Unsound System [Import]

unsound system [import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Elefant Traks is pleased to present Australian desert nomads Combat Wombat and their second album 'Unsound System'. Armed with only samplers, mics and turntables, powered by solar energy and an uncompromising belief in truth over spin, these musicians are the real deal, creating an album that reflects the frontline activism they have become famous for. Unsound System is a bullet to the dark heart of the Australian psyche. 2005.

Unsound System,Combat Wombat,Rock/Pop

Unsound System [Import]

Average customer rating:

All time favourite
Happy Feeling
Excellent.
come on, people...
Best live album ever.

Radio Bemba Sound System
Manu Chao
Manufacturer: EMI Latin
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Proxima Estación: Esperanza
Clandestino
The Best of Mano Negra
Casa Babylon
Puta's Fever

ASIN: B00006CJOY
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

Intro
Bienvenida A Tijuana
Machine Gun
Por Donde Saldra El Sol?
Peligro
Welcome To Tijuana
El Viento
Casa Babylon
Por El Suelo
Blood And Fire
Ezln...Para Tod@s Todo...
Mr. Bobby
Bongo Bong
Radio Bemba
Que Paso Que Paso
Pinocchio
Cahi En La Trampa
Clandestino
Rumba De Barcelona
La Despedida
Mala Vida
Radio Bemba
Que Paso Que Paso
Pinocchio
La Primavera
The Monkey
King Kong Five
Minha Galera
Promiscuity

Amazon.com

Anyone who's caught Manu Chao and his band Radio Bemba Sound System at one of their live gigs will testify that the Parisian troubadour sure knows how to throw a party. This live album draws on reggae, salsa, and Latin pop songs from Chao's first two excellent solo albums (Clandestino and Proxima Estación: Esperanza) as well as joyous gems from his time leading the more punk-tinged Mano Negra. While the styles vary as often as the languages (Chao flits from Spanish to English to French as he translates his life as a global nomad into his music), the common thread is a sense of vitality and hope. From the uplifting reggae of "Bienvenida a Tijuana" to the African pop and salsa of "Casa Babylon," this album showcases Chao's role as the pied piper of multiculturalism, leading his crowd on a (literally) merry dance. And it's the crowd that really makes these 29 tracks come into their own. You can almost picture the mob waving, cheering, blowing whistles, shouting into megaphones, and generally having the wildest time this side of Rio Mardi Gras. A great flashback for those who have seen Chao live and a perfect introduction for recent converts. --Ian Watson

Customer Reviews:

All time favourite.......2007-06-20

If you like Manu Chao you'll love this album! Very good vibes.

Happy Feeling.......2007-05-23

This is a great album, it makes you feel good, makes you want to get up and dance to the music.
A good stress buster, and a lot of fun.

Excellent........2007-02-07

Excellent. Manu Chao has a great power playing live. Radio Bemba is a selection of the best rock musicians around the world. The combination of all those talents is an explosion of music, rythm, and fire!
It's just excellent.
I strongly recommend it.

come on, people..........2006-07-07

i've read all the previous posts, and i'm shocked that no one has said a thing about the editing and mixing.

i mean, come on. if you listen to this cd straight through, it doesn't make sense. if someone cut two minute snippets of twenty-nine songs and stuck them all together with masking tape, it would sound like this. songs don't start or end; jarring random cuts happen mid-song.

someone keeps bumping the jukebox, but you don't hear the needle scratch.

which might be cool if this wasn't a LIVE ALBUM. being a live recording, these cuts affect the sound of the audience as well. large crowds of people do not sound like this.

listening to this cd in my car made me mad enough to get off my butt and figure out how to post a review. and i like manu chao. whoever assembled this live package shouldn't be allowed to work with recordings again. this album is easily the most unlistenable thing i've heard in years.

Best live album ever........2005-12-15

The songs are not carbon copies of thier vinyl originals but many of them are better and the instrumentation is amazing on this disc.

Yes, it's mostly at one tempo but that one is fast. Very addictive if you are ready to hear something that you don't necessarily recognize. The best live album I have ever heard. Try not to listen in a car as this album causes repetitive swerves and generally too happy behavior for driving.

Average customer rating:

party time
Aussie Awesome

Sneaky Sound System
Sneaky Sound System
Manufacturer: Edel
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Other Peoples Music
Black Fingernails, Red Wine
Pocket Symphony
Year Zero

ASIN: B000HXDSDG
Release Date: 2006-12-08

Tracks:

I Love It
Thin Disguise
UFO
Pictures
I D E W 2 L U
You Should Have Told Me You Were Gonna Change
Goodbye
Hip Hip Hooray
It's Over
You're Hot
Tease Me
Maybe [Instrumental]

Customer Reviews:

party time.......2007-04-18

I have seen this band countless times in Australia. If Sneaky are playing a party you know it is going to be a hot time in the city. From funky beats to sexy lead singers, these guys know how to give it up to the crowd and keep the place moving. This, their second album is a blast. They never loose their sense of fun, while avoiding self-indulgence or silliness. Put it on and party down.

Aussie Awesome.......2007-02-20

Possibly one of the best dance albums for 2006. Why they haven't hit the pop radar in the USA is a mystery. They are very well worth the price for an import, waiting for a US release of the album will just kill anyone who craves good dance music.

Even if you don't like dance music, this album is bigger and more intellegent than that. It is also a fun album, a pick-me-up better than any psychotropic drug.

CHEERS!!!

Average customer rating:

An Antti Keisala Comment: The Temples of Sound
Relaxing envigorating refreshing music for your day
Afro Celt Sound System Volume 5: Anatomic
Very Mellow
Buy it - now!

