Label: Chill Tribe Records
Released: 2005

01. Entheogenic - Walk On Air
02. Elysium - Fairytale
03. Shulman - The Unexpected Visitor (CBL Carbonator Rmx)
04. Ishq - En Soph
05. Jaia - Missing
06. Cell - Secret Wedding
07. PhasePhour - Unpronounced Numbers
08. Elysium Vs. Space Cat - Dub Connection
09. Altitudes - Altitude 1
10. Blue Planet Corporation - Wild City

"Quality Relaxation" is a debut release by the first on the psy-chillout scene label from Norway, Chill Tribe Records. The label's founder is a very famous musical journalist and DJ - Per Kristian Slagsvold. Known especially as PKS, he decided to create his own label and the glory to him for this. Born of every new label on a quite small scene is alwyas a reason to be happy. Particularly in the situation, when this enterprise is taken by a person, who is widely known for its critical activity on this scene; so the expectations are bigger than usual. In his first release, titled directly: "Quality Relaxation", PKS compiled ten tracks (the CD is not mixed). The sounds that lasts nearly 79 minutes comes from the most known projects of the scene; from its first league, though not really everyone of them can be described like this. I will explain with the details the whole situation, but before this I will just tell some more informations about the release, because there is something interesting. The CD is in a usual plastic case, but we have in it a cover-booklet of 8 pages with informations of every project involved in "Quality Relaxation", and also the message from PKS. Superb idea. I must also mention about a cold, simple, beautiful cover art. The whole stylistic of this first Chill Tribe's release is for sure designed well. So we have in sum up four good points: filled CD to the maximum, very high quality of involved projects, interesting booklet and a nice design. But the time has come for the most important thing: the music.

The compilation starts with the sounds of evocative "Walk On Air" by Entheogenic (the authors: Piers Oak-Rhind + Helmut Glavar). This group is rated as the one of a few of the best in history of chillout side of the scene. This is the first and still the one, new track of these musicians prepared for a compilation. The level of this composition is absolutely masterly. We have here a daring connection of drum'n'bass rhythmicity, atmosphere of world music and psychedelic soul - marvelous composition it is, one of those that absorb new individuals into the world of this type of music. In the classification of Entheogenic-only tracks, "Walk On Air" can fight for the title of its best, and for me personally this is one of "the life's composition". After this dynamic introduction we are slowing the tempo drastically on the second track, where we have "Fairytale" by Elysium (Kristian Thinning Andersen). The composition of this famous project, though unfortunately not involved in the scene anymore, have easily recognizable ethnic sampel of vocal - exactly the same that have got one of the tracks of Younger Brother's "A Flock Of Bleeps" album. The same sampel different artists can skilfully adjust to autonomical conception. And this was for sure succesfully done in both cases. Elysium's "Fairytale" is calm, tribal, sad, beautiful. Composition number three is a remix of "The Unexpected Visitor". Originally, the track was designed by Shulman (Yaniv Shulman; to the project belong also Omri Harpaz, but he didn't worked on this composition), here we have its version translated by Carbon Based Lifeforms (Daniel Ringstrom + Johannes Hedberg). Both of these groups are shining in the music's constellation so much, as previous projects. CBL's remix is practically a typical work of them, in the style that can't be imitated by anyone else - which is an acid trance-ambient flavour, though for sure a few elements of the original version can be easily recognized in it. This is another great track, completely without any bad points. I miss that CBL is remixing so rarely. Next we have "En Soph" by Ishq (Matthew Hillier). We are always receiving from this artist a transmission that is soothing emotions and such that oneself is unforgettable, magical; Ishq is releasing a lot of compilations' compositions, though we always have the highest level. So his "En Soph" is an "Ishq's standard": the ambient with the samples of nature (water, birds) and the pads that are going on forever - and this all arranged is perfectly. No matter, if you know Ishq or not - his compositions have a spiritual harmony that can influence on everybody. And this is ideal of course, the fourth in a row already, and now we have even the fifth: "Missing" by Jaia (Yannis Kamarinos). This artist is always touching with his chillout style, though after all it is important to say that his main stream is uptempo sound. His whirling in thoughts compositions from the Ultimae Records' series "Fahrenheit Project" are truly memorable - "Missing" was created in a similiar aesthetics and it's not difficult to guess, that also here we will experience only rapturing moments. This journey is very nostalgic, crying, technically: ambient-like in the first half and more dynamic-like (because of its epic overtone) in the second, and is very rich in arrangment - what can be especially clearly heard after the ambient track of Ishq.

