Pinknoise’s debut EP in some ways marks the reinvention and evolution of a bunch of veteran musicians that have always managed to remain relevant to the scene. The Dance of Diaspora leaps at you like a friendly alien ”“ it takes a few listens getting used to its avant-garde off kilter character, though if you’re inclined to the likes of Bjork, Portishead and MIA, this one’s completely up your alley. ”˜Temple Dancer’ swirls with tribal thumping and eerie atmospherics set off by scratchy guitar bits, haunting solos and heavy bass lines, inspiring a sort of religious trance. There is a unusual touch of ethnicity here, with phrasings seemingly culled from traditional chants or folk ditties thrown in the beginning and end of all songs, where Jayshree Singh modulates her voice (to a seemingly childish tonality) distinguishing these bits from the English verse. The eccentricities play up occasionally but not so much as so to make this an inaccessible piece of work. Lyrically and sonically The Dance of the Diaspora is an intelligent statement that captures the schizophrenic pulse of an Indian metro and its glocal breed of cosmopolites. The incisive writing streams irony (”˜Temple Dancer’), a streak of sarcasm (”˜Old Bad, New Good’) and simple moving poetry (”˜The Nani Season’). This three-track EP blends chaos with harmony; it’s unnerving and comforting all at once.
Key tracks: ‘Temple Dancer,’ ‘The Nani Season’
