A New Day – Laya Project Remixed

Back in #59, Songlines reviewed a singular music project that saw producer and composer Patrick Sebag go in search of field recordings across the areas affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Polk songs of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar and India were recorded on location in villages across the region, then mixed and sequenced by Sebag. World roots meeting electronica is nothing new, but this remix collection takes that treatment one stage further. Here, a veritable who's who of world dance producers, including DJ Pathaan, MIDIval PunditZ, Kartick & Gotam, Cheb i Sabbah and Karsh Kale, take the original Laya Project and give it their own spin.

Across two CDs, tracks from the original Laya Project reach a level of blissed-out calm that would suit the beach bar of many a palm-fringed Asian bay. These snapshots of unknown traditional musicians layered over deep, sparse electronics may be a well-known formula, but if you like it, then here it is done very well. Sadly, you never feel you get that close to the authentic sound of these communities and their folk traditions, but you do get a classic world chill-out soundtrack. It's lavishly presented, with gatefold cover and a thick booklet of Asian scenes, but how much more it offers those who have bought the original is debatable. For those yet to come across the Laya Project, I would go to the original release first.