Nana Dholi/DJ Ace v Dhol Beat International

[Temurzai]

Dholi Deep and the DBI team have been on the scene for years now, and have become well known all over the world.
Nana Dholi of VCU Bhangra and DJ Ace recently released their first mixtape, "Back to Folk Mixtape: Volume 1" as the official mixtape for the AV.AP Bhangra competition 2008, and I heard Nana also did the Blowout 2008 mixtape as well. If you've heard it, you know he's damned good.

online samples can be found here..
www.backtofolk.com
http://www.backtofolk.com

I'm only making this comparison because they are similar in what they do, both are a dholi/dj team who remix bhangra with some hiphop.

Of course DBI has many more albums, but I like the fact that Nana also plays algozey for his mixtapes as well as dhol and dholak.

What do YOU think?

 

[Waleed]

Nana's a better dholi but DBI is overall better produced.

Nana & Ace are bringing the heat though.

 

[Pooja]

I gotta give some of my H-town/Texas love to DBI!

woohoo

 

[faizan]

DBI uses the same dhol samples over and over....they are the american version of specialist and tru skool...

dj ace and them need to prove themselves furthers...but their first tape was fire...

 

[zagreus]

did DBI use the same samples? i know when i talked to Dholi Deep once...he mentioned how recorded his beats on every song and stuff. the production value was great....
ace and nana have room to grow since i'm not sure what DBI is doing beyond their bollywood stuff

 

[Jeeti]

DBI was good for its TIME...if you back and listen to it...the samples used are the same.m

 

[Vick]

Nana/Ace are pretty sick... DBI was good back in the day... When did DBI release it's last mix? I think its been a while...

 

[Varun00]

DBI is more for parties than anything. and yea im with faizan; as you go through the album, it all sounds like a repeat becuase they use the same dhol effects.

 

[250Dholi]

did DBI use the same samples? i know when i talked to Dholi Deep once...he mentioned how recorded his beats on every song and stuff. the production value was great....
ace and nana have room to grow since i'm not sure what DBI is doing beyond their bollywood stuff

I'm pretty sure they use dhol samples on their albums. It's either from that DJ who claimed to provide dhol samples for DBI a while ago, or they record their own and use the same 3 or 4 samples throughout the album. Their first Absolut Bhangra album was incredible though when it came out, and I'm still a big fan of their other two.

I haven't heard this Back to Folk Mixtape: Volume 1 yet though, definitely have to grab it.

 

[Raj]

I have to agree with Waleed. DBI has better production quality, but then again they've been mixing for a while now. But Ace & Nana absolutely killled it with Back to Folk Vol. 1 and the Official BB15 Blockparty Mixtape. I have DBI 2 & 3 as well as both Ace & Nana albums. Both are amazing in their own right, but my favorite has to be Ace & Nana. If you don't have Back to Folk, trust me it's DEFINITELY worth the 5 dollars on www.backtofolk.com. Such sick song selection and mixing work. Mad props to Ace & Nana.

 

[Sunny]

DBI was sickkkk but that was back in the day, Ace&Nana's song selection is raw and if u think about it this was only their first cd they're only going to get better...Ace&Nana are hands down better of the two

 

[tanveer]

I'm pretty sure DBI doesn't use samples, although it sounds the same I think Deep records every track.

I think they're both good in their respective fields. I mean they're both mixtapes but as someone said earlier DBI is for parties and Ace/Nana are more for the bhangra teams. Back to Folk was a sick album and I can't wait for the next one...


DBI released Dance Radio Asia 4 earlier this year. From what I understand they're working on a completely original album too. Knowing BJ/Deep it should be really hot.

- Tanveer

 

[zagreus]

I'm pretty sure DBI doesn't use samples, although it sounds the same I think Deep records every track.

That's how i figured it as well. Deep lays down all the dhol stuff. But yeah, it's different for each. DBI makes a sick party mixtape, nana/ace have the mixtape that helps teams out a lot and i figure people love it all around as well. I'm pretty sure other teams have used some of DBI's stuff in their mixes as well.

I figure nana/ace will get another mixtape set up, hopefully. I'm sure the production value will only increase. I remember the first DBI album, it was crazy. I still listen to it today

 

[mafzal]

Sangra Vibess

they're like 15

 

[Somi]

I have always liked DBI
so DBI it is =)

 

[Gabroo]

Both are amazing, Ace & Nana's selection is geared more toward the bhangra scene, DBI has a lot more of the mainstream party-ish kinda tracks, both are absolutely fire, I think DBI from the perespective of hearing the dhol of Dholi Deep is sick, but Ace & Nana's song selection is better as they bring out everything from the mainstream party tracks to the songs that are hot on the bhangra scene as well as the duets.

*(The jhoomar mixes from Back To Folk where they go from pani to hoopeh, khoo and hawawaan among others is absolutely amazing)*

 

[Gurjit]

Personally, I think that DBI is better because they have proven themselves. The production is better and the experience is there; people know them and what they do. As far as back in the day, I play a few of the dbi hindi mixes off of their last offering (dance radio asia) cant remember the number but it has soni de nakhre and mauja hi mauja...spin those at parties all the time and people go crazy...so in my eyes they are def current
As far as dholi deep playing on every track, alot of the tracks use the same dhol samples. It is def not 2-3 they have a collection of them but they do recycle them. Also, I think DBI is lagging because they were supposed to start producing from scratch and they havent been. I think they need to make the transition

ACE and nana, they are sick! They keep it a lil more desi than DBI and the dhol they use is clearly Nana's beats..not to mention the other instruments (algoze, dholak etc) I would have to say they would eventually surpass DBI but since dbi has been in the game longer...dbi is still on top...also the mixing from ace isnt as smooth...but it will get there