Deep Latin house for the summer evening
Richard Diaz | 07/08/2002
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The Bar De Lune label packages their music with a sense of surroundings and atmosphere, akin to the Hotel Costes or Global Underground series. Destinations Du Monde Barcelona includes factoids about the city and country, a few dozen pictures, and a rather snazzy CD case. The music? Deep Latin house, with the tone set from the opening track, Serjaye "Mahal Kita" a spot on delivery of mellow pulses and spoken word Spanish intermixed with soft girly choruses. Elsewhere the more percussive sounds reveal, S-Tone's "Saudade" a bossa-meets-Air workout lifting a direct sample from the Parisian boys. Add in vibrant vocal numbers such as Fertile Ground's "Let the Wind Blow," and stalwart cool-down fare from reliable chaps Dhihan & Kamien and Fauna Flash. Lowlights? Christopher Goze and Faze Action's dodgy "Barcelona" violates the cardinal rule that synths and Latin music should never meet. River Ocean's "Love & Happiness" isn't interested in subtlety. Some of these tunes have been around the block, but the vibe's quite right. Heard in proper context, it's an agreeable hour for a summer evening."
Weak, Soulness Latin Vibe
Alpha Centauri | Washington, DC | 01/03/2003
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Don't bother adding this to your Latin and/or Lounge collection. The mood is overly electronic and sterile. Percussions sounds like choppy programming, melodies are subtley trite, and vocals are less than soulful. This is a sleepy, wimply collection of elevator music disguised in chic packaging by some industry people. You're much better off going with the Carlos Campos collections, Barcelona Tribe (B-Tribe), or the Havana-esque work of Up Bustle and Out."