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.
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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!
