Though Tuvan throat singing has become reasonably well-known in the Western world since the end of the 20th century, of course the practice (in which two or more notes are sung simultaneously) dates back to many years before that. So, in fact, does the practice of recording such vocalists. This collection presents 16 tracks from Tuvan artists originally released in the Soviet Union in 1969, though it was only with this U.S. 2007 CD compilation that the material became widely available in the West. Throat singing, as performed by vocalists Oorjak Hunashtaar-ool and Kara-sal Ak-ool, may be the dominant aspect of this compilation, as they sing five and six of the tracks, respectively. But it's not the only aspect, with other tracks presenting instrumental folk selections from the region, and even the vocal performances are backed by some instrumentation. If you're heard these styles before, the music on this album will be consistent with your prior experience of Tuvan throat singing and folk. The recordings might be aged in comparison with most others on the market, but the sound is clear and the performances impassioned. The throat songs are, at least to Western ears, strange almost to the extent of sounding alien (at least upon first hearing), with their buzzing, haunting, ominous tones. Whether vocal or instrumental, the selections have pious, solitary, haunting melodies and tones. The sensations are amplified by the doleful strains of the instruments, which include doshpulur (lute), igil (two-string fiddle), bysaanci (a cello-like bowed instrument), chatagan (zither), and temir-khomas (Jew's harp). The liner notes give an overview of the region and its folk music, as well as distinctions between various different styles of throat singing. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide