1997 compilation album by Talvin Singh
| Anokha – Soundz of the Asian Underground | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by Talvin Singh | ||||
| Released | 17 June 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||
| Genre | Electronica, Indian music | |||
| Length | 71:49 | |||
| Label | Polygram | |||
| Producer | Talvin Singh | |||
| Talvin Singh chronology | ||||
| ||||
Anokha – Soundz of the Asian Underground is a compilation album.
Background
 | This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
This 1997 album arose from the Anokha music club night, formed by its host Talvin Singh and Sweety Kapoor, with music producer/DJ State of Bengal a.k.a. Zam Zaman. Anokha held weekly sessions at the legendary Blue Note venue at Hoxton Square in London's East End. The album was marketed by Mango Records, a division of Island Records. Those music sessions and this compilation helped to promote the rise of the Asian Underground movement.
The compilation was signed via Anokha's imprint label Omni Records to Island Records and led to major label deals for Talvin Singh, State of Bengal and Amar.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| The Guardian | |
| Muzik | 9/10 |
| Rolling Stone |  |
| Spin | 8/10 |
| The Village Voice | C+ |
Reviewing for The Village Voice in December 1997, Robert Christgau appraised the album negatively: "With zip to do with bhangra, and no commitment to drum 'n' bass, here's a travelogue designed to remind us that tabla players (presenter Talvin Singh, for instance!) have been hand-producing something like breakbeats for years. Not exactly like breakbeats, though. Anyway, who buys records solely for breakbeats? (Wait, I don't want to know.)" AllMusic's John Bush was more enthusiastic, deeming it "a startlingly natural-sounding fusion of Indian music and instruments with drum'n'bass, breakbeats and electronics, unlike other worldbeat-influenced electronic recordings which feature an abundance of styles but rarely approach true fusion." Bush highlighted Singh and State of Bengal's songs, as well as "K-Ascendant" by Kingsuk Biswas.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jaan" | Talvin Singh | 6:02 |
| 2. | "Flight IC408" | State of Bengal | 7:21 |
| 3. | "Kizmet" | Lelonek | 5:16 |
| 4. | "Shang High" | Future Soundz of India | 5:52 |
| 5. | "Chittagong Chill" | State of Bengal | 8:25 |
| 6. | "Mumbai Theme Tune" | A. R. Rahman | 5:15 |
| 7. | "Distant God" | Talvin Singh | 6:17 |
| 8. | "Heavy Intro" | Amar | 3:08 |
| 9. | "Equation" | Equal I | 5:59 |
| 10. | "Spiritual Masterkey" | Osmani Soundz | 5:14 |
| 11. | "Accepting Trankuility" | Milky Bar Kid | 8:39 |
| 12. | "K-Ascendant" | Kingsuk Biswas | 4:32 |
| Total length: | 71:49 | ||
References
- Ford, Richard T. (2009). Racial Culture: A Critique. Princeton University Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-1400826308.
In the 1990s London's 'electronica' style met traditional Indian musical styles in, for example, Talvin Singh's aptly titled Soundz of the Asian Underground (the spelling of 'soundz' itself a nod to African-American hip-hop slang).
- "Anokha". Discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- "Anokha :: Sounds from the Asian Underground". ethnotechno.com. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground - Talv... | AllMusic, retrieved 4 January 2025
- "Anokha :: Sounds from the Asian Underground". www.ethnotechno.com. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- "Omni Records Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ Bush, John. "Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground – Talvin Singh". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- Woodard, Josef (27 June 1997). "Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- Hoyland, Luke (28 February 1997). "Talvin Singh Presents: Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground". The Guardian.
- Howe, Rupert (March 1997). "Various Artists: Anokha – Soundz of the Asian Underground (Mango)" (PDF). Muzik. No. 22. p. 104.
- Fletcher, Tony (26 June 1997). "Talvin Singh Presents: Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground" (PDF). Rolling Stone. p. 57. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- Hermes, Will (July 1997). "Talvin Singh Presents: Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground". Spin. Vol. 13, no. 4. pp. 114–16. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2 December 1997). "Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- "Robert Christgau: The Village Voice (1955-2018)". www.robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- Various - Talvin Singh Presents: Anokha (Soundz Of The Asian Underground), 1997, retrieved 4 January 2025
External links
- Anokha – Soundz of the Asian Underground at Discogs (list of releases)
 | This article on a 1990s compilation album is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |