V/A - Sky Dancing: Nada Masala Vol. 3

[abasio]

Various Artists

Sky Dancing: Nada Masala Vol. 3

2003

 

Tracklist

 

1 Makyo - Pashyanti (Deeply Dubbed Mix) (9:42)

2 Ascendence - Marathon (9:26)

3 Bageshree - Bhakti (6:53)

4 Karsh Kale - Ashes (5:05)

5 Macchiato - Kenya AA (10:57)

6 Jaïa - Evolving To Outside (9:52)

7 Essa 3 - Sundial (9:44)

8 Jairamji - Temple (15:47)

 

Dakini Records third compilation is another of their standout works. With real ethnic sounds, not some copy & paste sample crap but music with real soul & originality. A collection of familiar artists & some completely unknown to me, almost all of it is exactly what I would expect from Dakini with a few pleasant surprises along the way (and one not so pleasant).

 

 

1. Makyo - Pashyanti (Deeply Dubbed Mix)

A long intro of basically just flute & some stabs of synth before the beats kick into a dubby track (as the title would suggest). As with most of Makyo's music, it is very believable ethnic lounge ambient with modern production to give it a clean yet rustic feel. The extremely soft vocals float under the music & manage to get into my head subtly taking over my cognitive processes so i can do nothing but just sigh in contentment. The twisted vocal in the final run is intoxicatingly powerful as the other one was beautifully subtle. As the beats leave, all we are left with is the ambient drone & the nice flute melody and some English words spoken by a haunting voice. Great entrance to the ambient journey ahead.

 

2. Ascendence - Marathon

This one slowly builds up the sounds in the beginning, from just a slight bassline, introducing the ambience & the sub beats before the main beat kicks in. Imagine a huge sofa in the back room of an Asian club watching the people slowly dance & you'll get the feeling of this track. Energetic yet relaxed, ethnic yet classy . More sounds are introduced as others are dropped to keep it progressing while not cluttering it up. It's a nice track but far from the best on the album & maybe a bit too long

 

3. Bageshree - Bhakti

This starts of with the sound of monks chanting & big chords played on an organ like out of the phantom of the opera. The serene vocals come in both long chants & spoken word which really feels like this track is going to be a lovely relaxed ambient track that paints pictures of misty Chinese mornings. But then it kicks off into what sounds like Hindi singing & is apparently ancient Hindu Bhajan but to be honest sounds like some cheesy Indian pop track. This could really be on a commercial on a "silly ads from around the world show" with sexy Indian people dancing in traditional wear. As with usual Dakini tracks, it sounds very authentic but something about the pop aspect of the music rubs me the wrong way. Even the way it just fades out in the end is very lazy pop style. Such a promising start never really reached it's potential.

 

4. Karsh Kale - Ashes

A similar pace to the last track, quite upbeat, but with a much nicer sound. Flute, guitar & best of all, a piano make up the melodic aspect of the track in a very subtle way. The melody never really forms a coherent tune but the way the sounds move in & out & interact with each other more than make up for the lack of tune & everytime I hear it (even if it's twice in a row) it sounds fresh. The early pace, while not slackened seems more relaxed somehow. The beats are nice chilled out breakbeats & move the track in a fixed motion. Best track so far on the comp. So far

 

5. Macchiato - Kenya A A

Keeping up the pace with this one, straight into the beat with very little in the form of an intro. Little spacey sounds fall down around the beat & synth line like shooting stars while some ethnic voices can be heard half muttered in the background. It gives the track an earthy mystical feel, like standing on the crest of a hill in the early stages of nightfall, watching the stars fall out of the sky miles from civilisation but safe & warm. The vocals progress into twisted Deep Forest-esque chants with a little more local charm. Nice track overall.

 

6. Jaia - Evolving to the Outside

This is one of those tracks that just makes you want to scream at Yannis for not making a full length chilled album filled with goodies of this style & quality. Jaia, as with everything he touches, has done wonders with this sound. Using the ethnic model he has created a track that is structured & building in a way that constantly progresses through the whole nigh on 10 minute duration. From the soft ambient intro, with a lot of slick sounds & a short repeating melody in the background to when the beats kick in with a bassline that manages to sound as technological as the intro sounded natural. As different as the two were, they become mixed in the second half of the track. The melody comes to the front & beats jump a little higher but land a little more softly. An infectious track to say the least, makes the head & the body bounce while the falling ambient synth line cuts through my mind like a hot knife through butter. Great stuff from Jaia.

7. Essa 3 - Sundial

More relaxed stuff now, with Jaia linking the middle section of the comp with the more chilled ending. There are beats, & they drive the track in a nice loungey way. The whole ambience of the track though is rushing through the sky type stuff. The melody is quite high pitched & techy but everything else is so down to earth & natural sounding that they somehow make it fit. This is a track that really makes me want to sit in a huge easy chair, somewhere warm & dark & close my eyes. The melody in the final run is so uplifting that as you sit there listening to it you can really feel yoursefl being flown high among the clouds. Great stuff.

8. Jairamji - Temple

A perfect way to end the compilation. A 16 minute journey through aural landscapes of the far east of your mind. Jairamji is at his very best here (which is saying something) this is a track that every ethnic chill fan should have, every ambient fan should have. Hell, if you like music you should be checking this track out. Masterfully built up in the time it's given, the flute in the intro which is accompanied by very subtle percussion & sounds of an imaginary gathering twists & turns nicely by itself & work well with the softly yelled ethnic cries. The melody comes in and sounds like it falling all over me, the sound cascades around my aural senses complimenting the flute perfectly. Deep Forest-esque chants from ethnic children give an eerie sense of reality as do all the sounds used. This track could be in my soundtrack to being lost in Asia, not having a clue what I'm doing. Best track on the album & that includes the Jaia track

 

 

So this compilation starts really well, is almost derailed by the cheesy Indo pop crap of Bageshree - Bhakti but quickly gets back on track & gets better & better until the fantastic tracks in the final part of the album. Worth getting for Jaia, Essa 3 & Jairamji alone but with enough other good tracks to make this an essential purchase.

Proof that one shit track can not ruin a compilation. Just skip track 3 if you are listening to this To be fair, that track is not bad, it just really stands out as nowhere near as good as the rest.

High quality ethnic stuff for sure, a very nice compilation from Dakini.

[Trance2MoveU]

Well said Abasio. I was disappointed UNTIL the Jaia track and was floored by the smooth, mellow Jairamji track Temple. That was absolutely outstanding!

 

Mdk

[p(sy)ayam]

oh yeah! Jairamji's Temple is just AMAZING :clapping:

[abasio]

oh yeah! Jairamji's Temple is just AMAZING :clapping:

This remains my favourite Jairamji track