If this is the Future, somebody kill me now!

OK, it's not as bad as my title suggests... I just thought it would catch your eye! I can't recall what prompted me to buy this CD, but more often that not lately, I buy CDs because I'd heard one of the tracks somewhere and liked it, or else it was recommended to me via Amazon.com, based upon my apparent taste/previous purchases made through their website. If I then read Amazon's review, and the CD sounds interesting to me, and the individual reviews are generally favorable, that's enough to get me to buy it.

Before I bought this CD, my impression was that it would be sort of a quirky, electronica kind of CD. Overall, it is just that, but I wouldn't say it's an "intelligent" kinda quirky, a la Dimitri or Cibo Matto. In addition, I'd describe the CD as having alot of lounge/bossa nova influence, with many tracks featuring the well-known Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto, who has a beautiful, sweet, sensual voice. While some of the songs are good, I think the majority of the tracks sound.... well... goofy. Kinda like Towa Tei, in an effort to sound kitschy, just sorta threw some sounds together, without really sitting back and analyzing them from a technical/artistic standpoint.

The first track, I Want to Relax Please, is my favorite on the CD. It's got an upbeat lounge-y sound, and is very FUN, with a subtle bossa nova beat. The second track is called Technova. I find the song to be rather flat; the only positive to this song is that the vocals are sung by Bebel Gilberto.

Batucada is the third track, and to me it sounds alot like the second track. There's really nothing special about it.

Luv Connection, track four, is also pretty "lame". It has a pop music sound to it, and somehow reminds me of that song that was popular a number of years ago in clubs, sung by that woman... "..and I miss you...like the deserts miss the rain..." The refrain in this track is "we've got a luv connection, baby". BORING!

On the fifth song, Meditation, the CD returns back to a somewhat bossa nova style of music, and added to this is an interesting overlay of spoken word. This song provides a nice "break" from the unoriginal, repetitive bossa nova style so prevalent in the rest of the CD.

Raga Musgo, the sixth track, is very short, only 1:45 minutes. It sounds like it has a bit of Middle Eastern or Indian influence to it, and simply consists of a repetitive, but rather hypnotic electronic rhythm. Again, this track also provides a nice (and much needed) interlude to the rest of the CD.

Son of Bambi is track number seven. It starts off with a definite attempt at an Indian kind of sound, and then incorporates a fast, pop tempo, along with "rap" style lyrics sung by singers who sound like they have perhaps Jamaican accents? This lame attempt at a "global" type song is unsuccessful, and just comes off sounding "goofy". Not only is the song "bad", but it doesn't go at all with the rest of the CD.

La Douce Vie provides another return to Brazilian samba style music, and while nothing "special", by this point you're glad to get back to the samba/bossa nova stuff after listening to the previous tracks that attempt to be hip or "pop".

Track number nine, Obrigado, is where Bebel Gilberto is allowed to really showcase what it is that makes her so popular. It is a beautiful Brazilian ballad, sung as a duo with Arto Lindsay. I am not familiar with him, but his voice is very similar to Caetano Veloso, and Arto and Bebel together remind me of duos between Caetano and Gal Costa. (Their duo CD called Domingo is nothing but wonderfully romantic, sensual Brazilian ballads from the 60's. Check it out!)

The last track is called Dubnova, and again, it sounds alot like some of the other Brazilian-type tracks on the CD, although maybe not as good as some of the others.

Overall I'd have to say I was disappointed with this CD. It's a little "all over the place", which would be fine, were they successful in doing it all well. If I want kitschy lounge/experimental electronica, I'd rather listen to Dimitri or Lounge-a-Pallooza. If I want Brazilian done well, I'd get a pure Brazilian samba CD. And the "global" and "pop" tracks thrown in? This CD just doesn't work for me overall.