CD REVIEW: Tribal Trance Dance
By Steve Allat - 10/31/04
World trance? Yes.

I've listened to many compilation CD's before, especially dance and trance (being a drummer and world music listener) and this is one of the better ones that I've had the pleasure of listening to, let alone without having to seek it out. There seems to be a big 'risk' factor inherent in this type of compilation. Producer Ariel Kalma has done what few people in his position have managed to do - that is, to assemble songs from a variety of sources that really do blend together and also to produce them in such a way that the sonic tone of the CD is the same from beginning to end, which is really a treat.

On this disc, which features songs from Turkey, Morocco, Ghana, Brazil, the Americas, Australia and more, Ariel manages to assemble a set of songs of 'modern ethnic dance music with djembe, derbuka, native flutes, tabla, log drum and other exotic instruments', as well as to provide lush programming to tie the overall theme together. Only diverse vocals manage to really set some songs apart, with a special mention going out to Zehava Ben for her Arabic vocals on 'Razali', by far my favourite track.

There are no weak tracks here, only a diversity which will of course be to the listener's discretion to judge. After all, no matter how well performed, produced and arranged any compilation is, if you don't dig the didgeridoo at the best of times, then chances are you may not here. I must admit, though, that even some sounds I tend to not prefer were very 'softly' delivered, which is well-done, because 'harsh' and 'trance' just don't mix now do they?

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