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YEAH!!! You are listening to the boy from the BIG BAD CITY; this is Reminisce. This time, I'm back with a delightful treat for you folks. The long awaited album of RDB DJs has finally arrived. The album is just TOO DAMN SWEET. It's packed with 13 energetic remixes that'll make you wanna dance till you drop.

Chalo Ji, haun shuru kariye!! I'm going to kick off with the album cover as usual. NOW, that's called a customized CD cover. Just plain and simple, I LOVE IT. NO ridiculous pictures of the DJs or ½ naked chics. You know Desi people are more obsessed with thighs and breasts than Colonel Sanders ever was. Anyways, getting back on topic, yeah so as I was saying that the cover is pretty nice and sober. Make sure that you buy the real CD and not the bootlegged. You must be thinking HOW the heck would you tell if it's real of not? Well, the CD cover has a "VALID” emblem on it and on the background it has a picture of Queen Elizabeth or some old lady, anyways, I don't know the real Identity of who's in the background but anyhow, you can just glance the CD under light and you'll see the shaded face of the lady in the back, which assures the real RDB album. Let's move on to the Inlay. YO RDBs why you guys have the expression of "My Dog Died” on your faces? Chin up jigarz, a lil' bit of smile won't kill ya. Don't forget to read the backside of the inlay that has all the shout outs to all of their fans and the Almighty One.

Feir pata mein ki keeta? I popped the CD in the player. The CD starts with a nice intro from RDB. Track 2 is Put Sardara Dhe featuring MC Trix. Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Check this out!!! The 3rd track is Patlay Patlay remixed with Get Ur Freak On, NOW THAT is one nice, sweet, tight song. The lyrics are nice, and the music is just too damn good. BEWARE of track 6 because its a woofer excursion test. If you think that your speakers are weak then I'd suggest skipping the song because it has a heavy bass and you might mess up your system. I was lovin' it when track 6 was blasting out of all the 8 speakers in my car. I'm just going to name the rest of the tracks because the words aren't enough for this album. Track 7 is Mehfill Yaara Dhe by Surinder Shinda featuring Singh MC. Track 8 is Ishqian Dhe Mamlai featuring Grips. Next comes Harjana by Kuldip Manak featuring Singh MC. Aight, ho' la ho' la ho' la, I got to stop this moment right now because you know why? It's all cause of Track 10, that's my favorite track nicely remixed with some Hip Hop. "Mein gabbroo desh panjab da meri shera vargi jaan”. Oh Man, I've been playing this song over and over again because it's just too wicked and you'll know what I'm talking about when you listen to it yourself. Time to kick some old school boliyan, featuring Jasvant Billa & Jasveer Kaur, wicked and that's all I have to say. Last comes the Outro followed by Trailers and that brings an end to a fabulous release. Like I said, I don't have enough words to speak about this album. This is the kind that I like, no fake umreekan MCs, just our own Desi MCs kickin' and chillin'.

Review by: Faizan aka Reminisce
Bonus Review:

Yo Kidha! (still loading please wait a few seconds!) Lo Ji Hun Shooroo Karde Aa'n.

Well wasn't there a garage track "Tappe " from the album " The Lick "( released on Kamlee records ) by Surinder Rattan co-produced by RDB that everyone liked and which became a big hype in the clubs where desi DJs performed?

Well, RDB (Rhythm, Dhol, Bass) the crew of award winning DJs and MCs who have been touring around at many places doing road shows, took the time out to pullout an album for the Desi crowd! The main gangleaders of RDB are three brothers Surj, Kully and Manj, who have a vast knowledge of playing many different instruments such as the Dhol, Tabla, Harmonium and the drums. I would say that music is in their blood.

Well now the boys are back with their own "Debut Album " packed with 12 desi groovy tracks.

Man I was about to faint when I found out that many artists are featured on 1 single album!! Various singers like Surinder Shinda, Ranjit Mani, Surjit Sagar, Amar Tooray, Kuldeep Manak, Jasvant Billa, Kuldeep Purewal, Amolak Atwal, Herbie Sahara and Jasveer Kaur.

Plus, tripping on the Mic, there are people such as MC Trix, Ld, Singh MC, MCP and Grips.

Boy this album should be awarded with a grammy or something. Best thing about the album is that all the rocking songs have different flavors, like Hip Hop, Garage, Bhangra, R&B Mellow etc. All the tracks are mixed well with perfection leaving no room for anything else.

Well my favorites were "Put Sardara De", which is totally a club flow with some awesome work done by MC Trix and another was "Kitte Saari Raat", loved the music pattern used in all the songs. Also, "Mehfil Yaara Di" with tuned in garage, plus "Shera Vargi Jaan" one of the desi gangster types, and "Sonay Gabroo" with the real vibe of Desi music. I sensed that this song was a production from either Canada or America.

Well there was one song: "Patlay Patlay", which kinda turned me off because it had that (oh boy not gain!) sample taken from "Get ur Freak on" By Missy Elliot! Gosh whats happening to us Desi DJs? What are we trying to prove? That we are the best copycats or something? I mean its only a Tabla twist! Anyway, the rest I would say is good enough. This album is one that should be bought! So empty out the pockets and go get this album! Call over your mates for some hardcore RDB partying!

By the way if you run into Faizan, tell him he owes me a lassi!

9/10********* Job well done !!

Review by: Sunil (Mackenzie) Sohal

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RDB's

The Album

After a long wait, this album was scheduled for release at the start of the year; RDB finally dropped their album this summer. After years of performing as dj's at gigs, mainly in the north, RDB have concentrated on producing, and have come out with an album that the bhangra industry has been craving for. This album can be summed up in one word - quality. I was impressed from the moment I first glimpsed at the number of tracks on this album. I don't mind paying £10 for an album, as long as it isn't just for 6 tracks (3 of which are normally crap). The RDB album has 12 tracks. Granted there is an intro, outro and interlude, but even if you take these away, you still have 9 tracks.

The intro is something visitors to the RDB website would have heard years ago. It featured on one of their remixes - Hey Jamalo Vs It's Like That.

When you read the name of the song 'Put Sardara De' you probable think, oh no not again remix number 345 of the song but this Put Sardaran De is a huge dance floor smash hit. It's not a just another remix as the song has been resung by Ranjit Mani and given some bhangarage treatment. Then introducing MC Trix, following in the footsteps of his MC partner Metz (The two are collaborating to make an album called 'Danger' which is out soon). Trix does a good job, some people find his voice annoying, but I like it. It's good to hear an original garage beat rather than a beat taken from a UK garage tune.

Patley Patlay introduces a new singer, Surjit Sagar, related to members of the RDB camp. This singer shows promise, and in this he sings over Missy Elliot's Get Ur Freak On beat. This is not the best bhangra song I've heard using this beat, but it's still nice. Good to see some new talent as well, but I feel he needs to do a little bit more work.

Kitee Saree Raat has a type of Hindi feel to it. This is a class tune, the music just superb. RDB showing there can remix more than just bhangra. The tune is a bit repetitive but they still done a great job on it.

Sonay Gabroo features the lethal dholis. The song is quite average. I don't really like the singer. I think the lyrics and beat is good but feel the vocalist lets the track down.

Track 6 is the woofer test, and it does just that. Definitely one for you guys with the subs in your boot!

Ishqian Dhe Mamlai uses a hip hop beat, most will recognize it as the beat from 2Pac's Hit 'em up. This isn't really appropriate as the tune is another one with the hindi feel to it. The MC is good, and has some tight lyrics, so still an above average song.

Mehfil Yaara Dhe is another bhangarage track. Using the beat from the garage version This is How We do It. The vocalist is the legendary Surinder Shinda. Good tune, pity the beat had already been used by DJ Swami on Pure Garage 3. Singh MC (who also features on Sahara's Sonie Ni Sonie) is the MC.

Harjana uses the same type of formula. This time the legenday vocalist is Kuldip Manak. Nice tune, again the MC is good. Not really one for the dance floor, more of a chilled out bhangarage tune.

