Scientist - Scientist Encounters Pac Man (1982)

"One of two fine LPs Scientist cut from Linval Thompson rhythms -- the other is the even more impressive Scientist Meets the Space Invaders -- Scientist Encounters Pac Man finds the onetime King Tubby protégé forging his patented minimal sound, a landscape resplendent with steely piano, depth-charge drums, and futuristic dub effects. Scientist also delivers one of his most progressive mixes here, deconstructing the originals down to their skeletal base and adding just the right amount of mixing board-generated Echoplex and reverb. And helping out considerably with the heady proceedings, the early dancehall period's greatest band, the Roots Radics, lay down the brutal rhythms and subtle keyboard and guitar interjections. Plus, one gets another of artist Tony McDermott's spectacular comic-book covers, this time depicting all of the studio Svengali's horror-movie nemeses from album jackets past (vampires, zombies, Frankenstein, those space invaders, and now the computer game's star of the day, Pac Man). A mind-warping yet eminently enjoyable way to check into dub central."

---------- Review by Stephen Cook

Tracklist:

"Under Surveillance" – 2:56
"Prince's Wrath" – 3:08
"Space Invaders Re-Group" – 3:18
"World Cup Squad Lick Their Wounds" – 3:58
"Vampire Initiative" – 3:08
"Malicious Intent" – 3:41
"The Dark Secret of the Box" – 3:47
"S.O.S." – 3:31
"Man-Trap" – 3:01
"Look Out – Behind You!" – 2:33

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - Rough Guide To Reggae (World Music Network) (1997)

The Rough Guide to Reggae was released in 1997 as part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album gives broad coverage to the reggae genre originating in Jamaica. The album was curated by Steve Barrow, who also wrote the namesake book, and later compiled The Rough Guide to Dub (which will be uploaded at a later date....). Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network, was the producer.

"The Rough Guide to Reggae is a stellar introduction to the music, though lacking a song by Bob Marley is a serious oversight (or perhaps, a statement about the importance of reggae's most famous figure). The artists who are included are some of the best, though, including Toots & the Maytals, Augustus Pablo, King Tubby, Burning Spear, the Congos, Aswad, Gregory Isaacs, Buju Banton and Lucky Dube." 

------ Review By Keith Farley

Tracklist:

1. "Broadway Jungle" - The Maytals (as 'The Flames') (2:50)
2. "Chinatown" - Don Drummond & The Skatalites (2:34)
3. "The Tide Is High" - The Paragons (2:45)
4. "Rivers of Babylon" - The Melodians (4:15)
5. "Too Late" - Augustus Pablo (3:16)
6. "Great Stone" - King Tubby & Soul Syndicate (3:10)
7. "Conquering Lion" - Yabby You & The Prophets (3:28)
8. "Slavery Days" - Burning Spear (3:25)
9. "Fisherman" - The Congos (6:03)
10. "Warrior Charge" - Aswad (5:48)
11. "Rough Neck" - Gregory Isaacs (6:53)
12. "This a Lover's Corner" - General Echo (4:47)
13. "Entertainment" - Triston Palmer (3:34)
14. "Cockney Translation" - Smiley Culture (3:10)
15. "We Can Work It Out" - Janet-Lee Davis & Peter Hunnigale (3:50)
16. "Living Dangerously" - Barrington Levy & Bounty Killer (3:30)
17. "Untold Stories" - Buju Banton (4:34)
18. "Slave" - Lucky Dube (4:06)

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - Rough Guide To Flamenco (World Music Network) (1996)

The Rough Guide to Flamenco was originally released in 1997 as part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series. Similarly to other releases in the series it is a compilation album which gives broad coverage to the flamenco genre of Spain. The compilation was produced by Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network. Liner notes were written by Tom Andrews. This was the first of three similarly named albums released in 2007 and 2013 respectively (unfortunately I have neither of these later releases!)

"An overview of the flamenco tradition from the Rough Guide Networks. Some of the greatest singers and guitarists from the tradition are present: Camaron de la Isla, Paco de Lucia, Chano Lobato, Tomatito. Also, newer wave flamenco acts, such as Ketama and Pata Negra, are present, bringing electric instrumentation and more rock-tinged performances. A nice overview of the tradition, but some things would be even nicer -- say, recording dates in the liner notes. Still, the quality of the music can speak for itself. For purer forms, one can (and should) look elsewhere, to help escape the inevitable tourist aspects of a Rough Guide album (for pure flamenco song, look up Cante Flamenco). If one is interested in flamenco in general, it might not be a bad place to start, but once into the style, one should branch off into the separate styles within (new wave flamenco, traditional, instrumental, etc.)."

 

----------- Review by Adam Greenberg

Tracklist:

1. "Venta Zoraida (Tangos Paraos)" - Enrique Morente (3:45)
2. "Mi Tiempo (Bulerías)" - Rafael Riqueni (2:14)
3. "Veloz Hacia Su Sino" - Jorge Pardo (4:42)
4. "Bulería de la Mocita (Bulería a Palo Seco)" - Tomasa La Macanita (5:09)
5. "Del Molinete (Taranta y Cartagenera)" - Carmen Linares (4:44)
6. "Pozo del Deseo" - Songhai with Ketama (4:43)
7. "La Voz del Tiempo (Tangos)" - Tomatito with Camarón (4:08)
8. "Y Yo Qué Culpa Tengo (Tangos)" - Miguel Poveda (4:40)
9. "Bodas de Sangre" - Pata Negra (3:03)
10. "Serrana, Que Te Olvidara" - Duquende (5:46)
11. "Del Calvario (Bulerías)" - Jose Soto (3:15)
12. "A Quien Contarle (Malagueña)" - Chano Lobato (7:27)
13. "Dicen de Mí" - Carles Benavent with Paco de Lucía (4:00)
14. "A Mi Tío Lele (Seguidilla)" - Potito (3:56)
15. "A Mi Manuel (Soleá)" - Pepe Habichuela (3:56)
16. "Nana de Colores" - Diego Carrasco (4:17)
17. "Abuelo Pacote (Bulería Por Soleá)" - El Barullo (3:30)

 Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - The Rough Guide To Classical Jazz (World Music Network) (1996)

The Rough Guide to Classic Jazz is a jazz compilation album originally released in 1997. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album covers the genre's growth from the turn of the 20th century to the 1930s, largely focusing on the "Jazz Age". The compilation was produced by Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network. Curation was performed by Robert Parker, an audio engineer specializing in the period and host of the radio show Jazz Classics in Digital Stereo.

