Badmarsh & Shri - Signs

By drawing upon the exuberant, polyrhyhmic legacies of dancehall reggae, latin, funk, hip hop, and African rhythms, Badmarsh and Shri have created 13 tracks of emotional beauty and funky percussive action. 'Signs' is panoramic dance music, pure and simple. From the menacing buzz and relentless B-line of "Swarm," to the driving layers of percussion and sweeping synths of "Tribal," the album delivers aggressive beats in sophisticated style. But it's not all footsore beats; 'Signs' also has its chilled, sensuous side. The duo play to full, euphoric effect, blissed out on Bombay sunrise strings and flute-driven sultry soul on tracks like the sitar-swirled "Elektro" or the angelic vocal delivery of "Sajanaa." Badmarsh and Shri admit that each time they step into the studio they think on a symphonic scale. "There is a musical idea rather than theme for each track, but it's never rigid, there's always space for improvisation," says Shri. With guests like the Bombay String Orchestra and UK Apache (of "Original Nuttah" fame) on board, Badmarsh + Shri have crafted a deceptively relaxed, open and confident sound.