(Downtempo, Ethnic Lounge, Trip-Hop) Joi - We Are Three - 2000, MP3 (tracks), V0 VBR

This British-based Asian dance group fuses Indian sounds with Western dance aesthetics, aspiring to create a form of transcendental techno. Joi's sonic agenda involves taking live and sampled instrumentation--tablas, sitars, flutes, vocals--and assimilating them into electronic dance grooves. It's a sonic investment that yields mixed dividends. While Joi insinuate spontaneous playing and some subtle changes into their beat-driven tunes, they generally fall into the repetitive trap of like-minded efforts. "Deep Asian Vibes" stacks up various instruments over house grooves with little regard for melodic or rhythmic progression. And the rambunctious "Tacadin" sounds like the Chemical Brothers with a slight Eastern tinge. Some of the tunes do strive to spiritually uplift, most notably the laid-back grooves of "Triatma" and the subtly hypnotic "Holy Side," which contrasts a bass-heavy rhythm section with nasaly vocals. Unfortunately the frequent lapse into cyclic structures keeps the music from achieving the consciousness-expanding effect the group may desire. Ultimately those seeking exotic refreshment for their feet on the dance floor may be enticed by We Are Three, but those seeking spiritual nourishment amid the grooves may wish to look elsewhere. --Bryan Reesman