Michaelangelo Matos, writing for the Chicago Reader, claimed it "buried" the contemporaneous Swing Revival and noted his surprise at the number of "obscure white groups".

"The Rough Guide to Classic Jazz is a fine introduction to the growth of jazz from the beginning of the 20th century up to the mid-'30s, including selections by all the major pioneers -- Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Fats Waller, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington -- as well as important blues figures like Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Pinetop Smith."

---------- Review by Keith Farley

Tracklist:

1. "Dr Jazz" - Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers (3:24)
2. "Smoke-House Blues" - Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers (3:26)
3. "Dixie Jass Band One-Step" - Original Dixieland Jazz Band (2:37)
4. "Dippermouth Blues" - King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band (2:26)
5. "Mr. Jelly Lord" - New Orleans Rhythm Kings (3:04)
6. "Sugar Foot Stomp" - Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra (2:48)
7. "Potato Head Blues" - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven (2:55)
8. "West End Blues" - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five (3:17)
9. "Hear Me Talking to You" - Ma Rainey with her Tub Jug Washboard Band (2:59)
10. "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" - Bessie Smith (2:57)
11. "Shake That Jelly-Roll" - J.C. Cobb & His Grains Of Corn (2:57)
12. "Stomp Your Stuff" - State Street Ramblers (3:11)
13. "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" - Pinetop Smith (3:09)
14. "Nobody's Sweetheart" - McKenzie and Condon's Chicagoans (3:05)
15. "Since My Girl Turned Me Down" - Bix Beiderbecke & His Gang (3:03)
16. "Beale Street Blues" - The Charleston Chasers (2:59)
17. "Imagination" - Miff Mole & His Molers (2:49)
18. "Makin' Friends" - Eddie Condon & His Footwarmers (3:00)
19. "The Minor Drag" - Fats Waller & His Buddies (2:39)
20. "Log Cabin Blues" - Clarence Williams' Washboard Five (3:11)
21. "South" - Benny Moten's Kansas City Orchestra (2:33)
22. "Creole Love Call" - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (3:12)
23. "Hot and Anxious" - Don Redman & His Orchestra (2:49)
24. "New King Porter Stomp" - Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra (3:06)

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - The Rough Guide To West Africa (1995) (World Music Network)

World Music Network is a UK based record label specializing in world music. It was set up in 1994 by husband and wife team Phil Stanton and Colombian-born Sandra Alayón-Stanton. World Music Network consists of four record labels – Music Rough Guides, Riverboat Records, Introducing and Think Global. Music Rough Guides releases the Rough Guides CD compilations.

The Rough Guide series is produced in association with Rough Guide books and delivers the best possible starting point for exploring different music from all over the world.

‘The Rough Guides’ net is cast historically as well as stylistically… the liner notes are meticulously researched and written.’ ------- Wall Street Journal (USA).

I have a fairly extensive collection of these and while some are better than others they are a great starting point for anyone curious about the music of a particular area, I personally think some of the later compilations aren't great but I suppose it's all music and deserves to be listened to so as people can make their own evaluations. I'm going to start posting them all up over the next while.

If anyone checks out the world music network website and is looking for a specific compilation comment down below and I'll see what I can do.

The Rough Guide to West African Music, originally released in 1995 was the second release of the series; it largely focuses on Malian music, with six of the twelve tracks coming from that country. This is followed by Senegal (two tracks), and Guinea, Niger, Ghana, & Mauritania (one track each). Phil Stanton acted as producer on the compilation.

Chris Nickson of AllMusic gave the album four stars, but lamented the broadness of the topic, stating "the real problem with this album isn't the music, which is glorious throughout, but the fact that it suffers from the size of its ambition and the inability to fully realize it."

Michaelangelo Matos, writing for the Chicago Reader, praised the record's focus on slow to midtempo music, stating it "succeeds in sustaining a meditative, inner-gazing mood."

Tracklist:

1. "Foliba" - Super Rail Band (7:51)
2. "Djelika" - Toumani Diabaté (7:14)
3. "Roucky" - Ali Farka Touré (8:18)
4. "Toro" - Moussa Poussy (4:44)
5. "M'Bore" - Sona Diabate (6:09)
6. "Djama Kaissoumou" - Oumou Sangare (6:46)
7. "I Ka Di Nye" - Bajourou (5:19)
8. "205" - E.T. Mensah (3:05)
9. "Utru Horas" - Orchestra Baobab (8:41)
10. "Almamy Bocoum" - Mansour Seck (4:57)
11. "Mauritania My Beloved Country" - Dimi Mint Abba & Khalifa Ould Eide (3:32)
12. "Agne Anko" - Kante Manfila (4:37)

Download Link - Mediafire

Dr. Alimantado - Best Dressed Chicken In Town (1978)

"Best Dressed Chicken in Town" is the debut album by Jamaican deejay Dr. Alimantado. It was first released in 1978, and collects many of his self-produced singles from 1972 to 1977, and employs the sound engineering talents of Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Scientist. It was the first album released by Greensleeves Records, and gained a cult following within both the reggae and punk rock communities in the UK at the time. (Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols fame announced it to be one of his favourite reggae albums....)

The album employed several major hits as the basis for the tracks, including Horace Andy's versions of "Ain't No Sunshine". The album was described by The Independent as "one of the finest albums from reggae's golden age". There have been a number of re issues of this album over the years, this is a rip of the original album from the vinyl, which lends a lot to the authentic feel when listening to it.

"One-of-a-kind Jamaican DJ Dr. Alimantado found unexpected fame with U.K. punks after Johnny Rotten bestowed his blessings. The hoopla was certainly warranted based on the high quality of his mid-'70s sides, several of which are included on Best Dressed Chicken in Town. Handling production chores himself, Alimantado enlisted top reggae engineers and producers like Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Scientist to add their own alchemy to the mix. The dub-inflected tracks and Alimantado's idiosyncratic musings prove a potent combination, especially on standouts like "Poison Flower" (a version of a Horace Andy vocal), the Rasta vengeance number "I Killed the Barber," and the comically over-the-top title cut. Other highlights include the bubbly "Unitone Skank," as well as the album's two instrumentals: a predictably bizarre and brilliant Scratch mix, "I Am the Greatest Says Muhammed Ali," and the Duke Reid homage "Tribute to Duke" (based on Slim Smith's incredible rendition of the Billy Stewart soul gem "Sitting in the Park"). Completing this very enjoyable disc are sampled vocals by Gregory Isaacs and Jackie Edwards, the musical contributions of great Kingston studio outfits like the Aggrovators, and, finally, the tableau-like cover photo of Alimantado walking the sunny streets of downtown Kingston. Along with other unique dub and DJ titles like Mikey Dread's African Anthem, Best Dressed Chicken in Town is a must for reggae enthusiasts"

