Traveling: Fiamma Fumana and "Check In"

Our tune for today is from Italy. Check In is by Fiamma Fumana, an Italian world music band that mixes traditional Italian tunes with electronica. To date, they have released four albums. Check In is from their 2006 album Onda, and can be found on the 2008 compilation Putumayo Presents: Euro Groove.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiamma_Fumana

Foxy Lady: Hedningarna and "Räven"

Today's random tune is by Swedish group Hedningarna. The band's name means "the heathens," and they take old Scandinavian folk music and fuse it with electronica and rock, as well as a traditional Sami form of song called yoik. Wishing to plumb the roots of Old Norse culture, the band used ancient instruments and one of their members even created new ones. Currently a trio, the band has had a variety of past members, including Finnish members. You can find this song, Räven, on their 2011 album Trä. The song is about a woman who is also a fox.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedningarna

Been There: DJ Cary with Falik and "Dance of the Aisles"

DJ Cary with Falik bring us the random tune for today. DJ Cary is the performing name of Cary Norsworthy, who tends to specialize in electronica music and especially on downtempo and chillout. Her mixes have been released on Magnatune, where she's also edited many popular compilations. Here she remixes a song called Dance of the Aisles recorded by Falik, a world alternative rock band from California which is mainly African American Irish bouzouki player Charlie Pecot. You can find Dance of the Aisles on DJ Cary's 2005 remix compilation Eastern Grooves.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: http://magnatune.com/artists/cary/; http://songvault.fm/artists/falik.htm

We Swing and We Can't Stop: Bossacucanova and "Balança (Nao Pode Parar!)"

Bossacucanova brings us the random tune for today, called Balança (Nao Pode Parar!). From Brazil, Bossacucanova fuses electronica with bossa nova. Bossa nova translates as "new wave" but is close to 70 years old. In essence, Bossacucanova has been the new wave of the bossa nova. You can find Balança (Nao Pode Parar!), which translates into "We Swing and We Can't Stop," on their 2014 album Our Kind of Bossa.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bossacucanova

Needs a 12 Step Program: Soul Hooligan and "Addicted"

Soul Hooligan brings us our random tune for today, called Addicted. An England-based trio consisting of one member who performed previously in swing bands and two members who were part of the electronica scene, the band draws from genres such as hip hop, soul, blues, jazz and garage rock. One of their songs was featured in the Austin Powers movie Goldmember. You can find Addicted on their debut, and as far as I know, only album called Music Like Dirt (2002).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://www.discogs.com/artist/4327-Soul-Hooligan

Asian Massiveness: Karsh Kale and "One Step Beyond"

Our random tune for today is by Karsh Kale, an Indian-American musician considered one of the early developers of the Asian Underground genre of music. Karsh Kale mixes music such as Indian classical with electronica, rock, pop and ambient music. He was born Uttkarsha Kale in West Bromwich, England and moved to Brooklyn when he was three. He took an early interest in tabla and music in general, spurred by his father who introduced him to traditional Indian classical music, rock and early hip hop. Kale taught himself the tabla, developing his "electric tabla" style. In 2000, he was invited by Bill Laswell to join Tabla Beat Science along with Zakir Hussain, Talvin Singh, Trilok Gurtu and Sultan Khan, and their album Tala Matrix is considered one of the most influential Asian fusion albums to date. About this time, Kale became the first Indian-American to be signed to a solo recording contract in the US, and released his first solo album Realize, with it's "Asian Massive" sound in 2001. He has written music for Bollywood and crossover films, television series such as HBO's True Blood, and with artists such as Sting and Norah Jones. This song, One Step Beyond, appears on Kale's 2001 debut album Realize.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karsh_Kale; http://karshkale.com/

At Dawn's Early Light: Cheb i Sabbah and "Raja Vedalu"

