Anathema Album: “Asia Lounge: Asian Flavou”

These 2 CDs are definitly worth every cent... The mix of music is excellent - electronica flavoured music from the Middle East to India to South East Asia to ect ect. I couldn't be more happy with this compilation..

I recently was introduced to electronica by a friend (he shares a cubicle with me at work, so I was "forced" to listen to it) and I fell in love with the beats and rhythms. So, instead of usually asking his advice on what album to buy, I took a risk and picked up Asia Lounge. Oooooohhh how nice of a risk that was! This set is off the chain! Makes me feel like chillin' in a smoke-filled club, sippin' on Grand Marnier, diggin the mad sounds of this cd. To me, the sweetest track is Voladores. If anyone is reading this, buy this album! Sweeeeet.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this CD - the title suggests "lounge music" which I have found to mean a relaxing, chill out vibe (kind of "smooth jazz-ish") but then the title also mentioned these are "club tunes" and I thought maybe they might be dance tracks. It turns out to be more "chill out" than "dance" but VERY, VERY good. I didn't recognize an Asian vibe in every track but maybe that's just me and my interpretion of what sounds "Asian". However, I was NOT disappointed! There are 25 songs on two CDs and I like them all! I can also say the same thing about this album that I said about Putomayo Presents Asian Lounge CD - this music is great to play after a hard day at work - light some candles, drink some wine, and unwind!!!

While not as much fun as the tracks on the first volume - it's still an excellent roundup of Asian-indian flavored trip hop dance tracks. The only reason for losing a star are the handful of tracks that are a bit too downtempo and almost minimalist techno to qualify as chill or lounge. Those tracks are still quite good - but just a bit morose to fit in the theme of a party/dance CD.