As a music journo I get a lot of freebie cds, and as a music lover I buy a helluva lot, too. Problem is there's only twenty-four hours in a day, so a lot of the discs that get sent to me only get a cursory spin. Some are so bad I don't even make it through an entire song. Skip track! Skip track!

How refreshing then to use the replay button a number of times when listening to the debut cd from shinjuku ZULU. I hit it after the first track (jungle, kind of) just to make sure that only voices and no actual instruments were used. Used it on track 2 (dance) 'cause I got such an uplift from the song, and then again on the fifth cut (dubbish) because the vocal told me to shut up and listen and I wanted to decipher what else was being sung. And, of course, when the cd was done I played it all over again.

The recording covers a variety of styles but the songs flow together very well. The cd starts out clubby, slows down through the middle with some chillers, then picks back up again at the end with some big beats. My favorite part is the middle third; some of the songs, notably 'Sweetness Likes the Reverb' (an acappella dub/love song) and 'Cyclamen' (beats and an Indian chant) are very beautiful.

At fifteen tracks and over seventy minutes, this cd is well worth the purchase price. And before you think "Sure, you got it for nothing," let me add that I've already bought a copy for a beathed friend of mine. So get on the 'net and get it! (It's available at nu4ya.com).

Coaster potential: 0% - Sparrow

E-yesss! If Moby invaded Deep Forest, if Fatboy Slim impregnated Ladysmith Black Mambazo, if Groove Armada got hybridized with Gregorian Monks...the result would be shinjuku Zulu. Their music crosses many grooves: techno, breakbeat, house and jungle, and is often combined with bits and bytes of world music. 'Hypnotic' and 'uplifting' are certainly two words that would describe the vibe one gets from this recording. Standouts: 'unlullaby', a slower cut with a whole bunch of things going on, minimalistic and multi-layered at the same time; 'that groove', a great dance track; and 'dervish', an ecstatically sad song. Should appeal to a wide variety of people.

4**** out of 5 ***** -DR