The "Unathi"/"Zaharila" single appeared in 2018 as a fascinating slight diversion from
El Michels Affair. Both sides were fronted by
79.5 vocalist
Piya Malik singing in her native Hindi. The songs had the uncanny vintage touch of
EMA leader
Leon Michels and took unexpected turns. "Unathi" was a kind of rallying anthem promoting communal advancement. The B-side, with baleful horns intensifying the distress in
Malik's voice, hurtled to a berserk finish. After
EMA released the distinctly different album
Adult Themes, the thread was picked up later in 2020 with another single featuring
Malik, the trippy "Dhuaan," backed by "Sha Na Na," an alluring and comparatively incidental piece with
the Shacks'
Shannon Wise softly repeating the title. Those four songs, along with the later single "Murkit Gem" -- throbbing Hindi soul/funk for the dancefloor -- form the basis of
Yeti Season (which isn't a concept LP about the folkloric creature of the Himalayas). Elements of Bollywood, Blaxploitation, and Spaghetti Western soundtracks, along with gnarled psychedelia and Turkish funk, also seep through the new material, all of which is instrumental. The best of the bunch, "Fazed Out" and "Silver Lining," put the horns to work. There's some delightful warping of the
EMA sound here, and it hopefully won't be the last time they collaborate with
Malik. ~ Andy Kellman
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