Reviews (41)

Should be a part of your U2 collection.
Passengers real and imagined film soundtracks expands on the musical concepts brought forth in Zooropa. Its good to hear U2 wandering into experimental territory with Eno at the helm. Who better to bring the lads into the ambient realm than the man who invented the gerne? The album works! This is an interesting listen with moments of subtle moodiness and rocking, get your booty up beats. Listen to after a long night of clubbing or use as your late night insomnia-net surfing soundtrack. A worthy addition to all electronica fans collections.

...And Time Is A String of Pearls
"Very, very bad self-indulgent music." This is not the judgment of an unimpressed critic. This is the band's own drummer speaking. Guess I'm a little more impressed by the whole endeavour than Larry Mullen Jr., because I find this collection of fictitious film soundtracks fabulous. Including the drumming.

Mega-stars like U2 usually put an album out about twice a decade, but with 'Original Soundtracks,' producer Brian Eno coaxed the band back into the studio for the third time in a roughly four-year span. He may have been on to something: it is as if, through sheer, prolonged immersion in music-making, the celebrity has been sweated out of them. Eno and the band relax into a very un-U2 experimentalism that would have you believe the guys had spent their whole lives playing ambient. Some tracks, like "One Minute Warning" and "Let's Go Native," sound as if chunks of 'Achtung Baby' or 'The Joshua Tree' had broken off from their planets and gone into wholly new orbits. Others, like ""Miss Sarajevo" and "Your Blue Room," are fully worked out songs -- and are as strong as anything this band has done.

At its best this album makes me long for what U2 *could* have been: all their prodigious skills and talent intact but freed for once from the band's exasperating ambition to be all things to all people. What they might sound like if they lived on a desert island. No audience to conquer. Only guitars and blank tape. And coconuts.

I`ll Pass
This U2 side project may be innovative and even cutting-edge for some people, but frankly it doesn`t seem like such a strong and challenging record to me. The first songs are interesting, providing some techno-oriented soundscapes with intriguing electronic dance elements. Those certainly create a moody and mildly enticing atmosphere, and Bono`s vocals are dark and mysterious enough for the tunes. However, as the record unfolds, it soon becomes repetitive and tiresome, turning into the hit-and-miss kind of album. This material is fine as hip background music, as it certainly helps to create a cool mood, but it doesn`t stand out as an unique and essential listening experience. It`s a decent effort, yet it never rises above average, mildly pleasant music with a couple of worthwile moments. "Passengers: Original Soundtracks Vol 1", like "Pop", is an interesting failure for U2, carrying some good ideas but lacking in development. For a somewhat similar though better effort, stick with "Zooropa", where experimentation delivered an overall solid result.
Subpar and uneven.

I'd like to see these movies
Works for me. U2 tries to be creative but I didn't think they could go any more after Zooropa. I was wrong. But first, the story of U2 1987-1995

Joshua Tree turned U2 into the biggest rock band in the world. Who want's to argue? After Rattle and Hum's success U2 found themselves exposed. Reports put gossip about them in the papers. Stuff like "U2 want's to be America's house band" or "Sucking up to America" so they tried to confuse reporters, distract fans, and this was their best work. Eventually the band stops putting out music and kept a low profile with Passengers. It's a good thing they did or they'd be booed off stage. The dreamy "Miss Sarajevo" and the incrediblely haunting and sensual "Your Blue Room" are my favorite. I burned a CD with my favorite 90's songs, and these 2 songs are on there. Check B-Sides or 1990-2000 Best of. If you are a beginning U2 fan DON NOT BUY or you will ruin the experience. Only experienced fans like me (check my reviews) should buy. Which reminds me I got to put this on my Christmas list.

The biggest group in the world veture into alien territory..
I grew up listening to U2, like bands like The Cure & Depeche Mode, they were the gateway to many bands- though by the time of rootsfest Rattle&Hum, I'd already tuned out...Then suddenly the 1990s occurred and U2 became interesting- the ZOO-TV era that produced Achtung Baby! & Zooropa showed the world's biggest band develop an experimental style, which can be seen analogous to Bowie's 70s Trilogy of StationtoStation,Low&"Heroes" (forget Lodger) & a precursor of the territory Radiohead would explore from songs like Lucky onwards to albums like KidA.

Passengers Original Soundtracks VolI is their most Eno of releases, released under this moniker no doubt to protect the brand-name, it seems undervalued (just one review in the UK) & overlooked: I mean, Kid A is much more conventional. Perhaps it's me, having a taste for perverse artrock- but following this, U2 would deliver the compromised Pop (which flitted between great forward thinking tracks like Mofo&Miami and dull anthems like If God Will Send His Angels & Please) & return to the 80s with the boring All That You Can't Leave Behind (a huge compromise, like REM's Reveal). Only the soundtrack to The Ground Beneath Her Feet would be as interesting as this...

Elvis Ate America tells you everything you need to know about the King of Rock&Roll, assisted by HowieB(Tricky's co-writer on Ponderosa), it advances on 93's Numb and predicts 97's Miami. Love the way it almost cuts up elements of Presley's life and then contrasts him with those who had participated in their own destruction (Christ, Hitler, Mishima,Nixon ). Many of the tracks find Eno & co heavily using synths- tracks like One Minute Warning, United Colours & Plot180 deserving a place alongside early Aphex Twin and the critically feted My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Theme from Let's Go Native shows that U2 progressed from b-side Alex/Korova (from The Fly) and songs like Lemon to a very interesting place indeed (this appears to have been heavily influenced by My Bloody Valentine- if Primal Scream did this now, music critics would get very excited...)

The Edge takes lead vocals for the minimal Corpse(These Chains Are Way Too Long)- some ghostly industrial beats, a whirring synth, a lone guitar...that's it! Slug does feel very cut up, not quite a song- while Beach Sequence (from the dire Beyond the Clouds: senile soft porn from a once great director) just doesn't last long enough (a blissed out joy). Always Forever Now is a great electronic track, which was perfectly complemented by several Moby tracks when used for the sountrack of brilliant cop thriller Heat (Michael Mann). Theme from The Swan, alternately, finds the Passengers voyage towards the territory of avant-garde composer Michael Nyman- this album cannot be accused of being unimaginative!

Eno takes lead vocals for A Different Kind of Blue, while Luciano Pavarotti guests on single (and most perfect song) Miss Sarajevo, which touchingly wonders "Is there a time for East17?". Love the idea of contrasting a decadent Western lifestyle and celeb bands with the horrors in Eastern Europe- half an hour watching Fox-TV will tell you all you need to know here...Ito Okashi is up there with Tricky's Pumpkin, while another fave Your Blue Room has fantastic bass and harmonics- a real lost U2 classic.

Passengers Original Soundtracks Vol1 is a diverse diversion, an album that those with open minds and eclectic tastes should adore- not necessarily U2 fans. It must get boring having to sing Where the Streets Have No Name and being one thing though- a key release of the 1990s, which makes more sense with the passage of time- ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Definitely, the MOST INTENSE 'love-making' music I own!!
To this day...I have to concur and agree that this is the MOST incredible love music I own. No one else comes close. I met the Love of my Life when this was released and to this day, the CD gets played all the time and brings back nothing but heavenly memories!
It is perfectly mixed, contains the most INTENSE tracks for two people who are experiencing Love and or 'Love-making' and I reccommend it and have, to anyone looking for that 'sure thing' for a romantic date!
Too bad that Rome has not come out with anything good since then!
We all wish he would!!!