Volume 5: Anatomic
Afro Celt Sound System
Manufacturer: Real World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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New Age | Celtic | International | Styles | Music

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Seed
Volume 3: Further in Time
Pod (Bonus DVD)
Volume 1: Sound Magic
Vol. 2, Release

ASIN: B000AMUUIU
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

When I Still Need You
Secret Bliss
Mojave
Sene
Beautiful Rain
Anatomic
Mother
Dhol Dogs
Drake

Amazon.com

Their debut album broke down many tediously outdated barriers. Now the Afro-Celts are back with another genre-bursting, non-preachy, multi-culti soundscape. There has never been anything bland or generic about the ensemble's output as their concept of one-world music is less color-blind than color-appreciative; in other words, they don't ignore our differences but celebrate them. Anatomic continues an ongoing pilgrimage of respectful collaboration, wherein Western studio mastery abuts Irish flutes and percussion, harp-like West African koras, keening bagpipes, and gutty Greek bouzoukis, all presented over a resonant, crunchy bottom with beats and electronica for days. Iarla Ó Lionáird sings in English and Gaelic, sitting in with Sevara Nazarkhan from Uzbekistan (who is lovely if disembodied on "My Secret Bliss") and Dorothee Munyaneza, a genocide survivor whose soulful pipes made such a strong impression on the soundtrack to Hotel Rwanda. As always, Simon Emmerson's guitar fulfills dual roles as a melodic vector and tireless rhythmic powerhouse. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

An Antti Keisala Comment: The Temples of Sound.......2007-02-06

I'm preparing some commentary on Iarla Ó Lionáird, one of the true voices of our contemporary music. He has only released three albums so far, as much of his time has passed with this band, a sort of a super group of celtic fusion, or into whatever the brand we wish to demote them, if in the mood. So I'll start here, with their best album.

I prefer the quietude of Ó Lionáird, but the Afro Celt Sound System is, in its inexorable energy, a rather successful blend of the kind of febrile search of tapestries of sound, a play of culturally coloured and multilayered instrumentations and polyrythms, all tied together by the modern Western sonic dance beat heritage. Most people use the word 'fusion' with their music mostly because it resembles so seemingly and seamlessly the well-known formula of dance beats straight from the club floor, that somehow this is an intergration of the realm of world music and club beats. But I think the whole idea of their music goes beyond mere fusion of genres, a 'definition' already turgid enough to provoke resentment to the writer who unknowingly and happily happens to use the word. Let's talk about more cultural a word, that being 'tradition'. I'm no historist at heart, but to think of the streams of musical influence as traditions of influence is an attractive one. So we get to think of the collision of world music and modern dance music in this album as not as collision of genres but of the ways of approaching to music as tradition. Tradition, that is, the perspective of listening and producing music.

At this writing I've compiled only a single list of records, a Top 40 with only a single album from each artist. "Anatomic" was my selection for the Afro Celts, although their debut "Sound Magic" came close. And they are similar.

If you listen to the five volumes in retrospect, there is the visible (or rather, audible) change and evolution in how the different instruments are being blended together. The harshness, almost extraneous soundscapes of "Sound Magic" have in time been turned into lush and broad landscapes, temples of sound. I really like the solacing and otherwordly primitive atmosphere of "Magic", yet what was lost then and what has now been found is the ability to integrate. That is, to integrate and unify the whole traditions, concepts, into not only sweeps, but into dimensional sounds and impressions. In this they are growing and advancing with each new release, but what is not as easily determined is the other side of unity, and that's how the songs fit together.

"Magic", although being a sort of an impressionistic sound-piece, is surprisingly whole. The other albums in between, rather not. There were the epics like "North" and the transcendentals like "Cyberia", the pearls, but the whole was smaller than its parts. At last I've found an album that pragmatically states otherwise. There are some of the best Afro Celts songs to be found from here, "When I Still Needed You" and "Mojave", but also the most sophisticated structure they've yet pulled on us. Don't get me wrong, I could never critize the state-of-the-art engineering of these albums, as they are all as expertly made as ever, and at the same time they offer us the purest experiences in music; sort of sonic profundity. My idea on the other hand is that the whole album grows into and out of itself, through songs that complement rather than just follow each other. And whereas "North" is epic, "Mojave" is majestic. The only flipside is perhaps Sevara Nazarkhan's "My Secret Bliss", of which "Nevermore" or "Green" is the fuller counterpart; Nazarkhan doesn't fit perfectly (which in itself in its friction makes it still interesting), but you should really listen to her album "Yol Bolsin", which is deliciously gigantic in its intimacy, reminding me of the serenity of Yungchen Lhamo.

At its best, Afro Celt Sound System is soulful and as far from discrepancy as their size as a group would imply, and "Anatomic" sounds their finest moment yet; and never have they lost, even if they've changed, the huge energy and passion for music, for which I give extra points in any case. I recall the autumn of 2005 with fondness, for then were we blessed with two astonishing records: the first one is this, of course, and the other is Ó Lionáird's blissful "Invisible Fields". This is an amazing record.

With best regards,
AK

Relaxing envigorating refreshing music for your day.......2007-01-27

I enjoy the masterful blending of rhythm, tone, beat, instruments, and voice that to me is so well done by Afro-Celt Sound System. And this album is their best yet.

My current favorite song is "Mojave" - the third track on this album. I love to put ACSS on in the background as I'm working through the day, and Mojave takes me from a quiet start on an emotional journey through different stages and moods and then gently back down at the end. One day I was playing my way through the album and after hearing Mojave (which is nearly 11 minutes long) I wanted to hear it again, so I just set it to repeat. About 90 minutes later I got up and realized that I wasn't tired, wasn't bored, wasn't even remotely tired of taking the same journey again and again. That, to me, is the test of great music.

Afro Celt Sound System Volume 5: Anatomic.......2007-01-09

This is my second buy for the Afro Celts. I may like this one better than the first one. I'm sure this won't be the last. Thanks for asking.

