Pharaoh Lounge

Performer: Various Artists
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Compilation producers: Shad Rabbani, Boris Granich. Slightly more straightforward than its sister collection Cleopatra Cafe, Pharaoh Lounge fuses Middle Eastern pop with dance rhythms. This combination might seem incongruous on paper, but it works surprisingly well in practice, with the dance-inspired rhythms playing off the winding Middle Eastern melodies in a hypnotic, kinetic fashion. Some of the tracks such as V48's "Comeback/Tequila Sunset," Cimarosa Sound Collective's "Peaceful and Quiet," and Leo Cesari's "Hopynski" veer toward a more straightforward dance sound, while Abhijit Pohankar's "Piya Baveri," Shad's "Kilamanjaro," and Nacho Sotomayor's "Island God" balance their influences more evenly. At times the collection recalls the new age/global fusions of Deep Forest and Enigma, particularly on songs like Shad & Kiana's "Voyage," which sounds like a slightly more ethnic version of the latter group's hit "Sadeness." While it's almost definitely not for world or dance music purists, Pharaoh Lounge has something to offer to fans of mood music who are looking for something a little more exotic. ~ Heather Phares

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