Asian Electronica | Suite101.com

For years, there's been a large Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan immigrant presence in the UK. As these South Asians grew up in '80s and '90s Britain, they were bombarded with the sights and sounds of the country's huge electronic music scene, on the radio, in the clubs they went to, and on posters and flyers in the streets. Gradually, they were inspired to begin making their own electronic music, and they wove their own cultural influences into it, creating a unique Asian/British hybrid. Here are a few examples of Asian electronica.

Talvin Singh was born in London, but throughout his life he's made frequent trips to New Delhi to study tabla, a set of drums that form the backbone of Indian classical music. He got into electronica in the late 80s, and began producing his own material, releasingCalcutta Cyber Cafe in 1996. He supports fellow South Asian electronic artists; in 1997, he released a compilation of their music, Talvin Singh Presents Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground. You can check out its home page here--there's also an Anokha 2 compilation coming out soon.

Singh's first solo record, OK, got him the Mercury Music Prize - the British equivalent of a Grammy - in 1999. On tracks like "Sutrix", he mixes Indian classical influence with British electronic music, melding Indian vocals with synthesized swirls of sound. When the beat kicks in, it's half looped drum track, half Singh's own awe-inspiringly fast and precise tabla playing.

At the end of "Traveller", Singh evokes old-school Bollywood film soundtracks with a sweeping string section, playing Eastern melodies on Western instruments. Most recently, Singh's played with Tabla Beat Science, a collective of Indian percussionists, on producer Bill Laswell's album Tala Matrix. The album's tracks, with their live drumming, sound warm and human. The melodies and the varying pitches of the tabla give the album its Eastern feel, but the rhythms and the structure of the tracks are pure UK jungle. In all his music, Singh's virtuoso musicianship and expert DJ skills makes you feel like you're listening to what it sounds like inside the mind of an Asian genius.

Asian Dub Foundation came together in 1993 at Farringdon Community Music House in London. Community Music was a series of summer courses designed to teach young South Asians about music technology. ADF came into being when two teachers at Community Music recruited their students and friends to form an Indian/house/dub/rap band. They released their debut album, Facts and Fictions, in 1995. In 1997, their reputation for fantastic live shows got them tours with the Beastie Boys and Primal Scream. Now signed to London Records, they released their second album, R.A.F.I., which combines jungle rhythms with samples of traditional Indian music, intertwined with London-flavored rapping and toasting about social issues like racial violence. Chandrasonic, their guitarist, shows how he got his nickname: he can make his guitar mimic exactly the drone of a sitar. Over it, rapper Master D sends out a Cockney call for justice. The music's energetic and infectious; ADF get your head bobbing, and then, when your ears are wide open, they hit you with their message. This is music to start a revolution to, after you've danced yourself sweaty. Information about Asian Dub Foundation and their causes can be found at www.asiandubfoundation.com. ADF's latest album is named Community Music, after the place that started it all for them.

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