Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field I’ll meet you there.
When the world lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn’t make any sense.
- Rumi
a one-hour ambient mix inspired by the few quiet moments in Indian movie Rockstar (2011).
set list:
Pine - Olan Mill (2010) The Meeting Place - A.R. Rahman for Rockstar (2011) Watching It Unfold - Lawrence English (2009) Rokuu - Illuha (2011) To The Order Of Night - Balmorhea (2010) Soaring Beyond - Badmarsh & Shri (2001) A Difficult Year - Flights (2012) Þú Ert Jörðin - Ólafur Arnalds (2010) H In New England - Max Richter (2008) Late Anthropocene - Brian Eno (2010) Lokaðu augunum - Ólafur Arnalds (2009) Restless Mystic - A.R. Rahman for Raavanan (2010) The Jaguar Sun - Helios (2009) Ice glass - Gustavo Santaolalla for Nanga Parbat (2010) The Rip - Portishead (2008)
i’ve had lots on my plate lately with my final exams coming up but strangely, that didn’t keep me away from all those marvellous new albums that just got released. the new outing from veteran Lambchop and live recordings from new band Flights (free DL) can both fit on a long road trip. So does Olan Mill, which i rediscovered since after listening to Alex Smalley on the post-rock paper scissors podcast.
on the Bollywood side of things, i’ve been singing along to practically all the songs of Rockstar after watching the movie twice. this truly is a masterpiece from A.R. Rahman and Imtiaz Ali, so it deserved to make a re-appearance on my top list. then there’s that odd music album from established composers Vishal-Shekhar that got released this month, one that reminded me of Amit Trivedi’s No One Killed Jessica that released at the same period last year. Hard-hitting, experimental, requiring tough singing performances from the likes of Javed Bashir, Usha Uthup, Sukhwinder Singh and even Amitabh Bachchan, don’t miss this one.
to say i’ve enjoyed 5 albums this month wouldn’t be right. truth is i’ve day in day out stuck to A.R. Rahman’s latest work for the movie Rockstar. in fact for a whole week i was obsessed with the Sufi piece Kun Faaya Kun before switching to the rest. Rockstar is a singer’s dream. i’m kind of jealous of Mohit Chauhan who’s been chosen as the only voice for Ranbir Kapoor in the movie.
i’ll add 2 more records to the list:
Radiohead - TKOL RMX 1234567 (2011)
Tinariwen - Amassakoul (2004)
Radiohead’s collaborative remixes for The King of Limbs is a perfect follow-up to one of the year’s best records; it’s been a perfect work companion as well for a couple of times. a must-buy IMO.
and last, Tinariwen! why? because i got to see them live earlier this month and it’s been one of my greatest experiences being there right up in front, clapping for hours alongside other people who consider these musicians as gods. incidentally, after Tassili, i had to go back and revisit their previous records.
that’s it. i don’t have five but three records despite bookmarking dozens of them. blame the sheer genius of Rahman who has kept me singing Phir Se Ud Chala, Jo Bhi Main, Saadda Haq, Kun Faaya Kun, etc during these last few weeks.
the latest A.R. Rahman soundtrack for Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar came out last week. this is the opening track, incidentally the first song recorded for the movie back in July.
it shifts from a village mood (chorus, mandolin) to a more techno beat in the second half. a singer’s delight, it’s crooned by Mohit Chauhan like all the other songs for Ranbir Kapoor in the movie. and what lyrics by Irshad Kamil!
“kabhi khud se bhi main milaa nahin, yeh gilaa toh hain main khafaa nahin” I haven’t even met myself, I have a complaint that I haven’t been been angered yet
(all names i’ve mentioned so far will be showered with awards next year)
