This eclectic collection from the Projekt label contains tracks by nine cutting-edge artists or groups, among them Popol Vuh, Area, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, and Steve Roach. Beginning with the droning gothic sound of Lycia and closing with the deep dreamy Steve Roach selection "Melting at the Inbetween" -- unavailable elsewhere -- the pieces cover a wide variety of current alternative music, several of which include vocals, and many that are gothic/rock-oriented. Outstanding cuts include the two 1971 tracks from Popol Vuh, with soft female vocals on one, mixed-voice background chanting on the other, and beautifully ringing guitars on both; the haunting "Our Corner Drowning" from Area with its processed, echoey vocals sung in counterpoint to the instrumental backing; the electric violin and tabla weavings of Vicki Richards's "Prayer of the Heart"; and the closing Steve Roach piece, truly galactic in its scope, which alone may be worth the price of admission. The liner notes include contact information for each artist, making it possible to find more music from any who spark your interest. ~ Backroads Music/Heartbeats, Rovi