Here at Desitunes4u.com, we love playing games! Well Irfan and Usman have their own "fun"! Anyhow, I want to play a game with you lot! Who is Aman Hayer? Well he's is the guy's album review you going to read! As well as this he is amongst the hottest producers around and his new album Groundshaker is his follow up to Reminisce. I could bang on about this man all day, but instead go to his website AmanHayer.com, look at his discography and see how much this man has done!
The first track is the title track, Tharti Hilde which translates to ground shaker in Punjabi (thanks for the translation Rando!) and is sang by Angraz Ali (nice name). This track is what Das Ja was to Hype, Dil Karda was to Urban Flavas and Kagna was to Unda Da Influence, it's simply superb. The beat is banging, Angraz Ali's tone is matches the melody excellently. But the main thing about this track is the hook; you just can't help singing along. Since this tune got released, it has dominated club land, and when I mean people go rago to this track, bruv it's like you can actually hear the ground moving when they dance! Mc-ing is not that bad, but more so than that this song as a whole package is probably gonna be one of the best tracks the year if not the best. Hat's off to the genius that is Aman Hayer and yeah and g'waan with those Khanda dhols in the video!
The next track is entitled Seetee and is sang by Lembher Hussainpuri. The opening bit of the tune sounds like Kalli Kitte Mil from Kulwinder Dillon album Changes (another Aman Hayer production), hmmmmmmmmm, let's hope this is a first and last of borrowing from old tunes eh Aman! Anyways the tune, Lembhar is going to smash up whatever track he sings and this one is no different. A very upbeat and lively number, yeah yeah my mum would love this tune. The melody does sound similar to Kalli Kitte Mil but is kinda hidden amongst the heavy dhol beat. But again it's the hook that smashes it, this is one of those tracks you will dance and sing to at the same time! Top tune, but pity about the Kalli Kitte Mil similarity.
Just by the name the name from the tune I know it's gonna be a slow tune! Dil Nai Lagda is the third track on the album! You feel like you are in Spain when listening to this tune! It's a rework of the title track from his last album which is pretty obvious as they thought they'd leave the whispering which introduces the track 'Reminisce… Reminisce' which was a kinda lazy if you ask me! How it differs from the original is the Aman has done away with the English vocals of Neetz and replaced them with the guitar in line with the trend of producing acoustic/Spanish guitar styley tracks! This tune is actually not bad, not something you can dance to unless your name is Jose Maria, but fairly decent none the less. Both female, Vinni, and male, Feroz Khan, who have strong voices even though it's the same vocals from the original which is a shame. However the production is pretty tight, not much more to say!
This tune sees the return of K.S Makhan and the return of the drinking crew! Ik Kut is the fourth track of Ground Shaker. Hang on, why the hell is this tune reminding me of "Glassy"! I don't mean the subject of the song but the actual beat and tune? Maybe cos the beat and tune are both very similar…again! Come on Aman man, why you doing this to us! We want fresh new music! The song is good, nice beat something the sharabees can go mad to and the K.S Makhan/Aman Hayer combo has never failed before but still I can't help feel a little disappointed with this track.
Heer Ranjha is the next tune! Hmmmm, quite different sounding, almost a hip-hop beat if you will, spits the lyrics with mc-ing. I'll tell you what this tune reminds me off, Daru from Unstoppable and the only thing that made that track decent was Rhythm Ryder. These Mc's are no way in his league, but they aren't really bad either. A bit undecided about this one, for me the beat is too slow and almost mechanical, the voice of Tanveer Gogi suits the beat though and the Mc's give an edge to the track. Not one for me however!
Bol Pyaree blows up next on Ground Shaker, and is sung by Angraz Ali again. This tune is class. That's the only word I can use to describe it. So many producers have tried to incorporate different styles of music with bhangra, whether it is garage, hip-hop, drum and bass etc. Very few if any succeed mainly because there is a blatant switch when say the bhangra beat finishes and the hip hop beat starts. In Bol Pyaree there is hardly a switch detectable, this is definitely without a shadow of a doubt the best-produced tune on the album. He has gone with a Drum and Bass/old skool bhangra blend and I can tell you this combo is as good as makhi da roti and saag! Voice and lyrics are quite standard but the sheer masterful production is what elevates this track to a different plateau.
Skits are a common thing nowadays and the next track is a skit entitled Audition. It's actually bare funny! Especially the end when some random geeza is singing Tharti Hilde to a Vaaja! Jokes!
