Back to Mine

by Dean CarlsonEncompassing the chilled tabla of Ha and the quiet diversity of previous Back to Mine releases, Talvin Singh's attempt is coherent, economical, and occasionally excellent. Singh brings Craig Armstrong's darkly cinematic "Weather Storm" to the same table as the lesser-known stoned ghazals of Swati Natekar, the mandolin downtempo of U. Srinvas, the cold, mantric African rhythms of Ali Farka Toure, and Trilok Gurtu's "Om," which is the closest this planet has gotten to producing something that sounds like a Bombay-born Brian Eno. There are seamless appearances from Photek, Vibrasphere, and Dreadzone as well. It's a tight, well-crafted experience that rarely misses its mark and uses a variety of styles without irony or authenticity scoring.