Yaathra [Journey] by Navdeep

Tracks:

Flight to Amritsar
The Way I Feel
Amrit (Salvation)
Four Corners (Interlude)
Technology
My Technique
Promised Land
September 12th
Air Never Seen
Bluestar
Immigrance
Jogi

Review:

Welcome ALL!! to the night of champions: Mutiny!!

In this corner, we have the best Dj/producer in NYC, weighing in at a full bodied 165 lbs,* with skills that let him genre hop like no one else - THE UNBEATABLE NAVDEEP!!

And in this corner, we have the challengers, us, challenging him to show us what he's got, to wow us, to dazzle us, to make us move with his talents (in this case, however, not those of a Dj but those of a producer).

Simply put: being a Dj requires skill, being a producer requires talent. And, we know he has skill, we have all either heard him at Mutiny or heard of him there, but has he got the talent - has he got what it takes to make us dance with his own tracks?

Oh yes he does!

While hip hop heats, drum n bass beats, trip hop treats - talents (yet?) invincible in the US scene show us the future. No matter what your palette - you are not going to be disappointed. Politicized drum n bass with a great vocals by Avir, news sample cut spoken pieces about racial profiling and recent shootings of Sikhs, infectious piano hooks complementing the likes of Dj Shadow, conscious R&B from Manjit with spoken Punjabi, mellow melodies tracing ancestry in kirtans - it's all here. Just sit back and enjoy the tracks.

The only thing missing - a rapper! Navdeep had mentioned there might be one, but the closest thing to it is Ajay Naidu - rhyming (really buck wilding) about Nav and his talents on track 1. Besides that, there is one track that sounds like it was put together for an MC but is missing one. Don't get it twisted though - Navdeep replaces that rapper perfectly with his scratching skills and Punjabi samples. However, one still has to wonder how interesting it would have been to hear the conscience rapping of someone like MC Navigator on this powerful beat. Who knows, and really, who cares. The album is awesome.

Until you get your hands on this one, just remember this IS the best of the best in NYC - be very prepared.

*: I am guessing =)