Chill On Ice – Cosmic Leaf

Chillout albums tend to need something special and magnetic to make them special; doubly so if they’re to stay special. Ultimae’s general output, for example, is deep and contemplative; Ott makes you want to dance in slomo in the sunshine; and Gaudi’s recent album makes you marvel at the sheer brilliance and variety in the music. Chill On Ice, however, is a sheenless collection of largely nondescript downtempo tunes that doesn’t even attempt to do anything else but sit in the background. D. Batistatos’ In The Bottom Of The Ocean works well, a cinematic vibe with pads rising and falling in a satisfying way, and Zero Cult’s If is a good stab at the Sunday afternoon café-bar set, with gorgeous sounds and a melody to die for. Del & Gen’s Whisper takes a trip to Jose Padilla country, Side Liner gets a little more psychedelic with Next Page, but ultimately leaves buttons unpressed. Zero Cult crops up again with P-Ray, probably the best track on here, a deep melody with warm bass and a good atmosphere, but then Goasia’s Nature comes in and it’s an utter mess: acid lines, huge and patronising Indian orchestra sounds, a great exercise in “how quickly can I find the skip button.” Omegahertz’s Nostos is nice enough, until the dodgy melodies come in, and file Outer Heaven’s Undo The Future under ‘reasonably adequate backing music’. At best, this album sits in the background being polite and not saying anything out of line, like a quiet and reserved guest at a dinner party. Which is probably where this is best played – forget the hammock and dusty festival beanbag, and think glass-and-steel ikea coffee table.