Spirit of Global Chill Out: A Journey of Discovery

A fusion of nature recordings, dance, new age, and world music, Spirit of Global Chill Out: A Journey of Discovery collects six epic tracks on as many discs. Pichu's "Tropical Rainforest (Freeflow Remix)" blends gamelan-inspired melodies with the sounds of the rainforest and subtle electronic textures; Meridian's "Mountain Stream (Crystal Remix)" does the same thing with harp-like tones and crashing water, blending them until they create a delicately beautiful soundscape; and Everlight's "Dawn Chorus (6am Mix)" layers atmospheric synths into a moody evocation of sunrise. The other three tracks have a more new agey bent and sound a little predictable because of that, but Aura Soundsystem's "Refreshing Ocean Waves," Angel's "Amazonian Panpipes (Forest Mix)," and Soleil's "Summer Meadows (Haze Mix)" are pretty enough. Since each track averages out at about 40 minutes, listening to the entire Spirit of Global Chill Out set might be too much to handle at once, but fans of soothing, nature-tinged instrumentals should find quite a bit to listen to here.