series: Freezone country of origin: Belgium style(s): Dub, lounge, breakbeats, hip hop, ambient techno essential releases: Freezone 1: Phenomenology Of Ambient (1994, Crammed) Freezone 2: Variations On A Chill (1995, Crammed) Freezone 3: Horizontal Dancing (1996, Crammed) Freezone 4: Dangerous Lullabies (1997, Crammed) Freezone 5: The Radio Is Teaching My Goldfish Jujitsu (Crammed) Freezone 6: Fourth Person Singular (1999, Crammed)

These truly wondrous compilations from Belgian label Crammed Discs find the multi-faceted, much-maligned genre we call electronic dance music making an unassailable stand against even the harshest cynics. Actually, "dance" sounds rather obsolete in the face of the breathtaking eclecticism and mostly downbeat vibes of these sprawling double-CD sets. The inserts are peppered with calls to arms for the quiet revolution: "lie down and get down", "return to unreason", "trip on, chill in, dub out". And my favourite: "horizontal dancing", and you can bet they don't mean the kind that people do together in bed. This is lounge music for the techno age, born of the dance world but made for the couch, using a mix of electronica and live instrumentation to sample, twist and transform sounds drawn from sources that span over 50 years of contemporary music. Beat music as ambient music? Freezone proves it beyond a doubt.

These yearly instrumental essays on the state of chill are compiled by Paris-based DJ and broadcaster Morpheus from exclusive tracks by artists from all over Europe, the UK and the USA. They explore a thousand and one variations on downbeat funk and soul, atmospheric drum 'n' bass, cheesy lounge music, ambient techno and psychedelic, dubby jazz and hip hop grooves. Vocals pop up occasionally, but they're mostly there for textural and timbrel effect.  Freezone does share some qualities with Cafe Del Mar, that other much loved series of post-rave chill-out albums, but there is also some distinct differences. While the latter tends to be drenched in smooth, mellow sounds and reverb, the Freezone series explores beats somewhat more insistently and there is more variety of mood. Right next to some of the prettiest, most tonal of chilled-out grooves imaginable you might find weird, angular melodies, creepy undertows or unusual time signatures.

Each individual album covers so much ground that it's best not to generalise too much, but they do develop their own personalities over time. The Phenomenology Of Ambient is something of a black sheep in the series. Morpheus was not involved; it has an often deep, beatless ambient feel; and many of its tracks (Pete Namlook, David Byrne, Moby) are previously released. Variations On A Chill and Dangerous Lullabies are perhaps the most melodic, with a deliciously dubby flavour and a swag of basslines and deep house grooves to die for. The Radio Is Teaching My Goldfish Jujitsu and Fourth Person Singular emphasise an meeting of jazz, soul and electronica that is somtimes astounding. Horizontal Dancing is the most beat-orientated of the series; it's best tracks arrange breakbeats (particularly drum 'n' bass) with melodies from vibraphone and electric piano with sublime results.

The patchy Freezone 7: Seven Is Seven Is (2001) marks the first time the series has stumbled during its long walk along the line between underground cred and accessibility. Proper grooves and melodies are in short supply and its also marred by some rather conventional vocal numbers. A momentary lapse, hopefully, although no more albums have appeared since 2001.

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