The modern masters of so-called downtempo music are boundless globetrotters, incorporating equal amounts of the exotic and the mundane. European DJs collectives like Gotan Project and Mo' Horizons freely sample South American sounds to create unexpected new creations. Indian sitars, which still conjure up mental images of late-sixties psychedelic rock, are used effectively by Italian producer Nicola Conte and German DJ project Jasmon to create music that is both provocative and reverent. Enigmatic Middle Eastern melodies provide a magical backdrop to the music of Hamid Baroudi, Blue Asia, and Dissidenten. Groups like Arling & Cameron, Pink Martini, Mau Mau, and Montefiori Cocktail reveal that the line between cool and kitsch is as fine as a hair from Tony Bennett's toupee. 

The music on World Lounge was selected and sequenced to serve as an aural backdrop for a contemporary lounging session. Whether curling up on a shag rug in front of the fireplace at home, or ordering manhattans with a group of friends at a local bar, we hope the music on World Lounge will help create an entrancing and invigorating mood, while introducing you to some of the most interesting artists on the global scene.