Reviews (13)

A heaven sent masterpiece
In Search of Sunrise 1, is one of the most cherished pieces of music ive ever listened, really it takes you to a level that is trully spiritual particularly with inspirational songs like Gouryella's "Walhalla" and Lange's "I believe", this compilation likens inspirational music to the Chilean folkloric group Illapu - album "Multitudes", who although a different genre and inspirational meaning to their words, is very uplifting, because it touches the heart, and makes you realize the connection of the music to our whole existence, and the goodness of which abounds us, ISOS1 is mixed by Tiesto, an individual who not only has superior mixing skills but a heart which is able to translate to others the awesome beauty of the musical art of uplifting trance at its best, so if you are reading this i recomend you to buy it and listen to it and be inspired, and realize the beautiful gifts God can give us in our lives, including all that is full of goodness around us.
Although i must say i am disgraced of how trance today is identified as a musical catalyst to pleasure drug use especially the youth which degrades the body and soul...music is not there for that use. I agree with Tiesto on this point too!

All I can say ISOS1 is a inspirational masterpiece and Tiesto, you r awesome! Someday i hope well meet up and chat :)

Great Mixing & Track Selection
I think this is one of the best Ablums from Dj Tiesto, along with -Live at Innercuty-. If you don't know much about electronic trance music but you find it interesting or something, then get this album, it's melodic tracks will touch your soul.

Best out of the ISOS series
This is the best out of the 3 ISOS series. This one isn't as hard as ISOS II but not as soft as ISOS III. Track selection is very good.

A gift from heaven! Tiesto ROCKS!!
I love this guy. I have been collecting trance cd's since the early 90's and I have to say ISOS is simply the best mix of collective tracks I have heard in sometime now. I have a few of Tiesto's cd's already including Magic 5,6, and 7. I picked up Nyana a few months back and wasn't entirely pleased with the track selection. But Tiesto has won me back!! Yes!! ISOS starts out cool and melodic to slowly get your vibes going then kicks in midway with BT's track, and finally adds the extra intensity for the last 4 tracks that will have your head doing moves you never thought possible. I particularly love track 13, Lange's remix of Remember by The Morrighan, that does things to me no other track has done since...jeez,Velvet Morning. Absolutely superb!! Another cool perk I like also about the cd is there are great female vocals incorporated into many of the songs. Not only can you dance...you can also sing along if you want to. BTW, I also have ISOS2, and while very good, does not match up to the first release IMHO. Best I've heard since Paul Van Dyke's 'Politics of Dancing' and George Acosta's 'Miami' CD1. Just wish it was a 2CD album. But stop listening to me. Go out and get the damn thing already!!

The best trance-CD ever
Simply put, the best trance-CD ever. Ferry Corstens "Live at Innercity" comes close, but nothing beats this album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The U.K.-based musician, film director, andFaithless cofounder JamieCatto and producer Duncan Bridgeman coproduced this impressive multimedia CD,which boasts an eclectic array of artists ranging from Senegal'sBaaba Maal and NewZealand's Maori artist Whirimako Black to the king of ambient,Brian Eno. This project,the fruit of a six-month, five-continent recording spree, is a funky, folkloric,and futuristic mélange of sampled indigenous instruments and electronica."Braided Hair" teams the rap-country vocals of Arrested Development's Speechwith the daring pop diva Neneh Cherry. The South African mbaqanga vocalsof the Mahotella Queensprovide the Afro-rave underpinnings for vocalist Ulali's poetic pleas forAfrican unity. The tantric trances of the South Asian syncopated tabla drumspepper the synth-laden "When You Dream," which featuresR.E.M.'s Michael Stipeand the Indian star AshaBhosle. Boundaries of nationality, time, and musical genre meld into groovesfor the head, hips, and heart that need no translation. --Eugene HolleyJr. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Brilliant Effort!
When I first got hold of this CD, I thought it would be just another off-the-shelf world music album. How wrong I was. This CD has surpassed all boundaries and contains some of the best fusioned music ever released in recent times. From Kenya to India, it fuses an array of diverse musical talents and sounds from around the world. All 76 minutes of this CD is sheer listening pleasure. Listening to each track, takes you on the journey it was intended to. And Duncan & Jamie have released & produced a superb craftmanship in 1 Giant Leap. This album truly proves that indeed there is, Unity in Diversity. And thanks to Duncan & Jamie, that gap is bridged. Let the music speak to you as the sheer delight of the great musicians and thinkers involved in this project transcend you to an elated bliss. To sum it up, 1 Giant Leap is taking it's greatest leap ever!

Spiritual & musical journey - easily the best album of 2002
1 Giant Leap is a stunningly ambitious, moving and uplifting project featuring some of the most amazing musicians on the surface of the globe. It takes you on a spiritual and musical journey, evoking and stirring emotions, bringing a sense of unity and joy for the great artistic creativity in the world. 1 Giant Leap has a message; a purpose.

The album opens with Baaba Maal evoking sunrise over his native Senegal on 'Dunya Salam'. The spiritual, prayerful, soulful vocals are stunning and truly beautiful. It then moves into single 'My Culture' featuring British popstar Robbie Williams and rapper Maxi Jazz, whose unlikely pairing results in a strangely moving track with urgent lyrics, a sense of joy and fantastic production, with funky bass, trumpets and ethnic percussion. When all the music stops and Maxi says 'If I don't see that I'm strong then I won't be' it is a spine-tingling, affirming moment.

Next is 'The Way You Dream', another amazing track which again sees an unlikely pairing in REM's Michael Stipe and Indian superstar Asha Bhosle. It begins slowly with aromatic drums, atmospheric acoustic guitar and ethereal vocals from Bhosie, then a darker sounding guitar comes in with synths giving the track a mysterious feel. Michael Stipe sounds right at home in the ambient surroundings although it sounds nothing like REM, and then the music quietens before building into full on rave with trance keyboards, very fast drums, but still the vocals of the two singers sounding perfect.

Fourth is 'Ma'Africa', beginning with Ulali's sweet backing before moving into a fast, funky global dance track with the energetic vocals of the Mahotella Queens and a beautiful poem by Moseo calling for African unity. This is very powerful. Braided Hair is next, probably the most straightforward pop song it features Speech and Neneh Cherry who offer nice vocals and fantastic lyrics. Its great though not as ambitious as other tracks.

Ta Moko opens with a sample from Tom Robbins who offers very important advice that our regrets are over not spending enough time with who we love, not over work or money. When the track proper begins its a slow-burning, darkly mysterious track with vocals from Whiri Mako Black of New Zealand. Bushes again features vocals from Baaba Maal and while not quite as stunning as Dunya Salaam his vocals are always delightful.

Passion features a beautiful poem written and read by Michael Franti in his deep voice and then spiritual vocals from Uganda. Daphne opens with the great quote 'music is proof of the existance of God' and suitably is a spiritual track with jazzy bass and guitar. When the track gets into full swing its Eddi Reader, a UK folksy singer who takes the main duties.

All Alone on Eileen Shore is a mostly Western track, mostly because of the fact that Duncan, one of the two British instigators of the project, takes vocals. The track is the most similar to Faithless on the album (Faithless being the band that Jamie and Duncan are involved with). Although the vocals are vocoded, something I don't usually like, it makes them strangely sweet and ethereal and perfect here. The backing is mellow, ambient acoustic electronica. It the middle of the track it gets darker and we get Ram Dass, a philosopher, reading important, touching words. Parts of the track then are more ethnic. It is one of the album's best.

Racing Away is fantastic as we get the reggae vocals of Horace Andy over an ethnic electronica canvas which is amazingly effectively, and it has the spirit of peace and nature that is important in reggae. Grant Lee Phillips offers more conventional American pop-rock vocals but the melody and lyrics are still groundbreaking. Overall it is again one of the best tracks. The album closes with the eerie 'Ghosts' again featuring Eddi Reader which is haunting and a perfect closer.

Overall, this is a perfectly constructed album. It is for everyone, not just fans of world but of dance, electronica, funk, rock, pop, philosophy or just great music. Its message and ambition are so huge that it is enormously important. Its a true spiritually uplifting experience. Its the best of 2002 and one of the great world music albums ever. 5 stars.

