DJ Munks.com

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Am writing a music review after a long time.. I hope I haven’t lost touch with my music. And I hope exactly the same for Vishal-Shekhar who are making music after a long time. Frankly I feel fit and up-to-date.. One can’t really loose touch of music flavour & understanding can they! I guess it is the same for Vishal-Shekhar too. They are good at what they do & I feel they can never loose that! After Dostana in 2008 they only worked on Aladin last year. This year they are back with I HATE LUV STORYS (== IHLS).

Cliche line..?? I hope the music is not cliche for this exciting forthcoming project which is a Karan & Hiroo Johar & Ronnie Screwvala production under the UTV banner. Starring Imran Khan & cutie Sonam Kapoor who are back after flops LUCK and Delhi-6. IHLS is the brain child of debutant director Punit Malhotra who has also written the story. Karan Johar loves working with new directors I guess.. Well can’t object to that since they usually give him hits like Dostana recently. Another common factor to these projects is the hit music of Vishal-Shekhar. These guys make some of the biggest club tunes like Desi Girl, Bachna Ae Haseeno & Om Shanti Om.

So lets hope IHLS delivers something new for me to play in the parties which is fresh, young and with a killer beat just like the film trailer. Check it out.. It is about a guy who works in the film industry & doesn’t believe in love but then has to work on a romantic film with a girl who is crazy about love.

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Jab Mila Tu – This song reminds you of exactly the same album opening to Dostana with Jaane Kyu. A soft romantic beauty this song is.. I love it’s vibe with the classic double bass rhythm and some sharp acoustic guitar at the start followed by dirty electric guitar in the para’s. Anvita Dutt is a hugely talented writer & her lyrics on this song are truly mesmerising. Vishal lends his vocals to his compilation himself & the texture of his voice fits in brilliantly. You will be humming & singing along this tune in a matter of a few minutes. A perfect Sunday morning radio tune – 8/10.

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Track 2 – Bin Tere – So what if Vishal can’t sing every song on the album.. he is hugely talented and can write lyrics equally well. Even if it is for a phenomenal ex-Pakistani band Fuson singer Shafqat Amanat Ali, Vishal can give the lyrics lot of substance & depth. Respect to him.. Shafqat gives his soul in the form of his voice to this song which moves to a rather fast upbeat for a sad romantic song like this. Listen to the guitar on this number. Some really good solo’s with a wholesome band instrumental compilation. Sunidhi Chauhan makes an appearance & does a harmony with Shafqat in the last 2 minutes. Like this one.. but definitely not the best I’ve heard. 7/10.

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Track 3 – I Hate Luv Storys – This funky title song is a modern equivalent of Shut up and bounce from Dostana.. only a lot cooler!!! This is the tune I’ll be blasting in clubs and parties. In the voice of Vishal Dadlani again with the lyrics of Kumaar, this song has a catchy hit chorus line with part Hindi part English lyrics. It is fresh, cool, funky, hummable, dancy and very capable of lighting the dance floor on fire if mixed right by the DJ’s around the world. It is not a massive tune like Desi Girl or Bachna Ae Haseeno or Deewangi Deewangi.. but it has it’s own style & it works. Sure hit – 7.5/10.

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Track 4 – Bahara – A start with the classical Rajasthani voice of Sona Mohapatra is always a good style. It works with the listeners as proved by Genda Phool last year. Shreya Ghosal’s melodic voice literally makes you feel like Spring as she talks about the thrill of her first love with the lyrics of Kumaar. A good romantic song with a very good unique composition. Could have done with more classical instrumentation.. But it is alright. You will still like it. 7/10.

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Track 5 – Sadka – Another song with strikingly good lyrics by Anvita Dutt. 3 Idiots singer – Suraj Jagan gives it a very deep vocal touch. He sounds ambient & very powerful for a song with lyrics talking about worship of love. Mahalaxmi Iyer does well too on the female vocals.. but not outstanding. Suraj steals leads the song all the way. The production & composition sounds similar to the others with the typical Vishal-Shekhar deep bass guitar. Good song. 7/10.

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Track 6 – Bin Tere-Reprise – This version completely surprises you with how good it is. Vishal lets his partner Shekhar take on the mic this time & also lets Kumaar improvise on his original lyrics. A big sacrifice !! and it truly pays off. The acoustic guitar is brilliant.. soulful & melodious. The lyrics are truly beautiful and make you fall in love. A valentines day classic to be or a perfect background song for your wedding reception. Love it.. 8.5/10.

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Track 7 – Bahara (Chill Version) – One of my favourite singers Rahat Fateh Ali Khan comes down to make a good song even better. His voice alone gives so much more depth to Kumaar’s lyrics that you just won’t believe how the same song so different.. even when it is not a remix !! The chill version is a true lounge mix and relaxes your nerves. Close your eyes and listen to truly enjoy the bliss of the classical recitation by Rahat. A must listen. 8/10.

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Track 8 – Bin Tere-Remix - DJ Kiran steps in to try and make a great song dancy.. Succeeds at that.. but truly ruins the feel of this soulful number. The trance feel fits in but not well enough to make you like this version. You can stop listening to this album after Track 7. I would hate to find any DJ’s out there playing this anywhere.. Ignore this one. 5/10.

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FINAL WORD

Super Good & Fresh – 7.5/10

Forget loosing touch.. Vishal-Shekhar have only got better. This album might not prove to be very big hit like some of their previous work but it sure has a different essence that they can boast of. It is an all rounder filling in all the gaps in the current market for different genres. It works in every respect to deliver a good package with a lot of love in it.. Ironic for a title that hates love !!

Buy this album if you are a music lover. Or even if you just love your partner then buy this album to impress them with your romantic listening taste.. You will feel the magic ! Available on Sony Music.

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“I am a slow walker, But I never walk back!” —- Abraham Lincoln

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After a lull of nearly a year am back to blogging with all the music and movies from the Bollywood town. Got caught up in a busy work schedule in an economically unstable and difficult media industry trying to sustain in that environment. That’s where I have been trying to make ends meet and climb up while all walls come crashing down. I took a break to keep things in focus and for some family time.

But am back.. !! So feed in and stay connected here for the latest Bollywood music & movie reviews for the UK audience. Know what works and what doesn’t in the British Asian industry. Read a full scale song-by-song review from each OST album and a detailed review of the movies as they hit the British screens. Keep up-to-date here with my parties and listen to some of best mix sets been featured on BBC Asian Network and other radio stations.

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It’s all happening here..!!!  If you want more than join me on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace to read my brief Hollywood movie reviews..

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