Album Description

2001 single for the newage dance act best-known for their1991 hit 'Sadeness'. Tracks, 'Turn Around' (Radio Edit,Northern Lights Club Mix), 'Gravity Of Love' (Chilled OutClub Mix) and 'Turn Around' (multimedia track). ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Classic Enigma with a poppier sound
"Turn Around" is one of the new tracks off the group's greatest album. I knew I would like it the moment I spotted the cd single in my local record store. The song itself is a bit more accessible in the vein of "Beyond the Invisible" and "Gravity of Love". The vocals were outstanding as usual. The Northern Lights Club Mix is excellent. I can imagine hearing the remix in nightclubs. The Chilled Club Mix for "Gravity of Love" is great too. The infamous sample of "O Fortuna" is more subdued than in the original mix which is more bombastic. This new mix of "Gravity of Love" is a perfect afterhours song to listen to after a heavy night of partying, not to mention an addition to any chill out compilation cd. I like the addition of the multimedia track for "Turn Around" because seeing an Enigma video on tv is about as likely as coming face to face with Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster.

Absolutely breathtaking, classic Enigma
Being a huge Enigma fan, I couldn't wait for their greatest hits compilation to come out to hear their new song "Turn Around" so when I found a copy of the song I immediately bought it. "Turn Around" is a beautifully haunting song which simply made me stopped in my tracks. It is a gorgeous song, of course any song that Enigma puts out is amazing. The Nothern Lights Club Mix was excellent. It added an uptempo beat to this normally subdued song. The chilled club mix of "Gravity of Love" (perhaps my all time favorite Enigma song) is awesome. It's different but I like it. This remix of "Gravity of Love" would be perfect on a chill out compilation. For the moment "Turn Around" is the appetizer that will have to keep me satisfied until the release of the group's greatest hits cd "Love Sensuality Devotion".

Amazing!
I walk around with my headphones stuck to my ears repeating TURN AROUND "Turn Around" again and again.

Hallmark for the 11 years of Enigma existence!
What makes Michael Cretu, the man behind Enigma, unique is that he always makes not-mainstream music, always fresh and pleasant to ears. No matter like you such music style or not.

Looking back for the 11 years of hard work, Enigma releases its "The Best of..." featuring completely new single - Turn Around. It proves that Michael Cretu is genius. In this track he uses rarely new sounds and samples. Mostly they are from the previous 4 albums. But it doesn't sound like smth old. It sounds completely new! What a beautiful compilation of the best Enigma sounds into one 3.24 track! Have you ever imagined how some 10 songs can be compiled into one but not making the mess? Only mentioning of the songs will point you to the combining so many songs. But the music will float measurely, beautifuly and unearthly - actually as all Enigma's work do.

If you're new to Enigma, it's not a good choice to start from this track, because you have to know the history of Enigma music, where from come that sounds and what do they mean. If you're very much into Enigma, of course you should take this single to enjoy the hallmark of Enigma music for the 11 years of its existence!

If You're fan, then GET THIS ONE
This is really good Enigma songs. They combine the sounds from their big hits and put it together into one song that represents upcoming the best of albums. ... Read more

Amazon.com

We never expected a live album from Deep Forest, the two French keyboardists (Eric Monquet and Michel Sanchez) whose stylishly peculiar music (ambient meets dance meets Pygmy vocalese) is a laboratory-like concoction of clever sampling, synthesizers, and studio savvy. Sanchez, in fact, confesses to stage fright. Yet here we find the two lads on a Tokyo stage in 1998, accompanied by four musicians and three singers, breathing life--at times, even fire--into their digitally spliced global village. It's a different sound for the group, and mostly an invigorating one. The real-time human element permeating Made in Japan infuses DF's carefully crafted atmospheres with an energizing vitality and sense of spontaneity. Any absence of studio sophistication in Deep Forest's live sound is compensated for by the music's celebratory mood and the concert's interactive, transcultural, communal environment. This serves to reinforce an ongoing subtext in Deep Forest's aesthetic--the desire to draw a musical thread through the mystical pursuits of far-flung cultures. Highlights: the beguiling grooves of "Bohemian Ballet," the mysterious propulsion of "Café Europa," and the groove-fueled choir that drives "Forest Power." --Terry Wood ... Read more

Reviews (16)

What a pleasant surprise
When I heard a few months ago that Deep Forest was going to release a live Cd I was surprised. One would think this studio mastered group combining world beats with dance grooves might not be able to pull off a live album. Prepare to be surprised!

The CD combines their most popular songs from the preceeding three albums. Performing with Deep Forest are several singers from various backgrounds. This is a very beautiful CD and relaxing too. If you want a great CD and are new to the World beat realm pick up a copy. I think you will enjoy this CD.

The best live CD I've ever heard
I'm not too much into live albums. In general, I am more into the studio recorded albums than I am into live albums and I hate the redundant clapping and shouting but Made In Japan is a HUGE exception. They actually improved the songs!

Many of the songs on here while they sound good on their parent albums sound greatly improved especially those from the Comparsa albums. Green & Blue in it's parent album sounds good but the live version on Made In Japan sounds absolutely incredible! I especially love the live versions of Deep Weather, The Hunter and their internation smash hit Sweet Lullaby. While the original version has a sort of danceable beat the live version on this CD to me is better. It's great to hear their older songs given different drum loops with Sweet Lullaby being the prime example. In fact I like the live version alot more with the beats sounding a bit more original. The more complex sound of Sweet Lullaby magnifies that tracks power.

The musicianship is absolutely incredible. Forest Power is just plain breathtaking with fusions of rock, world, pop, jazz, funk and New Age all melted together.

While I don't really recommend live albums that much Made In Japan however I have to say is a must have.

