Cafe del Mar, Vol. 6 (1999) VBR

Cafe del Mar, Vol. 6 VBR

Year 1999

Tracks
1. Traveller Talvin Singh 5:51
2. Dub In Ya Mind Afterlife 5:14
3. The Messenger New Funky Generation 3:47
4. Homebase Dzihan & Kamien 7:15
5. Beautiful Mandalay 4:35
6. 3.2 Bedrock Humate 7:02
7. Satie 1 Endorphin 3:08
8. Homelands Nitin Sawhney 5:59
9. A Distant Invitation Rae & Christian 5:15
10. Existence Bugge Wesseltoft 7:03
11. Oh Home Paco Fernandez / Levitation 4:23
12. Les Kid Nappeurs Main Theme Marc Collin 4:12
13. Adios Ayer Jose Padilla 5:35
14. Ill Street Blues Moonrock 3:46
15. The Look Of Love Dusty Springfield 3:41

I don't own a lot of chillout related CDs and there's a reason for that: Most of them are predictable with the same song used over and over again on various compilations that pretty much copy each other's ideas. I enjoy trip-hop and lounge music but it's very hard to find a flawless album that you can pop into your stereo or discman (whichever one's handy) and let it play without skipping a single beat but this is a rare exception. Aside from 'Chill Out In Paris 2' [mixed by David Visan], this is SO FAR the best I've heard in this genre and it's my first Cafe Del Mar experience so I was pleasantly surprised. Jose Padilla did a great job at compiling and mixing all this together and I'm curious to scope out anything else he's done. It flows at a very nice pace (mostly mid-tempo speed) and has many different atmospheres to keep it fresh and inventive. There's not a dull moment on here and while the entirety of 'Vol. 6' is amazing, I find myself especially enjoying Mandalay's breathtaking remix of "Beautiful" (I never tire from listening to this particular piece) and the world grooves of Nitin Sawhney's "Homelands" (I've been meaning to check his work out for a long time now) and the gorgeous "Adios Ayer". And, of course, anything by Talvin Singh is worth hearing... The whole thing is, really.
I truly love this and am more than impressed.