Lounge of Pharos approaches tribal-house from an Arabic-themed angle. It retains house's relentless four on the floor bounce (slowing only once for the more polyrhythmic "Cleopatra"), but drops in traditional instrumentation and often leads tracks with the serpentine melodies so integral to Middle Eastern music. "Mawoud" is the obvious standout here. Electronic equivalents of sitar, zither, and bazouki swoop and swirl over an insistent groove, augmented by percussive fills. (The track appears in both radio and club mix formats.) Other highlights include a live version of "Smokey's Dance," where the crowd's enthusiastic reaction is enough to send the song's intoxicating mix of acoustic and electronic instruments to euphoric levels. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
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