If Mike Skinner recreates the sound of the litter-strewn boulevards of Birmingham, this is the noise of the chaos-stricken streets of Sri Lanka.

Born in West London, young Maya Arulpragasm moved to her parents' homeland where civil war raged.

Her father was embroiled in fighting, with Tamil Tigers, and this record - a marvellous mongrel mix of hip-hop, raga, dancehall, electro and political punk - reflects the urgency and danger of living life on the edge.

At first its mishmash of exotic sounds, pounding break-beats and repetitive trance-like melodies grates.

Further listens are rewarding and Pull Up The People and Fire Fire reveal an audacious, original record, cataloguing a life of chaos, poverty and war. Dance music so eclectic it could soundtrack a carnival before it turns into a riot, Arular is multi-cultural magic.

Updated: 09:18 Thursday, May 05, 2005