Vol. 9-Buddha-Bar

George V Records presents the long awaited "Buddha-Bar IX" by our very own DJ Ravin. Placed under the sign of England, the new George V compilation should yet again stick to people's minds. Why England? Firstly, it is widely recognized as the music country by excellence, but also and more importantly because September 2007 will see the opening of a Buddha-Bar in London, two steps away from the infamous Waterloo Bridge. In our newest release you will find 31 exotic tracks in a very attractive double disc box, guaranteed to put some "Zen Spice" into the musical lives of Buddha-Bar lovers past, present and future! Amazon.ca This volume is the latest in series that began as ambient music for upscale, celebrity-studded, Buddha-themed restaurants (the flagship venue is in Paris.) But largely due to frenzied word of mouth, the tunes quickly outgrew their initial parameters, becoming massively popular in nightclubs and with private listeners. Compiled by DJ Ravin, who has been involved with the project since the first pair of groundbreaking albums, the present two-disc set celebrates the opening of a new Buddha-Bar in London. But aside from reflecting the multi-cultural population of this, or, for that matter, virtually any other large modern city, the set list has relatively little to do with any precise physical location. Titled Royal Victoria and Baron's Court, the twin programs are typically chilled-out and multi-layered, sometimes anchored by frigidly precise snare beats. Some tunes have a louche, urban feel, giving an almost cartoon-like nod to forties film noir or a bal-musette of the imagination. Others offer forlorn-sounding Albinoni-like strings, disembodied synths and chorales that seem to descend from, yet linger, on high. Still other tracks journey to Africa, Asia, the Middle and Far East, with handmade flutes, fiddles, and percussion, plus intersecting, overdubbed solo voices imported from various locales. After so many years and innumerable imitators, Buddha- Bar obviously is no longer quite the latest thing, but still wields the indisputable clout of an original. Longtime fans will certainly find a lot to like here. --Christina Rode