BMI Goes India

Yes again some nice review of our new album "Sanskritized" from www.festivalinfo.nl (Dutch)

(excuse my English - google translate :) )

A musical world without niches and crossovers would be incredibly boring. Cross-fertilization has always led to enrichment of the musical landscape. You can count on us that when reading the press information from BMI Goes India, we immediately move to the tip of the chair: "BMI Goes India makes dance with live sitar" . It gets even better when you read that the duo consists of Maarten and Barend Tromp. Exactly true Dutch names. The duo is doing well, because the self- titled debut album only appeared a year ago.

Successor Sanskritized offers a wide variety of styles from the dance world, combined with the sultry sound of the sitar. The duo seeks the floor in going some steps futher than what they presented on their debut album. The sound of the sitar that you quickly think of Bollywood works well because it gives a twist to the dance beats. Just like its predecessor, this album only counts eight tracks, although with only two tracks under four minutes, you can go to three exciting 45 minutes of great new music.

The dancebeats and electro on the album regularly remind of the nineties. Take, for example, opener 'Madhukauns', in which various elements of the trance pass by. In addition to the echoing sound of the sitar is somewhat dreamy, while the tempo is still high. That somewhat dreamy sound comes by regularly, so also on 'Working In Da Valley ' which sounds a bit more sultry. Where the sitar on the first album claimed a dominant role, the sound of the instrument seems to be more in the tracks, which creates a nice and perfect balance. When the bass drops, such as on 'To Be A Tree ' or the elongated valve 'Chillum', BMI Goes India easily transitions into the world of the dreamhouse. Effortlessly you can switch to drum n bass on 'Ustad Ghulam' and 'One Day In Dharamsala', where both the beats of Maarten and the melodic game of Barend are in good order. Even though those typical drums would have been able to collapse considerably after the outro of the latter.

Psychedelically it is also still on 'Ravi On Acid', a better title could not get the track, because you would almost swear that it is not Barend on sitar, but the sitar legend Ravi Shankar, although under influence, itself. Yet you also hear influences from genres that you do not expect at all. Take the slow, low sitar game on 'Pale Moon God' that reminds you of a Western between all the dance violence in the distance. The track differs from the rest of the album due to its slightly raw sound. Even though the sitar is a bit rough because of its occasional shrill sound.

BMI Goes India seems an outsider, but after listening to Sankritized we may truely say that Maarten and Barend have developed their own unique sound. A quirky sound that stays far away from the sweet, kitschy side of Bollywood and commercial radio-friendly dance music.

So this an act you have to listen and see in live action!

It is not easy for someone whose DNA is characterized by blues, country, pop, rock, funk, soul and metal to write a review about a musical movement against which the natural defense mechanism immediately takes effect. Oh well, you are a tough guy or not and I have a great resilience, so I'm listening to "Sanskritized", the new CD from BMI goes India.

A previous acquaintance with the music of Barend Tromp (sitar) and his brother Maarten (electronics) did not lead to the call for victim support, on the contrary, I became enthusiastic about their distinctive sound in which the sitar sounds played a major role.

That same enthusiasm is now again mastered after hearing Madhukauns and Working In Da Valley. At first, Barend plays his sitar again as a guitar, at least that's how it sounds, and is the only link that can be made with India that the instrument comes from there.
The second one is also provided with some lines of text after an organ intro and has more Asian influences.
To Be A Tree starts ominously with deep, dark tones, but turns to a mid tempo danceable song with a nice melody line. "Sanskritized" sounds more melodic in my opinion as its predecessor "BMI goes India", where I already call my favorite One Day in Dharamsala after the first spin.
On Ravi On Acid it is mainly the electro that predominates and for this song the dance lovers will often press the repeat button. Pale Moon God is accompanied by a considerable amount of psychedelic influences, while in the beautiful Ustad Ghulam Asian influences are audible again before they halfway to a melody that sounds familiar in the distance, but is camouflaged by the sitar sounds.
Completed with Chillum, a song that is apparently based on chilling because it exudes a kind of spherical rest.

When I got their debut album I needed five turns to appreciate their music, on "Sanskritized" Barend and Maarten show progression by being more melodic, so I already had 2 spins enough to make a favorable judgment!

Sitarklanken in combination with house, dance or techno (as layman I hear no difference), it remains a separate combination, but one that catches on and ensures that there are already 2 CDs of this genre in my CD collection!
All I have to say is that the brothers recorded "Sanskritized" under their own management and left only the mastering to Master Factory Eindhoven.

© Harm Lutke / http://www.gezien-gehoord.nl/

Another nice review of "Sanskritized" by www.mpodia.nl

Maarten and Barend perfectly control the electropop/ dance and the sitar. This brings them to groundbreaking dance.

The Dutch dance duo BMI Goes India comes with their second album full of dance mixed with world music. The duo from Eindhoven / Weert are the Tromp brothers.

The opening song 'Madhukauns' immediately reveals what we expect from this gentlemen. A stirring sound that is mixed with oriental vocals and hypnotic rhythms that the sitar dances over. While 'Working in the Valley' has a very different oriental sound, it is just as hypnotic and challenging. With the Vangalis sounds from 'To Be A Tree' the duo returns to Europe pop, with the hooks inside the song to enter a different sound. They are sharp so you are not always taken along with the change of style. That will be different in 'Rave On Acid' where the song is built up into a great dance song. Directly and in your face dance is the song 'Ustad Ghulam', where the sitar dancing through the beats finds its way. With 'Chillum' a 90s sound is tapped and the album ends.

An album full of diversity and live, this is also visually supported with special visuals. Definitely worth a look here!

Yeah! That was a nice one @Hard Bitten radio Almere.
Nice vibe, nice people and off course nice music.

We played as the second act that evening... but we where the only ones that really played live!

In our set we did some new things ... and the audience they loved it!

So thanks again to all the people who where there... or watched the live stream on Facebook..

Still you can watch our show on our own facebook page!

Thanks!

BMI GOES INDIA

and we hope we will see you at our Official release show
30 maart at the Sociale Dienst Eindhoven..

Listen, love and share!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1603541986407500/