Obviously this music is not new, and in fact, about 40-50 years old, but that is precisely the point I think, that to me at least it still sounds so fresh, and refreshing really. Martin Denny and Les Baxter were the two artists who were considered to have started the ‘exotica’ music style, the same one that kind of came back for a while in the late 90’s (remember Combustible Edison from Providence? Ill never forget seeing them open for Dinosaur Jr at the old Lupos, now that was a weird billing!). Anyway I really like Martin Denny cause I think his music stands out above all that ‘exotica’ stuff, and this newly released compilation shows why. Not only are the songs very catchy, but they really are very lush, and with all the bird calls and sounds of animals throughout all the songs, it really feels like you are walking through some Hawaiian forest sometime in the carefree futuristic 50’s! Haha. You can even here some influence on future film scores, like ‘Ore (God of Vengence)’ was a precursor to some of Danny Elfman’s scores for Tim Burton’s film, and even on ‘La Pampa Y La Puna’, you can see where the score for some of ‘Donnie Darko’ got its influence. All in all, its sorta corny, sorta fun, but oddly beautiful background music.

“Denny’s late-1950s/early-’60s heyday, a time when the Hawaiian “tiki” trend reached mainland America with the force of a tropical storm. Marked by a global arsenal of light percussion and animal calls, Denny’s chiming tunes are almost immediately identifiable, with a spare melody always providing the springboard for a stunningly eclectic array of literal bells and whistles. Among the many charming and breezy songs on the collection are Denny’s dreamy hit single “Quiet Village,” the sparkling (and aptly titled) “Hypnotique,” and “Miserlou,” a slow, slinky counterpart to Dick Dale’s revved-up surf rendition. ” – CD Universe

“... his music retains the power to transport you away from the land of super malls and freeways to a place where nature, men and women live in a Technicolor paradise.” – Rhapsody.com