After reading little bits here and there about this release for a couple months or so, I followed the advice of one of my readers and tracked it down. What I was greeted with is easily one of the best electronic releases that I\'ve heard yet this year, and a disc that has provided a perfect soundtrack to several summer days already. Coco de Mar is a melange of opera and modern electronic production, with a touch of hip-hop (!!!) thrown in for flavor. All of this, courtesy of Adam Plack (the musician behind Deepak Chopra\'s A Gift of Love 1 and 2).
From the description, you would think that classic opera with modern beat work would be incongruitous at best and a train wreck at worst. But in Plack\'s deft hands the mixture soars. The mix of left-field beats, smart programming, lush melodies and vocals, along with some of the most familiar pieces of Puccini, Bizet and Handel is nothing less than astonishing. In fact, it\'s one of the warmest sounding electronic releases that I\'ve heard in a long time, easily destroying the argument that all electronic music is cold and soulless.


The release opens with the short Lakme, and gives the listener a quick dose of things to come; mixing the drifting melody by Delibesa, soaring vocals by Ce-lo, with watery drum programming. Fire updates Carmen\'s fiery vocals with subtle beats. About halfway through, the track shifts gears ever so slightly, turning the somewhat bittersweet beginning into a grin-inducing close. If I can find any faults with the disc, it\'s that some of the latter tracks on the release run on a smidge too long, but when you\'re speaking of music like this, that\'s kind of a minor quibble. While some (especially hard core opera fans) might find Coco de Mar a little fluffy, it\'s another little electronic pop gem that shows off Planck\'s subtle musical touch in mixing vocals, numerous classic melodies, and unobtrusive drum tracks. Highly recommended.