Review: With the series approaching its 30th volume, you do kind of know what you're getting from a 'Cafe del Mar' comp - what's easy to forget is quite how delightful and varied a concoction such a known quantity can be. Now here comes Vol 28 to remind us, as it flits back and forth effortlessly between ultra-deep prog ('Love On A Real Train'), laidback piano house ('Nabi'), stripped-down lovers rock (Yvonne Archer's take on 'Ain't Nobody'), shufflin' broken beat/soul ('From Little Seeds We Grow'), hefty dub (see cuts from Feiertrag and Ghetto Priest), the Pink Floyd-isms of Common Saints' 'Starchild' and more besides. Deeply chilled - and deeply satisfying.
Review: Ibiza institution Cafe Mambo needs little introduction. Starting as a sunset hangout, it soon became a perfect venue for the island's pre-parties and has developed an iconic status worldwide. It has served up thousands of sunsets since it first opened it's doors in 1994 and here's Sunset to Afterdark: an expertly crafted collection compiled by the team behind the successful Future Disco series and Needwant label. This one takes you from those unforgettable sunsets to, like the name suggests, the nighttime where things really heat up. If there is one essential soundtrack required this summer, this is it. Highlights not limited to: Zero 7's sublime drifter "Last Light", Dutch trio Kraak & Smaak's emotive and bittersweet little ditty "Stumble" (Blue Hotel Mix) through to the gorgeous remix of Tempelhof & Gigi Masin's "Blue 13" by Declasse main man Steve Coby. There's even a bit of slinky and uptempo tech house from hot UK duo Dusky. Comes with two continuous mixes for your convenience: Sunset and Afterdark, naturally.
Review: Undoubtedly the most popular artist on the ever increasing Ninja Tune roster, it's always great to see some new material from the studio of Si 'Bonobo' Green, especially as he's spent the best part of two years touring his fifth studio LP. "Flashlight" is sadly not a cover of the Funkadelic classic of the same name, but it does demonstrate Bonobo at the top of his powers, weaving together an intoxicating melange of garage-brushed rhythms, ocean deep basslines, cooing vocals and compulsive textures. It's complemented by two tracks that draw Bonobo closer to the dancefloor; the playful, broken rhythms of "Pelican" contend for top spot with "Return To Air" which has a touch of the Jamie xxs to it.
Review: A couple of years ago, Ninja Tune's Bonobo scored a big hit with his album The North Borders. Then he went on tour and The Borders Tour Live is what it sounds like. It's an 11-track beast comprising cuts recorded at The Roundhouse, Camden Town, The Pula Arena, Croatia and some live radio sessions too. When this career-defining tour wraps up at Alexandra Palace in November the band will have travelled 180,000 miles, taken in 175 shows in 30 countries across 3 continents over 18 months in front of 2 million people, but you can hear it here.
Review: Veteran Ninja Tune artist Bonobo has been putting out seriously decent tunes pretty much since the birth of the highly regarded Late Night Tales compilation. It's amazing that they haven't crossed paths before, but with the release of this 33rd entry into the series, the time has finally come for Green to take us on his own nocturnal mission. This 21-track odyssey is seamlessly mixed but the unmixed tracks are also presented so we can enjoy highlights like the velvety soul of 'Didn't I", the hippy funk of "Flowers" and the distorted, fuzzy trap of "Gutter Glitter".
Review: British producer Bonobo recently celebrated nearly 15 years in the game by scoring his first hit album. "The North Borders" broke the UK top 30, and these here are two of its highlights, culled from the LP to form a new single. "First Fires" features Grey Reverend and is a slow and emotional widescreen slice of brittle beat. "Heaven For The Sinner" features shuffly beats and even more cinematic moodscapes and it also boasts Erkah Badu warbling all over it, something you don't get everyday on Ninja Tune releases.
Review: Since first emerging at the tail end of the '90s, Simon Green has become downtempo music's most marketable star, appealing just as much to occasional listeners and 40-something housewives as underground heads. Throughout that time, he's carefully shifted his sound to take in current trends and musical developments, whilst retaining a certain picturesque aesthetic. This fifth full-length, his fourth for Ninja Tune, continues that trend. Amongst the usual shuffling beats and twinkling melodies you'll find garage-esque vocal cut-ups, rubbery dancefloor rhythms, Floating Points style neo-jazz, string-laden two-step and some seriously wonky soul featuring vocals from Erykah Badu.
Review: Ninja Tune have assembled a truly exceptional line-up of producers for this full remix album of Bonobo's Black Sands, with exclusives from Duke Dumont, FaltyDL, Machinedrum, Mark Pritchard, Cosmin TRG and Floating Points all shining very bright indeed. With such a stellar cast, highlights abound: Banks' adds a glacial chill to the Andreya Triana-vocalled "The Keeper", Cosmin TRG works "Kiara" into a bubbly and gut-wrenching Detroit fantasy while Floating Points lends a deep, jazz-step vibe to "Eyesdown". In contrast, and in full on hazy-juke mode (ahead of his forthcoming Planet Mu collaborations with Om Unit), Machinedrum kills it with his own steroid-popping mix of "Eyesdown", while Duke Dumont rounds off the album with the exquisite beatless time stretch of "Black Sands". Highly recommended.
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