Customer Reviews

Signs

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

 

 

When their first Cd came out it representd the more lighter fun loving side of the massive asian undergound movement they are a integral part of. By releaseing this cd they have taken a small step towards becoming a little bit more serious and different than their previous albums or their counterparts. The songs on this Cd, at least to me, have shiftted more towards big beat styles rather than jungel or drums and base. Also the have reduced the influence of indian rythems in their songs. The raggamuffin vibes of UK Apache work very well too. What i like the most about htei Cd is the way everything just goes so well together. Production value is of the highest caliber and the mixing is flawless. There are fast paced foot thumping tunes to super cill ballads. This is a great buy and i high high highly recomended it to anybody....not only to the fan of the asian undergound( for whome its a must have).

I personally find this a very genreless cd, it flows well from end to end, has high quality production, its funky, different and most importantly, its listenable time and time again. Don't try and compare it to Talvin or Tabla Beat Science because it isn't them. What it is, is a great excursion thru a crossbreed of musical styles. Perfectly executed and very precise. Throw it in the car and go for a nice ride out in the country.

I was a big fan of Badmarsh & Shri's first collaborative effort "Dancing Drums," and I felt assured that any successive output would at least be decent; their musicianship is too good to suggest otherwise. "Signs" is decidedly different from their debut - it's mellower, more fluid and complex. It may not cause you to tap your foot as much as "Dancing Drums" did (particularly their great, booty-shaking cover of "Mathar"), but so what? Now you have a wider range of music from these guys to enjoy, and it's all good.

I bought this record on the recommendation of a friend. With so much electronic music flooding the market, this album truly stands out; very much on the trip-hop/ percussive side. I seem to have been seducted by this cd, because it's still in my car cd player.

Ever see those futuristic sci-fi movies that attempt to have "future" music? Well, don't wait for some lame version of a rehashed electro-disco, just buy this to see some of music's infinite future potential.

The first track is worth the price of the disc alone with an intriguing mix of MC UK Apache's voice over an absolutely driving bass line (fretless, no less) accompanied by some amazing mix of percussion and keyboard/sampling work. The rest of the album jumps from a dancehall style to house to ambient..it's rather hard to get bored but it is also not too mixed-up to make listening a chore.

I really enjoy the mix of instruments, ranging from electronics, fretless bass and turntables to strings to sitar. There are some very good guests also appearing on the disc to complement Badmarsh and Shri's rather great talents.

This is definitely a keeper...

I decided to check out this album after reading about the intriguing new sounds coming from London's Asian Underground. Here Badmarsh & Shri combine standard techno and DJ techniques with the sounds of their Indian heritage and other types of world music. This leads to some great new sounds, especially in this album's first two tracks, "Signs" and "Swarm." Also, in "Get Up" they have finally found a fresh new way to use James Brown's "get up/get on up" couplet that has been rehashed by a billion rappers. But this album tends to run out of steam after those first three great tracks, as it moves into experimental doodling. Granted, some of the sounds are interesting, such as the sitar in "Appa," the heavy tabla drums in "Tribal," or the mellow mood created by the sparse acoustic guitar and flute in "Soaring Beyond." Unfortunately, the album that can't quite hold up throughout the running time, and many of the remaining tracks are just basic techno that do little to rise above the derivative. A little more focus and clarity of purpose on this album would surely help.

I'm glad I bought this. However, I'm not as keen on the first track as another reviewer (mainly because of the wailing unrelenting strings and plodding rhythm, which don't fit with the vocals). Track 2 is ok. I usually start this disc at track 3, and from that point on I love the varied rhythms and instruments. I'm just getting into Asian-influenced electronica and don't know how this compares with other works, but if you like 18th Street Lounge stuff, you'd probably like this.

This is a must for your Asian Underground collection. With so much similar styled music in the electronica genre, the asian underground is a fresh creative break from the mainstream dance. Badmarsh & Shri are masters of the drum and bass with melody that is genius.

I love it when I put a CD in and I just can't help but smile. This CD is technically and musically awesome. I didn't give it 5 stars because some of the songs are a little slow but overall this is a great purchase.

SIGNS continues Badmarsh & Shri's Indo-techno, though this release sounds fuller than their first album. The drums on the title track, for instance, have a depth that was lacking earlier (the vocals help as well), while "Swarm" has some acid going on. There's also a prominent dub presence, whether in different guest vocalists or in the deeper bass hits. "Day by Day" works better as a pop song than "The Air I Breathe," and the female Indian vocals on "Sajanna" approach blissfulness. Indeed, the delicacy of "Soaring Beyond" and "The Last Mile" shows them stronger at establishing moods. But their beat-craft remains solid too, as on the the breaks and rhythmic chattering of "Bang." "Appa" ends the album on a sweet, almost tender, note. A strong step forward.