A Kickin' Surprise! (how does Mouquet play that vocoder?)
I gobbled up DF's first CD, then leisurely digested "Boheme," adn then, on a whim, I picked this one up about six months ago for a sonic snack.

I'm still eating! For a synelectronica/world-beat duo, Mouquet and Sanchez and company can really put on a show. Their back-up musicians and singers make the songs break out of their electronic shell and onto a live stage. Particularly strong are the performances of "Ekue Ekue," "Forest Hymn," and "Hunting." A pleasant surprise from an esoteric band.

Fantastic!
I at first wasn't going to get this cd because normally I hate live music, with people clapping and stuff. That and I already had all the other Deep Forest cds so I was like "Why bother buying one that has no new songs?" I finally got a chance to listen to it at a store and I was amazed. Talk about different! The songs are wonderfully remastered to sound good at a live concert. Plus, I have to argue with people who say they didn't get the same people to sing. These ARE the voices you hear on all their other albums. I found many of the tracks to be a lot more enjoyable on this cd than on the original that they came from. If you like Deep Forest, and you want something to make you smile and dance, this is the cd for you!

Made in Japan - very, very interesting
If you are a fan of Deep Forest then this is a must. If you were curious just how their studio based multi-layered sound would translate to live as I was, you will not be disappointed. The tunes are given a breezy vitality and it becomes obvious that DF are not only crafty composers/producers but highly accomplished musicians also. New in here is an electric guitar or keyboard based guitar sound that really enhances EKUE EKUE and the anthemic FOREST HYMN. All of the tunes on this CD have become my favourite versions of the originals with the possible exception of FREEDOM CRY and that's only because the Boheme version carries a vocal so passionate that it is difficult to match it's intensity. To sum up on this CD, I reckon it a cheerful joyous collection of Deep Forest favourites that really makes you want to be in the band or at least that they brought their show to a town near mine. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Supralingua, "beyond language," is the second Planet Drum album produced by Mickey Hart. More Latin than African, Hart combines compelling production techniques with power players of the drumming world including: Zakir Hussain, master of the North Indian tabla; Giovanni Hidalgo; conguero great from Puerto Rico, Sikiru Adepoju, a disciple of Babatunde Olatunji (a member of the first incarnation of Planet Drum) on dundun; bassist Bakithl Kumalo; and David Garibaldi, traps player. Promising to surpass words, ironically the first track, "Angola," features chanting by The Gyüto Monks Tantric Choir. Supralingua grooves but it lacks the excitement of the self-titled Planet Drum and the "steppin' out" of each virtuoso. --Cristina Del Sesto ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Strong & Vibrant Heart Beat of the Planet ...
Mickey Hart combines indigineous voices, chants, and traditional instruments with contemporary and shaminstic drumbeats to create a special CD very aptly named "Supralingua" ... which to me, means, super voices and super music. At times, add to this, the the sounds of nature ... for instance, drops of water or the ambience of the rainforest. Take the voices of the Gyuto Monks (Buddhist) mix them with the didjeridu, flutes, Chinese erhu, add a def drum beat, mixed in with metal percussion, cluster drums, and bongos ... all played by world-class musicians and you have an idea of track #1. This CD reveals a newly emerging creative path for music, showing us how traditional and contemporary instruments combine, to reveal an existence where the journey is never quite complete ... but is continually evolving. Listening to the CD is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

You've never heard anything like Supralingua.
Implicitly accepting the theory that "world music" is popular because today's audiences like to hear singing in foreign languages, Mickey Hart continues his streak of consistently interesting side projects by releasing (Diga, Dafos, At the Edge, Planet Drum, Mystery Box and now) Supralingua. It's world music for every country in the world! Every song has vocals, but there is not one real word on the album. You have never heard anything like Supralingua. In addition to the vocals, which really do sound like they're in another language rather than just nonsense, nearly every track features a real-time performance by Hart on his sampling device RAMU, a danceable bassline from Bakithi Kumalo, extensive studio trickery and a bed of percussion from the worlds best drummers, including talking drum master Sikuru Adepoju and tabla master Zakir Hussain. There are also cameos by Airto, Graham Wiggins and The Gyuto Tantric Choir. The bonus CD accompanying the original release contains superfluous remixes by assorted techno gurus and a video to play on your computer featuring an interview with Mickey, who, in addition to releasing better solo albums, consistently spouts more jive than any of his bandmates in the Grateful Dead.

Great Effort!
Incorporating his computer operated drum machine "RAMU", Mickey sets the tone for another compelling album. Though not as awe-inspiring as his previous "instrumental" efforts, the album is still a sound to experience.

The album's tone is more upbeat, with a lot of percussion as well as (mentioned before), the RAMU (computer processed instruments such as vocals, roto toms, bells & whistles, etc.).

The songs are greatly constructed, but it is not a CD to chill out to. It is an album to groove and dance to. A little more latin-flavored too. Amazing stuff here.

So, if you're into a CD that has a little more meat in the sound, get it. If you're looking for a CD to take you on a journey, I recommend some of Mickey's previous efforts as well as Spirit Into Sound.

Enjoy!

hyperrhythmic electropulsing worldbeat sequel
This album moves past the original Planet Drum territory, with some measure of success (most notably the fantastic kickoff track "Angola"), but with an overall sense of slight loss. Two factors keep it from reaching the level of the original PD album.

First, the music is literally bathed in electronics-- sorry to be a reactionary technophobe, but there is a real lack of that primal drum-circle feeling that makes the first PD disc an undeniable classic.

Second, key players such as Airto Moreira and Babatunde Olatunje make only token appearances at best; it's good to hear Zakir Hussain still there at the heart of things, but for the most part now it's mainly Mickey Hart's RAMU and some very good backing musicians. This is a quite listenable album (sounds _really_ good in the car), but it falls a notch short of true rhythmic greatness.

