Hotel Chill 2 is the second in the Hotel Chill series from Water Music Records. Water Music Records deals exclusively in lounge, chill out, and downtempo music, and produces a lot of quality compilations. This a 2-disc compilation of relaxing tracks running through a variety of styles, featuring along with some of the big names of chill out music, a lot of lesser known acts. There is definitely something for everyone, and it makes a really good introduction to the chill out scene.

1. Slowpho "I Wake Myself (Org Lounge Remix)"
2. Thievery Corporation "Barrio Alto"
3. Phobos "In My Soul"
4. Funki Porcini "Dubble"
5. Sasha "Requiem"
6. Aim "The Girl Who Fell Through the Ice (feat. Kate Rogers)"
7. Delerium "Innocente (feat. Leigh Nash)"
8. Bel Canto "Foolish Ship"
9. Underworld "Twist"
10. Lemongrass "La Mer"
11. Athome Project "A Feeling of Care (Röyksopp Remix)"
12. De-Phazz "Zero Zero"
13. Pat C. "Um, Dois E Ja"
14. Mark Rae "Skio"
15. Xploding Plastix "22-Carat Tear-Jerker"
16. Christophe Goze "Mañana (Afterlife Remix)"
17. Fila Brazillia "Mammon Dad"
18. Thievery Corporation "The Heart's a Lonely Hunter (feat. David Byrne)"
19. Delerium "You & I (Slow Rise Mix)"
20. Bent "Strictly Bongo"
21. Lazy "It's Over"
22. Moby "Blue Paper"
23. Blank & Jones "Mind of the Wonderful (feat. Elles)(acoustic version)"
24. Kate Ryan "The Rain"
25. De-Phazz "Anchorless"
26. D:Fuse "Living the Dream (D:Fuse & Lorimer's Chill Version)"
27. Black On White "Love You"
28. Cinematic Orchestra "All That You Give"
29. Smokee "Golden Skyes"
30. Careless "Fields of Green"
31. Lauren "Dreamboy (Sunset Mix)"

Thievery Corporation's "Barrio Alto" is classic. It helps to set the tone for this compilation; Laid back and Latin, with Thievery's easy guitar and signature beat. The other Thievery track, on disc two, is "The Heart's A Lonely Hunter" from the recent Cosmic Game album. It features David Byrne and shows off a lot of peppy rhythms and tribal drums.

P.H.O.B.O.S. give us "In My Soul," a song which reminds me a lot of Moby's slower numbers. Blues-y vocals over piano melodies, with an easy beat in the background. Moby's "Blue Paper" appears on this compilation, with echoing piano notes and quiet, almost ambient beats.

Delerium contribute two songs. The first features Leigh Nash, and is titled "Innocente." Playing up their exotic instruments and trademark 80s electronica beats, it gives us a glimpse of another flavor in the diverse sub-genre known as chill. Their second song is a Slow Rise mix of "You & I." Not, in my opinion, as good as "Innocente," because I think it relies a little too much on the vocals.

Dipping into the realm of dub is a selection from Funky Porcini called "Dubble." One of my favorites on this album, it's got some trippy beats, smoky keyboards, and naughty samples. "Zero Zero," from De-Phazz, is maybe only a little dub, but it makes up for it with heavy blues and soul sensibilities.

The one foray into ambient music is from Sasha, and it's called "Requiem." Stripped of a beat and lyrics, this is a message from dreamland.

Almost everyone has heard of Underworld, but I bet their song "Twist", off their album A Hundred Days Off (2002), is new to the majority of listeners. A complex layering of electronic samples over beats and a simple keyboard melody show us a side of "chill" that most people wouldn't think of.

Lemongrass is another fairly well known name in the downtempo world. Their song "La Mer" doesn't rely on lyrics to convey a positive, relaxed vibe. Royksopp's no stranger either, and their remix of Athome Project's "A Feeling of Care" gives us a little more happy electronica to mellow out to. This one's another gem for this album. I think "Skio," by Mark Rae, deserves a mention here. A skipping set of samples and violins over toe-tapping beats. Also in this category, "Mammon Dad" from Fila Brazillia, and "Strictly Bongo" from Bent.

"Um, Dois E Ja" swings us into the cheeky lounge side of chill out music. The melody is cute but not too excitable, and the lyrics are Brazilian. In a similar vein, but perhaps not as funky, is Christophe Goze, who blends Spanish guitar and hand drums on "Manana."

Xploding Plastix channel the acid jazz vibe with their "22-Carat Tear-Jerker." Slow, low horns and drifting female vocals churn out a film noir soundtrack. Certainly one of my favorites on this compilation.

There's a little group of really good stuff at the end. De-Phazz's "Anchorless" gets it started, with drifting melodies. D:Fuse's "Living the Dream" is likewise mellow electronica with a nice sound. Black On White's "Love You" has some choice beats, warm keyboards, and sampled lyrics. The Cinematic Orchestra's "All That You Give" serves up some soulful vocals and keeps the beat down. "Golden Skyes" from Smiokee is a little bit of breakbeat and deep keys. Following that is "Fields of Green," by Careless, which has a little more fun with the beat.

Unfortunately, there are also a lot of mediocre songs. Aim's song, "The Girl Who Fell Through The Ice" is more like a quiet radio song than real chill out. Bel Canto's "Foolish Ship" is another, almost generic sounding "downtempo" song. Blank & Jones disappoint with a less than acoustic Acoustic Version of "Mind of the Wonderful." "The Rain," from Kate Ryan, tries too hard to be emotional and uplifting and really just sounds weak. But don't let these get you down. The majority of this compilation is quality material.

~ Ethan Georgi

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