Arular - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
M.I.A.'s debut record is both intensely urban and aggressively modern. The group's sole member, Maya Arul, infuses her blend of hip-hop and chunky electro with raw, tribal overtones and a healthy dose of sex appeal. There are elements of world music here, in Arul's multilingual vocal as well as the tonal shifts and instrumentation (like the drone that opens up "Hombre"). Her delivery uses a variety of yelps and tics full of street-wise confidence and bratty energy. But there's also an appealing melodic sense, like early Neneh Cherry or Miss Kitten when she's not in diva mode. M.I.A. doesn't really sound like anybody; the music is just experimental enough to wiggle out of easy comparisons. The IDM-style bleeps and beeps of "Galang," for example, give an already catchy song extra punch. The only problem with the record, a common flaw for debuts, is a sameness from track to track which robs it of the ability to surprise. Still, Arul is hugely talented and her abundant originality packs a wallop. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews: Read 159 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Three Stages of Acceptance April 4, 2005
143 out of 171 found this review helpful

When I first heard of M.I.A. through word of mouth and anticipating articles, I sort of formed this opinion of this interesting, yet ultimately disappointing electronic outfit.

I listened to the single, "Galang" and was very put off.

So...don't ask me why I decided to buy Arular when I found it had placed #2 on my store's top 10 dance albums. *Something* compelled me. So as I took it home and listened to it, I found I was seriously not in the mood for it. I wanted something melodic, and this album is anything BUT melodic. On top of that, her accent and the amount of violence really made me worry that I wasted my money.

Yet I found I couldn't put it away. It constantly finds it's way on my stereo, and then I started really listening to the tracks, and I found that I really do love this CD. It's seductive, it's sleek, it's sexy, and it's BLUNT. Another reviewer put it perfectly about the artist post 9/11. The first skit, "Banana Skit" had me captivated simply by the use of beats. That she's teaching us how to pronounce Banana only makes it better. "Pull Up The People" had a driving and seductive beat with an extremely relevant message. Actually I believe her entire album has a great message.

Bucky Done Gun uses a weird horn sample during the song which I actually can't wait to hear whenever I listen to the music.

All of the songs share the inventiveness, creativity, and desperation of an artist craving to express herself. This album isn't for everyone, but it should be.

3 out of 5 stars

The Real Story behind M.I.A. July 7, 2005
49 out of 60 found this review helpful

First of all I'm a Sinhalese from Sri Lanka...
I told you guys this.... because there'll be some people saying this is a biased and a resist view..To hell with it.. I don't care.......This is specially for all the Sri Lankans... to get an idea about M.I.A. and her music...

I read in a review saying PLO is not a terrorist organisation...Its PLOT actually... PLOT is one of many organisational arms of the LTTE. And M.I.A.'s father was an active member of the PLOT.

For people who don't know what the hell I'm talking bout....
Sri Lanka is a country in Asia....(you may have heard about it or may have not...) And there are 3 major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka..Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim. A group of tamil Rebels calling themselves LTTE, wants to divide the country asking for a separate state. And We have been at war with these terrorists for about 17 years....Now we are on peace talks, but not sure if it will last or not..

The LTTE perfected the art of suicide Bombing, have killed thousands of innocent people, have massacred entire Sihhala & Muslim villages...I mean killing soldiears in a war is one thing but bombing buses & trains and killing innocent people by suicide bombings.....thats why countries call them terrorists..

M.I.A. real name Mathangi arulpragasam is a Sri Lankan Tamil... Her farther was an active PLOT member (PLOT is a another org of LTTE)....got killed by the Sri Lankan Army (Or still missing..amounts to the same thing) when attending to some terrorist activities.. M.I.A. stands for `Missing In Action'......she's also probably referring to her father's disappearance during the war.. If you go to her website you can see loads of LTTE logos (Ealam logos with the Tiger's head with two T-56 guns...this is why LTTE is also referred as Tigers)..and a map of the Area of Sri Lanka where the LTTE wants a separate state....I mean.........common...why do you want to put terrorist propaganda in your music website...? Just because her farther belongs to a terrorist group ...she doesn't have to take the same road...
In `Sunshinedown' vedio there is a scene where some girls dancing wearing the uniform of the Female LTTE guerrilla's.......in the notes of making the vedio, she proudly says she employed some real female guerrilla's in that video.....................
Way to go MIA...................I read some saying MIA is original...of cause she may be the first artist who, employed real terrorists in a music video....