Agreed
I agree with "Pharoah". This is imminently good listening, but Hart trying to show off his RAMU often becomes a bit forced. I think the "Superlingua" theme of 'vocals as percussion' (my estimatation) is well executed, and it gives the unrelenting percussions a melodic dimension that keeps you from feeling whacked out on drums by the album's end. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

ridiculously good
this cd rates up there with roger water's amused to death with all time epic experimental and brilliant albums. it's different and better than any other mickey hart album i've ever heard. in a word, raw.

If only it was totally instrumental....
This is a fair debut solo album by Mickey Hart. The album mixes percussive instrumentals, rainny ambiances, as well as well constructive songs, to form a pretty good album.

The flow isn't up to snuff (IMO), as I believe the "rock n roll" sounding songs don't go with the experimental percussion outings.

The one exception is "The Main Ten". Fabulous format for that composition. I love how the tablas come in and out of the rain.

The opening track Rolling Thunder- with it's Indian like screaming ... freaked me out (as well as my dog). Super beginning to a fairly good album...

Bottom line...the instrumentals (IMO) are better than the actual "songs" on the album.

Mickey Hart's Solo Masterpiece: From Africa to Marin County
Mickey Hart's 1972 solo Album "Rolling Thunder" is one of the best spin off's from a Grateful Dead member ever to grace recorded audio. It features an enormous amount of guest musicians like, Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Grace Slick and Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane and The Tower of Power Horn Section. Bob, Phil, and Jerry even stopped by to help their freind out. Bob Weir delivered one of the most incredible performances of Playin In the Band I've ever heard. Also the cd's track 5, Blind John the Guitar Man has an amazing layering of guitars and vocals with the beautiful wail of Grace Slick at the base of it all, smoothed over by the beautiful sounds of Steve Shuster's flute. Though not all tracks are folk oriented almost half are much like Mickey Hart's Plant Drum with a much funkier beat. The Cd is a destined mix of Classic Folk and what I like to call Classic African. This album is truely a must have for any one who likes the sounds of Jethro Tull, The Grateful Dead, and all the way to Zakir Hussain. ... Read more

Album Description

Japanese edition of their album recorded for the French film, 'Le Prince Du Pacifique' includes one bonus track, 'Huahine' Reggae Part 2'. 2001 release. Standard jewel case. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Japanese release
This is the Japanese release of Pacifique, a soundtrack done for a French film. This CD contains a bonus track, "Huahine Reggae part 2", as well as a bonus multimedia feature. It is missing one track that's on the French release, "La légende part 1" - 0:46. A must-have for Deep Forest collectors. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a.k.a. Tibetan Bells IV
Fourth in the series of great TB albums ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a lost album from (alas) a lost tribe
As befits the image of TGU as tribal music co-op, we get a bunch of remixes of "Temple Head" era TGU tracks, plus another bunch of mixes by TGU themselves, with no theme anywhere in sight (though there are a few nice segues). While the quality control knob is not at its highest setting on this disc, the standouts far outnumber the duds. And as the loose tribe that was TGU becomes a lost tribe (judging from their more recent output), it's good to have a document like Interplanetary Meltdown to remind us of better times, international or not.

Justin Robertson's Lionrock Kick da Flavour remix of International Times features beeps and glisses snakily interweaving with bass curlicues, served up to a compelling rock-steady dancebeat. Later, TGU throws in elements from Protean plus some Gyoto Monk action in their Rasa Bliss remix, taken from Grotus' Opiate of the Masses EP. And all power to Youth's Isis Mix of Temple Head: spanning the generation gap between Killing Joke and TGU, chopping the original into rock-sized units, flanging to taste, and climaxing with those joyous close-encounter UFO-summoning samples "watch the skies - tell this to everybody where ever they are!" ... Read more

Album Details

Compilation of Greatest Hits from the Famous African Singer. 15 Tracks featuring DJ Felix Remix of Manu's Biggest Song - Soul Makossa. ... Read more

Album Details

"human" is a Truly Sublime Record, featuring a Host of Mind Blowing Vocal Performances, Fused with Exceptional Songwriting and Jaw Dropping Production. The Album features a Diverse Cast of Vocalists and Instrumentalists Including the Streets Kevin Mark Trail, Natacha Atlas, Jacob Golden, Reena Bhardwaj, Jayanta Bose, Tina Grace and Taio. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Musical Revolution
Nitin Sawhney's latest venture "Human" is an unexpectedly fresh evolution from his last work "Prophesy" as well as a wonderful bookend to the modern classic "Beyond Skin". He has reached a new level in terms of his ability to orchestrate exciting talent from around the globe, emerging as a latter day Peter Gabriel. Aqua Lung and Natasha Atlas add a continental flavor to this upbeat manifesto and newcomer Kevin Mark Trail is allowed to truly make a mark. Do not look for a moody south Asian mantra here, Sawhney puts all of his energy in this work and creates nothing less than an international hit that will stay in your CD rotation for years to come.

