Search - Dao :: Soham

Globalized, deeply spiritual lounge music, seasoned with the

Hunter S. | 04/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The opening track "Had Gedam" is an impressive entry to the world of DAO. A broad, sweeping keyboard worthy of Jean-Michel Jarre, a voice straight out of Bollywood, some gentle bamboo flute ... all backed by a subtle electronic tick and garnished with tabla highlights. Less than ten minutes later, "Soham" continues in the same vein, only this time with an oriental flair, feather-light beats and jazz percussion highlights that are distinctly avant-garde. "Ishq" immerses us in Sufi mysticism and envelops us in a gentle, inexorable groove. Next up is "A Rap Al Arap": this is much more down to earth, with belly-dancing clichés and a rock guitar that's right on the edge, but never over the top. Of all the DAO tracks, one of the most memorable has to be "Xiong", which means "bear" in Mandarin Chinese. It's a truly tribal track where echoey break beats combine with hissing, whispering and dark chants as the bear gradually grows to full grizzly stature. "Moody Moon No. 5" is pretty much the opposite. In a more sane world, it would top the charts in every Buddha Bar and Cafe del Mar on the planet. The closing track "Salaam" deserves a special mention for two reasons: firstly, because it rounds off the CD so well and secondly, for its audio book atmosphere. If you're thinking of making a movie called "Midnight in Mumbai" or something like that - this is your soundtrack. In so many words: Buy and enjoy it!"