An oasis of calm amidst the turbo-fueled clubbing tornado that is Ibiza, Café Del Mar is the White Isle's original home of red-eye chill-out vibes and weepy sunset soundtracks. The series of compilations bearing the bar's name, meanwhile, have long patented that authentic sound of Balearic bliss (even claiming Madonna as a huge fan), and this seventh volume maintains the high standards. Founding DJ Jose Padilla may have long moved on, but his successor, DJ Bruno, is clearly well aware of the old adage about not fixing what ain't broke. There's the usual mix of names well known (Moby, Bedrock, Nightmares On Wax) and head-scratchingly obscure (Uko, Lux, Aromabar), but the sound of beautiful music for loved-up and lazy beach bums stays the same. Frankly, this sounds as good at home as it does on the early-morning terraces of San Antonio. --Calvin Bush

Various – Cafe Del Mar - Volume Seven

Label: MCA Records – 314 524 912-2, Manifesto – none

Series: Café Del Mar – Volume Seven

Format: CD, Compilation

Country: US

Released: 2000

Genre: Electronic

Style: Trip Hop, Downtempo

Tracklist

1 Lux–Northern Lights

2 Afterlife–Breather 2000 (Arithunda Mix) Remix – Ari Thunda

3 Moby–Whispering Wind

4 Deep & Wide–Easy Rider

5 Bush–Letting the Cables Sleep (The N.O.W. Remix) Remix – Nightmares On Wax

6 UKO–Sunbeams

7 Aromabar–Winter Pageant

8 Bedrock–Beautiful Strange

9 A New Funky Generation–One More Try (Vocals – Joy Rose)

10 Bent–Swollen

11 The Underwolves–68 Moves

12 Øystein Sevåg & Lakki Patey–Cahuita

13 Slow. Pulse–Riva  (Vocals – Cathy Battistessa)