Scott Dennis
s_dennis@hotmail.com

Sawhney surprises us again
I have been following this guys music for a while. Every album gets better. It is one of those albums that you have to listen to a couple of times to get it. Once you get it, it is f**k'in hot man! Desi Fusion on another level-every time... ... Read more

Amazon.com

The most distressing thing about the advent of electronics as a means ofmaking music is that too many musicians use them lazily, with uninteresting music as thetragic result. Fortunately, this doesn't afflict Robert Rich's Seven Veils, anaccomplished piece of work with a light touch. Rich, who plays a variety of stringed andpercussion instruments as well as handling synthesizer and sampling duties, pulls off thedifficult trick of making moody, atmospheric compositions musically interesting.Although a certain sameness permeates Seven Veils, there's enough variety tokeep you listening; the opening, appropriately-titled "Coils" has a sinuous, underwaterfeel while the three-part "Book of Ecstasy" features shifting melodic and rhythmictextures. The sustained, floating notes of "Ibn Sina" complement the active, dancingrhythms, and Rich saves the best for last with "Lapis," which features an excellentcounterpoint between Rich's flute and guest Hans Christian's cello. Deliberatelyevocative of Middle Eastern music, Seven Veils has a subtle beauty that Richwisely allows to emerge on its own, rather than forcing it into the ears of his listeners. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Mixed batch
With this cd, I will love one track and hate the next. Robert Rich has certainly compiled a mixed bag here. I find it almost incredible how he can push the right buttons in one song and then pull the plug in the next one. He has done a great job at digging deep into a world music sound, and believe me, some of the tunes definitely leave a worldly taste in your mouth (some a bit too tasty for me). Most of the cd is incredibe, but the most unfortunate thing about this cd is track four, "Book of Ecstacy" (made of three movements), where, in the middle of one of the movements where the music and rhythm are great, the most annoying screeching guitar solo begins and ruins the entire tune. It's really unfortunate. The best tune, however, is "Ibn Sina", track five. Talk about rhythmic energy! I was very pleased at my purchase when I heard this tune. The opening track "Coils" and the final track "Lapis" are my other favorites on this cd because of their rich sound texture and pleasing trance rhythms.

If you liked Gaudi you will love Seven Veils
Rich has many styles, including dark ambient and many collaborations with Steve Roach. But whatever you call this style (I have heard it called "ethnoambient") no one does it better than Rich. In fact, no one else sounds like Rich. His music is haunting and seems to come from some other planet. That's partly because of his use of (I don't know that much about music) "just intonation." It's a different tuning scale than Western ears are used to. Please excuse my limited vocabulary in trying to describe this. In a layman's terms it just sounds more haunting and more otherworldly than any other music. Two more elements make Rich's work, especially this one, stand out. Not every composer working in this vein and with these instruments has as strong a talent for rhythm. And those artists that do, often seem to produce only a few works that stand out in that area...unlike Rich, whose every selection in this vein has wonderful and original rhythms. This is partly due to his interest in mathematics (he has a CD called Geometry...it's wonderful, too). The rhythms are the main reason I like Gaudi and Seven Veils. I don't know where it comes from, but no one else can do it (in my opinion.) The other is melody. Many other composers combine electronic instruments with acoustic instruments and do it well (TUU, Suspended Memories.) But for compelling, otherworldly music with a sad, mysterious, haunting quality that will really transport you to other times and other worlds...investigate Rich, and especially Gaudi and Seven Veils.

An easy journey to Mecca, at times with obstacles
For those familiar with Rich's Bestiary album, you will find Seven Veils more traditional in its instrumentation, albeit exotic instruments. As the title suggests, the album is ambient music infused with sounds from old Arabia and ancient Persia, overlaying a background of etheral electronica. Much like Steven Roach's Australian-laced Dreamtime Return, Seven Veils is a richly themed album which sedates the listener with the sounds of the Middle East and Sahara.

Previous reviews describe this album as "too dark", to which I disagree. Rather, it is the more sublime and moody tracks which highlight the album and offset the intrusive tracks of soloist guitar work which disturb the meditative balance of the album and would have been better left out.

The album is close to being an expectional glimpse into Persian and Arabic ambient music, but the mentioned guitar injections detract from the beautiful austeriety of the album's landscape. A 5 star rating is an oasis which does not exist in Seven Veils, and the mirage of the perfect album will disappear from track to track, always when the listener thirts and reaches for more.

Robert Rich Breaks away frm the Pack!
Robert Rich for me offers very good synthesizer artistry. Strata and much of his early to mid-nineties work plays to a strictly Dark Ambient new age audience. This recording is the first where he starts to take chances. David Torn and the other featured guests add depth and texture not heard before with Robert Rich's work (that I am aware of). I find this almost as inviting as I find Beastiary, but this is NOT as far outside as Beastiary is. Fantastic spin!

A Quality Piece of Music
Robert Rich is one of my favorite musical artists, not nearly in the realm of Enya or Tangerine Dream, but with "Seven Veils" there is variety with rhythm that will enhance your collections. It is permeated with Middle Eastern sounds, heavilty punctuated with the sitar and drums, well suited for daytime activities such as writing, reading or surfing the web. I find that the musical patterns are great for inspiring an otherwise dull day. Recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Inspired by the unorthodox, surreal architecture of renowned Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (who was reportedly once called the "Dante of architecture"), this album finds Rich exploring appropriately abstract and stimulating sonic terrain. Keep in mind that the natural harmonics of just intonation come into play, and the mesmerizing results are appealingly otherworldly. The first four tracks engage your ears with continually interweaving tapestries of synths, winds, and mallet percussion, and they constantly find new patterns to morph into. Like Gaudi's buildings, these instrumental compositions twist and turn in unforeseen ways. The next four pieces dive into deep, dark, and less rhythmic ambient locales, slowing down the pace before the appropriately titled "Mosaic" reenergizes the album with more kinetic, electro-acoustic sound sculpting that brings the album full circle, recalling his previous Geometry opus. At first listen, Gaudi comes off as one of Rich's more cryptic works, but successive listens prove that it is also one of his most fascinating. --Bryan Reesman ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Sublime...
The intricate sculptures of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi find their ideal musical equivalent in Robert Rich's binaural geometry. Rich utilizes dense washes of electronics, which are earthy and gritty, but every bit as resplendent as the spirit of Gaudi's designs. Fluttering moths of synth accentuate the still life of "Serpent," whispering in the distance. The aptly named "Mosaic" starts out gently, until a talking drum, purring sequencers, and flutes carve out a polyrhythmic niche. Rich's grasp of composition and his fluid, effortless style support the precarious timbres of GAUDI with a craftsman's touch and solidarity. It's a hypnotic music to get lost in, wherein every trip back takes you down different corridors via different doors.

