ELECTROLOUNGE ARCHIVE V.A.
NuJazz TripHop Ambient Dance

Look at the cover of The Best of Lounge Music and one might expect a collection of chilled downtempo tracks by acts like Zero 7, Air and Jaffa. The title alone suggests a collection that spans generations of "lounge" with tracks by Les Baxter and Dean Martin mixed in. Well, to paraphrase the old adage, don't judge a CD by it's cover.

The Best of Lounge Music could have be called "The Mellow Contemporary Side of World Music," because that's basically what you'll hear. African, Spanish, Latino, French, Brazilian vocal numbers that flow easily into each other despite the stylistic differences.

It's a double CD of 30 tracks and the artist list is a who's who of contemporary world music. There are few surprises and few standouts, except perhaps for the Deepak Chopra/Demi Moore collaboration "Desire" -- which is a surprise, but not necessarily a standout.

A few of the tracks exhibit a more modern downtempo sound such as Grand Tourism's "Les Courants D'Air" (featuring Terry Callier), but the sense of adventure is surprisingly lacking for this aural world tour.

This pleasingly breezy Club Montepulciano "contemporary lounge" mix has sophisicated pool party barbeque written all over it.

Top notch acts Soulstance, Mo' Horizons, Baby Mammoth, Lemon and company offer inviting Latin-inflected grooves with titles like "Bar Rhumba," "Yachts," "West Pier," "Won't You Join Me for a Drink." It's all very seductive. So what are you waiting for? It's not too late to enjoy a little late summer fun -- it doesn't really end unless you say so.

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Subtitled "the Essence of Brazilian Chill Out," this collection of 15 originals and remixes is the perfect accompaniment for a warm breezy night drinking exotic cocktails at poolside.

Despite the assertion that the music on this disc is "chilled," it would be a mistake to assume that it's thoroughly mellow. There's enough fire in these tracks, thanks to loads of Latin percussion, to stave off slumber.

Crippled Dick Hot Wax has long been a reliable purveyor of sleazy listening, and this new and varied collection is no exception. Any disc that opens with a track called "Come in My Mouth" from Earl Wilson's 1974 sex musical Let My People Come ought to convince you (of whatever, depending on your ideology).

Les Chansons des Perverts is a mix of rare vintage tracks by Mystic Moods Orchestra, Antena, Don Paulin and others, in addition to new previously unreleased cuts by label talent, including Anubian Lights, Seksu Roba, Station Rose, Higher Than God and The Raymakers. The 16 tracks traverse a variety of styles including electrolounge, disco, funky breaks and psycho beat -- it's amazing that it all hangs together as well as it does.

As the liner notes state: Les Chansons des Perverts "is a treat for headphone nerds, DJs and other headcases whose thinking is light-years away from styles and pigeon-holes... what's on the agenda here is unadulterated entertainment." All in all, a fair assessment. Crank it up!

Fans of Compost-style "nu jazz" should gravitate toward the second volume of Club Horizons, subtitled "Jazz Attitude". The beats are energetic and complex, and the production, overseen by Rocco Pandiani and Gak Sato, is super slick.

Featuring work by At Jazz, Nigel Hayes, Hipnotic, Soul Parlor, Banzo, London Elektricity, Meitz, Azimuth and the Wild Magnolias, this disc is a non-stop flight to grooveland.

Getting locked up in the beats, it can be hard to fault a disc like Club Horizons. The slick professionality of it all has a way sweeping away the day's problems. Still, there is something disconcerting in that slickness -- it's so slick it slides through your consciousness without leaving a trace. Unlike previous Temposphere releases -- most notably the excellent Easy Tempo Experience remix project -- this compilation is a bit short on personality.

In 2001 Reprise Records released a 13-track comp called Morricone RMX, featuring such electronic artists as Terranova, Fantastic Plastic Machine, Nightmares on Wax and Thievery Corporation. The remix treatment didn't appeal to many hardcore Morricone fans, but wasn't without merit.

