If you are going to Ibiza for the first time this year or even if you are a seasoned veteran, I cannot recommend this CD highly enough to get you right into the authentic balearic mood. Lemon Jelly's Fred Deakin has compiled a mix that truly represents the spirit of Ibiza better than any generic Ibiza Chillout compilation ever could. In fact, I haven't heard a mix that reminds me so much of the island since Jose Padilla's legendary Cafe Del Mar series.
CD1 is house but you'll find no funky/electro commercial nonsense here. If you have had the pleasure to hear Jon Sa Trinxa play at his famous namesake bar on Ses Salinas beach you'll have a good idea of what kind of house is on offer here. Down tempo, low slung grooves and cosmic disco similar to that which you'd hear on the Eskimo record label really sets the perfect mood for home listening and dreaming about Ibiza. Todd Terje's funky remix of Kaoru Inoue's 'Secret Field' is a standout track, as is Blackbelt Anderson's 'Sirup', a peculiar mix of live bongoes, an acid line and dreamy synths. Also worth a mention is the Reverso 68 remix of Wallis Bird's 'Counting to Sleep' which features a very sexy vocal.
CD2 is more downtempo still but this is no chillout mix either. Never sacrificing the funk, Deakin takes the mix up and down, weaving in and out of house and typical sunset balearic tunes. His track selection is spot on and it never gets boring or samey for a minute.
In short, Fred Deakin is a true eclectic DJ (check out his Triptych triple mix CD) but here he just sticks to great straight up Ibiza cool. The mixing is spot on and every tune is a gem. Perfect for that summer holiday.
Like this? Try: Tom Middleton - The Sound of the Cosmos