Very Mellow.......2007-01-03

The songs were very beautiful and well done, however extremely mellow and something you could fall asleep to.

Buy it - now!.......2006-11-23

To be honest, I had to listen to this CD about three times before I got it. I was used to the faster paced earlier works but wow - the wait was worth it. I can't put it down now. The layers of melodies in each song blew me away. With ACSS, there are always layers and deeper sounds in their music. If you take your time and listen closely to this CD, it will blow you away. I highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Awesome CD!
Unique and upbeat
Incredible - the only word to describe it
My mind has been blown
Afro celt all the best the world has to offer in one band...

Volume 3: Further in Time
Afro Celt Sound System
Manufacturer: Real World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Vol. 2, Release
Volume 1: Sound Magic
Volume 5: Anatomic
Seed
Pod (Bonus DVD)

ASIN: B00005ASHF
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

North - Part 1
North - Part 2
When You're Falling (featuring Peter Gabriel)
Shadow Man
Lagan
Colossus
Life Begins Again (featuring Robert Plant)
Further in Time
Go on Through
Persistence of Memory
Silken Whip
Onwards

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

While not as out-of-left-field revelatory and astonishing as their exalted debut, nor as darkly magnetic as their sophomore follow-up, Volume 3: Further in Time finds Afro Celt Sound System fleshed out, funky, and fiercely fresh. Now a band of 20-some-odd players, the Afro Celts push forward with unbounded energy and focus, organically driven beats, and a thoroughly joyous fusion of West African and Irish traditional music enhanced with dissonant Eastern influence, psychedelic trip-hop groove, and a monster flood of sonic waves. The resultant sound is somehow both cutting-edge futuristic and primitive in its visceral virility. Demba Barry steps up with an unexpectedly punchy African hip-hop-styled vocal on "Shadowman," "Lagan" plays out into an orchestral swan dive, and, throughout, Johnny Kalsi and Moussa Sissokho come on like gangbusters with the drums. Real World label honcho and world-music champion Peter Gabriel does a stunning turn on the eminently catchy "When You're Falling," and Robert Plant contributes a powerfully epic rock vocal on "Life Begins Again." Fine as all these moments are, the centerpiece of volume 3, where the band achieves beyond perfect synthesis, is the ecstatic groove-lock on the African acid ceilidh of "Colossus." Volume 3 is the tune-in turn-on we've been waiting for. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

Awesome CD!.......2006-11-26

I just can't get enough of this group. They have such a unique sound: the name of the group sums it up pretty well. This is an awesome CD like the others.

Unique and upbeat.......2006-11-06

I was introduced to this music by a coworker and I really like it! I've always been a fan of celtic music, but this is like celtic on espresso. It's very upbeat and truly unique. I highly recommend it - enjoy!!

Incredible - the only word to describe it.......2006-08-02

My aunt put this in the car one day when we were driving to my uncle's house. I had just played the song "Chaiyya Chaiyya" from Inside Man, and she said I bet you'll like this, it's a lot of the same style. As soon as she put it on, "North" came on, and absolutely blew me away. The beautiful ambient sounds and the sparse, yet undeniably enchanting African vocals were just beautiful. By the time "North Part 2" came on, we were both drumming our hands and dancing in the car. Whoever thought of mixing African and Celtic music, then setting it to a rave/techno beat is a genius.

She bought me the CD (and also "Seed, which is great too), and I've been listening to it obsessively since. I know it's now a cliche so rate this CD 5 stars, but the beautiful, haunting melodies and the catchy, rythmic tehcno beats make this CD one of the best in my collection. It was a great find for me especially, since I'm getting sick of all the horrible pop/rock/rap that's out there. If you're like me, and you're sick of all "today's hits" and are looking for something to dance to and have a great time listening to, BUY THIS ALBUM! It is something very fresh and amazing. Aah, North 2 just came on with that awesome celtic instrument riff and dance club style techno beat. I gotta get back to dancing!

My mind has been blown.......2006-05-30

Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, plus musicians from all over the world combining their grooves together to make a whole that surpasses anything I could have imagined. This CD not only transports, it elevates! Essential for the world music collector.

Afro celt all the best the world has to offer in one band..........2006-04-20

Every album is better than the one before...I love the depth to the music and the fact that it is depth from the number of musicians playing and not the number of sound effects is wonderful. There is a difference...and wow it is powerful....thank you thank you thank you

Average customer rating:

Music Should Rule the World
absolutely wonderful
A FABULOUS Blending Of Music!!!! 2 Thumbs WAY UP!
4.5 stars - Just as good as Volume 3
Frightfully Disappointing

Seed
Afro Celts
Manufacturer: Real World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Volume 5: Anatomic
Volume 3: Further in Time
Vol. 2, Release
Volume 1: Sound Magic
Pod (Bonus DVD)

ASIN: B00008DAN1
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Cyberia
Seed
Nevermore
The Otherside
Ayub's Song/As You Were
Rise Above
Rise Above It
Deep Channel
All Remains
Green Instrumental

Amazon.com

In 1996, the Afro-Celt Sound System formed a sound clash that mixed Irish music, dance floor grooves, West African percussion, and the kora. While there were highlights, often with help from high profile singing guests like Sinead O'Connor and Peter Gabriel, the albums were fragmented. Now the members have shortened their name to the AfroCelts for their forth album, declaring that the Sound System isn't applicable because they've evolved into a more conventional and fully formed group. The change sounds radical, but it's really just a refinement in their working relationship and songwriting skill. Consequently, Seed holds together more strongly as an album. The songs are more consistently crafted and sonically rich here, with different voices and instruments coming to the fore, but never outshining the greater whole. Highlights include the blues slide guitar-driven title track, the wholly acoustic (which is a first!) and Irish jig-inspired "Ayob's Song/As You Were," and the Radiohead-influenced "All Remains." --Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews:

Music Should Rule the World.......2007-02-15

If music ruled the world...there wouldn't be any wars. This album is a perfect blend of two very diverse cultures, & yet the music works in perfect unison & harmony. The mystical style of celtic music, combined with the rhythmic style of traditional african music is truly unique!
I first heard Afrocelts in the soundtrack from Riding Giants(in Laird Hamilton's story - when he discovers a new way to surf giant waves)and it blew me away!It's one of those 'Serendipitous' things...
'Lucky Me' to have found this little treasure!

absolutely wonderful.......2006-09-21

I just got this three days ago.
I have been listening to it at work non-stop, ever since I first put it in.
So far, that's about 25 hours. Seriously.

