christiaan virant: fistful of buddha

"Christiaan Virant, creator of the legendary Buddha Machine, finally escapes his box of loops with this nine-track CD of contemplative, classically-inspired tunes. Weaving instruments from east and west into a web of pulsing, moody music, Virant delivers a highly-listenable disk that rewards repeated visits to his ambient wonderland. Moving between China and Europe has allowed Virant a continuous access and appreciation of musical developments across the continents. While still deeply Zen in mood and tone, the tunes here interweave minimal textures through drone and drift. Beats move in soft boom or trippy, pulsing glide rather than the rigorous, edgy engine of techno. Classically-trained Virant pays due homage to structure, drama and effect while completely understanding that, as Lou Reed once so accurately remarked, 'repetition is anti-glop.' Devotees of the Buddha Machine will treasure the connections and departures." --Steve Barker, BBC radio host and columnist for The Wire magazine.