Born to Indian parents but raised in Texas, violinist Nistha Raj draws equally on Western and Eastern influences in her very personal take on the raga tradition. Most interesting are her collaborations with beatboxer (mouth percussionist) Christyles Bacon, which create a sound that blends Indian classical elements with hip hop beats. Her playing style minimizes the virtuosic melismas and microtonal embellishments that are so integral to traditional raga interpretation, which is kind of too bad, but this album is plenty of fun nevertheless.