If you buy only one DVD this year, make it this one!
Amazing. Vast undertaking, superbly realized. Spiritually moving. Shows the interconnectedness of all people, places, things. If you buy only one DVD this year, make it this one.

My only wish is that the music was available on a recording device other than CD, so that i could purchase it for my sister the luddite who eschews modern technology but would LOVE this!

The World Dreams in Music
Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. ~Anais Nin (1903-1977)

The first time I listened to this CD, I listened to "All Alone" obsessively. I became so intoxicated with a feeling of immense completeness as every sadness in my soul dissolved into pure love.

The world could have disappeared and I would have been standing in the middle of a field of crimson roses all blooming to the sound of Duncan Bridgeman singing: "If you stay or if you go." The friend who sent me the CD said to listen to the track before I went to bed and I've never experienced such a healing gift. In life, you often meet people who will give you gifts your soul needs and then at times friends can work together to heal the world.

When Jamie Catto met Duncan Bridgeman it was a random moment in time. Like most creative friendships they found they had so much in common. Once they started talking they realized they had similar beliefs about the state of modern music. Jamie was the singer and keyboardist in the UK band Faithless and Duncan Bridgeman had been mixing albums for big-name artists. Together they have created a CD I can hardly believe exists.

I had no idea the impact it would make on me. I also didn't realize you could fall madly "in love" with a CD. ;) Once "My Culture" takes off, you are going to understand the meaning of "primal high on a soul level."

"I'm what I feel, what I'm feeling is surreal
I'm a mass of spinning wheels
Always digging in my heels
Now I've got the faith to

Fall back again
Crawl from the warm waters
Don't ever forget
You're on your feet again
Your feet again" ~My Culture

This CD is a spiritual journey into a land where you can escape from ordinary consciousness. You will feel you connect instantly with the universal wisdom in the lyrics. There is a richness of culture in the freeing dance of philosophy and world music. Multicultural voices mingle with beautiful intellectual tangents. Visual images dance through your mind as the music creates a deep soothing soul vibration that radiates through you like the most comforting feeling you have ever experienced.

"The Way You Dream" is one of my favorite songs as it blends the mysterious voice of Indian star Asha Bhosle with the completely intoxicating voice of Michael Stipe.

This CD also features Dennis Hopper, Kurt Vonnegut, Robbie Williams, Tom Robbins, Senegal's Baaba Maal, Ram Dass, Gabrielle Roth, the South African Mahotella Queens, Neneh Cherry, New Zealand's Whiri Mako Black, Revetti Sakalar and Eddi Reader.

1 Giant Leap is a fusion of sound and word captured through travels in Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Bombay, New Delhi, Calcutta, Bangkok, South East Asia, Los Angeles, New York, India, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. This CD is the result of recordings from 25 countries.

Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman literally spent six months traveling across the globe with a mobile studio and crew. Together they recorded storytellers, shopkeepers, authors, artists, philosophers and even cabdrivers. Each song contains a mixture of sounds and lyrics from various parts of the globe.

The chants, ethereal cries and primal rhythms will at times send chills up your spine. When Michael Franti sings "We are alive with the spirit of our passion" you can't help wanting to live, and live for a long, long time so you can see all your dreams become a reality.

The entire CD really represents a unity humanity could strive for if they could find peaceful resolutions to the issues haunting us all. The themes of the album are death, confrontation, sex, money, blasphemy, faith, happiness, inspiration, time, masks and unity.

Healing, loving, intoxicatingly spiritual and poetic beyond words. Perhaps the most beautiful music I've ever heard. 1 Giant Leap shows our humanity, the wide diversity of cultures and the beauty of unity through music. ~The Rebecca Review.com

dreamy
I bought this cd because there are 2 members of faithless on here and i adore those folks. The music is just dreamy and add vocal cobos by the likes of Robbie Williams & Maxi Jazz(god i love his voice), Micheal Stipe & Asha Bhosle, Grant Lee Phillps & Horace Anday....What a great concept! Every track is perfect, but i have to admit i can't get enough of My Culture with Robbie WIlliams & Maxi Jazz, the guitar riff sounds almost like a sample from pink floyd, and the track The Way You Dream with Micheal Stipe and Asha Bhosle is just inspiring. Check out the track called Racing Away with vocals by Horace Andy, what a beautiful song and touching voacls. Oh, and by the way, be kind to animals, don't eat them.......go vegan! Peace! ... Read more

Album Description

More than an anthology, Underworld’s 1992-2002 'Best of' album includes unreleased tracks as well as some mixes available for the first time on CD.16 re-mastered tracks from the original. Over two and a half hours of music.

Underworld 1992-2002 is not the full story.Underworld's back catalogue is too vast and rich for that, but it's a gripping one all the same, marking each step along the twisting road from (to paraphrase the Clash) Romford to the world. If Underworld's music has ever chimed with a moment in your life, these are good memories. The best. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Fans Should Venture Into This Underworld
Unless you have been following the English band's entire career since its formation in the early-90s, and through its radical transformation from rock to ambient trip-hop to intelligent dance music, and hence have every single they've ever made, '1992-2002''s variety of the band's stylistic trends should provide an enjoyable retrospective glance at Underworld's classics.
The highlights on Disc 1 are definitely the trippy 1994 hits 'Mmm Skyscraper I Love You' (with otherworldly lyrics - '..and I see Elvis, and I hear God on the phone...'- and a muted, eerily perpetual beat); 'Dirty Epic' (the complexity of this dub track rivals the best of Orbital and q-ziq); and 'Dark & Long' (close your eyes, pretend the world just exploded and you're floating through space - the impact of this long and amazing track).
Those songs led to the opening track of Disc 2: the incredibly dark and energetic 'Cowgirl' astounds with its ever-increasing layers of rhythm and melody. 1994 track 'Born Slippy' is a modern dance classic, the monotonous lyrics have become the symbol of Danny Boyle's druggie hit 'Trainspotting'. The film's extended soundtrack belongs to Underworld's composition, which masterfully represents the addled mind of an addict. 'Push Upstairs', from Beacoup Fish, is a classy dance track, visualized very well in an amazing video everyone should check out - it dilutes the song's pretentiousness with fuzzy gorgeous landscape images; by itself 'Push Upstairs' wears itself out after three minutes. 'Moaner', on the other hand, benefits from its regularity - it starts off with an instrumental accelerating beat that doesn't let up until the last second, and then starts from the beginning with the supplement of emotionally charged lyrics. 'Moaner' would be a craze at any club.
The rest of the tracks do not particularly stand out, but they do emphasize the quality of Underworld's highlights. Complex and stunningly vivid, '1992-2002' is Underworld's reminder that they are one of the most complex and gifted trios in contemporary dance music.

Must own collection
This is not only a greatest hits collection, it's a collection of Underworld music that is making it's debut on CD. The stand out disc of the 2 is disc one which contains remastered classics from Underworld. The standout tracks are Rez (first time on CD), Bigmouth and Dirty which are both previously unreleased tracks. It's great to hear the early techno tracks from this group that in my opinion, revolutionized what people thought dance music should sound like. Disc 2 features two Underworld classics, an original cut of Cowgirl (you may remember this one from the movie Hackers) and Pearls Girl, my personal favorite Underworld track that is very difficult to find. Underworld creates techno and dance music the way it should be, each track is a long and ever evolving journey into the subconscious. If you've never given the group a chance, this is the place to start. Good techno like this is tough to find, if you dig this CD I must also recommend the Chemical Brothers greatest hits and mr.deviant's "Techno Obsession". Both of those CDs belong right up there with this one by Underworld.

An excellent collection
Two discs of pure techno heaven. However, some prodigy fans will hate this because most of the tracks are repetitive, but isn't most music repetitive?
Oh and as requested, I want to recommend another instrumental CD, a killer instrumental CD, by Mr.Deviant called "Techno Obsession". It's a killer mix of power rock and hard dance music. Check it out if you don't fear any conspiracies.

