Kush Arora :: Bhang Ragga: Dancehall Bhangra in Future Dub (Kush Arora Productions, CD)

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(01.24.07) Straight from the outpost of Col. Kurtz, Kush Arora fuses dark-alley ragga with bhangra beats, calling forth sounds from space and subterranea. Rife with audio bubbling straight from an African jungle, Bhang Ragga: Dancehall Bhangra in Future Dub delivers an entirely unique and powerful mix of ghangra, dancehall, dub, and industrial. Known in the software world for his Reaktor mastery, Kush Arora throws the gauntlet down, challenging up and coming dark ragga heads to defeat him for the crown of champion sound.

Kush Arora fuses dark-alley ragga with bhangra beats, calling forth sounds from space and subterranea. Indian MC’s thrown through glitched auto-tuners sing while ragga toasters bark and roar with a thundering authenticity. Each track evolves the base concept without becoming stale. The wide palette of both core genres are well represented and executed. Kush Arora’s programming shares many similarities with that of the more tribal Download; in fact, “Bhang Ragga” could be mistaken for a cEvin Key production. It is the mix of intense vocalists and variance of style that sets Kush Arora apart from his contemporaries.

“Anarchy” explodes with dark dub and fierce passion, while the following track “Sad Corruption” borrows from the more technical side
of glitch-hop. Pulling melodica’s into the mix amid a sonic rainstorm, “Bloody Parasites” vividly creates a dark river in the mind, one rife with life. Other standout tracks include “Koi ne Bole,” a more traditional hip-hop track with Indian vocals and guitar. “Right now” flips the sound with ragga killing music, sonar pings, and fierce stick percussion. One of the finer moments of production and programming is “Technology” with its liquid synths. “British Sucking Desis” conjures a dark synth bass atop almost orchestral arrangements.

Kush Arora’s sound is midnight dark, yet clean. The production is flawless, allowing every subtle sonic nuance to be given the recognition they deserve. Bhang Ragga delivers on every level, grabbing your ears and forcing the listener on a dark African journey through sound by Kush Arora’s master hand.

Bhang Ragga is out now on Kush Arora Productions. Buy it at Amazon.com.

Kush Arora