Customer Reviews

La Mezzanine de L'Alcazar

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I buy a lot of this stuff and there are only 5 tracks of the 23 that I had before, so even though it's kind of the same old story, there's plenty of new stuff and most of it is quite good. Same concept as Claude Challe's Buddah Bar: first disk is "Dinner" and the second is "Seduction", but without the Far East/World influence. Starts out as chilled out, ambient, light trip hop and ultimately ends up in sampled, deep house. Nicely mixed but not so seemlessly you can't hear it. Would sit nicely next to Naked Music, Kevin Yost, Costes, or anything lounge or deep house (no divas). Would be a good buy both for someone new to downbeat, chilled, house as well as someone trying to get their hands on more.

For fans of the hipped-out, tripped-out, smooth and funky, world-beat lounge schtick...for those who "get it", BUY THIS!!!

You'll most likely be slightly underwhelmed by disc 1, mixed by DJ LAMY (flows not...and besides, how many other compilations have featured "Lebanese Blonde" or "Paul's Pal" by now??).

But disc 2...ooh, la-la! C'est [absolutely] magnifique! Trust me, DJ SHADE takes you on a ride! Lift-off into it with Sun Trust's "Dream Of You"...get WAY DOWN with "No Communication, No Love"...get REAL with Blue Six's "Pure"...SHAKE IT UP with Spero's "Everything" (ouch!)...this mix is seemless, sexy, sensational... BUY THIS.

Fabulous CD that I picked up in Paris. Great for mellow evenings, dinner parties, etc. Smooth sounds. Really nice eclectic collection and a good intro to int'l house.

it's a great sound from paris... great for chillin'out!!! its sure that you will be thrilled by this downbeat album! its "zen"

A number of beach restaurants and swank hotels along the French Cote d'Azur are hiring DJs to play, and are issuing recordings of, music that (they think/hope) reflects the ambiance of their locales. It's such a trend that it's almost surely happening elsewhere in France too!
This is one of the leaders in that trend. "L'Alcazar" is a Parisian hot spot restaurant that was created a few years back by Terence Conran, a trendy British designer. This CD is a selection of some of the background music that he has allowed in. I really have to hope his cuisine is better than the music his DJs have come up with.
Thousands of diners, plus 'le tout-Paris' "in" crowd think I'm wrong, of course, or just don't care as long as they can be in the swim somewhere and maybe meet a like soul. If your idea of a cool night out is a drink and conversation with friend/friends over a background cushion of endless, montonous, simplistic, unsubtle, and ultimately boring electronic beats -- one very much like the one preceding it -- plus a repeating electronic or "vocal" motif over the top, then this is for you. If my adjectival laundry list appears redundant and heavy, it nevertheless reflects the music as I hear it.
If, however, you like musical music and have your own musical choice and identity then you will quickly find the Alcazar formula empty.
There is much that makes music a valid art form that is missing at L'Alacazar. Their crop of composers sets up a rhythm on a drum synthesizer, adds a mournful riff, a dirge or some brief tough dialogue and then repeats, and repeats and repeats it. I imagine it provides a medium that stressed-out yuppies can chill out to. However, it is ultimately a creation of the drug age, where hypnotic sound is considered a plus.
As for the drumming patterns on these disks, the likes of Chick Webb, Sonny Greer, Sidney Catlett, Dave Tough, Jo Jones, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones and their (dead) disciples are surely turning over in their graves.
The recording is good and if you buy this series of CDs, some of your friends may find you pretty darned stylish!! However, this up-to-date canned elevator music will surely soon go the way of the Lambada.