Asian Lounge

The next destination in Putumayo's "Lounge" series of contemporary ethnic fusion music, ASIAN LOUNGE spotlights grooves from India and the Far East. Electronic beats proliferate most of the tracks, along with sultry, night-club style ambiance. The album opens with a wonderfully chilled cut from the Japanese duo Yoshida Brothers, who are known for their modern take on the music of the lute-like tsugaru-shamisen. Also nice are cuts by Bali Lounge and Nataraj XT, which have a mystique that would make them ideal for a "Buddha Bar" type establishment. Rounding things out are a pair of tracks from Asian fusion purveyor Prem Joshua, "Koyal" from Nitin Sawnhey and an excerpt from Deepak Chopra's OCEAN OF ECSTASY. This is a great album for those who like Eastern music with a touch of Western thrown in.