Silk Road music has become synonymous with pastel-colored ethnic muzak, a flavorless purée of influences marketed under the dubious heading of “world music.” Karavan Sarai occupies an entirely different plane. Not unlike Milwaukee’s excellent Painted Caves, Karavan Sarai is grounded in the musical continuum that stretches from India through the Balkans, presenting with a contemporary sonic edge without compromising the integrity of the traditions they represent. Multi-instrumentalist Narayan Sijan and producer Carmen Rizzo weave a rhythmically hypnotic montage from hand-slapped percussion and a range of ancient string instruments.
