Customer Reviews

Midival Punditz

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a musician, it is always mind-boggling when i hear electronic-based music done so masterfully, as the punditz have done. It may be that electronic music is sort of the untouched final frontier to most of us "legit" musicians, because learning to do what these two guys have done on this CD is like practically learning a whole new field. "Midi"val Punditz = Experts of Electronic Musics.

Dreamlike, exotic, erotic, sensual, spiritual, are all words that describe this CD. Assembling the sounds and soundscapes on every track took intensive creativity. Instead of going track by track, I will only tell you that the entire CD is somewhat of a mystical journey, even when certain tracks are more groove and beat oriented. Also, there is much use of actual indian instruments and percussion that really take the listener (or at least me) beyond the stars. The Midival Punditz take their beautiful Indian culture and metaphorically shine it through a modern prism, giving us this magnificent output.

Like the Six Degrees compiliation Asian Travels 2, on which Midival Punditz has one song included (not from this album), this album (also on Six Degrees records) is more background music than foreground music, with the exception of "Bhangra Fever." There's a lot of beat going on but not necessarily danceable beat; I don't know the term for it--would it be drum & bass? Vocals are heavily reverbed and ethereal, giving the album a dreamy quality.

By far, my favorite song on the album is "Bhangra Fever." Unlike the other songs on this album, this one JAMS! It's a rowdy, upfront beat tune that is carried by a powerful sitar melody but made rowdy by the repeated (sampled) rhythmic male group vocal, "Hey! Hey!"

A few songs forgo that "drum & bass" (?) beat and become more ambient, such as "Night," "Forest Dreams," and "Dark Age," all on the latter part of the album. Which brings me to another point: I have two similar albums--the aforementioned Asian Travels 2, and Black Bombay, and both of those fizzle out the last few songs. On this album, however, I like the second half of the album better than the first half.

Inventive, ethereal Indian club music...this is an enjoyable album that was among my top 15% favorites of 2003.

One Thing abt this album is that it has lot of emotional energy .
The tracks on this album have been in the market for quite a long time like Fabric from Monsoon Wedding which was released in 2001.Anyways My fav. track is Ajmer also dubbed as 'Ajmer Waley /Tragic' in some compilations.
Well Studio Wizardry it is in most of the tracks ..i'll say a lot of the album is probably a remix of original sampled sounds from various indian folk or classical or instrumental records.
After getting signed up the punditz have created some original tracks as there r a few tracks which r new and dont look to have been sampled. But for those of u going gaga over Fabric,Ajmer etc. ,the real brilliance of these tracks r from the artists they were sampled from.Well I could be wrong and am ready to take back my words .
But whatever, it is a great album and 1-2 albums later i can see Midival punditz gaining probably as much respect in the Asian Dub
scene as anyone has .

A genuis masterpiece for the most discerning of audiophiles. This is by far my FAVORITE CD of all ambient music I own. It is original, incredibly creative, sort of puts you into the feeling of being in another dimension. It's a true effort of genuis. I envy the virgin ear who hears this CD for the first time. It leaves me begging for their next CD .... I pray it will be soon!!!

To the guy who said this album is like an enigma album with asian sounds: dude... get outa here. These guys are way more talented than that. They have truly created a "breakthrough" album and have gained the respect of every true asian massive fan out there. It is the only one of its kind to have come out of India. Most local talents dont have the courage to go as far as these guys have. That there is scope for improvement is not in question. But I look forward to what these guys will do next. This (their debut album) was in the works for at least the last 10 years.

I, too, stumbled upon MIDIval Punditz at a Tower listening station and happened to press forward to track #2 by mistake. What I then heard was "Extasis", which convinced me to buy the rest of the CD, no matter what else was on it. "Extastis" was such a rich track and layered on so many levels that it transcended the typical lounge/Buddha Bar feel. I took a big breath when I came home after I spent the money and put the CD in my stereo to hear the rest of it - and man, I wasn't disappointed in the least.

Excellent work - from them giving a new spin on traditional bhangra ("Bhangra Fever") to combining incredible vocals & traditional instruments with studio wizardry (ie. "Ajmer") - there is not one weak track on the entire album. For their debut CD these guys have done an amazing job and are a big plus to the "Asian Massive" movement. I'm definitely looking forward to their next release.

This music is good to hear
it is hypnotic
relax and let go.
I recommend them.

Like electronica with a groove? Like it to have some substance? Do the sounds of India entice you? Does trance sometimes (most of the time)sound empty, lifeless and hollow to you? These guys have done wonders by inserting the 'human factor' into a typically 'cold' genre.

I listen to all sorts of great music. All kinds, all eras, most styles (C&W being the one exception, but Dwight Yoakum works well), so I feel that my perspective is well-rounded.

This is great. Purchase CD asap.

If I were to sum the Punditz wizardry in one word, I'd simply say: MUSIC. The MIDIval Punditz sound refreshingly different from the regular mish-mash of Indian remixers, producers and musicians, and are closer to the sounds of Talvin Singh, Karsh Kale, Nitin Sawney, for example. What I like best about their music is an interpretation of the traditional classical hindustani vocal and ragas into an electronic dance music form (drum and bass)...sounds suprising? but they did it with flair. The Punditz caught my ear after I heard the third track, Fabric, featured on the Monsson Wedding soundtrack. The vocals on track 3 and 8 are absolutely brilliant (track 8 being a rendition of Mirabai's love for Lord Krishna). The vocals, synth-washed atmospheric music, the drum and bass (mostly) beats make this an album for keeps, an definitely transcend the Buddha Bar series of rubbish.
The Punditz are very talented and I hope to hear more of their music being part of the progressive drum and bass genre.

typing this as i listen to this CD...just happened to come across this album at a listening booth at tower records and bought it on the spot...i'm constantly looking for new and different music in the worldbeat/electronic genre and this definitely caught my attention...if you like indian music, i highly recommend this CD...and even if you don't like indian, you'll like it...everyone that i thought might remotely be interested in this kind of music i've played this CD for and all of them really enjoyed it...music for whatever mood you're in--chillin', napping, or just wide awake and jammin'