An amazing peice of work......
I've listened to electronic, tribal and world music for many many years. I have many of Robert Rich's albums in my collection. This particular album has always seemed to be my favorite for some reason, and still remains so today. Some call what he does dark, or even sinister sounding. I have always found it very mind opening....which of course naturally makes some people feel uncomfortable in itself. All I can say is check out this particular album, it truly grows on you over time slowly.

Doses of Greatness, but...
Robert Rich is an acquired taste. His music can be as erie and unsettleing as serene, with mixed results. "Gaudi" has the spellbinding, ( Sagrada Familia, Air, Harmonic Cloud ) the dull, ( Tracery, Spiral Steps, Mosaic ) and the truly creepy (Serpent). "Minaret" would've made a perfect sleep-therapy piece if it wasn't so damn short. Anyway, the album, like the rest of Rich's work, is uneven. The good being good, the weak weaker. He seems to improveing as he ages. ( Like wine, yes? ) If you find it used, it may be worth it.

Excellent CD
This is a great CD from Rich. Track 5, Harmonic Cluds is the greatest - it should be re-done as a 60 minute piece for complete relaxation. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mickey Hart is a rhythm proselytizer. He's been sounding-off from the percussion pulpit since writing his first book, Drumming at the Edge of Magic in 1990. Hart's Planet Drum--the book and the album--set forth an army of percussion acolytes. With Spirit into Sound, Hart has another accompanying book and a gentler music that looks toward the melodic side of percussion. Although there are a few guests, including tabla player Zakir Hussain, Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, and sarangi master Ustad Sultan Khan, it's Mickey Hart and vocalist/percussionist Rebeca Mauleon who dominate the album. They play melodic percussion instruments and/or electronic samples of African balafon, Brazilian berimbau, and steel drums. For a drummer as worldly as Hart, Spirit into Sound is surprisingly naïve in its childlike rhythms. Mauleon's wordless chants make Spirit into Sound sound like a global glossolalia nursery rhyme. This isn't an album for the rhythmatists of Hart's core following, but a more intimate affair. --John Diliberto ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Nothing BAD on this, but no new ground was broken...
This isn't a BAD CD, but after a few listens I lost interest in it and it ended up in that CD vacuum known as the "used CD store." Combining voice and rhythm was a nice touch on this CD, but, dang, there's not much that jumps off the CD and makes it at all compelling. This accompanies a book, so one almost gets the suspicion that this product was knocked off quickly in order to be a tie-in with the book. My recommendation is to pass on this and stick with Hart classics such as At the Edge, Planet Drum, Suprlingua, or even the new "best of" collection that contains a bit of this and a bit of that. If you are a Mickey Hart completist, you'll want this CD. If not, save your money and go for the good stuff...

Beautiful Album....
After Mickey Hart's previous effort "Supralingua", Mickey goes back to relaxing, chill out music that takes you to another place with Spirit Into Sound.

The album is much mellower than it's predecessor. Highlights include Amazon Nguni, Shambolaya, Elephant Walk, Hidden Beach, and the Indian-inspired closing track, Indian Night.

Sit back and let Mickey take you to the other side spiritually.

For what its worth...
...this is my favorite Mickey Hart/Planet Drum recording. The music reflects the sublime and spiritual aspect of music. Much better than his two previous musical efforts, "Mystery Box" and "Supralingua".

My hope is that Mickey will release a few recordings from his latest musical ensemble, the Mickey Hart Band, featuring a guitarist, bassist, percussion players, vocalists, and former Dead-keyboard player, Vince Welnick.

Buy this recording...you will not be disappointed. You may also want to check out a special packaging of this CD with its companion book.

A masterpiece
This Cd is A absolute masterpiece. The sounds invoke a inner spirituality. When I first put this on I instantly felt something no other cd ever made me feel, a deep rooted almost primitive feeling of sound that transforms the mind and soul into the music. Mickey Hart aslo makes a excellent recording here. The sound is the best I ever heard come from a cd. These sounds we are hearing come from all over the world, there is no denying, this is a Matsterpeice. For fans of world music and jazz alike.

Spirited music evokes images of nature
I can tell a five-star album from the individual pieces that are on it. Many albums have a song I like really well, but for some of these that is the only one I like. A five-star album will have four or five such songs that I really like. This album is one of these. The spirited drum beats and simple but alluring combination of simple wind instruments, voice, and melodic percussion evokes images of nature, especially rain forest nature, in my mind. In this album Mickey Hart has returned from his excursion into rock music with Mystery Box back to the drum beats that marked Planet Drum and On the Edge. My favorites on the album are Amazon Nguni, Funky Peru, Shambolaya, Nature Talk, Chroma, and Native Sun. Nature talk in particular reminds me of nature talking to me when I hike in the woods. It is an album that I have played several times and I still like it just about as well as the first time I heard the tidbits on Amazon that enticed me to buy the album. It really is a five-star album. ... Read more