The guest artists (22 according to the liner notes) on this disc are awesome. The energy.. mmmm... Somehow it's able to keep me going with a buzz all day, without forcing a frenetic burn-out as most of my other fast electro-ish albums inevitably do. Absolutely grateful. I have other albums by the Afrocelts, but at the moment, this is definitely my favorite. It's a gem.

A FABULOUS Blending Of Music!!!! 2 Thumbs WAY UP!.......2006-03-27

I maybe late in the game of knowing this group, but I am hooked now! My mother and I first saw them on tv, channel 35(wybe). We were just cruisin' thru the channels and heard this great music and just had to take a look! Glad we did! After I heard the song "Seed", that was all she wrote, LOL! I had to find out who this group was and I came down later that evening and looked them up on Amazon and orderd it! The blending of the different genres of music is pure genius!!! What a FANTASTIC find this CD is! Afro Celts' music will draw you in and keep you there! :0) All I have to say is ORDER IT!!!

4.5 stars - Just as good as Volume 3.......2004-12-30

"Seed" represents the fourth production of Afro Celt Sound System (here known as Afrocelts). This is one ensemble that only gets better with time. Their first and second albums I enjoyed, but nowhere as much as their third one. And this album, I find just as solid as their third production.

The album's balance between afro, celtic and new age music seems to favor the latter two, though there are plenty of african voice samples and drums. But the overall feel I get after listening to it, is that I've heard a very good new age album with touches of celtic music and a hint at african sounds. With the exception of "Cyberia" and the title track, in general I enjoyed more the shorter tracks. The best example of this is the introductory "Rise" and the 10+ minute-long piece "Rise Above It" that builds upon it. The intro is extremely powerful, yet the follow-up gets to a point where it cannot hold your attention much longer.

All in all, this is one solid production by this world music party. Don't miss it. Like most acts from Real World Music, it deserves a space in your music shelves.

Frightfully Disappointing.......2004-10-06

Let me start by saying I really love Afro Celt Sound System. My father introduced me to their first CD and now I'm more rapid about getting their new stuff than he is... Or anyway, I was.

The first two CD's were nothing short of relevatory for me, and the third seems to go in a different direction, but is still quite good.

Sadly, I feel like unlike Paul Mounsey (Nahoo, et al) Afro Celt doesn't seem to be aging well. I couldn't help but feel that Seed was very, very derivative and washed out compared to their other offerings. The same sort of over-produced sensation I get from Vanilla Pop rubbish on the radio.

I realize this is pretty harsh criticism of a group whose first 3 CDs retain an honored position in my CD case, but I just feel Seed isn't up to snuff. They can and have done much, much better.

Average customer rating:

Musical Erotica.....
Where to from here?
Ditto
A true merger of Celtic and African styles.
Excellent!

Volume 1: Sound Magic
Afro Celt Sound System
Manufacturer: Real World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Vol. 2, Release
Volume 3: Further in Time
Seed
Volume 5: Anatomic
Pod (Bonus DVD)

ASIN: B000000HPO
Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

Saor/Free/News From Nowhere
Whirl-Y-Reel 1
Inion/Daughter
Sure-As-Not/Sure-As-Knot
Nu Cead Againn Dul Abhaile/We Cannot Go Home
Dark Moon, High Tide
Whirl-Y-Reel 2
House of the Ancestors
Eistigh Liomsa Sealad/Listen to Me/Saor Reprise

Amazon.com

Bodhran and kora? Talking drums and Uilleann pipes? Echoing ancient trade roots from a thousand years ago, Sound Magic reunites two seemingly disparate music traditions in a contemporary setting, reaching for a dance-oriented but spiritual hybrid that takes on a life of its own. Producer Simon Emmerson assembles some noteworthy artists including Ayub Ogada, Davy Spillane, Manu Katche, Caroline Lavelle, James McNally (of the Pogues), Iarla O Lionaird, and Masamba Diop to create evocative, clubby grooves that also incorporate samples and flavors from Armenia and the East. With its multilayered rich textures, Sound Magic grafts cultural respect and urban hipness for the global village of the '90s. --Derek Rath

Customer Reviews:

Musical Erotica............2005-09-28

I happened to have the good fortune one night, of catching a few moments of these fellows on a PBS special. It left me lusting for more. I cannot recall ever having been so enthralled after such a brief encounter with a group's music.

This album is the musical equivalent of a languorous, blissfully exhausting sexual encounter. From the undeniably seductive SAOR/FREE, to the tranquil lulling afterglow of SAOR REPRISE, The Afro Celt Sound System will having you rushing through that obligatory post-coital cigarette in order to do it all over again....

Where to from here?.......2005-07-16

Afro Celt Sound System's first album is, as their name says, a clever and in parts quite stunning mix of Celtic & world music that garnered huge praise and success on its release. But despite its ingenuity it's an odd record, veering often incongruously between "dance" music and much slower and occasionally quite turgid world/folk. Truth is that it's the more upbeat club/dance tracks, in particular the outstanding "Sure-As-Not/Sure-As-Knot", "Whirl-Y-Reel 1" & Whirl-Y-Reel 2", that make it come alive and which justify a great deal of the praise heaped on it.

