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Red Baraat: Shruggy Ji

Sinj

In the age of Beats By Dre headphones, the ears of the general public are accustomed to receiving their low-end grooves in the form of synths and drum machines pumped through unnecessarily bass-heavy speakers. Given that, it’s especially refreshing to find deep and substantial bottom coming instead from a combination of brass/woodwinds and traditional Indian percussion. Sounding somewhat similar to Gogol Bordello or MarchFourth Marching Band, Red Baraat distinguish themselves via the integral nature of the Indian sounds and rhythms that form the foundation of all the tunes on their latest full-length. From there though, liberal doses of second-line horns and modern American rhythms carry the music past “world” categorization and into a realm of dance music occupied primarily by Bhangra. The bouncy “Azad Azad” and the aggressive propulsion of “Burning Instinct,” in particular, should serve well in filling dance floors around the world, while tunes like “Sialkot” and “F.I.P.” draw the listener closer to the music’s cultural roots.