Some albums in chillout just give you a boring one sided view of the genre. Zen Connection 1 aims to do the opposite by giving you a completely different view, encompassing the globe. What makes this so different? Read on to find out

Chillout/Ambient/Downtempo Album of the month for March 2004

Zen Connection 1 (oneworldmusic)

Most chillout releases these days tend to incorporate only one view or one side of the genre. This album does something completely different, it gives you a broad spectrum of chillout music. This is Zen Connection 1, which tries to give you a smooth blend of chillout beats from around the globe. It was made by Leigh Wood, who is the label manager for one world music and he gives you a cd from the east and a cd to the west. It basically gives you a wide variety of chillout music, while not sounding too one sided or boring. The first CD gives you sounds from the eastern part of the globe and the second CD gives you sounds towards the western part of the globe.

Packaging - The packaging of this double cd is well done. It comes in a box and when you open it up, it contains the cd's with a nicely put together booklet, which explains the theory behind it.

CD 1 - From The East

1.No Noise - Karma Shabda

The first track begins with a laidback groove and it is driven by a guitar. Here they add a vocal, which I've heard before. It is the same as Tarrantella's Karma, who used it first, I don't know. The vocal works well with the background here and sets you off on a pathway to a smooth journey.

2.Mariners - Ipirotika (Balearic Ibiza Mix)

This starts with the sound of rain, which is followed by weeping strings. This calm seductive vocal comes in and with the background of the strings, carries it to the end. This is done in the style of Banco De Gaia.

3.Nitin Sawhney - Breathing Light

After the first two tracks, we really start to get going with this chillout groove and this starts with the always-fantastic Nitin Sawhney. The song starts with a BBC News report about Sarajevo and then a piano part is brought in. A sample of Nelson Mandela speaking "We Are Free" is used at different parts in the song and it is first heard here, it was actually recorded in South Africa by Nitin Sawhney himself. We have some lush flutes that enter immediately after the vocal and it gives you this amazing feel. The bassline is then brought in and it is almost drum'n'bass but not quite and it is pushed near the background. This is a truly amazing music odyssey and the first cd is just getting started.

4.Susumu Yokota - King Dragonfly

King Dragonfly is a good choice for a track in this compilation because it is well made and has that chillout feel. Here the producer makes instruments to sound like a dragonfly, which is brilliant. A vocal is added, it is not in English and I don't know what language it is but it is effective. There are three different piano parts here, which are all combined into one and it definitely makes this song. This is true genius on the part of the artist here and it fits in so well with the CD.

5.Badmarsh and Shri - Mountain Path

With Mountain Path, you get the eastern background feel to this CD. Mountain Path is started with a guitar and you get an Indian feel at this point. An Indian background is involved and you get the feeling that this is diverse chillout. How many cd's do you get that are well and not afraid to use foreign music? A unique vocal is used and a flute is added and it adds to the CD's aim for diverse chillout and it adds a one of a kind sensation with this song.

6.Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Dark Eyes

An acoustic guitar starts this song, which has an eastern feel, which adds to the cd 1?s title of "from the east". The song is driven by a foreign instrument, which has an eastern feel to it. The vocal here is a chant, which gives you the impression of something from Turkey. Dark Eyes continues in that mode till the very end.

7.Phil Thornton & Hassam Ramzy - Last Words by the Temple

We continue the eastern chillout feel with "Last Words by the Temple", which works quite well and you get the unique flavor of music from around the world. This has an Egyptian feel to it and it uses some foreign instruments (most of which I have never heard). It reminds me of the television documentaries on the Egyptian Pharaohs. It also shows that chillout can be diverse and still sound incredible and still fit into CD's.

8.Amanaska - Panorama

Amanaska makes use of a lot of foreign instruments and makes use of a lot of foreign sounds to make their music. Their CD will be reviewed shortly but this is track eight on the eastern cd, we have already gone into a tremendous journey into Eastern sounding music and it gives you a relaxed feel.

9.Mega Om - Bombay

Mega Om's Bombay is another eastern influenced song. We start with a laidback groove and an Indian chant enters and just as the chant starts, drums enter into the song. It goes more layered and it works well with the eastern influence of the first cd.

10.Jasmon - Dimdanana

An organ starts song number ten and this is another Indian song here. We have a main male vocal that simply says "Dimdanana", which repeats itself. This song captures the eastern mood of the CD. This may not be some people?s idea of chillout music, but this song is truly chillout and it fits well into the cd.

11. Fahtima - Arabic Odyssey

We go from the Indian influence of the last few songs to an Arabian influenced song. This is the shortest song on the first CD. It uses Arabian instruments (most I have never heard before and cannot guess at what they are). Fahtima makes use of a chant like vocal, which adds to the laidback feeling of the first CD.

12. James Asher - Spice Souk

We now leave the Arabian feel and head for a more Turkish feel. This CD is really a representative of Eastern Chillout. This adds unknown instruments with a Turkish feel but it uses a flute to great effect here.

13. The Itch - Gift

"Gift" is the second last track and it starts out with guitar type instruments, then adds nature samples, which adds to the chillout aim of the CD. I find this song is incredibly calming and very soothing.

14. Bob Holroyd - A Different Space (Radio Edit)

The last track on this CD is a Banco De Gaia type track. It is extremely laidback and extremely calm and well done.


