artist: Loop Guru country of origin: UK style(s): Exotic dub, ethno ambient, world beat essential releases: Duniya (1994, Waveform)

This British world beat outfit was once described by Q Magazine as "occupying a corner of the dance world that is forever putting its head over some metaphorical bong and inhaling deeply of musically altered states". No argument from me on that one, but on Loop Guru's masterpiece Duniya the duo of Salman Gita and partner Jamuud don’t sound like they’ve passed out on the couch and left their machines on auto-pilot, either. Its vintage exotic dub in the style that Waveform Records does so well, and it's been quite an inspirational and influential record for producers making downtempo music on the psychedelic trance scene.

Most of the tracks here average five minutes in length and are an enticing melange of looped ethnic samples, bass-heavy dub grooves and sharp melodic hooks, all cleverly crafted in a Deep Forest kind of way. But the closing twenty-minute "Third Chamber" is something else. Out of the opening swirl of synths and Islamic-style vocals it soon settles into a languid, trance-inducing breakbeat over which spine-tingling female wails are played off against two spare, disarming melodies from bass guitar and Indonesian gamelan drums. Spiralling ever deeper into some unknown void, the total effect is utterly enthralling and for this track alone Duniya is worth the trip. Breathe in...

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