On Compost Records' Ennio Morricone Remixes Vol. 1 and the two-disc Vol. 2, nearly 40 other artists take their shots at il Maestro's work with -- again -- varying results. Much like the work on Compost's Future Sounds of Jazz series, the tracks on these two volumes range stylistically from house to nu jazz to downtempo. The spirit of Morricone is the notable difference from FSJ, but few of these artists stick closely to the source material. Sure, there are recognizable samples -- and the source material is clearly noted -- but these remakes don't sound retro in the least. Then again, Morricone's work isn't really a retro sound -- it's timeless.

Hardcore Morricone fans probably won't admit to liking this stuff, but it really isn't half bad. The remixes work best when the electronic enhancements are creatively inspired by the source material, rather than merely "updating" the original track.

Selected artists on Vol. 1 include: International Pony, Butti 49, Amalgamation of Soundz, Kabuki and Hird. Selected artists on Vol. 2 include: Chicken Lips, Doctor Rockit, Gerd, Moonstarr, ComputerJockeys, Daniel Klein and Bandini. The source material is primarily from Morricone's Cinecitta' work from the late '60s and early '70s.

Ever get a CD that comes with a Swarovski crystal tattoo? Probably not. Maybe the question really is: what kind of CD comes with a fashion accessory? The answer: the soundtrack of Fashion TV, of course. Or more specifically, the soundtrack for Fashion TV's Spring Summer 2002 Collection.

When slinky long legged models strut the catwalk it's often to some sultry downtempo vibe or swanky high energy dance beat. The people who watch the parade often think: what's that music and where can I get a copy? Well, the folks at Wagram have done the work for you, collecting a fine set for your own personal catwalk -- be it your bedroom, the street, the workplace, the corner dive or the treadmill at the gym. Among the chosen are: Zero 7, Herbert, St. Germain and Waldeck.

Darling, you look mahvelous!

This sequel to FashionTV "Spring-Summer Collection" features 13 tracks of club tracks by lesser known house DJs and neo soul disco divas. Really, nothing to write home about. For more information, www.ftv.com

Everyone's favorite fried French lothario gets a make- over on this collection of remixes. While the seemingly imprudent idea of remixing Serge is akin to the remixing of Kraut rockers Can -- which was knowingly titled Sacrilege -- it's fair to say that I Love Serge is relatively successful. Electronica artists such as Howie B., Bob Sinclar, The Orb and Readymade manage to freshen up such Serge classics as "Ballade de Melody Nelson" and "Bonnie & Clyde." It should be noted that, toward the end of his career, Serge dabbled in dance music ("Love on the Beat," etc.) These remixes, however, extend past mere disco, into a range of electronic possibilities, including downtempo, trip hop, house, drum n' bass, etc. Perhaps the most surprisingly successful remix here is Dzihan & Kamien's "Je t'Aime... moi, non plus"), which updates Serge's most famous song without trivializing its seductive power.

Vintage Eastern Bloc jazz remixed for nu jazz heads? Crippled Dick Hot Wax serves up a smoking collection on Iron Curtain Revisited (both the full length CD and 10-inch EP), which was inspired by Between or Beyond the Iron Curtain, one of the label's three European jazz collections.

The BBIC set collects 16 tracks of rare groove gold from 1967 to 1978. The remixes tend to differ significantly from the originals, but the source material is still recognizable. Melodies are stripped down and rhythmic motifs minimized, resulting in a kickin' batch of riveting electronica.

Standouts include Kasar's bebop beat "The Newcomer," Maxwell Implosion's jazzy house number "Dancing Nuts," Orbit.Experience's funky nu jazz "Quartett," Higher Than God's sample-happy soul groover "Gee Whiz," and Mimok's "Funki dia Franki," which boasts a sample from Gert Wilden's "Hong Kong Twist" (I Told You Not to Cry).