Let me ask you a question are you Punjabi? Well if you are this tune will make your chest will swell with pride! The 8th tune entitled, Punjabi (of course) is sang by Nirmal Sidhu. Sorry but this tune is too sick, very traditional and desi and just something you wanna get up and dance to! Simple as that! Whoever is playing the dhol should play the dhol on every bhangra tune cos he is that heavy! Just the lyrics of this tune are enough to get the blood pumping and adrenaline flowing. However every so often Aman does something to the tune and makes it all echoey! Don't understand that and it is something which ruins the track a bit! The vaaja is grimey and gives it a proper old skool feel. Very good track! Scratch that, a sick track!
Jaan is next track, Pav Purewal drops the vocals and Sunny D provides the Mc-ing. A kinda hip-hop beat drops on this tune, ummmm; this tune isn't anything special to be honest. It's sounds a bit like been here and done that, mc-ing is average, hook is average and overall it just has an average feel to it. Pav's voice is okay, as is Sunny D's mc-ing but nothing more than that. This track ain't bad enough to get rinsed but not good enough to get praised!
Two slow songs on a bhangra album! Nah! Dil Tor Giya is the next tune and is for the gals who got a broken heart! I'm feeling this tune a lot as it's very mellow and calming beat, the lyrics are very deep and meaningful and the legendary Jaspinder Narula's voice is first class on this tune. It feel's like you can hear her pain through the style of her singing and lyrics she drops. Anyways, enough of this emotional stuff! Solid track.
The eleventh, (yes eleventh track) on this album is called Tere Je Soniye and Feroz Khan provides the vocals. I dunno about this song, it's certainly like a very happy sunshine kinda track but sounds a bit cheesey perhaps? A bit poppy? I think in the hook, there are background vocals, which cheapen the song a tad. This is perhaps the only song on the album which I feel is produced quite poorly, I mean the beat sounds too much like a Delhi bhangra pop song! Nah nah Aman, don't tarnish your reputation by producing songs like this.
Another skit entitled Haik Contest; this time I have no idea what this skit is about! Irfan help me out!
On one of Aman Hayer's previous album entitled Déjà Vu one of the best tracks on it being entitled Oh Jandi. You would be forgiven for mistaking the next track on Ground Shaker, Tere Naa Te with Oh Jandi. This is the most obvious borrowing of a previous song, much worse than the previous few. Sunny Nijjar provides the vocals and Mc Special is the Mc. Let's over look the fact of the re-using of the Oh Jandi melody and beat for a second. This is a boom tune, really good beat and nice lyrics, voice has been echoed and it suits the tack well, the mc is all right but he definitely adds to the track. That's what I should be saying but how can I when this tune ain't original! Aman Hayer is the last person we would expect this re-using of previous tracks from but this is the fourth time on this album. Disappointing.
Everyone says you should go out with a bang, and Aman Hayer has certainly done that with his last track, Apne Begane and features the vocals Yudhiv Manak and hold tight; Kuldip Manak! A legend, a genius, just the pinnacle of what is proper bhangra. His voice is immense and Aman has produced a track around him, rather than his voice fitting the track, it's the track fitting his voice. It's hard to describe what kinda genre to put this in, it's not hardcore old skool with a mad dhol beat, rather it's more like a folk tune. The beat and actual tune of the song is not as harsh as one might expect, it's actually quite mellow yet up-tempo at the same time. The chorus is not as catchy as other songs on the album but still good none the less. A good song with a legends blessing.
This album is very good, let's not get it twisted, Aman Hayer has really produced some high quality tracks on this album and Tharti Hilde is gonna be a classic mark my words! There is also 12 tracks on this album, excluding the skits, so you are definitely getting value for money, however I feel let down by the re-using of old tracks, beats and vocals en all. I picked on four occasions that this has been done thought the album. Perhaps he found a winning formula and tried to stick to it? All I can say is that if this man has the talent to produce songs like Tharti Hilde, Bol Pyaree etc. then there is no need what so ever for him to go recycling! If another producer did this I wouldn't be surprised but this man has so much talent that I feel a bit cheated. No intro! Aman send me your address, you on my Christmas card list! Wrapping this up, this had the potential to be a fantastic album with only one poor song, the rest were of a decent if not exceptional standard; however we can't over look the fact that he has re-used elements of four previous songs thus I give the album 7.3/10. Aman Hayer is a gifted producer so let's hope his next album gets a rating his talent deserves and we don't get the feeling of Déjà Vu (pun intended). |