Rome gives an outstanding performance!
This cd is a wonderful addition to my collection of music. I first heard it while i was over at a friends house and i was amazed at the sound of his voice. It goes wonderfully with ALL of the songs on the cd. My absolute favorite song, on this cd, is You Remind Me..

ROME!!!
Five Stars Off The BAT!!!!! I love this CD....it's 2004 and I'm still playin it like no tomorrow! The songs are just heart-felt and universal! He sounds...so... good...basically! It's an emotional CD, I can listen to it whenever. LOL I'll probably be playing it on my 20th wedding anniversary, oh, it's already been 10 years, and i'm still listening to this CD! Love ya Rome, good job!

The man has some serious soul!!!
When I first heard this CD, my father was playing for my uncle in '97. Ever since, I've been hooked to soulful and really mellow sounds of Rome. He is a truly gifted R&B artists. Tracks like "I belong to you" and "Once more three times..." really showcase this mans raw talent.

Up to this day, I'm still jamming his music and each time I'm still blown away by how soulful and mellow Rome sounds. Almost all tracks are amazing. For you soul music fans out there, this is definitely a CD worth buying. I hope he comes out with a third album.

Great CD
6 years later and this is still the best CD ive ever owned. It has the popular track, "I belong to you" but the best song is "once,once more, three times" the best love making song EVER. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Awesome!
One word describes this CD and that word is awesome. I love "modern" Native American music (and yes, Rita Coolidge is Native American for all you old hippies who are only familiar with her as a back-up singer with Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishman) and this CD is all that and more -- global chants, spirituality, and earth rhythms. I found the CD to be uplifting yet calming, sensual yet spiritual. The music touches something deep within my genetic memory.

As a yoga instructor, I'm always on the look-out for music for my classes and this CD is one I always use, especially for a spirited flow class. My 20-something college students love it during powerful sun salutations, and you can almost time your vinyasas to it. But it's also a CD you can use as background music for a quiet gathering with friends.

Buy this CD -- you won't regret it. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

It's too bad...
...that looping didn't catch on after this record was released. but then, what could anyone do with the medium after Fripp and Eno perfected it? This album is certainly ahead of it's time, and ahead of our own time for that matter. This is music from the future.

Track one, even though it was recorded more than thirty years ago, still sounds new and fresh, even after scores of listenings. It is made up of two guitar lines - but one of them is an incredibly complex, ever-changing loop that continually unfolds out of itself and interacts with the lead line. It's almost like Fripp is soloing over an entire band. but beware the sonic onslaught of the track's last three minutes - if you don't have good speakers the low notes will probably rip your woofers apart.

Track two presents a sunnier, happier side of looping, this time with Eno supplying the loop on his synthesizer. Fripp's entry (at 7:42) is fascinating. Throughout the solo he plays riffs and figures that he still uses to this day.

A great record for listening to in a large room in the dark, lodly.

Don't get much simpler than this, nope...
Check the lineup: guitar. Synth. Pedals. Two Revoxes. That's it. Combine with Messrs. Fripp and Eno, and you get this oh-so-satisfying work. Only two works here, "Swastika Girls", and "The Heavenly Music Corporation", which really lives up to its title. Electronic drones slowly build as Fripp's guitar arcs and soars dramatically over the gradually-developing backdrop. The only thing here that I consider weak is certain aspects of "Swastika Girls"; there's always been something about the squealy VCS3 loop that underpins the track that I've found irritating and distracting. Nevertheless, as first outings go, this is pretty amazing...but for _really_ amazing, one has to go on to the next release by the duo, "Evening Star".

Soothing stuff
Although I have to say I'm not a big fan of Robert Fripp's, Brian Eno's eclectic career as a producer, composer and arranger always throws up something different. 'No Pussyfooting' was his first real attempt at a pseudo-solo album. As can be seen from the photo on the cover, he was still a member of Roxy Music at the time, but obviously felt limited by their 'pop' image in terms of his music making. Ironically Eno was probably the most outrageous looking member of Roxy Music (which maybe one of the reasons Brian Ferry wanted him to leave). But since beginning his solo career his music has become the very epitome of the "non-image". Music that never speaks to the emotions or the intellect but simply floats in and around your environment or situation.

On the 'Heavenly Music Corporation' most of this ambience is created by Fripp, developing a technique that would later be described as 'Frippertronics'. Track after track is layered on top of each other as Fripp plays dense harmonies in tune with each other. In fact most of the background track is just a dense layer of protracted harmony, dispensing with any notion of melody altogether. But when Fripp starts to improvise his pseudo-stadium rock solos, the effect can be mildly soothing. At the end of the piece Fripp's dive-bombing effects are quite startling, endlessly looping a false ending. 'Swatika Girls' sounds mostly like the work of Eno but unfortunately is not as inventive as the first track. Too many instruments vie for attention and when Fripp's improvisations come in at the end, they sound like the cry of something uncontrollable trying to break free from a repetitive 'Groundhog Day' backing track.

Music From Dreams
Back in the late 80s a friend at work recommended Fripp and Eno. I finally found a cassette of "No Pussyfooting" and was totally engulfed by the sounds that Fripp and Eno created on this album. I cannot believe what year this album is from when I look back at the stuff I was listening to. All that time No Pussyfooting was sitting for a decade waiting for me to discover it.
To me, this album is almost perfect, sure there are some technical glitches. Do I care? No. This was music that I was looking for, even though I didn't know it. Even now when I listen to Ambient and Dark Ambient music I use No Pussyfooting as a benchmark to judge them by.

There is no better and never will be.

10 stars is not enough
The late Charlton Williams said, back in the days before CD's, that if he was stuck on a deserted island and could only take 10 albums, he'd take 10 copies of "No Pussyfootin'." Could I argue. Robbie once said that its the album to play on a boom box on one hill and go sit on another hill. Bil replied that it's also a goo one to put in one end zone of a football field and listen from the oposite end zone. A few people have said "Have you got anything else we could listen to?"

My only problem with the album is that the titles are misnamed. "The Heavenly Music Corp" goes great with the scene in "The Boys From Brazil" where the fat German women walk into the room and awaken all the blonde nazi girls being used to breed Hitler clones. Also, the music goes great with documentaries of Concentration camps. "Swastika Girls" on the other hand is very heavenly and reminds me of casinos. If you don't believe me, go to the back of the first floor casino in the Imperial Palace in Biloxi, MS. Close your eyes, and it's there!

I love this album. No words can describe my feelings. I'll leave it at that. ... Read more

Album Description

Osho active meditations are a new way of taking care of both the outer and the inner you.Each program starts with a physical activity such as shaking, dancing or humming and is followed by relaxation and stillness. This is when meditation can happen - a time to just be aware of your bodily sensations, thoughts and feelings in a self-accepting way without judgement. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Kundalini, Osho
This music was born by the desire of a God, a Jesus of the 20-th century, named OSHO to tell us, to make us see, as we do not understand his language. Music does reach out further than words or examples. It intensifies our experience and highlights our pain and happiness. The Kundalini Meditation is not simply music, it is a message, it is a tool, it is a technique, it is the way to reach into yourself. You couldn't do without it.