So... if you want to discover similarly inspired, upbeat dance/world music where to? Well, Afro Celt's second album - "Release" - moves them much closer to the club area but, while good, loses a lot of the melodic intricacy & instrumental interplay that made "Sound Magic" such a success; better to go for their third outing - "Further in Time" - which more effectively combines the inspired enthusiasm of their early tracks with the driving club beats of "Release".

Better still, check-out their virtually unknown UK contemporaries, Elephant Talk, whose difficult to find albums follow a similarly infectious, more jazz tinged club/world "fusion" formula with more consistently upbeat and enjoyable results. Check out Amazon.co.uk for Elephant Talk's first two albums, "In a Big Sea" and the even better "Head", and the group's own web site at http://www.infrasound.co.uk/index2.htm for their quite brilliant last release "Leap". You won't be disappointed but you may be left wondering how such equally innovative and exciting music can remain so little known.

Ditto.......2004-05-20

Five stars to all four of the albums put out by these grand folks. I do not need to offer a description as other reviewers have done a perfect job; but if it's helpful to you to see an emphatic "ditto to that" as a review, then here it is.

This, along with Enya, is truly my above all, favorite music across the board. Beats all my other faves in every other music category.

A true merger of Celtic and African styles........2003-07-09

Imagine Irish jigs and reels powered by a heavy jungle beat, African jazz supported by Irish pipes, whistles and fiddles, songs of prayer combined with high-kicking dance tunes, delicate harp melodies with synthesized accents -- all linked together by driving African percussion and an electric rock sensibility. That's the Afro Celt Sound System, but it doesn't begin to cover their sound.

The Afro Celt Sound System isn't a band so much as a cooperative of musicians intrigued by an idea. United under the umbrella of Peter Gabriel's Real World label, nearly two dozen musicians added their personal touch to make the idea a reality.

The initial product of their joining is Volume 1: Sound Magic. It cannot be described as Celtic or African in nature; yet, both styles are evident in spades. Sound Magic is a true union of two completely dissimilar musical genres.

Excellent!.......2003-06-26

This is quite simply a highly essential album from an extremely unique group who fuse seamingly opposite cultures together: Celtic strings & African drums! This album started it all. The music is very traditional and has little of the electronic mayhem of their following albums. "Sure-As-Knot" is absolutely haunting and enchanting!

Although there isn't exactly any filler on here, I'm not so much into the final track but that's just because it doesn't quite rank up there with the others. Still, it's pretty good, just the others are better.

Tracks:

Release
Lovers Of Light
Eireann
Urban Aire
Big Cat
Even In My Dreams
Amber
Hypnotica
Riding The Waves
I Think Of...
Release It (Instrumental)

Amazon.com

Lots of traditional-music recordings thrive when they're at their purest, stripping away influence to revel in a core sound. The exact opposite is the case with the Afro Celt Sound System's sophomore effort, Release, which hits its highest plateaus when it's juiciest and pulpiest, throwing everything into the mix. Hailed for their cross-cultural toss-together of traditional West African and Celtic musics on an electronic backbone, the Afro Celts indulge their digital-age ability to throw African drum patterns behind Uilleann pipes and Irish tin whistle all with a club-ready pulse. Their debut and various appearances at World of Music, Arts, and Dance (WOMAD) festivals cemented their success at this mixological approach, and Release makes the clarity of the group's vision all the more astonishing. Perhaps it's what Irish violinist Martin Hayes has called the "lonesome touch," but the Celtic contribution often squares up as a yearning cry, contrasting vividly with the techno beats and West African drumming. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

More AfroCelt Wonder!.......2007-02-11

Have all their CDs now. Can never get too much of this exotic blended music. Haunting, lively. Can't just sit and listen; have to move with it! Even little kids get caught up in the reels. A listening feast!

Yet another awesome CD.......2006-11-26

Like my other reviews for this group, all I can say is that they are awesome. I never get tired of hearing their unique sound. They have a beautiful way of conveying feelings, and have a terrific way of uplifting my spirits when I'm down. I love this CD.

Toe-tapping rhythm, unique haunting melodies.......2006-11-14

I first heard about Afro Celt Sound System in a Science Fiction Anthology for 2003. This group was listed in the anthology under "Best Music for 2003". So, I gave album #3 a try then, and loved it enough to ship it from Florida to overseas. Upon returning to the US this year, & after carefully sifting through reviews and sample tunes for all their CDs, I chose "Release" and was not disappointed.

If you want that international musical flavor, toe-tapping rhythm with great drums, guitar work and melodies that get you moving, this is for you. If you want ethereal, slow, Gaelic-singing atmospherics, try something else more appropos.

well, i love it.......2004-03-07

i first heard an afro celt song on the gangs of new york soundtrack. i fell in love with it and decided to buy a cd. i got release and i am so damn glad i did. "even im my dreams" is one of the best songs i've heard in a while. i play it whenever im feeling down or something, or just when i wanna hear something good. anyway, its a great cd.

Very good.......2003-08-05

I love this music and listen to it a lot. It love how it mixes different music styles together. This CD is my favorite of the 3. My skating coach has cut music for a skater off this CD and one of the other volumes. People from my skating and Dance class found it very inspirational as well. The only thing I wish they did differently on the CDs is provide a translation for the non-English parts. I enjoy them singing in the other languages, it is beautiful and it fits the music perfectly but it would be kind of nice to know what they are sing.

