Essential Listening: Robert Miles/Trilok Gurtu

I get asked all the time about what I'm listening to, so I've decided to start an ongoing series dedicated to artists and albums that I feel would make great additions to any music lover's collection. I'll try to avoid the obvious, like "y'all should check out Beethoven, because he was like a super awesome classical composer and junk" and stick to music that's probably lesser-known to the general public. To me, there's no better album to start with than Miles Gurtu, one that pretty much became my Bible for a long period of time.

What happened when trance producer Robert Miles collaborated with insane Indian jazz drummer Trilok Gurtu? Pure awesomeness, that's what. To me, this album represents what's largely missing from both the jazz and electronic worlds: fully embracing each other. It's beautiful musicianship meeting electronic wizardry, and vice-versa. Think jazz trio meets Deadmau5. Miles' electronic soundscapes blend perfectly with Gurtu's frantic drumming and Jon Thorne's snaking bass lines. The best part is that it doesn't sound like an experiment. It sounds completely organic. Overall, in my opinion, this album is one of the finest examples of what the future of jazz should sound like. Here's a sample: