Decent chill-out albums are hard to find these days. Of course, we can always count on the hundred-something installment in the Cafe del Mar or Ibiza... series, but seriously, it's not all that fantastic nor original anymore, is it? Luckily, there are still musicians who prove that the genre is still in for a surprise, and a perfect example comes in the form of Germany-based production outfit Liedschatten. Being influenced by artists such as Kraftwerk, Sade, Phil Collins and Morcheeba, Liedschatten members Keno Hellman and Jens D. Kotnik have come up with a sunny, acoustic-sounding album that combines chill-out with both classical instruments as modern electronica. Let's check it out...

Opening track Waterfall sets the tone for the rest of the album: chill-out music with a twist. Featuring a very laid-back rhythm full of bongos, echoing glitches and soft kicks, the track guarantees ultimate relaxation due to a constant series of great electronic synth melodies and pianos, with pulsating sound-waves in the background. The constant presence of beautiful melodies turn this one into a perfect opener. After a slow fade out, the album continues with what seems some hiphop-esque beats in the form of Breasin'. Yet again, this is pure chillin' as the beats are only meant as a support for a classical-sounding series of violins, instead of controlling the sequence. This combination results in a track that could almost be labelled as a stripped-down Massive Attack-style triphop tune. Nice! Sunset reminisces of French chill-pop band Air, although this one features a way more vivid synthesizer melody than commonly used on Air tracks, while the rest of the track consists of typical chill-out (broken) beats and an original usage of supporting percussion. Very melody-driven, this track is another entrancing beauty...

Sunbeams part 1 and 2 can be considered as colorful collages of spacey effects and synths, while Seaside (Original Mix 2006) flirts with authentic Jazz. The basis consists of a very, almost unnoticeable and very down-tempo beat, while soft shakers take care of a more structured rhythm sequence. The classical, yet again electronic synths in the background give this track a bit of a sad vibe, but comfort is given by a fantastic female singer with an incredibly clear voice. A perfect jazzy switch after a handful of chilly records on this album, thus far!

"Very melody-driven, this track is another entrancing beauty..."

The album continues with that trademarked Liedschatten-sound: somewhat broken beat-esque structures with a palette of effects and lots of synthesizers. Track 11, Remember, features all those elements, including a slightly vocoded voice, but unlike previous tracks, this one gets a bit too much of the same after a while. The melody is great, but is repeated too often to keep the attention on the overall. The production's yet again solid, but a bit too much of the same to really stand out. Liedschatten's own remix of Seaside is an even jazzier, but also more experimental version of the original, which has the potential to do very well in love-oozing bedrooms. Who needs Marvin Gaye when you have this?

Wednesday Night is one of the most dreamy tracks on this album. The tempo is pretty much the same as on other tracks on the disc (down-tempo), but the use of warm piano and electronic guitar sounds make this one a perfect track to play right before you hit the sack. The well-balanced melting pot of synths and more classic sounding effects work very well and feature an outstanding production.

"Who needs Marvin Gaye when you have this? "

Closing the album is Piano Mood, which -surprisingly- is all about the piano. Starting off with a moody melody and likewise synths, the track soon enough introduces the sun with a playful beat structure consisting of vivid hi-hats and clear etheric piano sounds. A very down-tempo and hypnotising track, this one's a beautiful closure of an experimental album.

Liedschatten have come up with a bar-raising chill-out album, which can easily be labelled as one of the best in its genre. The albums features the synth work and romance of Air, the beautiful melodies of Plaid, a touch of Squarepusher-like electronica, and the spacey atmosphere of let's say, Orbital. Liedschatten's strength lies within the fact that they have a great sense of how to mix both classical as electronic instruments into chilly material, and the result is a well-balanced album with an amazing production. Big up!

Track-list:

1. Waterfall
2. Breasin'
3. Upright
4. Sunset
5. Sunbeams Part 1
6. Sunbeams Part 2
7. Seaside (Original Mix 2006)
8. Nachtschwärmer
9. Funky Liedschatten
10. Going My Way
11. Remember (2007)
12. Red Blossoms
13. Seaside (Liedschatten Remix)
14. Tonite's Stars
15. Wednesday Night
16. Piano Mood