Sing Out!,
Album Review
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Janaka Selekta has been creating an inspired blend of reggae-influenced Indian electronica for some time. I first came across him seven years ago as co-founder
of Dhamaal SF, a West Coast collective of musical and visual artists evolving images and sounds from their South Asian heritage. In that time I’ve gotten a track here, a remix
there, but Pushing Air is his first full-length effort, initially self-released, and now receiving broader attention to indie start-up label Chaiwalla’s Boombox.
A decent number of producers have tried to work Indian instruments into their digital palate, yet Janaka works backwards,with an obvious knowledge and respect for the traditional music. Steeped in a culture provoked by dubstep, Janaka only borrows the best of those elements, predominantly allowing the Jamaican heritage – profound
bass leading the charge – to take over. He employs real deal classical musicians, such as Bansuri flautist Ajay Prasann, vocalists
Riffat Sultana and Sukhwat Ali Khan, sarangi player Muraadi Ali Khan, bassist Dr. Das, and tabla player Salar Nadar to lay the landscape. Crucial to Indian music has always been the “colorings” which define the songs, and even though he’s working inside an entirely different format, Janaka maintains the effervescence and buoyancy that defines this diverse and emotive musical system. Shards of hip-hop shine through, but the tone and mood are classically South
Asian, with a solid dollop of dub, resulting in a gorgeous evolution of this longstanding tradition. 05/01/11
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