CD 2 - To The West

1.Baby Mammoth - And I'll See You

The second CD starts with an entirely different direction than the first CD but it is still chillout. Baby Mammoth is from the Pork Recordings stable and this is an excellent way to start off the second CD. We start with Old School Flavor drums and a nice calm organ enters. A funky bassline follows and then we have a female vocal enter and the vocal is not completely clear on purpose but she sings "And I'll See You". Why start lightly when you can start with a BANG!

2.Gotan Project - Queremos Paz

This continues the funky chillout vibe. This is driven by drums and an accordion and it contains a Spanish vocal, which adds to the Western feel. Queremos Paz is a nice builder track to set the tone for the rest of the second CD.

3. LTJ Bukem - Journey Inwards

We have "Journey Inwards" open with a flute solo, which is a good opening. Now piano parts enter into this incredible tune. You get the feeling of nice calm music. Next we have the strumming of a bass added to the song. It adds to the overall vibe of the second CD and adds to the song nicely. A flute returns a bit later with some funky background noises. A good selection and great builder tune as well for a chillout album.

4.Stef - Afterlife

This is the longest song on the two CD album. We begin with a vocal that goes "Afterlife"..(then adds a French verse which translated means "Give Me Serenity"). Some western sounding drums are added with this electronic feel. About 4 minutes in, we have another vocal enter and it is foreign and not clear but it does not take away from the tune, I believe it adds to the song. We have some more crazy foreign samples added at different periods till the very end of the song.

5.Amanaska - EaseBack (Americana Remix)

Amanaska's review will be up soon but this is a remix of one of their songs and this fits well into the western feel of this cd. It starts out with a jazzy feel and with drums in the background. It has what sounds like a saxophone added to it, which continues the laidback feel.

6. Manana Mundo - El Sol Ylas Estrellas

This starts laidback with some cool effects. It makes great use of some instruments (which are unknown). A female vocal enters singing what sounds to me like Spanish. It adds to the song, gives it a calm feel. You start to realize how Leigh Wood put this together with all the different sounds of chillout and made it sound complete and well thought out.

7. Airstream - Electra (Short Chill Mix)

This starts with some altered xylophone beats, and has a calm background. I would say that this is the best track on the 2CD compilation. About fifty seconds in, we get this waterfall sound. The track is made better by this vocal that enters, which I believe it makes this track better than the others. Electra is a true gem of a tune.

8.Ornament - Elgarhythms

Elgarhythms starts with an electronic feel. You feel like you are in a cave, which gives you an almost ambient feel. The song is hard describing but sheer brilliance.

9.Jon Hopkins - Private Universe

Private Universe starts very slowly and the music starts faintly. It slowly comes in and has this hook that really gives the track, it's great feel. This is an Ulrich Schnauss type song and it sounds really good.

10. Order In Chaos - Ocean Drive

Ocean Drive continues the ambient feel of the second CD. This starts with an ambient background and an unknown male vocal. About 40 seconds in, they add this hip-hop feel with scratches and the drumline sounds so hip-hop. It carries like this till the very end, Who said you could not combine different elements with chillout and make it sound incredible?

11. Ensemble Ethnique - Bossalounge

This is done in the style of the Thievery Corporation (who are based out of Washington). We have this bossanova style with this lady singing in a foreign language and the vocal sample of a child in places, all backed by the jazzy/bossanova feel.

12. Riley Lee and Small Defence - Deer Horn

The second last track to round this excellent compilation is Deer Horn. It is a complex song, which makes use of a lot of instruments. It certainly fits into the second CD, which is trying to give you the western feel

13.Nacho Sotomayor - Too Far

The last track of this 2CD compilation is called "Too Far". We finish off it off with a chilled track, which makes use of guitars and a foreign vocal. A truly warm sounding track and a nice way to end the cd and the compilation.

Tracklisting

Disc One - From The East

1.No Noise - Karma Shabda
2.Mariners - Ipirotika (Balearic Ibiza Mix)
3.Nitin Sawhney - Breathing Light
4.Susumu Yokota - King Dragonfly
5.Badmarsh and Shri - Mountain Path
6.Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Dark Eyes
7.Phil Thornton and Hossam Ramzy - Last Words By The Temple
8.Amanaska - Panorama
9.Mega Om - Bombay
10.Jasmon - Dimdanana
11.Fahtima - Arabic Odyssey
12.James Asher - Spice Souk
13.The Itch - Gift
14.Bob Holroyd - A Different Space (Radio Edit)

CD 2 - To The West

1.Baby Mammoth - And I?ll See You
2.Gotan Project - Queremos Paz
3.LTJ Bukem - Journey Inwards
4.Stef - Afterlife
5.Amanaska - EaseBack (Americana Remix)
6.Manana Mundo - El Sol Ylas Estrellas
7.Airstream - Electra (Short Chill Mix)
8.Ornament - Elgarhythms
9.Jon Hopkins - Private Universe
10.Order In Chaos - Ocean Drive
11.Ensemble Ethnique - Bossalounge
12.Riley Lee and Small Defence - Deer Horn
13.Nacho Sotomayor - Too Far

Conclusion:
CD 1 is well put together and well thought out, my only problem with it, is that it goes too much into eastern music. Besides that, it gives you unique tracks and gives you a truly good journey into chillout. CD 2 is worth your money alone. It is such a good representative of chillout and it gives you unique tracks that you rarely hear elsewhere. A very solid compilation and it is really worth a look.