Album Description

The release of Tribal Voice marked an important step in the development of Australian music. It was the first time that an Aboriginal recording artist had received serious public recognition, to the extent that a song from this album, "Treaty," became an Australian hit. Yothu Yindi's music is a strange mixture of influences, ranging from the haunting traditional instruments and singing on tracks like "Gapu," to the modern rock of "Treaty" and "Tribal Voice." This range of styles serves to encompass all facets of the Aboriginal experience: reminders of the Aboriginal heritage, pleas to young Aborigines to maintain their links with their culture, and political protest over the controversial question of land rights (as previously tackled by Midnight Oil on Diesel and Dust). This album proved successful thanks to the release of a remixed version of "Treaty" (also included here), but it also provided the impetus for other Aboriginal performers - Archie Roach, Kev Carmody and Ruby Hunter, to name a few - to receive serious media attention. There are criticisms of Tribal Voice, though. The traditional songs are stunning, and Mandawuy Yunupingu's voice is suited perfectly to these, but it is the rock tracks that are the weak links in this disc. Yunupingu is not a particularly good pop singer, and the music is sometimes insipid; it seems unlikely that "Treaty" would have become a successful single in its original form. Despite this, Tribal Voice is a fine example of both traditional and modern Aboriginal music. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

WOW! KOORI (ABORIGINAL) POWER ALL THE WAY!!!!!!
Wow! You seriously don't want to miss this. If there's one band that deserves a millenium reward it's Yothu Yindi. Never in my life have I heard such powerful fusion of techno, rock and traditional Yolngu music. Just breathless and overjoyed is the state in which you will be with just one listen to this album. With powerful, meaningful lyrics, you learn about Koori culture and dance your way into where you desire most! With every listen there's never a dull moment. Totally unique! This ain't no cheesy pop music. This is the long awaited good stuff the world of music seriously needs! "Treaty" will teach you about Koori survival as well as give you a beat to tap your toes to! "Djapana" will do just the same! And if you're the techno type then just groove to "treaty (radio mix)" and shake your groove thang! Believe you me, you don't want to miss this. A culture of over 40 000 years can groove just as well as the next Will Smith or Madonna. They proove that the universal language of every man, woman and child's heart is music, love for oneself and family as well as friends and land. BELIEVE me this is not the cheesy stuff! You are absolutely right Geoff! They rock! Aboriginal Rock!

This album is great Australian rock/traditional fusion
The Yolngu (aboriginal) band is the best there is in Australia, having their lead singer receive the Australian of The Year Award in 1993 (this review is was done in 1998). The group has two new CDs that haven't been releases in the U.S. yet, though they should be pretty soon (I hope). They have a rich history and strong political messages that are found in the lyics. The incredible ancient sound of the didgeridoo (a long, wooden wind instrument that is a distant relative to the trumpet, and that I also conveniently play) in this band are probably the best didge sounds on this planet. They are REALLY good at mixing Western rock ideas with their own indiginous music. Rock originated from Africa, (search around, it is the truth) and so therefore makes this album pretty @!$%*? international! It REALLY is an awesome album. All of you fellow Americans should check into this one, even if you're the stereotypical pop-freak. Don't judge this one as being a super-worldly type album. It is probably the best i've encountered that combines native music from some nationality with rock, rap, or pop, in a totally non-cheesy way. ... Read more

Album Description

The first three album's Michael Cretu has released under the Enigma moniker, together in a specially designed triple gatefold digipak. Contains the top 10 platinum albums 'MCMXC a.D.' (1990) & 'ENIGMA 2 The CROSS Of Changes' (1994), plus 1996's 'Enigma 3 Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi'. A combined total of 28 tracks. The digipak is housed inside of a colorfuldie-cut slipcase that doubles as an astronomical pinwheel.1998 release. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Close your eyes, and loose yourself. Pure Magic!
I first became interested in Enigma about 6 weeks ago. Yes, thats all. I found out about them VIA Frank Petersons works (Producer for Sarah Brightman, composer) and immediately bought this trilogy when I saw it in Melbourne.
Basically not knowing what it would be like, I lay down and entered into the world of Enigma. I don't think I've been back since!

Enigma draws in the listener, much like Lord of the Rings immerses the reader. Enigma is spiritual, medieval, tribal and all round wonderful. As soon as I heard "The Voice of Enigma" and "Sadeness," on MCMXCa.D, I was captivated and then it got even better with "Mea Culpa" and "River of belief."

The second disc (Cross of Changes), has more timeless songs including the excellent "Silent Warrior" "The eyes of Truth," "I love you ... I'll Kill you" and "Return to Innocence" and these were really special. This one is more tribal, less Gregorian style and it took me a while to get used to as I love the good old Gregorian stuff, but still, it prepared me for disc 3 (Le Roi Est Mort Vive le Roi!) which, I have to agree is like the cross between the two, and I loved this album! I'm not going to list these, as every track is very, very good.

I love to listen to Enigma on my discman at nightime, that way I slip into another world as I'm falling asleep, thats how they want it to be, and thats how its meant to be.
You know I loved ENIGMA TRILOGY that much, that after that, I bought "The Screen behind the Mirror"(fourth album) and "Love Sensuality, Devotion" (the best of Enigma) and this is all in the space of about a month. Looking forward to the new Enigma album "Voyager" very soon!, I'm an Enigma fan now and forever, The voice of Enigma screams: BUY ME!

You will just love this collection
Really worth the price.
I got ENIGMA TRILOGY and TRILOGY FANTASY in one package. my happiness that day was in that package I got. So relaxing, powerful, and energizing music.

The song I liked at most is "4. BEYOND THE INVISIBLE" (third CD) this song is so powerful and energizing (Just like alot of other songs within this collection).

I'm sure almost all of you heard of "ENIGMA" and familiar with the type of music ENIGMA represents.
Well, listen to this, If you like this type of music just get this CD plus FANTASY TRILOGY and you'll definitely find happiness. However, If you never tried this type of music before then it's time to try it. It might be your new love.

Peace for the Soul
A great New Age experience from Michael Cretu and wife Sandra.

All three albums all boxed in one.
This box set contains Enigmas first three albums all packed in one. All three of the albums are worth owning and spending the tons of money on.

MCMXC is a dark, moody album with a Gothic medievel mood.

