Midival Punditz is just one of many great artists on the Six Degrees Records label. Many of the big names in exotic electronica are here, including Karsh Kale, Cheb i Shabbah, and newcomers Niyaz. Blending world music with downtempo and a variety of other dance flavors, Six Degrees Records is a hot bed of talent and great new sounds. "Hello Hello" is the third album from Midival Punditz, who, with a well established Indian electronica sound, and in collaboration with musicians like Karsh Kale, run from high energy trance down to sweeping ambient escapades.

1. Electric Universe
2. Tonic
3. Atomizer
4. Four Sticks
5. Naina Laagey
6. Drifting
7. Desolate
8. Sun Mere Sanam
9. Har Ek Baat
10. The Lucky One
11. Electric Universe (acoustic)

The first song I heard from the new album was "Drifting", which is lush, almost orchestral, with lively tribal drums and happy keys, so I was excited to hear the rest of the new material. Hello Hello has a lot of surprises, as the duo experiments with English vocals and tries some other new things.

The first track is "Electric Universe", which layers some distorted, robotic English lyrics over complex threads of sound, Indian instruments, and heavy beats. It reminds me a bit of industrial, dream-poppy EBM, from back in the day. I have to say that I actually prefer the "acoustic" version of this track at the end of the album.

"Tonic" starts out with a triphop-styled beat layered under Indian vocals, but then drops all the usual business for some rapping about heritage. You may find yourself reminiscing over some of Transglobal Underground's work. "Atomizer" has a rhythm of electric guitars and more distorted, robotic vocals (an obsession throughout the album) speaking in English. Thanks to the pounding beats and synth leads, this one reminds me even more of the old EBM numbers from my youth. It's peppy, though.

"Four Sticks" takes things in another direction. Being a cover of the Led Zeppelin song, it sounds circus-y and magical. Full of horns and throaty female vocals, it's an exciting track. Of all the new things Midival Punditz puts on this album, this is high on my list of favorites.

But don't get too worried. There is plenty of the familiar Midival Punditz sound you know and love. I already wrote about "Drifting". "Naina Laagey" makes use of echoing piano chords and foreign vocals. The beat, paired with a dreamy wood flute and cymbal washes, builds slowly, but never gets carried away. The male Hindi (guessing at that) vocals are soft and drifting.

"Sun Mere Sanam" catches you in the first twenty seconds. It has a sharp, slowly pulsing beat met by rich, warm vocals (again sung in Hindi ...again, guessing). The dreamy keyboards and flighty winds lift you up. The melodies come and go like the tides, but the beat is clear and constant, and keeps you entranced. This one is so easy to get lost in.

Though I enjoyed their Led Zeppelin cover, my absolute favorite song on this album is "Har Ek Baat". It kicks off with a rousing vocal melody, organic drum and flute. To that they layer bits of heavy beats and electronic chords. The vocals come in and swirl around you. The lyrics are based on the poetry of Mirza Ghalib, the 19th century Persian poet.

This album is definitely worth checking out and would be a welcome addition to any global electronica collection. It pushes envelopes for this style of music, and in places, breaks out of the genre entirely.

~ Ethan Georgi

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