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Monster’s Ball, Original Soundtrack Recording
Lion’s Gate Records 2002
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Absolutely beautiful soundtrack. Perfect balance of dark moods and melancholy with just a hint of optimistic hope in the phrases. I put this on in my car, or the iPod if I’m on the Tube, on the way home from a late gig. It brings me to a place that I like to be late at night. The safety of loneliness and the promise of home. This is a true ChillOut record. Not a bad movie either.
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Arabesque Zoudge, Various Artist Compilation
React [Studio K7] 2003
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What world music is all about for me. Cultured, Chilled grooves, familiar and unfamiliar all at once. Ever been somewhere for the first time and felt right at home? This is the CD soundtrack to that place. SWEET!
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Magnet, "on your side"
st Direct Bmg 2004
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What the hell happened?! Why isn’t everybody talking about this record? Why was it not awarded the Grammy for best of the year in 2002? How could I have missed it ill now?! I feel embarrassed and ashamed. You should too, now go out and buy this record today. It is the only thing that will quell your huge sense of guilt and shame.
Gorgeous music, this record is as haunting as it is comforting. It really gets in your heart and tugs at you. Impossible to let it go once you’ve let it into your heart, which you will most certainly do as soon as you hear the first song. Check out the cover of Bob Dylan’s "Lay Lady Lay", that is Gemma Hayes singing along with Magnet. If you don’t know her yet either,.. for shame!
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Terry Callier, "Turn You To Love"
Wea/Warner 2001 (*re-release)
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This is the "Man" people! A true Soul Provider. This record is one of the funkier of his collected works. This particular version of the famous track "Ordinary Joe" is my personal favorite. This guy is sampled almost as much as my man, Lonnie Liston Smith. Those in the know will agree that this is a must for any self-respecting down tempo junkie’s collection. Yup Yup!! Go get it folks!
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Broken Social Scene, "You Forget Them People"
Art’s & Crafts 2002
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I stumbled across these fine young blokes in London at a small club. I immediately fell for there original instrumental mastery and knack for great choral hooks and beats. Slow melodic and fulfilling stuff here guys, I really like it.
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Calm, present’s: Conception for the Street Noise. Vol’s 1,2,& 3
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Calm is one of the real standouts for me in the ever influential and original Japanese electronica scene. He has an amazing ear here for assembling just the right blend of tracks for a great trip through downtempo bliss! Kudo’s my man. I must bow and give praise!
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Chris Joss, "You’ve Been Spiked"
ESL Music 2004
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Eighteenth Street Lounge Music has again discovered a great talent in the Downtempo genre. This is a great record, with lots of familiar ESL grooves without being repetitive at all. Some tracks are very Dubby and heavy in the Thievery feel, while others sort of bop along with an almost 007 soundtrack vibe. Great!
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Reno "Thinking About the Good Times"
Pepper Records 2002
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I just discovered this band. Right in that vein of Kinobe, Zero7, Air, Koop, Sven Van Hees, etc… Melodic and Blissfully Chill Out. This is one of the better downtempo records I’ve found in a while.
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The Verbrilli Sound, "Many Coloured Butterflies"
Sweet Mother Records 2000
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Another really great downtempo Chillout record. It has been around for a while but I just rediscovered how sweet it sounds. Fans of the gStone label and groups like Kruder & Dorfmiester will really be in their comfort zone with this one.
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The Blue Nile, "Hats"
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really a downtempo classic. From Scotland the Blue Nile are amazing, this album became a major influence in my life when I was younger. It still holds water so to speak even today. It sounds very "now" actually, there are many bands along the way who have been influenced by this record. No one has been able to tap into the delicate perfection that this album delivers. It is very difficult to start this record and not listen to it all the way through and some… Take it from me it is a classic, and one of the overall best records of the last few decades in my opinion, surely in the top 50.
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Slow Train Soul, "Illigal Cargo"
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A great somewhat overlooked record. Smooth and funky baby! Just the way I like it! You will not be disappointed. Trust me.
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Roy Budd, "Vigilante!"
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Classic!! Plus several sweet remixes on this one from the like of Bobby Hues Combination, and Karminsky experience.
Great for the eclectic minded downtempo groove addicts out there… like me.
Fits right into any chillout set or rare groove set, I seem to bring it along on most every gig. It’s in the Bag baby, Sho’ Nuff!!
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Rodney Hunter, "Hunter Files"
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gStone is awesome man, they never let me down! I think I discovered this type of music in the first place way back when through the gStone folks. Kruder & Dorfmiester et’all. Rodney has a great original sounding voice that has a great R&B quality. It works like magic with the almost funky breaky vibe on this album. Your toes will be tappin fer sure man! Warm fuzzies all around people.
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Ocean’s Twelve, Original Soundtrack by David Holmes
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David Holmes is quickly becoming my favorite Soundtrack creator. This movie was okay… it would have really sucked without the soundtrack. They owe David on this movie man! He tied it all together. Plus it just plain feels good to listen to it. Hell I almost feel cool when I walk down the street with this one in the headset. That is a TALL order dude!
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Miles Davis, "Kind Of Blue"
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Are you kiddn’ me?! … Please just add this to the collection, before you make a complete fool of yourself and say you never heard of it. Hey I’m sorry to be so harsh man, but shit! This is the one, the only, Miles Classic!! This record has gotten more folks laid than every Sade record and Marvin Gaye record put together… well maybe I’m being a bit overzealous there but … trust me. It is a must have!
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DJ Wags |
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