M.I.A.
Arular

(Beggars Banquet/XL Recordings, USA)

www.beggars.com/us
www.xlrecordings.com

Born Mathangi (Maya) Arulpragasam in London in 1976 to Sri Lankan parents, Maya's family moved back to Sri Lanka when she was about 6 months old. For the most part, she was raised in Sri Lanka where her family was part of the Tamil minority. She rarely saw her father who got involved in the Tamil rebellion and remained in hiding from the military. Eventually her family moved to India, then back to Sri Lanka, and finally in the midst of civil strife, escaped to a racist London where she was part of the South Asian minority population and did not speak English. She was always an outsider. As a young fan of Public Enemy, she studied art and began to dabble in music with a Roland MC-505 Groovebox while in London. When she returned to Sri Lanka after completing university studies in London, she realized that as a woman she had very little political rights. Her life experiences are reflected in her unique and strong sounding debut album with XL Recordings and Beggars Banquet, Arular.

Arular is definitely a must-play for an ultra trendy underground club or a party in a really cool loft. There is an undeniable urban groove with a light touch of adrenaline. Word on the street is that it is the political album of the year with its rebellious lyrics. That is slightly overstated. Though loaded with political catch phrases the lyrics are nearly impossible to understand. It works though because the vocals are what makes MIA's music unique. She does not really sing; she does not really rap. She creates a new sound (especially in "Pull up the People") and the vocals are actually part of that new sound, as if it were another beat or instrument complimenting the electronic rhythms. Her songs might not be ready for radio or live concerts because they are not really "songs" and they are quite repetitive. They are party grooves. The thing about this album is that the vocals create an aura of defiance and project an in-your-face confidence. It is not an angry sounding album at all though she certainly sounds like a force to be reckoned with.

The album is neatly packaged into three parts where each part begins with a 30 second "skit," followed by three, 3-4 minute tracks. The first part leads with "Banana" and the entire section is very listen-up-this-is-why-I'm-here. It is definitely the strongest section on the album and includes "Pull up the People" and "Bucky Done Gun" which are the best tracks on the album. These tracks are bursting with an array of electronic sounds. At first is seems like MIA is having fun and playing around with 25 combos on a drum machine. One might even ask, okay what's with the horns in "Bucky Done Gun." But in the end it all works and the final sound is unique.

The second part begins with the video game like war sounds filled skit "Freedom." The following songs have Carribean and Brazilian flavors to the rhythms and South Asian sounds reflected in the percussions.

The final part is more lively, with the exception of the final track, the previously released "Galang" which is a mesh of all the styles of the album wrapped into one song. This section begins the skit "One for the Head" and is filled with more familiar dance rhythms and electronic beats.

Arular definitely does not fit into any fixed category or formula under the hip-hop umbrella. It is a new sound for the club scene and definitely worth checking out.

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