THE Underworld collection
This is an excellent retrospect on the band Underworld. It's a million times better than the Chemical Brothers dissapointing hits collection. Disc 2 of this collection contains all the hits that fans from "Born Slippy" on will recognize and enjoy having on one disc, but the stellar disc here is disc one. Disc one contains some very rare tracks including some I have heard on old rave compilations that were presented in edited form, here you get the uncut versions. Tracks like "Bigmouth" and "Dirty" will bring back some old school rave memories for sure. Disc one is Underworld in their experimental stage, before they found their winning songwriting formula found on the "Beaucoup Fish" CD.
This set is worth every penny, and I agree with another reviewer here that mr.deviant's "Techno Obsession" is a killer hard dance CD worth picking up too : )

Disc 1 Provides New Content ; Disc 2 Fails to Do So
I wish Underworld had simply released only the 1st disc, and charged less for the set. Disc 1 is great, as it offers several rare tracks; Big Mouth, Dirty, mmm Skyscraper I Love You, & Spikee. These songs are all great, and make the CD worth purchasing... or at least purchasing used. Disc 2, however, is less exciting. It contains 9 tracks, 4 of which are either identical or slightly modified copies of songs from Beaucoup Fish. CD 2 is basically filled with slight variations on songs that are already in any Underworld fan's collection. I wish that instead of re-releasing a bunch of songs that people already have, Underworld had released more rare material. If anything, I think that the original songs are better than the remixes. In general, the originals tend to have longer and more complex lyrics. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

So rich and full of color
Well,I'm not an expert in "chill music",I'm just starting to explore it,but this cd has the quality of reminding me of a vacation I had when I was a teenager,were everything was sofisticated,wordly,charming,we would spend all day at the beach,chill out at sunset,and then spend all night in hot spots and cool nightclubs.
When I listen to this cd and close my eyes,I can see my self on a beautiful beach,having a great time,and I think that sometimes,that's more than enough to make a cd worth it's price,when you can be transported to a great place and relax a little,without leaving your place beside your stereo!!.
I recommend speacially the songs "Talking with myself '98" and "Transfatty acid".

A Must Have
This kind of CD you just need to have. Picture this: Room with dimmed lichts, fireplace,Wine,Cheese and the lady you love arround you! Cafe del Mar Collection, in total 6 cd's is a Must Have, buy without listening. Nice songs, instrumental pieces, always with the smooth sound of synths.

It's Not lounge
If you surfed your way to this page, chances are you like Downtempo, Lounge, Chill style. This CD plays in a different register. The tempo is more on the outskirt of Dance music. Jose Padilla's vocal choice on songs # 9, 13 and some others is anything but original. It even emphasize the Dance tempo. I wish if it was more subtle ...

Cult following
This is a CD that a German DJ (Caterina) gave to David Smith on the finale episode of Joe Millionaire 2 (it took a sharp-eyed viewer to recongnize the CD cover from a brief showing). Many followers of this show REALLY want to know about this woman- she is from Berlin, Germany and is involved in the DJ/music industry there. This is my introduction to this type of music and I look forward to listening to this CD many more times. I like to make my music fit my mood- not vice versa. Definitely good relaxing music!

soft chilling
Great music to unwind to on a weekend day. I own most of the Del Mar series and Volumes 3,4 and 5 are where its at. Takes me back to the poolside bars in the Greek Islands where I was first introduced to this series. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Not exactly dance-pop as commonly defined by Erasure or the Pet Shop Boys, Dirty Vegas's self-titled album nonetheless fits into the genre. In fact, "trace-pop" is arguably the best definition, as it is the likely offspring of Madonna's Ray of Light and Electronic's seminal debut CD. Promising, yes, but the songs become rather indistinguishable from one another, mainly because the vocals--compressed and folky--lend a sameness to tracks that are otherwise diverse in tone and pace. About half the album really shines. "I Should Know" marries a thumping techno beat with a euphoric Disney-like wonderment. "7AM" boasts the best melody on the album. The instrumental "The Brazilian" showcases the song's strength underneath the homogenizing vocals. And finally, "Days Go By," featured in a popular car commercial, mesmerizes with synthesized bongos and cosmic rhythmic brush strokes.--Beth Massa ... Read more

Reviews (104)

The best album of the year by far
Okay Ms. editor at the top, I don't know how you can compare this to Erasure nor Pet Shop Boys, and to even mention Madonna in the same sentence is absurd. This CD is wonderful.. the lyrics are amazing, great writing, very nice and mellow with a few faster tracks. This is not trance nor house nor any it is its own, this is raw, brit, intelligent, no one hit wonders, 'days go by' to me is not the best song on the CD. I actually skip past that song now after hearing the rest. The songs don't all sound alike if you understand electronic music. The songs 'lost not found', 'all or nothing', and 'simple things part 2' are all wonderul. You want a cd with great lyrics and something with meaning with a story, you have come to the correct place. Every single song on this cd has emotion and meaning, it is a good soundtrack for ones life. I cannot wait for the next cd.

Great - but lacks mainstream appeal
I have listened to this album all the way through at least 20+ times. I, probably like everyone else, bought this album for "Days Go By," but soon fell in love with the rest of the tracks. I don't even listen to the single anymore. This album lacks main-stream appeal with it's darker grooves and different brand of vocals. I am a fan of darker electronic music though. Despite the fact that Dirty Vegas is "Electronica," they do include a lot of acoustic guitar on this album.

The album starts out with the catchy "I Should Know," starting out with a solo acoustic guitar and then diving into the dance beat. "Ghosts" (Track 2) was my favorite track for a very long time. The dreamy melody goes great with the point of the lyrics "All I ever wanted was to feel the way you feel." The mixing from this song to "Lost Not Found" was impressive, but I fould track 3 to not be as rewarding. The single "Days Go By" is initially the highlight track but after repeated radio plays, I found this song boring. "Throwing Shapes" (Track 5) and "The Brazilian" (Track 10) are more trance songs than the rest. I was a big fan of the dark "Candles" (Track 6) and its lighter follow-up "All or Nothing." "Alive" and "7AM" (tracks 8 & 9) I found to be more vocal and not as satisfying as some of the other tracks. "Simple Things Part 2" is quite possibly the best song on the album. The depressing lyrics and less techno guitar riff followed by DV's cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall Part 2" make this song really impressive.

This album is great driving music, especially at night. The variety is impressive and every song on this CD puts an image in my head (especially "Candles"). I disagree with some of the other reviewers on this site. This is definately a worthy album of your money. I look forward to Dirty Vegas' next release.

GOOD!!
Dirty Vegas knows how to make people move. It's hard no to dance (or try to dance) with these tracks. My favorite tracks are Days Goes By, 7am, Alive, Ghosts, and I Should Know. Very good album!!

drive, she said....
Crowded House meets The Crystal Method. Believe it.

Careful...it can get addictive!
On a road trip from Philadelphia, PA to Grand Junction, CO - I was introduced to Dirty Vegas. Yeah, I had seen the car commercial and dug the groove, but it wasn't until I had the opportunity to hear the entire album that I could really appreciate what I was hearing.
Dance music and acoustic guitar? Crazy, but it works. I love way the songs are crafted - I like that you can understand the words and sing along. I like that it's peppy one minute and a little laid back the next. I liked it so much, it was the ONLY cd played in my car for 4 months straight!
So - if you are looking for something a little different or maybe you just want to change your own theme music - pick up this cd! :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Enigma, aka Michael Crétu, turns out more light electronic ambience on Voyageur, mixing in an occasional twist but sticking pretty close to his successful, easily digested formula. Since Enigma’s massively popular debut MDMXC A.D., Crétu has moved toward a more New Age/adult contemporary sound, culminating with 2000’s bland The Screen Behind The Mirror. As with that record, Voyageur’s weakest moments happen when Crétu puts his mediocre vocals front and center on tracks like "Total Eclipse of the Moon." Better are more beat-oriented songs like "Boum-Boum" that concentrate on seedier, sexier material and stay away from Crétu’s sappier instincts. While overall, Voyageur counts as an improvement over Mirror, Enigma still hasn’t found a replacement for the Gregorian chants and whispery techno that made MDMXC A.D. such a groovy sensation. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (120)

The Cocoon
In the late 1990, a soulful mix of dance beats, humming vocals, deep sighs and Gregorian chants came out of the blue and its name was Sadeness Part1. The result was massive hysteria and the MCMXC a.D album topped the charts around the world.

Then, in 1993 Cross of Changes was released and everyone admired the diversity in the music of Cretu's project, Enigma.

Three years later, Le Roi est Mort reached the stores. This unbearably ingenious album is still considered to be Enigma's best.