Fans of Compost's Future Sounds of Jazz are likely to enjoy Iron Curtain Revisited.

Aside from Hammond B-3 and Moog, the keyboard most associated with Now Sound pop of the '60s is probably the harpsichord -- the same instrument we associate with Baroque classical music. When used in a pop context, the instrument lends the music a bright optimistic shimmer. With that in mind, it's interesting to hear Harpsichord 2000, a retro-flavored jaunt through contemporary alternative Euro pop, wherein the Harpsichord enlivens a variety of song styles including dream pop, trip pop, Baroque pop, funky spy pop and even space pop.

Twenty-three tracks in all, Harpsichord 2000 features work by Remington Super 60, Cinerama, Stereo Total, Micromars, Make Up and many others.

Stand-outs include: Die Moulinettes' Stereolab-esque "Flipper Queen," The Secret Goldfish's funky "Babaar and Celeste," Count Indigo's acid pop "Call Yourself a Man," Electroscope & DJ Spectra's spaced out "Out of the Edge of Time," Volume All-Star's hip hop "Smooverock Crewcut," Astro Black Stereo's trippy Cinematica "Inseguimento in Citta," Valvola's equally cinematic "Cupa Atmosfera," Momus' playful "Human Diversity" and Barry Gemso Experience's intricate "Dial 'S' for Siren."

Variety and high quality composition and musicianship make Harpsichord 2000 an entertaining listen.

The second volume of Japan for Sale delivers an eclectic mix of contemporary electronica and pop from the land of the rising sun.

J-Pop, as it's generally called, can range from the bubble gum pop of Mayu Kitaki, to the high energy techno trance of Ken Ishii, to spacy dream pop of Dt. and Supercar, to the hypnotic hip hop of DJ Krush, to the hard rock of Boom Boom Satellites, to the power pop of L'Arc-en-Ciel and Puffy Amiyumi, to the funky groove of Chara, to the synth pop of Yoshinori Sunahara and Takkyu Ishino, to the punky new wave of Polysics, to the trip hop of Aco.

That's precisely what one gets with Japan for Sale Vol. 2, a fun but schizophrenic tour of the music scene in Tokyo. Nice Shag cover art.

Take a look at western society and one can't help but notice the broad influence of Japan. There are ubiquitous brand names (Sony, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda, Nissan) and trans-cultural phenomena (anime, sushi, electronic pets, Hello Kitty). And then there's the music, which remains -- in comparison to everything else -- fairly mysterious; if only because the vocals are, more often than not, in the native tongue.

On Japan for Sale Vol. 3, a plethora of contemporary Japanese pop rock, hip hop and electronica is introduced to western ears. Sure, some of the artists are relatively familiar. DJ Krush, Kyoto Jazz Massive and Yoshinori Sunahara are easy enough to find in any major market. But then there are the hip hop sounds of Goku and Loop Junktion, the alt-rock of Guitar Vader and the Brilliant Green, and the electro pop of Polysics -- just to name a few. So, if you've heard (and liked) the infectious pop of Pizzicato Five or the turntablist grooves of DJ Krush and wonder what else is coming out of the prodigious island nation, then look no further.

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Moog legend Jean Jacques Perrey formally introduces this pleasingly mellow set of downtempo and sound library grooves.

The second volume of La Pulpe features Agent 5.1, Zimpala, Undress Code, Nino Nardini & Roger Roger, Alpine, Concorde Music Club, Ama D Us, Kan Takagi, Olivier Corre and Perrey, of course. Don't let potentially unfamiliar names, however, deter you. Fans of the smooth nu jazz and exotica are likely to love the set. It's a perfect soundtrack for the warm tropical night of your reality (or in your imagination).

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Inspired by Ata Tak's reissue of Charles Wilp's ultra-obscure lounge record fotografiert Bunny, this CD collects 18 tracks by a diverse selection of electronica artists plus one by Wilp himself.

Wilp was an influential advertising and photography renaissance man in Germany during the 60s. At the height of his influence, he composed and produced a limited edition album of the advertising music mentioned above.

The remix collection features such favorites as Yasuharu Konishi of Pizzicato Five, Tipsy, Elektrotwist, Maxwell Implosion, To Rococco Rot, Stereo Total, A Certain Frank and many others.

Stylistically, the remixes range from electro lounge to house to hardcore techno. Amazingly, it all blends very well, making for a satisfying electronica mix and a highly sensual one to boot. The entire affair is saturated with sexiness, aided undoubtedly by the suggestive, but never lurid vocal samples.

If you've looked through the downtempo, trip hop or groove sections in record stores recently, you've undoubtedly noted the trend toward resort/hotel/club-related compilations. Call them leisure soundtracks. Nikki Beach is one of them.

Nikki Beach is where nouveau riche singles go in search of sun, surf and sex -- sometimes all at the same time. Listening to its "soundtrack" --which collects tracks by artists such as Ursula Rucker, dZihan & Kamien, Pepe Deluxe, King Kooba and Lemongrass -- it's not difficult to imagine the pleasures that await one at this Miami Beach resort.

If listening to an "advertisement" for a beach resort sounds cheesy, keep in mind that the CD itself is free of sales pitches, in favor of an enjoyably chilled music mix. One track flows into the next, each carrying the promise of romance and mystery. Until you can make it to Nikki Beach, what's to stop you from enjoying some of its breezy sensual atmosphere at home? Hey, what you do in your home is your business. ;-)

Created (mixed) by the man behind the Buddha Bar as a soundtrack for his ultra chic restaurant and night spot in Paris, Nirvana Lounge, this double disc is precisely what you'd expect. Pseudo exotic dance and nu lounge tracks by a couple dozen electronica artists, including A Guy Called Gerald and Mo'horizons, delivered in a continuous stream.

It would be easy to write this sort of thing off as a marketing gimic for a hedonistic lifestyle merchandizer, but the music definitely has a seductive quality. Invite over some friends, turn the lights low, light some incense, have a cocktail, a smoke and groove. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night, last time I checked. Think of it this way. You can enjoy the music without hanging around those pretentious would-be models and movie stars out flaunting their trust fund vacation tans at trendy nightspots. After all, it's not the music's fault for sounding so cool.

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Some people say Paris is the center of the universe -- at least in terms of fashion, culture and cuisine. That said, it's no surprise so many contemporary dance music producers rely on the city's reputation to legitimise their mix CDs. Paris Lounge 2 and Champs-Elysees Cafe are good examples of this phenomenon.

Paris Lounge 2 is a 33-track double disc collecting trip hop, electro and dub tracks from the known (Rinocerose, Alex Gopher, Bertrand Burgalat, Readymade) and the relatively unknown (Ginkgo, Next Evidence, Shalark, Oxymore). The release was preceded by another strong selling Paris Lounge comp and a Berlin Lounge comp. The tracks are divided into a "day set" and a "night set," but the stylistic differences are subtle. Some tracks are more upbeat than others, so the "lounge" label is a bit misleading. It's a pretty chilled mix overall, and expertly mixed. Tres chic.

Champs-Elysees Cafe favors on neo-soul, funky house and electro, and like Paris Lounge 2, it's a sexy mix. Featured artists include well known players such as Bertrand Burgalat, Laurent Garnier, and lesser known acts such as Ark, Octet, Cassiopee and Doctor L. Unlike Paris Lounge 2, this disc is more high energy, but leaves room for some downtempo tracks, as well. Consider it an 18-track, 75-minute tour of Paris -- all without leaving your living room.

This EP features remixes of tracks from Crippled Dick's outstanding collection of German advertising "jingles" (actually, they're more like full length funky pop singles played by session musicians). Considering the huge amount of juicy source material, this remix EP only scratches the surface.

