Café del Mar, Vol. 8

1	Utopia (New Ears Mix) / Goldfrapp
2	Any Other Name / Thomas Newman
3	Sunrise (DJ Thunda & the K-20 Allstars Remix) / Afterlife
4	Worthless / Dido
5	Fula Fula (Chilluminati Mix) / Mari Boine
6	100 Billion Stars / Lux
7	Day by Day (DJ Spinna Remix Edit) / Mark de Clive-Lowe
8	Tatouage Bleu (Avec Chet) / Ben Onono
9	Cookie Raver / Illumination
10	Will You Catch Me (Twin Tunes Mix Edit) / Tiny Tunes
11	Pina Colada (Jazz Mix) / Digby Jones
12	Apache / Scripture
13	Gabriel / Lamb

Barnes & Noble

The latest in the Café del Mar series -- spawned from the 20-year-old Ibiza club offering stunning views of Mediterranean sunsets -- is as easygoing as it is hip. Partiers might flock to Ibiza to rave all night, with the help of booming beats and energy-enhancing substances, but the millions who've made this CD series a success are looking for something more serene. Answering their calls, Vol. 8, compiled by Luke Neville and Ben Cherrill, begins with Goldfrapp's billowy "Utopia," which allows her sirenlike coos to float atop harpsichord plinks and luscious strings. Subsequent tracks add gentle beats to the mix, building an appropriately cool, cautiously body-moving chill-out vibe -- among them Lux's burbling "100 Billion Stars," the groovy, lite-house of Mark de Clive-Lowe's "Day by Day," and Illumination's spacious, dancefloor-ready "Cookie Raver." For many, however, the key track will be "Worthless" from alt diva-cum-pop star Dido. With its programmed beats and subdued mood, the song -- only available here -- offers a stunning showcase for Dido's passion-filled vocals. Those looking for a soothing, tastefully assembled collection to enhance their winding-down hours should explore the entire Café del Mar series, but this Summer 2001 installment, which ably transports Mediterranean sunshine around the globe, is an excellent place to start. Lydia Vanderloo

All Music Guide

In the 1990s, the Café del Mar compilations became a fashionable alternative to the more aggressive and forceful electronic sounds that people were dancing to at raves. If you were open to hearing electronic club music but didn't care for techno, trance, jungle/drum'n'bass, or acid house, the Café del Mar compilations could acquaint you with a whole other electronic world -- an ambient/trip-hop world with a laid-back, chill-out orientation. Café del Mar, Vol. 8, which MCA assembled in 2001, isn't a radical departure from its predecessors. An ambient/trip-hop approach to electronica still prevails, and MCA keeps things relaxed with sleek offerings like Mari Boine's "Gula Gula," Illumination's "Cookie Raver," and Digby Jones' "Pina Colada." The best-known artist on the CD is Dido, who fans of hardcore rap know from Eminem's "Stan" -- and who has an appealing example of British trip-hop in "Worthless." Some of the tunes contain vocals, while others are instrumental; either way, Café del Mar, Vol. 8 is about atmosphere and ambience -- an atmosphere of electronic lushness that is meant to keep the listener in chill-out mode from start to finish. Not everything on the CD is a masterpiece but, overall, the material is likable -- and even the unremarkable tracks are at least pleasant. Café del Mar, Vol. 8 may not convert those who aren't ambient/trip-hop fans already, but those who enjoyed any of the previous seven volumes are likely to appreciate this one as well. Alex Henderson