From the record company that brought the world's musical diversity to the very same grocery store aisle as organic vitamin supplements and herbal shampoos, we have received yet another gem of our multiculturalist republic; Sahara Lounge. Scheduled to hit stores Jan. 27th, this release profiles modern collaborations that proceed from the "exotic rhythms and melodies of the Middle East, which have long served as a muse for musical adventurers." As the name suggests, Sahara Lounge seeks to marry nomadic desert yearning with the ambiance of the laser-lit dance club, the built-environment's answer to infinity.

These Arab flavored excursions in trip-hop offer a soundtrack more suited towards the headphones of a sentimental urban wanderer than for the serious move buster. The first track -"Shiraz"--from Ramin Sakurai (of the Supreme Beings of Leisure) project Sharif, features some sterling work by Essie Tehrani on the Persian santur. The ethereal texturing exotifies an otherwise lackluster rhythmic frame and efficiently introduces the concept of the compilation. If not for the sensuous timbre of Tehrani's santur, one might be reserved about giving the rest of the CD a chance, however it is enough to keep even the skeptics riding along for at least a few more stops. Lebanon's Nabiha Yazbeck answers the droning synths of the first track singing over a more in-the-pocket beat set at proper walking tempo. Melodically, the flamenco guitar and accordion similarly lighten the atmosphere. Maya Nasri, also from Lebanon, raises the bar set by her fellow countrywoman with her stately, hand-clap laden pop groove calling for honesty from a lover, "Khallini Biljao" (Keep Me Updated). Maya Nasri's voice carries the track and evidences her current status as one of the most popular young singers in the Middle East. The poppers and the breakers will get their fix with DJ Sonar's remix of Dahmane El Harrachi's "Ya Rayah," in which the Algerian's message to his fellow expatriates in France finds itself fittingly thrown into the foreign context of an old-school hip-hop beat. Lebanese band Soap Kills keeps up the pace with "Dub4me." Zeid Hamdan conjures up images of a Middle Eastern Augustus Pablo with the up-front bass line and melodica reminiscent layering he adds to the mix.

Perhaps the standout of the CD is the contribution from New York resident (by way of Turkey) Ilhan Ersakin, of Wax Poetic fame. Coming from a jazz background, Ersakin makes the wise choice of including a real drummer and acoustic bass, providing a smooth contrast from the rote drum programming of some of the earlier tracks. "Fly" could almost be confused for a track by Les Nubians. Ersakin is backed here by Wonderland, a group consisting of four New Yorkers and three Istanbul gypsies, and effectively negotiates these respective realms of his own experience. Roland Voss, heard here under the alias Jasmon, mixes the music of Egyptian superstar Mohammed Mounir. This German DJ is an experienced traveler abroad in the world of electronica and provides a snapshot of Mounir's music that is not with out its own charm.

Overall, the collection is successful in highlighting an emerging genre. While you might not be excited by each and every fusion, you will surely have some enjoyable moments exploring and maybe even gain a desire to further familiarize yourself with the vast array of music the Arab world has to offer.

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Contributed by: Matthew Tinari for www.afropop.org