Chill Out

Seven Days Music present Red Room Chill Out Lounge. Landscape, Il Silencio, Solar, Air Breeze, Giorgio Del, Carpe Diem and more.

Seven Days Music present Mantra Chill Out Lounge. All tracks compiled by J.Deere.

Seven Days Music present Smooth Jazz Chill Out Lounge. All tracks compiled by J.Deere.

Seven Days Music present Oriental Chill Out Lounge. All tracks compiled by J.Deere.

Seven Days Music present Gregorian Chill Out Lounge. Kieran, Magic Monks, Lingua Mystica, Stonehenge Abbey, Llynya and Conner O'Reilly.

Arguably the best of Black Uhuru's electrofied albums, even if its predecessor Red was the bigger sell, Chill Out is a seminal blend of styles and cultures. Produced by Sly & Robbie at Channel One Studio in Jamaica, and again backed by the Revolutionaries, ironically the album's greatest beneficiaries were the Riddim Twins, who were rocketed to international fame upon this record's release. They deserved it though, and Chill Out remains as much a tribute to their talent as the vocal trio's. Shakespeare lays down the sinuous bass which provides the foundation for the record's rootsy sound. The four guitarists, three leads, plus Ranchie McLean's reggae riffing, flit across the grooves and genres, touching down on funk, blues, R&B, and rock along the way. The pianists and Wally Badarou's synth add atmosphere, with Dunbar's heavy beats, combining drums with electro syndrums, add a throbbing pulse to the proceedings. The sound is extremely dense, but the producers still found plenty of space for Black Uhuru's sublime vocals.

Seven Days Music present Australian Chill Out Lounge. All tracks compiled by J.Deere.

One of his finest '90s recordings, Chill Out balances the guitar-glitz of Carlos Santana's guest shot on the karmic title cut with a handful of profoundly deep Hooker solo performances. Among those are new versions of his standards "Tupelo" and "Annie Mae," and the soulful "If You've Never Been in Love," where expert slide-man Roy Rogers provides subtle accompaniment to Hooker's spontaneous storytelling. The band numbers that bookend the album are weak, relying on Hooker's strong vocal presence to overcome sketchy writing. Van Morrison, pianist Charles Brown, and M.G.'s leader Booker T. Jones also lend a hand. But Hooker doesn't need anybody's help to get to the passionate heart of his blues. One last note: Anton Corbijn's CD-booklet photographs of ol' Johnny Lee are terrific.

Seven Days Music present Travel Chill Out Lounge. All tracks compiled by J.Deere.