There are no special features on Echoes tonight, but listen for two interesting new CDs operating towards opposite ends of electronica. One is Tempting the Muse by Mysteria. 
Mysteria is a studio project headed up by Mark Allison who has also records as Phobos and The Spirit Level. 
Mark makes a slick brand of electronica, using a lot of sample discs to get gothic choirs, ethnic flutes and voice samples. It’s a cut and paste aesthetic and he does it well, although I often find myself thinking, “Didn’t I hear that on X, Y and Z records?” That’s the problem with using stock samples like Spectrasonics, everyone else has the same sounds as well. It’s cool for commercial work, but not always art. But I do like that track “In My Soul” that we’re playing from his new disc. It’s a Moby lift, but let’s call it an homage.
Digital Samsara is an Israeli band that’s working in similar terrain, leaning towards more ethnic sounds, but it seems like most of their music is original samples and in fact, they have an acoustic version of the band playing middle eastern instruments. They aren’t as slick and polished as Mysteria, and that’s what makes them a little more exciting. Their CD, Blue Beryll isn’t out here as far as I know, but check out their site.
The Nightly Music Soundscape
