series: The Art Of Chill country of origin: UK style(s): Ambient trance essential releases: The Art Of Chill (2003, Platipus Records)

The melodic and atmospheric roots of club trance lie in the layered sounds of 70's and early 80's Euro-ambient ala Tangerine Dream and Klausz Schulze, so it's only fitting that progressive trance icon Platipus Records has released this fine downtempo set that focuses on ambient material and remixes from its own artists. For those who care for electronic music history The Art Of Chill is the sound of trance leaving the beats of clubland behind and returning to the source. For anyone else it's simply a terrific after-party or late night swim in a deep, multi-coloured ocean of sound.

Mind you, things don't start well. The genre's Achilles heel is those embarrassing trance-pop lyrics that sound like songs from The Never Ending Story. That's what we get on the opening "Opera Song" by Jugen Fries and it nearly sends the album right off the rails. Fortunately, the remainder of this mix by Aussie-born Steve Gibbs (aka Altitude) is largely instrumental and boasts plenty of downtempo gems which dip into the Platipus catalogue as far back as eight years. Uplifting doesn't necessarily mean cheesy and ethereal tracks like Kansai's ambient remix of their "Rococco" and Union Jack's "Water Drums" are truly stunning in their own gentle way. The better known Sinead O'Conner and Binary Finary both shine via previously unheard remixes of their tunes "Troy" and the Binary Finary trance anthem "1998" as re-imagined in cold deep space by Neo & Farina. Though a handful of tracks here have appeared on many other comps, the Platipus content sets this well above your average ambient trance collection. A 2nd album in the series is on its way.

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