Krishna Lila
Unlike many who enter the treacherous realm of dance that combines club rhythms with world music aesthetics, DJ Cheb I Sabbah forgets about "synergy" and trusts the source material and his own musical voice to provide the dance floor impetus. Long stretches ofKrishna Lilaare lifted straight from the sitar-driven classical-folk Indian traditions ofRavi Shankar,Ashwin Batish, and the Middle Eastern tabla rhythms of master percussionists likeZakir Hussain. Even more so than 1999'sShri Durga, Sabbah lends only very subtle production touches to his ragas and drones, spendingLila's running time in a confident glaze. The approach succeeds by recognizing the inherent beats already present and implied in the rich texture of Hindustani musical culture.Durgahad its more mix-oriented follow-up inMaha Maya, so perhaps Sabbah will release a similar companion piece for this record. Until then, he leaves a pack of confused DJs in his wake, while he tries to liberate the tin from some of dance music's more robotically compliant ears.--Matthew Cooke