Customer Reviews

Ministry of Sound: Karma Collection (Limited Edition)

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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With the plethora of "Buddha Bar" lounge / supper club albums in the racks at silly import prices; it was only a matter of time until club compilation giants Ministry Of Sound waded in for a piece of the action. Happily, on this occasion, bigger definitely means better. This is by far the best album of it's kind in the marketplace, especially if you (like I) have found the Claude Challe albums to be all style and no content.

'Karma Collection' kicks off (predictably) with Jakatta's current cover hit of 'Ever So Lonely', and then hits you with a lovely sequence of Dave Pike's classic 'Mathar' (currently on the Jamie Oliver ad), Nitin Sawhney's sublime 'Sunset' and into Stereo MC's, Thievery Corporation and Massive Attack's mix of 'Mustt Mustt'. Special spotter points for including the snake song from 'The Jungle Book' sung by Susheela Raman, and for finding 90's Indie stars Ride's most cosmic moment in 'Rolling Thunder'. It then goes a bit 'sonic cathedral' with Marta Sebestyn, Moby and the Aled Jones On Ecstacy vibe of Dusted, before riding out with mellow masters Zero 7.

Disc 2 is a bit deeper, with the odd Celtic moment thrown in (Clannad repositioned as veteran chill out masters - whatever next?); and has some sweet simple pleasures with Grant Lee Phillips and Horace Andy on 1 Giant Leap's 'Racing Away' and Bjork's barely there ethereal presence on 'Harm Of Will'. All this comes in a lovely red strokey tactile box, with pretty gold embossed letters. Will definitely look good on that Heal's coffee table.

In conclusion, if you are a real fan of global beats, chances are you've probably got a lot of these tunes already, possibly on other comps. However, if you don't want to pay £30 for a French import; and you just want to relax to some sensual and seductive sounds from around our planet, or you are looking to turn on a friend to something which is definitely fresher and cooler than Another Bloody Chillout CD, shell out now amigos!

Given the proliferation of chillout albums, it can be hard to distinguish one from the other. The venerable dance label Ministry of Sound has already branched out into the chillout arena, but on "Karma Collection," they've taken the genre to another level by releasing an album of downtempo gems and Eastern-influenced tracks. The end result is one seamless groove that contains some of the most traffic-stoppingly beautiful selections I have heard. The usual guests on chillout albums appear (Thievery Corporation, Moby, Stereo MC's), but the real standouts are selections from Clannad, Susheela Raman, Fug, and the ever-etheral touches of Dead Can Dance. The entire collection clocks in at 2.5 hours, and not once did I hit the "skip" button on my CD player. This is ideal music for dinner, working at your computer, or a Sunday afternoon brunch. As with all imports, the price on this one is steep. But the reality is this: if you want quality, you're gonna have to pay. Of course, you can take the cheap route and get the second-rate domestic compilations, but you're only cheating yourself. "Karma Collection" is required listening for all chillout gurus and beginners alike. Although I nearly cracked my wallet to get this, it's worth every dime.

Not one to miss a trend, Ministry of Sound has astutely thrown their hat into the worldbeat dance ring, the hallmark sound for dozens of swanky French bars and massage therapists. MoS dubs it spiritually enlightening chillout, a succinct description. And while one could just say their A&R exec sent out a memo to round up three dozen or so popular ethnic-themed tracks for mass consumption...

The Karma Collection works for the simple reason that the Ministry knows their audience is the dance massive, and that audience wants an understandable, accessible entry into the ethnic sound. Much of these tunes are unabashedly floor friendly with a "worldly" instrument thrown in, a test of how much sitar you can sit through. Jakata's "So Lonely" is straight up charming psychedelic pop, dittos "Dave Pike's "Mathar." The lilting cabaret of Susheela Raman's "Trust In Me" beguiles, while Badmarsh & Shri's dreamy sunset ode "Sajanna" and Blue States's harp-filled folktronic remix of "Papua New Guinea" finally receives due recognition. This doesn't even include other hits by Nitin Sawhney, Dusted, and Zero 7.

Disc 2's where they crank the global dial, world chill far removed from the dance realm. There's mandatory Talvin Singh with a flute & breaks "Light," some floating symphonies courtesy of Ghostland and Craig Armstrong (the breathtaking "Weather Storm"), and for good measure some Celtic gospel courtesy via Clannad's 1985 track "Caislean Oir."

In fact, The Karma Collection has very few bumps in the road, barring the odd chanting ditty ("Mustt Mustt") or the spiritual sludge of Deepak Chopra's duff "Desire." Each disc has a completely different audience in mind, but the undeniable licensing muscle of Ministry of Sound insure at least one of these sets will connect with the listener.

