Uzbekian singer Yulduz Usmanova may have sold millions of records across her Eastern Europe and Asia, but she is little known in the UK. If there was one man, however, who was likely to bring her to Western attention it was the ever questing Jah Wobble, who has co-written, produced and released her first UK album on his own 30 Hertz label.
Having heard some of her previous work, Wobble felt he could do a better job than her previous compromised over-commercial efforts. Although overall he has succeeded, ironically the worse moment on the record is its most commercial, "Kiss Me", the only song in which Yulduz sings in English. Who knows, perhaps all her other lyrics are dreadful, but concealed in a foreign tongue they merely sound exotic. Certainly we are spared the likes of “kiss me, kiss, squeeze me tight, take me by the hand and fly my kite”. Even if that’s a Viz-style euphemism it doesn’t really excuse what comes perilously close to Eurovision territory.
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Far better are the more atmospheric moments, like opener "Oyny Kutib (Wait For The Moon)", where Wobble’s bass thrums over hypnotic percussion loops and Yulduz’s wordless voice ululates breathily, creating a hugely evocative combination.
Other highlights are the hazy, trip-hoppy vibe of "Ketmagyl (Don’t Go Away)" - served equally well by a separate dub mix at the end of the record - and the drones of "Orol Sea", a bewitching fusion of east and west.
Elsewhere the crisp, spritely guitar of Ernest Ranglin delightfully complements more up-tempo numbers like the instrumental" Dance For Happy People", and despite the odd blip we are once again grateful to Wobble for adding yet another colourful piece to the mosaic of our musical world.
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