A hot collection of contemporary bhangra culled from the Kiss Records archives in the U.K., Bhangra Beatz is an outstanding blend of the vaguely traditional Punjabi sounds with a clear representation by the electronica and hip-hop movements. There is the ever-present dhol throughout the album, the standard instrument for all bhangra, keeping a bouncing beat underneath any other components. There are synth and string arrangements reminiscent of the rai movement as well as holding telltale signs of Bollywood influences here and there. Perhaps most notable, though, is the turntablism, general mixing, and beat juggling that shows up, showing off the newer aspects of the genre. This is rave music with old farming call-and-response vocals, or farming music with a stray electronic kit in the front. The spectrum is covered from native Indian performers to the leading British groups to the stray Canadian, Jazzy B. While the vocalists sound surprisingly similar from song to song, the backing music changes drastically from moment to moment, with the various artists focusing more clearly on different aspects of the music. For a nice look at the underground British/Punjabi musical movement that’s become rather less underground in recent years, this makes for a nice album whether serving as an introduction or a retrospective. – Adam Greenberg
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