Brazilification: Remixes 95-99

Brazilification truly is worthy of a 5 star review. I would recommend this double album to fans of any genre of music.1995-1999 was a golden era for the Fila Brazilia boys during which time they released a host of classic funky chill out records. This release though sees them in remix mode.Back in the heady late 90's few singles were released without a remix amongst the b-sides. Much of these were fillers, what Fila Brazilia seemed to have mastered though was to create definitive versions. Their remix of Lamb's Cotton Wool presented here for example, is far superior to the original, I have to say the same about Radiohead's Climbing The Walls too. There are many other examples I could mention but I recommend buying this and finding out for yourself!Another stand out feature here well worth a mention is the mix. The album works beautifully as a whole and just flows and flows, each track seamlessly bleeding into the next. This is spacious, heady stuff and as funky and groovy a record as you're ever likely to hear.One half of Fila Brazilia is still releasing records under the moniker of The Cutler, check out his record the Best Things in Life Aren't Things to see what he's up to these days, still pretty damn funky!

I just love it. I have a broad range of tastes and this captures quite a lot of them in a huge cooking pot of funked up remixes. Love it. My go to at the moment. Timeless.

I'm 20 years behind the times as usual so this is all new to me. Clever and beautifully recorded, this is very interesting and deserves to be heard on good HiFi

A great collection of brilliant remixes, a must have, if you want this album.

and its not one of their own so to speak! A collection of CHOICE Fila Brazillia remixes from over the years. And good remixes. Not just sticking a heavy bassdrum on the track and chopping the vocals up. Fila have impressed me greatly, ALOT of albums to their name (I forget what they're up to now, 10 ... 11?), these two guys from Hull have alot of talent. I remember being greatly impressed walking into the main room at Fabric to see them performing Throwing Down A Shape, with the main geez swapping between clarinet, trumpet, with the greatest of ease. I eagerly anticipated this release after tracking down alot of their own productions. The distinct Fila touch to several big artists. And the result is fantastic. Smooth chilled funk meets Radiohead on Climbing Up The Walls, the silky R&Bish beats vs Thom Yorke's angst. Moloko get taken on a pure funk journey with twanging bass and sweetly sung vocals. Fila really stretch out on the instrumental tracks though, pre-Shadow UNKLE get taken breaks journey, marrying hip hop beats with brazillian conga. Euphoria's Delerium has gorgeous steel guitar set against a hypnotic bassline before the CD blends it into a wicked rendition of DJ Food's Freedom. Great ethnic chanting and spot on beat programming ... eerie 'hairs on neck stand up' synths. CD1 rounds off with a pretty faithful yet funky interpretation of The Orb's Toxygene.So there ends CD1, its not over yet. You get TWO CD's here. Value for money AND not a single let up in quality. The second CD sees Fatboy Slim under Freakpower guise get the remix treatment. Simple Minds get the Fila funk breaks to Theme From Great Cities (which I believe was a track sampled by Planet Funk a few years ago on one of their excursions into the charts). The tempo tends to be a bit more pacey on the second disc, reaching an absolute peak with Lamb's Cottonwool. One of the finest tracks I've ever heard. Almost drum and bassy, teases you into the track before letting loose with frantic beats. The CD rounds off with some dubby drum and bass and some latin funk ... its easy to misinterpret what Fila Brazillia are about with a name like that. Its not all latin grooves ... the full range of chilled out sounds. Something you have to hear to experience.This is the first place to check if you want to hear what Fila are about, I've heard them described as the British Air, but they're much much more than that. The remix project is one of my fave albums as Fila are generally an instrumental group, so its nice to hear what can be done with a few vocals. If this album tickles your fancy for more Fila, check the early Maim That Tune or the later Powerclown, both outstanding albums with drastically different scopes of sound. Also worth checking is the newly released Brazilification 2. Another 2CD tour de force! Definately start here though.

WHETHER YOU KNOW FB OR NOT THIS WILL INTRODUCE YOU NICELY. I love all they produce except for 'the life and times of Phoebus Broomal' or whatever it's called. This is the classic FB re-mixing at it's finest. And one of the best remix albums that money can buy. If there were such a thing as the timeless chilled beat based compilations/albums that are not typical, then this is it. Straight to the point but not in your face, this is a wonderful collection of already great tunes beautifully re-worked by the Hull boys. It's the album to get.

The reason I have given this album 3 stars is because I only like half of it - the first CD.The tracks on this CD start off really chilled and build up over the duration. My particular favourites are Radiohead and Moloko.The second CD tracks are not really my kind of listening and have only graced my player a couple of times. I love the output of Fila Brazillia and have the majority of their other albums. But I am afraid this second CD does nothing for me.

This is quite simply one of the finest collections of beats and breaks you are ever likely to hear on one album. The tunes are tight and funky from start to finish. Buy it immediately.