Chill with The Chola

Well here it is... Chill With The Chola's "Best of 2007!" Let me tell you, it was not an easy task to compile 76 minutes worth of favorites from a year of fantastic music. I mean let's face it, I put my heart and soul in to picking the coolest tunes each month, so, choosing the "pick of the litter" was an exhausting process.

This month's episode is a great synopsis of exactly what this show is all about. I cover all of the styles of music that I love so much. From lounge to bossanova, to house and drum 'n' bossa, to nujazz and chillout, it is all covered. So sit back and enjoy the "best of the best," the "cream of the crop," the "cat's meow"... okay, okay, I am sure you get the picture.

Here is this month's tracklist...

01. Ulrich Schnauss- Einfeld

02. Mystic Diversions- I Feel Love

03. Vargo- Beauty

04. Ohm Guru- Hotel Capri (Cybophonia Remix)

05. Worldwide Groove Corporation- Mas Que Nada

06. Wagon Cookin- Ridin' On The Wind

07. UPZ- Pure Surprise ft DKP House Mix

08. Tape Five- Cocktail D'Amor

09. Meloman, J Lanza- Icui & Pachito

10. Sian ft Rachel Roberts- Beautiful Day

11. J Boogies Dubtronic Science- Try Me ft Goapele & Capitol A

12. The Pinker Tones- TMCR Grand Finale

13. Pilot Jazou- You Changed My Life ft Roberta Malerba

14. Donati- E' Preciso Perdoar

15. Soul Quality Quartet- I'm Not Here

16. Fabio Nobile- Bossaroma

17. BossaCucaNova & Roberto Menesc- Brasilidade

All of the artists in this month's playlist truly standout in my mind as icons of downtempo music. That being said, there are a handful in this list that shine so bright, I really must address them individually.

Ulrich Schnauss- What can I say, Ulrich's music really touched me this year. The release of "GoodBye" left me absolutely AWESTRUCK! If you do not own this album yet, you MUST buy it.

Schnauss' music is incredibly ethereal. His creations are not just songs, they are amazing soundcapes that give you a sense that you have been teleported into huge worlds of sound. His music absolutely envelops you in a warm, rich, progressive, tonal utopia. Purchase "Goodbye," pop it in to your CD player or mp3 player, put on your best headphones, turn off the lights and lay down on the couch for an hour. I assure you that you will awake in a peaceful bliss!

Cybophonia- Cybophonia is the epidemy of cool chillout and lounge. Eros Minichiello hails from the "Italian area of Switzerland," and I swear, everything he touches is GOLD! The production value of his remixes are profound, they truly should be studied.

I look forward to getting to know all of his new music intimately in 2008, and, I am sure the "Chill With The Chola" show will certainly feature some more of his tunes very, very soon!

Worldwide Groove Corporation- Fever: Chillodesiac Lounge Vol. 1 is one of my favorite downtempo albums of the year. This CD is full of new arrangements of jazz classics and is a great addition to your lounge collection. I have listened to this album at least weekly since I bought it.

If I had to sum up this album in one word it would be... "sexy." The song selections are fantastic, the vocals are smooth and sensual, and the production is top notch. Throw this album on, cook a nice dinner for that special someone, and enjoy an intimate evening together.

Bossacucanova- This group has to be my "pick of the year." After stumbling on to their CD, "Uma Batida Differente," I was simply blown away by their style.

Bossacucanova fuses traditional Latin styles such as bossanova and samba, with electronica styles such as Drum 'n' Bass and House. The blend becomes a new hybrid all of its own and can be referred to as "Drum 'n' Bossa." Man oh man; this music is melodic and rhythmic heaven!

Even though I cannot understand a word of the lyrics, the vocals are very smooth and soothing, the beats are rhythmic and almost trance inducing, and the production value is top notch.

Listening to Bossacucanova's music instantly transports me to a place with warm, sunny beaches, strong cocktails, and pretty girls. Listen to any of their CD's, I bet you will feel the same. If you consider yourself a downtempo/ lounge conesouer, you cannot afford to be without their discography!

This Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License to support the interests of the original featured artists.

Check out previous episodes of the Chill with The Chola Podcast by visiting my ARCHIVE!