Planet Lounge  - Electric Bolero

 

Planet Lounge are Hakim Ludin (percussion, voc.), Naoki Kenji (keyboards, electronics) and Christoph Spendel (piano). Just to clear it, this is a Chill Out group not the Rock band with the same name to find on the IUMA website. Chill Out is a modern electronic music style with a dreamy groove. Usually the music is down-tempo and laid-back. The term is not musicologicaly defined. Chill out is often cited with trance, ambient, dance. It's a music driven by supremely toasty beats, warm electric pianos and brooding vocals. Electric Bolero was released in 2002 on the Liquid Lounge/ICM Media AG label.

Ocean Drive is a melodious groove with airy keyboards, light piano attacks and swaying rhythms. After a long intro the melody starts introduced by Christoph Spendel on piano. Hakim Ludin's percussion work is exceptional unique.

Mystical Pop is an electronic festival for the ears. Synthi sounds in the style of Jean-Michel Jarre, strings and vibes are developing a tight atmosphere in steady repitition of melodic contours. 

Tablas and electronic drum droven beats are propulsing Afghan Heart along the silk road. A male sing-sung electronically alienated throw in unrelated words.

Heavy slow beats are riding on Funky Diva. The synth melody has hit-quality. Impressing Christoph's Kawai piano solo and Hakim Ludin's bongo slaps. 

Exotic temple clocks and electronic synth waves are mixed to the airy Road To Neptune.

Trance Blues is a slowtempo tune, which accelerates surprisingly after the middle of the piece. World music electronic beats and the cruising electronic synths are the background of a quick synth run.

On Electric Bolero Hakim Ludin shows his tablas skills while the keyboards are producing a thunderous air.

El Cajonero is a musician playing the cajón, a percussion instrument imported by African slaves to the Peruan coast. A very rhythm emphatic piece with syncoptated music lines.

With the uptempo Talam we reach the dancefloor. Techno on the first half, then a slowdown break. A sing-sung as a rhythm element, synth waves and a hard beat.

Talam - The Remix is the above track with some additional parts.

This album is especially a must for electronic and percussion music freaks.

 

© HBH