Best downtempo Mix album around
Electrohound | Los Angeles, CA USA | 01/30/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've heard a lot of mix CDs and this by far is the best when it comes to downtempo music. There are two reasons for this. One, obviously, it's Coldcut and DJ Food behind the decks. Second, because it's DJ Food and Coldcut, they were able to clear the licenses for all of these sweet tracks which results in a pure DJ set (I mean, who's stupid enough to tell them "No, you can't use our track"). This mix was assembled live at LA's Louis the XIV back in '96 and still sounds fresh today. Timeless stuff. It begins with soft, quaint sounds, and features a sample from what sounds like an old sci-fi movie or an Orson Wells War of the Worlds radio broadcast. From there its a lesson in classy, heady, funky, chilled grooves. The mix is subtle and takes its time slowly building moods and breaking them back down and then taking the listener deeper and deeper. Great tracks from Fila Brazillia, Journeyman and Global Communication smooth things out. Languid, but punchy breakbeats keep the mind sharp, while smoky, glacial synths sculpt the imagination. Relaxing tones and dripping sounds percolate and fall. The best track here is the funky, dubby Freakpower track, "Freakpower Is Beautiful," which contains a funky-as-hell scratch-up of a great sample. I won't give much more away on that one, except that this is a track by Norman Cook of Fatboy Slim fame, and is in my opinion his best production ever. Of course, you can't find this track anywhere else but here. And the mix rounds out beautifully with Bandulu's "Run, Run, Run." A classic to the bone mix CD and the best release from the Coldcut/Ninja Tune/DJ Food school of thought. A criminally overlooked classic, if only that it brings the true vibe of the chilled-out underground to the presses without being diluted, over-marketed, or hampered by music licensing problems. Check your head."
Just Press The Repeat And Enjoy The Retreat
Alice in Borderland | 10/05/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love ambient. I love being surrounded by mellow sound waves of electric bliss. All this I learned from this album which I bought a year ago. Sci-Fi, relaxed hip-hop and the rithym of just being here, there and everywhere, all mixing together into one is what this cd is all about. Not your typical Zen label cd, much more mellow. Like The Starseeds melding with DJ Spooky, (a very subliminal kick). Not for dancing, just relaxing."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1