Our good friends the SECRET ARCHIVES OF THE VATICAN return with a golden EP called “Glidepath” which is full of really coool Transnational Arabic and Indian Dubstep and Breakbeat flava’s AND it’s available for free!!!
I’ve got to say I think it’s some of their best work to date! The title track is probably the stand out for me, full of Middle Eastern beauty but the whole EP is full of great tracks!
London based producer and solo artist Gaudi’s latest album No Prisoners ((Six Degrees Records) comes to us from a very productive year in which Gaudi toured the world, rocking dance floors and gathering fans with his unconventional innovative performance style and dance-floor filling tunes. It was also a year in which he was nominated for a BBC World Music Award for his Six Degrees release Dub Qawwali (with legendary Sufi singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) – see press release. The album’s success extended Gaudi’s fan base substantially, particularly in America and Canada, reaching #2 in the iTunes World Chart (USA) and #1 on Amazon.com’s Electronica charts.
It was also a year in which Gaudi took an unusual posting in Italy and became the ‘representative of the underground’ in the role of Vocal Coach and Mentor for the groups category in the hit TV talent show X Factor. During 3 series he produced an overall show winner, the winners of the critics award and also received a gold disc following the success of one of the groups debut album that he produced.
In all his albums Gaudi has worked to create his own synthesis using elements of dub, electronica and world music which has been mostly down-tempo in nature… No Prisoners is a very different and definitely up-tempo creation. Stylistically its primary energy is breakbeat influences underpinned with fat basslines and subtle live world instrumentation such as oud, tribal percussion and highland bagpipes. The performances of many fine musicians on the album bring a human touch; with live bass and guitars, percussion, drum, melodica and piano amongst others, while the electronic elements, as per all Gaudi’s albums, come from his beloved analogue equipment – vintage synthesizers, tape echoes and spring reverbs. The result gives No Prisoners the warmth and authenticity of sound which has become synonymous with Gaudi’s music.
A highly respected line-up of featured guests add their international appeal and individual flavors to the album, amongst them; California’s conscious political lyricist and founder of Spearhead Michael Franti, who lends his emotive tones to “There’s Enough” and long established Brooklyn based reggae artist Dr Israel (of Easy Star All Stars “Dub side of the moon” fame) who features on “No Time”; Multi-million selling Italian singer-songwriter Elisa gives a feminine edge to “Brainwashed Again” and Jamaican Reggae vocalist Kenny Knots goes deep with the ecclesiastical “Strictly Goodness”. Other notable guests include pioneering down-tempo dub producer Dub Gabriel on “Barracudub”; UK Breakbeat duo Far Too Loud and emerging electro-breaks producer Tom Real; who contribute to “No more blood” and “Bad Boy Bass” respectively.
No Prisoners as the title suggests, is an album made without concessions, each track uncompromising in the delivery of its sonic payload. It is a fresh and versatile album with the potential to become an original classic.
1) Bad Boy Bass 4.54
2) There’s Enough (feat. Michael Franti and Hardage) 4.41
3) Serious Ting 5.10
4) Back To Baia 4.46
5) Oud We Think We Are? 5.10
6) No Time (feat. Dr.Israel) 5.01
7) Barracudub 4.17 Hotel Caledonia 5.48
9) Strictly Goodness (feat. Kenny Knots) 5.53
10) Brainwashed Again (feat. Elisa and Danny Ladwa) 4.16
11) No More Blood 6.19
12) Space Phenomena 6.38
BBC Asian Network is to launch the first ever official UK download chart for Asian music.
Imran Khan reached number one in the iTunes world music chart
The Official Charts Company (OCC), which publishes the mainstream UK top 40, will also compile the new chart.
The OCC will use UK sales data provided from a panel of more than 30 digital retail stores, including iTunes, Amazon and Napster.
An Asian top 20 countdown show hosted by Bobby Friction will start on the Asian Network from Saturday, 27 March.
