Search - Kaya Project :: Walking Through

Of epic proportions

Stephen Collins | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | 04/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sebastian Taylor, known in the UK for being a pioneer on the trance scene, is the creator of Kaya Project. With many musical talents playing an array of instruments in this disc, his impressive skills match the epic proportions the disc, in its entirety, blesses the listener with.



The first song starts with the flavour of a movie style orchestra, sweeping and ambient, the stringed instruments doing all the talking - you would expect to see a birds eye view of a majestic landscape gliding beneath you. At this point you're not entirely sure what to expect from the album. Then it takes a turn - a bend in the road - the infused Middle Eastern beat takes control, the bass is turned up, and thus, Kaya Project's disc Walking Through begins.



Kaya Project is downtempo - and downtempo at its best because of its international influences. It is infused with Middle Eastern, European, and even Hawaiian flavours. With an international feel that is similarly as important as with Thievery Corporation, Kaya Project's style is significantly different. Although I am an avid Thievery Corporation fan, (and any Thievery Corporation listener would probably enjoy Kaya for similar reasons), Kaya Project has a completely different, richer feel. It feels much deeper than TC: more sweeping - like comparing the rolling foothills to the largest peaks in the Rocky Mountains (which is the exact locale that I got my first taste of Kaya Project).



Organic would be a good word to describe this disc, and as I write this review and ponder what tracks stand out as true gems, I have a hard time truely picking favorites, and urge the listener to listen to it the whole way through on their first experience. I don't really have any specific favorites on the disc, and feel that the disc in its entirety is a gem. It is rare to find a disc that is as consistantly good as Walking Through is, and it breathes new life in the ethno-electronic genre. It proves that this genre has many majestic landscapes left to explore, and also proves that there are talents out there like Kaya Project that we can explore them with.



With this amount of talent, I hope Kaya Project will be back for more. Sebastian Taylor is also attributed to Angel Tears, and has contributed to other compilations including 13th Moon (Interchill) and Arabian Travels 2 (Six Degrees).



Kaya Project is a true masterpiece - organic, ethnic downtempo done completely right.

"