Bill Laswell - City of Light (2019)

Bill Laswell is one of the world's most prolific musicians and 'City of Light' is one of his most respected works, seeing him in collaboration with experimental legends Coil and Japanese god of ambient Tetsu Inoue among other talented virtuoso musicians. Recorded in India and New York, Laswell manages to soak up the atmosphere of the East perfectly utilising field recordings and tabla percussion while underpinning the Opium drenched haze with an ambience synonymous with his name. The Tetsu Inoue collaboration is probably the most stand-out moment, which sees Inoue contributing a few sheets of glacial digital ambience to Laswell's soundscape - adding yet another layer of unique experimentation to an album which almost defines Laswell as a musician. This really sums up what he does best - a fusion of East and West without deriding either scene or culture, rarely is world music approached with such open mindedness. Those of you interested in dark, industrial ambience with a leaning towards the slums of deepest India need look no further...