There are seven tracks remixed by artists such as Ursula 1000 and Pizzicato Five's Yasuharu Konishi. All but one track (Rune Lindbaek's lackluster "Sweet and Sexy") deliver high energy dance music.

Aside from the Lindbaek's lounge number and the limited source selection (no "Mini Killers" remix, unfortunately), the mix is fun, but not outstanding like the original Pop Shopping.

This compilation of "new crime jazz" is a fine place to start when looking for "imaginary soundtracks". Featuring such artists as Portishead, Strange Cargo and Barry Adamson, the selection is rich in atmosphere and highly evocative of cinematic scenerios. Many of the cuts are downright haunting and bear repeated listening very well. Check out Grantby's "Timber", which uses John Barry's James Bond music to good effect. And when it comes to new crime jazz, who better than Barry Adamson to get it just right, with "Dead Heat". The disc also features Alex Reece, Patrick Pulsinger, Folk Implosion and Manna.

Not unlike Serialement Votre, Pussy Galore presents its electronic spy beats in an uptempo fashion. Artists including Natural 7, Howie B. and Naked Funk pour it on with sampledelic tracks like "Spy versus Spy," "Death to Fiona," "My Speedboat is Faster Than Yours" and "Pleasing the Korean."

Unlike Serialement Votre, Pussy Galore is less concerned with covering classics than reinventing the spy jazz form -- albeit with mixed results. Sometimes atmospheric and other times merely funky, the set is never less than entertaining.

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Serielement Votre takes the listener deep into spy territory electronica style. Artists including DJ Cam, Dimitri from Paris, Bang Bang and Charles Schillings tackle the usual suspects -- themes from Mission: Impossible, The Avengers, The Prisoner, Hawaii Five-O, Wonderwoman, James Bond and The Saint. Fans of Coffee Table Music and Pop Fiction will find plenty to groove to here, though the vibe is far more danceable. The dialogue samples are generally well used and the hooks are contagious.

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The Solid Steel CD series, which is inspired by the long-running radio show, is now on its third release. Unlike most DJ mixes, Solid Steel's first (DJ Food & DK) and second (Hexstatic) installments are both inventive and adventurous. The third disc, mixed by fellow Ninjas The Herbaliser, follows suit.

Herbal Blend spotlights as diverse a selection of artists as one might hope. Wu-Tang Clan, Easy Access Orchestra, DJ Shadow, Peter Thomas, Chicago Gangsters, DeeeLite and many others are part of this spellbinding seemless set.

The manner by which they are mixed is hardly predictable. Instead of merely stringing together a batch of hip tracks, the Herbal's Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba often recast acapella raps to unexpected instrumental tracks. Case in point: Rakaa Iriscience's rap on The Herbaliser's own "Verbal Anime" is coupled with "Laying the Trap," a tense, atmospheric number from Charles Bernstein's Gator soundtrack.

That's no surprise given the group's penchant for cinematic sounds. And the number of hip hop tracks is no head-scratcher either. But there are unexpected choices along the way. A remix of DeeeLite's "Groove is in the Heart" would seem an odd choice being a "mainstream" dance number, but it injects some welcome pop in an otherwise heavy hip hop mix. Quantic Soul Orchestra's rave up "Pushin' On" provides another fresh twist. And the appearance of John Lydon on the set's closer provides a welcome reminder of the former Sex Pistol's unique vocal bravura.

The Herbaliser's sense of humor is also on full display. Just check out Carol Kaye's "Slick Cat" with the lame anti-drug message by Bill Cosby ("They mix dope up and they sell it, just so they can make money," Bill tells a group of giggling kids. "For no other reason. They're not interested in you feeling good or you feeling high. They just want to make money." No shit, Bill.)

For more grim humor, check out Steinski & Mass Media's "It's Up to You," which features George Bush Sr.'s argument for going to war in Iraq. It's eerily poignant given the current state of affairs. ("Brother, you lie").

Great stuff, but not as soundtrack oriented as The Herbaliser's other records.