Average customer rating:

Stunning
Studio STS9
Lush Livetronica
Sorry Effort
Much Better Live

Artifact
Sound Tribe Sector 9
Manufacturer: System Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live at Home
All This Everything
Artifact Perspectives
Live as the Time Changes
Launchpad

ASIN: B0007GAEK8
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Tracks:

Musical Story, Yes
Better Day
By the Morning Sun
Tokyo
Artifact
Native End
ReEmergence
Peoples
GLOgli
Today
Tonight the Ocean Swallowed the Moon
Forest Hu
Somesing
Trinocular
Vibyl
8 & a extra
Possibilities
Peoples pt. II
first mist over Clear Lake
Music, Us

Amazon.com

They say this CD was recorded between 2001 and 2004 "at home and on tour, in bedrooms, hotels, moving vehicles, parking garages...." But despite its name, this isn't an album of sketches, lost tracks, and other detritus. Instead, Artifact is a haunting document of ambient designs, trippy lounge, and cinematic atmospheres that occupy STS9's first new CD in five years. The "home" recordings are actually verité vignettes providing connecting tissue for songs like "Better Day," a haunting lament with breathy guest vocals from Audio Angel (Rashida Clendening), and the space-age lounge music of "Somesing." A band that plays as much as it programs, STS9's compositions have a natural flow and integrity, as if they were grown as much as computed. "Tokyo" is a hypnotic jam of slide guitar and electronic atmospheres lashed together on a kinetic groove sliced by dream sequence logic. Imagine the Grateful Dead going glitch on Miles Davis's Bitches Brew and you have a good sense of STS9's sound and why they've played events from the alternative festival Coachella to jam-band gatherings like Bonaroo. Artifact doesn't look back, but forward to a horizon still a few moments in the future. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Stunning.......2007-05-06

Regardless of their stature as a live act, this is a wonderful recording. Strong, interesting songs, beautifully played and produced, make this album an easy 5 stars.

Studio STS9.......2006-04-29

It is always difficult to listen to a great live band confined to the studio, but STS9 seems to bridge a gap. While I can easily say that STS9 is curently one of the strongest bands on tour today, studio work sometimes will take a second seat. However, in the case of Artifact, the tribe seems to weave a layer and texture of music that is often lost on traditional records. Innovation, energy and spirit define STS9 as best as i can. As the leaders of the "innovation generation" of the jam band scene, a la Disco Biscuits and Brothers Past to name a few, STS9 gives an energy that can't be matched. "Artifact" is just another step in blazing the ever evolving sonic soundscape that is Sound Tribe Sector 9

Lush Livetronica.......2005-09-08

Far from being sleep inducing, new age, elevator fluff, this is an uplifting, atmospheric album. Imagine a less brooding Massive Attack or a more adventurous Thievery Corporation. The music here is rich with sophisticated (but accessible) beats, a strong sense of musical exploration, and yet, capable of the wistful moments found in Kevin Shields' Lost in Translation soundscapes. This largely instrumental affair does feature a handful of melodic and soulful vocal tracks reminiscent of M.J. Cole, Koop, and Zero 7. Fans of Tortoise are easily encouraged to experience the wide array of musical ideas and sonic textures that Sound Tribe Sector 9 have produced.

Rather than songs engineered by those with a technological approach, musicianship plays the key role on this warm and intellectual electronica. Supposedly, STS9 are wonderful on stage (I admit to never having seen them live) but this review is based on the album in question and not on the group's direction or capabilities beyond the studio. A truly refreshing and lyrical album, `Artifact' is worthy of investigation.

Sorry Effort.......2005-09-05

I was really excited about this album and I can not even begin to express what a total disappointment it was. I kept thinking the next track would have some life or some beat and it never got going. Before you invest in this maybe pick up a live show somewhere --if they allow taping of course-- and see for yourself if you can stomach STS9. Still can't believe how overwhelmingly BORING this album is/was. And believe me I have an open mind to the type of cutting edge experimental music this is trying to be.

Much Better Live.......2005-08-02

STS9 has defined a new genre with their latest studio work: Elevator Trance. This album works better than a studio album. I came back from a concert festival fresh from a stunning STS9 show. I thought they were awesome, so I picked up this album. Yawn....use it as a sleeping pill if anything.

Average customer rating:

An Antti Keisala Comment: New Tapestries of Sound
Real Good!!!
Much better than you expect...
A Little Too Mixed Up
An amazing cd & dvd set

Pod (Bonus DVD)
Afro Celt Sound System
Manufacturer: Real World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Volume 5: Anatomic
Seed
Vol. 2, Release
Volume 1: Sound Magic
Volume 3: Further in Time

ASIN: B0001XAOWK
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Tracks:

Rise Above (remix by Simon Emmerson, James McNally and Mass)
Johnny at Sea (mix by Martin Russell and Mass)
Persistence of Memory (remix by Rae and Christian)
Further in Time (remix by Mass)
Full Moon Low Tide (remix by DJ Toshio)
Release (remix by Rollo and Sister Bliss)
Release It (Masters At Work segue/DJ edit)
Whirly 3 (remix by Simon Emmerson, James McNally and Mass)
Riding the Skies (remix by Mass and Simon Emmerson)
Eireann (remix by Mass)
Release (remix by BiPolar)
When You're Falling (remix by Wren and Morley)
Lagan (remix by Simon Emmerson, James McNally and Mass)

Tracks:

Persistence of Memory (DVD music video)
When You're Falling (DVD music video)
Highlights from WOMAD USA 2001 (DVD)
North (5.1 surround sound and stereo mix music video - DVD)

