"Eternal" Reviews

"Tuvan band Huun Huur Tu have always functioned perfectly well by themselves, so pairing them with electronic musician Carmen Rizzo was a daring experiment -- what could he bring to the party? Quite a lot, it appears... Rizzo proves to be the perfect sympathetic foil for Huun Huur Tu, taking what they do and heightening and shading it, as with "Ancestors Call," where the shamanic side of Tuva stands to the fore. But the centerpiece, quite literally, of the album is "Dogee Mountain (Interlude)," an eight-minute piece that verges more on modern classical than anything to do with folk, world, or electronic music." - iTunes

"It is a phenomenal album, something I've personally been waiting for since I first heard this band nearly ten years ago: throat singing tempered by electronica. Don't think four-on-the-floor dance cuts; instead, envision powerful and tasteful low-end, percussively intelligent, moving and sweeping in the landscape while strings and voices grace the surface. There is something inspired in their vocals; with traditional instrumentation, it is an extremely powerful live experience. I've just never heard anything that captures the style so well on record.." -The Huffington Post

"Lush electronics, beautiful string arrangements and those incredible voices that defy any notions that you might have of what a human voice SHOULD be capable of. This is fusion music at it's most creative- one of those rare projects where different cultures beautifully collide, forming something totally new and dazzling. Check out the free track that Carmen has generously let us share with you today and then make sure to make this gem a part of your collection." - Global Noize

"An extraordinarily successful hybrid of old and new, acoustic and electronic..Like a warped Asian version of Radiohead, this cd sets folk songs impressively bulked up and energized with big-room studio production alongside austere soundscapes that conjure up hauntingly barren badlands vistas...This works on just about every level it could: as psychedelic rock, as straight-up world music composition and chillout album. One of the year’s best so far." -Lucid Culture

"Combining traditional Tuvan music with electronica might sound like an odd idea, but Rizzo and film composer Mark Governor pull it off with stunning results, adding an ambient component to the gorgeous and haunting tracks from Huun Huur Tu, a Tuvan traditional quartet." -Electronic Musician

"Daring experiment... Although never overbearing, Carmen Rizzo uses instruments, synths, beats (and some strings and brass) to make the group even more shamanic and emotional, as on the utterly breathtaking "Orphaned Child," where the voices seem to be calling from the wilderness into the void...Eternal marks a great departure for Huun Huur Tu, sending the group very firmly into new, wide open spaces and marking Rizzo as the ideal partner in crime." - All Music Guide

"Carmen's electronic sounds and ambient backdrops propel the songs into an otherworldly place. Yet, the unfamiliarity is broken by the slightly guttural; but hauntingly beautiful and unmistakable vocals of Huun Huur Tu. Vocals are provided by Kaigal-ool Khovalyg, Sayan Bapa, Radik Tyulyush, and Alexey Saryglar. Eternal is an album that will last for the ages. It's a perfect beginning for those seeking contemporary throat-singing." - Inside World Music

"Tasty Tuvtronica...The group is breaking new ground in this recording, a collaboration with electronicist/producer Carmen Rizzo...There's a wonderful new world for Tuvan/overtone singing fans, and a more accessible entry for those who may just be discovering the tradition." - Soundroots

"Intricately woven and texturely astute while outstanding in nature." - Smother Magazine