Song And Sound The World Around EP - Drum Rhythms From India / Dhol Anandalahan Tabla

Year Released: 1961
Genre: World / Field Recording / Indian Percussion

Description:

“Drum Rhythms From India” is a rare 7″ vinyl EP released by Philips Records as part of their “Song And Sound The World Around” series — an early 1960s project documenting traditional music and rhythmic performances from around the globe. This particular entry in the series focuses on Indian percussion, featuring field-recorded performances of dhol, tabla, and other regional drums.

Credited simply to Unknown Artist, the record captures authentic traditional drumming rooted in classical Indian and folk traditions. The performances are raw, unfiltered, and rhythmically intricate — recorded with a sense of immediacy that preserves the natural acoustics of the instruments. Each track showcases the interplay of hand percussion, tonal tabla patterns, and the thunderous resonance of the dhol, offering a vivid snapshot of mid-20th-century Indian rhythmic culture.

Issued in mono on 7″ vinyl, the record was part of a cultural series designed to introduce Western audiences to “the sounds of the world.” Despite its educational origins, it has since gained a second life among DJs, producers, and sample collectors, thanks to its organic drum tones, complex polyrhythms, and crisp percussive transients.

Modern diggers prize Drum Rhythms From India as a hidden goldmine of percussion breaks — loaded with juicy, sample-ready grooves ideal for hip-hop, downtempo, and global beat production. Its minimal instrumentation and clean analog recording make it a perfect source for loop extraction, layering, and beat construction.

Original pressings on Philips feature the distinctive Song And Sound The World Around sleeve design, with liner notes describing the cultural background of the recordings. Copies are scarce outside Europe, as the series was primarily distributed through educational and export channels.

Musically and historically, this record stands as both a valuable ethnographic document and a secret weapon for crate-diggers — bridging worlds between traditional Indian musicianship and the modern sampling aesthetic that thrives on warm, earthy drum sounds