A Six Degrees Collection: Asian Travels

CD > POPULAR MUSIC > WORLDThis compilation draws together musicians who incorporate traditional Indian music into modern styles. The emphasis is heavy on the U.K.-based Asian Underground scene, which is oriented towards electronic dance music, and many of the familiar names are here, often remixing one another–Fun-Da-Mental, Transglobal Underground, Kingsuk Biswas (a.k.a. Bedouin Ascent), Talvin Singh, Banco de Gaia, and DJ Cheb i Sabbah. Most of the music from that camp is excellent and a nice introduction to their style. By contrast, Fila Brazillia and Bob Holroyd wobble the line between ambient and dull. One real eye-opener is State of Bengal’s remix of the track “Delerium” by Toronto-based Ken Ramm’s Euphoria. Euphoria’s approach is studio-crafted music in the contemporary electronic style, but acoustic slide guitar is the primary sonic material. The other contributors from outside the U.K. dance scene are more of a mixed bag. Qawwali master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan appears in a piece from a collaboration with Michael Brook, but his forays into modern sounds always conveyed a lot less of the ecstatic qualities of music than his more traditional records. Shankar’s trademark Indian jazz fusion closes the CD and should appeal to fans of his style. –Bob Bannister

• Asian Travels