Asura- Lost Eden

Written by Matthew Johnson

Artist: Asura
CD Title: Lost Eden
Label: TV Matters
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 11/6/04

Fans of electronic world music in the vein of Intermix, Deep Forest, and the Afro Celt Sound System will want to check out the new album from this French band. Starting off with the title track “Lost Eden,” this at first appears to be almost too pleasant, with major key down-tempo grooves mixed with Arabic vocals. Luckily, things take a darker turn on the more otherworldly, introspective “From The Abyss.” The jazz and soul fusion on “Raindust” might take things too far in the easy listening direction for dark music fans, but after that’s out of the way, the rest of the album is great. “Land and Freedom” is full of minor key piano arpeggios and whispered vocals, while the extended “Requiem From Nowhere” blends tense ambient textures with tribal percussions. “Fahrenheit” is also worth a listen, starting out with moody flamenco elements before kicking into mid-tempo trance, and “The Battle of Devas” works everything from Indian chants to didgeridoos into a cinematic masterpiece. The album finishes off with “Le Vol d’Icare,” which melds electronics and medieval choirs and should appeal to both Dead Can Dance fans and whoever bought all of those Gregorian chant albums and Enigma records in the ‘90s. Asura probably isn’t dark or heavy enough for EBM fans, but this band crosses genres the same way Delerium does, and many of these songs would fit the play list at a darkwave club.

Check out Asura on their record label’s website at www.tvmatters.com.