Asian Flava
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SATURDAY 22nd NOVEMBER
Backroom's First Ever Desi Party
DJs Guru + Raz + Guests doing what they do best
Special deals on bottles of Smirnoff and Johhnie Walker Black Label
COVER : $100
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The biggest Desi DJs from the UK will be visiting Hong Kong for one night.
Known through BBC Asian Network and BBC 1Xtra in London, Markie Mark & Bobby Friction will spin the hottest desi beats, Hip Hop and R'n'b.
This is on a Wednesday so make sure your workload for Thursday morning is free as you won't want to leave the dancefloor at this party!
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As most Indians in HK are preparing away for the upcoming tradeshows, prior to leaving your spouses family and friends, the good olâ party boys are throwing you a small farewell in the heart of Wan Chai!
More importantly, the Venue is hosting itâs first ever Desi event, something that has been in demand for a long time. With DJs Guru and Raz manning the decks, a long bar serving up all the booze you could require, and a dance floor that rocks with a blowout sound system, the only thing you need to bring with you is a mind of shaanti and a wallet stacked with reds notes.
Hereâs what you need to know to be there:
Saturday October 8th
Location: Venue, Wan Chai
Bollywood and Bhangra breaks and beats
Plus RnB and House
With DJs Guru + Raz
10.30 pm till late
Check out flyer at the following link: http://hkdesigigs.s5.com/
DJs Guru and Raz have been bringing you the best and the latest in Asian and Hindi music over the last half-decade. Both Djs continue to do what they do best, and hope that your support for them will only increase!
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The most obvious thing about this album is how simple and pure it is. It is a blessing that Rohan has made his music available to all, because really it is for all. It is not worth missing out on this widely varied yet simplistic approach to what is now known as fusion music.
The album progresses from electronica to reggae, calypso to world beat and ska to acoustic. It would never occur to you that Rohan is a self-taught musician, and this album proves him as a pioneer in his music and not just someone whoâs done a makeover job on someone elseâs work.
With light tablas swinging the grooves, smooth female vocals, catchy acoustic riffs, and earthy beats (nothing like the heavier beats and basslines of most Asian underground producers), your ears experience heavenly treatment, done with quality and style.
Tracks to look out for are âTrippinâ which takes us back to his Jamaican roots, âRootsâ, the title track, and for the lounge lovers, the Lounge Remix of âSirenâs Songâ. The album is fresh, itâs pure, but simply put, itâs a musical journey definitely worth embarking on.
For more, check out http://www.rohanmusic.com
Review by DJ Guru
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Try putting an Indian flute over heavy urban club beats, catchy choruses and an element of pop-rock (like you havenât heard it several times over already), and you have in front of you an album that cannot fail. The original vision of the duo from Scandinavia was as simple as exploring the fusion of western beats and grooves by the producer-team of WCA (Thomas Sardorf and Janus Barnewitz) and the Hindi/Punjabi vocalist Naf (Navtej Singh Rehal).
Despite how straight-forward the album sounds, there are undoubtedly a few tracks that will blew my mind. âAri Ari Ari â Part 1â was in fact their first release, but my personal choice for a guaranteed crowd pleaser would be âRock the Partyâ. There is no way Nafâs catchy vocal hooks wonât keep you on your feet.
There seems to be a major lack in effort when it comes to sustaining a level of maturity and intelligence in the lyrics. As creative as the beats are, the English vocals are pretty confined to what we hear on MTV Base and the whole âBling Bling Hip Hop sceneâ.
But, this is a sign of improvement, and massive potential. Having to live upto the high standards of similar acts such as Stereo Nation and the Rishi Rich Project will not be easy for them. But that does not mean they wonât make it!
Look out for Bombay Rockers in Hong Kong in the near future, and in the mean time, check out their site, http://www.bombayrockers.com
Review by DJ Guru
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Only few artists on the Bhangra scene have managed to keep their name up over the years. The popular life of a bhangra artist is often shortlived, as so many just come and go with one-hit wonders. However, one duo which has managed to keep their name both on top of and behind the scenes of both the studio and the club, is Tigerstyle.
The pair have been given underrated credit for being the spark and edge to in the post-production of a lot of albums. More importantly, it is time for Asia to feel the wrath of their Mixtapes. Everybody Indian is overjoyed when they hear the tabla accompanying their favourite RnB track, but this time there is a bit more than the tabla. This is the true sound of âasian urbanâ music.
Both their ghost produced tracks as well as their own releases are pushing their name up the musical charts, such as BBC Radio 1âs Bobby Friction and Nihal. But now, the duo are doing more for the fans who have continued to enjoy their taste for new and original ideas; theyâve started up their own record label, âSoldier Soundsâ. The aim of this label is to: âto explore the roots of desi and bhangra culture, and rework the music into a dance floor revolution, fronted by Djâs, Producers and solo artists. As hip hop has becomes a protocol, a universal language for people of all backgrounds, it exists as a stage for people to express themselves.â
This album is jammed with floor-fillers, and these are the ones I vouch for you to be grinding the dancefloor to:
Ishq Nagni ft. Labh Janjua and Mr Vegas
Karmasutra ft Bikram Singh, Blitzkrieg and Shakti
Kala Shah Kala ft Hema Sharma
Iâd list them all, off both albums even, but these three just stand out over the others.
Review by: DJ Guru
Check out http://www.tigerstyle.com
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âItâs about getting away from all the politics and all the rubbish that I think inundate the media.â If more artists could integrate this concept into their musical work, I think we would be seeing more albums like Philtre, Nitin Sawhneyâs most recent.
Once again, his work does his talent and interest in lifeâs most simplest ideologies justice. This time heâs collaborated with an extraordinary line-up of world musicians, including the Spanish collective Ojos de Bujo, and more intriguingly, âRagdollâ features an original Hindi poem sung by his own mother.
If there is an artist who knows how to express himself in the truest form, it is none other than Nitin. His knowledge from his travels around the globe are so strongly emphasised in even the intricacies of his musical artworks. It is impossible to describe the feeling of this album with words; flamenco rhythms, rolling drum ân bass, and a mix-bag of asian treats fused over laidback beats and basslines.
You canât not like this album; it WILL appeal to anyone even if you donât know you lack appreciation for good music.
Review by DJ Guru
Check out http://www.nitinsawhney.com
Also, find out more about Nitin Sawhney in a recent interview:
http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/nitinsawhneyx18x04x05