Music specifically created for Osho Kundalini Meditation
This music has been specifically created with Osho for the Osho Kundalini Meditation, one of the series of revolutionary "Active Meditations" described in Osho's book "Meditation: The First and Last Freedom," from St. Martin's Press and others, and also available from amazon.com. These Active Meditations are designed for the modern restless mind. They lead you from physical activity to an experience of silence. Other meditations in this series, each with its own music, and also available from amazon.com, are Osho Dynamic Meditation, Osho Nadabrahma Meditation and Osho Nataraj Meditation. Osho Kundalini Meditation has four stages of 15 minutes each, three with music and one without. The first stage: "Be loose and let your whole body shake, feeling energies moving up from your feet. Let go everywhere and become the shaking. Your eyes may be open or closed." The second stage: "Dance . . . any way you feel, and let the whole body move as it wishes." The third stage: "Close your eyes and be still, sitting or standing . . . witnessing whatever is happening inside and out." The fourth stage: "Keep your eyes closed, lie down and be still." It is great music and a great meditation. ... Read more

Album Description

1997 debut album for London based trip-hop act with a distinctively South American flavor inspired in part by vocalist Nina Miranda's childhood. Best known for the track 'Underwater Love' that was featured in a successful Levis' ad campaign, the album's other highlights include, 'Numbers' and 'Dark Walk' and Miranda's sultry vocals in English, French and Portuguese. Standard jewel case. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

In a devil of a mood
British band Smoke City debuted with "Flying Away," a lush trip-hop album with some hints of sultry South American music woven in there. Imagine Portishead doing bossa nova and samba, and you'll have some idea of what "Flying Away" is made up of.

Starting off with the fluidly sensuous "Underwater Love," the album jolts into the smoky, thumping "Devil Mood," sexy ballads (the slow "With You," the gentle "Giulietta), shimmery Latin music ("Numbers," the pleasant "Aguas De Marco"), and opulent trip-hop ("Dark Walk") before wrapping up with the sweet title track.

"Flying Away" is one of those albums that you just can't pin a label on. To call it one thing -- Latin music, trip-hop, jazz -- would be to leave out everything else this album is. Instead it's a seamless blend of all three, mixed in with some odd sound effects and beautiful vocals.

Smoke City's instrumentation is a weird combination of the electronica and organic: we've got beeps, blips and bloops mixed in with an acoustic guitar. And thrown in are heartbeats, crickets, muffled muttering, maracas and some heavy ringing percussion. The lyrics seem simple, but come across as far more than they are ("With you I felt love/With you I felt pain/With you I was me/And a bit of you too").

Vocalist Nina Miranda's sweet vocals are what makes this album so memorable. She croons in Portuguese, French and English, managing a sultry croon one moment and wistful ethereality the next. Not to mention some ad libs of her own, like the high-pitched yelps of "Devil Mood," her mumbled mutterings, or the quizzical "The body? Yes, the body!" comment.

The sensual sounds of Smoke City are at their best in "Flying Away," full of fire and water and wind. This textured collection of brilliant trip-hop is a must-have for music fans.

"Underwater Love" Plus More!
I first encountered Smoke City when I heard their "Underwater Love" track on a chill compilation. (This excellent song has been included on more than one collection.) I don't like to think that I'm easily impressed, but I was really blown away by this number with its sulty Latin-tinged female vocals, odd blips and bleeps and dolphin calls, and superior production values. So I finally ponied up to buy their whole album.

I don't know what I expected, but this wasn't it. At first, I hated it and thought I'd made a colossal mistake. But it's really grown on me after repeated playings. I was expecting more songs along the lines of "Underwater Love", but Smoke City likes to play around with different tempos and sounds and beats, so I ended up getting a bit of variety.

The members of Smoke City, who collaborate in writing the music and lyrics, are Marc Brown, Chris Franck, and Nina Miranda, the vocalist. (Ms. Miranda also provided the illustrations for the liner notes.) Evidently they're influenced by the Brazilian music traditions. For instance, they cover the classic bossa nova tune "Aguas de Marco" ("The Waters of March") and give it a nimble and quirky update. And their own tunes borrow a little bit from samba and other genres as well, but filtered for today's tastes--no space age bachelor pad stuff here.

Ms. Miranda makes a huge impact, plunging in without fear and becoming a one-woman sound effects company. She's sexy and funny. Her vocal talents are best displayed in the slower number "Giulietta", a song anchored by a simple Spanish guitar line and ornamented with heartbeats and the sounds of crickets. Here she sings "And the place to confront with passion is the body", and then interrupts herself to ask perplexedly, "The body?", and proceeds to reassure herself, "Yes, the body." Later she notes "There are different kinds of fights/Dog fights--woof!/Playful fights...mrrow". Obviously, it's better heard then read, because only her sensual voice can do it justice.

So if you've run across "Underwater Love" on one anthology or another and you've been wondering if these guys are any good, take this album out for a spin. It may take some getting used to, but it's definitely an interesting and rewarding work by a talented group.

[WOW], baby!
A friend sent me this album recently, and I just listened to it today, and I am absolutely floored. This is one of the [most sensual] albums I've ever heard. I've had it on repeat since I woke up five hours ago. It's rhythmic, melodic, textured, [...], sensual, HOT, jazzy, fiery, and completely irresistible. 5 stars ALL the way.

TOUGH to find at first
I love this group - they're one of my all time favorites. This particular album was released in 97' but has since then been re-released in 2001 in the US as well as Europe again. Smoke City had ben gaining a strong cult following since "Underwater Love" and the musicians in this group are exceptional - from Nina Miranda to Christian Franck to Marc Brown. Nina Miranda has done work with many other artists on their albums - from Bebel Gilberto to Compost's artists. Christian Franck is also featured with the group "Da Lata" adn Marc Brown, well, is all over the music scene.

I highly recommend this cd. It's very original, Nina Miranda has a very charming voice, the instrumentation is great and they really are a talented group. I liked every track. PICK IT UP. And if you really like this album, check out Da Lata's album and of cours, Smoke City's newest album, "Heroes of Nature". I don't think it's as strong as this one, but it's still very good. My favorite tracks on this one are "Joga Bossa, With You, Jamie Pan, Numbers and Underwater Love". But all tracks are fantastic, again.

