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Chill out/ambient reviews
The second Backroom Beats compilation is out on Twisted Records side label, Backroom Beat Recordings. The first one came out on Twisted in 2001, but was supposed to be the first release from the Backroom Beat label. After a Toires album (Sanati) and an Electroslide album (Near Life Experience) from the Backroom, Ed Bigland has compiled the second chapter in this series.
Backroom Beats 2 (Backroom Beat Recordings 2003) BBEAT004CD
1. The Egg – Lost at Sea (Vocal Mix)
2. Contraband – Humanise
3. Contraband – Brasil
4. Tristan – Sapphire Eyes
5. Esion Jim – Halycon Daze
6. Esion Jim – Never-Ending (Fock It Mix)
7. Highpersonic Whomen – easy Does It
8. Gaudi – Chaine A Chaine
9. Ott – Joyful Wonder
10. Gargoyles – Spacebaby (Seiberg & Witten Mix)
11. Hierophant – Need To Know (Bushmen Freefall Mix)
First out is an interesting collaboration between Benji Vaughan (aka Prometheus and Younger Brother), Ned Scott and Matt Scott. This is a very instrumental track. Totally relaxed and melodic with a little vocal by Simon Posfords girlfriend Michelle Adamson, who also sings in several Shpongle and Younger Brother tracks. Track 2 is a nice sexy trip hop track by two guys called Contraband. They had a Contraband track on the first Backroom Beats compilation too. This is actually a collaboration between Benji Vaughan and Dermid Harrison-Murray. A nice chilling track with some mouth organ. Track 3 is also by those Contraband guys. It starts with some guitar and drums. It sounds a bit like some kind of blues or something. I think this just shows how talented Benji is. That he can handle a lot of different music styles. Track 4 by Tristan is probably known for many people already. This one was first released on his album Substance on Twisted last year. Pretty nice, and a little goodie to have on this compilation if you don`t like the trance Tristan comes out with. Esion Jim (Jim Wood) had a track on the first Backroom Beats too. Here we get two tracks from him. First out a pretty easy digestible lounge groove, perfect for your local chill out café or something. The next track he gives us is really great. Reminds me so much of summer by the sea, with those happy beautiful guitar sounds, relaxing rhythms and sounds. Great track.
Track 7 is a taste of music by two guys from Finland called Highpersonic Whomen. This track was first released on their album Alternative Energysource on Thirteen Productions December 2002. A surprisingly good progressive trance album, with one relaxing track at the end (this one..). I love this track! Trancey chill out with a deep groovy vibe. A happy track that makes me really look forward to the summer. A track you can chill or float to. Let`s hope they will produce some more of this style. Then we go back to the more dubby style in track 8, by a guy called Gaudi. Pretty beautiful track, with some atmospheric floating sounds above the deep dub rhythms. This is a taste of his forthcoming album Bass, Sweat And Tears, coming on Antenna Music, London.
People really got their eyes up for Ott, after his brilliant dub remixes of Hallucinogen. He will release an album on Twisted Records this spring (Blumenkraft). The track we get here is not going to be on the album. Pretty nice track, that they say reminds people a bit of Norwegian Røyksopp. Maybe they are right. At least it is pretty easy digestible melodies in this one. Then we get probably the most interesting track on this compilation. A collaboration between Simon Posford (aka Shpongle, Younger Brother, Hallucinogen), Ott, Alexander and Andrew from Interchill Records and the beautiful voice of Michelle Adamson. This track is really wonderful. Groovy relaxed rhythms, Shpongle sounds and voices and the fantastic voice of Michelle. In my opinion, one of the best tracks on this compilation. The last track on this compilation is a track by Hierophant, who also had a track on Backroom Beats 1. This is actually Dick Trevor known from The Green Nuns Of The Revolution (GNOTR) together with Edward Bigland who has compiled this compilation. A beautiful chill out track, with nice guitar and some rhythms by the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert.
This compilation is really great if you are after some relaxing chill for your home listening. In my opinion, the first chapter in this series was slightly better, but this is not bad either. It seems like the Backroom Beats/Twisted crew are more into a little more commercial lounge music chill these days, than the more experimental mystic stuff they served us in the Eclipse compilation for example.
PK
