Late Night Tales - Groove Armada (Compiled By Groove Armada) - Various Artists

Advantages: Great laid back groovy beats, consistently good tunes
Disadvantages: long intros

...With this album, Groove Armada seemed to be saying 'We've arrived' rather than we've finished. The poster advertising the CD says it all. Most people love their tunes but the music is so diverse that they've never picked up that they're by the same people. Groove Armada have been stealthily making their name over a number of years, starting out with the very chilled 'At the River' and 'If everybody looked the same'. What marks them out is their timeless happy music which evokes hot summer nights out with your mates. Great beats to get your feet tapping and your mood lifted, but not so heavy that you feel you're in a club with a bunch of charvas (yes I grew up in newcastle where we knew about charva's /chav's whatever 10 years ago). Great ingredients for classy not brassy clubbing and chilled listening at home. The album brings... Read review

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Advantages: Classic chilled albm which can be found hiding in bargain bins at music stores
Disadvantages: All good things come to an end...

...”. This section is of course is the “Chilled Zone” – a.k.a. “Music For Hangovers”. The battlecruise (booze cruise) hardened Ciao-ers out there probably know what I’m talking about. After a late night Saturday clubbing followed by crawling into bed and some ridiculous hour in the morning, the only thing you want to do on the Sunday is to lie in bed and dream that you are somewhere else. Anywhere will do as long as the hangover doesn’t come to. This is where this album fits in as Groove Armada’s chilled melodies and soothing instrumentals drip with a tropical sound conjuring up the dreamy feeling your in paradise… 1. Chicago This is the opening track to the album and it is nothing more than an ambient instrumental. The tune is held together by a simple rhythmic and a funky guitar sample. Mix in a bit of electronica and hey prets, you get... Read review

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Advantages: Eclectic, varied, happy-vibes.
Disadvantages: None

...Soundboy Rock is the latest and 7th release for the Cambridge based duo, Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. Loosely described as electronic or funk, their genre has surpassed the hedonisitic, late 90's pop madness, and deposited them into the chill out category. Groove Armada were first recognised in 1997, their claim to fame being a limited single known as "At The River", a track that sampled "Old Cape Cod" by Patti Page, and would slowly propel them towards wider acknowledgement from the British public. The group tasted real success in 2000 when Fat Boy Slim sampled and re-mixed "I See You Baby", a track that would also later catch on, having been featured on the Renault adverts of that year. The group's fourth album release was "Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)" and as indicative as the name, suggested a departure from the more... Read review

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