Pure Chill Out
Various Artists
UTV / Water
Little did Chuck Chill Out know in the late ’80s when he chose it that his nom de guerre would one day become a full-fledged genre. Full of hazy late nights and smoke-filled after-sets, chill out is here to take the edge off your woes, your stress, even your good time, and Water Music has deemed itself to be the new millennium’s ambassadors of relaxation. While their previous compilations swim mainly in dreamier – almost New Age-y – waters (hey! the genre’s new – it’ll be months before it’s codified), Pure Chill Out now steps on Shadow’s beach head: downtempo. This compilation reverberates with bass’s bottom and has a heavier, more rhythmically menacing feel than previous efforts.
There is still some ether floating around on this disc, but it is extremely weighed down by good music. Waldeck’s ode to The Fifth Dimension, “Aquarius,” is a lot of fun. Bent’s “Always” is an extremely compelling groove with haunting, disembodied vocals from beyond the grave. Delerium’s “Enchanted” also has a seductive charm with its menacing, Children of the Corn intro. Baby Mammoth’s “I’m Not Joking” and ORG Lounge’s “Amon Dur” also leave you spellbound. Prime cuts from Moby, Kruder and Dorfmeister, Fila Brazillia, Nitin Sawhney, and Heather Nova have also been chosen to round out an incredibly juicy compilation that delves deeply into the bluest moods of one’s existence.
Water Music: http://www.watermusicrecords.com • UTV Records: http://www.utvrecords.com
