Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 11/27/2001
Despite the rather unfortunate title,
Ultra Chilled, Vol. 1 assembles some of the most established names in down-tempo
electronica and
trip-hop, mixing them with some relative unknowns. The flow from
Dido to
Gorillaz to
St. Germain to
Morcheeba is deceptively smooth, as is what will be most listeners' introductions to acts like
Zero 7 and
Goldfrapp, with each song seamlessly blending into one another. The sequencing on the two-disc set is a little predictable, with many of the better-known artists grouped near the front of each disc, but little glimmers of familiarity (like
Alex Gopher's
"The Child" on disc two or the impeccable inclusion of
Badly Drawn Boy's
"The Shining" on the first disc) near the ends frame the collection nicely. What could be considered dusty artifacts in the world of
electronic music (
Massive Attack's 1991 song
"Hymn of the Big Wheel" and
Moby's 1992
"Go") sound fresh in this setting, mixed expertly by
David Waxman. If just listening to an album could make you instantly cooler, this could very well be it.
~Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
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