(Manhattan/EMI)

Two views of Indian music come together

Anoushka Shankar is the daughter of one of India’s most famous musical exports, Ravi Shankar. With him as a teacher, it’s no wonder she has also made her name as a talented sitar player in the classical style. Her last two albums, however, have her moving away from traditional motifs. Karsh Kale, on the other hand, has been transplanting Indian music into an electronica setting for many years now, combining his tabla playing with synths informed by the dancefloor, and working with innovators like Talvin Singh and Bill Laswell. Yet, for all that, the fusion of these two hasn’t turned out as intoxicating as it might seem, with the occasional more sedate or even bland patch. But with others on board, like Bollywood composer Salim Merchant and Gaurav Raina from Midival Punditz, not to mention her father and half-sister Norah Jones, it is still both assured and arresting at the same time. Even Sting’s contribution on Sea Dreamer doesn’t really falter. From the drum & bass-meets-Bombay air of PD7 to the more manipulated feel of Slither, there’s enough inventiveness and elegance to help you overlook the album’s more lacklustre moments.

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BILL HOLDSWORTH

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