Tabla Beat Science: Talamanam Sound Clash—Further Adventures in Hypercussion

Bassist Bill Laswell, tabla drummer Zakir Hussain, and a host of other singers and players have come up with a genuine fusion (or perhaps it's a clash, as the title says) of influences here, combining Indian strings and percussion with electric bass, standard trap drums, electronic keyboards, hip-hop style turntablism, and African-inspired vocals to create a sound that, once it gets rolling, is undeniably compelling. The music is spread over two discs, each containing a live set (approximately 35 minutes each) recorded in superb DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium in 2002. This is the kind of thing you're likely to hear on a late-night NPR program with some cutting edge DJ bewildering the listeners with his/her eclectic hip-itude, and while it may not be for everyone, there's actually something very cool going on here. DVD extras include a “multi-angle concert option” (it works like your TV's picture-in-picture feature), a mini-documentary, scenes from a press conference, a CD-ROM component, and more. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)