Top 10 CDs for 2011 - …just about all the original stars of exotica…are gone -- here, at last, is their successor."—Huffington Post
"… a perfect cocktail of mid-century 'space age bachelor pad' music deliciously accented with chamber, jazz, classical, and world music…"—Boston Globe
“Top 25 Jazz Albums for 2011” —Lucid Culture
1. Third River Rangoon
B. O'Neill
2. Thor's Arrival
B. O'Neill
3. Maika
Milt Raskin
4. Colorado Waltz
Cal Tjader
5. Arab Dance
Tchaikovsky
6. Phoenix Goodbye
B. O'Neill
7. Terre Exotique
B. O'Neill
8. Autumn Digging Dance
B. O'Neill
9. Moai Thief
B. O'Neill
10. Lonesome Aku of Alewife
B. O'Neill
11. Lyman '59
B. O'Neill
Check out the store for more CDs in the Exotica for Modern Living Series.
All prices subject to change without notice. All items are non-refundable although if you really don't like a CD, we'll let you return it if it's in brand-new condition.
“2 absolute must-haves for any exotica fan...a welcome addition to the pantheon of modern exotica classics” —Tiki Magazine
An original and modern exploration of chamber, jazz, classical, and world sounds inspired by the escapism of the 1950s exotica genre, led by composer, vibraphonist, and multi-percussionist Brian "Mr. Ho" O'Neill
Feauturing Albanian flute and bass flute specialist Geni Skendo, Japanese percussionist Noriko Terada (Flangia, Women of the World), bassist Jason Davis (Earthsound, Choro Democratico), and special guest Tev Stevig (Klezwoods, Kafana) on oud
"… a perfect cocktail of mid-century 'space age bachelor pad' music deliciously accented with chamber, jazz, classical, and world music…"—Jonathan Perry
June 2011
"…borrowing themes from Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich, Mr. Ho has created his own rigorous classical-jazz hybrid. Are you listening, Keith Lockhart?…"
June 2011: Express Milwaukee
"…The Orchestrotica, however, are crack musicians and bring a chamber jazz sensibility suggesting what the Modern Jazz Quartet might have sounded like had they lightened up and ordered a round of mai tais…"
June 2011
"…[Third River Rangoon] shows off O'Neill's serious jazz and chamber-music writing"—Bob Young
July 2011: Roots World
“…[The] Orchestrotica, whether in quartet or 23-piece big-band formation, leaves other retro ensembles in the fairy stardust…”—Cliff Furnald
"…
Mr. Ho's new album Third River Rangoon, by his shapeshifting ensemble Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica may have been inspired by that subgenre, but it's considerably more magical. It leaves far more to the imagination, a lushly nocturnal collection whose most impressive feat of sorcery is getting a simple lineup of vibraphone, bass flute, bass and percussion to create the sweep of a hundred-piece orchestra. The production is genius…"
“…so spot on…mind-blowing…so impressive…” (about The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel
“…a really nice mood piece…I'm in love with it…” (about Third River Rangoon
Spring 2011
“2 absolute must-haves for any exotica fan, these first CDs in Mr. Ho's new series, "Exotica For Modern living", make a welcome addition to the pantheon of modern exotica classics”—Tiki Magazine
More press quotes - Downbeat, London Sunday Times, Boston Globe, and more!
Exotica for Modern Living
In 2010, Mr. Ho decided to release a series of albums over the next few years under the title "Exotica for Modern Living." These records will attempt to take the best elements of mid-century living, music, and culture and merge them with modern life to provide listeners with a "retro futuristic" listening experience. The old sounds of space-age pop meet the new sounds of global jazz, and chamber music influenced by jazz, world music, and orchestral/classical works too. We hope you enjoy these new recordings (and the beautiful series of artwork by Javier Garcia)!
The series includes:
Nov. 16, 2010: The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel featuring 23 musicians playing Mr. Ho's transcriptions of the lost arrangements of Mexico's king of space-age pop.
Recorded by John Weston at Futura Productions (Roslindale, MA). Mixed by Ducky Carlisle at Ice Station Zebra (Medford, MA) and John Weston. Mastered by Mark Donahue at SoundMirror in Jamaica Plain, MA. Produced by Brother Cleve and Mr. Ho (Brian O'Neill) with help from Tev Stevig (Kafana, Klezwoods, Fa Diyez Ensemble). Artwork by Javier Garcia (see his great mid-century modern design blog: No Barcode).
Buying from this site, Orchestrotica.com, gets you both MP3s and CD-quality, lossless M4A files. Amazon and iTune's files are lower quality and only about 30% of the revenue goes to us, the Orchestrotica. Please consider supporting the Orchestrotica's musicians by purchasing from us directly (safely via PayPal).
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