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A cursory listen to Arular makes one wonder how it could generate so much heated, in-depth talk, as it did well before its official release. This is very direct and physical party music, with lots of slang-filled phrasings that might not have any more meaning than "The roof is on fire!" or "Dizzouble dizzutch!" to Americans. It's music that is conducive to dancing or doing other carefree things in the sunshine, rather than what you should hear most often through feeble computer speakers in dimly lit rooms. So why bother discussing it at all? Well, below the surface is a lot more than anyone's basic idea of a good time. The blend of styles -- a dense, often chaotic collage of garage from the U.K., dancehall from Jamaica, crunk from the Dirty South, electro and hardcore rap from New York, and glints of a few others -- is unique enough to baffle anyone who dares categorize it. Beats crack concrete in whomping blasts and scramble senses in exotic patterns; flurries of percussive noise, synthetic handclaps, and synth jabs add chaos; exuberant vocals are delivered in a manner that will be frequently unintelligible to a lot of ears. More importantly, once all the layers of rhythm and accents are peeled away, you'll hear that Maya Arulpragasam -- the London-based woman of Sri Lankan origin who, along with a host of fellow producers, is behind the album -- has a lot more on her mind and in her past than fun, even when she's only alluding to the violence and strife her people have endured. The images that adorn the cover of the album aren't present merely for the sake of design, either; the tanks aren't a nod to the No Limit label. (Enter 10,000-word history of pre-tsunami Sri Lanka here.) The one key definite about Arular is that it's the best kind of pop album imaginable. It can be enjoyed on a purely physical level, and it also carries the potential to adjust your world view.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
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M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
Dave Taylor, Composer - Paul Byrne, Composer - M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - A. Brucker, Producer - P. Byrne, Producer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
Ayn Robbins, Composer - Bill Conti, Composer - Carol Connors, Composer - M.I.A., MainArtist - Wesley Pentz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - EMI UNITED PARTNERSHIP LTD, MusicPublisher - Hollertronix (ASCAP), MusicPublisher - A. Brucker, Producer - P. Byrne, Producer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
August Darnell, Composer - M.I.A., MainArtist - Steve Mackey, Composer, Producer - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ross Orton, Composer, Producer - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Universal Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher - Raineyville Music, MusicPublisher - Nesreen Shah, AssociatedPerformer - Stony Jr Browder, Composer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2004 XL Recordings Ltd
Anthony Whiting, Producer, ComposerLyricist - M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Ryko Music, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2004 XL Recordings Ltd
M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Warner Chappell Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher - Richard Phillips, Producer, ComposerLyricist - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
Anthony Whiting, ComposerLyricist - M.I.A., MainArtist - Steve Mackey, Producer - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ross Orton, Producer - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Ryko Music, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Warner Chappell Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher - Dwain Wilson III, Composer, Producer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Warner Chappell Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher - Richard Phillips, Producer, ComposerLyricist - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
Quincy Jones, Composer, AssociatedPerformer - Diplo, Producer - M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Warner Chappell Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher - A. Brucker, Producer - P. Byrne, Producer - KW Griff, Producer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
M.I.A., MainArtist - Steve Mackey, Composer, Producer - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ross Orton, Composer, Producer - Emi Music Publishing Ltd, MusicPublisher - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Universal Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher - Kobalt Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - Justine Frischmann, Composer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2004 XL Recordings Ltd
M.I.A., MainArtist - Maya Arulpragasam, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Emi Music Publishing Ltd, MusicPublisher - Imagem Music, MusicPublisher - Justine Frischmann, ComposerLyricist - Sugu Arulpragasm, ComposerLyricist - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
Album review
A cursory listen to Arular makes one wonder how it could generate so much heated, in-depth talk, as it did well before its official release. This is very direct and physical party music, with lots of slang-filled phrasings that might not have any more meaning than "The roof is on fire!" or "Dizzouble dizzutch!" to Americans. It's music that is conducive to dancing or doing other carefree things in the sunshine, rather than what you should hear most often through feeble computer speakers in dimly lit rooms. So why bother discussing it at all? Well, below the surface is a lot more than anyone's basic idea of a good time. The blend of styles -- a dense, often chaotic collage of garage from the U.K., dancehall from Jamaica, crunk from the Dirty South, electro and hardcore rap from New York, and glints of a few others -- is unique enough to baffle anyone who dares categorize it. Beats crack concrete in whomping blasts and scramble senses in exotic patterns; flurries of percussive noise, synthetic handclaps, and synth jabs add chaos; exuberant vocals are delivered in a manner that will be frequently unintelligible to a lot of ears. More importantly, once all the layers of rhythm and accents are peeled away, you'll hear that Maya Arulpragasam -- the London-based woman of Sri Lankan origin who, along with a host of fellow producers, is behind the album -- has a lot more on her mind and in her past than fun, even when she's only alluding to the violence and strife her people have endured. The images that adorn the cover of the album aren't present merely for the sake of design, either; the tanks aren't a nod to the No Limit label. (Enter 10,000-word history of pre-tsunami Sri Lanka here.) The one key definite about Arular is that it's the best kind of pop album imaginable. It can be enjoyed on a purely physical level, and it also carries the potential to adjust your world view.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:25
- Main artists: M.I.A.
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: XL Recordings
- Genre: Electronic
2005 XL Recordings Ltd 2005 XL Recordings Ltd
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