The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia

Amazon.com's Best of 1999
Combining elements of world music with a techno aesthetic could easily end up sounding contrived, but in Banco de Gaia's hands, the combination is light, bubbly, and incredibly fun. The sunny momentum and cleverness of "I Love Baby Cheesy" alone makes this one of the best dance releases of the year. --Matthew Cooke

Tracks:

I Love Baby Cheesy
Harvey And The Old Ones
Sinhala
Touching The Void
144K?
Frog's Dinner
Glove Puppet
No Rain

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

Combining elements of world music with a techno aesthetic could easily end up sounding contrived, but in Banco de Gaia's hands, the combination is light, bubbly, and incredibly fun. The sunny momentum and cleverness of "I Love Baby Cheesy" alone makes this one of the best dance releases of the year. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews:

Not Bad.......2005-08-06

Playful and fun at times, this album is not bad. However I cannot give it more than four stars because it is not that good. Nothing is memorable enough for me to say, gee, I think I want to put The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia on! I have a lot of other better music to listen to.

My favourite album of all time........2005-04-04

I've owned The Magical Sounds... for almost 6 years now, and it's still without a doubt the most complete album I've ever bought. No Rain is, for me, the weakest song, though mainly only because it's merely very good, as opposed to incredible. The climax of 144k? is jawdropping, the intro on Harvey... is glorious, Touching the Void really is magical... Toby Marks has simply produced a defining album that'll have you smiling for years.

Marks' masterstroke is the longevity of the music. I listened to the album literally every day for half a year, and it's never become boring. No mere words can do justice to the greatness of The Magical Sounds... Buy it, now. For your own good.

recently rediscovered.......2004-09-29

I recently rediscovered this album while on vacation in Hawaii. Simply put, this is one of the best electronic albums ever made. Standouts (if I _had_ to pick them) include Harvey and the Old Ones, and 144K (which closes with 2 minutes of the most blissfully slamming samples you've ever heard). I've followed Banco de Gaia since his first album, Maya, and with each one, he just keeps getting better and better. Layering, creative sampling, instruments and sounds from all over the world, no one puts them all together like Toby does. If you only listen to one BdG album, definitely choose this one!

fantastically complex and unique.......2003-04-22

When people ask me why I don't care so much for trance, I play them "Touching the Void," which is the same concept (dramatic, building layers of ambient samples and synth layered over a monster dance beat), except a little bit slower and a heck of a lot better.
Banco de Gaia really doesn't keep a genre even within his own albums, but in general each album holds together. Compare this with a chronological neighbor, "Big Men Cry," and you will find that they are nothing alike. This album is definitely more focused on putting industrial breakbeats to a more peppy array of global chants and samples then some of its more mellow contemporaries, especially the drier follow-up, "Igizeh."
I confess that some of these songs are a bit long on the running time, but all of them are, as usual, masterfully crafted, original, and have something to say for themselves even when there's no words.

those who like Banco de gaia also like.......2002-11-23

If you like banco's music, you might want to check out Oliver Shanti, Natacha Atlas and Toshinori kondo.
Banco'S mix of electronica and world music is superlative.I call this "intelligent music"..I loved Maya, Last train to lhasa and Izieh. They are all awesome listening experience.

The experience is something totally different.I cannot express in words.. perhaps it appeals to more than just your ears.
Don't forget to try OLIVER SHANTI and NATACHA ATLAS. I rate these three as world music trinity..

awesome mix of tibetan chants,indian flutes , sufi music and native american prayer tunes..

Album Review: