Various Artists

Fusions of global pop and local traditions are sounding increasingly threadbare rather than rich with possibility. An exception is the charming, intriguing CD Voice Over the Bridge. Producers Patrick Sebag and Yotam Asam work with singers of traditional music from Burma  (or Myanmar as its military rulers prefer) to fabricate lush electronica out of age-old melodies and epic poetry. Strangely haunting, the ambient settings enhance rather than erase the particular quality of the voices and songs. Often, Voice Over the Bridge suggests the soundtrack for a David Lynch film set in Southeast Asia.