---------------- Review by Stephen Cook 

Tracklist:

1. "Best Dressed Chicken in Town" engineer - Upsetter
2. "Just The Other Day" vocals - Droopy; engineer - King Tubby
3. "Poison Flour" vocals - Horace Andy; engineer - Philip Smart
4. "Gimmie Mi Gun" vocals - Gregory Isaacs; engineer - Lancelot "Maxie" McKenzie
5. "I Killed The Barber" vocals - Jackie Edwards; engineer - Philip Smart
6. "Unitone Skank" vocals - Gregory Isaacs; engineer - Pat Kelly
7. "Can't Conquer Natty Dreadlocks" engineer - Upsetter
8. "Ride On" vocals - Jah Woosh, Jimmy Radwell; engineer - Upsetter
9. "Plead I Cause" engineer - King Tubby
10. "I Shall Fear No Evil" engineer - Philip Smart

Download Link - Mediafire

Django Reinhhardt (with ‘le Quintette du Hot Club de France’) - "le Disque d’Or de Django Reinhardt" (1965)

Jean "Django" Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953) was a Belgium-born French guitarist and composer of Romani ethnicity.

Reinhardt is often regarded as one of the greatest guitar players of all time; he was the first important European jazz musician who made major contributions to the development of the guitar genre. After his third and fourth fingers were paralysed when he suffered burns in a fire, Reinhardt used only the index and middle fingers of his left hand on his solos. He created an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique (sometimes called 'hot' jazz guitar), which has since become a living musical tradition within French Gypsy culture. With violinist Stéphane Grappelli, Reinhardt co-founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France, described by critic Thom Jurek as "one of the most original bands in the history of recorded jazz". Reinhardt's most popular compositions have become jazz standards, including "Minor Swing", "Daphne", "Belleville", "Djangology", "Swing '42", and "Nuages".

If you’ve got nothing to do on your lazy Sunday afternoon, you could do a hell of a lot worse than to put on ‘Django Reinhardt’ and dream away your day from your window.


Tracklist:


1 Melodie au crepuscule
2 Place de Broukere
3 Nuages
4 Belleville
5 Viper’s dream
6 Les yeux noirs
7 Minor swing
8 Porto cabello
9 Swing de Paris
10 Sweet chorus
11 Dinette
12 Crepuscule


Download Link - Mediafire

Mississippi John Hurt - The 1928 Sessions (1928)

John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt (July 3, 1893 or March 8, 1892— November 2, 1966) was an American country blues singer and guitarist.

Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine. Singing to a melodious finger-picked accompaniment, he began to play local dances and parties while working as a sharecropper. He first recorded for Okeh Records in 1928, but these recordings were commercial failures. Hurt then drifted out of the recording scene and continued to work as a farmer. Tom Hoskins, a blues enthusiast, located Hurt in 1963 and convinced him to relocate to Washington, D.C. where he was recorded by the Library of Congress in 1964. This helped further the American folk music revival, which had led to the rediscovery of many other bluesmen of Hurt's era. Hurt entered the university and coffeehouse concert circuit with other Delta blues musicians brought out of retirement. As well as playing concerts, he recorded several albums for Vanguard Records.

This album features the 13 original 1928 recordings of Hurt. Justifiably legendary, with gentle grace and power on these understated vocal and fingerpicking masterpieces. These are the ones to hear, although all Hurt is worth listening to.


Tracklist:


1 Ain't No Tellin' 2:55
2 Stack O' Lee Blues 2:57
3 Candy Man Blues 2:46
4 Spike Driver Blues 3:15
5 Avalon Blues 3:03
6 Louis Collins 2:59
7 Frankie 3:21
8 Big Leg Blues 2:51
9 Nobody's Dirty Business 2:53
10 Got The Blues Can't Be Satisfied 2:51
11 Blessed Be The Name 2:47
12 Blue Harvest Blues 2:53
13 Praying On The Old Camp Ground 2:36


Download Link - Mediafire

Clifford Brown & Max Roach - "Study In Brown" (1955) & "Max And Roach Incorporated" (1954)

A Study In Brown features the 1955 version of the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet, a group also including tenor-saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Richie Powell and bassist George Morrow. One of the premiere early hard bop units, this band had unlimited potential. Highlights of this set are "Cherokee" (during which trumpeter Brownie is brilliant), "Swingin"' and "Sandu." All of the group's recordings are well worth acquiring.


---------- Review By Scott Yanow





Tracklist:

1. "Cherokee" (Ray Noble) - 5:44
2. "Jacqui" (Richie Powell) - 5:11
3. "Swingin'" (Clifford Brown) - 2:52
4. "Lands End" (Harold Land) - 4:56
5. "George's Dilemma" (Brown) - 5:36
6. "Sandu" (Brown) - 4:56
7. "Gerkin for Perkin" (Brown) - 2:56
8. "If I Love Again" (Jack Murray and Ben Oakland) - 3:24
9. "Take the 'A' Train" (Billy Strayhorn) - 4:18

Download Link - Mediafire

-------------------------------------

 

Brown is--justifiably--a jazz icon, and this album [Max And Roach Incorporated] showcases his celebrated rapid-fire riffs and remarkably rounded and mellow tone.

The rapid bebop of "Sweet Clifford" and the closer," I Get A Kick Out of You," may have you shaking your head in awe, with fast but fully articulated soloing by Brown, and simply amazing bop sax by the (underrated?) Harold Land. The notes and lines are just right! Max Roach's astonishing drumming adds to the intensity and wonder of the experience.

Brown's long, almost haunting trumpet on "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" is one of the most beautiful and evocative trumpet solos I've ever heard. His voicing of the lyrics and tender/plaintive sound are superb.

Richie Powell is the force behind "I'll String Along With You," and recalls the tone of Tatum, the sentiment of Hoagie, and the chord emphasis of Nat Cole.
"Stompin' at the Savoy" grooves mellow, with light comping by Powell and bassist George Morrow, and warm burnished solos by Brown and Land. Max Roach slowly builds his solo teasingly, culminating in a bop tour de force.
Land is especially effective on "Darn That Dream" where his warm, lush, burnished playing recalls the John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman CD. Whether you're a longtime Clifford Brown fan, or are just making his acquaintance, I highly recommend this album!

