Junun by Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express

And here we are at the Top 10, starting with a little-known album that came out at the end of 2015: Junun. This album, a collaboration between Israeli composer Shye Ben Tzur, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and the Indian ensemble The Rajasthan Express, is crazy good. Produced by Greenwood and recorded, mixed and engineered by longtime Radiohead producer and collaborator Nigel Godrich, these songs have an other-worldly sound that transports my severely under-traveled ears to many unexpected places.

Like George Harrison’s commitment to the Maharishi in 1968, Greenwood and Godrich have immersed themselves of the sounds of India and the Middle East, producing something that is a blend of culture and sounds unlike any other. Certain songs on the album have a distinct Greenwood / Radiohead feel to them, specifically “Allah Elohim,” (shown above) which features a typical Greenwood bassline propelling the song forward, some quiet guitar sounds and his trademark playing of the ondes martenot, an instrument that is akin to the theramin and appears on many Radiohead albums. “Allah Elohim” may very well be my favorite song of 2016. It’s… it’s just perfect.

Across the album, the horns, percussion, backup vocals and harmonies brought into the mix by The Rajasthan Express give power to these songs. This is a large group of skilled musicians, each stretching in their craft and producing something beautifully layered and unique. It will get you moving, and send you on a trip unlike any other. I can’t recommend it enough.

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