Croatian singer/poet/actor and theatrical director Darko Rundek brings us a multi-media project Ruke (La Comedie Des Sens) that recalls he cinema of Luis Buñuel and Federico Fellini.  Rundek, who left Croatia during the Balkan wars of the 1990's and now resides in France, formed the Cargo Orkestar as a vehicle to tell a story of a surreal journey that begins in the cargo hold of a cruise ship.  Similar to Fellini's film, And the Ship Sails On, Rundek also spins magic here with his stream of consciousness imagery in which his protagonist, (or the observer of the story) begins his journey in a cargo hold in which he finds himself confined and then journeys to various corners of the world via the music of the Cargo Orkestar.

The narrative which is included in the liner notes starts off with the orkestar's music wafting into the observer's consciousness.  Next thing he knows, he off on some magic carpet ride or experiencing a set of tales that only Shirazad (of the famed The Thousand and One Nights) could weave.  We hear wind sounds that are soon replaced by notes played on a bass until Rundek's vocal tracks appear. The first song, Ista Slika reveals the world of the cargo hold and then the second track, takes its listeners to the mountains of Pakistan where a priest and hodza are riding on horses towards a burning village.  A veiled lady carrying roses arrives on the scene and then a flashback of walking a middle European street arrives.  And then the story drifts further into magic realism that involves many facets of humanity from childhood, to making love on a rooftop to visiting Latin American countries.

The video, for the opener track, Ista Slika supplies visual accompaniment for the songs.  Again, we are embarking on surreal territory and what appears to be memory of a past life that takes place centuries ago or possibly not so far in the past, it's hard to say.  The imagery and the narratives are backed by a variety of musical styles including Balkan chanson, French cabaret, Croatian songs with hints of Middle Eastern and Latin music tossed in for good measure.  The orchestra features Rundek on lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar, percussion and synthesizers, Swiss musician Isabel on violin and electric violin, Bosnian Dani Pervan on drums, bass, and a variety of percussion instruments, Bosnian Dusan Vranic on piano, bandoneon, harmonium, zither, melodika and organ and French-Croatian Vedran Peternel handling special effects.

The overall effect is a journey one could take in an hour, musically and otherwise that's going to mess with the head a bit in the way that a Fellini or Buñuel film does.  The core orchestra and its many guest musicians marry Balkan horns with French cabaret violin, ambient guitar and exotic instruments.  There is a lot going on here and Rundek is able to keep this ship afloat and sailing towards an unknown destination.  Is it the past or the future? Who can tell?  www.piranha.de