----------- Review By M. Allen Greenbaum

 

 

 Tracklist:

 

1. "Sweet Clifford" (Clifford Brown) - 6:41
2. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" (Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, Victor Young) - 7:19
3. "Stompin' at the Savoy" (Benny Goodman, Andy Razaf, Edgar Sampson Chick Webb) - 6:23
4. "I'll String Along with You" (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) - 4:09
5. "Mildama" (Max Roach) - 4:30
6. "Darn That Dream" (Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 4:02
7. "I Get a Kick out of You" (Cole Porter) - 7:36

Download Link - Mediafire 

Sorry about the delay........

Hello everyone I haven't updated this blog in a while unfortunately have just been very busy with real world shenanigans. There's a serious backlog of music that I've been meaning to get around to uploading/writing about but I just don't really have the time these days..... SO........ I've decided that it's the writing really long blurbs thats the most time consuming thing in this whole process so I'm going to take a little breather from that and go down the road of just uploading the album and the tracklists. I'll tag them all by genre as effectively as I can so you can make a decision as to whether you want to check it out. Chances are if I am going through the effort of putting it up it's worth a listen (or at least I would like to think so hehehe). When I get a bit more spare time I'll hopefully get to go back and finish the write ups.......

Also a very happy new year to you all!

:)

Colin Brown - Vampi Stroll (2014)

My mate stuck this mix together today over a few beers. Normally I like posting a link to download whatever I'm ranting on about, in this case however the mix is on Mixcloud, and I'm not going through the effort of dissecting the file into individual tracks.

Mix runs to being just under an hour and is a collection of songs from various Vampisoul compilations. There's great flow to it with a definite latin feel throughout and lot's of funk permeating throughout. Compay Quinto, Funkdacion & The Funk On Me really hammer this home, the version of Think he's included is really top class. (There's also an absolute gem of a tune by none other than Elvis Presley himself which sits really well in the context of the overall feel of it.)

Anyways that's enough ranting, check it out, it's really good, a hell of a lot of fun and is going to be taking up space in my CD player for probably the foreseeable future! :) I'd also recommend checking out the other mixes he has up on his mixcloud page. There's some mod reggae that's pretty damn cool, and a couple of rapid calypso mixes which have some absolutely hilarious calypsos that I was completely unfamiliar with before coming across them through said mixes. Enjoy!

Mixcloud Link: http://www.mixcloud.com/colin-brown4/

Vampi Stroll by Colin Brown on Mixcloud

Tracklist:

01. Searchin' - Sly & The Family Stone
02. Cha Cha Twist - Margarita Sierra
03. Guitar Big Band - Dennys Coffeey And The Detroit Guitar Band
04. Chick-A-Boom - Joe Bataan
05. Los Pepinillos - Tania Vela
06. Yeh Yeh - Los 3 Sudamericanos
07. El Diablo - Compay Quinto
08. Pasos en la Luna - Los Mutables
09. Think - The Sir Aligator's Company
10. Get Up And Dance - Funkdacion
11. No Good 4 Me Now - The Funk On Me
12. The Oracle - Sabu
13. Rigor Mortis - Willie Bobo
14. Bossa Nova Baby - Elvis Presley
15. Divagando - Sexteto Electrónico Moderno
16. Happy - Elkano Browning Cream
17. Batiendo Palmas - Alicia Granados

Chopstick Dubplate - Wanted: Murda We Charge For (2013)

Few releases scream ‘murderation!’ harder than Chopstick Dubplate’s Murda We Charge For album.

The brainchild of Aries and Jacky Murda, the vocalist jewel in this eight-track skank-packed crown is Mr Williamz, an instantly distinctive vocalist who flexes perfectly over a 170 jungle riddim.

You just can’t beat a bit of Ragga Jungle!

‘Wanted – Murder We Charge For’ is a brilliant 8 track release, filled with feel good vibes and infectious rhythms. In a day and age where precision engineering of tunes seems to take priority, it is nice to return to the roots of the music every once in a while, and this exemplifys that point.

Covering all manner of topics, with wit in abundance (“sometimes you have to fly pon ryanair” in particular strikes a satirically amusing chord!) and backed by archetypal ragga jungle chopped breaks and stomach churning subs, this really shows that reggae influenced drum & bass could quite easily have a renaissance should more artists choose to take up the baton. Obviously there are artists that delve into the sound, but it is particularly refreshing to see a whole LP dedicated to it.

With nods left right and centre to classic reggae cuts, (for instance Wanted’s take on the sleng teng riddim) Aries and Jacky Murda have really done the EP justice with their work on the production front. Mr. Williams heads up the vocals across all the tracks, whilst Top Cat, King Kong and Dennis Brown all feature in part. The combination pull out all the stops in order to put some of the fun back into Drum & Bass, something that at times seems to be lacking.

---- dnbblog.com

Mini mix from soundcloud for you to sample di wares here below. Worldwide Traveller has got to be one of the funniest tunes I've heard in ages, I think it's just fantastic that it actually is about Ryanair. Mediafire Link further below for the album @ 320kbps! Enjoy! :)




Tracklist:

01. Worldwide Traveller
02. Tell Mi Who
03. Girls Dem Dada
04. All Over Town
05. Have You Ever
06. Holla Fi We
07. Wanted
08. Rumble Jumble Life

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - London Is The Place For Me 2: Calypso & Kwela, Highlife & Jazz From Young Black London (Honest Jon's)

A couple of months ago I posted the first album in this series by the Honest Jon's record label (London Is The Place For Me - located here.) This is the second volume in the series, which revives the same tried and tested solution of the first volume offering up another homage to calypso; but also this time around injecting a bit of jazz, some kwela and some highlife tunes into the mix.

Lyrically the calypsos should have you roaring - and there's definitely that post-war spirit of good times and humour permeating throughout the album - Young Tiger's neat diss of the be-boppers by name opens up proceedings in excellent fashion. Musicians like E.T.Mensah, Shake Keane (Joe Harriott's original trumpet player) and more well known and staple Calypsonians such as Lords Kitchener and Beginner all figure in this compilation which is sure to be a well received addition to anyone's collection and will be occupying a privileged place my cd deck for many a year to come. Built to last and highly recommended. Enjoy.

