Hop-Frog?s Drum Jester Devotional play an interesting mix of Middle Eastern and Indian influenced music which is about as far as you can get from many of the so-called ?world music? collections out there. By adding elements of experimental, psychedelic, and electronic music, they manage to craft sounds that reach across genres and geography. This album, their second full-length, comes as part of the URCK Records Limited Series featuring releases from groups in the Los Angeles Hop-Frog Kollectiv. The CDR is nicely contained in a printed cardstock sleeve with excellent artwork both inside and out.

?Chants De Sewage? consists of nine untitled tracks, although the song divisions seem less than important as the music rolls along. The music itself is a unique mix of tabla, guitar, synthesizer, music and voice samples, and even some beat-style poetry. In its entirety, this yields a psychedelic stew of both old and modern sounds. Analog instrumentals blend with otherworldly electronic effects into a swimming mixture of rhythm and music. There is an undeniable energy behind these sounds and the disc rarely seems slow or dull. Really, the ears and the mind are so occupied that the end arrives much faster than expected.

This effort from Hop-Frog?s Drum Jester Devotional is certainly an interesting piece of music. Really, ?Chants De Sewage? is unlike just about anything else, yet manages to remain remarkably accessible. The strong rhythms and energy that propel each track easily draws in the listener to sit back and enjoy the ride for the duration. 7/10 -- Matt Blackall (26 September, 2007)