Tala Matrix in Bloomington, MN

With their debut CD
Tala Matrix
, the project known as
Tabla Beat Science
has essentially taken the rich and time-honored tradition of the tabla (a pair of North Indian hand drums) and fused it with contemporary electronica studio wizardry.
is dedicated to the memory of the late, great, and innovative tabla virtuoso
Ustad Alla Rakha
(1919-2000). The
project is comprised of one of
's sons, the tabla superman
Zakir Hussain
. Additional members include the venerated sarangi player
Ustad Sultan Khan
; Indian and jazz percussion innovator
Trilok Gurtu
; New York drummer
Karsh Kale
; bass, drum, and tabla visionary
Talvin Singh
; and music programmer
Brad Somatik
. Producer/bassist
Bill Laswell
, who "conceived and constructed" the CD, acts as the catalyst for the outfit, adding the bottom end with his dub basslines and the overall aesthetic with his studio prowess. More of a consortium than a full-blown collaboration, not one of the songs on
Tabla Matrix
features all members of the group.
's many tracks are among the best on the album, though
's funky
Big Brother
and
's
Don't Worry.Com
are both extremely compelling. The often zombie-ridden doldrums of electronica should benefit immensely from this experimental union with tabla. An excellent CD that deserves to be heard many times by many people,
manages to be innovative without loosing sight of tradition. ~ John Vallier