More recently, in 2000, Carl Orff's classic opera piece, Carmina Burana, received the best sampling treatment to date and the result was the unmistakably majestic sound of the smash hit album, The Screen Behind the Mirror.

After spending two or three years in production, Cretu released his last offering, Voyageur. Some consider it truly marvellous, others a disaster. I'd say its both, and that's what makes it so special.

Michael Cretu, has imprisoned his child, Enigma, in a cocoon, expecting it to transform, to reinvent itself, and to come out shimmeringly beautiful. This cocoon would be Voyageur, in which the battle between past and present takes place.

Voyageur's basic asset is the rhythms, rather than the melodies, which symbolize the struggle to survive, to transform, to become new. Voyageur can sound really strange in some places, but that's its beauty. It's just Enigma taking a different form.

Begginners will find this album enjoyable, while die-hard fans will either love it or loathe it. It's more like a question of personal expectations about Enigma.

Voyageur is Enigma5, it has brought changes and it has raised questions. but, its Enigma6 that will bring the answers..

PS: the version provided here, is not the one with the original cover (as potrayed in the picture) but the limited edition version, which, ironically, you can find almost anywhere.

But, what about the songs?

FROM EAST TO WEST: The same flute introduction sound which you could hear in the previous albums marks the starting point of the 5th enigma project, as well. Just when you think that nothing has changed, a dark techno-like beat comes in the surface and an intense instrumental with whistling sounds and breathtaking effects welcomes you in the Enigma5 experience. Good, but short

VOYAGEUR: Probably one of the best tracks on the album, if not one of the best songs of Enigma. An alluring deep bassline which plays from the beginning till the end of the song and the good old French Sandra vocals which still sound as fresh as they did in Sadeness, 13 years ago.

INCOGNITO: After a short break from Voyageur, in which Cretu lits a cigarette, a mumbling male voice, which plays the part of Incognito's bassline takes you in this strange, but interesting number. It sounds a lot like Chemical brothers, however a sample of Sadeness somewhere in the middle makes it clear that what you hear IS Enigma.

PAGE OF CUPS: a chill-out instrumental number, very well constructed, and if you hear it in the right place at the right time you're sure to love it. However, it doesn't have much of the mystical atmosphere that you may find in other Enigma instrumentals such as Traces (E4) or Shadows in Silence (E3). Yet, it is pleasant and relaxing

BOUM-BOUM: Great pop song, which could have been better if not for the vocoders. Nevertheles, it is one of the most pleasant Enigma pop recordings.

TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE MOON: Nice, yet incomplete, it sounds too short, and a little bit dated (ex.Cretu's 79's Moonlight and Flowers). However, that's a good thing since this song might be considered as an introduction to the next retro number, LOOK OF TODAY

LOOK OF TODAY: The chorus lines sound a lot like ABC's Look Of Love. (that's the look, that's the look). This was done in purpose, since this song is about vanity and passing trends. What else would be more capable of expressing those Ideas than an 80s-tehno sounding number?

IN THE SHADOWN IN THE LIGHT: Nice lyrics, but why so much distortion on the vocals? Pleasant, though. Some may find this song really moving, however, it didn't work that way for me.

WEIGHTLESS: Great Number! Probably too short, but those indescribable sounds that come from nowhere are enough to put you to sleep. Nice!

THE PIANO: If it wasn't for the cheesy title, this song could mean much more. Nice Ibiza sounds, great chill-out rhythms and atmosphere. All in all, a pleasant trip through sunseting Ibiza.

FOLLOWING THE SUN: This probably is the best track. You really have to listen to it to get the picture. Nice old Enigma school. Does this mean we're going back to the basics?

As I said before, E6 will bring the answers...

There is to be an end to everything
I saw it coming with the release of The Screen Behind the Mirror. Your typical Enigma was ending. The 4th album did not have as many chants and had a harder edge to the music. Everything good eventually has to end so something different can start.
No matter how wonderful the Gregorian chants are, there is only so much you can do with them. I love MCMXC a.D. Who doesn't? But I don't want every cd released by Enigma to be a protoype of their first. The music would no longer be so enigmatic like it was because you know what to expect.
So whats up with the "new" Enigma? Is it Euro pop trash? Is it silly? Has Cretu lost his mind? Or is it just for us immature people who might like to listen to music legends like Madonna and Metallica?
HARDLY!
Ok, so I realize here everybody has a different taste of music. I can handle that. Not everybody is going to like this new sound of Enigma. Some like it better. Some like it just as well. And some people don't care for Madonna or Metallica as well.
But see the good in this change! So it doesn't have Gregorian chants anymore. Get over it! If you need Gregorian chants, go listen to MCMXC. It will always be there. That won't change. If you need songs like Beyond the Invisible, go listen to Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi. If I am not mistaken, that should be there too.
If you take the time to listen to Voyaguer, you might notice Cretu has almost hid little bits of the past in this cd. You can hear examples from Principles of Lust, like another reviewer wrote. I have heard it. You would be surprised what you hear that was taken from previous albums.
And everything else in this cd is brand new. I was taken back the first time I heard it. But I don't think its immature or only listened to by immature people. I see no reasoning from the sound of the new music to be able to make and justify the statement like that.
To be truthful, I love it. In fact...
It's currently taking N'Sync's spot in my cd player.

Thanks For The Introduction To Mehdi
I've always enjoyed Enigma and this album is no exception, but while reading some of the customer recommendations posted on this page I discovered an artist by the name of Mehdi (pronounced meddie). After some investigation I found his site (SoothingMusic.Com) and listened to the samples...I also downloaded some of the free MP3 downloads that are available on Amazon.com.
I was instantly blown away by the quality of this music and so I gave it a try and now that I have listened to his CDs several times I really must say that although I'm still a Eingma fan I find Mehdi to be a tad more interesting. I have them both in my multi-disc CD player and love the way they compliment each other. I highly recommend that you give this artist a try or atleast just go listen to the samples, I have a feeling you'll be glad you did.

Excellent! No better than this new style!
I haven't been one to really appreciate the words of others when
they praise music because usually it's such a matter of personal
taste but in this case I have to make a special exception. This
is kick ass music that is just not able to be passed up! It
screams for you to listen to it more. Even more so it is just
this feeling of having no reason to listen but listening anyway,
that enables us to feel what he is saying. This feeling requires
no effort from the listener, just a few listens to get the gist
of what Michel Cretu was trying to express. He does away with
the sampling of the past CD's, this time settling for a
beautiful arrangement of guitars and strange sounds you'll
wonder about.

Sorry, but don't buy the good reviews
I am an insatiable Enigma fan. This is my favorite group of all time. I bought MXC before it ever hit it big, and I marked on my calendar with excitement for the every three years Enigma puts out a record. I own every album, every remix and every DVD. This album is good, but it is missing all the brilliant layering of the earlier albums. "The Screen Behind the Mirror" keeps getting degraded on these reviews but it is a far better album than Voyageur. At least the signature Enigma sound is intact on that album. Cretu has become FAR too in love with his voice on this album and it actually ruins some otherwise good songs. Also, the lyrics are unbelievably cheesy at times. The album will grow on you, but it is still an overall disappointment.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO BACK TO YOUR OLD SOUND ENIGMA! You can still "explore" the boundaries of music with your old sound intact. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Like a futuristic Of Montreal, perhaps even better...
The twisted pop tunes that dance from mind-boggling hook to mind-boggling hook within seconds, the dually hilarious and morbid lyrics, the energy, the synths... my God, if a debut album were ever to set insurmountable expectations, this is it. Perhaps the most shamelessly fun band since Of Montreal, The Unicorns' (who are, in fact, of Montreal) debut is the kind of danceable pop album that is deep enough to keep an indie geek fascinated for months while also being accessible enough for your ailing grandmother not to complain about that god awful racket coming from Fraust's room. It's an elated frenzy of sugary death, guaranteed to rot your teeth and your flesh, without giving you a second to catch your breath. Now, of course, I realize all Amazon customer reviews are hyperbolic nonsense, and yes, I realize that only people with glowing opinions even bother to write them... but trust me, this album is sure to knock your socks off (or at least jostle them forcefully).