Today's random tune is called Raja Vedalu and is performed by the late Cheb i Sabbah. Of Jewish and Berber descent, Cheb i Sabbah was a DJ, composer and producer who was known for mixing Asian, Arabian and African sounds into his electronic compositions. Originally from Algeria, in 1964, he started his music career in Paris DJing American soul records. In 1989 he relocated to San Francisco where his performances became known for featuring live musicians, dancers and very big projected visuals. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer in 2011, and died in November of 2013 at the age of 66. His name translates to "young of the morning." You can find Raja Vedalu on his 2002 album Krishna Lila, on the 2002 various artists compilation Asian Massive, and on the 2006 various artists album Nataraja.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheb_i_Sabbah

More than Peeps: Nitin Sawhney and "Koyal (Songbird)"

As we move into June, the sounds of songbirds are in the air. Koyal (Songbird) is by Nitin Sawhney, a British Indian musician, producer and composer. Combining Asian and other themes with jazz and electronica, he explores themes of multiculturalism, politics and spirituality. As a child, Sawhney studied piano, classical and flamenco guitar and tabla. After meeting up with acid-jazz keyboardist James Taylor and joining his quartet, he also began working with tabla player Talvin Singh and formed the Tihai Trio. After dropping out of school, Sawhney formed the comedy group The Secret Asians with friend Sanjeev Bhaskar and developed the award winning BBC comedy show Goodness Gracious Me. After, he refocused on music and released his debut album in 1993. He has released nine albums, has contributed scores for stage, screen, television and video games, and has remixed a wide variety of artists including Sting, Jeff Beck and Paul McCartney. Koyal (Songbird) can be found on Sawhney's 2005 album Philtre, and on the 2005 various artists compilation Putumayo Presents: Asian Lounge.

Entrancing: Niyaz and "Hejran"

Today's song is by Niyaz, an Iranian-Canadian musical duo created in 2004. Their music is a mixture of Sufi mysticism and trance electronica, and adapts Persian, Indian and Mediterranean poetry, songs and folk with Western electronica. They write their own songs, and also adapt lyrics from poets such as Rumi, Obeyd-e Zakani, Amir Khusrow and Khaju-ye Kermani and source folk material from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Middle East and parts of Asia. They sing primary in Urdu and Persian, and occasionally in Turkish. This song, Hejran, can be found on their 2008 album Nine Heavens.

Andes-Step: Nicola Cruz and "Colibria"

Some electronica/techno inspired by the native folk music of Ecuador comprises our random tune for today, Colibria. The artist is Nicola Cruz, an Ecuadorian producer who started as a drummer and then went to school as an audio producer. Cruz draws on traditions, particularly the indigenous roots of his home country, and filters it through his contemporary vision. He has dubbed (pun intended) his music "Andes-step." Colibria can be found on Cruz's 2015 album Prender el Alma.

Jumping: !DelaDap and "Le Shin"

!DelaDap brings us today's random tune, called Le Shin. From Austria, !DelaDap is a music project by Prague producer Stani Vana that began with an international cast of musicians that fused Roma music with jazz, electronica and pop. As of 2012, they have turned more toward urban pop music with elements of club and global folklore. Le Shin can be found on their 2006 album Dela Paji and on the 2008 compilation Putumayo Presents: Euro Groove.

Electric Maori: WAI and "Te Tokomauri Manawa"

WAI provides us with today's random song, called Te Tokomauri Manawa. WAI was started in 1999 by New Zealanders Mina Ripia and Maaka McGregor, and they released their debut album in 2000. They were immediately hailed in New Zealand and beyond as groundbreaking and bringing a new sound to music from the Pacific Rim. In 2007, the duo went on hiatus to focus respectively on having a family and to work on new songs for an album. They have since evolved into a five piece outfit that sings in Maori, and uses traditional Maori music as a base to create what they call Maori electronica roots world music which also is infused with jungle, funk, reggae, hip-hop and deep house. You can find Te Tokomauri Manawa on their 2000 debut release, WAI 100%.

Desperation: The Mexican Institute of Sound and "Para No Vivir Desesparado"

The Mexican Institute of Sound brings us our random tune for today. The Mexican Institute of Sound is Mexico City-based producer and DJ Camilo Lara's electronic music project. Fusing Mexican folk music with modern sounds, MIS is part of a growing movement in Mexican music. Lara started with mixing music for holiday mix tapes, and after getting enthusiastic receptions for his creations, began making musical collages under the moniker Mexican Institute of Sound while relying on samples of Mexican classical music. He has released four albums, with a fifth due next year. This song, Para No Vivir Desesparado, is from his 2007 CD Piñata.

