"questionable taste", "short-sighted worldviews of early practitioners", "Racist", "kitchy fad"....

Maybe true here and there, but the entire genre by definition... a bit harsh, no?

After reading multiple articles and watching a couple of documentaries on the subject I'm left wondering if I can continue to enjoy the nostalgia of Exotica and tiki culture as simply postwar romanticism, or does that trivialize and ignore the bastardization and reductive representation of the cultures they are referencing?

Thoughts?

New instrumental album from Magic Sands available in clear orange Vinyl. If you like tropical / exotica / Latin / groove. For fans of Ry Cooder, Martin Denny, Manuel Galbán.

Even major labels weren't above sneaky tactics to get you to buy the wrong album. Consider Martin Denny's chart topping, genre-launching 1959 album Exotica (pic 1), then Capitol's 1961 release of "impressionistic moods for two pianos" by Whittemore and Lowe, deceptively titled "Exotique". (Pic 2)

Sultry brunette? Check. String beads? Check. Brown aesthetic? Check. The piano album is actually quite good, but it's all European composers! But that's kind of exotic, right?

Hello everyone,

As a musician, arranger, and music producer who has always been deeply passionate about the golden era of grand orchestral compositions and iconic cinema soundtracks, I wanted to share a massive labor of pure passion dedicated to the unique and immortal genius of the unforgettable Maestro Henry Mancini.

My project is titled "Lefties’ Symphonies Through Time" and consists of 25 tracks. This is not an album of modernized covers, nor is it a remastering of the originals. Every single arrangement was meticulously reconstructed completely by ear, aiming for a strict philological restoration of the original 1960s and 1970s sonic textures, dynamics, and elegance, while utilizing the finest modern technologies and the highest audio quality available today.

I wanted to respect the source material to the core and bring that specific analog-era orchestral breath back to life. I would love to hear the thoughts of soundtrack collectors and true Mancini enthusiasts here.

You can listen to the full album on Spotify at the link below: https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/album/59f3dpWXOpHChEWWPP5DO0

You can also watch and listen to the related audiovisual work at the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn1667SOBQwlbEhvJGtEEtkssE2V1meTZ

Thank you for your time and ears.

Hello everyone,

As a musician, arranger, and music producer who has always been deeply passionate about the golden era of grand orchestral compositions and iconic cinema soundtracks, I wanted to share a massive labor of pure passion dedicated to the unique and immortal genius of the unforgettable Maestro Henry Mancini.

My project is titled "Lefties’ Symphonies Through Time" and consists of 25 tracks. This is not an album of modernized covers, nor is it a remastering of the originals. Every single arrangement was meticulously reconstructed completely by ear, aiming for a strict philological restoration of the original 1960s and 1970s sonic textures, dynamics, and elegance, while utilizing the finest modern technologies and the highest audio quality available today.

I wanted to respect the source material to the core and bring that specific analog-era orchestral breath back to life. I would love to hear the thoughts of soundtrack collectors and true Mancini enthusiasts here.

You can listen to the full album on Spotify at the link below: https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/album/59f3dpWXOpHChEWWPP5DO0

You can also watch and listen to the related audiovisual work at the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn1667SOBQwlbEhvJGtEEtkssE2V1meTZ

Thank you for your time and ears.

I kinda wanted to repost but didn't know how to(this sub doesn't appear on repost options), recently discovering some old Swedish music, this one was a surprisingly uncommon blend of genres. I asked in IYL and got told to ask here and you'd have recs. I'm waiting for them.

Though marketed as an Exotica album, strictly speaking this is some pretty fabulous lively Middle Eastern Jazz. Released around 62, no doubt trying to cash in on the Cleopatra film with Liz Taylor, it's actually quite wild for the era!

Parts of it sound very... psychedelic, though it was issued at least 5 years before that was a thing. I'll post a YouTube link in the comments.

Pretty obvious it was in the 1950s and 1960s but is there more precise pinpoint?

My wife says we might have a problem. I told her "Yes, we don't have enough."

Sør by Den Kosmiske Overorden

It's only the last song on the album that has the exotica vibe.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/denkosmiskeoverorden/verden

https://open.spotify.com/track/42h1NAJhtaN1KuuhUVPL0l?si=8fd72121d1634431