Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout
A woman wearing a pink tank top lounges on a white chair with headphones on; above her, the title of the album is visible on a pink background in a white font.
Compilation album by
various artists
ReleasedFebruary 15, 2005
GenreChill-out
Length68:33
LabelNettwerk
Chillout chronology
Chillout 05/The Ultimate Chillout
(2004)		 Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout
(2005)		 Chillout 2: A Nettwerk Escape
(2005)

Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout (stylized in all lowercase) is a compilation album released by Nettwerk Records. It is the final installment in Nettwerk's The Ultimate Chillout series. The album features popular releases from Nettwerk-signed artists such as Delerium and Sarah McLachlan. It also features lesser-known works from other groups such as Bent, Ivy, and the Perishers. It was released in three formats on February 15, 2005, with two commercial CDs made available in Canada and the United States, and a promotional version used for radio distribution.

Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout received mixed reviews from music critics, with the track listing of the album being a popular point of discussion. While the mix of popular and lesser-known artists was appreciated, one critic disapproved of the actual music on the album, claiming that the collection's song rarely fit within the definition of chill-out music.

Background and composition

In 2001, Nettwerk Records released Chillout 2001: V.1,[1] the first installment of Chillout, a CD series featuring a collection of chill-out songs and music by Nettwerk-signed artists.[2] Following additional installments over the years, Nettwerk released Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout on February 15, 2005.[3] It serves as the last release from The Ultimate Chillout portion of the Chillout franchise. Three unique releases were created: one in Canada,[4] one in the United States,[5] and an advanced promotional copy used for radio airplay and not suitable for commercial distribution.[6] The release of Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout was fronted by A&R and project coordinator George Maniatis, who authored the album's liner notes and an included thank you note. Producer Craig Waddell provided the final mastering of each of the collection's fourteen songs.[5]

As considered standard by PopMatters's John Bergstrom, no Chillout release is "complete without tracks from Delerium and Sarah McLachlan".[7] Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout contains corresponding remixes of the songs from these two artists. The album opens with the Slow Rise Mix of Delerium's previously unreleased song "You & I", which was described as "adult alternative" track with vocals comparable to Jon Anderson. The Solarstone Afterhours Mix of "World on Fire" by McLachlan appears as track number three, whereas the Alpha Mix of "Weekends" by The Perishers is the eighth track.[5] The remix of "Weekends" was described as relaxing and the one true chill-out song on Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout, with the lead vocalist sounding reminiscent of Peter Gabriel.[7]

Bergstrom also pointed out the inclusion of songs from Nettwerk bands such as Ivy and Bent. The former band contributes "Nothing but the Sky" to the compilation, which is a pop song that is "pleasant and ethereal" and drew comparisons to the works of Lush.[7] Bent's "Silent Life", the compilation's sixth track, combines "warm harmonies, woozy lap steel, and twinkling electronics for a Beatles-on-downers kind of bliss."[7] Despite Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout containing songs mostly from the 2000s, it also features Talk Talk's 1986 single "Life's What You Make It".[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
PopMatters[7]

Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout divided music critics. David Jeffries, an editor for AllMusic, referred to the album as a well-chosen mix of chill-out songs and awarded it three-and-a-half out of four stars. He pointed out the diversity of the track listing, writing: "But where Nettwerk always succeeds and surprises with their Chillout series is with the lesser knowns. The collection would be less desirable without the lazy indie rock of the Perishers, the trippy [sic] sexiness of Holden & Thompson, and the otherworldly experimentalism of Ulrich Schnauss." Jeffries concluded that because the album is "able to juggle such diverse styles while remaining smooth and hip, it's easy to recommend."[3] Bergstrom from PopMatters was disappointed by the collection, ultimately giving it a 3 out of 10 rating. The magazine's critical consensus read: "It's tough to chill out at 90 beats-per-minute, and the baffling song selection doesn't help. The latest in this usually reliable series should've been called 'Indie Darlings 101'."[7] Bergstrom also considered this installment a new low for the Chillout series, citing that chill-out music is supposed to be "dreamy, mellow, moody, slow, drifty, and, often, instrumental", but Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout "rarely meets any of these criteria" and is rather a collection of indie music.[7]

Track listing

Adapted from AllMusic and the album's official liner notes.[3][5]

No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."You & I" (Slow Rise Mix)
  • Bill Leeb
  • Roy Salmon
  • Zoë Johnston
Delerium4:54
2."On My Own"Ulrich SchnaussUlrich Schnauss6:29
3."World on Fire" (Solarstone Afterhours Mix)
Sarah McLachlan8:28
4."Against All Odds"
The Postal Service4:11
5."Life's What You Make It"
Talk Talk4:10
6."Silent Life"
  • Neil Tolliday
  • Simon Mills
  • Steve Edwards
Bent4:56
7."Nothing but the Sky"IvyIvy5:00
8."Weekends" (Alpha Mix)
The Perishers4:49
9."Time Is My Everything"
Ian Brown3:49
10."Come to Me"
Holden & Thompson3:31
11."Venice Dawn" (Slow Rise Mix)Shirli McAllenHiratzka & Kazell6:09
12."Birthday"
  • Johnny Dark
  • Jeremy Greenspan
Junior Boys4:12
13."The Ugly and the Beautiful"The Real Tuesday WeldThe Real Tuesday Weld3:03
14."Bellissimo"
San Ilya4:52
Total length:68:33

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Various Artists – Chillout 2001: The Ultimate Chillout". AllMusic. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  2. ↑ Chillout 2001: V.1 (liner notes). Various artists. Nettwerk. 2001. 067003017923.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Jeffries, David. "Various Artists – Chillout 06: The Ultimate Chillout". AllMusic. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  4. ↑ Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout (liner notes). Various artists. Canada: Nettwerk. 2005. 067003040129.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout (liner notes). Various artists. United States: Nettwerk. 2005. 067003040129.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ Chillout 06/The Ultimate Chillout (liner notes). Various artists (Promo ed.). United States: Nettwerk. 2005. 067003040129.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bergstrom, John (April 10, 2005). "Various Artists – Chillout 06 – The Ultimate Chillout". PopMatters. Retrieved April 17, 2017.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.