This album is actually credited to the dZihan & Kamien Orchestra, which may give the wary music consumer pause, but shouldn't. For this very fine live recording, the DJ duo took advantage of a grant offered by the Austrian government (with the purpose of promoting Vienna's "future" music scene) and hired a 22-piece ensemble of musicians from around the globe -- former Miles Davis drummer Sammy Figueroa, a Turkish string section, darbuka player Ahmet Misirli, and many others -- and rehearsed them for a gala live program that was recorded for this CD. The result is wonderful -- not just lively and danceable, though it is both of those things, but also surprisingly elegant and complex. The combination of live instruments from a broad cross section of cultures with a liberal dose of digital electronica and advanced turntablism makes possible a huge variety of moods and textures, from the jazzy Latin roll of "Homebase" to the stuttering soulful hip-hop of "Basmati" (which features guest turntablist DJ Mango) and the exotic world-disco flavor of "Slidub," on which the string players really shine. The overall feel is of a combination dance party and orchestra concert, and it's more fun than three barrels of monkeys. [Live in Vienna includes a bonus disc with remixes of material from the dZihan & Kamien catalog.]
© Rick Anderson /TiVo