Joi
We Are Three
Real World
Wrapped under the sleek thread of fine, crafted classical Indian music lies a hypnotizing dance groove capable of awakening the multi-armed deities of Hindu lore. This is Joi, the work of two brothers, one who unfortunately passed away after in-depth field recordings in the heart of Bangladesh. Well, Farook Shamsher has carried on the legacy of his brother Haroon and in turn, joined the ranks of revered fusion artists like Talvin Singh.
“Journey” is the ideal opener in this opus, with the rhythms of echoing tablas and mystical woodwinds inviting the listener into the fortified, majestic history of Joi’s culture, and then Shamsher brings the beat back. Once the spine-tingling female vocals and strings join the party on “Prem,” it becomes quite clear that it takes the experience and sixth sense of true world musicians like Joi to invoke these rapturous melodies for the dancefloor. We Are Three correctly combines heartfelt ethno-instrumentation with a club sensibility, a feat that artists like Delerium try, but ultimately fail to accomplish.
Real World Records, Box, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 8PL, UK, http://realworld.on.net/joi
