OK fellas, get a life… when you open the door, the lights are dim and there’s a really amazing album playing in the mp3 player or the stereo. Case in point, I’m back from a stroll nearby with Zarco, my 7 year old Siberian husky. The mailman grabs me by the shoulder as he comes into our building and says: you need to empty out your mail box ‘cause I have more packages for you and they don’t fit…

I run upstairs and in no time I’m back at the mail box. As I open it, I realize our friendly mail guy wasn’t joking. Our mail box looks like some kind of alien succulent-plant made of paper bursting out of its wall socket. Amidst flyers and coupons, a padded yellow envelope. I smile… CD’s and DVD’s usually arrive in padded packaging.

Once upstairs I tear the yellow envelope open: a colorful paper CD package comes out. In its front cover: a sinuous –naked- waistline and a title: Naked Rhythm… While my eyes went back and stared at the bodacious body –darn it, the old trick still works- I thought to myself: Naked Rhythm… and a half you all…

Of course, one thing is the music, something quite different the packaging. I’m happy to inform however that this is one of those rare electronica CD’s in which the music kicks some serious ass and could’ve sold as well without the sinuous hips… although, on second thought…

OK, no more messing around, some tracks of the brand new Frequency (Naked Rhythm’s first complete compilation album) are so damn good they’ll quickly migrate into your I-Pod and will the be the rage at whatever party you play them at… In fact, the album is so good you can throw it uninterrupted at your next cool party in the house.

Truly, there’s a bit of everything for everyone in this compilation. After 3 constant weeks on my CD player, my favorite tracks in the entire album are:

#2 Babylon… (truly, this is where the album begins… this song soars with world music fusion and electronica down grooves… add the tasty rapping vocals mixed with a soaring middle eastern chant and you’ve got a mighty fusion club ‘sun’dwich… I constantly skip back to this song before I finally let the rest of the album go on uninterrupted… this is perhaps the craftiest of all the creations in this collection as well… tempos, instrumentation, vocals are all impeccable… on Sundays around noon, when it’s nearly impossible to have complaints from neighbors with no life, I select this track and blast the speakers oh my god so loud. Some vicious virus infects me and I’m ready to groove on.)

#5, Samba Bionic… (save this track for the moment when you announce the important facts of the party and then, blink an eye to your local DJ and have him go straight to the chorus… Rio de Janeiro’s carnival and John Travolta will come both to mind and you won’t even know why… besides, all the hips in the crowd, as if by spell, will begin shaking up and down…

#7 Sari Sky… (wait for the second half of this coaster, close your eyes and you’ll be at Burning Man’s playa wondering why the world outside suddenly seems so wrong and out of fashion all at once)

#8 Sundinaya… (this is another top favorite. Underground rave and Burning Man flavor all around… for mood instructions, read above)

Being a local outfit, Naked Rhythm should be proud of the true ethnic flavor instilled in all their tracks… the musicians are all exquisite and both percussionist/producers (Alex Spurkel & Avi Sills) definitely have a world sensibility while understanding the psychology of lounge.
 

If you’re in the lookout for a solid electronica compilation to refresh your collection, you should seriously consider this one. Although definitely on the middle eastern side, it will add nicely to your compilation of ethnic music mixed with modern beats. Also worth mentioning is that musical icons such as Sting both praise Naked Rhythm's fusion style and has had them as part of his own 'live entertainment' options. For a mere 15 bucks, shouldn't you?

For info on the artists or to purchase the album, go to www.caravanrecords.com or www.nakedrhythm.com