Various Artists The Rough Guide to the Asian Underground
One glance at the tracklisting and you might think, “Where the hell is Talvin Singh?” […]
One glance at the tracklisting and you might think, “Where the hell is Talvin Singh?” But after reading seven pages of liner notes, you learn that he’s Mahatma T, whose tablatronic “Jihad” is included. The disc opens with the late Ananda Shankar’s “Streets of Calcutta,” a precursor to later Bollywood crossovers, while Asian Dub Foundation, TJ Rehmi and Mo Magic stand out by repping the d&b camp solidly. If a bit unfocused, the disc is a good primer, but probably not the best bet for those who remember when these beats were still hot from the tandoori oven.