series: Cafe Mambo country of origin: Spain/UK style(s): Balearic, lounge, deep house, chillout, Latin essential releases: Cafe Mambo Ibiza (2004, Defected) Cafe Mambo Ibiza 2005 (2005, Defected) Cafe Mambo Ibiza 2006 (2006, Defected)

One of Cafe Del Mar's near neighbors on Ibiza's sunset strip is Cafe Mambo. Any notion that Mambo lingers in the shadow of its more famous competitor as a compiler of music should be put to rest after hearing these outstanding double albums from UK house label Defected.

Longtime resident DJ Pete Gooding started the series. His exceptional taste and unerring ear for great and sometimes obscure downtempo tunes ensures that his compilations set a standard rather than jump on any chillout bandwagon.

Cafe Mambo Ibiza is a classic first release and remains the finest album in the series to date. The mostly instrumental first disc is broken beats in that vaguely Balearic style: gentle funk, soft Spanish grooves, ambient pop and sunny lounge. Gems include a highly atmospheric beatless mix of Goldfrapp's "Black Cherry" and the meltingly lovely trumpet phrases and echoed vocals of "Moonsmith" by Cantoma. The second disc is more seamlessly beatmixed and gradually settles into a relaxed 4/4 tempo around the 125bpm mark. Some of the most sensual, spine-tingling, deep Balearic house you'll in your life is here. The slowly swelling strings on both "Million Miles" and the spoken-word blissfest "51 Days" never fail to bring on the goosebumps.

Cafe Mambo Ibiza 2005 and 2006 are not quite in the same league as the debut but are excellent releases nonetheless and certainly as eclectic. These ones shift back and forth between downtempo and midtempo more consistently across both discs and they also have a slightly higher quotient of nu jazz and soul sounds. From the 2005 album Moby shows he can still do exquisite ambient techno with "Swear", while Sebastian Tellier peels off a stunner with his strings and piano breakbeat gem "La Ritournelle", a slow-building and profoundly euphoric piece of music. Once again Pete Gooding's instinct for compiling soulful songs and intelligent instrumentals is very impressive.

Subsequent releases in the series have seen a decline in quality, however, or at least a decline in distinctiveness along with a little too much emphasis on beats and vocals at the expense of good instrumental tunes. With Pete Gooding departing the series after 2007, it seems Mambo's time in the sun is now past.

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