dZihan & Kamien strike an incredible balance between the electronic and the organic in their music, seamlessly blending near eastern and jazz styles with melodic electronic elements. With this two-disc compilation called "Fakes", the duo present their talent at remixing the work of artists such as Tosca, Billie Holiday, Nitin Sawhney, Serge Gainsbourg, Atjazz and several others.

1. Billie Holiday "Don't Explain (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
2. Nitin Sawhney "Homelands (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
3. Lyn Leon "Never (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
4. Tosca "Busenfreund (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
5. Pramod Upadyaya "Ambala (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
6. Serge Gainsbourg "Je T'Aime, ...Moi Non Plus (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
7. Fop "Avalon (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
8. Atjazz "Touch The Sun (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
9. Cay Taylan "Beijo (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
10. Bob Holroyd "Drumming Up A Storm (dZihan & Kamien remix)"
11. Nitin Sawhney "Homelands (dZihan & Kamien dub)"
12. Bernhard Lang "Schrift III (dZihan & Kamien remix)"

The first disc contains 12 tracks of dZihan & Kamien's remixes, while the second contains impov-jazz versions of D&K's music as interpreted by the Brut Imperial Quintet. Having nowhere near enough knowledge of improvisational Jazz to properly review the second disc, I'm only going to give you my thoughts about the first disc.

Opening with their remix of Billie Holiday's "Don't Explain", originally produced for the Verve Remixed compilation, it's hard to imagine it can get any better. Deep doublebass meanders through a syncopation of eastern and slow jazzy percussion, soft rhodes synth pads, and Billie Holiday's always remarkable singing. Unless you're emotionally bankrupt, you can't help but feel the melancholy, sensual vibes this song sends out... just beautiful.

When the first track seems like it can't be outdone, everything else has a lot to live up to. As the duo's treatment of Nitin Sawhney's "Homelands" kicks down its heavy bass and solid bass kicks, I think my head just may nod itself loose. Synth sweeps, eastern percussion, great vocal loops and an undeniable groove and then the bridge, where it all breaks down to a sweet ambience and comes back with a deep groove.

The rest of the tracks do not disappoint. Whether it's D&Ks re-work of the urbanized, feminine tones and heavy beats of Lyn Leon's "Never", their ultra-smooth and slightly dubby mix of Tosca's "Busenfreund", the seductive, French ambience of Serge Gainsbourg's "Je T'Aime, ...Moi Non Plus", or the cut-up percussion and jazzy style of Atjazz's "Touch The Sun", Fakes is pure quality and absolutely essential.

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