Serve Chilled 3

This is one of Hed Kandi's stronger compilations, creating a mélange of chill-out styles that work well together, keenly mixing the two discs to be separate but equal when it comes to style and atmosphere. Disc one contains a greater variety of styles, and is more reminiscent of what is usually associated with chill-out music, containing breathy Ibiza chill (Illumination's "Somewhere Out There" and Organic Audio's "Always the Sun") and borderline pop ("Saversham" by Outside) and jazz (Aware's "No Belonging"). Chris Coco's "Gimini" could be a B-side from Moby's Play sessions, with its melancholy keyboards and heavily dubbed percussion. (He also contributes a dubby remix on "Le Croisic.") Disc two is the standout, with its consistent Latin flavor that flows effortlessly through the disc. The sensuous vocals on Zimpala's "To the Bass" and Bebel Gilberto's "August Day Song" set the tempo for a sexy and loungy ten tracks. Disc one is for the late night come down, while disc two is more biased toward sultry sunny afternoons. The music consistently keeps up appearances and lacks any throwaway tracks that many compilations contain. ~ Graham Ball|