Monsoon Wedding is Mychael Danna's second collaboration with film director Mira Nair, (Kama Sutra was the first), and he has again compiled a winning soundtrack. Danna explores a wide range of emotions, from solemn to celebratory, through different generations of Indian culture. The contemplative "Good Indian Girls" and "Hold Me, I'm Falling" feature Danna's trademark piano ambience over traditional Indian instrumentation, and the vivacious "Baraat" sounds like a Punjabi variation on Dixieland, while "Delhi.com" ventures into dreamy ethno-techno territory. Sukhwinder Singh's "Today My Heart Desires" serves up lively bhangra rock, and Laxmikant Pyarelal's "Today the Weather Plays Tricks on Me" (performed by Mohammed Rafi) swoons with strings and male vocals. In all, the soundtrack's pleasing variety of Eastern music mirrors the film's old and new worlds living within a singular culture.
DJ Ravin takes the wheel behind Buddha Bar III, the namesake compilation from Paris's answer to Studio 54. Ravin forgoes the Dinner/Party division that Claude Challe opted for on previous installments of the series, and instead casts Dream versus Joy on this two-disc set. Dream, leaning on the traditional (syrupy Greek strings, Japanese bamboo flutes, Persian harmonists) and New Age Enigma/Deep Forest side of things (Oliver Shanti & Friends, Vangelis engineer Frederick Rousseau) is frankly too restless to be truly dreamy. The frenzied run through so many styles, seemingly solely for the sake of diversity alone, ultimately feels about as sincerely global as a mad dash through Disney's Epcot Center. The second CD in the set, Joy, pays a tad more attention to a general vibe, resulting in a much better overall effect…
30 Times Around the Sun is a compilation of tracks drawn from the last 30 years of Banco de Gaia, with every track written, recorded or released in different years during that time. In chronological order, the compilation begins with an early experimental live track and ends with Banco’s latest work. The collection spans house, techno, breakbeats, world music, ambient, dub and avant garde, showcasing the wide range of Toby’s (and Andy’s) musical interests. Various guest musicians are featured as well as a variety of remixers who further extend the styles on offer. A lot of ground is covered over the 30 years but there is a consistency at it’s heart, reflecting Toby’s ongoing pursuit of a perfect musical expression whatever the style.
Baghdad is a beautiful album of oriental electronic music and Celt Islam is one of the most gifted producers of his kind. We can trace his melodies and samples back in the most progressive part of Islam: Sufism. He is on a mission to unleash the Sufi spirits in the world of 2016; a philosophy which is essentially inclusive, tolerant to difference and other religious systems as well as borderless by default .
Celt Islam’s eclectic, refined touch can be paralleled to that of Thievery Corporation’s (although there are profound differences in direction)…
After successful compilations and millions of Buddha Bar followers around the world, George V Records wanted to release a special creation as fancy, fashionable and elegant as the Buddha Bar itself, to thank his great fans around the world. The world-renowned ambience was put together in an exclusive 12 hour CD box set - a mix of pure Chill Out & World music, including 90% unreleased tracks. This Box Set CD includes a USB dongle that will open its doors to the mysterious Buddha-Bar universe. After opening the first Buddha-Bar in Prague in 2009, the label decided to go further and take the listener all night of escape and magic within the ambiance of the Buddha-Bar. The beautifully blended tracks, infused with the signature Buddha-Bar, are a musical invitation to experience the quintessential luxury lifestyle with a touch of urban French chic and a hint of oriental influences.