Live Review: Adham Shaikh & Gaudi [JazzFest]

This Review is in two parts. For a nite where both, the opener Gaudi and the headliner Adham Shaikh, were spectacular acts, both deserve spectacular praise. For anyone who was there, I'm sure the consensus would be as follows. Both artists, in their own right, got down and dirty in ethnic and dub traditions, not only in his moody and dub-rich live-compilations which features murky reggae grooves over and under equally hypnotic ambient vibes for the former; but also in an enchanting world-music-like electro with fully electric and explorative sound coupled with live Hindi vocals and belly-dance to woo the sight and sound of your being.

It was a treat to see a full-stage of performers, from the one-man-band show of Gaudi to the full-stage en-mass of dance and electro by Adham Shaikh and friends. I noted the drummer from Wassabi Collective on stage, among other notable artists. More details on the above, and without further ado, click below:

Gaudi, was magnificent. What else can you say about a fellow who is as prolific about releasing music as some of our fellow bloggers are about blogging and taking pictures. He's a machine, albeit with heart and the dub alchemy concomitant with Gaudi's sounds. Gaudi's selections were perfect, as was his execution, you could tell he was totally in to his music, and especially his wa-wa antenna, that allowed him to jibe-hand-gesture-wa-wa-turntablisms into his music, at will. Spontaneous and dynamic! His mixing was smooth (save for the parts where he decides to fuck about a bit, which was fine, it's that sort of music). Whether this show floated in your boat largely depends on how you stood with dub; but if you want to add a bit of bass-heavy culture to your loungeroom, or "ballroom" as it were, and want to start smoking pot again, this show was definitely recommended.

Adham Shaikh, was as good if not better than any of his other live shows in my day, over the last 12 years. Shaikh's music is a blend of many different styles and techniques, and hence why he can't simply be pigeonholed in the superfluous "world music" category. It is a world or groove-blend of fusion, dub, world beat, tech house, ambient and jazz, the world of Adham. From growing up listening to Indian ragas which situated him in eastern traditions, and from his keen study of classical western music, he developed an ear for a fusion of sounds from around the world -- often taking the best from both worlds. This musical blend of styles and traditions inspire his compositions: seen in his last 10 full-lengths and over 30 co-productions whether they be remixes, compilations, or unofficial releases.

I had a wonderful time, and needed to polish off a review before heading out for Brunch. Have a good weekend y'all. I'm off to Swayzak @ the LOTUS tonite, a full-review of that is to follow!