Bliss

• Genre: Downtempo

About

Close your eyes and float amongst the dreamy music that is Bliss. Since 2001, this multicultural chill-out group has released material on famed Danish label Music for Dreams and has appeared on more than 200 compilations, including the soundtrack from the hit feature film Sex & The City. The members of the group hail from Denmark, Sweden and West Africa, and their music reflects this diversity. Indeed, they have quickly become one of the go-to groups for shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and are often tapped to provide music for television ads by Mercedes and DKNY. Their music was also featured in the feature-length films Passion of the Christ and Steven Spielberg's Munich. Bliss' chilled compositions have been compared to those of artists including Sade, Norah Jones and Ennio Morricone. But where those artists stick to the tried-and-true pop formula, Bliss' music aims toward the New Age compositional form. Their U.S. debut album, Quiet Letters, featured gentle ethnic percussion and mysterious orchestration with guest vocalist Sophie Barker from famed downtempo heroes Zero 7. Bliss take the quiet road and invite us on a journey through a lush netherworld of calming soundscapes.

- Nicholas Baker