CD Review: 3-CD SET - Various Artists' 'Real World 25'

Various Artists
Real World 25 [3 CD]
Real World

Real World 25 is a three-CD set covering some of the best classics released from the label's two-hundred-plus recordings over the years. The third CD features music picked solely by fans. There are gems on here from groups including, Daby Toure, JuJu, Big Blue Ball, Sheila Chandra, Papa Wemba, Yungchen Lhamo, Spiro, Sevara Nazarkhan, and others. The other CD's feature music from Pape & Cheikh, Toumast, Daude, Farafina, Guo Yue, Syriana, Varttina, Mamer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Peter Gabriel, Adrian Sherwood, Ayub Ogada, Hukwe Zawose, Joji Hirota, and many others. There is music from areas as diverse as Uzbekistan, Burkina Faso, Sardinia, Zimbabwe, China, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, Uganda, Tibet, and other adventurous places. Simply put; every song is a hit and it is on this compilation for a reason. Anyone into world music and melodic interludes from far-off places will love this collection, which includes a twenty-eight-page booklet, forty-eight total tracks, and a host of memorable tidbits. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: John Matarazzo of Logical Drift

Logical Drift
Logical Drift
CineVu

Famous music writer, producer, composer, and performer, John Matarazzo, creates an aural atmosphere gleaming with ambiance, contemplative melodies, and cinematic percussion. With the help of Logan Strand, an accomplished producer and engineer for acts like the late-Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Laswell, adds a touch of engineering and electronic sampling to the musical mix with fine results. The instrumental compositions are inspired by the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. The electronic washes, blurbs, and blips add a contemporary feel to the music. Track titles such as "Judean Desert," "Rain Queen of the Negev," and "Dead Sea Dawn" reflect the fascination with this particular region. However, the music is not folk, traditional, or rock. Instead, the music is light, new age, and electronic with wonderful sounds indicative of Tangerine Dream's earlier work. Nevertheless, Logical Drift is a logical choice for fans of new age, atmospheric, and instrumental works. ~ Matthew Forss