CD Review: Telepath's 'Crush'

Telepath

Crush

Telepath Music

Telepath is the brainchild of Michael Christie and it is composed of several musicians from around the world, including Jamaica, Africa, India, and the USA. The third release, Crush, is sure to keep up the beat of global trip hop, downtempo, dancehall, and electronica. A fresh and engaging sound is one of the most important hallmarks of Telepath. The groove-laden beats are especially attractive on "Justify", "In This Time", "Mama", "Carry The One", "Freedom", and "The Ancient Ones". The Bhangra beats of "Dust" and Indian-influenced "Rohi" and "Down The Block" possess definite Bollywood similarities. The tracks are mostly vocal and incorporate many instruments including snake charmer, keyboards, drums, bass, guitar, flutes, tumbi, violin, sitar, trombone, sax, and trumpet. "Critical Mass" is a psychtronica-driven, Balkan and Indian-fusion song of electronic excellence. A nice mix of sounds, instruments, and a globally-enveloped set of songs provides a well-balanced and most of all, intriguing collection of singers and rhythms from around the world. With a name like Telepath, you know it's going to be good before you even listen to it! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Alexis Cuadrado's 'Noneto Iberico'

Alexis Cuadrado

Noneto Iberico

BJURecords

As a bassist, composer, and co-founder of BJURecords, Alexis Cuadrado has amassed a stunningly-talented group of musicians for his latest release, Noneto Iberico. The reference to flamenco-jazz is particularly evident with the addition of trumpet, trombone, guitar, piano, sax, flute, drums, bass, and assorted percussion. The album is more akin to the jazzy-fusion of Latin America or tropical beat music. The entire album is instrumental and definitely explores the jazzier side of life without compromising the innate cultural elements of the songs. The shortest song is only six minutes, while the longest song is seventeen-and-a-half minutes. Eight tracks in all round out the listening experience. Everything from tropical, Latin, jazz, big band, cool/smooth jazz, and other related genres emanate from this release. If you are a fan of Norman Hedman, Brian Hughes, or Tito Puente, then this is for you. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Nunavut, Canada's Karen Mackenzie

Karen Mackenzie

Wind Don't Blow

Self-Release

The folk and bluesy vocals and melodies of singer and guitarist Karen Mackenzie take Canada, or the world for that matter, by storm. The bluegrass, country, and pop-oriented repertoire is as hearty and sincere as a Northern winter. Karen is joined by accordion, whistle, mandola, bass, and drums. Vocally, Karen is a more mature version of the UK's Katie Melua. A folk musician with varied genre-bending abilities, Karen does not implore the use of fancy dubs and electronic smoke and mirrors. Instead, Wind Don't Blow is an album that features eight folky tunes that continue to play around in the heads of all who listen. "Givin' In" is easily a radio-friendly tune that accentuates Karen's writing and playing abilities. "Tangled The Thread" and "Makeup/Breakup Blues" follow closely with an equal amount of sincerity, sweetness, and pleasantness. "Dance Me Away" is a sweeping tune with an unforgettable melody. For a healthy does of Northern spirit, buy Wind Don't Blow today. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Afro-Peruvian Grooves on 'Pena Vol. II'

Various Artists

Pena Vol. II

Secret Stash

The Afro-Peruvian songs of a meeting place for musicians, or "Pena", were recently released on Volume I last Fall. However, Pena Vol. II attempts to continue to follow-up the success of the previous release with amazing results. The source material was collected on a trip to Lima, Peru by producers and label owners, Cory Wong and Eric Foss. A combination of sweet, folk styles reminiscient of a Latin serenade grace the album's fourteen tracks. A mix of female and male vocals, Latin percussion, and scintillating rhythms mark another fine release of Peruvian culture on audio. Importantly, the release will only be available as a digital download at iTunes, Amazon.com, Napster, and the label's website. The decision to not market the music on vinyl or CD may not hamper sales or hinder the label's progress in any way. The music is perfect for lounging, dancing, or contemplating the next release from Secret Stash. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Banco de Gaia's 'Songs From The Silk Road'

Banco de Gaia

Songs From The Silk Road

Disco Gecko

Banco de Gaia (aka Toby Marks) is a seasoned electronic DJ/remixologist with a flair for the sounds of the Middle East and Central Asia. The songs may be inspired by the East, but the music speaks volumes of different influences. The groovy, Engima-like song, "Tempra", is a fine composition with angelic, female vocals resembling a top song in a New Age music category. Moreover, the blurby electronica and percussive beats of "Sheesha" and house-type beats of "Glove Puppet" embody a purely electronic overtone with only slight resemblance to anything from the Middle East. Instead, Songs From The Silk Road is a musical journey more closely aligned with the trip-hop, downtempo, electronica-laden beats of world beat with less of an emphasis on the 'world' part. Still, the largely instrumental compositions are nothing to ignore, as the musical arrangements and remixes are top-notch. Semantics aside, Banco de Gaia is definitely a worthwhile contributor to global electronica and his latest releases proves it. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Tarun Nayar's '22 Degrees of Beatitude'

Tarun Nayar

22 Degrees of Beatitude

Chaiwalla's Boombox

Vancouver-based DJ/producer and electronica wizard, Tarun Nayar, is a global pioneer of Indian fusion and dance music. 22 Degrees of Beatitude is an album of lighter dance music and electronica that veers away from heart-pumping, dub-thumping sounds. Tarun's other work as a tabla and electronics guru with the Delhi 2 Dublin group certainly shaped and beautified his current release. The songs are mostly instrumental with little vocal accompaniment, except on "Innocence", "Kezang La", and "Mamaji". Taking the lighter side of dance music, Tarun shines with trippy, trance-inducing compositions without fatigued results. With titles as diverse as "Kezang La", "808s and Sheikh Sarai", and "Mamaji", the album is bound to be an intriguing journey through the aural sounds of the world. In fact, the double-pronunciation of 'beatitude' and 'beat-itude' still means utter bliss or happiness. Tarun Nayar is sure to conjure up loads of happiness wherever his tunes are played and performed. ~ Matthew Forss

Are You Looking For A World Music Recording? I Can Help.

If you are looking for a rare, out-of-print, or currently available compact disk that fits the world music genre, I might be able to help you find it. Send me your want lists and I will do my best. Email me: worldmusicman2002@yahoo.com.

Matthew F.
Inside World Music