Cheeky and Irreverent
Maybe the rap rock reviewer was onto something. Maybe the author had an inside joke he had to tell and didn't care if the rest of us got it. In that case the reviewer accurately summed the spirit of WWCOHWWG. Musically the album is the farthest thing from rap rock. But it's also pretty far from traditional pop with its shifting song structures and playful use of multiple instruments that creates a sound that harkens back to Pavement (ala Slanted and Enchanted). Actually, take Pavement of 1992 replace the slacker pose with a cheeky Canadian sense of humor, replace fuzz and distortion with a synthesizer you'd get the Unicorns.
That aside...My theory is there was a car accident in Montreal we never heard about. One where the Ween tour van sideswiped the Pavement tour van and these three guys were the only witnesses.

quirky indie fun
Everyone I've played this album for has laughed at least once. The music, the lyrics, its ridiculious- and in a good way. The songs are catchy and entertaining, the lyrics are smart, and their general attitude will leave you wondering what just happened.

Blow your head on the turn of the fan
If you don't have this album yet, you are behind the times. No, really. This is one of the best new groups I've heard in a long time. I've had this since it came out in March and I play it all the time still, even despite my shor attention span. Funny, laugh-out-loud lyrics, and great music that's for sure not going to bore you. Guitars, synthesizers, even a flute! I say, William, clap your hands now!! This will be a cult classic. Stay away if you are mainstream.

pretty damn good
I just found out who the Unicorns were a couple of days ago, and they are catchy as hell. The songs are humorous, but the vocals and the melodies, as well as the catchy drum beats sort of make this band a unique result. Some songs are beautiful, and if you would delete the lyrics, you'd think this band was dead serious, and not singing about ghosts. I love it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's not quite the first rap record, or the best, but Rapper's Delight--15 glorious minutes of the bass line from Chic's "Good Times," with a New Jersey crew spieling goofy routines about Superman and bad food on top--is one king hell of a party-starter. After that, they could have filled the rest of the disc with crowd noise and gotten away with it, but the Sugarhill Gang had a bunch of other party-jam hits, notably the almost-as-indelible "Apache" and "8th Wonder." Those songs show up here too, along with some entertaining non-hits and "Showdown," their rap-off with the Furious Five. What they're saying isn't really the point; the point is to move the crowd, and they're still hip-hop's greatest entertainers. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Own a piece of music history with this album
Rapper's Delight is the best rap song I've ever heard, bar none. You simply don't hear rhymes like these anymore. It was a simpler and more innocent world back then, when compared to the issues they put on record these days. I only wish that more songs like this existed today. The remaining tracks are OK. An important album to own, because it's the first commercial rap song ever to made the charts. What amazes me more is the fact that how much ground this group broke and how little credit they received. They deserved a lot more. A recommended album for casual listeners and fans alike.

pretty good greatest hits collection
the reason this cd gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because I bought this cd thinking i was gonna get the full 15 minute version of rappers delight, which i didnt, so i was greatly disappointed in that. Other then that, this cd if filled with a bumch of feel good rap songs from back in the day. tracks 1 and 2 are the best in my opinion, but there arent really any BAD songs on the whole cd, seeing how it is a greatest hits cd. If your not a huge fan of sugarhill gang, just soneone looking for some good ald school rap, then go get sugarhill gangs first greatest hits cd, but if your a big sugarhill gnag fan, like me, then go pick up there first greatest hits cd and this one.

Best of the Rap Pioneers
The Sugarhill Gang were the first true Rap Artists. "Rapper's Delight", the first charted Hit emerging from the reshaped music scene, replacing the dying Disco Era, and sticking around for much longer than the predicted "6 month fad". Several MAJOR hits are in this package, all full length (7 minutes or more) versions. My personal favorite is the twangy remake of the 60's Surf Instrumental "Apache", flavored with excellent rap vocals. Fans of the Rap Music Genre will be "delighted". The price is definitely an easy sell. Good luck finding the original 12 inch Maxi Singles this cheap (if at all). The Originals are almost always the BEST. Sugarhill Gang proves the theory. Highly recommended!*****

BADBOYKILLA IS RIGHT
We gotta have respect for the Old School. Groups like The Sugar Hill Gang and A Tribe Called Quest and Run DMC basically created rap. Nelly... Nelly is Pretty good, so is Jay Z, but Project Pat? This Generation of kids and pplz are only listenin to commercial rap. For example, P. Diddy was better when he was Puff Daddy. Now Hes all bout the bling bling. Tupac... TUPAC IS THE BEST. An awesome rapper and a lyrical mastermind... you cant top that. and you cant top OLD SCHOOL... So next time you read a review, dont read a review dissin the Original Hip-Hoppers... oh yea, one more group... THE FUGEES... THE SCORE IS A LYRICAL MASTERPEICE... BUY IT!

Super Pimp is an idiot
It's idiots like Super Pimp you shouldn't listen to. It's idiots like Super Pimp who just don't appreciate where rap started. It's idiots like Super Pimp who don't even deserve to listen to rap music, real rap or crap music. Super Pimp is the prime example of what I ALWAYS talk about when I review a REAL RAP album- an idiot who listens to CRAP music. The Sugarhill Gang started this whole hip-hop thing, which means no matter what, you HAVE to have respect for these guys.

I just couldn't believe this idiot's review on these guys when I read the reviews. It really amazes me that this person, claiming he started listening to rap when gangsta rap started, actually has the guts to go out and give lip to the ones who truly started it all. And the CDs he listed that are "better" than this is just APPAULING! WHO IN THE RIGHT MIND WOULD SAY THAT GAY-Z and NELLY ARE BETTER THAN THE ONES WHO STARTED IT ALL?? Super Pimp, unless you weren't dropped on your head when you were a baby, you're the world's most stupidest idiot. By the sounds of things, you have absolutely NO IDEA what rap REALLY is. You claim that you started listening to rap when gangsta rap came out, yet I didn't see a single gangsta rap album on that list. You call Nelly and Gay-Z "gangsta rap"? Please, that's an insult! Project Pat, who the f*ck is Project Pat? Must be another stupid idiot who just doesn't understand rap music.

"This is the kind of rap that you should avoid"... Tell me fool, why is it that Sugarhill Gang gets HIGHER points for their CDs than Nelly and Gay-Z compared? BECAUSE THEY ARE BETTER THAN THEM! You are just the prime example why you shouldn't even be listening to rap music. Well of course the beats are dull, it was made back in to 70's, you stupid idiot! You seem to think you know everything about rap music when you don't know a single god-damn thing! It's boring and stupid because you cannot appreciate where rap started, which is sad really. You're a total idiot, don't even bother reviewing REAL RAP albums when you don't know what you're talking about. And believe me, you DO NOT know what you're talking about.

People, don't listen to idiots like Super Pimp. It's people like him who don't deserve to listen to rap music. The Sugarhill Gang are truly legends- they started it all. This CD is a classic, gathering their many hits. And believe me, you'll enjoy this timeless classic rather than those stupid things that belong in the trash by Gay-Z, Nelly or any worthless rapper for that matter. Stick with listening REAL RAP music, the rap coming out today is total trash and is the reason why people are calling rap "crap". Super Pimp, think before you speak ... Read more

Reviews (36)

THEY WERE NO "ONE HIT WONDER".
Expose came on the scene in the mid 80s with their first single "Exposed To Love", from there on it was one hit after another.

Definitely one of the best dance groups ever to come out of the 80s, with Top 10 hits "Come Go With Me", "Seasons Change" and "What You Don't Know".

Also has a remake remixed version of "I Specialize in Love", and remixes of "Point of No Return" which is great!, and a poor remix of "Come Go With Me"- why I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars.

"Come Go With Me" was one of my favorite 80s and Expose songs, and they botched it up with the remix.

Other hits include "When I Look At Him" and "Let Me Be The One".

I do feel however when Giola left the group due to vocal problems, Expose never had the same punch.

However, an excellent compilation of a once great dance group whose music stands the test of time.

