Thinking of giving a Bhangra compilation album as a Christmas or Eid present? Looks like a good bet as they're coming thick and fast. We reviewed Panjabi Hit Squad's offering last week and now it is the turn of Urban Fusion, released by Universal.

Yet another blend of desi beats, dancehall and hip-hop, Urban Fusion is the less mainstream edition of 'bhangra review 2003', with many big names omitted from the list. Gubi Sandhu, Metz & Trix and Zeus have all made it (along with Mundian Tho Bach Ke) but there's nothing from RDB, Rishi Rich or Bally Sagoo. There is more music on Urban Fusion, but the hip-hop and reggae are dispersed among the bhangra so there's no 'bhangra' cd. I guess that's 'fusion', but for the desi only people, it's a negative.

It takes an awful long time for the Asian vibe to even begin; Urban Kings' Turn It Up is track 10! However, it's a welcome relief as "its Friday night and I just got paid" rings through in the most vocal sample this year. It's a lively desi hip-hop tune with cool female desi vocals on top.

Then we get the Surinder Rattan mix of Felon's Flash, a groovy R&B cut underlayed with Rattan's Indian flute. It's a bit of a boring chorus, but a nice groovy piece that you can vibe to.

THE bhangra anthem for the next 50 years swings by next, this time in its Jay-Z form. I don't need to say anymore about Panjabi MC's Mundian Tho Bach Ke do I?

Track twelve is 'Hey Hey', collaboration between Sanj and the Sona Family, which will feature on Sanj's 'American Desi' album when that is released. Essentially another desi tune, with the 'hey hey' the only bhangra element.

Sanj then appears again with his own tune with Ranjit Mani, 'Panjab Di Galla'. It's typically tight production from Sanj, with Tony 2K providing the MC'ing. Not a characteristic from Mr Mani, the vocals are much softer (besides a brilliant flow two minutes in), but this does not detract from another nice flowing desi hip-hop tune.

The next tune I feel is more of a selling point than a piece of music. Unfortunately, it's a really bad Metz & Trix choice, and the 'Mango Dance' is only a skit elsewhere, but is a headline track on 'Urban Fusion'. Using the most over-used sample in hip-hop, it won't excite even the Metz & Trix fans.

After a little bit of Ashanti we get one of the best tunes on the first CD. 5RB, Nadia and Nowlage get the tumbi rolling and the floor shaking with a bassy garage cut called 'Aaja'. Nice singing and quick vocals attribute the strong low frequency but sometimes 'too much' is happening in the track.

Bob Rai's tune 'Bhangra Club Wich' continues with the bass in this intense garage tune. Palvinder Singh's vocals are cool but maintain the intensity that the B-line brings. It's one to cruise around with.

Sanj then appears for a third time on his track with Dj Luck and MC Neat featuring the singer Deepti. This tune has been around for a while but is exclusive to this album, which I think is unfortunate as it's a good tune. Neat's Arabic-esque singing is right at home on the track and the beat is deep and the production with Deepti's vocals works really well. Going back a few years, Luck & Neat were kicking up the garage scene but things have slowed for them and this tune reminds us of what they were doing back then, with a welcome bhangra element.

Gubi Sandhu's 'Gal Sun' then completes the desi beats on the first CD, with top quality MC'ing from Singh MC and the Einstein of desi music, E=MC. I don't think Gubi gives a floor filling performance but this track did come from the Dil Karda album so it can't be that bad.

Wayne Wonder's 'Got To Be' and 'Down 4 U' by Charli Baltimore, Ja Rule, Ashanti and Vita complete the first CD.

The second disc opens with Sean Paul's 'Beware' (which was also featured on PHS's compilation) and Biz Markie's track with Elephant Man called 'Let Me See U Bounce'.

Then the desi tunes begin. I really hope that Moviebox really push to promote Kami K as everything I hear from him is really good, and this tune with the CP Family just enforces that. Soulful vocals and heavy beats are the make-up of 'Model Chik' with the well written and produced track guaranteed to get the heads nodding.

Karmacy keep the beat moving with 'Passage To India', a tour of their homeland. Musically, I wasn't a fan but it keeps everything going and the lyrics are well thought out.

Canada's finest, the Asian Empire, have been making things happen intercontinentally recently and 'XXXClusive' is one of the reasons for their success. More Asian rap, but MD and Blitzkreig are both talented lyricists and there flows have a good freestyle essence.

'B There' by the Desi Underground and D.S.I. has to be one of the heaviest tracks of the moment. Strong, encapsulating vocals are the filling between the sandwich of booming bass and clever strings, with the chorus very catchy. This tune was in heavy rotation back in September and it sold 'Addicted to Bass, Breaks & Beats' on its own.

After a Murda Inc interlude, Mac G resumes the bhangra with Dushmani, featuring Surjit Sagar singing. This is the beginning of the most desi period on the album and the one featuring the best dhol rhythm. Mac G looks set for big things in my opinion.

Track nine comes from Tigerstyle who are perhaps the most under-rated producers in bhangra today. 'Heer Di Kali' is their typical mix of traditional bits and bobs and a great beat and bass line.

'Challa' was a huge hit earlier in the year, and the Desi Crew's anthem is really well placed on this album. Dark and mysterious, the vocals come from beneath the music but the beat drags them to the fore. I really like this tune and the diffusing melodies and lyrics.

The Notorious JATT may believe he is the desi incarnation of Biggie Smalls but Leamington Spa is a bit distant from Harlem. 'Whats Ma Name?' is a steady hip-hop tune with a tumbi accompaniment and Panjabi hook, and it grew on me.

I think that if there is one tune that was missed by Panjabi Hit Squad it would be 'Kangna'. Zeus's track is in strong circulation at the moment and doesn't need much review, but is deservedly one of 'Urban Fusion's headline tracks, and is at home here as it combines an excellent blend of hip-hop beats and raps from Shortie Littlelox with desi harmony and singing from Master Rakesh.

Raghav Mathur has the potential make an impression on British R&B and his contribution to 'So Confused' really makes a difference. The sing-along chorus and wistful vocals really come through in this dancehall edition of the track.

Apache Indian won an award for Best International act at the AMAs, and with all the Canadian and other North American influence on 'Urban Fusion' it would be wrong if Apache was left out. The Birmingham star gets the hips moving with his reggae offering and proves that the Boom-Shak-A-Lak veteran can still make things happen.

Gubi Sandhu returns with a much better performance on 'Nakhra'. Taken from the 'Heavy' album, the RDB produced work gets the crowd moving and Gubi's chorus is really beguiling. I played this tune in Dixons and we got a good response from customers (including more gorrae!!), explaining the song's good, bouncy appeal.

Sanj returns for the fourth and final time on Unyson's tune with Cheshire Cat called 'Asian Ting'. Rolling bass and rhythm and Cheshire make good music, but its not an inspiring performance from Unyson, who incidentally belong to the management company who compiled this album.

The penultimate desi tune is DJ Slik's 'Saun Rab Di', which has a good beat, but the B-line is just too cheesy. The vocals are passable and the tune is good when the bass isn't on, but made me turn off as soon as it returned.

DIP wrap up the Indian edge with 'Gabroo', a tune that starts slowly but builds up into a moving tune that even has a slight oriental feel before the beat gets going. Typical DIP vocals and Cheshire Cat involvement it's a good way to finish of the desi beats before 'Excuse Me Miss' and LL Cool J's 'Paradise' end the album.

It's not a bad compilation at all. However, if you're looking for less played music, then 'Urban Fusion' has the upper hand, as there are more 'smaller' artists that will grow. PHS's hip-hop and reggae stuff was better and a separate hip-hop/desi cd was better than infiltrating one style between the other.

'Urban Fusion' gets 7.5 out of 10, but mainly because it's in the shadow of the PHS album. If I'd have paid half the money and only got the second CD I'd have been much happier as most of the best tunes are on there.