Cross Of Changes is much brighter with little of the Gregorian Chants and in their place is more of a Native American, Aboriginal mood.

Enigma 3: Le Roi Est Mort Vive Le Roi! is like the child of the previous two albums with the Gregorian Gothic sounds of MCMXC but with the daytime feel of Cross Of Changes and overall with a more of an aquatic feel and a whole different sound altogether from my perspective.

All three albums are worth owning.

Mesmorizing...
I highly recommend this album to everyone. It's difficult to sit down and write in a 1000 words or less the way their music moves me. I've cherished their music for years, and even today, I still play nothing but Enigma. After listening to their music, all others are absolete. ... Read more

Album Description

One of the most talented and recognized producers and songwriters within the British electronic and fusion music scene, Nitin Sawhney brings you the latest from Fabric – Fabric Live 15.

Nitin’s music has been mostly influenced by his listening to and assimilating British and Indian tunes.His draws his inspiration from Asian traditional and contemporary sounds, Latin rhythms, drum ‘n’ bass, and flamenco guitar juxtaposed with techno bass.The end result is a musical style that’s diverse with electronica beats backed by Asian inspirations driving within the trip-hop and jazzy styles – simply exclusive and overwhelmingly creative.

The Fabric Live series, since its inception, has showcased established artists as well as emerging names – portraying what is played at Fabric in London, one of the best clubs in the world.

Fabric Live 15 is the latest work from Nitin, an album that perfectly captures his style of musical diversity.Enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Pleasant But Inconsistent Mix
This FabricLive is mixed by a legend of modern fusion music. Nitin Sawhney has released great albums, namely Beyond Skin, Displacing The Priest and his most recent Human. To my knowledge this FabricLive is his second compilation to date.
And it contains some excellent tracks... Koop's jazzy and atmospheric Relaxin' At Club F****n, which opens this FabricLive and is mixed somehow abruptly with Eastern Eyes; Nitin's own classic Homelands in two different versions - both excellent; 4 Hero's remix of Long; Jazzanova's excellent remix of We Who Are Not As Others. However, something that these tracks have in common is that they are well known and can be found in numerous compilations. Another weakness is that the mixing is not seamless with most transitions being done by simply fading out the current track and fading in the next. Previous FabricLive compilations offer outstanding mixing by the likes of DJ Spinbad, J Majik, Plump DJ's etc. Personally, I find the second half of the mix to be the most interesting. There is a transition from Nu-Jazz/Broken Beat to Drum n Bass and in the end, Nitin slows the tempo, by throwing his own Beyond Skin and Hymn 2 by downtempo master Craig Armstrong.

It is definitely a good effort, but when compared to previous FabricLive sets (special mention goes to James Lavelle, John Peel, Plump DJ's, Jacques Lu Cont, J Majik, DJ Spinbad), Nitin Sawhney's mix shows its weaknesses. 3.5 stars ... Read more

Album Details

The Late Israeli Pop Star's Final Set of Recordings were Recorded at Nemo Studios and Mixed at Abbey Road by Frank Peterson, who is Responsible for the Meteoric Rise of Sarah Brightman as a Classical Crossover Artist. Perhaps the Same Might have Happened for Haza Had Fate Not Intervened. Haza Chose to Update her First Big International Hit Here, the Jewish Traditional "im Nin Alu", which was Sampled Orginally on Marrs "Pump Up the Volume", Bringing her to the Attention of a Vast Audience Far Beyond her Wildest Dreams. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A voice to move you to tears
The impact of losing Ofra Haza on popular music is impossible to gauge... from the direction she was taking in this album, one can only imagine what she might do next. I personally don't care what she died of, it's just tragic.

Both Sarah Brightman and Ofra Haza had the same producer (Frank Peterson, who has worked with Enigma) and the cross-genre classical-pop styling and quality of their voices are not dissimilar. Fan of Sarah Brightman that I am, though, her voice has never literally moved me to tears as Ofra's has. Sometimes it sounds as she is singing past tears herself -- like her throat has closed a tiny bit -- and it's heartwrenching.

I would also like to note that I had a number of her songs on mp3. I liked them so much I'm purchasing the album...

Most wonderful album
In my opinion, this album is genious - if I want to show Ofra in her glory I play this CD - all of the songs here are gorgeous - Amore, Ahava, Give me a sign, You've got a friend(this song is even better than the original!!!). Ofra's voice became much richier over the years and the result you can hear here. Arrangements are brilliant. I am sorry that no clips were made for this album, but if you want to give yourself or someone you love a present that she/he will never forget - you should by this album.

Ofra, we miss you!!!!

The voice of an angel...
Ofra Haza has(or HAD) the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. Truly the voice of an angel. I have just recently become interested in her music after finding out that it's her voice on that Paula Abdul song I've always liked(My love is for real). I always thought it was Paula who sang that background part & I wondered why she always sounded so boring in every other song but so good in this one! No wonder, it was Ofra singing, not Paula(no offense Paula, you're still great).

My favorite song of Ofra's is probably either Im Nin Alu or Gavriel. I love to sing along with her when I'm driving, I'm sure many people have gotten a good laugh hearing me belt out Hebrew 80's music! I am truly amazed by the clarity & timbre of her voice, and the ridiculously wonderful control she had over it. Her singing really does give me chills.

In a way I feel close to her b/c I have been told I resemble her. I can definitely see it, we have similar features & the same coloring. I'm Middle Eastern as well(Egyptian, not Israeli though). It is SO sad that she is dead now. Why couldn't it have been Britney Spears or someone other worthless tramp who can't sing?! The world lost its best singer 4 years ago with Ofra's death.

