Welcome to our monthly column where we share impressions and uniquely evocative (meaning they will hopefully "touch you" in a special way) recordings, worth seeking out and sampling.

Once again, we explore three new noteworthy releases worth checking out and adding to your music collection. All are highly recommended and receiving heavy radio airplay on our nationally syndicated radio program, Musical Starstreams.

SHEILA CHANDRA: ABoneCroneDrone. REALWORLD 2356 (45 min). English based Indian songstress Sheila Chandra once again travels to the outer boundaries of contemporary instrumental based music. Although usually most noted in the past for her Indian flavored conventional vocals, this album is the third in her series of exploratory vocalese for Peter Gabriel's Realworld label, as she uses her voice as an instrument of tonal exploration. It's all based on her fascination with the drone as a means to explore "vocal art." This is an interesting concept and one that Chandra pulls off well. The cyclic, ever-changing nature of the voice/drone mix is both fascinating and mesmerizing. Each of the six drones has the ability to take the listener to deeper places and different spaces. If you want to create a Zen atmosphere in your listening space, are looking for music for relaxation or just appreciate soothing sounds, this album is for you.

NAID: Naid. BEVERAGE 529 552 (53 min). From Scandinavia, Sweden to be exact, comes perhaps the sleeper album of the year -- Naid, pronounced (NO-OID). What we have here is the energy of an Enigma and the coolness of the best in Ambient/Electronic. From the soft opening vocal treatments of Hanne Juul on "Blastjarnan" to the dubby flavors of "Cherdi," Naid is incredibly good, in fact, a serious candidate for one of our Top Ten Albums of 1996. After a few listens it becomes clear that this is where contemporary instrumental based music is headed and once again, the Europeans are blazing the trail. Simple yet sublime. This one will be difficult to procure, but worth the search.

OLIVER SHANTI & FRIENDS. Well Balanced. SATTVA MUSIC 007 (64 min). If you were a fan of our number one album of last year, the Sacred Spirits CD, which took sampled Native American sounds and mixed them with contemporary electro-dance beats, then Well Balanced follows a similar formula. There's also a taste of the In Existence release on Discovery records. The Sattva label is based in Germany, so this will be another difficult to locate import, but again worth searching for. (Hint: try Backroads Music at 800-767-4748.) Oliver Shanti has been wanting to do this album for nearly a decade, since his meeting with the late Sun Bear. Finally, after Sun Bear's passing, the album is complete and, for the most part, capture his spirit and essence. Well Balanced offers nice production quality and a fulfilling listening experience. A worthy effort.

Please always remember that ultimately what constitutes "good" music involves the personal taste of each of us. If we direct you to an album that you didn't know existed and you end up enjoying it, then we both feel a sense of accomplishment. As always, your input is welcome. Feel free to write in care of this publication.

FOREST is the producer and host of the nationally syndicated weekly radio program, MUSICAL STARSTREAMS (heard locally every Sunday night from 10pm to midnight on WNUA, 95.5fm) and can be reached at PO Box 1409, Mill Valley, CA 94942. E-mail: forest@well.com. Musicians or labels wishing to send material for review or airplay are advised that because of the huge volume already received, only compact disc releases will be considered.