Tracklist:

01. Young Tiger - Calypso Be
02. Ambrose Campbell - Yolanda
03. Mona Baptiste - Calypso Blues
04. West African Rhythm Brothers - Adura
05. Lord Kitchener - My Wife's Nightie
06. West African Rhythm Brothers - Ominira
07. West African Rhythm Brothers - Eroya
08. Lord Beginner - General Election
09. The Lion - Kalenda March
10. Tunji Oyelana - Omonike
11. Shake Keane And His Highlifers - Baionga
12. King Timothy - Gerrard Street
13. West African Swing Stars - E.T. Mensah's Rolling Ball
14. Ambrose Campbell - Ashiko Rhythm
15. West African Swing Stars - Omo Africa
16. Gwigwi Mrwebi - Nyusamkhaya
17. Russ Henderson - West Indian Drums
18. Lord Beginner - Nobody Wants To Grow Old
19. Rans Boi's Ghana Highlife Band - Gbonimawo
20. West African Rhythm Brothers - Sing The Blues

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - Explosivos: Deep Soul From The Latin Heart (Vampisoul) (2005)

A Latin Soul jukebox -- overflowing with great singles from the glory days of the Spanish Harlem scene! The vibe here is definitely on the dirtier end of late 60s Latin -- that groove that picked up plenty of funk and soul from other strands of the New York scene, and took it way way uptown where it was cooked up with a nice dash of salsa! And while there was certainly some work of the time that tried to cash in on the boogaloo groove and never really made the cut, the tunes on this set are all the real deal -- the hard-hitting numbers that stood out as some of the best cuts coming out from labels like Tico, Fania, Cotique, and Alegre. 

CD features a total of 20 great tracks, all of them cookers -- with titles that include "Soul Gritty" by Ralph Robles, "You Need Help" by Monguito Santamaria, "Deep" by Quetcy Alma, "Chicarrones" by The Latin Gents, "Fat Papa" by Charlie Palmieri, "Mama's Girl" by King Nando, "Chacon Pata Pata" by Chacon, "Get It Right" by Alfredito, "Apewalk" by Al Escobar, "Stand" by Harvey Averne, "King Of Latin Soul" by Joey Pastrana, "Kool It Here Comes The Fuzz" by Jimmy Sabater, and "African Twist" by Eddie Palmieri.

Tracklist:

01. Latin Soul Drive Is Here - Chollo Rivera & The Latin Soul Drives
02. King Of Latin Soul - Joey Pastrana
03. Psychedelic Baby - Joe Cuba Sextet
04. Stand - The Harvey Averne Band
05. I'm Gonna Leave You - Russel Cohen Y La New Yorkers
06. Soul Gritty - Ralph Robles
07. You Need Help - Monguito Santamaria
08. Kool It (Here Comes The Fuzz) - Jimmy Sabater
09. Use It Before You Lose It - Bobby Valentín
10. Fat Papa - Charlie Palmieri
11. Deep - Quetcy Alma
12. Electric Latin Soul - Flash & The Dynamics
13. Apewalk - Al Escobar
14. Get It Right - Alfredito And His Orchestra
15. Chacon Pata Pata - Chacon
16. African Twist - Eddie Palmieri
17. Lazy Boogaloo - George Guzman
18. Mama's Girl - King Nando
19. Hit De Bongo - Tito Puente & His Orchestra
20. Chicarrones - The Latin Gents

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - Bossa Nova & The Rise Of Brazillian Music In The 1960's (Soul Jazz Records)

Another great release from UK record label Soul Jazz Records. Forget the cocktail-sipping tropical image that bossa nova became, bossa nova’s origins in Brazil are that of a stunning modernist and revolutionary music that reflected the radical and exciting idealism of the country at the start of the 1960s. This music is the real deal!

This two disc compilation charts the rise of the events that led to the arrival of this new musical movement and what happened next. João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Elis Regina, Gilberto Gil and Baden Powell all feature alongside many other Brazilian artists who launched their careers during this amazing period.

Tracklist:

1. Elis Regina — Roda

2. Roberto Menescal — Inverno

3. Joao Gilberto — O Sapo

4. Ginga Trio — Yemanja

5. Jorge Ben — Lalari-Olala

6. Dorival Caymmi — Berimbau

7. Sergio Mendes & Bossa Rio — Primitivo

8. Nara Leao — Birimbau

9. Tamba Trio — Mas Que Nada

10. Baden Powell & Vinicius Moraes — Canto De Ossanha

11. Zimbo Trio — Zimbo Samba

12. Gilberto Gil — Viramundo

13. Elis Regina — Menino Das Laranjas

14. Edu Lobo — Jogo De Roda

15. Elizete Cardoso — Vida Bela

16. Dom Um Romao — Jangal

17. Wanda Sa — Adriana

18. Elizete Cardoso — E De Lei

19. Antonio Carlos Jobim — O Morro Nao Tem Vez

20. Edu Lobo — Ponteio

21. Tamba 4 — Samba Blim

22. Pery Ribeiro — Canto Negro

23. Maria Bethania — Ye-Mele

24. Miltinho — Faca Como Eu

25. Jorge Ben — Rosa, Menina Rosa

26. Milton Nascimento — Tres Pontas

27. Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes — Canto De Xango

28. Zelia Barbosa — Carcara

29. Tamba Trio — Boranda

30. Geraldo Vandre — Hora De Lutar

31. Elis Regina — Tereza Sabe Sambar

32. Edu Lobo — Aguaverde

33. Jorge Ben — Carnaval Triste

34. Marilia Medalha — Maria Moita

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - New Orleans Funk: The Original Sound Of Funk Vol. 2 (Soul Jazz Records)

This is Soul Jazz Records’ new journey into the heart of New Orleans and a guide to the city’s finest Funk music produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s.’ Featuring everyone from The Meters to Eddie Bo, Lee Dorsey to Betty Harris, this is a who’s who of the Crescent City’s most famous and most funky! The city of New Orleans has deep musical roots that stretch back to Africa. New Orleans first gave birth to Jazz music, a Black musical form centred on rhythm, improvisation, freedom and collectivity at the turn of the century. Similarly in the late 1960s New Orleans Funk came to define a unique sound, mixing Caribbean rhythms, New Orleans second-line syncopation and rhythm and blues, all played by the Big Easy’s finest musicians. 

Whilst Jazz and Funk music spread throughout the world, many African-American musical traditions remained within the city limits such as Mardi Gras and Carnival, Saturday Night Fish Fries, Funeral Marching bands and much more which partly explains why New Orleans music is so unique. The album comes with extensive sleeve-notes, exclusive photography and more, and is an essential guide to the musical landscape of New Orleans and - together with Soul Jazz Records’ earlier New Orleans’ releases - presents the definitive story of New Orleans Funk.

