Jonny Greenwood: Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express: Junun

The idea of gathering excellent musicians with different backgrounds, from various corners of the Earth and then set them playing together somewhere picturesque as the cameras roll can turn into something much more significant as it is the case with Paul Thomas Anderson's documentary film Junun.

The film follows a group of musicians that includes guitarist and composer Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead fame, Radiohead's producer Nigel Goodman, Israeli singer and composer Shye Ben Tzur and Rajasthan Express, an Indian ensemble, as they meet and collide musically on a location at a 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort in India. Junun, the album title, which came out as a result from these sessions, translates as "madness" and is apt in describing not just the interplay and common purpose among the participants, but also the joy and fun that sweeps off the room and taking up everybody in the excitement of the moment.

Junun can be seen as another installment in the ongoing fruitful creative unions between Greenwood and Anderson which has previously resulted in three outstanding films There Will be Blood, Inherent Vice and The Master. Projects that are instigated by Greenwood or revolve around him show his compositional capabilities and wild imagination which makes you think there is more to him than just being a part of popular indie rock band. Very few musicians in any given genre can claim achievements as wide ranging as his. There is a lot of diversity in his output and tastes outside his motherband—the soundtrack works indicate his taste for avant classical composers such as Messiaen, Penderecki, Steve Reich and even his taste for music is unusual which was evident when he compiled a collection of his favorite reggae and dub songs for Trojan Records 40th anniversary Jonny Greenwood Is The Controller. So no wonder that he teamed up with these people in order to come up with music that is more than sum of its parts. Usually, cross-cultural projects such as this result in sonic flavoring, where Western musicians pepper their music with exotic sounds. On the contrary, the music here erupts with an edgy mix of musical juxtapositions. Each participant comes from a wildly diverse musical background and this has resulted in one of the most ear-arresting cross-cultural meetings.

The sound that this collective has made together feels fresh, for most part, unforced and free flowing. All of the compositions were both written and arranged by Shye Ben Tzur who divides his time between Israel and India and writes qawwallis. The opener "Junun" bursts out of the gate with a stew of beats and rhythms bolstered with what would otherwise be a characteristic Balkan gypsy trumpet fireworks. The propulsive pace of the grooves is further met with escalating qawwalli vocal fireworks. "Roked" is a slinky dance number with blatant infusions of electronic drums and beats, with Shye Ben Tzur's piercing voice echoing all over the place which makes you think of Bollywood soundtracks. Greenwood has never been particularly showy, always preferring to serve as a team player, sprinkling quietly his magic in the form of beats, bass, synths, sounds and guitar.

There is a constant traffic of various instruments and voices and the boiling energy of the album offers little respite or contemplation. On "Chala Vahi Des" there is a beautiful interplay between two solo singers where they repeat lines with building intensity, with each repetition squeezing more emotional juice from the words. As it can be heard much of the weight is carried by the vocalists and the percussionists here and there is a strong alliance between them as they propel each other forward. This collective settles into a groove on any given tune on this record, with the percussion layering gradually with occasional electronic bits and drums. One of the most interesting pieces is "Kalandar," which starts with found sounds of bird songs and beats with ambiances and mystical computer sounds. Above there is a playful flute which floats throughout as the pulsating percussion, droning harmonium melodies and vocal chants start picking up pace and build up into an intricately layered piece of music.

Greenwood's production adds to the organic, seemingly effortless blend of old, new, improvised, and structured musical styles on Junun. The music on this double record resonates with an undeniable passion that registers on a deep, universal level. It certainly evokes other similar successful cross-cultural collaborations and meetings between different worlds, such as producer/guitarist Michael Brook and singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's. This is world music, but envisioned by musicians who innately stay a step removed from the safety and boredom of the mainstream.