Customer Reviews

Café del Mar, Volumen Doce (Import)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought the lates in the series, called doze, spanish meaning twelve, and if you thought its predecessor was too barren, or instrumental for your taste, you are going to love the latest reincarnation of Cafe del Mar.

I bought this as soon as it came out. Cafe del Mar, in my humble opinion, is one of the best chillout compilations out in the market, and one of the longest in the series compiling now 12 releases. The production values on these newer tracks are a mayor improvement, consisting of softer melodies and less on atmosphere which the series has depended on the latter disks, such as Vol. 11. However, having said that, it still atmospheric, but it embodies a heavenly blend of spanish flavor, and ethnic electronic that is ambient, rich in vocals & mystical mixes. The sounds here, as usual in any Cafe del Mar, are trendy, relaxed, and the recordings of these female/male voices will inspire many listenings.

'Bunbury' first track, sacame de aqui(DAB remix) will set the tone for the rest of this 2-disk set. Yes, for the first time, Cafe del Mar features 28-tracks, and volume here is not filler material, but quality throughout, 'ON BOTH DISKS!' Doze offers here variety, and more vocals on most of the tracks here, which gives the songs body, character, and emotion. Cafe del Mar Vol. 12 is the best of the series I believe, and that's not an understatement folks. The music selection here is of high-quality, and the mesmerizing melodies is something to behold whenever these artists are singing for the children of the new age. If you like Vol. 4,5,6,7, then 12 is your cup of tea. Enjoy!

If you're expecting to find more of those dynamic rythyms and beats from volumes 1-7, you will be sorely disappointed, as I was.

However, after listening to the tracks together with my own playlist songs, it starts to grow on you! After I took about a week to forget about the disappointment in the noticeable shift in the flavour of the Cafe Del Mar series, Volume 12 slowly began to stand out in its own merits. Like the earlier volumes, it is a chill out CD, but far more mellow and relaxing. With tracknames like "Lazy Lounging", you can't really expect tunes as catchy as ones earlier in the series.

In fact, the music from this collection is so relaxing, that you just can't help but laze around to them. Its so difficult to get to work (like preparing for my college exams). If I'm working on my stuff and songs from this volume plays, I'll start to sit back and daydream. But that might just be me.

The high quality of tracks is consistent throughout the 2 CDs, and it is difficult to single out good ones without naming half the tracks from the entire volume. I would recommend at least these few tracks, which are what I find captures the essence of the Volume 12 spirit.
05 - Another Day
06 - Antologia Cafe Del Mar
14 - Bailando Va

I can't help but paint a picture of the imaginary dreamlike place this 2 CDs always seem to whisk me away to.

If Cafe Del Mar Vol.12 is like your weekend away to a nice relaxing mediterranean beach resort, then CD1 would represent your arrival at the beach, and once you unpack, you lazily lounge away the entire day away, relaxing and watching the sunset sipping endless cocktails with tiny paper umbrellas on them.

CD2 would represent the 2nd day of your mini holiday, bringing slightly more upbeat tunes more suitable for a day filled with parties and games by the beach, while still retaining the relaxing chill-out mellowness characteristic of this volume.

The last few tracks of CD2 are a little more solemn though, suitably wrapping up the dreamy episode.

I admit that I seemed to be describing an experience, than writing a 'review' of this compilation. But an experience is exactly what the Cafe Del Mar series has always brought to its listeners. Well, a tad more mellow this time.

Just remember, like what a few previous reviews have mentioned, if you're expecting music from the single-digit volumes, stay clear of this "tiki-torch party" muzak. If you'd like something different for a change (like when you first bought your Cafe Del Mar CD), this volume would grow on you fast. Having said that, I'd still wish for the series to return to its previous style of the earlier volumes (eg. 6th, 7th).

I've got most of the series plus another 100 or so chill/lounge albums. This 1 is in my top 5. Every track is a winner.

This is the first review I have written on Amazon, and I am doing so only because this CD is so bad. I have every other Cafe Del Mar Vols 1 - 11, and while there is some variation in quality, I have generally enjoyed them all. Overall, the Cafe Del Mar (CDM) series is undoubtedly my favorite ambient / chillout compilation.

Volume 12 is the first in the series to lose its edge, and it has an elevator pop music feel to it. Whereas the prior volumes had legitimate bands on it (Lamb, Talvin Singh, Dzihan & Kamien, etc), this is no longer the case, and it is obvious from the quality of this CD. I actually went to the CDM website and cross-referenced the CD to make sure I hadn't bought a fake imitation CD. Really disappointing.

The producers of CDM may have boosted it to 2 CDs while keeping the same budget for artist fees, hoping to increase profit margins due to a higher priced double CD set with the same production costs, capitalizing on name rather than quality. Of course, this is all speculation, but it fits with what they have done here (first double CD, first reduction in artist quality). Perhaps I'm being cynical and they are just looking for a new sound; if so, they should just fire their marketing department. To be more balanced, from the reviews below, some people do enjoy the CD, so you may as well. However, if you have enjoyed the sound of prior CDMs, make sure to listen to this one before buying, as it is very "fluffy" compared to the others.

Unless you are looking for unobtrusive background music for a tiki torch party, please steer clear of this CD. Buy any of the other CDMs, in fact; they are all solid and each has a unique sound. Hopefully, low sales of this CD will compel CDM to put out a Vol 13 that is more consistent with the quality of the rest of their line. If not, it least Hotel Costes hasn't taken a nosedive yet.

I love some of the previous CDM cd's in the series, but this one is definitely disappointing. Nothing inspiring or innovative. My favourites in the4 CDM series are numbers 4, 9, 11 and the 25th Anniversary Addition.

I agree with Mr."Graduate Student" in that Cafe Del Mar has lost something with this latest CD. Where has the effort gone in this production? Sure it's relaxing, but it's just not entertaining. Blank and Jones have taken over the trend with their new Relax II CD. Check it out. It may fill the void while CDM gets it together.

This is one of my favorite Cafe's. It was the one that hooked me on them. If you are looking for unique sound skip the later Cafe Del Mars and get one from the beginning.

One of my favourite tracks ever from the series is the last track on Volumen Ocho, Plum Crazy by Celestial. And if you like that sound, then you'll love the albums from Hong Kong's Celestial. Check them out, they are titled:

Hong Kong Dub Station
Happy Valley
Spirit House

it's a deeper dubbier sound that most of Cafe Del Mar, more real instruments, and more space...

Hate to throw water on the parade here.. but as a fan of earlier volumes.. this one is flat out awful. Its like a cross of new age jazz and flat beats with a little bossa nova mixed in. Really dissapointed in where this series has gone - there is really no need to venture outside the single digits i.e. volumes 5-9 with this series.. believe me.

a major evolution from previous installments; cafe del mar 12 not only offer you a blissful and chilled 2 cds, 28 tracks unlike single cds before... but also, every tracks feel different and has different appeals... I agree.. it's the best one yet coz every trax is silky smooth and worth listening to... its perfect for chilloit listener out there... not to sleepy/dreamy yet not too fast and loud on the beats... everything's balanced... if u like this; u might also like cafe del mar 25th anniversary - CD 1.. that's my other favorite