I, for one, have always been drawn to concept albums that come to reveal a story because, if done right, they contain such mystery and intrigue and with classical-crossover spreading as fast as it is, Sasha Lazard seems to standout among the other acts surfacing and I am very pleased with what I've heard so far and can only hope that she continues to follow the path she's currently taking and grow as an artist for she shows a lot of promise here.

Sasha was first heard with the haunting theme song to the popular anime "Princess Mononoke". She then put the wheels in motion for this captivating synthesis of styles. Her operatic voice is set to fresh, hip music with special guests DJ Spooky on "Battle of Erishkigal" and violinist Lili Hayden on "Tell Me Why" and "Awakening", which Delerium (Bill Leeb) remixes on the second take/closing track. The songs are mostly upbeat for she draws her influences from today's more modern sounds, including Reggae and dance, fusing contemporary electronic rhythms with Russian folk tunes and classical arias.

This isn't exactly new or groundbreaking and I wouldn't dare compare her to the amazing talents of Emma Shapplin and Sarah Brightman but she's got a gorgeous voice and the albums appealing nonetheless so I definitely recommend it to fans of this genre.

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The medieval sounding Latin-sung "Stabat Mater" is derived from 18th century composer Giovanni Pergolesi's religious composition of the same name. This track like others features keyboards and programmed drums familiar on Dido's No Angel. It is briefly reprised later.

Taken from the "Georgian Song" by Sergei Rachmaninoff, and featuring a melodic and melancholy violin solo by Lili Hayden, the trip-hoppy "Awakening" details the woman's flight to the underworld and the song sung by her earthly lover to bring her back. The Delerium remix for this stretches it an extra two and a half minutes, including thumping oontsa oontsa beats and bass which depending on one's mood, makes it cool or intrusive.

A medieval-like chorus permeates the religiously atmospheric "Ode To Innocence", taken in part from Giulio Caccini's "Ave Maria." The pulsing Massive Attack-like bass synth and a reggaeish rap by E-Day are prominent here. Definitely not as pure as Charlotte Church's rendition on Voice Of An Angel, but different.

Lili Hayden joins Sasha for "Tell Me Why" inspired by a section of La Traviata. Then, a French spoken word intro taken from Baudelaire's "Le Revenant" by Charles Fathy leads into the techno beat of "Forbidden Dance" also sung in French.

No backbeat is present in the quiet and haunting piano number "Romance," which highlights Sasha's lovely soaring voice, and a melancholy violin. My second favourite song.

The Massive Attack-like backbeat returns in "Temptation", adapted from Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov's "Charmed By A Rose", and sings of her seduction by the underworld's Incubus. The light techno and rap scratching by DJ Spooky characterizes the exotic Middle-Eastern/Russian sounding "Battle of Erishkigal." Sasha just vocalizes here, adding to the siren-like atmosphere.

My favourite song here is the lovely and haunting theme song to Princess Mononoke, alas all too brief. The description of the person matches that of the movie's title character: "when the sun has gone I see you/beautiful and haunting but cold/like the blade of a knief so sharp so sweet. nobody knows your heart."

If you can appreciate Sasha's voice enough without being too distracted by the constant drum and synth programming, this album is quite the ticket. The songs sung in Latin or French may lose the storyline of the concept, but Sasha includes a nice written bit detailing the conflict felt by the heroine:

"I live in shades of black and white. I am drawn to the dark... I rise to the lure of the lights. I am seduced by the pulsating, pounding sounds that spell danger. I am in constant conflict. I am touched by the sweet, the good, the kind. I am passionate about the dark, the tumultuous. I am ripped apart... torn in two by the battles I fight within my heart."

As for the album title, it's based on what red symbolizes according to text from Stephanie Busuttil's Red, be it seduction, life, death, euphoria, but most important of all, "red is the key and when applied to lips, will open all doors."

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Loosely based on the Sumerian myth of Inanna/Ishtar descending to the underworld, "Red" is a collection of tracks fusing opera vocal with electronic beats and arrangements. Lazard employs a number of collaborators, including violinist Lily Hayden, singer E-Day, and techno maestro DJ Spooky to deliver a hypnotic debut full of potential. The songs are all gorgeously arranged and delivered with standouts including the seductive "Awakening", the crystalline "Angeli", and the kinetic and rousing "Battle Of Erishkigal".

"Red" is a phenomenal debut album and speaks highly of Lazard's promise as a singer and arranger. Fans of Emma Shapplin and Sarah Brightman's more pop-leaning CDs will find much to enjoy here, while fans of Trance Opera and similar groups may find the tracks -- while beautiful -- lacking in kinetic potential. The CD also includes the aforementioned theme to "Princess Mononoke" and a remix of "Awakening" by Delerium which, while interesting, fails to improve on the original but could give Lazard access to a club audience.

All in all, a great album with much to like. Highly recommended for opera fans and electronica fans alike.

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