[four stars]
VARIOUS ARTISTS "ULTRA CHILLED" VOLUMES 01-04
Ultra Records
Walk over to the small "dance" section in your favorite music store, and you will probably see several releases from Ultra Records, a company who has practically cornered the "techno compilations with attractive bikini-clad women on the front cover" niche. Like so many labels of its sort, Ultra sticks with only a few titles and simply makes a new edition once each year. Recognizing the chillout brand of music (that is, the unperturbed branch of electronica) as the next big thing, the people at Ultra hired New York mixer David Waxman to introduce their favorites, and the "Ultra Chilled" series was started in 2001.
In the first four double-disc installments of what will hopefully become a much larger collection, Waxman manages to uncover some of the best "underground" chillout music of the last few years (like songs from Max Melvin, Alphawezen, and Layo & Bushwacka) and counterbalances them with an impressive set of laid-back songs from more mainstream artists (Sarah Brightman, Norah Jones, Radiohead, etc.). He mixes minimal usually only through fade ins-and-outs, but each set shines from beginning to end thanks to his quiet perfectionism. It's all relaxing -- the perfect set for a romantic evening or for background music when studying -- and it doesn't have the cheesy stigma of "nature" relaxation tapes. It's "Pure Moods" for Generation Y.
Ultra Chilled 01: Ignoring the uneasy feeling of songs from Dido and Moby (who used to be listenable), the first set was the perfect way to start things off. Bent's "Swollen," R+â-¦yksopp's "Eple," Kruder & Dorfmeister's "Original Bedroom Rockers," and others bring us through the full line of chillout possibilities: French beatnik backdrops, old jazz samples, and static routines. When Waxman strays with an acoustic and orchestrated set from Badly Drawn Boy, he still maintains safety because the song fits; this will hurt him later. Ultra's Chillout Music for Dummies is a surprising success. ''''_
Ultra Chilled 02: The gap between overplayed and unknown becomes a little wider with volume two, starting out with Coldplay and Nelly Furtado and closing with Nitin Sawhney and Slusnik Luna. Choices from IVY and Beth Orton strangely piece together with Boards of Canada and Sounds From The Ground, whereas it's the truly eclectic selections that cause the listener dissonance. Take Goldfrapp's "Lovely Head," which fruitlessly mixes scratching and a whistle solo, or The Specials' "Ghost Town"... who said that two-tone ska was relaxing?! Waxman, however, did manage to shove several pleasant songs into this set before his deadline. ''''
Ultra Chilled 03: Unfortunately because this is a set and because each volume should follow the fold, this one seems unworthy of its title. It does chill the listener out, but in more of a shopping-mall intercom soundtrack sort of way, and that's nothing special. His conventional choices of Doves and Charlie Hunter completely clash with techno club pieces from Freddy & Herman and Sasha. You feel like a hypocrite for not opening your horizons, but then again, you bought "Ultra Chilled" for a reason. Thankfully, the other songs are easily digestible. Just program your CD player correctly and everything will be fine. '''
Ultra Chilled 04: The latest installment is quite possibly the best compilation this reviewer has ever listened to. Each song is absolute beauty. Zero 7's remix of N.E.R.D.'s "Provider," Bent's "Beautiful Otherness," and Open Door's "Breathe" from disc one point to the top of the mountain, while Weekend Players' "Jericho," Caia's "Remebrance," and Mutiny UK's "Keep Love" from disc two look out and over into an ocean. There are no sore thumbs in this set, and hopefully things will continue to go this way. '''''
If you're looking for something different, consider a volume from the "Ultra Chillout" series. If you end up not liking what you hear, at least you'll be calm about it.
-- Gregory Twiford
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