Cool, 80's dance music!
This is an outstanding collection that chronicles the first ten years of their career from 1985-95. Ann Curless, Gioia, Jeanette Jurado, and Kelly Moneymaker. Kelly replaced Gioia prior to the 1992 album due to Gioia experiencing irreparable throat damage. Expose never missed a beat. This collection features the uptempo hits: 'Come Go With Me', 'What You Don't Know', 'Point Of No Return', 'Let Me Be The One' and 'Tell Me Why'. Also the classic slower ballads: 'When I Looked At Him', 'I'll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me', 'Your Baby Never Looked Good In Blue' and my fav Expose song the unforgettable #1 hit from 1988, 'Seasons Change'. Also a few remixes and a couple of new tracks: 'I'll Say Goodbye For The Two Of Us' and a newly recorded version of the 1960's song 'End Of The World', are included for a total of 15 killer cuts. These songs bring back some great memories, and they make you want to get up and dance. Get this one and take a trip back in time to when music was cool. I've owned it since it's release in '95, and it never gets old. Also there are comprehensive liner notes, and cool photos in the booklet. If you don't have it, get it. ROCK ON!

A guilty pleasure
I can't really say I am a big fan of pop music nowadays. Most of it I consider just complete useless and disposable. Too much of it is based on image and too synthesized and artificial. Pop music today isn't nothing like pop music ten years ago. One of my favorite pop groups back in the '80s (when pop wasn't a complete embarassment to admit to enjoying) was Expose. Their songs were incredibly catchy and fun to dance to. Personally I'll take them over Destiny's Child. I absolutely loved their debut album. I loved "Point of No Return" and I still do to this very day. Expose may have been no Joni Mitchell but their music was fun. I also loved their ballads too. I wished they had included "As Long As I Can Dream" which was the most beautiful ballad the trio had sung. It actually moved me and I don't say that about most pop ballads. Still the group's cover of "End of the World" made up for the absence of "As Long As I Can Dream". "End of the World" is absolutely breathtaking to listen to. I also love "I'll Say Good Bye For the Two of Us". The only ballad that I was iffy on was their hit "Seasons Change". It isn't bad but I feel that their latter ballads were vastly superior. My favorite dance song from the trio is "What You Don't Know". I have always loved that song and always will. Although they are no longer around, I still enjoy listening to Expose from time to time.

2 many changes
The original Recording group for Expose not present on this album Lori Ollie and Sandra got the group started then the group was revamped and rerecorded by Jeanette Ann and Gioia they made Expose what it was and is in our hearts at one point for about the year that seasons change was number one Julie Albers took Gioia's place. For a short time after that Gioia went back but eventually she left the group again. The last kiss of death version if you will was Jeanette Ann and Kelly They are pictured on this album yet Gioia is still the voice on many of the leads of this album.. Jeanette had a catchy voice but be assured every time you here a ballsy kick your a** vocal it is Gioia's ..on this CD as well as the previous CD's from Expose you have heard It is worth the listen I just wanted to give You all the facts first. After all I was in the group for a year:)

exposure
This is a pretty good cd for it's collection value. I liked them mixes, but there is a really good remix of Come Go With Me out there somewhere called the extended mix. It's 6:30 long. If anyone know how I can find it on cd, contact me. Thanks. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Anthony Stewart Head sings songs he actually wrote
I have certainly enjoyed hearing Anthony Stewart Head sing bits of songs on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," covering "Green Eyes" and "Freebird," not to mention last year's musical episode. However, if you expect to hear Head strumming an acoustic guitar and singing on "Music for Elevators" you are going to be surprised by the fact that these are mostly original songs by Head and George Sarah with music that is much more techno pop than anything else (although there are some strong jazz elements at times and an acoustic guitar song, "Talk to You," that is the exception to the rule and my favorite song on the album). There is a duet of the Beatle's "We Can Work It Out" with Holly Palmer and "Last Time," written by Joss Whedon, which raises immediate speculation as to whether this song was intended for "Once More With Feeling": the lyrics would suggest that if it was it was intended for Spike, or maybe Riley, if the musical had been done a season earlier. If you look over the liner notes you will see that James Marsters, Amber Benson and Allyson Hannigan appear on some of the tracks, but they are not really featured enough to be recognizable. In fact, on many of these tracks it is the music rather than the vocals that stand out. Taken altogether "Music for Elevators" is an ironic title, which offers a collection of music that will expand the musical horizons of Head's many "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fans. This is not especially music for that first cup of coffee in the morning either, but I do not think anybody is going to be terribly disappointed by what they find here.

Buffy's Giles goes Electronic - and it works.
I admit to being a rabid Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanatic, so the idea that I ordered this CD from the actor who play's Giles on the series is no shocker. The surprise is how much I genuinely _like_ the album. George Sarah provides smooth back beats and grooves that highlight ASH's soulful voice, and the lyrics keep you throughly engaged. "Owning my Mistakes" is my favorite track so far. . ."Well, there's nothing ever come from guilt / better give it up, give it up and move on." I loved listening for the brief cameos from BtVS's James Marsters (Spike), Amber Benson (Tara) and Alyson Hannigan (Willow - don't worry, she has a speaking bit - not singing). My only wish is that ASH used more of his lovely deep baritone range, rather than keeping in his tenor. If you like Portishead, you'll like this record. And if you love BtVS or ASH - you'll love it.

Genuinely Inventive and Very Good
I bought this album out of curiosity for the most part. And, being a Buffy fan, it was something I should have even if I didn't like it. I already knew from the show that Anthony Head was more than adequate as a singer, but a lot more than a good voice goes into being a musician. So Music For Elevators turned out to be quite a surprise, and a good one at that.

Head is responsible for most of the words and a good piece of the eclectic music on this album. George Sarah is responsible for most of the sound except for Heads voice. The combination is quite effective. Anthony Head's voice lends itself to an intimate style, the musical delivery adds interest, but is very careful to leave the core content and it's style the predominant elements. Considering how many times I've had to sit through a 'star' album that has been over-produced in order to disguise the more obvious faults this is a refreshingly genuine piece of work.

It's hard to critique the debut album of someone whose creativity you really do admire. One wants to gush, and there is a lot to praise here. But if Head has a weakpoint, it is as a lyricist. His words are far from terrible, and they address some interesting subjects - a father's lament in 'Babies,' the depressing side of Los Angeles in 'This Town In The Rain.' But he always hovers on that ever-dangerous border between trite and meaningful - and doesn't always land on the good side. He does really try to say a lot in his songs and there are certainly no abject failures. Just be prepared for a dash of almost boyish awkwardness.

Among the very good is the aforementioned 'Babies,' a very unusual cover of 'We Can Work It Out,' the almost metaphysical, very environmental 'One Man's Rain,' and 'Change' where the content almost runs away with the music, but not quite. Over all this is a very satisfactory album - speaking as someone who buys very few 'pop/rock' albums in any year. Maybe that's something I should change...

WoW...
That is all I can say...I was skeptical about this album, but after track 1, all doubts were removed.

This is simply one of the best produced albums I have heard in a while. They music and Anthony's voice are a perfect fit.

Music for Elevators
Once again Mr. Giles (Anthony Steward Head) out performs himself. The creativity on this CD was astounding. Much better than I thought it would be. The music on this CD can be classified as almost new age. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Smooth, Hip, Calm and...Tedious
Morcheeba`s debut shows that the band is talented enough to deserve some recognition. Skye Edwards` voice is appealing and captivating, their meld of trip-hop and soul offers some pleasant moments and makes for an interesting, dark and gloomy mood.

However, as a full-lenght album, "Who Can You Trust?" is highly uneven and disappointing, since most of the songs sound almost the same and the record ends up being a bit flat and too slow. When it`s good, it`s really brilliant, like the subtle and atmospheric "Trigger Hippie" or the shadowy "Howling", but these moments are few and far between, as the majority of the tracks are indeed stylish and smooth but also boring and unengaging.

This album has its shining elements, though it should be more diverse and ecclectic, approaching a wider range of styles and perspectives (the band would do this in following records). As it is, this effort is still worth listening, even if it sounds too depressing and is far for being a keeper.
Average.

Hypnotic, Trippy, Quiet, and Beatiful
I first heard Morcheeba's "Tape Loop" on one of my chill-out mixes a long time ago. But when I stopped listening to the mix after a few weeks, I sadly forgot all about them. However, after a four-year hiatus, I gave Morcheeba a second listen (quite by accident) a few weeks ago while on vacation with some friends. One of our group had brought with him this CD, on which I was immediately hooked.

Morcheeba's debut album is hypnotic, trippy, quiet, and beautiful. The CD provides excellent backgroud chillout music. Comparable to Massive Attack and Portishead, Morcheeba features a whispery, female lead singer (Skye Edwards) and a host of electronic, ambient grooves. Starting with "Moog Island" the CD quickly sets the quiet and hypnotic tone with Skye's haunting voice and deep, calm baselines. The disc continues in a similar fashion with "Trigger Hippie," before breaking into the basy, quiet instrumental interlude of "Post Humous." Next is "Tape Loop," which was just as cool as I had remembered it to be.

