Picture a bunch of Buddhist monks at a party, breakdancing to 70s urban hip-hop samples. Now imagine that all of this is taking place at the bottom of the ocean (like, in one of those futuristic underwater domes) and you might begin to get an idea of what this album sounds like.
Recorded in Morocco, France, the Czech Republic, Australia, Iceland, and New York, Breathing Statues truly is a unique cross-cultural musical experience. On “Fall In,” short bursts of sitar mingle with Harlem-style bass and drums. Bookended by lush solo harp, “Holographic” transports the listener to a paradisiacal Eastern waterfall scene. “Waiting For The Ground To Open,” with its odd-meter djembe and wood block accompaniment, elicits an ancient taiko drum circle.
There are many more exotic sounds to experience on this sonic travelogue. Young Magic proves to be capable of producing highly listenable – often melancholic – electronic music, and the beats will find even the most obstinate opponent to electronic music bobbing their heads in wonder. Perhaps one drawback of the album is that the vocals are often incomprehensible, but this nevertheless adds to the “aurally aquatic” atmosphere. (Last Gang Records, youngmagicsounds.com) Phil Enns