When a label like ESL Music reaches its 100th release it's definitely time to celebrate. Few other labels have reached and maintained the status that Eighteenth Street Lounge Music has with such impeccably cosmopolitan style. In a moment of introspection, ESL has put together a 14-track compilation that dually encompasseses the labels past and future, and when it comes to who's mixing who on this collection it's a lovefest of talent.

1. Thievery Corporation "A Gentle Dissolve (Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra remix)"
2. Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada "Tamarindio (Thievery Corporation remix)"
3. Thievery Corporation "Supreme Illusion (Nickodemus remix)"
4. Thunderball "Stereo Tonic (Boca 45 remix)"
5. Chris Joss "Wrong Alley Street (Part 1)(Fort Knox Five remix)"
6. Joe Bataan "Chick-a-Boom (Chris Joss remix)"
7. The Karminsky Experience Inc. "Belly Disco (Beatfanatic remix)"
8. Thievery Corporation "The Heart's A Lonely Hunter (feat. David Byrne)(Louie Vega remix)"
9. Thunderball "Road To Benares (Bombay Dub Orchestra remix)"
10. Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada "Divinorum (Quantic remix)"
11. The Karminsky Experience Inc. "Exploration (Medeski, Martin & Wood mix)"
12. Ursula 1000 "Boop (Skeewiff remix)"
13. Blue States "Golden Touch (Connie Price mix)"
14. Federico Aubele "Diario de Viaje (Calexico mix)"

It can't be argued or denied that ESL's vision for the sound and style of their music has been a major guiding influence in the evolution of the many genre housed under the downtempo moniker. ESL's vision is clearly in focus here and it's a lesson in laying it on smooth and dropping it funky.

There are some incredible grooves on here, and what Nickodemus, an artist recently announced as a new addition to ESL's lineup, did with Thievery Corporation's "Supreme Illusion" is just amazing. It's all about that bass. Boca 45 bring some heavy funk with their rework of Thunderball's "Stereo Tonic" and are sure to hit your funky breaks lovin' self in all the right places. Chris Joss keeps it funky with his perfectly baked mix of Joe Bataan's "Chick-a-Boom".

From the opener which is Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra mix of Thievery Corporation's "A Gentle Dissolve", to the closing number, a somber Calexico spin on mellow breakbeats in the form of Federico Aubele's "Diario de Viaje", vintage breaks, near eastern and Latin influences and sleek, minimal keys lay the foundation, but you won't be left without a good helping or two of lounge, dub and even little deep house in between.

The 100th Release of ESL Music, in a word: Nice!

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