Although on the mainland coast, New Orleans is also surrounded by lakes giving the city an island feel. Similarly its proximity to Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti and the other West Indian Isles means that Latin and Caribbean musical influences are in its veins as much as American musical traditions. The upside of this city’s isolation is that New Orleans musical traditions flourished away from those of the rest of America. A thriving city full of artists, musicians, singers, producers, record companies, studios (well one studio actually) led to a 24-hour, 7-day a week musical life, playing in clubs, bars, brothels, carnivals and parades. The downside of the cities isolation from the rest of the US was that the city never developed a solid music industry to back up the creative over-supply. Whilst New York had Atlantic, Detroit had Motown, Memphis had Stax, Chicago had Chess, Los Angeles had Modern, New Orleans had a multitude of small businesses fighting for space - and often each other. Without the marketing, promotional weight, business nouse and financial clout, New Orleans labels found it hard to get the nationwide distribution necessary to fill the million-odd jukeboxes throughout the country. So whilst every family in America knows the music of Gladys Knight or Smokey Robinson few could tell you about – let alone hum a tune from - Benny Spellman, Inell Young, Warren Lee….

This is far from being a reflection of the artists creativity or musicality - as anyone can tell you New Orleans melodies are the catchiest of all - more it is a reflection of the limitations of the local music industry. Some New Orleans artists became successful throughout the US such as Fats Domino in the 1950s and in the late 1960s The Meters and Lee Dorsey, but many artists remained within the city limits. This makes for a fascinating goldmine of music released by a complex myriad of small labels run mainly by New Orleans producers, promoters and artists themselves. New Orleans Funk 2 brings together many of these artists along with text, sleeve-notes and photographs that gives social and historical context to the incredibly funky music of New Orleans.

----- www.souljazzrecords.co.uk

Tracklist:

1. Cyril Neville — Gossip

2. Eddie Bo — If It's Good To You (It's Good For You)

3. Ray J — Right Place Wrong Time

4. The Meters — Chicken Strut

5. Allen Toussaint — Tequila

6. The Prime Mates — Hot Tamales

7. Betty Harris — Show It

8. Lee Dorsey — Four Corners

9. Bonnie And Sheila — You Keep Me Hanging On

10. The Gaturs — Yeah You're Right, You Know You're Right

11. Danny White — The Twitch

12. Inell Young — What Do You See In Her

13. Earl King — Street Parade

14. Eddie Bo & The Soul Finders — The Rubber Band

15. Benny Spellman — Fortune Teller

16. Warren Lee — Mama Said We Can't Get Married

17. Betty Harris — 12 Red Roses

18. Joe Chopper & The Swinging 7 Soul Band — Soul Pusher

19. Eddie Bo — Hey Bo

20. Johnny Moore — Haven't I Been Good To You

21. Jimmy Hicks — I'm Mr Big Stuff

22. Warren Lee — Funky Belly

23. G. Davis And R. Tyler — Hold On Help Is On The Way

24. Art Neville — Bo Diddley

25. Porgy Jones — Dap

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - Alan Lomax: Blues Songbook (1934 - 1978)

Lots has been written at great length about Alan Lomax elsewhere on this blog, and I'm sure eventually I will write plenty more about the man and his important influence of modern music. However in the interest of not repeating oneself..... 

This 2CD collection is reproduced here in lossless (.flac) quality and is comprised of field recordings made by John and Alan Lomax from 1935-’78, the scope alone of this album is formidable. Many of the acts are obscure even to blues aficionados, yet icons like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Blind Willie McTell, Son House, Leadbelly, and Mississippi Fred McDowell are peppered throughout the nearly 2 1/2 hour playing time. 

Although the audio quality varies from excellent to primitive, the astounding remastering makes it all able. This is raw, pure, spine-tingling music played with the intense nothing-left-to-lose passion of ordinary people whose impossibly difficult lives are exposed in their voices and performances.

"Alan Lomax is a lifelong fan of blues music, and his efforts to document and promote it have made a profound impact on popular culture. From his earliest audio documentation in 1933 of blues and pre-blues with his father, John A. Lomax, for the library of Congress through his 1985 documentary film, The Land Where the Blues Began, Lomax gathered some of the finest evidence of blues, work songs, hollers, fife and drum music, and other African-American song forms that survived the nineteenth century and prospered in the twentieth. His efforts went far beyond those of the typical musicologist. Lomax not only collected the music for research, but through his radio programs, album releases, books, and concert promotions he presented it to a popular audience. While living in England in the early 1950s he introduced many blues songs to the performers of the skiffle movement, who in quick turn ignited the British rock scene. Lead Belly and other blues artists, interpreted by Lonnie Donegan and Van Morrison, preceded the rock & roll tradition of covering and rewriting blues songs. The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, the Animals, Cream, Jimi Hendrix—all found inspiration from the blues. 

And this is how I came to the blues, as many people have: by way of rock & roll. In the very structure of rock music—and, in fact, -much of popular music—the source is undeniable. My personal journey of exploring the history of blues music is connected by the work of Alan Lomax. I vividly remember the first time I heard Lead Belly's voice on the radio in 1958-I immediately ran up to Sam Goody's to buy the 10" Folkways LP featuring his "C. C. Rider." When I filmed Muddy Waters in 1976 performing "Mannish Boy- for The Last Waltz, I witnessed the success and power of a man who had first been recorded in Stovall, Mississippi, in 1941 by Lomax and John W. Work, III. And when I saw Otha Rimer leading his fife and drum band in The Land Where the Blues Began, I was so struck by its hypnotic force that it became one of the primary musical inspirations for Gangs of New York. 

Alan Lomax: Blues Songbook is the first collection of Lomax blues recordings to encompass his career. I'm sure that his work will continue to inspire and illuminate the minds of future generations. The deep well from which he drew these essential voices of human culture is a treasure for all." 

— Martin Scorsese, York. NE July 2003

"Chilling, mysterious, and even playful--sometimes simultaneously--this collection with 40 pages of detailed history, informative track-by-track notes, and forays into Cajun and spiritual side roads is most recommended to established blues fans wishing to further explore the roots of the genre."

