label: Interchill Records country of origin: Canada style(s): Ambient, dub, psychedelia, lounge essential compilations: Magnetic Blue (1998, Interchill) Interior Horizons (1999, Interchill) Infinessence (2001, Interchill) Floatation (2001, Interchill) Earth Octave Lounge vol. 1 (2002, Interchill) 13th Moon (2003, Interchill)

Interchill Records has been releasing CD's and vinyl since the mid-1990's, a Canadian-based label which has trodden its own quietly idiosyncratic path. Co-founders Andrew Ross-Collins and Gordon Field like to keep things varied, using quality as their filter rather than committing the label to any one strain of downtempo.

The earlier releases Magnetic Blue, Interior Horizons and Infinessence are diverse and intriguing compilations. All nicely mix up the Canadian artists with internationals and sounds range from expansive drifting melodies to stuttering drum'n'bass grooves. Seasoned downtempo fans will recognise a few names here like Sounds From The Ground and Legion Of Green Men. There is plenty of subtle fresh twists on familar dub, tribal, nu jazz and spacemusic sounds - these albums still sound like they were released yesterday.

The magnificent Floatation is Interchill's quietest compilation. It's very ambient but not quite minimalist, and rather too intricate to be compared with the similarly quiet old-school ambient of Eno, Budd and company. Notable inclusions are previously unreleased tracks by American ambient icon Steve Roach and downtempo psy-trance and freestyle duo Shpongle. As is often the case on Interchill compilations, however, many of the other artists shine equally as bright; in this case literally shine. The music on Floatation is full of light and luminous colours, rendered in a very subtle way. The tracks by Adham Shaikh and Mere Mortals particularly show a flair for gorgeous liquid melodies. Earth Octave Lounge volume 1 marks a move into retro lounge territory and covers this type of ground in a smarter and fresher fashion than the majority of lounge comps that coming out of Europe these days. There's dub, nu jazz, funk and Delta blues, and lots of warm sounds from saxophone, oboe, flute and harmonica.

13th Moon is billed as the label's first compilation on psychedelic trance tip, but that depends somewhat on how you define as trance. I'd define it as layered, repeating melodies and that applies to only a minority of the tracks here. The most dominant sound is big breakbeats and thick dub grooves with just a single melody line and floaty backdrops. It's a fine Interchill compilation even if some it is aimed squarely at the dancefloor. The album's storming highlight is "Neon Tetra" by UK duo Umberloid (a side project of ambient dub wizard Ott). It's an amazing euphoric rush of Eastern wailing, driving tribal dub and heavenly layered chords topped off with breaks of flamenco strumming.

Interchill's catalogue also boasts some outstanding artist albums including the extraordinary Orchid (2002) by Ishq and the confident, tuneful world beat of Walking Through (2004) by Kaya Project.

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