[coll:] Asian Lounge (Putamayo)
Reviewed by Sadie O., 12/3/05
World fusion lounge music by or influenced by Asian (mostly South Asian) musicians. Definite trend towards mid-to-downtempo dreamy and ethereal soundscapes with laid-back and groovy slightly funky syncopation (not enough to get up and dance to, but at least there’s a beat….)
9 is quite good, 3 and 6 are pretty good.
1. Laid back and atmospheric. Features Japanese classical stringed instrument, the shamisen, which saves it from being smooth jazz for being put on hold to.
2. slow, scratchy like an old record, Bollywoody (actually recorded for a new score to a Bollywood silent movie), pretty, melancholy vocal duet.
3. **midtempo version of classic Vietnamese song set to soft reggae beat. Fairly prominent use of Asian instrumentation, pretty.
4. poetry sung (odd, tinny production) to a downtempo, slightly funky beat with flutes and electronica.
5. very laid back and dreamy, indistinguishable talking and singing set behind trance-y electronica with slightly funky beat. Japanese musician doing song about Bali.
6. **midtempo, fairly laid back and dreamy with slightly funky beat (this seems to be a pattern), more emphasis on real instrumentation, mostly lyric-less singing.
7. sitar and sirod with electronica backing, definitely smoke some pot for this one. Electric guitar shows up for a few seconds.
8. starts out with random soft noises, electronica beat/vocals come in, then tabla, sitar, real vocals reciting devotional mantra, flute. Fairly interesting combination of sounds.
9. **fairly upbeat midtempo funky beat with prominent sitar, rather more forceful instrumentation than most.
10. water noises, Indian instrumentation (mostly Kashmiri santoor, which sounds a lot like a sitar, flute), pretty, very long.
11. soft start, Japanese female vocalist, laid-back electronica beat comes in fairly late. I’ve heard much more exciting stuff from these guys, but it’s nice and pretty and stuff…