Amazon.com

Most remix collections are disappointing, as new snare beats and/or bass lines do not a revelation make. However, one might expect better from the Afro Celt Sound System, as their savagely exuberant, flawlessly produced African/Celtic/Eastern collisions in club-land have re-defined both world and dance music for all time. On Pod, the band has not only assembled a series of eminently collectible remixes but added fresh instrumentals to certain tracks, giving recent band members a workout while linking the band's various incarnations. Highlights include the ethereal "Johnny At Sea," which was previously available only as a byte on the band¹s website, and Toshiro Matsuura's "Fantasisita Re-Formation" remix of "Full Moon Low Tide," on which remote, forlorn-sounding bagpipes are enveloped in organically primal yet frigidly machine-like barrages of beats. The 2-disc package includes a DVD containing a pair of videos, plus strenuously edited highlights from the group's epochal 2001 performance at WOMAD USA. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

An Antti Keisala Comment: New Tapestries of Sound.......2007-03-01

I admit of not having been into this album until recently. I'm not generally fond of mixing songs that work in themselves and in the given context. But after "Anatomic", my stance towards this album changed. It's nice to listen to, the soundscapes are as rich as ever; I've come to think of this as the first cousin to "Anatomic" once removed, the needed chill-out between "Seed" and "Anatomic".

This is, above all, a fun album to listen to. Sort of like elevator music wrapped around itself times two. A new twist to the clichéd remix genre, much like how the band has been to the whole world music fusion phenomena. Just listen to the remixes of the song "Release", which is turned from a lament to celebration.

The distinction with "Pod" is that I can't find it drawing attention to itself nowadays I tend to listen to much of my music albums from start to finish while working, the music affecting in the background, and what stands out behind my wall of thoughts is not the difference of the remixed song when compared to the original but the overall looseness. This is a chill-out album if you're ever going to find one, at least according to my definition. That is, I think of that kind of music as such that channels your energy in ways that doesn't distract you from what you're doing yet is smooth and does work to change your perception of the surrounding environment. Profound musically yet not too marring; good-hearted; not too heavy-thinking and carelessly emotional. I prefer the original versions with only the Peter Gabriel song "When You're Falling" as an exception, but this album works so finely as a tapestry onto which you can hang your thoughts. It is decorated white space.

With best regards,
AK

Real Good!!!.......2007-01-19

I'm Spinning Instructor and I need music for push people to ride, Pod is perfect for that.....I'm very happy and I recomend other album from them, "ANATOMIC", fantastic too.

Much better than you expect..........2005-07-23

If you're put off by the idea of an album composed entirely of remixes of tracks that, in their own right, are more than good enough then think again... because this is really quite different. Conceived as an integrated whole, the Afro Celts take some of their best tracks and along with their guest producers come up with something that's closer to a superb live album than a series of "interesting" studio reworkings. Opening with a brilliantly ecstatic and very different version of "Rise Above" its trick is to sequence these harder, more club & afro beat dominated remixes pretty seamlessly into what becomes not only a genuinely exciting & cohesive record, but one that, if you know nothing about the Afro Celts, you'll be absolutely knocked out by.

The problem of course is that most people considering buying "POD" will already have many of its tracks and, as a result, comparisons become inevitable. But even on this pretty unfair basis it delivers some asbsolutely "must have" gems including, in addition to its quite stunning opener, versions of "Further in Time", "When You're Falling", "Persistence of Memory" & "Whirly 3", that are arguably better than the originals, two excellent "club" remixes of "Release", and the previously unavailable and ridiculously good "Johnny at Sea". Plus... you get a DVD which includes two ingenious and unforgettable music videos of "Persistence of Memory" & "When You're Falling", an excellent Dolby 5.1 remix of "North" with cleverly sequenced graphics, and a compilation of the group's WOMAD USA 2001 concert that really does capture how amazing they were when playing these tracks live.

Good enough then, from either perspective, to justify some of your hard-earned cash and much, much better than you may expect because it is, quite simply, this excellent group's best album to date. And that's saying something.

A Little Too Mixed Up.......2004-07-23

I am glad the Afro-Celt Sound System decided to revert to their original name after a brief stint (i.e. their last CD) as the Afro-Celts. I have been a big fan of theirs, and own all four previous releases. That is perhaps why I have mixed feelings (pun not intended) about this new CD, with "clubbed-up" versions of their original tunes. They have always been a band that, surprisingly and successfully, has melded Celtic and African song and instrumental traditions, with a techno update. And they know how to keep a groove going. Maybe it's because I appreciate their musicianship more than their dance-ability, but I don't quite understand the reason behind this disc, which sounds like a "greatest hits on Ecstasy". To me, the original tracks had plenty of movement and beat to them, and for the most part I still prefer the originals. This is not to say I dislike the disc; the source material itself makes it still a cut above the average remix compilation. But given the choice, almost without exception, I'd rather listen to the original versions. If you are just introducing yourself to this great band, I suggest that you start with any of their previous releases: Vols. 1 through 3, or "Seed", their fourth CD. (My personal favorite is Vol. 2.) The bonus DVD is interesting, particularly the concert montage video.

An amazing cd & dvd set.......2004-06-24

An excellent set of remixes with dvd extras from an absolutely superb group of musicians. Be sure to check into their albums -- Seed, Further in Time (aka Vol. 3), Release (2), & Sound Magic (1). You will not be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Editorial Review
Another very nice "Moods" CD
Very soothing and relaxing
Good but not great compilation
Good but not great compilation

Instrumental Moods
Various Artists , 3rd Force , Afro Celt Sound System , Craig Chaquico , Cusco , David Lanz , Enigma , Ennio Morricone , Eric Johnson , and Eight Others
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pure Moods, Vol. I
Pure Moods, Vol. III
Pure Moods, Vol. II
Pure Moods, Vol. IV
Pure Moods: Celestial Celebration

ASIN: B000006037
Release Date: 1998-02-24

Tracks:

