Crossing Over Easy

Michael Crétu's attempt at fusing everything from easy listening sex music and hip-hop rhythms to centuries-old Gregorian chants couldn't have been more designed to tweak the nose of high art, a joyously crass stab straight at a mainstream, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. The result is something that shouldn't exist, but in its own way results in as much of a cultural scramble and explosion as anything Public Enemy were doing around the same time, crossing over the Euro-disco and new age spheres with style…

Michael Crétu's attempt at fusing everything from easy listening sex music and hip-hop rhythms to centuries-old Gregorian chants couldn't have been more designed to tweak the nose of high art, a joyously crass stab straight at a mainstream, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. The result is something that shouldn't exist, but in its own way results in as much of a cultural scramble and explosion as anything Public Enemy were doing around the same time, crossing over the Euro-disco and new age spheres with style…

Michael Crétu's attempt at fusing everything from easy listening sex music and hip-hop rhythms to centuries-old Gregorian chants couldn't have been more designed to tweak the nose of high art, a joyously crass stab straight at a mainstream, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. The result is something that shouldn't exist, but in its own way results in as much of a cultural scramble and explosion as anything Public Enemy were doing around the same time, crossing over the Euro-disco and new age spheres with style. Credit Crétu for an open ear for whatever works, which is precisely why "Sadeness," the first part of a longer track called "Principles of Lust," turned into a fluke worldwide hit.

Dutch producers Roberto Adani and Daniel Wolf have been working together since the late '90s, but Les Seigneurs (Episode 1) is their first release under their own name. Mellow and down-tempo without ever crossing over into mere ambient prettiness, Adani & Wolf use pop melodies (check out the Pink Floyd-like opening of the slinky "Onto the Light") and touches of jazz instrumentation to enhance their largely electronic dance sound; the results are closer to Air or Morcheeba than any of the more single-minded groove merchants…

It had to happen – given the impressive commercial performance of minimalist music in classical-unfriendly America, some European artist was sure to try to capitalize on the trend and bring minimalism to the middle-of-the-road European market. Enter Ludovico Einaudi: composer, pianist, and favorite of the programmers at Britain's crossover radio phenomenon, Classic FM. Divenire presents a selection of his works, some for solo piano and others backed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. They're artfully done, stepping up to the line of pure schlock but not crossing over, and using the simplicity of minimalist patterns to rope audiences into something that's actually slightly different.