Who Remembers Gondwanaland and Laurasia: Pangea and "Memories of Pangea"

Pangea brings us the random tune for today, titled Memories of Pangea. Pangea is a project of Dan Lacksman, a Belgian composer and sound engineer. He has mixed and produced albums in a variety of genres, such as pop, rock, jazz, classic, dance and electronica. He is a co-founder and member of the avant-garde electronica group Telex, and a producer of the world music group Deep Forest. In fact, this video mixes those two projects- the music of Pangea combined with a video of Deep Forest. On the whole, Pangea was formed to make world music more accessible to European and American audiences. You can find Memories of Pangea on the 1996 album Pangea.

Where the Heart Is: Fiamma Fumana and "La Mondina"

Italy is on our destination list today for the random tune. La Mondina is by Fiamma Fumana, an Italian world music band that mixes traditional Italian tunes with electronica. To date, they have released four albums. La Mondina is from their 2003 album Home.

Well Done Dun Dun: Quiero Club and "It's All About the Dun Dun"

Today's song comes from experimental pop and indie band Quiero Club from Monterrey, Mexico. Their music draws from rock, pop and electronic music, and they have been called by NPR "arguably today's most eclectic and critically acclaimed Mexican pop band." Their 2006 debut album, WOF, garnered rave reviews anchored by a Spanglish hit single called No Coke. They followed up with the successful, pop/psychedelic/dance/experimental Nueva America in 2009. They have recently released their third album, the Mexico City-recorded El Techo es el Suelo, produced by Camilo Lara of the Mexican Institute of Sound. Its All About the Dun Dun can be found on their 2009 album Nueva America.

For the Birds: Fiamma Fumana and "La Merla (The Blackbird)"

Happy Boxing Day! The random song for today is called La Merla (The Blackbird) The band that plays it, Fiamma Fumana, is an Italian band that was formed 1999 and mixes traditional Italian music with electronica. Their name translates as "flame fog" or "fire mist." They started out as a trio, but added two members for their second album, and use a mix of modern, traditional and electronic instrumentation. La Merla can be found on their 2003 album Home.

Psychadub: Baba Zula and "Fayiman Cuneyt"

On a trip to Turkey about four years ago, Megan and I had a choice. Baba Zula was playing a concert, but a Sufi group was doing a service where outsiders were allowed to come. Eventually we decided on going to the Sufi service. It was fascinating, but we were also left with wondering what the Baba Zula concert would have been like.

Today's random song is by Baba Zula with Mad Professor. Founded in 1996, Baba Zula is a Turkish alternative group that creates a psychedelic sound combining traditional Turkish instruments, electronica, reggae and dub. At the core of their sound is the saz, a Turkish bouzouki-like stringed instrument with a bright, high-pitched sound. Baba Zula became well known outside of Turkey when they appeared in the 2005 documentary Crossing the Bridge, and have since performed in many high profile world music festivals. They have released eight albums. Mad Professor is a Guyanese dub music producer and engineer known for original productions and remix work. He is a leading figure of dub's second generation and as such has been a leader in bringing dub into the digital age. Fayiman Cuneyt is from Baba Zula with Mad Professor's 2003 album Psychebelly Dance Music.

How I Completely Missed Electronica: La Bien Querida and "9.6"

>br /> There's always holes in one's musical experience, and some of us make bigger holes than other. If you are strictly a country music fan, you probably have big, gaping holes in your musical experience. Some of us leave gaping holes because we want to. I know many people who don't like rap/hip hop (though I would venture to bet that many of those who don't like it haven't listened to much of it - I do like some of it but I admit my experience with rap and hip hop is not vast).

