TARUNA: “WORLD FUSION 3” (www.shamanelectro.com) -review by Neerav of Interchill Records Welcome to the 21st century my friends, where life on Planet Earth is not what our ancestors might have expected it to be, and things get a little bit crazy at the best of times! Thankfully there’s music; beautiful healing music; and one shining example of this is Taruna. His latest cd (the first release under the new label Shaman Records) completes the World Fusion Trilogy. Fans of Taruna’s first two cd’s know just what to expect: cutting edge psy-ambient electronica blended with traditional ethnic instruments from all over the planet! Most ‘World Music’ albums go in one or two directions, such as Afro–Latin, or Indo-Arabic. “World Fusion 3” goes in all these directions as well as taking us to Bali, then up to the Himalayas of Tibet, and on to China. From there it dives into the deep forest of the Amazon to visit the wisdom of the Shamans. All in all, you’ll find over 100 ethnic or percussion Instruments used on this album, plus a healthy variety of electronic and virtual Instruments. The tracks are presented in a variety of tempos ranging from danceable grooves to more chilly sounds, and the title of the release gives us Taruna’s stated mission: to bring out a real “Fusion” of cutting edge technology with ancient traditions (combining modern electronic sounds with the purity and beauty of the vibe from ethnic instruments). In that sense this release succeeds quite brilliantly. Indian tabla and sitar meld with jazzy riffs, psychedelic synth lines and grooving rhythms with the greatest of ease. It’s almost like having a virtual magic carpet at your disposal that can take you almost anywhere in the world (musically speaking). And whether it’s in this life or past, Taruna’s obviously done his fair share of traveling the globe, as his ear for various world sounds is impeccable. About 2000 hours (over a period of one and half years time) went into producing this cd, and it shows; the music is so rich, so textured with details that it truly takes several listens before the meanings start to unfold. Throughout the journey, messages and vocal samples are positive and thought provoking in nature, giving a sense of hope and inspiration to the listener. The music is at times playful and innocent, at others more serious. When it comes to creating an ambience that walks the fine line between child-like wonder and worldliness, Taruna is right up there with the best of them. The serious aspects of the music give it depth while the innocence keeps it feeling fresh. Like water and sunlight, they work together in a synergistic way, nourishing the unfolding of the lovely organic sounds presented here. ‘So’, you ask, ‘Who will like this album?’… In my humble opinion, I would say: fans of psy-ambient (Entheogenic, Shpongle, Eat Static, etc.); fans of electronic world beat (Gaudi, early Banco de Gaia); and finally the Spiritual/ Yoga/ New Age crowd (fans of Angel Tears, Deep Forest style sounds, etc.). In conclusion, this is a truly rewarding release. The packaging is a delight to the eye, and musically speaking it is rock solid. It is perhaps the subtlest out of three World Fusion’s, but it gets better and better with every listen (try it on headphones!); furthermore, the tracks all flow together, and it has lasting appeal. To quote Taruna (Jürgen Eppinger) himself: “Music is an International Language beyond Borders.” And if music can bring more harmony to this Planet, that can only be a good thing! If you’re looking for sounds that can create a space that is simultaneously full of peace and delightful energy, and a bridge between the spirit of the ancient and the modern, “World Fusion 3” is most definitely the cd for you. Overview of individual tracks: 1. “Sunrise in Varanasi”: a delightful way to start the journey, straight from the heart of mother India. It begins with a soft yet upbeat atmosphere, very ethno, building up with tabla, sarod and sarenghi samples. We then get some soft breaks, followed by a few jazzy, psychedelic twists and turns that really do the trick. The break halfway through (and also towards the end) is a delight, as is the fun, playful vibe of this track. 2. “The Dogon Mystery”: this is a beautiful mix of groove, psy, and tribal...it starts with a gathering in an African Village; there’s some lovely chanting/singing by children, wooden xylophones, and fat psychedelic synths. The music builds up a bit, but keeps a nice, comfortable pace, and the chorus vocals are from the original Dogon Tribe itself. 3. “Dewas”: a Middle Eastern vibe and groove nicely complement the psychedelic influences in this piece; it’s got a bit of a more serious vibe, but never gets too heavy. There’s some wonderful interplay between the various instruments, the vocal samples/chants, as well as the psychedelic trance synth lines. Towards the end it comes back down again with some trippy Tibetan monk chanting, as well as some laughter and a lovely flute line. Solid. 4. “The Invisible World”: this is a great, trippy-yet-uplifting progressive party tune that clocks in at 120 bpm (my fave); it’s exactly the kind that ambient djs are always searching for (and is very hard to find)! You get some Timothy Leary (“This incredible power inside the brain is ready to be activated…”), powerful African vocal chants, topped off by some really nice synth work and a solid groove. I also really enjoyed the second half, with its atmospheric-housy break with Shpongle-like influences at about 4:40 into the track. 5. “Angkor Vat”: starts with Tibetan throat singing, and a slower pace. It seems to be the start of the second half of the cd in fact. It’s much more lush and spacious, giving us some breathing room before moving on… 6. “Namaste”: female Indo vocals invoke the mood right from the start, followed by a nice, fat bass, and some pads. Things build up, and in the second half it kicks into some very effective psychedelic drum and bass. This is a smokin’ track that should work nicely in an upbeat ambient set. 7. “Shamballa”: is divided into two movements; it starts quite slow with Tibetan monks chanting, Tibetan horns, gongs, gamelan, flute, and acoustic bass morphed with a Chinese harp (wicked!). After that, you get some tantalizing ethno/jazz fusion, then a break. At about 5:48 the second half kicks in, with breaks, lush pads, and tabla, followed by some intricate instrumental solos, more Indo vocals, and very live sounding drums. This is a serious, rich journey. 8. “Raja Ampat”: here Qawwali influences (the devotional music of the Sufis) are perfectly at ease with African chants and various jungle sounds (as well as some Celtic influences towards the middle). The message given is: “Respect Nature, and Respect Life”… 9. “Listen to the Shaman": closes the journey with a trip to the heart of the Amazon rain forest; a Shaman extolls the virtues of Ayahuasca (in Spanish), and we get some words by Terrance Mckenna as well. The mood is mysterious yet slightly driven, and this is an excellent way to end this fantastic cd!