[1] Agua (King/Padilla) - 7:39
[2] The Story of Light (Leach/Orbit) - 6:17
[3] Smokebelch II [Beatless Mix] (Burns/Jagz/Weatherall) - 4:17
[4] Music for a Found Harmonium (Jeffes) - 2:58
[5] Sundance (Loderbauer/Thiel) - 4:28
[6] Fanfare of Life (Leftfield) - 6:07
[7] The Hypnotist (Bridgen/Leahy) - 9:01
[8] Second Hand (Underworld) - 9:01
[9] Crazy Iven (Pine) - 6:35
[10] Estelle (Jones/Parker/Rodgers) - 6:48
[11] On the Rocks (Blake/King) - 6:25
[12] Sunset at the Cafe del Mar (Rasa) - 6:53
JOSE PADILLA
WILLIAM ORBIT
SABRES OF PARADISE
PEGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA
SUN ELECTRIC
LETFIELD
SISTERLOVE
UNDERWORLD
VER VLADS
A MAN CALLED ADAM
OBIMAN
TABULA RASA
1994 CD React Music Ltd. 41
1999 CD React Music Ltd. 2091
German version of the first volume of the popular dance series, this
volume's emphasis is on Ibiza and it features W illiam Orbit,
Underworld, Leftfield and Sun Electric to name a few. 1994 release.
Standard jewel case. First volume in what has become an extensive
series of trance / ambient / atmospheric compilations reflective of the
Spanish island's sometimes laid-back feel. 'Volume 1' was released in
1994, compiled ('with love') by Jose Padilla & features cuts by
William Ørbit, Underworld, Leftfield, Tabula Rasa & more.
Ibizan chill-out culture earned a bad reputation over the years for
patronizing the pretentious marijuana factions of a dance community
reeling from the globalization of acid house, but the maiden
installment of the Café del Mar series is one of its most
touching, even if it does occasionally blow toward mawkish oversights.
Featuring lesser-known names like Man Called Adam, Ver Vlads, and
Obiman, as well as some typically unconnected with lush downtempo like
Leftfield or Penguin Cafe Orchestra, it's filled with gentle pianos,
hyperphysical beats, and a forlorn, electronic sort of spirituality.
The beatless remix of the Sabres of Paradise's "Smokebelch II" is its
reigning champ, encapsulating everything that can be good and honest
about Ibiza, daring to drown you in timeless, reputation-baiting,
Balearic bliss.
Once upon a time, Ibiza was a spiritual and magical place. Every
sunset, people gathered at Jose Padilla's ornately-decorated little
beach-side bar to be hypnotised by his unique sunset DJ mix, staring
dreamily out to sea. The first Café Del Mar album encapsulates
this mystical experience, beginning light and airy with Jose's own
dolphin-esque "Agua", progressing to darker, bassier sounds like
Underworld and Ver Vlads to represent the sun falling behind the
horizon. Jose creates a spellbinding atmosphere by placing oddities
such as Penguin Cafe Orchestra, alongside dance tracks that take
inspiration from world music and New Age (ethereal female vocals;
bongo-lead percussion; samples of self-hypnosis tapes, flutes;
wave-sounds). Higlights include the resonant piano and strings of
Sabres Of Paradise's "Smokebelch" beatless mix. The sky fades to black
with the gentle ambience of "Sunset At The Café Del Mar".
Café Del Mar was "compiled with love" and thus truly stands the
test of time. A great beginning to a classic compilation series.
Sarah Champion, Amazon.co.uk
Am Anfang war der Sonnenaufgang in San Antonio auf Ibiza. Das
Café Del Mar ist ein realer und zugleich unwirklicher Ort, eine
Oase des Friedens im drogen- und geldgetriebenen Nightlife-Zirkus der
weltberühmten Party-Insel. Café-Del-Mar-DJ José
Padilla weiß, was übernächtigte Raver brauchen und hat
auf dieser CD erstmals einen seiner inzwischen berühmten
Chill-Out-Cocktails angerührt. Wundersame Schwebeklänge
zwischen Ambient, House und Trance, die fast ausnahmslos begeistern --
teils von bekannten Größen wie Underworld, Leftfield und
William Orbit, trifft auf experimentelles Material wie "The Hypnotist"
von Sisterlove. Hier spricht eine sanfte Stimme von "expandierendem
Bewusstsein" und schickt den Hörer auf eine mentale Reise durch
den eigenen Körper. Wesentlich überraschender ist allerdings
die Wahl des Stücks "Music For A Found Harmonium" des Penguin
Café Orchestra, das so gar nichts mit Chill-Out-Ästhetik zu
tun hat, sondern eher eine Ironisierung der Minimal Music von Kollegen
wie Steve Reich oder Phil Glass darstellt. Mit anderen Worten,
Café Del Mar hat -- lange bevor dies zur Mode wurde --Grenzen
überschritten zwischen U und E, zwischen Avantgarde und
Funktionsmusik. Das Resultat ist ganz unangestregt und einfach nur
schön.