The trippy ambience continues flawlessly until it is interupted by the down-home sounds of "Enjoy the Wait," the minute-long eighth track on the set. It may take a few times, but it's subtle electronic wave in the background just might catch your ear and change your uneasy reaction for the better. The next track, the quiet and powerful "Col" featuring Skye's voice at it's whispery best, starts the experience all over agian and it continues perfectly through the end of the CD.

This has become one of my favorite chillout CDs. It's mellow all the way through and is the perfect CD to listen to at the end of a long day, or for sitting outside with a frosty beverage trying to forget your cares. Highly recommened to anyone who needs to relax.

Listening to this cd is like getting a massage
This is the kind of cd that musters up that same asthetic feeling you get when you look at a Monet for the first time. I first bought Big Calm and fell in love with Skye's sultury jazz club voice. Listening to this cd is like getting a massage. After a long day at work this is one of the best ways to unwind.

Who Can You Trust?
I happened across this cd through one of my friends a few years ago. At first I took it as typical background music, but soon I was hooked. This album (as well as "Big Calm") is a perfect mix of unique electronics, a consistent beat, haunting lyrics and the even more haunting impact of Skye Edward's voice. I would recommend this album to anyone interested in the beautiful and mellow mixes that make up the background music of our lives.

My fave big chillin' CD

I was given this CD by a friend and it has quickly become a favorite. The smooth beats and Skye Edwards' smoky vocals made for my intro to trip-hop gentle and enjoyable. "Trigger Hippie" is my standout favorite song, but this CD is super easy to listen to from beginning to end. I like to put this CD in, light some candles and just go away. I highly recommend it ... Read more

Album Description

Perhaps one of the most interesting musical trends of the past couple of years is the number of fine acts coming out of Norway. Think Kings of Convenience, Royksopp and the criminally ignored Magnet. Now you can add to that list Annie, perhaps best described as the Scandanavian Kylie. With the release of the first single, Chewing Gum, the NME was quick to name it Pop Single of the Year. For that track, Annie's recruited the help of producer Richard X (Sugababes' Freak Like Me), who brings his trademark squidgy basslines and synths to the proceedings. It is indeed perfect pop. That said, Heartbeat, No Easy Love and the Madonna-sampling Greatest Hit (which actually dates back to 1999) are better vehicles for Annie's voice. These songs are more classy, less trashy, due in part to lighter production; the good clean air and fjords are almost tangible in her vocal tones. 679 Recordings. 2004. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An Excellent dance compilation
I have a love of dancing mambo, this is one of the best compilations around for dance music for salsa and mambo used in dance competitions all over....I reccomend it, I have not gotten tired of it for the 6 years I have owned it.

Great for salsa dancing-Homenaje a los rumberos
This cd offers a wonderful compilation of top of the line salsas that can meet the needs of all salsa fans. The cd has various artists and the songs were carefully selected thus offering both fast pace and romantic salsas in one cd. Good salsa compilations through and through are a rare find. Therefore if you like to dance this one is for you. I strongly recommend this cd for salsa connoisseurs and salsa enthusiasts who are new to this genre of music. Enjoy!

Wow!!!! EXCELENTE CD
Un cd para recordar lo que es la musica clasica de salsa en aquellos tiempos en que se tocaba buena musica de verdad y no se hablaba de sexo y de tantas cosas como ahora,se disfrutan los instrumentos y se siente la sangre que hirve....lo recomiendo 100%.
Que viva la salsa pa' siempre!!!!

Good Salsa CD
The more I listen to it, the more I like it. Great music!

Really a must have
This really is a must have for any Salsa dancer.
It is one of my top recommendations for my site. ... Read more

Amazon.com

OK, "Macho Man," after you are "In the Navy" and you've spent the night at the "Y.M.C.A" in New York City, you should "Go West" to "San Francisco" where they "Can't Stop the Music" and then, when it gets too foggy, head out for some sun in "Key West." All the great Village People classics are in this collection. Whether you fancy yourself the Construction Worker or the Native American, you'll be happy with this raucous collection of grandly cheeky hits. These are big disco songs, with thinly veiled innuendoes; the flamboyant and triumphant lyrics will get you on your feet, arms in a "Y," in no time. --Beth Bessmer ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The memories alone make you smile!
The memories alone make you smile! I didn't know that Village People had more hits than just YMCA, Macho Man and In The Navy. I saw a list of Hot Cop, San Francisco/Hollywood, Can't Stop the Music in "villagepeople-official" website and it got me to thinking that there was more to this group. The CD is clean, fun and very danceable. From start to finish, I could sing along. That's a fun CD.

Village People... Fight For Your Right
Producer Jacques Morali had a vision for a group that would speak out for the concerns and sensibilities of the (then) unsung Gay populace that was struggling to find a voice in the late 70s. Village People was the end product of that vision. Ads were taken out and actors were hired to play 6 arch-typical (or stereotypical) Gay male types; icons, if you will: A Soldier, A Biker, A Cop, A Construction Worker, A Cowboy, and An Indian. Four songs were constructed and made into an album: Village People. The songs celebrated four hotbeds of Gay male activity: San Francisco, Hollywood, Fire Island, and Greenwich Village. The songs were also trendsetting and funky, filling dance floors from coast to coast. This was the start of The Village People, and all four of those songs are included in this greatest hits package. That first album was really the creative zenith for the group. Lead singer Victor Willis soon took over as the lyricist for the guys, and he came up with a big, big song for the follow-up album. Macho Man gave The Village People their first crossover success, going top 10 on three charts. To me, it was their last song worth a damn, but the Macho Man album did so well, it was ripe to be cloned. And it was cloned not once, but twice, on the albums Cruisin' and Go West. Cruisin' contained the campy "Y.M.C.A.", which topped the charts and spawned the most ridiculous dance sensation since The Freddy! Go West had on it the cartoonish "In The Navy", which was picked up as a recruiting tool by the U.S. Navy, until it was explained to someone of high rank, just what it was about the Navy that The Village People were championing! After a great first album, The Village People's three follow-ups all had one big hit and a host of other songs that we'll magnanimously refer to as "filler." Nothing else they put out as a single ("Ready For The 80s" "Can't Stop The Music" etc.) was even close to being
a hit. But for what it's worth, the hits are here. And since the entire first album is, too, I give the whole thing four stars. If you didn't know that The Village People had a life before "Macho Man," then you need to check out tracks 4, 5, 9, and 11 on this CD. Knowing that this group once had a strong direction, a strong message and a strong groove, it was hard for me to see them commercialized and homogenized, and turned into (what amounts to): An all-male group of male impersonators that masquerades as itself. Can you dig it?

Awesome!!
I love this album. It's fantastic. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great music.

Party on a platter!
If the Casablanca record label was the Monarchy of the Disco Nation, The Village People were their finest ambassadors. More than any of the prefabricated disco machines that the decade produced, it is the VP's cavity provoking bubble-gum dance records that made strobe lights and disco balls accessible and acceptable to party people of all stripes. Add in the undeniable fact that the innuendo laden singles and their stereotyped get-ups made gay subculture visible and you can actually add the term "culturally significant" to the Village People's list of accomplishments.

But all that pales when placed next to the vibrancy of this solid collection of 12 inch singles and dance mixes. Like all of the best dance floor confectionary creampuffs, the songs here convey a kooky innocence (the Navy had to let in on the joke before they backed off their decision to use "In The Navy" as a recruitment jingle) that remains timeless. And in the post-AIDS decades, the more obvious 70's call to the disenfranchised like "Go West," "San Francisco" and "In Hollywood" are even poignant.

Deny it if you dare, but secretly you know this stuff is great. Just see if your limbs don't start contorting into the alphabet next time "YMCA" gets played on some football arena PA or at your next company party. I double dog dare ya.