FYI: They've appeared in TONS of compilations... especially chillout ones (Ministry, Chillout Room, etc.). Some that may have slipped through the cracks though: Brasil 2Mil (great comp), Ondha Sonora - Red Hot + Lisbon, Red Hot + Gershwin.

a spill into paradise
Smoke City's music is a blend of ethereal and sensual, playful and joy. Nina Miranda's voice carries one through a watery dream that you never want to wake from. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Soothing
Penguin Cafe Orchestra's self-titled album is lush, ambient music which sometimes recalls the quieter tracks on, say, Brian Eno's Another Green World. But PCO's ambience, at least on this album, is brighter (bright, as in mood, not intelligence) and more soothing than the sombre Eno melodies.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra is, if not a true orchestra, a rather large group; but rest assured they don't violate or abandon their minimalist aesthetic. The core of most of these songs are quite simple actually. Telephone and Rubber band, perhaps the most minimal of the songs here, begins with a spliced tape loop of, yes, a telephone ring. Soon a guitar, bass and other intstruments join in around the telephone signal and create an irresistably engaging song. Air A Danser, likewise, is lush yet simple, but when all of the harmonies and instruments are in full swing, swirling in and among one another like small-winged insects fluttering near a porch light, believe me, you'll swear that this music is quite complex.

My favorite, however, is Cutting Branches For a Temporary Shelter, one of the longer cuts that--and, gosh, forgive me for being so sentimental--actually reminds me of raindrops falling.

I strongly recommend this disc for anyone who appreciates beautiful, simple and intelligent instrumental music.

Something Slightly Less Rich and Strange
The Penguin Café Orchestra's second album (released half a decade after 'Music from the Penguin Café'), this is much less experimental and odd, although it's not bad for all that. Not that anything here could pop up on a Shania Twain album, however. The key tracks are 'Air a Danser' ('Tubular Bells' with sunshine, a piece which evokes green summer lawns and tea parties but in a good way) and 'Telephone and Rubber Band', the latter of which has become the group's signature tune, blending a catchy, unusual tune with a quirky orchestration (DTMF tones and a twangy bass noise). It has since been used in a film soundtrack ('Malcolm') and a series of television adverts for mobile telephones, and, along with 'Music from a Found Harmonium' (a couple of albums later), is the piece you're most likely to recognise. Apart from that the album is gently disappointing - 'The Ecstasy of Dancing Fleas' is one of the greatest song names ever, but along with everything from the third track onwards it's undistinguished (for the PCO) folky world-music with quirky touches. This is all relative, of course. Even at their least interesting the PCO are still unique and strange.

Skating on Smooth Ice
Upon first listen of this disk I was amazed how utterly unique yet palatable the music is. Yes, the approach is strange but this disk is so affectionately addicting in its dreamy presentation one cannot stop listening. So smooth, each track blends with one another yet the styles covered here range from classical ("Numbers 1-4"), to experimental ("Telephone and Rubber Band" - excellent I might add); from light jazz (The Ecstasy of Dancing Fleas) to bluegrass (Yodel 2); and from Cajun-light (Salty Bean Fumble)to even a Penguin Cafe cover of the surf rock classic "Walk Don't Run"! Do not be fooled, ths is not your typical _New Age_ music. This is for those who are a bit adventurous and even admire a tad of humorous, elements in their listening experience.

soundtrack to my life... when I was 20
I heard Telephone and Rubber Band on Public Radio, and assiduously tracked down the album (on cassette, which I wore out.) There are still times when the music enters my mind again. Air a danser goes with a half-dozen extraordinarily lovely instrumental tunes: Last Song for Shelby Jean on Hillbilly Jazz is another. Highly recommended

Company Theme Song!
This is a must have CD! Experimental? Get out of town! This is as much fun as Talking Heads. These are the kinds of "experiments" that only the highly skilled and inspired can pull off. FUN! Great repeat listening. After many years I am buying my second copy. Why? I can't get "Telephone and rubber band" out of my head. Excellent tunes!!! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Outstanding
This CD creates a perfect support for meditation up to a mild trance. It is also a *fantastic* background to practice TaiChi and ChiGung.
Just out of curiosity, I played it while having @@X and ... I am not gonna get into that ;-). Buy it!

WHAT A CONCEPT...NON-CHEESY NEW AGE!!!
El Hadra is a loop of hypnotic soundscape that subtly immerses the listener. The tempo is slightly below the normal human heartrate, so it naturally induces an almost trance-like state, and slows down the breathing. It is very soothing, but filled with musical sophistication and intrigue. An ideal accompaniment during a yoga practice, espeically as the total CD time clocks in at just under an hour, giving time at the completion of the practice for a silent music-free savasana.

The only complaint I have with it is that the track listing states that there are two tracks on the disc, but as it turns out the second track is just the first track repeated. Though I understand that the idea was for one continuous flow of rhythm, any CD player is equipped with a means of programming this; so a different, "true" second-track - especially since this is a full-price .... would have been appropraite,

Nonetheless, it's new age the way new age was meant to be had it not been ruined by the synthesizer and electronic studio trickery (as well as inept, untalented "musicians" with no concept of musical theory). A great peice that I've been playing regularly for over a year now and I have yet to get tired of.

i never get tired of listening. this is close to perfect!
An excellent background for massage, yoga, tai chi, cooking, gardening, writing,--anything that requires you to be "in the present moment". Wonderful to sleep to. I can put this cd on repeat and never grow tired of it. This music builds, breathes, and moves with a beautiful grace. One of my favorites!!!!!!!

perfect music for exhilerating relaxation
I was first introduced to this wonderful CD druing a rymthic massage. I was told that the heart and breath will emulate the music to produce total relaxation. This is wonderful music to sleep to as well for perfect nights rest.

My favorite new-age backround music
The CD jacket describes el-Hadra as "the rythmic trance meditation of the Sufis". The musicians are German, and play Tabla, Zither, and keyboard. The music has quite a hypnotic pull, and this is probably my top-favorite "new-age" CD. Originally, we used it often for backround during classes at the Tai Chi school I attend. I particularly enjoy listening to it late at night in bed. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nobody could have predicted the impact these scrawny young upstarts fromsleepy Davis, California, would have on the hip-hop world. Their debut 12-inch in 1993 seemed novel, a track apiece by Blackalicious and Lyrics Born and an instrumental cut-and-paste symphony by DJ Shadow. It took the hip-hop community by storm, though, and the fledgling label was elevated to elite status when Latyrx (Lyrics Born and Lateef) and Shadow dropped their monumental mid-90s debuts. With their rare funk samples and heady, tongue-tying lyricism, Solesides helped jump-start the vaunted independent hip-hop revolution of the past decade. This release presents Solesides' growth and maturation and offers some of their rarest out-of-print and vinyl-only gems, a blistering new posse cut ("Blue Flames"), and a host of freestyles and demos. Other highlights include Blackalicious' "Count and Estimate" and selections from their Melodica EP. Though the core of Solesides record today under the Quannum moniker, Greatest Bumps chronicles a spirit, innocence, and freshness that resuscitated hip-hop. --Hua Hsu ... Read more

Reviews (16)

hip hop fans, don't sleep on this one
Wow. I cannot stop listening to this album (or at least the first disc). I'll take it through step by step here :) It starts on a bit of a misstep with "Rhyme Like A Nut!" and "Entropy Part 1" but these deserve to be on there as they are formal introductions to Gab and Shadow. Not on par with their songs to come, but still good. After that, it's classic track after classic track. "The Wreckoning" is simply amazing and one of my favorite hip hop tracks EVER. It's arguably even better than the "Live 45 Mix" version as Lateef rhymes for longer, and the minimalist Shadow beat means you don't miss a word. Gab kicks off "Deep In The Jungle" with what is definitely one of his greatest verses. "Send Them" has one of the funkiest dance hall beats I've ever heard, and the song is from '93! And as for anyone who hasn't heard the classic "Lady Don't Tek No", just find a way of listening to it. Beyond words.
As for the second disc the quality drops just a tad. It is mainly freestyle raps (still tight, especially Lateef's) and cuts from Latyrx's "The Album". Of course, if you don't have the album you won't notice and you'll probably love it. Unfortunately "Fully Charged on Planet X" is pretty mediocre, and "Hot Breath" is just plain bad. Even at under 2:00 it should have been left off the album. If I was compiling the album I would have taken out some of these weaker offerings and just put the remaining tracks from the Melodica EP on here ("Attica Black" and "40 Oz For Breakfast" are noticeably missing)
The only reason not to own this would be if you already have the Melodica EP and The Album. Even then, you're missing out on some classic tracks you can't get anywhere else. The liner notes are even great, as they list all of SoleSides' releases, and a look into the history of the SoleSides crew. Definitely get this one.

