New Reviews: September 14, 1998

Lights in the Dark is a collection of traditional religious music from the land of Ireland. Hector Zazou, the brain behind this musical landscape which will appeal to fans of both chant and Irish music alike, is a composer and producer who was born in Algeria and raised in Paris. He has made his name by working on albums of electronically-influenced World Music, but soon became a producer casting together theme albums. On Lights in the Dark Zazou brings together the likes of Peter Gabriel, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Carlos Nunez to create a sacred soundscape of traditional songs about the Passion, lyrics poetry, songs of the common folk, and music composed in secluded monastaries. (Detour/Atlantic Records)

The village of Angeli in Northern Finland is best known for the population's reindeer husbandry. The nearest shop is 70 kilometers away, and all of the village inhabitants speak the language of Sami and are referred to as European Indians, as the Sami are in fact the indigenous inhabitants of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Russian Kola Peninsula. The Sami language is that which is used to sing in the musical style of Yoik, a form of chanting which is very similar to that of North American Indians. The Girls of Angeli, on their new album The New Voice of the North have composed contemporary sounding Yoiks as well as pieces in the more recent tradition of the "Yoik-Song." The modern orchestration makes the sound easily accessible and will likely bring the world of Yoik to a larger audience. (Finlandia/Atlantic Records)