— Hal Horowitz  

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

1. Going Down to the River - Mississippi Fred McDowell, Miles Pratcher
2. Rolled and Tumbled
3. Cherry Ball Blues - Jack Owens,
4. Dust My Broom - Howlin' Wolf, , Hubert Sumlin
5. Boogie Children - Boy Blue, Joe Lee,
6. Stagolee - Lucious Curtis, Willie Ford
7. Stop All the Buses - Cecil Augusta
8. Worried Life Blues - David Honeyboy Edwards
9. Pony Blues - Son House
10. Tangle Eye Blues
11. Trouble So Hard - Vera Hall-Ward, Dock Reed
12. Worried Blues - Sonny Terry
13. Beggin' the Blues - Bessie Jones
14. John Henry - Gabriel Brown
15. Country Blues - Dock Boggs
16. Cherry Ball Blues - Skip James
17. I Hate a Man Like You - Jelly Roll Morton
18. Roll 'Em Pete - Pete Johnson
19. Kokomo - Memphis Jug Band
20. Life Is Like That - Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson

Disc: 2

1. I Could Hear My Name A-Ringin' - Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson
2. Dimples in Your Jaws - Boy Blue, Joe Lee,
3. Catfish Blues - Jack Owens,
4. Kill-It-Kid Bag - Blind Willie McTell
5. You're Gonna Need My Help - Elinor Boyer
6. Army Blues - David Honeyboy Edwards
7. Blues de la Prison - Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, Canray Fontenot
8. I Been Drinking - Vera Hall-Ward
9. I Been a Bad, Bad Girl (Prisoner Blues) - Ozella Jones
10. I Be's Troubled - Muddy Waters
11. Boogie Instrumental - R.L. Burnside
12. Blind Lemon Blues - Leadbelly
13. Sweet Patootie Blues - Albert Ammons
14. Last Time - Sam Chatmon
15. Shorty George - Smith Casey
16. Desert Blues - Hattie Ellis,
17. Joe Turner - Hobart Smith, Ed Young
18. Joe Turner - Bob Pratcher, Miles Pratcher
19. Joe Turner
20. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - Hobart Smith
21. How Long Blues - Leadbelly, Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry

Download Link - Mediafire - CD1

Download Link - Mediafire - CD2

Various Artists - Zeppelin Took My Blues Away (2014)

I cannot take credit for putting in any of the time and effort (and passion) that it took to create this compilation. All this research and this fantastic collection were made possible by “Willard’s Wormholes” http://www.willardswormholes.com . On his website he has a cool interface where you can click on cards and it produces links to the original tracks and then alternative streams so you can compare the tracks for similarities. Excellent project and really well researched. Check it out before downloading!

I didn’t include any of the original Led Zeppelin tunes in this, and took the liberty of splitting all the ‘source tracks’ into 2 CD format just cause the whole playlist was about 90 minutes and I still like CD’s. I’ve reproduced faithfully below all the content from the original web based interface, it makes for extremely interesting reading. And have included in each sub folder the original images from the website (which are awesome by the way).

Anyway excellent compilation, enjoy, thanks to Willard’s Wormholes again for the dedication and research necessary to produce something like this!

From Willard's Wormholes:

They’re one of rock’s greatest bands. They’re also one of rock’s worst… when it comes to properly crediting their sources of inspiration. Led Zeppelin’s many incidents of copyright infringement are legendary. There are those who have called it outright theft, and have sworn in a court of law that Led Zeppelin (primarily Jimmy Page and Robert Plant) have repeatedly taken credit for writing music that wasn’t their’s to take credit for. And, many of those cases have been vindicated. Of course… this is not to take away from Led Zeppelin’s greatness; the amazing arrangements, renditions, covers, interpretations, performances and history they’ve created and been a part of. But, the truth is they’ve become rich partly from royalties they were never entitled to. Jimmy Page was uncharacteristically candid on the subject when he spoke to Guitar Player Magazine in 1993, downplaying his own culpability while simultaneously throwing his partner, Robert Plant, under the bus. “I always tried to bring something fresh to anything that I used. I always made sure to come up with some variation. In fact, I think in most cases, you would never know what the original source could be. Maybe not in every case – but in most cases. So most of the comparisons rest on the lyrics. And Robert was supposed to change the lyrics, and he didn’t always do that – which is what brought on most of the grief. They couldn’t get us on the guitar parts of the music, but they nailed us on the lyrics. We did, however, take some liberties (laughs), I must say.” Note that Page says, “Robert was supposed to change the lyrics…” which might accidentally say a lot more about their process than Page intended.

Many of these tracks, which form the basis for quite a number of Led Zeppelin’s earlier recordings, have found their way onto “Roots Of” Zep collections before, so this gathering is nothing new. Many already know this story, and these songs, but for those that haven’t stayed abreast of the decades of abuse Zep has endured for their costly “borrowing” from others just might be shocked at what they hear on this collection. Of course, musicians borrow from each other all the time. Zeppelin were just way too blatant about it, and way too often took the credit (and royalties) for themselves. And, depending on how you slice it, this is only the half of it. On its own, this is a fun, mostly old blues collection made up of all the original songs heard on these pages… with a strangely familiar twist.

Tracklist:

JAKE HOLMES Dazed And Confused (3:48)
BERT JANSCH Blackwaterside (3:45)
HOWLIN’ WOLF No Place To Go (a.k.a. How Many More Years) (2:53)
ALBERT KING The Hunter (2:46)
ALES KORNER BLUES INC. Rosie (2:13)
ALEXIS KORNER & ROBERT PLANT Steal Away (4:45)
JOAN BAEZ Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You (2:39)
MUDDY WATERS You Need Love (2:43)
SMALL FACES You Need Loving (4:00)
HOWLIN’ WOLF Killing Floor (2:49)
ROBERT JOHNSON Travelling Riverside Blues (2:39)
SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON Bring It On Home (2:38)
BUKKA WHITE Shake ‘Em On Down (3:02)
MOBY GRAPE Never (6:15)
BERT JANSCH The Waggoner’s Lad (3:26)
KANSAS JOE McCOY & MEMPHIS MINNIE When The Levee Breaks (3:11)
SPIRIT Taurus (2:37)
SLEEPY JOHN ESTES Drop Down Mama (3:12)
BLIND BOY FULLER I Want Some Of Your Pie (2:45)
JOSH WHITE Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed (a.k.a. In My Time Of Dying) (3:06)
RITCHIE VALENS Ooh, My Head (1:47)
BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON It’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine (3:11)
THE THAMESIDERS AND DAVY GRAHAM She Moved Thro’ The Fair (3:10)
SLEEPY JOHN ESTES The Girl I Love, She Got Long Curly Hair (2:58)
BOBBY PARKER Watch Your Step (2:44)

(plus a few bonus tracks.......)

