Transglobal Underground Yes Boss Food Corner CD

Transglobal Underground practically invented the ethno-techno genre -- music that combines world music influences with a danceable electronic beat -- back in the late '80s. And as bands like Trance Mission have broken up and artists like Banco De Gaia have moved on, the group has continued to wave the ethno-techno flag high, influencing artists like Talvin Singh and Badawi with its pan-cultural sound. That said, on Yes Boss Food Center you can really feel the loss of vocalist Natacha Atlas, whose solo career denies the band a key element of its trademark sound. Replacement singer Thobekile Doreen Webster does her best on tracks like "Spellbound," but without Atlas, the spotlight rests primarily on Coleridge, whose reggae-influenced raps were never the group's strongest asset. This is decent but frustratingly repetitive dance music that simply doesn't stand up to Transglobal Underground's best work. ~ Bret Love

Additional personnel includes: Khammak, Bapi Das Baul (chant vocals); Medhat Abdel Samie, Hani Farahat (violin); Mahmoud Osman (viola); Emad Taha (cello); Keith Clouston (oud); Errol Blues Dadde Linton (harmonica); Joe Sax (baritone saxophone); Tim Garside (darabuka); Johnny Kalis (dhol, tabla); Aref Devesh (tabla); Isis K (background vocals).

Recorded at Fortress One, Eastcote Studios, London, England and Golden Sounds, Cairo, Egypt.

Engineers include: David White, Cai Murphy, Attia Ahlan.

Transglobal Underground: Tim Whelan (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Doreen Thobekile (vocals, mouth harp); Tuup (vocals, congas); Coleridge (rap vocals, djembe); Sheema Mukherjee (sitar); Hamid Man Tu (drums, background vocals); Gurjit Sihra (dhoki).

Q (6/01, p.120) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...There are inspired moments....once again throwing Western, African and Asian rhythms and instrumentation into the melting pot..."
CMJ (5/14/01, p.29) - "...With singing generally less notable...other elements come to the fore - more of an Indian influence in the instrumental textures throughout, more funk and hip-hop in the beats and vocals..."