Tarun Nayar

22 Degrees of Beatitude is the sound of Tarun Nayar's musical journey across the globe combining electronic samples with the sounds of various world musicians. A mosaic of musical textures and timbres, it evokes thoughts and feelings both rural and urban, of developing and developed nations. Written and produced by Tarun Nayar, and influenced by artists such as Talvin Singh and Bassnectar, each song possess an openness similar to many current Eastern and Asian underground musics. Nayar opts for long phrases and frequently features female vocalizing and chanting on top of stark, almost minimalist electronic beats. Middle Eastern and South Asian flutes breathe life in to songs such as "Love in the Morning." "808s and Sheikh Sarai" features the ever popular, ubiquitous Roland TR-808 intertwined with group chanting, in sections. Sure, Nayar doesn't quite define or redefine the use of the TR-808 the way that others have, but I do applaud his cross-cultural approach to music making. The album contains some really interesting sounds and cool beats, but borders almost on soundscape or even film music.