This'll keep you groovin'. . . .
Without a doubt two funktastic CD's of rarer tracks by all the right players, from Shadow on the beats to the rhymin' styles of Gift Of Gab, Lateef The Ill Truth Speaker, Lyrics Born, and others just as crazy. Each track continues to pound you with intensity and amaze you with simplistic complexity. It will take you on the perfect melodic journey that only the best hip hop can achieve. This stuff is REAL, and damn is it GOOD.

If you want DJ Shadow beats, they're here, but don't expect Endtroducing. . .style songs - these are all from the early-mid 90's, when he was rolling with the Soleside Crew, including Blackalicous and Lateef. It's rapping so fast and on you won't believe your ears. Smooth and polished lyrics with that underground, indy-sounding production - unbeatable combo.

For the price, you're getting ten times your money's worth. Buy it, check it, LOVE IT.

OLD-SKOOL QUANNUM
this is the legendary Solesides Quannum Collective at you for the first time..... every track has been purified in a gold chalice and is ready for your soul....... check out Quannum Spectrum, Later that Day produced by L.B., the new remix album of Later that Day commin at you in the near future, Gift of Gab 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up, Lifesavas Spirit In Stone, Latryx The Album, new Joyo Velarde and new Lateef also coming in the nearest future.... keep your ears, heart, mind and soul OPEN, Peace

I've had this album for one day...
(follow from title) and already i reckon ti's classic... i've only had time to listen ot the first disc... beautiful stuff... if the second disc holds up, i'll be most grateful... i must give it 5 stars to prevent it being dragged down to the DREADED "3 and a HALF" STAR level... MWU-HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA...

True Hip Hop
DJ Shadow's beats, along with the vocal talent of Blackalicious, Lateef, Lyrics Born and others in the Solesides crew, give this two disc set a must have label for all true hip hop lovers. Blackalicious and DJ Shadow both put out new cd's this year, and the Solesides discs give a sample of what the public had been missing out on for years. My advice is to get anything that DJ Shadow and the Solesides Crew have a hand in, they have been doin this for years, and doin it well. This cd is a must have and a great value. ... Read more

Album Description

Music touches our hearts and resonates within our bodies. The right music can truly renew us, helping us to feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Great musicians have always recognized this therapeutic power of music, and researchers are finally proving them right. THE SOUND MEDICINE SERIES features the works of inspired musical pioneers who are exploring music’s healing power.

Natural Balance and Harmony Your body is a self-healing instrument. If you give it a chance it will always tend toward homeostasis or healthful balance. Sound healer Steven Halpern uses soothing and free-floating keyboard compositions to draw the body into this state of balance and harmony. Combining artistic inspiration, sensitivity, and sophisticated sound technology, his compositions synchronize the hemispheres of the brain and amplify the production of alpha waves. This natural response is associated with feelings of deep relaxation, contentment, and well-being.

Steven Halpern, Ph.D. stands at the leading edge of the growing public understanding of the relationship between music, body, mind and spirit. An internationally acclaimed composer and recording artist Halpern has produced over sixty recordings and authored several books. His music has been featured on 48 Hours, America’s Talking, and in USA Today, The New York Times and Yoga Journal. Halpern’s recordings are used in hospitals, healing clinics, and leading spas worldwide.

Music for Healing Mind, Body & Spirit was previously released under the title In the Key of Healing ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is simply wonderful "Sound Medicine"
Just bought this, unaware that is part of a wonderful Healing and Relaxtion Box Set called "Sound Medicine". This is a standout Halpern CD and will send you into relaxation heaven in less than a minute. Really beautiful and so, so, so relaxing and dreamy. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

The first Orb album was entirely new when it appeared: a low-key dancerecord, with echoes and swells more than up-front tunes, stoner-level dub bass, and all sorts of samples and sounds--seagulls, film clips, astronaut voices, bits of disco--fluttering through the mix like hallucinations. Essentially a techno album for tired dancers, it's held up nicely over time, thanks to its intricate, dreamy sonics. Beyond the classic "Little Fluffy Clouds"--a set of interlocking synth hooks and loping percussion, held together by a cut-up sample of Rickie Lee Jones talking about the skies of her youth--there are lots of mellow delights here, particularly the blissful reggae groove "Perpetual Dawn." --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Interstellar overdrive
The Orb's first album provided a blueprint for the 'electronic listening music' of the early-'90s, cultivated by artists like Autechre and The Black Dog, and labels like Warp and Swim. Still, you won't believe it how much the sound of this album is inspired by '70s space rockers like Pink Floyd, Gong, and Steve Hillage. And indeed, The Orb themselves have always claimed that they were big fans of '70s progressive rock music. Even "Little fluffy clouds", the Orb's best-known track and the only pop song of this album, is actually a cover version of "Counterpoint", a tune by avantgarde composer Steve Reich. Typical for ambient records, there are occasional dull spots on this two-disc set, but you shouldn't forget that ambient music originally had been designed as background music. "The Orb's adventures.." virtually pioneered the concept of applying the aesthetics of '70s ambience to '90s techno with all its technical possibilities like sound sampling, sequencing, and processing. And for me, the 18 1/2-minute mega-piece "A huge ever.." (there's even a longer version available on the "Peel Sessions" CD) is still the embodiment of great, well-thought, and refreshing trance music. Admittedly, if you want to have lush melodies and clubby rhythms in your ambient music, I'd recommend you to buy Autechre's "Incunabula" or Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works 1" instead. If you're keen on disturbing, hyperactive ambient soundscapes, check out releases by Main ("Hz", "Firmament II").

Trust me, Orb is great.
This album is up there with the greatest, A Hundred Days Off, Drukqs, Two, Chiastic Slide, Brothers Gonna Work It Out...

That type of stuff. I must say, this music is way ahead of it's time to have been released in 1991. (And just remember, the tracks weren't all made in the same year, before this album came out A Huge Evergrowing Pulsating Brain had a single.)

Let's start from the beginning.

