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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Human is the sixth album by Mercury Music prize nominee Nitin Sawhney, whose career has ranged from helping devise the comedy series Goodness Gracious Me to writing for Sinead O'Connor. In between, he has made a series of albums in which he has reconciled his experiences as a British-Asian with his internationalism, his ethnic roots with the eclectic musical environment in which he has found himself. Despite the numerous guest artists it features, from Blur collaborator Alani to Natacha Atlas, Human is Sawhney's most personal album to date.
Inspired by a reading of William Blake's "Songs of Innocence and Experience", Human is essentially autobiographical, commencing with "The River", an allusion to the Ganges and the life and death cycle, moving onto his often difficult British upbringing in which he experienced racism via Enoch Powell's speeches, physically in the playground and even from his teachers (one of whom, he learned, was a National Front member). Disillusionment dawns but then, as he's enriched by this grim wisdom, optimism springs anew.
All this is tracked musically by a mosaic of styles (Sawhney deplores the term "fusion", with its implication that certain things don't "naturally" belong together), ranging from flamenco to electronica. Although never abrasive, Human is a ruminative album which doesn't leap out at you--you must come to it. Nonetheless, highlights include "Rainfall" (reminders of Stevie Wonder) and "Heer", an ancient raga whose delivery here is couched in movingly desolate tones. --David Stubbs
Review
In terms of lyrical and musical themes, this sixth album from South East London's ever productive songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist more or less picks up where he left off on his 1999 album "Beyond Skin".
In between then and now, he's recorded the globetrotting collaborative effort "Prophesy" and worked on the music for a recent TV adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, among other projects - the song "Waiting (O Mistress Mine)" features words penned by the bard himself. Other than that, "Human" includes contributions from several long term colleagues of Sawhney who've become familiar largely through previous appearances on his albums. These include the whispery vocals of Tina Grace and the comforting tones of Bengali vocalist Jayanta Bose as well as Anglo-Yemeni singer Natasha Atlas.
In stylistic terms, the Asian, flamenco, trip-hop, house and R&B flavoured musical collage he's become known for still forms the basis of much of the material. And the use of vocal sound bites is a continuing trademark. But this time around there are more new voices than ever. Most notable among these are The Streets' Kevin Mark Trail, Jacob Golden, Alani, Matt Hayles and Reena Bhardwaj - who alternates between English and Hindi as if she were two different singers.
Though "Human" offers few surprises in terms of what might be expected from Nitin Sawhney, long term fans probably won't be disappointed. The album lacks any real standout moments such as the title track of Prophesy although "Say Hello" comes closest with its hypnotic refrain, atmospheric percussion and swooning strings.
Since he never uses his own voice, but only those of other artists, there's something of a man-shaped hole at the centre of his music. Yet it seems that the more diverse his collaborations become the more we see of Sawhney himself. It's an unconventional way of working which seems to have brought him plenty of acclaim at the same time as giving other artists their breaks. And that's something to be applauded. --Jon Lusk
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nitin Sawhney - Human. A must have for 2003.,
This review is from: Human (Audio CD)
Sawhney’s latest offering is an excellent display of his natural musical talent. Unlike Prophesy, Sawhney has a much more personal approach to his music. As with his previous albums he still manages to fill the void between Eastern and Western musical influences, pulling the two together creating an delicate mix of styles. He continues to use the infectious vocals that we sampled on 'Beyond Skin' and 'Prophesy' and combines this with his natural chilled out style. 'Fallen Angels' is probably one of the most beautiful and serene tracks he has ever laid down in the studio, but be prepared for the more dance-orientated tracks such as 'Eastern Eyes' and 'Raag' as they may come as a shock to some, and do take a bit of getting used to. It is clear to the listener that Sawhney is experimenting with new styles and is moving forward in a new direction. We can expect great things to come after this album and if you are a fan of Nitin’s previous work then this is a must have for your CD collection.
32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A return to greatness,
This review is from: Human (Audio CD)
I have all Nitin Sawhneys albums and my favourites are the early ones (Migration and Displacing the Priest). Maybe its because they had more focus than Beyond Skin and Prophesy or perhaps the Indian influence was much more to the fore. This album at last manages to bring together Nitin's diverse style into a more coherent (and listenable) whole. I'm not one for the political/personal musings that Nitin goes in for (very sixth form), instead concentrating on the music. The tracks Falling, Heer, Fragile Wind and Raag alone justify the purchase of this CD. The rest are easy enough to listen to which is no bad thing. If you've never tried Nitin Sawhney I would strongly recommend this album over the last two.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clever, hypnotic, spinetingling brilliance,
By
This review is from: Human (Audio CD)
I’ve waited a long time for this album….but it was definitely worth the wait! Just when I thought I could never love another album the way I do, Beyond Skin, Nitin produces this stunning collection of songs, which will leave you in a hedonistic state of pure happiness. This album feels more like Beyond Skin than Prophesy. Its smoother, warmer, and more intricate, taking a more layered approach than its last predecessor, Prophesy. On first listening to the album, I thought it was good. As you continue to play it over and over, you begin to hear new sounds, melodies within melodies, and now I absolutley love it. Standout tracks have to be all of them, but at a push if I had to choose just a few I'd say: The River – A great opener, you’ll be tapping your toe to this one. Larderdarde’s vocals seem made for this track. Eastern Eyes - Natasha Atlas is simply haunting on this track and suits Kevin Mark Trail’s voice perfectly. When the beat kicks in, this track takes off. Falling – This is fantastic! Aqualung’s talents have been used brilliantly to create a truly beautiful track that lulls you into a magical musical soundscape. Waiting (Oh mistress mine) – impeccable – my favourite. This track will have you mesmerised within the first 20 seconds. Raag – a great instrumental number that blends that eastern vibe with a light electronica feel. Great build-ups and breakdowns. Nitin fans won’t be disappointed, Nitin’s trademark sound, which is basically a bit of everything, is well represented on this album. He covers everything from DnB, to Jazz to electronica, mastering all, effortlessly. If you’re new to Nitin, this is as good a place to start as any. Once you own one of his albums, you’ll be itching to add his others to your collection.
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