The Groovy Way To Chill
The Late Night Tales series has now been running for more than five years and allows top musical acts to create their ultimate late night soundtrack. The twentieth soundtrack sees Groove Armada. The band bring together the old (Stevie Wonder, Chris Rea, Human League) and the new (Peter,Bjorn and John, Will Young, Midlake) and a whole host of genres, blending them into one seamless, trippy chillout soundtrack.
The entire album feels like one smooth concoction from the beats and icey synth strains of Human League's, 'Things That Dreams Are Made Of' and jazzy syncopated rhythm of Roxy Music through to the dark delicacies of Depeche Mode with added electro beats. It's testament to the band's skills in the studio that this mixtape runs so smoothly with every track given a slick Groove style polish. Midlake's heart-wrenching indie affair is transformed with flighty beats, settling in comfortably between African Dreams and Electronic.
Stevie Wonder's smooth funk vibes are the precursor to the exclusive cover track, a feature of every Late Night Tales album. Groove Armada have selected Gary Numan's 'Are Friends Electric' as their original offering, the fat beats and crunchy 80's electro styling are still there but with sparkly resonating synth, sultry female vocals and a fresh feel. If you like Groove Armada, you'll be sure to love their makeover of Numan's classic, but if you're not a dance fiend, it's probably best to give it a miss.
Peter, Bjorn and John's, 'The Chills' becomes the perfect eerie chill tune with shushing and clattering beats parading over the vocal harmonies. The Cure's 'Close To Me' is a perfect penultimate note with its twee beats and perky rhythm dragging the listener out of the earlier moments of somnolent electro while Finley Quaye's ad hoc percussive beats round off the whole album perfectly with the word eclectic left firmly on the tongue.
Groove Armada's Late Night Tale is rather what you'd expect: a funky mix of tracks all with typical smooth groove style.