Customer Reviews

Duniya

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I just discovered this cd and am very pleased with its overall sound, direction, and, tastefulness. This is well thought out and flawlessly put together delivering music that one can really get into and listen to. Lots of different sounds and I wouldn't limit it to Indian/Middle Eastern influence, although it's obviously there. This music is world class and draws on many influences. One of the previous posters mentioned the Eno/Byrne influence of My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts. A very good observation as this is a cd without equal. Duniya draws a certain comparison with 'Bush of Ghosts', but that is really not their direction. They are definitely up there on my current list, but, a 5 star rating will come when I hear a more unique sound which I think they are fully capable of and I don't say that with any snobbishness, only with hope! They remind me a bit of Enigma, an influence that I hope they can shake off and chart new territory. Other than that, they are well on their way to having a very successful and creative future.

Even though I'm a big fan of Loop Guru I only gave this album 4 Stars. I think its an excellent album but compared to 'Amrita' and 'Loop bites dog' its my least favorite. I think its their most commercial album so far and therefore appealing to a wider audience than their others. Which is no mistake of course, but make sure you check out their other albums as well. They have some of that uniqueness and musical excellence that sets Loop Guru apart from other ethnical-elecronic bands!

I have all of their cds and even a few trace cuts on other cd mixes. They pick up where Byrne and Eno left off in "My Life in the Bush Of Ghosts". There are samplings from everything from L. Ron Hubbard to George Martin's horn sections with the Beatles. Their work is nothing short of brilliant with the occasional twist of Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. To put them in a music genre is rude, they are by themselves. Transglobal Underground would be next on my list after these guys and gals. Good listening and crank it up! cheers bin_emir

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.

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!

From the first beat, Duniya evokes simultaneous feelings of peace and of energy. The visions it stirs are that of Mayan and Native American conquests and of these two cultures connection with the universe around them. Along with the Eastern influences, Duniya will satisfy the hungry soul and quiet the harshest critics.

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

This is the best Loop Guru CD in my opinion. Trancelike, ethereal, especially "The Chamber". The best driving-through-the-San-Luis-Valley-Colorado-with-flocks-of-birds-flying-with-you music there is! This CD is one of my top 10 if I-was-stranded-on-a-desert-island-and-only-had-10-CDs-to-have along with Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, Beethoven's 6th and 7th symphonies and a 1969 Grateful Dead show. Pretty lofty company!

Sorry guys, but I just don't understand all the recent incredibly glowing reviews. This stuff is OK - the 30-second clips on Amazon sound very nice, but what you don't realize until you hear the entire songs is there is a LOT of repetition of both melody and sound/voice samples. A band like Kammerflimmer Kollektief or Lemon Jelly can get away with repetitive melodies because their sampling is so interesting and varied, but on "Duniya" there are just too many instances of the same sounds and voice snippets being repeated over and over. The music is pleasant, and the intertwining of various cultures was perhaps more groundbreaking in 1995, but nearly 15 years later there are more engaging and dynamic choices in electronica/world fusion.

Wonderful album by one of the first groups to really meld all their ethnic & elecgtronic influences into a cohesive "whole".

Makes me feel like I am on naked, trippin' and on top of Mount Kailash with the with the wind blowing through my hair and electricity running through my body...

Loop Guru are one of my biggest influences !