One criticism that can fairly be leveled at much of London's Asian underground scene is that its willful eclecticism -- throwing together bhangra, house, hip-hop, jungle, and punk with gleefully haphazard abandon -- can sometimes result in a chaotic patchwork that befuddles as much as it pleases. Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, the New Delhi-based duo who record together under the name
MIDIval PunditZ, avoid that pitfall by creating music that is just as funky as that made by, say,
the Asian Dub Foundation and just as respectful of their sources as the work of
Zakir Hussain, but more carefully integrated than either. The bansuri and multi-layered vocals on "Air" are woven into an unusual 12/8 rhythm that gradually unfolds into a more straight-ahead breakbeat trot, while "Far From Home" takes vocals by Vidya Shah and weds them to frenetic but gentle jungle beats, shimmering chimes, and synthetic drones. "Bhangra Fever," a charming ode to the band's hometown, comes closest to the Asian underground mainstream with its fortified dhol loops and percussive chanting. Only the relatively uneventful "Extasis" (which would have been more aptly titled "Stasis") disappoints. Highly recommended to all lovers of pan-global funk. ~ Rick Anderson