Known best for scoring French and Indian movie soundtracks (Samsara, Ayurveda, la Fiancée Syrienne, Méditérranée), Cyril Morin steps into a personal space with Western Pansori. The sound of this album is like a fusion of the orchestral instrumentation, dusky moods and smooth beats of Craig Armstrong, with the often string-heavy, Indian-downtempo style of Nitin Sawhney.

1. Rivers On My Skin
2. Beyond Windows
3. Don't Be Worried
4. Fragments of You
5. Twilight Garden
6. One Together
7. Lean On Me
8. Inside You
9. Superkids
10. Western Pansori
11. Crossing Worlds
12. Stranger Days

Ever since picking up a copy of DJ Cam's album Substance, I've looked for more work involving the sultry Indian singer heard on the songs "Meera" and "Lost Kingdom". That singer is Kakoli Sengupta, and if you are like me, you'll be happy to hear her voice once again in Western Pansori, along with vocalist Vidya Rao who sings on a number of the songs.

As the album progresses it falls deeper and deeper into a soundtrack style, but as the string arragements take center stage, Cyril always keeps noddable beats close at hand, usually soft, but at times bombastic. Combined with deep, dusky moods, near-Eastern accents, lush orchestral arrangements (recorded using a full orchestra), beautiful Indian vocal melodies, and Cyril Morin's undeniable skill as a composer, Western Pansori, is a beautiful fusion of sounds.

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Originally released by Milan France two years ago, Western Pansori was re-released by Milan in the USA on February 15, 2005.

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