Elevation, Vol. 3
One of the better compilation series in circulation,Elevations 3and its offspring (particularly this third volume) are very appealing samplers targeted to listeners with an appetite for world/mystic/ambient/groove music. Showcasing 15 acts,Elevations 3is a feast of largely stellar tracks from the seductive, slow-twitch zone of the electronica spectrum. Opening with the gorgeous 1997 New Age pop hit "Love Song," byRonan Hardiman, the disc moves from one delicious track ("Rushing" fromMoby) to another (theDelerium-like "Lost" by Balligomingo. While not flawless (we could have been spared the childlike chanting of Yasue on "Peaceful Village"), the album is loaded with gems, including the beguiling, jazz-tinged throb fromSoma Sonic("Blueskies"), the subsonic stealth funk ofFaithless("The Garden"), and the whispered-in-your-ear passion of "Soul of Desire" (byPhobos). As soon as you exit, on Alkaemy's ethereal "Enchantment," you yearn for the disc to begin anew. Anyone attracted to "moods"-related samplers should investigate this one. Splendid listening.--Terry Wood