As Coco de Mer, Australian-born, New York-based producer/composer Adam Plack fuses traditional French, Italian, and Latin arias with lush orchestration over a foundation of downtempo grooves. This dense, ambitious fusion draws from worldly influences and targets the contemporary urban audience despite its classical wrappings. Rasa Music released Plack's eponymous debut as Coco de Mer in 2002, billing it as "a new generation of opera." The album features soprano Chen Reis, pianist Ilan Rechtman, a 34-piece orchestra, and themes of passion and seduction. ~ Jason Birchmeier