01 Jun
Trance Planet - Volume Six by Various Artists
- Written by Mark Keresman
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It’s easy to dis the many multiculti/cross-cultural "World Music" compilations on the market these days in mega-stores and multi-coffee shops as so much trendy, plethora-zine attempts at the crass commercialization of the many styles/genres from-‘round-the-globe music, reducing same to mere "exotica" for slumming trendoids. Or, one can look upon them as opportunities to taste via a disc-shaped smorgasbord some of life’s rich pageant, reminding us that the music produced by English-speaking peoples is but one slice of the global pie. Whatever. The fact is, comps like this can serve as a fair/good/great introductions of global sounds for curious and questing souls of all ages - fortunately for this listener, Trance Planet V. 6 falls into the, dare I say, "great" category. The trouble with most comps of any genre is consistency - too much of one style or performer, not enough of another, for instance. Though this gem virtually spans the planet, it is masterfully programmed, concentrating on a mellow/mesmeric/contemplative/chill-out vibe throughout, all the while providing a distinct sound or style w/ each selection. However, if the presence of the word "trance" conjures visions of an all-night, X-fueled, constructed-solely-by-sampling thrum/big-beat rave.... well, this is not what this disc offers. At the same time, vainglorious notions of cultural "purity" are nonexistent - these are inclusive, not ritualistic sounds. TPv6 goes from the gospel-charged nearly-acoustic R&B of Nitin Sawhney’s "Sunset" (partly sung in English, with a hook that Chaka Khan or even Madonna would kill for) to the sparse, musing, erotic ethno-beat of Italy’s Agricantus to great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s passionate, into-the-Mystic Quawli declamations over a bed of massed, Celtic-sounding strings. Is the gentle, pensive "Manhem" by Issa Bagayogo a slice of Indonesian folk, Malian Delta blues (with a touch of Bert Jansch) or an Afghani lament? I could go on, but why spoil a bunch of pleasant surprises? If you - how do the kids say it - "dig" - diverse sounds that mix the acoustic and electronic, the improvisational and the traditional, do indeed partake, and/or put this on the Holiday Shopping List for the Cultural Gate-Crasher in your life.
Additional Info
- Artist / Group Name: Various Artists
- CD Title: Trance Planet - Volume Six
- Genre: World Music
- Year Released: 2002
- Record Label: Triloka
- Label Website: http://www.triloka.com
- Rating: Five Stars
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World Music - CD Reviews
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