While "Secret Wedding" by Cell (Alexandre Scheffer) is a track that is escaping somewhere; we have here a solid kick on 4/4, besides also many ethnic motives. The entirety is for sure greatly fitting in the emotions of the previous track. Very nice composition, a little (very little) similiar to "White Call" from a debut CD of Cell - "Phonic Peace". Since the next track, number seven, we are going into more warmly atmospheres. "Unpronounced Numbers" by act named PhasePhour (Eldar Von Essen + John Robert Egeland) is a good one, although it seemed that it is artistically diverging from the previous tracks because of its not so much sophisticated build. The main melodia isn't too deep, however it's quite pleasant. And while in the background some interesting things are done, infantility of the main line is leading out from more subtle mood. Next we have a collaboration of two well-known projects, whose the most valuable previous artistic cooperation found its reflection in the last track of a debut album by that second person. I am talking about Elysium and Space Cat (Avi Algranati). "Funky" ("the most valuable cooperation") from phenomenal "Beam Me Up" CD by Space Cat is certainty a sweetness worth a cardinal sin, lovely composition. On elaborated compilation we have "Dub Connection" of this duo, but unfortunately it is not exploit on the level of mentioned track, and personally I have got that expectation. "Dub Connection" is a track that somehow is not rousing with its joy which appear in my eyes as quite plastic, however after putting back this attitude of expectation - "Dub Connection" is pleasant. In the next to last track we also have a collaboration of two known projects in form of "Altitude 1". Behind Altitudes (this is the project's name) we have a collaboration of Jaia and Blue Planet Corporation (Gabriel Masurel). Mix of their abilities supplied us with a not too much deep, but a very good track. Although hauling melody and friendly atmosphere is, despite everything, too little as for such a duo. The CD is finishing with Blue Planet Corporation's "Wild City". I regret to say that on this composition I am disappointed in the biggest way. Whoever, whenever heard a legendary masterpiece of sounds waves titled as "Roma" of this artist, then for sure will admit that I'm right: quality's difference is diametrical. But what essentially is deteriorating the compilation's ending? It's the full happiness, this composition is positive more than enough, sweet as 100 lollipops of anonymous producer. I will name it as a simple music that anyone can do, because nothing unique is here. The title absolutely not reflect the sounds from the track. But you should remember, that context of previous compositions have its impact on the rating of this track, on my rating. "Wild City" as a single track is fine.

"Quality Relaxation" is, in minimum, a very good compilation - one of the most representative for the whole psy-chillout scene, very important for it, that had a chance to be the best in its history. We have here more than expected great compositions (first six), but also only "good" (last four). It's unimportant who will listen to this CD, for sure will find something fascinating and intriguing in it. Unfortunately, there isn't here a homogeneous and coherent journey. Another tracks are too far away from each other to search one visualization for all of them. I doubt also if the track order is good. It's strange, however it can be already subjective feeling builded on a reason that Ishq's tracks were always on the edge of compilation - while here we listen to the Hillier's world nearly in the middle of the CD. But after all these two bad points, "Quality Relaxation" is the golden compilation. Most of the projects have offered compositions on its characteristic high level, while divinized by me Entheogenic - the track even of the best in the scene's history including here even compositions by Shpongle - the legendary, the best act in the history of this music, who's as the only one never and nowhere in the world unquestionable the Authority didn't arrived to welcome the new label, though perhaps it's because the invitation wasn't sent?...