As
Coco de Mer, Australian-born, New York-based producer/composer
Adam Plack fuses traditional French, Italian, and Latin arias with lush orchestration over a foundation of downtempo grooves. This dense, ambitious fusion draws from worldly influences and targets the contemporary urban audience despite its classical wrappings. Rasa Music released
Plack's eponymous debut as
Coco de Mer in 2002, billing it as "a new generation of opera." The album features soprano Chen Reis, pianist Ilan Rechtman, a 34-piece orchestra, and themes of passion and seduction. ~ Jason Birchmeier