Subtitled and themed "chilled beats from the Cape of Good Hope,' this is the third wondrously infectious volume in an exciting series of introductions to the music of the South African and European dance scenes. Although the primary purpose of this 13-track collection is to expose the uninitiated to the stunning mix of cool grooves, ambience and trippy adventure inherent in both cultures, the album also boasts a big star, which certainly boosts its commercial prospects. The sparsely arranged, easy thumping soul track "Your Love Is Mine" (credited to New Mastersounds) was written and sung by a then-unknown Corinne Bailey Rae, who was a member of that group. South African born compilation producer Andrew Mitchley was so enamored of the track that he included two versions, the original gospel inflected take and the thicker groove-driven "Fred Everything Mix." Rae's soothing, jazzy inflections vibe perfectly with the rest of the material here from artists like Prime Circle (whose lead singer is a passionate and soulful Sting influenced artist), Goldfish, Mint Royale (who adds strings and chill ambience), Samantha James (whose sound is best described as "low-key disco") and the swinging Euro-jazz group JoJo Effect, which does a fascinating lounge version of "The Beat Goes On." ~ Review by Jonathan Widran ~





A sequel to the successful first collection subtitled "Chilled Beats from the Cape of Good Hope," this lively and soulful collection of downtempo tracks was put together by South African producer Andrew Mitchley. The mission (thoroughly achieved) is to show the vibrant connection between European dance music and South African grooves, with various producers, artists/bands and sensual, seductive female vocalists merging beautifully to create a flowing, 80-minute mix. The series offers a fresh twist on the chillout lounge genre, adding the inspiration of Africa to what is generally considered a Eurocentric jazz-inflected electronica phenomenon. Special attention should be paid to South African artists the Funky Lowlives, whose bass driven, trippy-jazzy "Sail into the Sun" is a powerful anthem that would translate well to the pop charts. Also hailing from South Africa are Larry, whose "Smile" is a moody intersection of smooth jazz and dreamy vocal new age; and Goldfish, a group dedicated to hypnotic effects and a suggestive female voice echoing "Remember what I said." Despite individual standout tracks, the joy of the collection is that it's designed to be experienced as a relaxing but provocative whole. No doubt we'll be discovering more any day now. ~ Review by Jonathan Widran ~





Subtitled and themed "chilled beats from the Cape of Good Hope,' this is the third wondrously infectious volume in an exciting series of introductions to the music of the South African and European dance scenes. Although the primary purpose of this 13-track collection is to expose the uninitiated to the stunning mix of cool grooves, ambience and trippy adventure inherent in both cultures, the album also boasts a big star who certainly boosted its commercial prospects. The sparsely arranged, easy thumping soul track "Your Love Is Mine" (credited to "New Mastersounds") was written and sung by a then-unknown Corinne Bailey Rae, who was a member of that group. South African born compilation producer Andrew Mitchley was so enamored of the track that he included two versions, the original, gospel-inflected take and the thicker groove-driven "Fred Everything Mix". Rae's soothing, jazzy inflections vibe perfectly with the rest of the material here from artists like Prime Circle (whose lead singer is a passionate and soulful Sting influenced artist), Goldfish, Mint Royale (who adds strings and chill ambience), Samantha James (whose sound is best described as "low-key disco") and the swinging Euro-jazz group JoJo Effect, which does a fascinating lounge version of "The Beat Goes On.." ~ Review by Jonathan Widran ~