BBC Asian Network’s head of music, Mark Strippel, said: “We have long recognised that establishing an industry recognised official chart format is an important building block in the infrastructure of British Asian music.”
Music of British Asian or South Asian, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan, origin will make up the chart and a full top 40 will be published online.
The OCC says downloads now account for 98% of all single sales.
It compiled the UK’s first official singles download chart on 1 September, 2004 and, with a rise in British Asian music being purchased online rather than in traditional Asian record stores, will now do the same with Asian music.
Billy Grant from the Association of Independent Music, said the new chart would “undoubtedly create more exposure” for Asian artists.
DJ Bobby Friction said: “Having an official chart is going to make a massive difference to Asian artists in the UK because, until now, they’ve not really understood where they stand in the grand scheme of things.
“They’ve had record shops and labels telling them of good sales but they’ve not been able to quantify them.”
RJ ElJay-ji continuously is searching for some cool new tunes. His personal Top50 including:
Bombay Dub Orchestra, Suns of Arqa, Karunesh, Niyaz, Loop Guru, MIDIval PunditZ, Adham Shaikh, Barbara Morgenstern, Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale, BreakBeatBuddha, Massive Attack, Asian Dub Foundation, Talvin Singh, Azam Ali, Karsh Kale, Taufiq Qureshi, Delhi 2 Dublin, Transglobal Underground, Tabla Beat Science, Secret Archives of the Vatican, Joi, Sheila Chandra, Thievery Corporation, Digital Bled, Nitin Sawhney, Kuba, Anuj Rastogi, Atman, Dhol Foundation, Niraj Chag, Black Bombay, Notecrusher, Sir Shree, Vas, DJ Krush, MC Yogi, Ric Veda, State of Bengal, London Elektricity, Shaa’ir + Func, Black Star Liner, Up, Bustle and Out, Nawtiks, Tek 9, DJ Swami, Banco de Gaia, Tipper, The Ananda Shankar Experience and State of Bengal, Sattyananda, Sharaab.
You can buy directly or download visiting the playlists of all radio shows…
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was and is still very much considered to be the greatest Qawwal (singer of Qawwali music) in the world; not only recognized as a legend in his native Pakistan he also took his musical messages of peace, love and spirituality to the international stage, earning him the title of Pakistan’s premier ambassador of Qawwali music. The origins of Qawwali music trace back over seven hundred years to the spiritual Samah songs of Persia and the mystical faith of Sufism.
So, what happens when you unite one of world’s most revered voices with a long-time veteran of global music production? Dub Qawwali, by London-based producer/artist Gaudi reveals the answer. The album blends organic and digital dub stylings with original vocals from Pakistan’s beloved Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The result is a moving body of work that respectfully brings Khan’s Qawwali songs together with Jamaican dub via superb 21st century studio techniques. Dub Qawwali is a celebration of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s life and is being released on Six Degrees Records in August 2007, marking the 10-year anniversary of his death.
Gaudi was one of six producers who were initially offered a single Nusrat track to remix by the Lemon Group – owners of the song publishing of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s works from 1968-1974, in association with Khan’s original Pakistani label Rehmat Gramophone. The company loved what Gaudi had done with the material and offered him complete access to the recording sessions from 35 years ago, including rare and unreleased vocal parts. The original studio reels where sent to Gaudi’s studio in London in 2005 and work began.
Although other producers, including India’s Bally Sagoo and the UK’s Massive Attack, have remixed Khan’s work, in Dub Qawwali Gaudi has taken an entirely new approach to re-interpreting the work of this great artist. He has created a collection of new compositions in which the original vocals are seamlessly fused with a full spectrum of dub & reggae styles and musical themes & flavors from other cultures, genres and environments. A universal theme of peace and love, very much evident in both Khan’s work and at the heart of reggae music, is the unifying element.
