Meeting Rivers

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
For openers on Meeting Rivers, there's a hoedown of sorts, a hip cross-pollination of cheerful, contemporary grooves and a spirited sitar. Next comes "Strange World," with its laconic, offbeat choir and its unlikely India-meets-the-Tropics vibe, then another groove-based meander through pockets of jazz flute, light chanting, and Indian instrumentation. Meeting Rivers, clearly, marks the confluence of many diverse elements, a colorful, largely upbeat musical mishmash that might be best described as world-pop fusion, but who really knows? M Path, the group name assumed by two musician-producers, Gardner Cole and Mitchell Markus, also involve a circle of friends that includes sarangi master Ramesh Mishra. Though not every piece works, the mostly instrumental project smartly weaves Indian instruments into rhythmic Western musical textures to yield such cross-cultural flings as "Om Mani," a dreamily propulsive piece (also the disc's best track), and "Jagad Ma," a slightly warped, Indian-flavored romp for guitar and violin. The disc concludes with a mod, earnest raga ("The Longing"), one last quirk on a loose-knit, off-center yet accessible recording. --Terry Wood

Meeting Rivers,M Path,Triloka Records,Ethnic Fusion,Experimental Ambient,Indian Diaspora,Int'l & World Music,Pop,World Music,Worldbeat

Meeting Rivers

Tracks:

Madmen For God
Strange World
Devi
Jaya
Om Mani
Parikrama
Dream Away
Meeting Rivers
Jagad Ma
The Longing
Om Mani (Triveni Trance Mix)

Amazon.com

For openers on Meeting Rivers, there's a hoedown of sorts, a hip cross-pollination of cheerful, contemporary grooves and a spirited sitar. Next comes "Strange World," with its laconic, offbeat choir and its unlikely India-meets-the-Tropics vibe, then another groove-based meander through pockets of jazz flute, light chanting, and Indian instrumentation. Meeting Rivers, clearly, marks the confluence of many diverse elements, a colorful, largely upbeat musical mishmash that might be best described as world-pop fusion, but who really knows? M Path, the group name assumed by two musician-producers, Gardner Cole and Mitchell Markus, also involve a circle of friends that includes sarangi master Ramesh Mishra. Though not every piece works, the mostly instrumental project smartly weaves Indian instruments into rhythmic Western musical textures to yield such cross-cultural flings as "Om Mani," a dreamily propulsive piece (also the disc's best track), and "Jagad Ma," a slightly warped, Indian-flavored romp for guitar and violin. The disc concludes with a mod, earnest raga ("The Longing"), one last quirk on a loose-knit, off-center yet accessible recording. --Terry Wood

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing worldbeat.......2001-11-12

I bought this CD with very high expectations, hoping that this would be another great example of Indian-inflected worldbeat. Unfortunately, I was wrong. While two tracks on the album--Devi and Jaya--are well thought out and played, most of the other songs are too diluted, commercial, or slick-sounding to be substantial contributions to the subgenre.

Too bad. This could possibly have been much better, but when you have a song with lyrics like "Strange, strange world, it's incredible", or "Endless sea of hope, unlock the mysteries", you know you're very likely in for a bumpy ride. The musicianship is actually quite good in places--the sarangi master Ramesh Mishra certainly gives it his all--but here, the whole is decidedly less than the sum of its parts.

A good one to pass up.

Sunrise Trance.......2000-10-01

Well, I am a nomadic gypsy dead head and I can tell you that this CD is fantastic piece of GOA trance dance that can make a beach bunch party until the dawn...sort of the music that Madonna searches the world over so she can cop its atmosphere...Flute, sarods, sitars, loping beats and occasional vocals by smokey throated singers...Trip your chakra clear...A great find indeed!

Average customer rating:

Meeting Rivers
M Path
Manufacturer: Triloka
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00006NSNW
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

Madmen for God
Strange World
Devi
Jaya
Om Mani
Parikrama
Dream Away
Meeting Rivers
Jagad Ma
Longing
Om Mani

Average customer rating:

Mixed Bag
East meets (more) West

Meeting Rivers
M Path
Manufacturer: Triloka
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005YUFR
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

Madmen For God
Strange World
Devi
Jaya
Om Mani
Parikrama
Dream Away
Meeting Rivers
Jagad Ma
The Longing
Om Mani (Triveni Trance Mix)

Customer Reviews:

Mixed Bag.......2005-09-28

I found every song here to really great or very bad. I love Madmen for God, Devi, Jaya, Om Mani, and Meeting Rivers. This is definately worth a spin. The tracks I listed have a great vibe and will make you happy!

East meets (more) West.......2005-07-29

Indian Fusion and World Beat are infused here but MPath has introduced a much more western "pop" sound. Basically upbeat and cheerfull which can be refreshing on cuts like Devi and Jaya. Danceable and exotic.

Western guitar plays a role in several cuts on this CD, for better and worse. The jazzy cut, Jagad Ma, uses slide guitar over tablas, chorus and violin to a unique effect; it takes it out of the aura of India but it works on it's own level. Unfortunately, Parikrama also introduces a guitar approach but one that is too westernized for this kind of theme.

It is important to note that several songs continue the pop orientation by including western lyrics and vocals over the ethnic sounds. I find marrying two distinct styles doesn't usually fit and seems out of place.

Besides the ones mentioned earlier, two strong cuts are at the end with a trance mix of Om Mani and a slow-building fusion beat called The Longing. This CD is worth getting for the individual songs rather than the whole album. The used prices (as of this writing) are hovering at a $1 which makes the decision easy.