CD FORMAT

Andy Cato, perhaps better known as one half of Groove Armada, couldn't be a better choice to take charge of Café Mambo 2008, the first in the illustrious series that resident Pete Gooding hasn't helmed. Café Mambo 2008 is spread over two CDs: Dia (day) is geared towards sunset and Noche (night) on Ibiza after dark. There aren't many producers in the world today who have captured the very essence of these themes in their music: Groove Armada's At The River is a spine-tingling downtempo anthem (Cato plays that mesmerizing trombone), while Superstylin' and Shake That Ass, are peaktime dancefloor grenades. On top of that Cato's long been based in Barcelona, the Catalan capital and Mediterranean epicentre for dance music that shares a counter culture spirit with Eivissa. In these terms Cato's Dia is perfectly pitched: it's widescreen with a gentle ambience, mirrors the changing light by subtly evoking similar moods and emotions, and has plenty of room to pause for breath, and reflection. Opening with the acoustic blues of John Cale's Magnolia, Cato communicates the brilliant white sun's last hurrah with Morgan King's dazzling I'm Free. Coldcut's classical-electronic symphony Autumn Leaves tracks the golden sun's gradual transformation to pinkish-red and Brian Jonestown Massacre's psych-rock breaks the wistful melancholia, before Kruder & Dorfmeister blissed-out drum and bass, and LCD Soundsystem's 45.33's rippling pianos and smooth synths, hint at the possibilities of the night ahead. Noche is pregnant with the mischief, magic, and mystery that is nocturnal Ibiza. Sterac's 1996 classic emotechno Secret Life Of Machines is the path between Dia and Noche, Tam Cooper's tougher Galactica gets hips and feet moving in tandem. Groove Armada's teasing Love Sweet Sound marries Candi Staton's soaring soul to sharp electro house, Shades Of Rhythm's Everybody rolls back the years to glorious piano house at its finest, and Sebastian Davidson's Great Taste, Zero Sugar is new school, lithe fluttering electro. By the time Danny Clark & Jay Benham & Su Su Bobien's Wondrous' guttural vocal house, and Last Rhythm's Last Rhythm's deep house goodness rounds off Noche, sunset is but a distant memory. Café Mambo 2008 is everything you would expect and more - it's a kaleidoscopic mix, taking in blues, rock, electro and house, with a couple of curveballs in homage to Alfredo's anything goes Balearic DJ blueprint.