Music

Welcome to our monthly column where we share impressions and uniquely evocative (meaning it will hopefully touch you in a special way) recordings, worth seeking out and sampling. As the summer warmth begins to build, here's three more albums currently pushing our hot buttons.

The folks at Santa Fe-based Triloka records, slowly migrating back to the west coast and recently teaming with the larger Mercury label, offer up the third episode in the Trance Planet series with favorable results. Produced by L.A. radio station KCRW's Tom Schnabel, the compilation delivers a generous 13 tracks and 74 minutes of cross-cultural musical excursions. A colorful and tasteful exploration of artists from Africa, Germany, India, Israel and many other worldly locations, TP3 cuts through cultural differences by letting the music itself become a universal language. Once you get past the questionable "Ave Maria" remix, stand-out tracks include Tulku's "Ghost Dance," Stellamara with "Zephrus," Iki Levy's "Lovelorn" and Armenia's Djivan Gasparyan's haunting "A Cool Wind is Blowing." If you've already sampled the first two Trance Planet offerings with welcome results, then Volume Three continues that tradition.

Veteran composer and performer Richard Souther offers his unique musical arrangements and interpretations of 12th century mystic, healer and composer Hildegard Von Bingen. A fresh, inspirational journey through Celtic, Gaelic and Gregorian themes that are uniquely Hildegard's,yet contemporary and timeless by today's musical standards. With vocal treatments from a cast of contributors including Sister Germaine Fritz and production work from Tony McAnany, who is perhaps best know for the "Visions" album Illumination, conveys a refreshing mix of classical and contemporary. The opening three tracks are particularly enjoyable. In a musical marketplace bursting with renditions of Hildegard's music, Illumination sets a new standard.

From north of the border comes this sparkling compilation of modern day Canadian electronic music performers. An engaging exploration of whirly, ambient flavored electronic grooves that will take you from the dance floor to the sofa, to the headphones and back again. Stand-out tracks include the opening piece from Watershell and the spacey "Sandcastle" from Pilgrims of the Mind. For those of us that thought that the coolest electronic music was coming from performers in the UK and Europe, this album is a pleasant and welcome surprise.

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.

FOREST is the producer and host of the nationally syndicated weekly radio program, MUSICAL STARSTREAMS (heard in Chicago 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@starstreams.com, on the web at: http://www.starstreams.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.

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