In The Full Moon Light - 3rd Force
Knocking On Forbidden Doors - Enigma
Barcelona Nights - Ottmar Liebert
Montezuma - Cusco
Dawa (Cradlesong) - Sacred Spirits
Heat (From 'The Fifth Element') - Eric Serra
Tempest - Jesse Cook
Cliffs Of Dover - Eric Johnson
Midnight Express - Neal Schon
Weather Storm - Massive Attack
Samba Pa Ti - Santana
Sure-As-Not (Full Whack Dub) - Afro Celt Sound System
Widescreen - Vanessa-Mae
Gabriel's Oboe (From 'The Mission') - Ennio Morricone
Cristofori's Dream - David Lanz
Gathering Of The Tribes - Craig Chaquico

Customer Reviews:

Editorial Review.......2006-11-06

"Unlike its predecessors, Pure Moods and Celtic Moods, Instrumental Moods doesn't follow any specific style. Instead, it strings together a number of instrumentals from different genres, from new age (Enigma), reggae (Afro Celt Sound System) and worldbeat (Cusco) to rock (Eric Johnson, Santana), film scores (Ennio Morricone), pop (Vaness-Mae) and trip-hop (Massive Attack). The only connection these songs have is their laidback tone, and that happens to be enough, since the diverse range of styles prevents the record from being monotonous. Not all of the songs are familiar, but there are enough recognizable pieces to hold the attention of the curious, as they discover that Instrumental Moods is fine mood music. ~ Rodney Batdorf, All Music Guide"

Another very nice "Moods" CD.......2002-06-14

"Instrumental Moods" continues the "Moods" series of New Age music. It is probably the weakest "Moods" CD, but then again, these are instrumental songs, so they don't have any searing vocals in them. The few vocals that *are* in the songs have no real lyric to them. Here's a quick run-through of the ones I liked:

1. "In the Full Moon Light"--3rd Force. A jazzy instrumental dance piece combining piano, percussion and some kind of brass instrument that sounds like a trumpet. Very cool, great opener.

2. "Knocking on Forbidden Doors"--Enigma. A very nice piece, and certainly worthy of being in the "Instrumental Moods" compilation. Just remember that since it is instrumental, it is not one of this artist's best works.

3. "Barcelona Nights"--Ottoman Liebert. A peppy flamenco song featuring distinctive percussion and guitar work. It's sure to make you sweat!

7. "Tempest"--Jesse Cook. Another flamenco song, but a bit more contemporary than "Barcelona Nights", and just as much fun to listen to!

8. "Cliffs of Dover"--Eric Johnson. A great electric guitar instrumental, and the only roof-shaker on the CD. Curiously, however, it reminds me more of Hawaiian surfers than cliffs in Delaware.

10. "Weather Storm"--Massive Attack. See #2.

13. "Widescreen"--Vanessa Mae. An achingly beautiful song, featuring a seductively played violin.

14. "Gabriel's Oboe"--Ennio Morricone. A slow song, featuring the soothing sounds of an oboe. A wonderful example of the brilliant soundtrack for "The Mission".

15. "Cristofori's Dream"--David Lanz. This exquisite piano piece has the honor of being the most beautiful song I've ever heard, and my favorite one on the album. It's also in "Pure Moods III".

"Monteczuma" and "Cradelsong (Dawa)" are two good songs that are also in "Pure Moods II", but "Monteczuma" is much shorter in this CD, and this edition of "Cradlesong (Dawa)" doesn't feature Cherokee Rose, so if you're only buying this CD for those two songs, just stick with "Pure Moods II".

The rest of the songs ("Heat [from The Fifth Element]", "Midnight Express", "Samba Pa Ti", "Sure-As-Not", "Gathering of the Tribes") are just dull, forgettable techno. However, I would still say that this CD is worth buying, and is certainly one of the best instrumental compilations out there. A "Pure Moods IV" will be released in October--I can hardly wait until then!

Very soothing and relaxing.......2002-04-03

I'm a huge fan of the Moods series. I almost have all but a couple of the cds associated with this series. I just recently acquired "Instrumental Moods". Now while I do enjoy this compilation, I can't help but wonder how this cd is any different from the Pure Moods cds. A lot of these songs would be ideal for any of the Pure Moods cd like Enigma's "Knocking On Forbidden Doors" and Sacred Spirits' "Dawa (Cradlesong)". Another interesting tidbit, David Lanz's "Cristofori's Dream" is also on "Pure Moods III". I guess someone wasn't looking when that cd was compiled. Asides that I thoroughly enjoyed the compilation. The music is very soothing to relax too after a long day at the office. I particularly loved the tracks by Sacred Spirits, Eric Johnson, Enigma, Cusco, Ennio Morricone and David Lanz. There isn't a song on this album I did not like.

Good but not great compilation.......2001-12-07

With any collection like this a mixed bag is expected.The majority of the songs are fairly good but not really memorable i.e. the songs by Liebert,Cusco,Massive Attack,Santana,Ennio Morricone. The highlights are David Lanz's Cristofori's Dream,a tender, romantic tune;Jesse Cook's The Tempest absolutely smokes with flamenco fire, and Eric Johnson's Cliffs of Dover is one of the all time great guitar instrumentals.Most guitarists weep when they hear this piece because they know that if they tried 50 years to come up with a work this good they couldn't.This work alone makes the album worth having.

Good but not great compilation.......2001-12-07

With any collection like this a mixed bag is expected.The majority of the songs are fairly good but not really memorable i.e. the songs by Liebert,Cusco,Massive Attack,Santana,Ennio Morricone. The highlights are David Lanz's Cristofori's Dream, tender, romantic tune;Jesse Cook's The Tempest absolutely smokes with flamenco fire, and Eric Johnson's Cliffs of Dover is one of the all time great guitar instrumentals.Most guitarists weep when they hear this piece because they know that if they tried 50 years to come up with a work this good they couldn't.This work alone makes the album worth having.

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