The English indie rock band Cornershop scored a big hit in 1997 with the Fat Boy Slim mixed Brimful of Asha - an ode to the Indian singer Asha Bhosle - after which they were promptly bombarded to the forerunner of the then emerging Asian Underground. On the record When I Was Born For The 7th Time, the group managed to combine Indian and Western influences in an exemplary way, but they often turned
… to the Indian side 'live', with long and tiring sitar improvisations, which resulted in of the built-up fan base soon dropped out. Although they have not completely disappeared, the Indian elements have been pushed more into the background on Handcream For A Generation, in favor of more common influences from dub reggae (Motion The 11) and disco (People Power). It improves accessibility, but this makes Cornershop sound less special in the end, which is reinforced by the rather flat production. On the other hand, there are strong pop songs like Lessons Learned From Rocky I To IV, of which the title alone is worthwhile. (MS)more