ASANA

  1/	Devabandha -                                (Fazio)                       15.26
          Makyo
  2/	Om Namah Shiva                              (Wobble,Akhtar,Adams)         14.09
        (Transformation of the Heart mix) -
          Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart
  3/	Mantra (Orb remix) -                        (Shankar,Caroline,Laswell)    15.40   
          Material
  4/	Hear No Evil -                              (Laswell)                     14.47
          Bill Laswell

          Track 2 recorded at Greenhouse, Sonica and 30 Hertz Studios
          Track 3 recorded in Madras, India and Greenpoint Studios, Brooklyn, New York
          Track 4 recorded at Greenpoint Studios, Brooklyn, New York
          Track 1 remix engineer : Robert Musso
          Engineering and programming on track 2 : Robert Musso
          Track 3 engineered by Oz Fritz
          Track 4 engineered by Robert Musso
          Track 1 produced by A. Ikeda and G. Fazio
          Track 2 produced by Jah Wobble and Justin Adams
          Tracks 3 and 4 produced by Bill Laswell
          Mix translation and additional production on tracks 1 and 2 by Bill Laswell
          Additional production on track 3 by the Orb - Dr. Alex Paterson and Kris Weston

(1) Gio and Ikeda : all sounds; (2) Najma Akhtar : vocals; Inder 'Goldfinger' Matharu : tablas; Justin Adams : guitar, backing vocals; Mark Ferda : backing vocals, drum programming; Jah Wobble : bass, percussion, keyboards; (3) Bill Laswell : bass, beats; Zakir Hussain : tablas; Vikku Vinayakram : ghatam; Nadhaswara arrangement by Shankar; (4) Bill Laswell : basses; Nicky Skopelitis : guitars; Shankar : violin; Zakir Hussain : tablas; Aiyb Dieng : percussion.

          1997  -  Douglas Music (USA),  ADC7  (CD)

REVIEWS :

Asanas are usually considered to be the physical postures involved with the practice of yoga. They become spiritual exercises when they are done in a divine mood of devotion. The concept of this album is to take relaxing Indian Asanas and interpret them in an electronica musical style. For the most part, it works. The opening fifteen-and-a-half minute track from Makyo, an electronic music collective from Tokyo with additional contribution and production from Bill Laswell, is particularly effective. It's titled "Devabandha." The other three tracks deliver mixed results. "Om Namah Shiva" from Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart, has interesting vocals from Najma Akhtar, but the tempo is a bit too up for our taste, losing the power to relax and inspire. "Mantra" from Bill Laswell's Material with additional production from the Orb is both exotic and dancey but again, more stimulating than relaxing. "Hear No Evil" from Bill Laswell slows down and completes the album with ambient translations of the masterful playing of L. Shankar and Zakir Hussain, but tends to meander at times. Overall, Asana makes for an interesting concept compilation, especially the track "Devabandha."

Courtesy of the Lightworks website