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Adam Shaikh "Fusion", CD Review (ambient)
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BrettFromTibet
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
61
Posts :
749
Posted : Aug 12, 2004 20:49
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Review of Adam Shaikh: “Fusion” CD
Released August 2004, by Sonic Turtle Music, B.C. , Canada
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Some ambient albums take a while to grow on you, and reveal their delicacy after several careful listens. This was not the case with “Fusion”, the newest release by Adam Shaikh (“shake”). Within moments of opening the package & sliding it into my decks, the soundscape soothed me and completely grabbed my attention. It was as if I had just escaped the streets of a third-world urban hellhole in heat wave, right into a air-conditioned luxury suite. I found the same feeling of instant bliss and relaxation.
The album title, “Fusion”, very much lives up to the actual musical content. A lot of recent ambient crossover hits have been masala melting-pots with world music themes…like Shpongle’s “Tales of the Inexpressible“… or cross-genre electronic explorations, like Abakus’ “That Much Closer to the Sun“. I think this one continues the tradition, with top style. The disc contains a mysterious aura… a sweet essential nectar … properly mixed, shaken, stirred, strained, and bottled with perfection under the guidance of Mr. Shaikh. “Fusion” is a delicate, yet daring audio experiment that could have easily gone sour or funny tasting. But by musical expertise and a golden touch, it stands strong as a hybrid blend of heady flavors, with no preservatives or GMO varieties.
Talk about variety, instruments and layers! We hear sounds that were never meant to go together, but somehow came out smooth & delicious. The musical content is almost as multi-faceted and exotic as Shulman’s “In Search of a Meaningful Moment”, but in a much more organic way. It doesn’t smell like plastic vapors, and no soldering irons or robot-droids were used in the production process. Far more terrestrial than alien, the album seems to mix well with earthly delights like lush trees, summer evenings with neon sunsets, or incense and soft carpets.
The sound and production quality is sufficiently modern, and the vibe has come a long way from traditional, beatless ambient. It’s actually quite rhythmic, percussive…even provocative in moments. The real joy of this album is the sublime, actual “fusion” - where a whole panorama of modern ambient sub-genres sounds are effortlessly woven.
Here are just some of the treats I found snuggled deep in the mix:
-- Fat, chunky basslines sound like they were plunked down by Bill Laswell himself
-- Beautiful flutes with a twinge of the Shpongle majesty
-- Indian string instruments, honey-smooth kiritan vocals, pattering tablas : all with perfect Western musical taste and direction…
-- Xylophonic rainbow melodies, gamelan scales like “Padmasana”
-- Ethno-tribal sound design, up there with Kaya Project
-- Tosca-like loungey segments, moments of accessible clarity.
-- Neo-roots dub that would impress Augustus Pablo, and the Interchill crew, too!
-- Soft Goa melodies and psy-trance rhythms (!!)
-- Adept atmospheric synthizers like the peak moments of Saffi Bros or Solar Fields.
-- Seriously smokin’ tribal percussion, like the best drum circle you ever saw , on a CD
-- Latin rhythms, euro flavors, smooth hip-hop scratching, vocal jams
There are loads of acoustic instruments plucked by guest master musicians…plus a low key mix of percolating hydroponic rhythms, and a carefully placed little bleep or two. It sounds quite slow-crafted and authentic, rather than a medley of Sample Pak pasting. A nice sound to win over die-hard acoustic purists, and wake them up to the music of the 21st century!
Every track on this CD seems like a highlight; there is no obvious filler or “skip” tracks. But this is a review, so I’ll try to point out a just a few moments that gave me chills:
Track #4, “Infusion “ sounds like a sharper, cleaner 6 megapixel image of the magical mindscape that Bill Laswell and friends chase after in their collaborations… Behind closed eyelids I see an underwater, kelp-green fantasia with happy sea creatures, murky bass grooves, wicked percussion dialogues … tapping and pummeling like exotic bodywork. Virtuoso electric guitar (by Tim Floyd) smoothly wailing, makes the mind go sailing…while the soft chimes tinkle and whispers soothe and fluff the head out…
Track #6 "Gayatri Mantra Shuffle" starts off as a rather average ethno score with drone sounds & prominent vocals… until Goa-trance melodies march into the mix rather suddenly 4:24”… and strangle the past with the future. An exhilarating effect on the mind-body continuum!
Track #9, "Shake It" , is a tribal percussion jam that is rock-solid, and reminiscent Australian rhythm masters Ganga Giri… percussion strong enough to knock you on the ground, and tap the kundalini through the blockages, up the spine and through the crown, back into the black hole at the center of the universe …Boom!
