Search - Ansuman Biswa, Syzygy, Summit :: East-Westercism 1

On East-Westercism, some of England's more experimental techno musicians mix rhythms and instrumentation from India, Asia, and the Middle East with European dance-floor electronica. As with many attempts at East-West fusion, the results aren't always successful. Doppler 20:20's "Bhang!" and Force of Angels' "Dune" are a bit too tentative, and the Eastern elements seem to consist of little more than the occasional sitar or flute sample dropped into a spacy rhythm track. But when the musicians fully embrace both Eastern and Western styles, the sound can be mesmerizing. Ansuman Biswas's dynamic tabla playing, for example, gives the complex electronic textures of "Swimology" a supple, rhythmic lift that a drum machine could never match, while Wagon Christ's "Hasjit" skillfully weds samples of various instruments into a fractured, yet compelling soundscape. East-Westercism is an interesting experiment that doesn't always work, but when the pieces come together, the music pulses with an alluring energy that's hard to resist. --Michael Simmons