Gongland

Superb ethno-ambient:
Forrest Fang is one of the unsung heroes of world fusion; he's been creating his unique music for well over a decade. He's collaborated on a few occasions with the better known Robert Rich, adding his distinctive eastern sounds on violin to Rich's ambient soundscapes. On this, Fang's latest work, he continues his forays into ethno-ambient, here with his usual plethora of world music influences, including balalaika, Japanese palm harp, and Indonesian gamelan music, among others. These are all fused with keyboard electronics, which themselves span a wide range of sounds that fully complement the native instruments. Fang is particularly interested in how algorithms can be derived in electronic music--patterns that can be used to generate new patterns. This is a strong release, and should be heard by anyone interested in where world fusion is going these days.

Gongland:
Easily one of the best drone based ambient works ever produced. Gongland is an incredibly layered, complex, hauntingly beautiful album. A must have for every ambient afficianado. Move over, Eno!