01. Little Fluffy Clouds:
Hmm... Trancy, dancy, and acidic, yet happy.
This song is OK, but it gets old fast.
02. Earth (Gaia):
Wheee! Now THIS is sampling. Nice beat... Good synths, pulls together as a great song, the only con I can think of is it's too long.
03. Supernova at the End of the Universe:
Ok, you want Orb? Listen to this track.
The whole buildup is just brilliant, the drumtrack is just brilliant, and the length is brilliant.
They couldn't have hit it bigger with this one.
04. Back Side Of The Moon:
Long and drone-like, just the way I like ambient.
This track would SEEM like it's too long, but it ends up being ok in the end.
05. Spanish Castles In Space:
Eep. Well umm, this song I must say gets a little annoying... Way too long, but it IS very great, don't get me wrong, it just gets old... FAST...

Disc 2:

01. Perpetual Dawn:
Yes, the original.
Reggae magic in action... This one is for those "parties" that college students love so much. ;)
02. Into The Fourth Dimension:
Ahhh, is there no end to The Orb's greatness?
Again, great buildup, the sampling is awesome, couldn't have done better.
03. Outlands:
Honestly, don't throw things at me for this; what's the deal with this track? Why does everyone think it's so good?
It's OK, but I wouldn't consider it "The best track on the CD."
It has a good amount of nice drums, and some mystical sounding synths that I LOVE.
Check this one out.
04. Star 6 & 7 8 9:
Now THIS is more like it! Yes, this is the REAL best track on the CD.
Beautiful synths and bass, plus it gives off a great feeling of Nostalgia.
05. A Huge Evergrowing Pulsating Brain Th...[Live MK Mix 10]
Heh. Long name.
Long song, this is a buildup of noises on top of a brilliant 8-note riff.
Quite relaxing, there isn't too many drums, so put it on when you are trying to fall asleep.

All in all, the CD is great. Buy it, indefinatley, and enjoy it well.

A good album from electronica's best days.
The Orb weren't the first techno band, but they were techno's first major artistic success. Their predecessors confined themselves to the dancefloor, and released their work on the twelve-inch singles most suitable for that realm. The Orb, however, adopted rock's emphasis on the album as one cohesive statement, a collection of songs united by common themes. In fact, Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld, their 1991 debut, is a double album running for almost two hours.

The Orb were not a musically inventive band. The beats on this album are pretty pedestrian, and the melodies are incompetently minimal, three or four notes apiece at best. Even the production sounds kind of grainy. However, The Orb had excellent dramatic instincts. They made use of a large collection of samples, lacing their simple rhythm tracks with bits of classical music, monologues in foreign languages, rushing waterfalls, ringing church bells, and other sundry snippets of sound, to create the appearance of a detailed and enigmatic sonic world. They also knew when to restrain themselves and ease on the percussion, to establish moods and themes instead of trying to get by on pure pounding. Lastly, they understood the limitations of their production, and tried to make it sound organic, with shambling live-sounding drums, while their contemporaries were deliberately trying to sound artificial. The Orb even used a few actual guitars, rarely found in early electronica.

This zesty brew made for quite a few good tracks. "Little Fluffy Clouds," the first and shortest song on the album, shows just how important samples were in Orb tracks. The song has a pretty standard house beat set to a sample from the TV show Reading Rainbow of someone reminiscing about her childhood. A low-key keyboard melody creeps in, and suddenly, the song becomes a compelling story about how "we lived in Arizona, and the skies always had little fluffy clouds...the sunsets were...purple, and red, and yellow, and the clouds would catch on fire...you don't see that here, but you might still see them in the desert."

Electronica owes a lot to reggae, more specifically to the "dub" production techniques pioneered by reggae artists. In the liner notes to this album, Orb frontman and brave physician Dr. Alex Paterson thanks reggae legend Burning Spear, and on "Perpetual Dawn," the track that opens disc two, the Jamaican connection is made clear by one of those good-time staccato reggae guitars playing that good-time reggae rhythm. There's not much more to say there, but it is the album's most instantly memorable and catchy moment. "Spanish Castles In Space," the track that closes disc one, is the Orb at their most relaxed, featuring some acoustic strumming and watery effects in waltz-time, with no beats. As with most Orb tracks, this one's musical core is weak, but it manages to create a pleasant feel that's quite nice to just drift to. "Into The Fourth Dimension" sounds better than it probably should, through judicious use of one sample of a choir singing "Miserere" and another of a lovely violin solo from classical music.

The last track on the album is a nineteen-minute monstrosity with the charming title, "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre Of The Ultraworld." The music in this track, however, has little to do with brains or ruling, but evokes pristine scenes from nature with great clarity. One time, it so happened that I walked on a grassy, rocky shore by a sea. There were forests on both sides of me, rock formations behind me, endless water ahead of me, and not a soul in sight. So, I reclined on the grass and spent some time watching the waves, underneath a completely white sky. This is exactly the scene embodied by this track; nearly beatless, it's built around a clean, calm, majestic sounding keyboard melody, played relentlessly for all nineteen minutes, but gliding in and out of different keys from time to time, while some kind of male choir sings in the background. Detail is added by the sound of rushing water, shifts in volume, and numerous samples. The track derives some immediacy from being a live recording, all nineteen minutes of it. It's certainly a great way to end.

The success of this album basically kick-started the "electronica revolution" of the early nineties. Unfortunately, it did The Orb little good. After releasing another album in 1992, they got mired in label troubles for three years, and in that time, the electronica crown had been seized forever by bands like Underworld and Orbital. Worse, those bands were better producers and musicians than The Orb, so even before the advent of jungle, Paterson and company's sound became out of step. They tried to adapt to the changing times, but fickle fortune no longer favoured them, so this album remains their biggest contribution to music. Though it contains two or three uninspiring tracks, its best parts have aged pretty well. Anyone with an interest in electronica wouldn't do badly to get it.

ça a qd même vieilli!
Je suis un peu déçu par cet album... c'est morne, le son est pas top... ça traîne dans les longueurs... bref ennuyeux! mais bon il faut se mettre à l'époque aussi! ça à qd même 13 ans!

Demolishing
The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld succeeds with ego crushing absoluteness.

Recommended, from the bottom of my heart, to every sentient being in the universe. Alex Patterson and crew are the masters and this is their single greatest work. Buy it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

If you ever wondered what ambient music is all about, you could do worse than listen to the soundtrack by Brian Eno that accompanied the stunning visuals of NASA's Apollo missions to the moon. Created with an intoxicating mixture of acoustic and electronic, the music makes the now-classic space travel images more magical and memorable, introducing a dreamlike element to scenes of cold reality. "An Ending (Ascent)" is about as close to an actual tune as you'll get, but, as with every track, a shining example of what ambient music reveals about itself--slowly and carefully. --Paul Clark ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Like a soundtrack to a space-travel dream
What Ray Bradbury has done with pen, ink, and paper to put every breath of romanticism, intrigue, and philosophical imagination into space exploration, Brian Eno has done with music.

