Madlib’s The Beat Konducta Vol. 3 & 4

This dope instrumental hip-hop album from Madlib (aka Otis Jackson, Jr) features songs that vary from wholesale samples to polished rap tracks.This is a definite must have! for fans of Madlib, beat archeology and or good ol’ Bollywood kitsch.

While J Dilla’s final collection of hip-hop instrumentals was released to rapturous critical acclaim, [Read more →]

Sacred Chants of Ancient India: Various Artists

Incorporating the best of four volumes’ worth of material from previous releases, Sacred Chants of Ancient India (Kosmic Music) is a meditative experience that mixes strains of Western popular music with Eastern devotions. The chanting-singing of various Vedic chants (by talented female vocalists) soar above ambient piano, shimmering strings, and synthesized drumbeats.

One can hear ancient Indian mantras and chants, some of which have been [Read more →]

Balkan Beat Box’s, Nu Med

Balkan Beat Box’s second album, Nu Med, is finally here. The New York–based multicultural collective mashes up every Mediterranean and Caribbean influence you can think of, creating an invigorating album that is sure to keep your feet tapping. Influenced by cofounder Tamir Muskat’s Gypsy heritage, the group takes the listener through various locales, all propelled by an insistent electronic beat. Opening track, “Keep ’Em Straight” is representative of the album, with bongo drums and improvisational vocals cutting into bouncing horns and jingling percussion. [Read more →]

MIA’s new album, “KALA”

Ok, so the weather outside is frightful…what a fantastic day to pick up M.I.A.’s outrageously lovley new album, “Kala,” plug in and settle into your work station so you can plough through that overflowing inbox of yours with 1000s of emails.

The playful melodies on this summer’s hit “Mango Pickle Down River,” will have you dancing around the office. The London-born Sri Lankan rapper-singer-political artist specializes in a wonderous new kind of world music — a global sound clash complete with a perfect balance of imagination and invention. This song is definitely on ‘repeat’ on the i-pods of hipsters trekking around town this summer; featuring a group of aboriginal kiddie rappers known as the Wilcannia Mob, the song comes complete with a droney didgeridoo that makes for one of the most groovey and unconventional bass lines of 2007! [Read more →]

On Sacred Ground by Chinmaya Dunster

British-born Chinmaya (formerly Stephen) Dunster is a master of the Indian lute known as the sarod. Known for mixing Indian classical raga with the Celtic styles of his native land, he does it again on his stunning new release, Yoga: On Sacred Ground. Keeping the Celtic vibe while going full speed ahead into the Indian mystic, he has created seven breathtaking tracks that are each linked to one of the body’s seven chakras. Each listener will have to decide whether or not this music is suitable for deep meditation or yoga practice, but the album will definitely soothe the soul. [Read more →]

Image c/o: Kern, P. (2006) Rhythm is the Source of all Existence – An Interview with Percussionist Greg Ellis. Music Therapy Today (Online 1st October) Vol.VII (3) 701-706.

Greg Ellis’ music comes from a spiritual place deep within and defies global boundaries. On Kala Rupa literally translated as “time form” – Ellis re-creates the sacred music used by primitive tribes to meditate and transcend. KALA RUPA is a journey through various forms of rhythm and time, from ambient space to ecstatic drumming, exposing windows of transcendence.

“This is a collection of music that was composed around rhythm rather than the melody, allowing the tonal and emotional center of the music to be established by the percussion and rhythm. Once the rhythms were complete, I brought in the other musicians who helped to reveal the natural form of each piece. The musicians who took part in this project all have a deep respect for rhythm and the interplay of the melodic instruments with the percussion. Many times I abandoned my initial ideas as new elements – beats and instruments- were added. I didn’t want the music to be forced into any pre-conceived images I might have had and confining it to one reference point. That is why I decided to bypass conventional titles for any of the pieces. I want the listener to start in a neutral space of his or her own experience.”
- Greg Ellis

Fascinated with the therapeutic power of percussion, Ellis has used his talents as a drummer in his own band, Vas, and in various projects for film and stage. On Kala Rupa, his debut solo album, Ellis wants the listener to abandon any preconceived notions of what drums can do within the context of music. To that end, Ellis restricted accompaniment to atmospheric drones, and on two magnificent tracks, features chant like singing from his band mate Azam Ali. The result recasts drums as melodic stars in their own right, formidable yet contemplative.

From Barnes & Noble.com – “Kala Rupa is simply a sonic feast in the tradition of Peter Gabriel’s Passion.”

And from Amazon.com -
“…Ellis generates beguiling drum tapestries filled with potent grooves and melodic playing.”

Nuff said

Russell Simmons, the godfather of hip-hop at the helm of Rush Communications, a $300+ million conglomerate reaching beyond music to include clothing companies, arts, nonprofit organizations, and diamonds, who in the past has used street smarts and a bling bling Rolodex to achieve social and political goals ranging from overturning certain restrictive New York State drug laws to encouraging voter registration, has published a new self-help book, Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success. In it, he explains how readers can use yoga and Buddhism to find what he calls the “sweet spot”: one’s life’s work and mission. Simmons preaches about the practice of love and encourages readers to listen to their inner voice.

Last week, Madonna announced that she has released a new song written especially for the Live Earth Concert on 7/7/07. Titled Hey You, (available as an exclusive MP3 download through MSN), the song was recorded in London by Pharrell Williams and Madonna.

The best part Madonna will be performing her new hit at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the 24-hour, 7-continent Live Earth Concert Series!

According to the press release, the first million downloads of Hey You will be free as Microsoft has pledged to donate $0.25 per download to the Alliance for Climate Protection for these first million downloads.

Lisa Coffey (the lovely Dosha Diva) featured a great piece in her daily enewsletter today about the yoga of sound.

Touching upon the fact that Ayurveda understands that sound has a profound effect on our well-being. Lisa sited how sound can be used to reduce stress, maintain health, and also to invoke spiritual awakenings.

The official term for the use of sound and music as a spiritual path is Nada Yoga, which translates from Sanskrit to mean, Sound Yoga

Russill Paul is a world-renowned musician who was born and raised in India. He blends Indian and contemporary music in his recordings and performances. Author of a new book, The Yoga of Sound: Tapping the Hidden Power of Music and Chant, Russill focuses on the four streams of the Nada Yoga system: mantra (sound), mudra (sacred gestures), pranayama (yogic breathing), and dhyana (meditation).

“When talking about music”, Paul explains, “…each note has intrinsic properties that generate healing, wholeness, and love.”