Ji Kori since its release and I'm disappointed. It's a standard house track that lacks the edge of Bally's previous work. It's good, but I had expected more from a producer who leads where others follow.

There are 3 other versions of Thori Ji Kori. The Bombay Bronx mix features the vocals of Rimi Dhar. Like the original version, it lacks something that makes it a good track. There is also a clean version for listeners who might be offended.