Interactive Poll: Sounds of Asia

Mila:  Anandi Bhattacharya “In Between Us”  More of the sort of perhaps drum vocalisations, with table, some male ones first, then a very pretty female vocal from the main artist.  The male “singing,” is delegated to the back, while she occupies the fore. Sitar also joins in (or was that her father on slide guitar?).  Very ornate and haunting.  Kikuo ft. Hanatan “The Girl That Sells Misfortune”  Sounds perhaps like a Japanese folk tale, put to music, from the title.  Ah, now I see what you wrote below, it’s for a video game (kinda of a folk tale, after all).  Very electronic sounding at first, but regular keyboards enter in and there is a very light sort of female vocal, she sounds a bit sarcastic to me, with some whang and wonks in a percussive manner.  I like the scribble people, very interesting way to depict despair, but this is about the music, not the video. Music wanders back and forth from electronic to the vocalist.   Isfar Sarabski & Band “Novruz”  I’m anticipating that I’ll prefer this one the most.  Very rapid solo piano begins the piece, it soon starts to pull together into a beautiful, contemplative melody.  However will I come up with three favourites out of this whole poll?  The pace picks up and the whole band joins in.  Not sure what the lead string instrument is, looks like a tenor sort of saz if there is such a thing.  Standup bass and strings are included with this ensemble and drums (very understated).  Music returns to the quiet piano once again.  Again into a more ecstatic part, with the stringed instrument to the fore.  Back to the piano, this time in a much more jazz sort of frame, then back again to the more oriental feel.  This is more of a conversation between 2 styles as opposed to more of an amalgamation for the most part, but the ending does make them meet in the middle.

Mirakaze:  The Monks of the Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery “A Traditional Composition for Gya Ling and Dung Chen”  Blaring sound at first (one of those deep horn things?), then a chorus of smaller horns and some chanting.  Very promising beginning!  Reminds me quite a bit of The Pipes of Pan at Jujuka that Brian Jones produced.  The higher horns create a swirl of sounds, with the deeper horn punctuating from time to time.  Very hypnotic.  Toru Takemitsu “Dodes’kaden”  Plaintively beautiful tune on a stringed instrument, delicate keyboards (or marimba?) and swelling orchestra.  A concertina-like instrument wanders in for a moment, as do some flutes. Flute then comes to the fore, in a lilting melody, backed with the orchestra.  A sort of stilted march of sorts next with some sort of odd froglike horn and another melody, with the concertina thing again and the full orchestra swelling.  Flute here sounds almost like an ocarina.  The piece is sometimes momentarily whimsical.  It seems like it may be an overture?   anNina “対象ａ”Piano with some plinky-ness going on, then orchestra and a dulcet-toned female vocal.  This one has a jazz feel to it.  Lovely break about halfway through with strings.  Sounds like a harp is added in after the break for a moment.  I really enjoy all three of yours, I have no idea which I would choose, either, if it were up to me.