Zen World

Picking up right where his Real Music debut, Zen Pause, left off, Parisian-born new age master Thierry David further seduces the listener into a state of relaxation and higher consciousness via languid guitars, hypnotic keyboard textures, and a lush downtempo chill vibe. Besides lush ambiences, subtle heartbeat-like rhythms, and darker mood piano chordings -- all created and performed by the artist himself -- David has the incredible secret weapon of ethereal, single-named vocalists Audrey, Esther, Juvie, and Marcia, who add just the right human touch to all the engaging machinery with their wordless incantations. Like his previous work, there's a journey implied that is all at once external ("Asian Rhapsody"), mythic ("Babel"), and finally and most significantly, deeply internal (the darkly shaded and jazzy "Deep Inside," contrasted with the spirited yet subtle Eastern vibing joy of "Mystic Trip" and "Beyond Freedom"). As with his previous disc, Real Music makes mention in its promo materials of the fact that Claude Challe, initiator of the famed Buddha-Bar compilations, calls David "one of the few French musicians who legitimately belongs to the lounge chillout world." Zen World is a great way to get in touch with those inner voices while maintaining an awareness of finding peace amidst the craziness of modern life. ~ Jonathan Widran