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Album Review in froots Magazine, Aug/Sept 2010
Firefly is the debut release by the UK-based Indus. The quartet features Mohamed Assani (sitar), John Ball (santoor), Henrik Linnemann (western flute) and Shahbaz Hussain (tabla and vocals on 'A Night at the Court' and bols - rhythmic mnemonics - on 'In the Round.') Recorded live in studio, track titles like 'Mind the Gap,' 'Kafi Lounge,' and 'A Night at the Court' give flavours of what to expect. The music is out of a similar frame of mind that guided the Indian Quintet of Daya Shankar, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Tarun Bhattacharya, Ramesh Misra and Kumar Bose on their 'Raga-Ragini' back in 1988. What shines out is that this is an improvised art form. These compositions were not made for exact replication. Indus' progress is going to be one to keep a beady eye upon. Suggested entry points: 'Firefly' and 'In the Round.' (Ken Hunt)
Album Review in the British Flute Society Magazine flute, June 2010
The new CD from Indus, a four-piece ensemble predominantly formed of instruments from the Indian sub-continent, will be of great interest to those who want to explore how the western concert flute can cross cultural and stylistic borders. Henrik Linnemann, the Sheffield-based jazz flautist, is to be heard on a standard (silver?) concert flute as well as bass flute. His fellow musicians are Shahbaz Hussain on tabla and vocals, John Ball on santoor – a traditional Indian instrument closely related to the zither – and Mohamed Assani on sitar.
The combination of instruments is particularly interesting as the upper partials and resonances of the two stringed instruments (santoor and sitar) combine to produce a bright, almost crystalline sound which contrasts with the much rounder, boomier sonority of the tabla. The flute slots in between these two opposing timbres and although the modern western instrument might lack the flexibility and tonal variety of the traditional Indian flute, especially in the execution of the characteristic meend or gamak – the microtonal slides and ornaments so much a feature of Indian melodic improvisation – it does bring a depth, clarity and precision to the ensemble. Listening to Linnemann's improvisation, one can definitely detect his western jazz roots even when using Indian ragas as his source material. Linnemann's talents as a flautist are particularly well showcased in this recording (for example, in the extended bass flute solo that opens the first track), although the disc as a whole is impressive for the equal integration and interplay of all four musicians.
Out of the six tracks, four are extended compositions lasting more than eleven minutes, all sharing a sectional structure and, as with much Indian music, alternating highly complex rhythmically pre-determined sections with passages of freer improvisation. Kafi Lounge and In the Round have a more laid back, western jazz feel. By contrast, the evocative vocalisation of Shahbaz Hussain which opens A Night at the Court immerses us in the Indian classical tradition, as does his use of solkattu – the alliterative technique of rhythmic syllabic vocalisation so unique to the music of the subcontinent – in this and the sixth track Isfahan.
The CD cover tells us that 'their music endeavours to navigate through uncharted musical territory while embracing the rich musical tapestry of India and Pakistan.' Although uncharted territory may be an exaggeration, the ensemble has produced six tracks full of variety, contrast and invention which will appeal equally to world music enthusiasts and flautists searching for something different for their CD (or iPod!) collection.
Jonathan Booty
![INDUSTRY REVIEWS OF INDUS PERFORMANCES

“Indus [is] a phenomenal east-meets-west ensemble made up of Tabla, Sitar and Santoor, with jazz-tinged Flute. Now, i’m not normally one for ‘fusion’ musics. Jazz-rock, urgh. Jazz-funk. ARGH! And anything that brings together any form of ethnic drums with a thumping four-to-the-floor house beat makes me want to strangle myself with my wooden beads. But this fusion worked for me. It was a tasteful and accomplished blend of North Indian Classical instruments and tradition, with some of the more familiar phrase structure and harmony of western music. Some would argue it was world music ‘lite’, but if it’s making other cultures and traditions more accessible to western audiences, I say, great.” (Excerpt from Musician & Composer Scott Russell’s Blog after seeing Indus perform in Liverpool, Jan 2010)

“Indus were really superb and inspirational for all of us in the audience. It was so good to be able to experience their true sense of communication with each other, and for us to be able to see this interaction in such an intimate setting worked very well. All four instrumentalists gave us something very special to remember for a long time into the future. Heartfelt congratulations to them for the quality of the music and their musicianship. The audience were spell-bound.” (Mark Robinson, Fellow in Music at the University of Bradford)

“It was a pleasure to hear Indus at St Georges Hall on Saturday and we had extremely good feedback from many of our audience, many of whom are serious followers of Indian music.” (Dr Prashant Nayak, Director, Milapfest)

“When I heard Indus for the first time, I immediately appreciated the fresh sounds & its appeal to the wider audience who would not attend an Indian Classical Concert as a stand alone concert. The compositions also catchy & people will hum them – I did. This definitely has festival appeal & I am happy to have them play on the main stage at Village India & Experience Gujarat 2009 & provide marketing support for the future.” (Alpesh Patel, Promoter, The Sense Experience)](Reviews_files/shapeimage_6.png)
“Am not normally able to sit down and listen to ‘sit down’ music but this was riveting!!” (Glossop)
“Such a fantastic concert. I appreciated the mix of cultures and diversity. Truly magical and inspirational.” (York)
“Loved it. Great communication between musicians....Thanks for your music.” (Huddersfield)
“Very nice, relaxing and mysteriously enlightening music. Well done guys.” (Otley)
“Absolutely superb - a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing and stimulating afternoon. Never heard Western and Indian music merged in such a way. Brilliant! I will be following you from now on. Thank you!” (Liverpool)
“A fabulous musical event! Really really impressed. Can’t wait to see you all play again!” (Bradford)
“Beautiful music. Most suitable venue. Though in a cathedral, you will go on playing in the temples of my mind.” (Sheffield)
“Wonderously brilliant music!” (Sheffield)
“Thank you for an inspiring evening - even kept our cynical 9 year-old enthralled!” (Sheffield)
“I felt amazed - like a child!” (Sheffield)
“Absolutely beautiful! I feel reconnected and refreshed.” (Sheffield)
“Truly unbelievable....a real joy to get lost in what they were doing!” (Bradford)
Album Review by RadioIndy
“Recorded live in studio, Indus’ debut CD “Firefly” is an exhilarating mix of Eastern melodies and instrumentation performed with a jazz ensemble-like flair for spontaneity, improvisation and - not least, playfulness. Incorporating sitar, santoor (a 100-stringed instrument played with wooden mallets), Western flute and tabla, the 4-piece band stretches the boundaries of their Hindustani-inspired music in a musical exploration that’s both rich in tradition as well as brilliantly modern. On CD-opener, “Mind the Gap,” Indus’ playfulness is in full evidence; a rhythmically complex piece that challenges each musician to stay true to the beat, it is an 11-minute workout of pure inspiration. “A Night at the Court” utilizes improvisational scat-like singing (called “bols,” the language of tabla) over a regal melody reminiscent of classical Persian extemporization. In fact, the album’s opus, “Esfahan,” draws the neighboring cultures of India, Pakistan and Iran into sharp relief over the course of a wildly provocative 19-minute jam that gives each player more than ample space to improvise and experiment with melody, rhythm, tone and harmony. Equally challenging and rewarding, the evocative “Firefly” CD by Indus is perfect for fans of Indian music, or for listeners of similarly modern World Music visionaries (e.g., John McLaughlin’s Shakti or Anouar Brahem).”
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