Kush Arora

Can’t get to some place tropical this summer? No problem. Mix a bhang lassie with a lamb’s bread spliff and step forward into the future of inter-continental dub fusion with Kush Arora’s second instalment of Indo-Jamaican beats. The San Francisco based drummer/producer mashes together the sounds of Punjabi tabla, Santoor and dholki with electronic dub and dancehall toasters N4SA and Mr. Frank. The madness that ensues is a high octane ride with the vocalists clearly enjoying the mayhem created by the indigenous meets industrial beats beneath them. N4SA’s roughneck chanting style is balanced by thumping tabla drums in "Sex and Violence” but the interplay between his primordial grunting and Sultaan’s saintly singing on the "Anarchy” give the disc its apex moment. And even though Mr. Frank doesn’t deliver the most inspired pro-pot poetry on "Weed Control,” musically Bhang Ragga never has a dull moment.