Customer Reviews

Arkestra One

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I was doing a search on Amazon.co.uk and came across this one while looking for Nina Miranda. I did a little more digging and saw that this was actually released in the United States this summer under Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL), Thievery Corporation's label. Seeing that, Nina Miranda and her style, I picked it up - albeit with no idea what to expect.

And I still have a little difficulty defining it. This is a dark cd - very much downtempo. Something to listen to at night with a drink in hand - or driving through the city. THe sound is rich with the soulful vocal (Miranda). The tracks just kind of go in and out - a consistent, easy flow. Notable tracks are the opener "Into the Light", "Seu Pariso", and sentimentally, "How could I love you More". But what sticks in your head is "Shine". Amazing song. "Train to Machu Pichu" seems like the perfect Nina Miranda styled track. Good effects, and her vocal dances along with the melody.

All in all, it's like the soundtrack to a dark yet passionate movie that was never made, but exists in your head. But mind you - this isn't something you listen to on a sunny day.

If you're a Nina Miranda fan, you'll probably be interested. She still has a great voice. But be warned - this is really nothing like her work with Smoke City. If you've picked up Blue State's latest, you may like this as well.

Beautiful...classy...stunning...therapeutic...relaxing...groovy...reflective...nostalgic...dreamy...sophisticated...sultry...exotic...stylish...and melancholy--these words sum up Arkestra One's very impressive debut CD on the ESL record label--Thievery Corporation's label for those of you who didn't know. Although some will find this CD a bit slow and meandering at times, it's absolutely perfect for those late night encounters and rainy days where you're just chillin' at home. Throw it in with Goldfrapp's "Felt Mountain" and Alpha's "Stargazing" and you've got a head-trip to remember.

Arkestra One's self-titled debut fits nicely with the (other)worldliness of the ESL roster, with its downtempo beats and international outlook. Nina Miranda, on loan from Smoke City, offers her vocals to about half the tracks, adding a Brazilian vibe wherever she pops up. "I Really Want You" and "Seu Paraiso" are perfect examples. "How Could I Love You More" is an ephemeral love song. A few tracks, however, take the international appeal a bit too far: "Train to Machu Pichu" sounds like a lost track from the first Deep Forest album, and "The Sirens" sounds as if it could have come off their second album. But, incidentally, the better tracks are instrumentals; "Into the Light," for instance, with its moody piano sample, swirls in a cosmic cloud of bliss and Hammond jazz. "Filling It With Sound" is a sunny little interlude (complete with birds), but "Man from the Audience" is darker while maintaining a certain irony with its religious revival sample. A promising talent.

No, it's not original. No, it won't change your life. But it is beautiful, and has more moments of sheer musical poetry than most groups manage in an entire back catalogue. I go for track number 5 (shine) as the loveliest.