Good stuff
This is really a wonderful album. Ofra of course sings well and all her songs are very comforting and heartfelt. To me this is even better than "Shaday". It's a shame that she lost her popularity in Germany when this album came out, because if people had given her constant attention, this album would surely have been played more often on the radio. A great last album for Ofra.

One of the Very Best Female Vocal CD's of the 1990's
Even though Ofra Haza 1997 was one of her last efforts,
it is one of the best CD's made by this extremely talented
and versatile vocalist. Different in style than the mellow
"Earth," or the excellent, reflective "My Soul,"
it is
dominated by a louder but very tastefully done pop/rock
sound exemplified by the strong electric keyboard presence of the multi-talented co-songwriter Frank Peterson
and melodic support from the London Session Orchestra. All
eleven tracks are very good. Several of the compositions
are superb: "Ahava," "You," and "Give Me a Sign" in particular. The combination of French and English lyrics on "Give Me a Sign" is a delight to hear. Also on this CD
are a new version of her prior hit "Im Nin Alu", and for a change
of pace, the Carol King classic "You've Got
a Friend," which is better executed here than on Carol King's very fine album "Tapestry." "Ofra Haza 1997" is a GEM, one of
the very best of the 1990's. ... Read more

Album Description

Taken from the 2003 album of the same name, includes fournon-LP tracks, 'Voyageur' (Radio Edit, Club Mix, ChilloutMix, & Dance Mix). Copy Controlled. EMI. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Enigma puts out the best singles...
I have them all and they can't put out a bad single.My fave is the Chillout mix and the single is definatly a worthy one to add to your collection.Voyageur the album still sucks tho. :/

Great Song
This contageous song can be played in my cd player all day. It has a punchy bass line, catchy organs, the sexy lyrics, and an alien sounding voice singing. Certainly a ground breaking song. I am disapointed in the sound of the remixes. I feel that they are stale. I love hearing them, because you can make out some of the voices more but over all i really dislike these remixes. For a ground breaking song, a ground breaking remix would have fit much better. These remixes sound very 1993.
I also wish the slightly altered in sound video version was on here.
But get in your car and BLAST the Radio Edit out of your stereo and you will feel it pump through your veins. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The snarling grooves of doom on "Angola" symbolizeGrateful Dead drummerMickey Hart's intent for the last quarter century: to create a global percussionorchestra that merges electronics with rhythms from around the world. Hart couldhave opted for a seamless conceptual album, moving from the impressionism of"Temple Caves" from PlanetDrum and "Compound" from theApocalypse Now sessionsto the power-trance grooves of "Angola"(Supralingua) and "UduChant" (also from Planet Drum). Instead, Over the Edge and Back isa sampler that even includes tracks from Hart's vocal album,Mystery Box, which rangeddisjointedly from the R&B of "Where Love Goes (Sito)" to the RobertHunter-penned "Down the Road"--both heard here and sounding lost. Skip those, however,and you'll hear Mickey Hart's rhythmic fantasies. The album goes all the wayback to his 1976 album with the Diga Rhythm Band for "Sweet Sixteen," anecstatic whirl of tuned percussion and hand drums that still sounds vibranttoday. The album concludes with the previously unreleased "Call to All Nations"from the opening ceremonies of the 100th Olympiad in Atlanta in 1996. A surrealcompression of global music that traverses the world, the track is Mickey Hart'svision of a 21st-century percussion orchestra summed up in about five minutes.--John Diliberto ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Most of The Best Of Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart's "Best of" CD has a nice cross-section of pieces the percussionist has made.

All of the CD is good, but too short. I would have liked to have heard a bit from Hart's first solo effort, Rolling Thunder, but maybe that would have got in the way of contractual agreements between GDM and Ryko Disc.

The songs range from Hart's Diga band piece "Sweet Sixteen" to the Apacolype Now Sessions' "Compound", to Hart's first 90's foray into the world of percussion "On The Edge" with "The Eliminatiors", to Hart's award winning follow-up Planet Drum with tracks "Undo Chant" and "Temple Caves", to a tribute to the combination of music and voice found on Mystery Box tracks, "Where Love Goes (Sito)" and "Down The Road", to the opening track on Supralingua "Angola".

Unfortunately no tracks from "Spirit Into Sound" are to be found on this compilation (again maybe due to the fact that GDM was involved with the distribution of that project).

The real treat of this set comes at the end with Hart and Co. doing a superb Opening Ceramonies piece form the 1996 Olypiad -- called "A Call To All Nations" which is fabulous.

So, in this compilation you have some positives and negatives. If you want to enter and have a taste of Mickey's world, by all means purchase this. Be forwarned though, you might want to pick up the original albums from where these songs originated. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

breaking it down
The title track from Vol. 2-Release is a fantastic song. When I saw 10 versions of it on one CD for the price listed above, I thought it sounded like a bargain, as well as something fun to listen to.

If you want something more danceable than the original Release track, there are a couple of drum and bass intensive things here for you. There is also a Reggae-ish mix, as well as a couple of instrumental tracks with the vocals mixed right the heck out of there. The Keyapella is sort of the inverse, vocals only with very minamalist insturmentation.

This CD was almost like a study of Release, dissecting it and looking at the individual elements. It is impressive, in a way. It helped me to appreciate that "Release" is not just a lucky shot. It is an expertly assembled piece with very beautiful components. But there was nothing on this CD that made me sit up and say "Now that's an improvement to the original."

Perhaps it was unreasonable for me to hope for that.

What a Fusion!
When I first heard the first volume of Afro Celt I was very excited. Quickly snapped up the 2nd volume and I hear that they are working on the next as we speak. This single, "Release" is from this second album. Very dancy, funky and with a real gaelic/afro flavour. Something different! Each album released grows and matures and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one. If you are into rare Gaelic Fusion and global dance beats then this is your cup of tea. ... Read more