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Chillumination: The Downbeat Revolution is coming Home

  Tobias

The project is interesting in several regards. For one, the DVD suggests that despite the much-discussed saturation of urban nightlife with downbeat cafes and relaxed music lounges, nightlife has hardly changed over the past ten years. And secondly, the music contained on the disc demonstrates how succesful „Chill Out“ has been in integrating the most diverse genres under its umbrella. Just like Starbucks is simultaneously selling Norah Jones, Bob Dylan and compilations of subtle electronica,  „Chillumination“ incorporates adjacent styles like Smooth Jazz, Ambient and even instrumental Pop and mixes them into a warm megamix. If experts predicted a total nichisation of the music market at the beginning of the 90s, this trend has now been reversed and channeled into a comforting alliance of the most diverse scenes.

On paper, „Chillumination“ therefore seems perfectly prepared to meet the demands of club owners worldwide. In practise, the case is less clear cut. While the delicately turning, rotating, flowing, floating, melting, merging, dreaming and dancing visuals may make for suitable dynamic designs for small independent pubs or youth hostel cafes, more up-to-date locations have long discovered customised videos by local artist as a way of establishing contact with trendy new artistic circles and of creating an inspired personal image. The soundtrack, too, is not without seams and looks unlikely to provide for the smooth background listening experience most spaces aim for.

This is not to say that the DVD is without merrits, however. At home, the soothing Piano chords, rolling loops, spacy string textures and even entirely beatless spheres of „Chillumination“ make for a perfect reading environment, while the earthcoloured caleidoscope unfolding on your TV gently massages your eyes after you've returned from a heavy Noise performance – or from a too long night at your local chill out cafe.

Homepage: Chillumination
Homepage: Toolboxx Records