It was Gaudi’s strong sense of the direct connection between roots reggae music’s humanitarian messages of compassion and love and Khan’s devotional songs, that was a major inspiration in the creative direction of Dub Qawwali. Gaudi is as much a scholar of Khan’s work as he is of dub, and lists among his favorite dub artists King Tubby, Scientist, Mad Professor, and Lee “Scratch” Perry. After doing studio work with the “eccentric studio genius” Perry in 2005, Gaudi had confirmation of one of his own strongest beliefs in music production which is to respect your own personal integrity by “being yourself and always following your own sound.”
Gaudi has been pursuing his own singular path since the early 80’s with his first major album release coming in 1990 with “Basta Poco” (Polygram). Since then he’s released 11 solo albums, 80 remixes (for artists including Bob Marley, Simple Minds and Ojos de Brujo) and been featured on over 100 compilations to date (for full discography go to www.gaudimusic.com). His 2004 Interchill album Bass, Sweat & Tears, is still the label’s best selling release. He co-wrote and produced the album Re:sonate (FAX Records) with ambient-chill legend Pete Namlook and worked with reggae legends Horace Andy and Dennis Bovell. Dub Qawwali is a further expansion of Gaudi’s eclectic and smooth deep-dub electronic sound.
The album opens with the soft tones of “Bethe Bethe Kese Kese”; a nostalgic and warm track where melodious Flute and Strings echo contemplative vocals. A firm stepper rhythm anchors and drives the track while Sarangi adds dimension to this wistful introduction. This is also the first track that Gaudi produced in the series and very much provided the drive and direction that is evident throughout the rest of the album. “Tera Jana Kere Rang Lawe” is a dub influenced roots reggae track combining passionate and melancholic Strings with a roots dub bassline. Its uncluttered feel and rolling Bass spiced with off-beat Tabla gives space and groove. The vocals in “Dil Da Rog Muka Ja Mahi” inspired the inclusion of a theme from the Kraftwerk track “The Model” used by permission from the legendary German electro-pioneers in this remarkable excursion of a track; analogue Synthesizers give authenticity to its 1977 origins, while Hammond organ, a deep bassline and fills of dubbed up percussive echo keep the reggae flavors rolling. “Ena Akhiyan Noo” is positive and evocative; an upbeat reggae theme supporting emotive and expansive vocal passages is spiced up with rub-a-dub flavors and breaks of hypnotic chant. You don’t have to understand Urdu, Punjabi or Persian to feel the sentiment evoked on Dub Qawwali, it is a work of truly international appeal.
The use of vintage analogue studio equipment and dub production techniques such as tape echoes, valve amps, Fender Rhodes, spring reverbs, Hammond organ and Moog, characterizes Gaudi’s production style, however it is not without its share of 21st century intervention and wizardry… Individual tracks from the original 70’s multi-track recordings often contained multiple parts together on them. These had to then be carefully cleaned up in order to make them usable in a way that would enable the composition of these new works. (This included much of the vocal parts which where mixed in the same track as the Harmonium and other instruments!)
Gaudi’s attention to detail paid off. Dub Qawwali revives Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s vocals in a truly distinctive fashion – a vital accomplishment given Khan’s stature. The legendary Pakistani artist has inspired the likes of Peter Gabriel, Michael Brook and Eddie Vedder and is in the Guinness Book of Records for having the world’s largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist — a total of 125 albums. Gaudi, aware of the gravity of re-working such a prolific and globally respected artist was moved to comment: “After 26 years of music activity I have to say that this is one of the most important productions I have ever done.”
U.S. Press Contact: Ryan Romana Canadian Press Contact: Joanne Huffa
Six Degrees Records Six Degrees Records / Outside
540 Hampshire St. 25 Defries Street
San Francisco, CA 94110-1417 Toronto, ON M5A 3R4
t: 415-626-6334 ext. 15 t: 416-461-0655 x334
f: 415-626-6167 f: 416-461-0973 ryan@sixdegreesrecords.comjoanne@outside-music.com
Hotel Caledonia 5.48
