Released in 1993 and featured on the original Pure Moods, I think it is safe to say that this was a seminal album in the development, or at least the popularization, of World Fusion. As the liner notes describe, the album is written around the chants of various African peoples; "...Baka chants of Cameroun, of Burundi, of Senegal and of Pygmies..." While Sanchez and Moquet didn't traipse around Africa themselves, they did work with field ethnomusicologists Hugo Zemp and Shima Aron to get real source material.

The songs of Deep Forest are generally centered around one or a few chants, which may be processed but sound fairly "intact." Other chants are rearranged and more heavily processed, and together with generous synths and drum machines, form the backing music. Some of the synth lines may have been intended to sound like wooden flutes (such as those on Sweet Lullaby(2), which is my favorite and was the track included on Pure Moods), but if so, the synthesis isn't very convincing. The album alternates between energetic, moderately uptempo songs like Savana Dance(6), and serene, downtempo tracks like Sweet Lullaby(2). The First Twilight(5) and The Second Twilight(9) offer reprieves from the drum machines in the form of New Age soundscapes. Yet, if you're listening actively, the album begins to sound repetitive before you reach its end.

In 1998, a new version of this album with four additional remixes was released, called World Mix, and that is the version I have. In my opinion, this ruins the flow of the album. When the "Round the World Mix" of Sweet Lullaby(11) kicks in, the bass drum feels like a punch to the solar plexus. I like the "Apollo Mix" of Sweet Lullaby(12) decently well, but its really a trance song, and I appreciate it on those terms - it has a place in my library, but not on this album. In summary, Deep Forest is a good album to own, both historically and on its own merits. But, if you can find it, I recommend the consistency of the original over the extra tracks of World Mix.

The voice of a Transylvanian folk singer named Marta Sebestyen (Marta's Song(3) is among the highlights of the album) inspired the Eastern European theme of Boheme, but the voices and music of Asians and Native Americans also permeate the album.

The faults of the first Deep Forest album are not to be found here. While everything but the chants on Deep Forest was synthesized, Boheme incorporates acoustic instruments to great effect, such as the accordion in Deep Folk Song(7) and the plucked string instrument in Cafe Europa(10) (or perhaps it's hammered - I do wish there was more information about instrumentation in the liner notes). The electronic sounds of the previous album are present here, but they are more varied and interesting. The widened sonic palette of Boheme prevents the repetitiveness that tarnished Deep Forest. I find Lament(5) and Freedom(8) to be particularly moving songs.

While I more often prefer Music Detected out of Deep Forest's albums, when I'm in a World Fusion mood with an emphasis on the "World," this is the best CD in my collection.

Comparsa is the last album in Deep Forest's seminal style, and it's also my least favorite of their albums. Many of the vocals are somewhat abrasive, and the drums are often too driving. Appropriately, given its Carribean theme, it has a lot in common with a steel drum band; it's very festive, and fun for a bit, but it gets old fast. The relentless beat of Madazulu(3) exemplifies the negative side of this "you're going to be excited, and you're going to like it too" spirit, while the title track Comparsa(6) is a more enjoyable track in the same style. The album's slower, more Ambient tracks like La Lune Se Bat Avec Les Etoiles(11), Deep Weather(5), and Tres Marias(8), are all the more sweet in this context.

There are some shining moments on Comparsa - a virtuosic accordion solo here, a moving vocal line there - but on the whole, it doesn't live up to the high standards set by its predecessors. By all means, listen to some samples if you get the chance, and see if you like the upbeat, Cuban flavor. I, for one, don't listen to it very often.

There are two ways you could look at Music Detected. For a long time, I viewed it as the same type of album as the first three, but with the Theme being something like "modern American" music, rather than the folk music of a particular region. The album's drums, played by David Fall, are very rock-influenced, acoustic and cymbal-heavy. Electric guitars make an appearance on the album, and guest vocalists sing in English (rapped vocals are even heard in Elemental(7)). From this perspective, I would rate Music Detected as a 5 from the World perspective.

Having done a bit of reading, particularly on Michael Sanchez' site (linked in the bio up top), I have come to understand that the notion of a Rock-based Theme in Music Detected is my mind's invention. In truth, Sanchez and Moquet have simply decided to move Deep Forest's sound in a Rock direction. Apparently, this transition began while they were scoring the film "Le Prince du Pacifique" (the soundtrack is just called Pacifique), but I've been unable find that album at anything less than import prices.

While the most noticeable element of Music Detected is its Rock influence, there are some fine World sounds as well. I'm particularly pleased by Kifu Mitsuhashi's shakuhachi work on Yuki Song(5) and Will You Be Ready(10), which is a refreshing departure from the now-tired style popularized by the first Enigma album. There are also interesting international vocals and percussion scattered throughout the album.

The main vocals on Music Detected are very different than on the previous Deep Forest albums. Vocoders carry the melody on a few tracks, including the well-intentioned but over-the-top single, Endangered Species(2). A number of songs features guest vocalists, including Angela McCluskey (Will You Be Ready(10)) and Anggun (Deep Blue Sea(9)). My favorite track, Yuki Song(5), features powerful vocals by Beverly Jo Scott. This is immediately followed by one of the vocoder-based tracks, Beauty In Your Eyes(6), which has a heavy, almost Industrial vibe. Together, these songs form 10 minutes of driving, soulful, sonic euphoria.

I understand that a lot of Deep Forest fans were very disappointed by the change in direction that Music Detected represents. This is probably why it's no longer manufactured here in the U.S. This was the first Deep Forest album I bought, and it would seem that approaching it without preconceptions helps, because it is my favorite Deep Forest release. I imagine it's a bit too hard-edged for some of Deep Forest's established fan-base, but hopefully this review has helped you determine whether you'll care for it. If you decide you really like the Rock influence, I'd recommend checking out a band called VAST. They're considerably harder and much more of an actual rock band (too much so to be reviewed on a "Nu Ambient" site), but they make some great music.