Eno has achieved nearly every effect of his abilities from subtle cosmological synth rhythms to full-blown bluesy, almost country-like emotional guitar riffs making the idea of space travel all that much more covetable... to me, at least :)

He expresses the simple presence--what it is like to simply just exist on the surface of another planet--with slow, peaceful grids of repetitive hypnotizing textures through most of the album. "Signals" takes your head into the slow ethers of radio bleeps through the blackness of space, and "Stars" and the two "Under Stars" tracks seem like sitting in a lawn chair with a glass of space punch on the moon. And of course, "Ending (Ascent)", to me, perfectly orchestrates the certain subconsciously disturbing risks of shooting off the moon for the return to earth--peaceful and quiet whether Armstrong and his crew made it off the surface, or if, hypothetically, that malfunction went all the way to let them be the first to rest in eternal peace in the quiet dust. Of course, that's my individual interpretation. You'll have to hear it for yourself. It's probably more enjoyable without trying to interpret everything and just sit back with it on. I'd review more but there's a 1,000 word limit.

Just as Laguardia Airport in New York had one time looped Ambient 1: Music for Airports on their loudspeakers, every observatory and space museum should do with Apollo.

Mesmerizing
An Ending, (Ascent), heard at the end of Steven Soderbergh's recent blockbuster movie release, "Traffic", in a context which leaves the listener stunned, mesmerizingly stunned, sitting motionless, staring blindly, credits rolling, 4.3 minutes go by and the masterfully spellbinding music of Brian Eno welds you to the chair, as addicticting as the crack cocaine portrayed in the film, I had to hear this again, and again, and again.

One of the CD's you buy simply for one track alone. Also one of those tracks which will challenge even the best of audio systems, as it's pure tonal intensity will rattle the speaker cones of even the best top quality components like B&O and Bose.

My wife has taken well over 1000 pictures in the over 20 years we have been married, most of which simply are not that good, but this one picture she took of our son running on the beach at sunset, makes up for the 1000 others in spades, it is that incredibly good.

So too is "Ascent", Eno's masterpiece. However Soderbergh found it and added it to this movie, exhulting it into this context, is more than words can exclaim.

You have to see it. You have to hear it. You have to feel it.

It will simply blow you away.

Icy and inviting
"Apollo" contains fantastic synthesizer work. Dan Lanois & the Eno brothers created one of the best soundtracks in the history of film (pieces from this album are still turning up in movies twenty years later: "An Ending" was used as the end title sequence of Soderbergh's "Traffic" and was more recently used to great effect in Boyle's "28 Days Later"). I remember when I owned this document on vinyl, and thought: side one is dissonant & spooky like the cold vastness of space, and side two filled with peace and awe and wonder. On CD as a continuous experience it's like doing an orbit from the shadowside back to the sun's cold light. Very organic and warm, it is one of Eno's very best.

Sweet Baby Jesus
Oh. It's great. I do like Eno quite a bit, so I am already converted. Has the track from Trainspotting that has that Hawaii-floating sort of feeling. The rest of it is quiet, soothing, depth that Eno is such a trend-setter at. I read one review before buying it about it being 80's because of some guitar solo. It's not a Van Halen guitar solo or anything. I'm not sure what that reviewer was doing with Eno in his hands anyway. I would love to see the Apollo landing with this as the soundtrack. This is the first review I've written. It's a certain buy.

The Quintessential Ambient LP
Although this is by no means Brian Eno's first Ambient work, it is by far my favorite, and perhaps his most perfect Ambient creation. It merges the ideas of courage, technology and science with beauty, it celebrates the achievements of mankind, and distills all of this into a blissful audio environment. The environment transcends the music and the subject matter (the Apollo missions), and takes both to a much higher level.

For those of us that grew up in the 60's the Apollo missions were the greatest achievements of our time. This music captures and distills these feelings with unabashed emotion, and delivers them to all willing to listen.

Perhaps the greatest acknowledgement I have heard was this: the last song played by Alex Patterson in his long running "Teatime with the Orb" broadcasts was "Ascent: An Ending" from this album. I could think of no better and no more honest a compliment. This album is one of those rare seminal pieces upon which an entire genre has been built. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Ancient meets Modern, Deep Forest style!
'Music Detected' was my first CD by Deep Forest and, even though I loved it while most other DF fans were disappointed and some even appalled by their drastic change in sound, after listening to their highly praised 'Boheme' I now have a better understanding of why!
I still love 'Music Detected' and wouldn't dream of changing my rating, but after hearing 'Boheme' it simply blew me away and just might have affected the way I thought about MD if I had purchased this before that...

'Music Detected' has a more eclectic sound than 'Boheme' for (unlike this album) MD mixed an interesting, if not hypnotic fusion of world, rock, dance and soul with most of the songs sung in english, which must have taken a lot of die-hard Deep Forest fans for a loop because their initial style has a more ethnic-world sound with modern beats and ancient pygmy vocals that are rich (and yes, a little strange) but full of life and vigor!

Both are very good but to compare them is somewhat difficult for they're both so very different!

'Music Detected' will never dish up classic DF tracks like "Marta's Song" and "Boheme" but if you have an open-mind than DF fans will hopefully learn to grow with their expanding overflow of experimentations... I for one was completely enthralled with both albums and am deeply looking forward to checking out their other releases, which are probably just as amazing!

Aside from the god-awful "Bulgarian Melody" (which should have never been sung as a ballad), the rest of 'Boheme' is simply mind-boggling and all fans of world music should get themselves a copy...Pronto!

Haunting Ethereal Voices, Rhythms & Melodies
What a fascinating and spine-tingling interpretation and enhancement of Eastern European music, primarily Hungarian, which is my heritage. Deep Forest manages to make Marta Sebestyen sound even more evocative than she usually sounds ... her voice is soulful, poignant, piercingly tender and sincere. This CD is one nonstop experience of primarily Hungarian/Gypsy and Eastern European culture. It is made more enticing and alluring by the qualities Deep Forest brings forth with their creative imaginations -- they add unique beats and splendid vocalizations. They start with an original piece of music by the original artist, then intepret and expand the sound into haunting and ethereal dimensions. I can not say which is my favorite because the whole CD is one magnificent production of high quality and artistry. The traditional music of this region is combined with modern instruments which only makes the original sound even *more* visceral and earthy ... the root music takes hold of you!!! It does not let go. The unsuspecting listener becomes entranced by a traditionAL sound and an almost dying ancient culture ... fortunately it is being rediscovered and interpreted by musicians such as Deep Forest. I love the cover, the falling orange leaves and the "psi" symbol. The sunlight being filtered through the fog is such an appropriate and absolutely well targeted symbol of the musical contents. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Deep Forest's Magnum Opus! I'm not kidding!
I was absolutely amazed with Deep Forests debut album. It was and still is one of the most groundbreaking world music albums of all time and it's a huge crime that it isn't carried by retailers. It is still an amazing CD to this very day. It blended Pygmy voices with modern dance and the result was a masterpiece. This follow-up to that album entitled "Boheme" raises the bar even higher by having Deep Forest travel from the remoteness of Sub-Saharan Africa, to the forests of Bulgaria and Eastern Europe and the result is beyond what I could give out and "Boheme" is in my opinion, Deep Forest's best album to date although "Music Detected" may offer competition. The album has a much darker and more dramatic undertone than their debut album does but I love it.

