Once upon a time, Ibiza was a spiritual and magical place. Every sunset, people gathered at Jose Padilla's ornately-decorated little beach-side bar to be hypnotised by his unique sunset DJ mix, staring dreamily out to sea. The first Café Del Mar album encapsulates this mystical experience, beginning light and airy with Jose's own dolphin-esque "Agua", progressing to darker, bassier sounds like Underworld and Ver Vlads to represent the sun falling behind the horizon. Jose creates a spellbinding atmosphere by placing oddities such as Penguin Cafe Orchestra, alongside dance tracks that take inspiration from world music and New Age (ethereal female vocals; bongo-lead percussion; samples of self-hypnosis tapes, flutes; wave-sounds). Higlights include the resonant piano and strings of Sabres Of Paradise's "Smokebelch" beatless mix. The sky fades to black with the gentle ambience of "Sunset At The Café Del Mar". Café Del Mar was "compiled with love" and thus truly stands the test of time. A great beginning to a classic compilation series. --Sarah Champion