People's Colony No. 1

People's Colony No. 1

People's Colony No. 1

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
People's Colony No. 1 is a pan-cultural ocean of fat, clubby beats, dub, Asian and Middle Eastern dissonance, and the rhythmic wail of Sufi tradition. Resultantly, this collaborative effort--between Trans-Global Underground's Neil Sparkes and Count Dubulah (here under the moniker Temple of Sound) and Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, nephews of the world's finest and best-loved Qawwali singer, the late Nusrat--is a bewitching blend of dance-floor devotional music. Guest player Jah Wobble lays down the bones with his mighty bass, and Cuban violinist Omar Puente bows Arabic style. Tablas and stellar percussion fill layer upon layer while the Rizwan-Muazzam vocals burn with the ecstatic fervor of young men with a heavy torch. Missing the through-line warmth that'd put this release over the top, People's Colony No. 1 is an uneven though consistently intriguing offering. The singing nephews could use an expanded role throughout, as on the standout opening cut, "The Jewelled Heart." And the band, while always good, is its most shimmering version of gorgeous on the first and last compositions, both of which are, not coincidentally, co-written with Wobble. --Paige La Grone

People's Colony No. 1,Temple of Sound & Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali,Real World,India / Pakistan,Int'l & World Music,Pakistani,Pop,Qawwali,World Music,Worldbeat
People's Colony No. 1
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • rythmic goodness
  • Decent, but not great.
  • Head-on crash 'tween Realworld and Transglobal Underground
 People's Colony No. 1
Temple of Sound & Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali
Manufacturer: Real World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
IndiaIndia | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music
PakistanPakistan | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000056P0Z
Release Date: 2001-07-03

Tracks:

  1. The Jewelled Heart
  2. Solar East
  3. Beloved
  4. Tears Of Light
  5. Paradise Of Nada
  6. Garden Of Perfume
  7. People's Colony No.1
  8. The Palace At 4am
  9. Wheel Of Heaven
  10. Love Moves The Sun

Amazon.com

People's Colony No. 1 is a pan-cultural ocean of fat, clubby beats, dub, Asian and Middle Eastern dissonance, and the rhythmic wail of Sufi tradition. Resultantly, this collaborative effort--between Trans-Global Underground's Neil Sparkes and Count Dubulah (here under the moniker Temple of Sound) and Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, nephews of the world's finest and best-loved Qawwali singer, the late Nusrat--is a bewitching blend of dance-floor devotional music. Guest player Jah Wobble lays down the bones with his mighty bass, and Cuban violinist Omar Puente bows Arabic style. Tablas and stellar percussion fill layer upon layer while the Rizwan-Muazzam vocals burn with the ecstatic fervor of young men with a heavy torch. Missing the through-line warmth that'd put this release over the top, People's Colony No. 1 is an uneven though consistently intriguing offering. The singing nephews could use an expanded role throughout, as on the standout opening cut, "The Jewelled Heart." And the band, while always good, is its most shimmering version of gorgeous on the first and last compositions, both of which are, not coincidentally, co-written with Wobble. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars rythmic goodness.......2004-01-25

I bought this cd not having previously heard anything by its artists. However after listening to it once, I was hooked. The songs have hard-but-flowing beats, hauntingly beautiful vocals, and showcase a variety of different instruments ranging from the amazing tablas to sweet chimes to heavily distorted, rumbling bass. These provide the cd with a modern, dancey sound while still maintaining traditional Indian and East Asian melodies. The songs also lay down crisp details and smooth, circular backgrounds, giving the album a nicely balanced feel...almost like the genres were just waiting to be blended into one. The only drawback? A few of the songs (The Palace at 4 AM and Tears of Light) gave me the feeling they were trying to lead up to something, but couldn't quite reach whatever that something was....other than that this cd has earned itself a high mark. It has the ability to get you up and grooving, even before the beat truly kicks in!

3 out of 5 stars Decent, but not great........2001-09-06

"People's Colony No. 1" is a collaboration that works only about half of the time. The vocals by Rizwan and Muazzam and their backing group are nothing less than superb, but Temple of Sound does an inconsistent job of matching the Pakistani group's power. The formula works best on tracks like "Solar East" and "Tears of Light," with its spooky keyboard sounds and cool tabla playing. The concept of fusing modern instruments with Qawwali singing can and does work (see uncle Nusrat's collaborations with Michael Brook), but here, the electronic backdrops don't effectively engage the more traditional musical elements - it's as if Temple of Sound is trying to ride on Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali's coattails. Still, there is enough interesting material on this album to warrant a few listens. Just be prepared for occasional lapses in musical maturity from the Temple of Sound side of the equation. (One member of TOS actually thinks that referring to himself as "Count Dubulah" is a good idea - need I say more?)

5 out of 5 stars Head-on crash 'tween Realworld and Transglobal Underground.......2001-07-18

I bought this CD not knowing what to expect. I had liked TGUs work in the past, and Temple of Sound is essentially half of TGU. I was unfamiliar with the Sufi singing of the Qawwali, but decided to take a chance.

I'm overjoyed that I did. This CD is excellent.

It's more "world beat" than Transglobal Underground, but there is a strong basis in electronics to most of the songs as well. It's certainly not a thumping techno-CD to throw on at parties, but there is a definite electronic groove and vibe to many of the songs. Dub influences are pretty apparent, and most obvious on the opening track. The singing is actually quite haunting with a mix of droning lower parts and stacatto top end parts. Taken together, the mix of the vocals with the traditional insturments and the electronics makes a very "thick" mix with lots of depth to the sound.

The album also flows together beautifully. While each song is good in its own right, the album feels very coherent and interlocked when listened to in one sitting.

I highly reccomend this album. It sits on the fence between "traditional" world music and global techno, but really benefits from toeing the line, rather than hurting from it. I've tried to just put this on as background music while working, but there are enough great songs ('wheel of heaven' being my favorite) that make me stop whatever i'm doing and just *listen* with my eyes closed. If that's not a good reccomendation, I don't know what is.

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