"Anasthasia" starts the album on a dark, eerie, and slightly ominous note with a very tribal sound with haunting flutes and a haunting ambience that gives the song a feel of like drifting through the forests of the Alps with nearby storms. Eventually the song gets more and more intense until it suddenly ends at just less than two minutes length. The echoes of "Anashthasia" perfect blend into the drama of my favorite track on this album "Bohemian Ballet". This is one of their best 'studio' album tracks that they've ever created. At first, the clanging dance sound effects would imply a Latin folk track but it becomes a very intense, dramatic, and dark song. Things get even better when it becomes a vibrant and energetic dance song with haunting and bizarrely amplified Eastern European voices backed by the intense melody. This song is my favorite song on this entire album. "Marta's Song" is sheer beauty. After the dramatic darkness of "Bohemian Ballet", we emerge into the sunniness of "Marta's Song" which is another one of the highlights of this album. The song has a really excellent and exotic rhythm and the same is said about the haunting Bulgarian chants as well. Add that to a really warm and energetic melody and you have a really uplifting classic for the coming ages. "Gathering" is a much darker and more ominous track with a very futuristic production yet it also blends in ancient chorus and a really dark but never forboding atmosphere to create another intriguing and amazing classic. "Lament" is a really heartbreaking yet joyous song with a very strange electronic voice effect and bizarrely amplified voice effects. The melody is really awesome as well and the result is another highlight on this album. "Bulgarian Melody" is the strangest track on this CD. Although it starts with a dark and very eerie note and growing more and more dramatic, it calms down and becomes a very odd piano ballad with Bulgarian vocals amidst sweet and beautiful background piano in the background which almost gives the song a slight 1940s tone to it. While I totally disagree with a reviewer saying that this song is god-awful, it does feel sort of out of place against the other songs on this album but nonetheless it is a really great song. As it reverts back to the eerie sound that was present at the beginning, it morphs into a sweeter melody which becomes the track "Deep Folk Song" which is just a one minute interlude track but has a really vibrant French accordion style to it. In a way it's more of like an interlude intro into the vibrant classic "Freedom Cry". This is a really fun and actually a very bright, sunny and really happy song without being cheesy and is actually a very sophisticated song with an edgy and funky beat and a French accordion sound to it that gives the idea of a dance in an open paved plaza in Paris right after a storm moves out. A really amazing song it is. The song gracefully transitions into the next song "Twosome" which is another highlight on this album. This song has a rather slightly ominous melody but also a very joyous and exotic dance club sound. The Eastern Indian chanting gives the song a really colorful sound. It's hard to really explain this track but it's a really awesome song that needs a listen. "Café Europa" is a really strange track with a stormy vibe and Asian exotic instruments. The song becomes a very club-oriented dance song that surely would make for excellent dance club music. While it's a very good song, it doesn't stack up as high as the other songs on this album. Still, it's a great song. The live version is incredible! "Kathrina" is a very spooky track. It begins with a very misty sharp-sounding flute or other wind instrument and becomes a very dark and haunting track with African beats and strange ominous melody. This is the darkest track on this album and it's a good one at that! The album closes with what I can safely say is the best track on this album which is the title track to this CD. While much of the album is dark and somewhat stormy in nature, the closing title track has a very happy and absolutely uplifting vibe and has a funky and exotic rhythm and colorful vocal effects. To me, this is like the sun shining bright after a major storm moving away into the east. This song brings an already phenomenal album to a glorious finish.

Their debut album may have been what brought them into the spotlight but the way I look at it, "Boheme" was where they reached their peak although "Music Detected" may offer competition but these two albums have enormously different styles that it's impossible to compare them but they both showed that Deep Forest were unafraid to go into uncharted territory with their music. "Boheme" to me, built on the greatness of their debut and the result is what I consider to possibly be their best album that they've ever put out to date. I strongly suggest that you get a hold of a copy of this album. I don't know how much I can recommend it but I cannot do this album justice with this review. That's all I can say.

What a beautiful CD...
I am a big Deep Forest fan. Of all of their CDs, this and Music Detected are my favorites. Boheme has a gorgeous earthy sound that is equal parts sensual and comforting. This is one of my "Rainy Day" CDs - music to play when it is dark and stormy outside and all you want to do is read a good book and have some great coffee or tea. The individual songs combine to form a rich blend of foreign elements with familiar notes - Eastern European vocals, chants and instruments combined and enhanced with backbeats and synthisized instrumentation.

The sole exception to the calming air of this CD is Cafe Europa, which is a heavier song with a club feel. In classic Deep Forest tradition, this song incorporates chanting with synthesizers and a driving backbeat. The first song, Anasthasia, is deep and rich with industrial elements and an earthy feel of discovery - much like walking through a forest at night to discover a field of wildflowers at sunrise. Also full of of rich emotion and imagery is the three song arc - Bulgarian Melody, Deep Folk Song, and Freedom Cry. Bulgarian Melody starts as a seemingly unfocused piano piece featuring vocals by Marta Sebestyn (also featured on two other tracks on the CD, Marta's Song and Twosome). This builds in intensity and flows into Deep Folk Song, which is a triumphant piece incorporating echoing drums and native cries. This floats directly into Freedom Cry, a passionate, inspirational song which uses native vocals by Hungarian Gypsies. Marta's Song and Twosome are both showcases for Marta Sebestyn's incredible voice. She's like a foreign Karen Carpenter, able to use rich vocals to convey love, loss, regret, hope, and comfort all at once. Gathering and Lament both use synthisizers and native vocals to great effect, Lament as a song rich in loss and regret, Gathering as a song full of warning and portents. Katharina is the most sensual piece on the album, blending synthesized horns and pipes with a slower yet powerful backbeat and soft chanting for a ceremonial feel. Bohemian Ballet is an intense song, with an insistent backbeat, lilting guitars and raw, emotional vocals. The last piece, titled simply Boheme is a pleasant wrap up - you know it's the last piece even if you aren't keeping track. This upbeat song features synthesized horns and hopeful, expectant vocals combined with a backbeat that is not too fast, not too slow - just right.

This is an all-around gorgeous CD for anyone with an interest in atmospheric, global music that you don't get to hear on the radio. Because Deep Forest is so artistic, you may recognize pieces of this CD from fashion shows, commercials, television specials - anywhere but popular mainstream radio. I highly recommend this CD to anyone who likes New Age music with a twist of electronica. You won't regret this CD purchase. =)

More than I expected!
I had never even heard of Deep Forest until a woman I know in Kemerovo, Russian told me about them. Now I listen to this disc at least once a day since my purchase. To truely appreciate the genius of this work, turn down the lights and put the head phones on and get lost in a world of musical magic. I have thousands of music selections but it has been a long time since I have been captured by an entire collection of songs on one album. There simply isn't a bad song on the Boheme Disc!! If you don't like this disc you must be tone deaf. :-} ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beautiful Blend of Relaxing Music
This album is a selection of songs by Anugama that were chosen to enhance relaxation. At 74 minutes long, this stout CD makes use of classical guitar, flamenco guitar, steelstring guitar, Hawaiian slide guitar, recorder flute, electronic flutes, traverse flute, native American flutes, shakuhaji flute, keyboards and native American drums. The songs vary quite a bit in sound & style, so it's never boring. Yet it's always relaxing. I'm a massage therapist, and this is one of my favorite CD's to use in the office. ... Read more