Influenced by Britain’s acid house and ambient undercurrents as much as Eastern sounds, Banco de Gaia has gradually gone deeper and wider with each of his albums since 1995’s “Last Train To Lhasa.” His latest opus “Farewell Ferengistan” explores a utopian world where the order of the day is bland materialism and marks one of his best moments yet.

Musically, the album is a hodgepodge of disparate styles that are carefully crafted into the Banco de Gaia sound. Take “Ynys Elen,” for instance. The head nodding breakbeats and heavy bass lines are layered on top of clever synth touches and vocals, which sounds at times like monks chanting - a Pink Floyd tune calling from the future with a remix by The Orbital. While too many artists try too hard trying to reach depth by ways of adding layer upon layer, in Banco’s case it comes naturally and even makes for enjoyable dance tunes as in “Chingiz.”

The highlight of the album, however, is the epic “Flow My Dreams, The Android Wept” – one of those tracks that make you drop whatever you’re doing and pay close attention. Listen to the beautiful melody, the sweeping synth lines and what sounds like a Spanish gypsy man singing in his native tongue. If there is any album that can easily fit in a yoga studio as well as a club setting, this is it. From the detailed album cover to the 9 + minute tracks this is one of the best albums of Toby Marks’ career as well as one of the best ethnically and electronically inspired albums to come out in 2006.