Transglobal Underground practically invented the ethno-techno genre -- music that combines world music influences with a danceable electronic beat -- back in the late '80s. And as bands like
Trance Mission have broken up and artists like
Banco De Gaia have moved on, the group has continued to wave the ethno-techno flag high, influencing artists like
Talvin Singh and Badawi with its pan-cultural sound. That said, on
Yes Boss Food Center you can really feel the loss of vocalist
Natacha Atlas, whose solo career denies the band a key element of its trademark sound. Replacement singer Thobekile Doreen Webster does her best on tracks like "Spellbound," but without Atlas, the spotlight rests primarily on Coleridge, whose reggae-influenced raps were never the group's strongest asset. This is decent but frustratingly repetitive dance music that simply doesn't stand up to
Transglobal Underground's best work. ~ Bret Love