This music—which falls outside the context of Tower Records-style African, Latin, and Anglo-American popular music, as well as “world folklore” or “indigenous music”—embodies a European-inspired romanticism and intellectualism. You could forcefully categorize it as “prog,” but it fits better within the lineage of free-spirited, sophisticated, and elegant 19th-century salon music. It’s incredibly fascinating that this was the band led by Marc Hollander, founder of Crammed Disc—the very hub of “world music” that later defined the genre’s template. As windbell points out, both Luaka Bop and Nonesuch followed in Crammed Disc’s footsteps. That said, there are absolutely no ethnic or dogmatic elements here—just a soundscape that’s thoroughly pleasurable, yet also a mysterious trip into a world of allegory. ZNR, of course, and their Argentine works likely share this DNA—I wonder if this might even be the original inspiration for chamber pop. In any case, I highly recommend it. This is the CD version. The bonus tracks on the CD are great, too. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)