International Music
For the past few months now, and especially since going to the Marrakesh over the weekend, I’ve been looking for good music that stems from international borders - especially Middle Eastern, Japanese, and Indian. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find anything that quite fits what I’m looking for yet.
The music at the Marrakesh was excellent - I just wish I knew the name of the artist, or at least the name of the compilation (if it was even a major release). I was pointed in the direction of a compilation called “Arabic Grooves”, but it’s not available on Allofmp3 and I’d really rather just download it. I found a composer of classical/traditional Japanese music named Kitaro, but that’s not really the style I’m looking for; I’m looking for more of a rock/electronica sound with strong bases in the aforementioned cultures (similar to that found in the recent Prince of Persia games). I’d check the radio at Split Magazine, which would probably be an easy way to cure what ails me, but I’m just too damn busy/lazy to do it right now. 
If anyone knows of some good music that matches my interests, please leave a comment; I’d really appreciate it. Actually, at this point, any really good music will do. I’ve been feeling somewhat uninspired by most music as of late. If anyone can point me to the Elebits soundtrack, that would also be terrific (I love that crazy techno-jazz but, honestly, the game gives me a headache).
BTW, if you’re in the Portland area then you owe it to yourself to check out the Marrakesh. It was one of the most delicious dining experiences I’ve ever had - it was certainly the most unique. Check out André’s review for more on that.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
February 24th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Dean,
If you want musicians to keep making music that you like, you need to buy their CDs and not download it for free. Considering that a CD can last 20-30 years if you take care of it, spending $15 is not an unreasonable fee. Plus, Putamayo, the label that makes the Arabian Grooves CD, is an indie label that can’t afford to lose money to free download sites.
So support the artists and buy the CD.
February 25th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Steve - I appreciate your concerns; so you’re aware, I neither download nor encourage downloading music for free via Limewire or any such services. Allofmp3 is a pay service. In fact, it’s practically a new business model - one that I encourage all record labels to look into and model their prices after. When considering how much it really costs to produce a CD, and how little the artists are compensated for their work, $15 is a bit unreasonable in my opinion.
February 26th, 2007 at 10:00 am
I understand where Steve is coming from, but I’d feel better about the whole thing if the artists actually got more than a dollar of that $15 I spent on a CD. I’m all about compensating the artists, trust me. Lining the pockets of record executives, however, isn’t something I relish in.
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Not sure if it’s what you’re looking for, but Cheb i Sebbah might fit the bill.