My dad is not proud of me,
Oh, the music that changed me. I was there, sitting in the corner, sucking on a beer, when I heard 'Yummie', and...and something tweaked inside of me. I looked down at my steelcaps, looked down at my beer, looked at my tough long johns, and began to question myself. I looked at men there. The music made me look at the men there! I looked at them!!!!!!!!!! I have NEVER looked at men there before, but the music made me do it! I will never set foot inside a tractor again. I am unworthy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

RJD2 creates music that's not easy to pin down, though everyone seems to try. The Columbus, Ohio-based DJ-producer explores the same basic formula used by DJ Shadow and Moby, but his style is more complex and, refreshingly, a hell of a lot less pretentious. Less bass-heavy than Shadow's 1996 release, Endtroducing... (the album it's often compared to), Deadringer showcases RJD2's master ability to layer unusual samples with complex drum patterns, funky grooves, and original vocals. The '50s horror movie-sampled "The Horror" starts things off on the grunge tip and then the album's sound progresses into straight-up hip-hop, break beats, rock & roll, blues, and more. Songs like the Jimi Hendrix-influenced "Smoke and Mirrors" and the honky-tonk soulfulness of "2 More Dead" up the ante, demonstrating just how far the trip-hop genre has progressed since the mid-'90s. One of the most enjoyable albums of the year, Deadringer is an essential addition to your listening library. --Rebecca Levine ... Read more

Reviews (57)

NO THIS IS NOT DJ SHADOW. CRY.
this one is for all yall cats out there who keep perpetuating this mindless and pointless debate---NO this is not the new fangled version of entroducing--NO rjd2 isn't trying to bite Shadows style--SO stop hating on the man because hes not something he never said he was (read it over, it makes sense)You gotta ask urself do you truly appreciate the music, or are you only into Shadow because of the monolithic status of Entroducing and the image it entails? Keep your mind open, and don't turn this into the image driven, musically fascist indie-hipster music scene that its becoming. That being said, Deadringer is a hot little number by the best active producer (sorry Shadow)in hiphop. Rjd2 uses some good bluesy/soul samples and his cuts are smooth. There is some well placed turn table action, but he doesn't overdo it as many dj's-cum-producers do.

Here are the highlights:
1)Good Times Roll PT.2---rolling drum licks,sampled soul sista,horns,tempo changes and more funky breaks,WICKED!--*****
2)Ghostwriter---chilled drum sequencing, love the horns---*****
3)2 More Dead---piano samples, hop-step drums, funky sampled bits, 2 mooore daays, this is hot---*****
4)Take The Picture Off---Only a minute long, but bangs with the best. pure hiphop---*****

Deadringer is not exceptionally creative, but it got some good beats, hot samples, the sampling is smooth and the album has crisp, well layered textures. Kinda like entroducing....oh crap, wait...Support the underground, and buy this album.

one awesome cd
this cd is one, if not the best instrumental hip-hop cd's that i have ever heard. this cd is constantly in my player, i never really find it getting old. my favorite track is definitley ghostwriter and cut out to fl is another good one. all the guest mc's are also good, jakki rips up the track f.h.h. and it is interesting to hear copywrite spit more than punchlines on june, another awesome track. another solid release from the boys at def jux, they haven't put out anything bad yet (but i am kind of skeptical about the new aesop rock album). if you like this, pick up dj shadow or prefuse 73

My oh my . . .
. . . is this good. Instrumental hip-hop is, I suppose, one possible label for this. And sure, there's some echoes of DJ Shadow here, perhaps a touch of Mr. Scruff, and weirdly enough, I hear hints - just hints mind you - of some of the solo stuff put out by Liam Howlett of, *sigh*, the Prodigy (specifically the Dirtchamber Sessions which admittedly is more of a mix album than anything else and which probably shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as an album like DeadRinger, but I still here some similarities. Sorry.)

But similarities aside, this isn't much like any of the aforementioned artists. It's one of the more unique things I've heard in a while. It's your typical collage of breakbeats and samples and odd melodies. And where RJD2 really shines is in the last element: melodies. Yes, his beats are, putting it mildly, awesome. But what stood out for me is just how tuneful and finely crafted his songs (yes, songs) are. This guy has an ear for melody, and creates tracks that bear this out.

And the songs are oddly rousing, anthemic even. Listening to 'The Horror,' I kept wanting to throw up my hands at my pointless 9-5 life, and go off and have some sort of adventure or something. If that makes sense. It's stirring music, is what I guess I'm trying to say.

The only downside to this album, in my personal opinion, are the non-instrumental tracks. Not to say that the MCing is weak - it's not - just that RJD2 is so good that I bemoan being distracted from his work by the lyrics. But that's a pretty minor quibble, and doesn't make this any less great of an album.

Have a listen and go have an adventure or something.

Intriguing
Being compared to DJ Shadow might have had an advantage for RJD2: I doubt that his affiliation with Def Jux would be heavy enough to translate into the success he has seen. Not to mention that he is not very similiar to DJ Shadow: sure, they both construct hip-hop based music from diverse samples, but RJD2 is admittedly more hip-hop, in small measure because of the appearance of three MCs on three songs. Of these, "June" featuring Copywrite is the best one: not only is his verse touching (a tribute to his dead father, who died in the month Write was born in), but the instrumental interlude is sublime, with classical guitar and synth. The other standouts include the opener "The Horror", with its addictive, menacing synth line that sounds like an alien invasion, and "2 More Dead" - not the gangsta workout you'd expect. No, it didn't "change the world" as El-P claimed, but it is a fine album on its own accord.

The Best Hip Hop Instrumental CD Ever
Now I haven't heard a lot of hip hop instrumental CDs so I'm not well-versed enough to definitively say that this is the best. But I've heard DJ Shadow and Amon Tobin's supposed best works, and neither hold a candle to 'Dead Ringer'. First off all, both of the aforementioned works fall into the hip hop category but really aren't hip hop. They sacrifice the essence of hip hop for creativity (which doesn't work in my opinion). RJD2 keeps it true to hip hop. The best track 'Ghostwriter' is an amazing beat with an awesome horns sample that blows out of your speakers. And while many complain about RJD2's fellow Def Jux record mates rapping over some of his beats, I actually enjoy 'F.H.H.' featuring Jakki da Mota Mouth and 'Final Frontier' featuring Blueprint. While the beats are definitely well thought out and are creative, this still isn't as strong as I would have liked it to be, with no songs coming close to 'Ghostwriter'. But it still a solid CD and is worth a listen for any hip hop fan.

(3/5 mics) ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Rock On ESPN!!!!!
We will, We will rock you. We will, we will rock you. We will, we will rock you. I like this Cd because you can use this at parties, or even sports games. Yes, you can use it to dance to. I like all the tracks such as Makarena, I Like To Move It, Get Down Tonight, No Limit, Boom Boom Boom, and Motcho Man. This is the greatest Cd because this will rock you, and put a dance in your trans at the same time. I highly recommend this to future sports addicts. Rock On ESPN. We will rock you.

great songs for a sports party
this is a fast pace cd. if you can handle it it is awesome

jock jams vol.2
This is a nice mix of 1996 music. It is upbeat, and a great cd for working out.

jock jams 2 review
The Jock Jams number two could have had a mega mix because of the Jock Rock one,Slam Jams one,and Jock Jams one.And,the mega mix could have still been really good.That's why I gave it four stars.

A decent buy
I guess I was expecting too much, because some of these songs were terrible. On the other hand, a lot of the tracks are great dance songs, and could be used at a party. i also love "This is we do it" ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Alphabetical Order
What a great record this is! Music for people who love to groove, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes of a decimated popmusic scene. It's impossible to stay still whilst listening to this album, the songs are just too catchy!

Highlights: Everything Is Everything, Run Run Run, Holdin' On Together. But the whole album is lush!

Another great album from Phoenix
Phoenix is such a dynamic group and they have really suprised me with this new CD of theirs. It's so different from their last one but it absolutely carries the signature of this awesome band. Not many bands can do what Phoenix did and come out with a completely different "groove" on a CD and have it sound better than the first. Phoenix is definitely my favorite band now. My favorite songs on the album are "Love for Granted", "If it's not with you", and "Holdin' on Together". But, the whole album is really good and a totally fun CD to listen to, I highly suggest purchasing it if you are a fan.

Superb!
This is the revival of seventies brilliant popmusic, remembering Steely Dan, now in a modern french glance of crispy arrangments standing on a stable rockground with wonderful melodies. Goes 8 hours a day. Strongly recommended! ... Read more