As an electronica junkie who has invested that way more than her fair share in downtempo, import and electronica compilations - and grown bored with overly similar-sounding songs - this compilation is amazing. I listened to it very reluctantly, having heard so much similar material in the past, and I was shocked and impressed by now memorable and unique these songs are. They are all well-chosen and not repeated on every other compilation out there, unlike other comps where you already have half the songs. It's similar to the Claude Challe compilations, but Claude Challe's 2-disc sets pale in comparison to the Karma Collection as his are occasionally uneven. I never got antsy enough to use my 'skip' button to get to the next good song. The music is beautiful and exotic, without becoming boring or forgettable. The set begins up-tempo and eventually begins to wind down on the second disc. The lengthy 35-song playlist is impressive. It's expensive, but well-worth the price, especially if you're lucky enough to find it used. Highly recommended.

ORDERED THIS CD JUNE 1 2004.RECEIVED WRONG KARMA COLLECTION CD 6 WEEKS LATER.RETURNED THE CHEAPER INFERIOR CD AND RECEIVED IT AGAIN.BEWARE OF AMAZON ACCOUNTABILITY.TODAY IS AUGUST 5.STILL WAITING FOR AMAZON.COM RESPONSE.HAVE SPENT 10 DOLLARS TO RETURN UNORDERED CD.

I'm a massive Chillout fan and forever searching for the most blissed out tracks imaginable to bring calm to the tension I feel inside.
On top of this I'm a Taoist and love all manner of spiritual activities in order to more deeply understand the universe.
However, even I am at a loss when it comes to thinking of Spiritual Chillout songs. Is there such a thing? Can any song be deeply meaningful while also being popular & only 3 minutes long?

Well, this album does its best with what material is available & is a modest success. There were definite moments during the album where it fulfills its premise of being "Spiritually Enlightening Chillout" and (if you avoid the temptation to press the 'Next Track' button) then it does begin to flow through you and let spiritual feelings rise in your chest.

There is one issue though, and the best way of describing it is by analogy. In the Classic Disney film Aladdin, Aladdin's cave is found to be full to the brim with Gold. However (if I recall my films correctly) this Gold is illusory as, when picked up, it turns instantly to sand and dust, just like a mirage.
The same is true of this album - the album works well in its premise & appears real but, if you try & grasp any of the tracks, they turn to dust in your hands. Put simply, none of the tracks are any good on their own.

So, we are left with an album that is a good effort at something that I think is exceedingly difficult to do, namely create a Spiritual Chillout compilation. And, having experienced both Spiritual and Chillout CD's, I think the two aren't meant to work together anyway as one is glib and the other is deep.
As a result, I would recommend the two separately in the form of two of my favourite CD's.
Firstly I would recommend Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao as an aid to Spiritual peace.
Second, I would recommend Moon Safari as unquestionably the best Chillout album ever penned.

As for Spirtual Chillout? The nearest you would get is a Nitin Sawney Album, Moby (doesn't feature on here, even though he is a deeply spiritual guy) and Leftism. Even then, these things are limited and slightly Oxymoronic.
Maybe one day some genius will fuse the two - here's hoping!

I lost my original CD a few years back and it doesn't seem to available for sale anymore. So this 2nd hand version has been a blessing. It's in great condition and I can't stop listening to it. Thanks so much.

Ministry of Sound's second Karma Collection embarks on another excellent journey of the senses as only the experts of dance music can take you. Start in Ibiza, the theme of this volume, and travel to faraway lands in your mind with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Gotan Project, Sheila Chandra, Thievery Corporation, Fila Brazilia and many more.

If I could, I'd give this 4 1/2; since I can't, I gave a 4. For a large album, it does well. Only a few of the tracks are so-so, and even then, they are tolerable. If you are not familiar with the KC series, think chillout Indian and Middle Eastern style. A lot of sitar, a few songs in Hindi (I think), Arabic, or Farsi, etc... This is the overall feeling of the album. Also throw in a couple of African and Brazilian vibes here and there. I've played it at parties, and while I study or cook. It never disappoints. It's also a great a.m. drive to work album, as the title suggests.

If you don't own any KC, get the original KC album first, just because that one is truly five stars!

I am so glad to have found this ... for the first CD. In the beginning, there are a couple of good ragas on top of a rhythm section. Other selections are more electronica with the South Asian instruments stuck in for flavor. There are also various Western-style jazz, rock and alternative selections with Middle-Eastern & South Asian samples and melodies. Good variety but it's important to note that it gets less and less South Asian and more California as it goes on. The second CD is mainly California new-agey mood music that would be decent background music, but is otherwise boring.