Record label boss Leigh Wood sifted through thousands of down-tempo chill-out tracks to find the cream of the crop for the new compilation, Elysian Vibes volume 5. One World Music, the label Wood co-founded in 2002 has had a successful run of creating and distributing the best music in this genre.
Choosing just 14 tracks for a compilation is a tough gig though, one that takes Wood many months to complete.
‘I really enjoy the process, it always takes longer than I expect, I always dig a bit deeper to find other stuff. At the initial stage it’s about collecting as much material as I can, then working from a fairly broad palette and honing in on the stronger elements in there.
‘The first track by SubMotion Orchestra is something I got sent as a promo, because I also DJ, and I heard that and thought it was something original and fresh, it’s a dub step track really, and that really gave me a good starting point, it’s a stand out track.
Wood reveals that the first Elysian Vibes compilation was created for the spa market, and it’s that audience that he kept in mind when putting the next installment together. From the opening sound of calm dub step the collection weaves through work by artists like Afterlife, Fredeik Ohr and Altair – hardly household names – to well known master of the genre Chris Coco, the compilation has a broad mix of artists.
Wood argues that compilation CD’s offer the listener something that’s been lost in the world of downloadable digital music, ‘You don’t get guided in the way you used to with digital files as much as you used’, Wood offers, ‘With a physical CD you can take people on a bit of a journey. It’s nice for the listener then because you’re stretched into realms you don’t normally go in to.’
For a collection of tunes that will help you unwind at the end of the day, Elysian Vibes Volume 5 is a quality collection.
Graeme Watson
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