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - 22 Songs About Football (Global Groovers)

Well with world cup fever gripping people the world, seems appropriate that we get a few decent tunes to go along with it and moos over at Global Groovers has put together this deadly little compilation CD. I literally laughed my ass off when I found this compilation, then upon listening to it I laughed my ass off some more. In saying that however, IT WORKS REALLY WELL!! Mad funny at points but some great tunes on it to. Check it out! (He's Dutch by the way - moos - at least I think he's Dutch....) :-D

From the Global Groovers site:

"Speaking of football, or soccer, whatever you prefer, I decided to make a collector about it. It begins with a track from a cd full of 78's collected by John Peel's wife. Nice old song, in the middle we have two African songs, one Colombian and another oldie with the Marx Brothers. On no.13 we have a track sung by no one less than Pelé, with Sergio Mendes and on 20 a quite bad Dutch caranaval song by our own Johan Cruyff, you wont believe your ears. Most songs are Brazillian and about the famous Rio-club Flamengo or Pelé, get it & spread it..."

Tracklist:

01. Albert Whelan - Pass! shoot!! goal!!!
02. João Nogueira e Outros - Hino de flamengo
03. Gasolina - E o juíz apitou
04. João Nogueira - Samba rubro-negra
05. Bezerra da Silva - Flamengo e mangueira
06. Hélio Nascimento - Continuo a ser flamengo
07. Varias crianças - Falando sobre futbol
08. Luiz Wanderley - Rei pelé
09. Pepé Kallé - Roger mila
10. Johnny Bokelo - A.s. biliman
11. Los Teenagers - Pachanga del futbol
12. The Marx Brothers - Professor wagstaff presents the football game ( Groucho )
13. Sergio Mendes e Pelé - Meu mundo é uma bola
14. Wilson Simonal - Obrigado pelé
15. Jackson do Pandeiro - O rei pelé
16. Grupo Fundo de Quintal - Sou flamengo, cacique e mangueira
17. Tim Maia - Flamengo
18. Gilberto Gil e Germano Mathias - Samba rubro-negro
19. Lonnie Donegan - World cup willie
20. Johan Cruyff - Oei oei oei ( dat was me weer een loei )
21. Gringo da Parada - Mengoooo
22. Torcedores de flamengo – Mengoo

Download Link - Mediafire

Various Artists - The Art Of Chill (Platipus Records)

To what extent is it necessary to be entirely strung out before you can chill out? Does the concept of chill out exist solely within a dialectical relation to getting cranked up (thesis), and strung out (antithesis)? Is chill out a modem phenomenon? Or can it be seen as a timeless one? Can we speak meaningfully of chilling out as an art? Or is it an art only in the sense that love or war can also be viewed as arts? Are the sleeve notes for this compilation of the finest contemporary chill out going to consist entirely of questions? And if this is the case will they themselves require their own equivalent chill out, in the form of a lot of answers?

To this question let me say, emphatically, yes.

___________________________________

The melodic and atmospheric roots of club trance and progressive house lie in the layered sounds of 70's and early-80's psychedelic ambient ala Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. So it's only fitting that iconic UK trance and progressive label Platipus Records launched the first volume of this downtempo series by focusing on ambient material and remixes from its own artists.

For those who care for electronic music history, the first of Platipus's Art Of Chill compilations is the sound of trance leaving the beats of clubland behind and returning to the source. For anyone else it's simply a terrific after-party or late night swim in a deep, multi-coloured ocean of sound. Its studded with downtempo gems that dip into the Platipus catalogue as far back as eight years. Melodic, ethereal tracks like Union Jack's "Water Drums" and Kansai's ambient mix of "Rococco" are both stunning in their own gentle way. The better known Sinead O'Conner and Binary Finary both shine via previously unheard remixes of their tunes "Troy" and the Binary Finary trance anthem "1998" as re-imagined in cold deep space by Neo & Farina. Although a handful of tracks here have appeared on many other comps, the quality of the Platipus content puts this album up there with the best ambient trance collections around.

The pleasant but non-essential Art Of Chill 2 (2005) is far more generic, throwing in just about every strain of downtempo across another two disc set. Thanks to screamingly obvious inclusions like FC Kahuna's "Hayling" and Bent's "Swollen" it simply doesn't distinguish itself enough from many other comps on the market.

Fortunately the series gets well and truly back on track with Art Of Chill 3, a rich, mind-altering mix complied by old hippie techno-ambient rockers System 7 aka Miquette Giraudy and Steve Hillage. It's a colourful, harmonious and at times surreal blend of warm dubby lounge, Hillage's own electronica (as System 7 and Mirror System), current psy-chill tracks from names like Shulman and Blutech, and folksy detours through India and the Far East. An undoubted highlight is System 7's own "Kupuri", a slow-building shamanic groove of rare hypnotic power with Hillage's famous gliss guitar soaring sweetly overhead.

Art Of Chill 4 from 2007 was complied by Alex Paterson of The Orb and was hands-down the best thing he'd put his name to since The Orb's glory days of the early 90's. Given his love of sampling and encyclopedic knowledge of all things ambient he proves the perfect choice to create a highly distinctive mix. It's nothing less than a two hour trip through Paterson's extraordinary personal music collection from the 70's onwards with an emphasis on atmospheric ambience, soundtracks, pretty landscapes and stoned, quirky downbeats. Several new Orb tracks are also effective. Given the chance to run amok with his record collection, Paterson shows a surprising lack of self-indulgence. The album gels beautifully and its the most ambitious entry in the series.

----- Reviewed by Mike G - ambientmusicguide.com

Volume 5 of the compilation (Mixed by Bent) is not included in the above review but definitely deserves a mention, this is nothing like previous Art of Chill releases. This mix offers up alternative, piano, instrumental and classical chill out. With Big guns such as Craig Armstrong and Kirsty Hawkshaw supporting nicely, its the likes of Ben Benjamin, Nonostar and Helios that do this mix justice. CD1 goes very classical, and CD2 opts for a more ‘Art of Chill’ sound. An essential mix for anybody wanting to chill the fuck out. Looking forward to the next compilation!

Download Link - Mediafire - Art of Chill Vol. 1
Download Link - Mediafire - Art of Chill Vol. 2
Download Link - Mediafire - Art of Chill Vol. 3
Download Link - Mediafire - Art of Chill Vol. 4
Download Link - Mediafire - Art of Chill Vol. 5