Noir: Smooth Female Trip Hop
"The genesis for this compilation was the lack of success I had in buying one for my own enjoyment. There simply weren't many trip-hop compilations out there, and several of them wound up leaning much more towards slowed-down techno or washed-out easy listening.  As a listener, I wanted something that had the languid, laid-back vibe of Portishead or Massive Attack, something that offered moments of stark beauty alternating with warm rapture.  Rather than involving the bigger bands that the mainstream had already embraced, I spent a lot of time looking for material from bands around the world that hadn't blown up yet.  This disc has cuts from bands in Japan, Russia, the UK, and the US.  I probably listened to 300-400 tracks before selecting these 14 to appear on the disc and I'm very pleased with the results. I was on vacation in Vegas and while having dinner atDrai's, this disc started playing about halfway through dinner, which was a big thrill for me. I hope people enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together."