Nitin Sawhney
 | Songwriter, composer, producer, and DJ, Nitin Sawhney, is undoubtedly one of the world's most sought after musical talents. His music is inspired by a lifetime of listening to and assimilating British music outside and Indian music at home. |
With a musical vocabulary drawing on Asian traditional & contemporary sounds, flamenco guitar & Latin rhythms, drum n bass, tabla juxtaposed with techno bass and a rich array of varied and original voices, Nitin continually deconstructs barriers between club style, tranquil ambient groove and world music.
His first CD, Spirit Dance, released in 1993, successfully married the rhythmically complex music of Northern India and the harmonically complex music of the West. In 1995, Nitin joined the Outcaste label and released his second CD, Migration, which addressed the themes of journey, transition and adjustment. From the title track, with its ingenious and seamless integration of Indian music and rare groove, to 'Hope', with stunning vocals by Natacha Atlas and 'Heer Ranjha', Migration was a triumph of East/West fusion and received rave reviews. His 6th studio album 'Human' was released in July 2003.
PRSF caught up with Nitin during Bristol Music Live to find out about the bands and music currently inspiring him.
London Elektricity
London Elektricity are amazing songwriters and performers who really know how to use space in their music. They're great at making the best use of their sounds to communicate emotion.
(We're pleased to echo Nitin's recommendation - London Elektricity received support from PRSF under its Live Connections scheme).
Bobby and Nihal
Bobby Friction and Nihal are pioneering young Asian DJs who currently present a new Asian music show on Radio 1. They play a really wide range of music on their show and often give new artists their first airplay. Their show also reflects the amazing diversity of the current Asian music scene.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/urban/bobbyandnihal/
Gotan Project
Gotan Project have really propelled tango into the 21st century with a fresh approach to the genre, fusing it with dub, hip-hop and break beats. Their 'La Revancha Del Tango' album was widely acclaimed. I saw them live at the Barbican earlier this year and they used stunning and really well balanced - visuals which really maximised the impact of the music. I definitely recommend catching them live!
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