One of my big gaping holes is electronica. I have friends, both European and American, who love Kraftwerk. Why Kraftwerk was not a part of my musical landscape is something that I have no explanation for. Perhaps I heard them once and thought that the music was too repetitive and simple. I was more into the huge rock spectacles that progressive rock bands were doing in the 70s. Yet being a latecomer, I have become aware first of just how much artists that broke ground in electronica were revolutionizing modern music. One artist that I really like for instance, Todd Rundgren, was experimenting with electronica long before most of us knew what it was or what he was doing. And Kraftwerk! Well, according to Jude Rogers in The Observer, "no other band since the Beatles has given so much to pop culture." So how did I miss all this?

I wonder, because when I do a first hearing of a group like La Bien Querida and a song like 9.6, I almost have an instinctual reaction to turn if off, and I literally force myself to listen to it. But listen I do, and after I do, I realize that I like it. I realize that I'm drawn to the repetition, the fast, disco-like beat that carries me back to the 70s when, I hate to admit it, I actually liked some disco (and I'll defend a position that despite a lot of bad disco, there was good disco too - and it's coming back through elecctronica...if you listen to Daft Punk you are listening to a lot of disco-inspired music). As I get older, I find myself drawn to more to slower, more melancholy electronica but, my mood can change with just a click of the mouse or the change of a track.

La Bien Querida is a Spanish group that was formed in 2005 and is fronted by painter-turned-musician Ana Fernández-Villaverde and David Rodriguez. They recorded their first album in 2007. Unfortunately, I can't find a lot of information on them that isn't in Spanish. My Spanish isn't that good and Google Translate's translations are about as good as mine. However, they are described as having a sound reminiscent of the most innovative music of the 70s with the techno/electronica of Kraftwerk and the rock and the dance-electronica of New Order thrown in for good measure. This song, 9.6, is from their 2010 album Romancero.

Grain for the Harvest: Inna Zhelannaya and "The Wheat"

Here in Albuquerque, in the depths of the summer heat, it's hard to think about fall right now.  Temperatures range into the 90s, and even over 100 F yesterday.  For most of my childhood, my life was spent in three seasons: summer, winter and spring.  My hometown, because it is in a mostly conifer belt, did not have the explosion of fall colors that characterize many of the other regions of the United States.  It wasn't until I moved to the Midwest after college that I saw fall colors in their true glory, and fall remains a spectacular affair that seems all too brief to me.

I also grew up in timber country, not farmland, so the fall harvest of grains was not part of my life.  Yet driving through the fields of the Midwest in the fall, the tall grains like wheat waving in the late fall breezes, shining reddish-golden in the late afternoon sun, is something that I still remember.  There is a calm peacefulness about it, with brief signs of the coming winter as the threshers take the wheat, the leaves begin to turn, and the sun goes down earlier each day.  While I didn't grow up in that type of environment, I can still appreciate it for what it is.

In the same way, I can appreciate Inna Zhelannaya's song The Wheat.  I did not grow up with a lot of electronica in the music that I listened to, but rather was fed on a steady diet of rock and pop.  I am a relative latecomer, in my 40s, to the appreciation of the electronic enhancements that can be applied to music and now at 50 find myself hearing a lot of it on the world music scene.  The Wheat is not an overly electronic song, but instead layers a landscape that befits wheat that is about to harvested, with Zhalannaya's haunting voice overlaying the music like the coming thresher - not grim or even frightening, but inevitable.

Inna Zhelannaya was born in Moscow in 1965 and grew up studying music in school and singing in choir.  After finishing primary school, she attended a music college.  After school, she participated in a number of bands in the 1980s and 90s.  Most notable among these bands was Alliance, which won Radio France International's Best Eastern European album in 1994.  However, soon after Zhelannaya had to leave the band to give birth to a child.  She returned after with a new band called Farlanders, which released three albums.  As of 2013, she has a new band and has released three solo albums.  In her solo work, she reworks old Russian folk songs, some as old as 1000 years, with electronica, trance and progressive rock.  Because of her efforts, and the popularity of her albums, she has been called the "first world music star of Russia."

The Wheat is from Zhelannaya's album Winter, released in 2009, which marked a new direction for Zhelannaya - her voice intricately interacting with electronica and sound design.