She openly supports LTTE, a terrorist group which is banned in many countries, including USA. Just check it out if you don't believe me... should be at the top of the list... maybe she's angry with Sri Lanka and Sinhala people..( where she express her views in "Pull Up The People" and "Fire Fire" -

Taken from Fire Fire-
Growin up, Brewin Up
Guerilla gettin trained up
look out look out
From over the Rooftop [reffering to ..LTTE Snipers.. a reall menace]

Competition coming up now
Load up,
Aim,
Fire Fire,
Pop

"Row Da Boat - Straight to da ocean
Give 'im a run - A run at his own game"
[Sea Tigers (LTTE's sea fighters) constantly battle's with SL's navy.... She's talking bout kicking our navy's ass...yeah in her dreams maybe......]

She has a lot of LTTE propaganda in her music website...even promoting LTTE in music...WTF...

As a Sri Lankan opposing Terrorism I don't like her....But if I look at her music without a political view....the album is pretty cool

1 out of 5 stars

WTF???????? April 30, 2005
19 out of 52 found this review helpful

This album is able to be previewed in full on NME.com If I were you I would go there to find out just what you're about to endure. This album sucks extremely bad. I have not heard anything this half assed in all but two weeks. This garbage getting good reviews is only an indication of the white reviewers out there trying to make this seem cooler than it isn'nt. The beats are exactly the same on every track. Handclaps and half rhythms are only one tenth of the awkwardness on this record. I dont think that anyone with fully functioning ears would like this record, unless they think it makes them look different. For the most part, there is nothing innovative on this record. This is what bad pop music will sound like in ten years. MIA has recorded a travesty ahead of her time. Once again, go to NME.com and preview this before you actully waste your money on this. The sound of this record could have been reproduced with a kettle drum and sticks banging together in a long hall.

1 out of 5 stars

Anyone notice terrorist references? June 23, 2005
16 out of 44 found this review helpful

This is good music, but I really have a problem with some of the lyrics.

For instance, Sunshowers:

"You wanna win a war? Like PLO I don't surrender"
"It's a bomb yo, so run yo, put away your stupid gun yo... that's why we blow it up before we go"
"they showed him a picture then, ain't that you with the muslims?"

Now I'm not one for censorship, but I can't back someone glorifying PLO and terrorism in dance music. That's just ridiculous. I know reggae has roots of being somewhat violent and rebellious back at its early roots, but I absolutely can't sponsor these messages. It's just wrong.

1 out of 5 stars

Rock and Roll Rebellion April 1, 2005
14 out of 47 found this review helpful

The music isn't good, sounds kind of like Missy meets DFA with a really obnoxious, poor quality female vocalist... But beside the fact that the music isn't good there is the ridiculous amount of unmerited hype surrounding this album. I think a lot of the hype comes from rock writers who, like many high schoolers, have a worshipful attitude about all things rebellious. There is the oft expressed notion among rock writers that it's cool that she's from a "revolutionary" back ground. hmm...

"A violent militant group calling themselves the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are waging a terrorist campaign in Sri Lanka in order to create a separate state. The LTTE, while masquerading as a liberation organisation, has for almost a quarter century spurned all efforts at securing peace and continued a sustained campaign of terrorism against successive democratically elected governments and civilians of Sri Lanka. People from all ethnic communities - Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims - have been the victims of this terror. The LTTE is now banned in Sri Lanka, India, the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada and Malaysia. Other countries are expected to ban the LTTE soon following the events of September 11 2001, when the world woke up to the reality of international terrorism.
The gruesome brutality and wanton destruction that the LTTE has unleashed in its campaign to create a separate Tamil Only state in Sri Lanka is sustained by funds generated abroad by extortion from Tamil expatriates, and from trade in arms, narcotic trafficking, smuggling of illegal immigrants and money laundering." (from http://www.sinhaya.com/)

...of course I don't know that much about Arular's politics (her father's seem to be a different story). But rock critic's politics suck and so does this album.

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