Maya - or /\/\ /\ Y /\, to use its 'proper' spelling - is MIA's third studio album, released in the UK on July 12th 2010 and offering another 40-odd minutes of distinctive, FX-laden beats from the British-Sri Lankan artist. This is definitely not one for the faint-hearted, and not an album that's likely to blend into the background - but that by no means should prevent anyone with a passion for musical innovation from giving it a chance.Maya is all about beats and sound effects, with MIA's own vocals often hidden amongst the industrial and over-stressed computer squeals and machine-like whirrs that take the place of conventional instruments in many of the album's compositions. The overall effect is like the aural equivalent of industrial street dance, with a clear identity all of its own and a deft touch in many places that prevents even multiple layers of samples from becoming anything approaching 'just noise'.
