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2LP
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FKR 041LP
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"Ilaiyaraaja's music is anachronistic in the best possible way: were it not for its glorious low-fidelity, one would be forgiven for thinking his psychedelic funk was recorded recently, with forty years of global groove studies under his belt" --Egon (Stones Throw, Now-Again). Ilaiyaraaja, Ilayaraja, Ilayaraaja, Isaignani, The Maestro... The undeniable prince of Kollywood cinema, India's second-largest film industry, Ilaiyaraaja is more than equal to his forward-thinking contemporaries in Bollywood and Lollywood in both productivity and experimentation. However, once you have exhausted all possible leads using his various names (and the numerous misspellings) you're faced with the unenviable task of sifting through a 34-year career spanning more than 900 film scores in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada in order to unearth some the heaviest dancefloor-friendly electronic pop to ever emerge from Southern India. This not-so-modest collection of lesser-spotted electronic Tamil pop features many tracks previously unavailable away from their original rare-as-hen's-teeth vinyl pressings. Includes the viral Kollywood/Bollywood classic "Solla Solla." Previously released in two separate volumes in 2011; to mark the 2015 tenth birthday of Finders Keepers, the label has brought them both together in one remastered package. Featuring tracks not available on the CD release of the same name! Includes tracks featuring S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vani Jairam, S.P. Sailaja, Malaysia Vasudevan, B.S. Sasirekha, Hariram & Ramola, S. Janaki, K.J. Jesudoss, T.M. Soundararajan, and L.R. Eswari.
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CD
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BMS 049CD
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2013 release. For the uninitiated, the composer of this music is also a master craftsman who, throughout the 1980s, combined his off-the-wall ideas and sky high expectations using craft, experimental technology and a trusted team of participants to help concoct some truly bizarre local produce in mass quantity without compromise. Ilaiyaraaja, known to his family as Gnanadesikan, and to many of his zillion strong fan base as Isaignani (meaning musical genius in Tamil) represents the epitome of a nostalgic national treasure, especially for a single solo composer in the Tamil micro music industry. His euphoric electrified music of the '70s and '80s (and beyond) captures every essence of joy and jubilation and is still used in celebration as much as it is celebrated in its own right. A man of humble physical stature and sparsely equipped with a self-sufficient studio of compact electronic devices, Ilaiyaraaja literally commands celebration with his single-handed symphonies. Defying any fair comparisons in the Western world (besides inadequate parallels to Joe Meek and Jean-Pierre Massiera), it is also virtually impossible to find similar electronic mavericks in the East. Imagine a mixture between Turkey's Ilhan Mimaroglu and the acidic synthesizer ragas of Charanjit Singh and you're still left short of the songs. Essentially, Ilaiyaraaja is to the local Kollywood film industry what RD Burman/Bappi Lahiri or M.Ashraf/Tafo are to Bollywood and Lollywood, but then remember that Ilaiyaraaja is a one-man band, with a single vision and zero competition. This compilation reveals more tasty treats from B-Music's ongoing obsession with The Crown Prince Of Tamil Pop -- focusing on his growth in the mid-1980s as a confident young composer adding freak pop fuel to the flickering flame of Kodambakkam's Kollywood film industry, while embracing domestic synthesizer technology and fusing the power of electro and synth pop to his Carnatic canon.
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2LP
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BC 003LP
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...1985-1989. Deluxe full-color gatefold double LP version, featuring two innersleeves with info about the films. Indian film music invariably manages to take you by surprise, time and time again. Hard electro-funk and sweet synth-pop are not genres you would expect from India. Yet, in the late '80s, electronic beats and synths were eagerly embraced by the film industry of South India along with kung fu fights, aerobics, sunglasses and jogging outfits. The rich and funky Tamil grooves of the early '80s transformed into stripped electronic synthesizer music. Composer Ilaiyaraaja aka "The Maestro" used minimal beats and synthetic arrangements to create an addictive and captivating electro synth-pop sound. His experimental mind, unfailing pop instinct and advanced harmonics make the songs a feast for the ears that will grow with every listen.
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CD
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BC 003CD
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...1985-1989. Indian film music invariably manages to take you by surprise, time and time again. Hard electro-funk and sweet synth-pop are not genres you would expect from India. Yet, in the late '80s, electronic beats and synths were eagerly embraced by the film industry of South India along with kung fu fights, aerobics, sunglasses and jogging outfits. The rich and funky Tamil grooves of the early '80s transformed into stripped electronic synthesizer music. Composer Ilaiyaraaja aka "The Maestro" used minimal beats and synthetic arrangements to create an addictive and captivating electro synth-pop sound. His experimental mind, unfailing pop instinct and advanced harmonics make the songs a feast for the ears that will grow with every listen. CD includes a 30-page booklet with info on the featured films. Total Play Time: 65 mins.
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CD
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IDA 021CD
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2004 release. "The name Raaja is not yet a household world in the West, but the 61 year-old East Indian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and group leader is ever gaining popularity, especially in Europe. A life-long harmonium, piano and classical guitar player from the Tamil district, Raaja has composed more than 4000 songs, scored the music for upwards of 800 Indian movies, and was the first Asian to compose a symphony commissioned in the West (his Symphony No. 1, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London). He holds a doctorate in music, and has won many noteworthy musical awards in both India and the United States."
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CD
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IDA 019CD
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"The name Raaja is not yet a household world in the west, but the 61 year-old East Indian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and group leader is ever gaining popularity, especially in Europe. A life-long harmonium, piano and classical guitar player from the Tamil district, Raaja has composed more than 4000 songs, scored the music for upwards of 800 Indian movies. Wings is a fascinating blend of Eastern and Western styles which, while seemingly adhering to a curriculum of modern classical ethics, transgresses the idiom by staying true to the mystical aspects of Eastern music. The implementation of Indian instruments in a modern context makes for a rich pallet of tone colors, creating a wide range of expressive possibilities. This is an excellent combination of stylings -- one which will both please those already familiar with the tonalities and sublime aspects of Eastern music, and pleasantly surprise the less initiated."
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