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DJ mixes are hit and miss. Many of them offer little in the way of original creativity, functioning rather as a set of rather obvious club hits. In the case of the Solid Steel series (in the making), the listener is continually suprised and delighted by, not only the DJs' track selection, but more over their ability to mix, scratch and reinvent the material.

The new Hexstatic set "Listen & Learn" and its predecesor "Now, Listen!" by DJ Food & DK offer the sort of eclectic beat-frenzied set favored by listeners rather than dancers. That's not to say there isn't room to dance -- try sitting still during the hyper mix of The English Beat's "Mirror in the Bathroom" or Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5's "The Message."

On the other hand, the cut'n'paste of Leonard Nimoy reading Ray Bradbury over David Shire's propulsive score for The Taking of Pelham 123 is sheer headphone genius. Or how about the beautiful segue between Boards of Canada's "Aquarius" and Nightmares on Wax remix of Shirley Bassey singing "Easy Thing to Do." All of it is breathtaking.

Hats off to Ninja Tune for bringing the real thing. Fans of the Solid Steel mixes will want to check out the web site.

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When the UK-based label Ninja Tune decided to release a DVD of its music videos, it also decided to release a "best of" 2CD set, as well as, a 2CD remix compilation. These retrospectives aren't likely to appeal to hardcore Ninjas, but they're perfect for newcomers.

Zen CD features classic tracks by Coldcut, DJ Food, Amon Tobin, Mr. Scruff, Bonobo, Wagon Christ, Kid Koala, Hexstatic, Fog, Cinematic Orchestra, Funki Porcini, DJ Vadim, The Herbaliser, 9 Lazy 9, Up Bustle & Out, Luke Vibert and Jaga Jazzist. Older tracks have been remastered for maximum aural effect. It's a satisfying -- albeit predictable -- set.

Zen RMX also features the work of Coldcut, DJ Food, Cinematic Orchestra, et al, but this time through the ears of Cornelius, Squarepusher, Four Tet, Manitoba, Dr. Rockit, Ashley Beedle, Easy Access and others. For hardcore Ninjas this is the more seductive set, though it inexplicably includes an original album track by DJ Food.

And the Zen TV DVD? It contains 35 videos plus a 15-minute mega mix from those multi-media freaks Hexstatic, an artwork gallery and a 60-minute audio mix. The DVD also allows for multiple viewing configurations (chronological, reverse chronological, random, by artist, etc.)

If you're burned out on mainstream rock videos --wherein a group "performs" and scantily clad babes strut around in bikinis and heels -- then the vids on Zen TV will be a welcome change. Since most of the tracks are instrumental, the visuals aren't tied down by narrative. In fact, the imagery is often abstract and bizarre, or at the very least, wildly creative. Sometimes the video direction is directly influenced by the music artist (e.g. Funki Porcini, Mr. Scruff, Coldcut, Hexstatic, Skalpel and Pest). The vid artists include Conkerco, Sam Arthur, Tom Perrett, AKFFI, Floria Sigismondi and others.

Many of the vids are animated, which is also a refreshing change from MTV/VH1 fodder. A standout is Kid Koala's "Basin Street Blues," which is directed by Monkmus. This surrealistic French Quarter funeral procession stays with you long after watching it.

Then there's the DJ Food remix of "Pinball Number Count," the Sesame Street animated segment featuring vocals by the Pointer Sisters. Jeff Hale's original animation is somewhat reminiscent of the classic French feature La Planete Sauvage (Fantastic Planet) by Rene Laloux, and is sure to provide a flashback for many viewers.

While some of the vids fall short of brilliant, and some feature antiquated digital FX, the combination of cool music and unique visuals is refreshing. The Mr. Scruff vids alone -- with their charmingly simplistic line drawings and bustling beats -- will put a smile on your face.

If these releases don't further cement Ninja Tune's reputation as a leading light of electronica, I don't know what will.