I really want learn more about this cutting-edge diamond polisher, the sonic dubmiester extraordinaire known as Adam Shaikh. All I know is that he hangs out in B.C., and makes some of the most refreshing new music I have ever heard. I really look forward to seeing him perform one day!
There’s a lot of superb sounds being released now days, and great labels with strict quality control…but inevitably some releases become more essential than others. I don’t produce ambient music, but have been collecting it for over 10 years - living, loving and dreaming to it. My opinion is that “Fusion” markedly surpasses any of the other releases of 2004, and makes some of the albums that have gotten recent hype - look a little bit flabby. It’s really hard to stand in the shadow of this dazzling, unique gem of a CD by Sonic Turtle. Suitable for home listening, driving, and several styles of downtempo DJ sets. As far as I’m concerned, “ Fusion” is a neo-ambient masterpiece, and a total winner!
Rating: Buy.
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Review by brettfromtibet@yahoo.com
CD Available@
http://www.sonicturtle.com/buyreleases.html
http://www.backroadsmusic.com
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psunspot
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
294
Posted : Aug 13, 2004 04:00
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dude more reviews like that please.  i gotta come listen to this one. sounds like its got everything  |
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The Green Channel
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
41
Posts :
1025
Posted : Oct 3, 2005 10:25
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I loved you’re review, very well written .
Style: Shamanic-spiritual-chill-out.
I think this album should be categorized as a masterpiece;
It’s a spiritual voyage into different dimensions of reality.
In contrast to most of the so-called psychedelic music that’s being released at present, this album is actually capable of bringing you into a state-of-trance.
His usage of drums is sublime and shamanic to the bone. Adham Sheikh really understands the fundamental principles of shamanic drumming. At times it sounds like one of those spectacular drumming CD´s that you can buy from the internet, that are created especially for shamanic experiences, flights into hyperspace and or falling in the loop-hole.
Most electronic producers use drums, because they feel that they sound groovy, Adham Sheikh has a completely different agenda, a spiritual intend.
His make use of a Gayatari mantra, is mind-blowing.
This album is much more intelligent in terms of psychedelia then 99 out of 100 albums that pretend to be psychedelic.
However I have a slight feeling that some people will not like this album.
The people who think that the psychedelic scene is only about music and that there is nothing spiritual about psychedelic music, might be offended by the immense emphasis on spirituality in this album as a whole.
10/10,
Favourites:
The whole album, but .”8”. !!!! (One of the best tracks that I have heard during last couple of years)
P.s:
Recommended for ceremonial usage of AYAHUASCA.
 "Love is a way of life"
(Gaia, Love, Nature, Shamanism (.2A.y.0a.hu.1a.sc.2a.), Terence McKenna) |
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arash
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
41
Posted : Oct 3, 2005 13:35
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yeah, indeed it is wonderful... |
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Pt.
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
236
Posts :
6106
Posted : Oct 7, 2005 17:18
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Why cant I find any Adam Shaikh albums on the more "popular" shops like psyshop, saikosounds.com ect? And why isnt there any info on Adam Shaikh on discogs.com?
Great review, Adam Shaikh is magic, be avare!
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NEO
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
27
Posts :
648
Posted : Oct 7, 2005 18:01
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Kire-naj>Try 'Adham Shaikh'.
BTW,I Loved "Essence" album,will hear his new album soon.
p.s-Thats a great review you got there brett
dance like you're selling nails. |
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sam i am
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
712
Posted : Oct 10, 2005 08:44
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It's OK.. didn't think it was that great
some nice sounds... good for "world music" fans
I think it's better than the Abakus album by the way
much less cheesy
or maybe just cheesy in a different kinda way (world)
track 10's great though
new Hadal Drop album on the way
if you don't have the last one get in touch |
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Outolintu
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
1477
Posted : Oct 10, 2005 20:29
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for me the album has gotten better the more i've played it. i think i had false expectations about it and now as i listen to the album as it is, i start to enjoy it.
the fusion idea is interesting but for me there could've been less 4/4 kickdrum parts.
also the structure in some tracks is a bit odd (sometimes breaking the flow with not so suitable mood/rhythm changes and some tracks don't seem to be heading anywhere really).
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Meta-Morphosis
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
216
Posts :
4980
Posted : Jun 7, 2009 12:50
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Music for the rituals.
“What we need is the development of the Inner Spiritual man, the unique individual, whose treasure is hidden in the symbols of our mythological tradition and in man’s unconscious psych.” - CJ Jung |
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