Duniya

A great fusion of the ancient and modern:
In the 1960's, the Western world made a profound discovery. Indian and Middle Eastern music were trippy. Suddenly, Bob Dylan albums found themselves next to Ravi Shankar in peoples' record collections. Around that same time another discover came about. Electronic sounds could produce a whole new musical sub-genre. Therefore, it was inevitable that the two would one day come together. The results - a sheer delight. Unlike its more dance-driven cousin, this album does not bombard you with pounding and monotonous rhythms. Instead it follows the polyrhythmic sensibilities of world music at its core. It is the gentle use of electronics and remixing that bring the sounds up to date and fuse with them to create a marvelous new sound. I confess I don't know who first decided to remix Sudanese folk music or loop a piece of a raga, but this album is a great example of this style. I like to think of it as ethno-techno. Music of the desert or temple meets the digital age. A great addition to anyone's music collection.

Trancendental but no Maharishi:
Music like this is hard to review because the normal criteria do not apply. This album appeals to me for a whole variety of reasons. In it's structure it is reminiscent of Terry Riley with the repetitive structure and of course this type of structure is prevelant in the music of British club culture. It seems more of chill-out music rather than trance but I am not an expert in the minutie of the differences. Certainly it ranks with the ambient decadence of William Orbit's 'Strange Cargo III' in it's musical form and is extremely pleasant to listen to. Having said that as one listens closely this album betrays multiple levels of audio enjoyment, aural delight even. One of the most pleasing developments in popular music to come out of perfidious Albion in recent years has been the explosive cross fertilization of musical ideas, styles and content. This is certainly a musical melting pot and Loop Guru have done an incredible service bringing this music to a broader spectrum of listeners. They meld music fronm the Indian sub-continent with techno beats, blending electronika with modern classical. I would imagine that this has outstanding impact when played loud and my own experience with listening to this in a quiet, medative setting with incense and headphones was one of intense pleasure. Loop Guru have done an admirable job with this album which is really excellent. Not my favourite but that is another story for another time.

Groovy guru:
Yeah...I like this CD. I have had it for a while and kind of put it away because I didn't get much out of it at first listen. Then I put it on in my car and sort of lost myself...even missed my exit... I think I agree with a previous reviewer who said that this was repetitive, but I think that's what I like about this record. It is hypnotic - isn't that what a lot of trance, hip-hop is supposed to be? The beats on this record are fantastic. The last track - the third chamber part 4 - goes on for more than 21 minutes. I think it would make an excellent background song if you were trying to seduce someone... Enjoy... Peace

Unspeakable Spiritual Journey.........:
This is a very good album in my opinion. It awakens some wierd fellings at certain points in the listening journey. If you like ambient Enigma style music then definately check this out!

This is superb! Definitely the best Loop Guru release ever!:
The review below from Canada is out to lunch people! This is the BEST Loop Guru release bar none! Remember the film "Entrapment" with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery? Yes, that was an exotic Loop Guru track from this CD you heard in the background during the movie. To say this is "repetitive and boring" reflects more on the dust collecting review containing such nonsense! If you only buy one Loop Guru CD, it's gotta be "Duniya!"