Richard Sen’s DJ career spans well over 30 years. He’s also been making music for close to 3 decades. Richard’s released tunes as part of Bronx Dogs – with Paul Eve – part of Padded Cell – with Neil Higgins – and also solo. Drawing on his extensive eclectic experience – from hip hop to techno – India Man, however, is the first long-player to be issued under Richard’s own name. The album’s title is a reference to Richard’s heritage, reflecting his family history, which involves 3 generations of folks whose ambitions brought them from India to make the UK their home. All of the track names, bar one, are taken from aspects of India’s ancient past. The exception is the opener, Eleven Eleven, which instead is a tribute to Charlie Bones – founder of Do!! You!!! Radio, where Richard has a residency, and Do!! You!!! the label, who are putting the record out. Chunky and chugging this is afro / cosmic gear. Tribal, and a little bit Burundi, like a pitched down take on Johnny Wakelin’s In Zaire, and Daniele Baldelli’s early 1990s productions. 

In the religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Moksha is the ultimate enlightened state. One free of the physical world that binds us. Musically, it’s represented here by some pumping proto-house. Sexy, dark, bottom heavy, disco, with echoed vibes and dubbed out sax. 

The Indus is a river that runs from high in Tibet, through southern India, Kashmir and Pakistan, toward the Arabian Sea. Sen’s Symphony to it borrows from Bollywood, sampling a seductive vocal and soaking the track in dramatic, cinematic strings. Building tension like a `70s movie chase scene. 

The Parsees are Persian people who settled in Medieval India. Richard’s Parsi Princess is a shot of slo-mo electro funk, with belligerent TB-303-like bleeps and bass. This time the orchestration and voices are moody and mysterious. Ghostly and gated. 

Proto-Dravidian is a theoretical language. A modern reconstruction of the common tongue thought  to be spoken right across India, before any geographic and religious divisions appeared, in the 4th millennium BCE. Richard’s audio interpretation is a bit Bally Sagoo. Setting zithers and ringing psychedelic riffs to the break from James Brown’s Funky Drummer. 

The Magadhan Empire, an ancient Indian kingdom, takes the shape of more dark disco, with trance-y textures. Mysteries Of Meluhha – a Mesopotamian name for the inhabitants of the Indus Valley – inspires some robotic, vocoder-ed and Italo-flavoured, throbbing, thrusting, BDSM club caged go-go dancer gear. Hills Of Kashmir, named after the area in northern India whose borders are hotly contested, particularly with Pakistan, while flickering and electro-edged, has a B-line that’s pure Chicago jack. 

Richard Sen’s India Man can be ordered directly from Do!! You!!! Records.