Electric Flowers (Flexitrax, 2008)
To get an idea of the sound of British trance outfit XKollective, think of a combination of South Asian fusionist Talvin Singh, electro psychedelic rockers Ozric Tentacles and TransGlobal Underground. XKollective can be adequately described as a global electronica dance band that combines electronics and bass with acoustic instruments such as Indian tabla, vocals and guitars.
The London based group describes its music on Electric Flowers as Breaktronica. “We mix breaks and beats with dubby bass, hypnotic tablas, heavy guitars, soulful vocals and spoken word…Our influences range from Breaks, Bashment, Hip Hop and Dub to Indian classical.”
XKollective’s Electric Flowers embraces spontaneity as well as the advantages of digital processes in its creation process, avoiding digital perfection at all costs. “The tracks were the end result of many chilled out afternoons and vibey evenings spent in Xfiles’ North London studio, looking for that ideal organic/ digital balance…In other words, the perfect excuse for hanging out, having a laugh, getting in the zone and pressing record.“
The current line up of the band includes:
Xfile – Production/Bass
Aref Durvesh – Tabla vocals
Dune – vocals/lyrical flow
Dreadlox Holmes – Guitars/vocals
Ian Powell – Drums
Alaska – vocals/lyrical flow
Nuwella – vocals/lyrical flow
Buy the CD:
- In North America: Electric Flowers
- In Europe: Electric Flowers
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