Shera Vargi is another quality tune - definitely one of my favourite tunes of the year. Herbie Sahara is the vocalist, no doubt in return for the work done by RDB on Access All Areas. The beat used is from Snoop's Lay Low. The lyrics are wicked. All in all a phat tune!!!

Old School Boliyan - well the title speaks for itself. In traditional style, there is a male and a female vocalist. I'm not really a fan of female vocalists but it works on this song.

The outro is something I can relate to, being a dj. After every party, there's always one demanding an extra song. Honestly people, they do turn the electricity off.

Overall, a quality album, I'm not saying every track is wicked and you'll like every song, but trust me you won't find many albums with as many good tunes. I give this album 9/10. This is a debue album remember, what can I say, big respect to RDB.

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RDB's

Sounds Of The North

RDB return with a follow up EP to their hugely successful debut album. Their self-titled album took ages to produce but the wait proved worthwhile, with the product being one of the albums of the year. So, the expectations were high for any future releases bearing the RDB name.

Balle Balle is the first tune. This uses Daniel Bedingfield's 'Gotta Get Thru This' beat. I feel the singer is a bit weak. He needs to improve a bit. The lyrics are also quite average, but the production is good and Singh MC lays down some nice vocals on the track. There's also a snippet of 'Putt Sardaran De' from their album - a bit of a pointless idea. The only thing the two tracks have in common is that the same people produced them both. I hope RDB are not just gonna ride on the success of that one tune! Overall Balle Balle is a fairly good track, not amazing.

Bapu is the second track. Dara Singh is the singer, following up his work on Metz & Trix's album. I think his singing on this track is better. The lyrics are good, quite a funny chorus - involving fear of being caught out by the bapu! The production is fairly traditional; with nothing dramatic has been done. All in alli'd say it's an average tune.

Muqabala is again a fairly traditionally produced track. The lyrics are average, on the militant side! The song is well sung and the production is good, not really of dance floor material, but good nonetheless.

Maa is the next track. The EP was nicely timed to be released just before Mother's Day, probably because of this tune. It's all about how much you need your mum. The lyrics are good. It is a slow tune, and again there is a traditional feel to the production, almost religious like. In fact, I'm sure mum bought a similar song from the gurdwara, with different lyrics, of course. A fairly good tune again.

This is followed by Ranjhana which is the lover's tune. The beat eventually kick in using samples from Dr Dre (again!) This time the Bang Bang beat is sampled. However the production is still good, as they are just used as samples and do not totally take over the track. The Mcing is a bit on the annoying side. The Punjabi lyrics are good, and well sung again. Still, it doesn't really compare to Bally Jag pal's 'Ranjha' on 'Untruly Yours'

The Muqabala remix uses music from Bruce Lee's 'Enter The Dragon'. Good to see a bit of originality from RDB. Rather than waiting for an English tune to sample it, they have taken the initiative just to take the beat. The music is quite appropriate considering the nature of the song. I think this betters the original track.

The Bonus version of Balle Balle is the final track. It sounds more like a commercially dance version of the original track. Sounds a little bit on the cheesy side to me, I prefer the earlier version by miles. This version also has none of the Mcing. Overall it's a really bad alternative.

Overall the EP is quite average. It doesn't really compare to their album. Balle Balle is nowhere near as good as Putt Sardaran De. I seriously doubt this album will receive the same plaudits as their album. I'm a little disappointed that they did release an EP so soon after their album. Let's face it guys t his is a fairly rushed EP. I think the boys can do much better than this. I mean so what, if it would take them a longer time. The record company should expect that, and would be rewarded by increased sales of a better end product. Overall as an EP, I would give it a 7. However in terms of departing with your hard earned £10, I would only give it a 6. I feel this is fair as it should be judged in comparison with albums costing just as much. Then again, saying all this RDB did promise this would be more oriented towards the desi market, and that it is. There may be some people out there who disagree with me?!?

Review by: DJ Dev