[.ca] Bare Essentials, Vol. 2

From Amazon.com:
This second volume of New York label Naked Music's Bare Essentials series continues where Volume 1 left off, showcasing the soft-edged house and blue-mood electronic music of artists like Aquanote, Blue 6, and Miguel Migs. Like other Ibiza-flavored downtempo compilations that have been released in the midst of the style's popularity, Essentials is dance music for beautiful, stylish hipsters who prefer a more bourgeois thump than club music usually provides. Songs like Andy Caldwell's "All I Need" (CJ One Remix) are awash in warm keyboards and an atmosphere of relaxed elegance, transporting even the most landlocked listeners to the imaginary tropical paradise of their choice. Volume 2 also provides a nice mix of old and new, putting tracks like Blue 6's "All I Need" (Jimpster Remix) alongside previously unreleased material, including a blissful track from Weekender ("Weekenderstyle") and two from rising stars Central Living. It's a compilation that appeals to our collective happy place, a land where the nights are warm, everyone is beautiful, and the daiquiris flow freely. --Matthew Cooke

Chronique amazon.fr:
Dans la lignée du projet Beat Generation de King Britt, voici un opus nu-soul qui révèle parfaitement la couleur de la production américaine actuelle. Les amateurs du west-London sound apprécieront cette nouvelle compilation du label de Miguel Migs, Naked. Percussions, rythmiques house, disco ou broken beat ne sont que quelques-uns des ingrédients utilisés ici pour donner aux voix soul et r'n'b un support moderne, accompagné d'ambiances deep et atmosphériques de façon à célébrer toujours et encore la sensualité, si chère au label Naked. Les frontières de la house ont donc été largement ouvertes sur ce recueil réunissant le meilleur de la production du label, des artistes électroniques souvent auteurs de chansons suaves, à la consistance de guimauve. Bonne dégustation… --Luc Demont

wow!:
This CD is fantastic. Well worth any price! The sultry beats and exotic sounds are perfect for any mood. I am new to discover the "Naked Music" genre and I love it. The music on this CD has so much meaning. It conveys -at least to me- a sense of ultra modern luxury in sound. I finally have found my favorite genre of music and bare essentials it at the top. I hope you get to enjoy this CD.

Naked all the Way:
This is a wonderful cd. I love it!! I just purchased it today and am listening to it as I type. I honestly don't have a favorite...I like them ALL. If you like loungy jazz music...blue 6, Carte blanche, this is it for ya...hmm...it's like a housier (if that's a word) blue six cd. I can see myself having a hip dinner party and playing this cd as the guests arrive. This is the best of the bunch IMO...really nice and I know you'd enjoy it...I'm loving Lisa Shaw (as usual), miguel migs, aquanote, and my favorite tracks are #2 and #5....whew...NAKED FOREVER!!!

Enjoyable, not essential deep house:
Bare Essentials Volume 2 follows up the initial 1999 release from Naked Music, home of delectable deep house and stylishly nude slip covers. With more artists in tow this time, BE2 offers a much broader mix of previously unreleased material and new tunes to tantalize, if a bit lacking in breakout hits. Surprisingly, the bigger names folks are familiar with (Blue Six, Miguel Migs) supply auto-pilot efforts that belies their talent, while soulful staple Lisa Shaw hits ("Visions") and misses ("Let It Ride"). The standouts are Aquanote's "Nowhere," a mellowed Heatwave Mix pushing the guitar backed Zoe Ellis line "I can tell that our love is going nowhere without you" to somber near-classic status. Likewise, Arvid featuring Ernestos livens with jazz drums for a beautifully realized song, and Kaskade/Quant's festive "Brighter Day," breathy vocals by Josyln, add pep and beach house atmosphere. A stripped down Petappusher (Miguel Migs) offers a serene closer, with flute, on "Reply on Me." Some Minor misses pop up, primarily Central Living's simplistic lyrics and uneasy (as in, what where they thinking) bass to the batch on "Inside." A shame too, that just one instrumental made the cut (Weekender). Regardless, the efforts here are impeccably produced; this crew knows their way around a studio. Bare Essentials 2 spins a bit too smooth to gain your attention; call it enjoyable then, just not essential. 3/5 NOTE: Exclusive to Amazon.com is an eight track 45-minute bonus CD packaged in a cardboard sleeve. Dropping the mellow vibes for a welcome return to the dance floor, this mixed offering combines a few exclusives, material from other Naked comps, and older tracks given an umpteenth remix to spruce them up a bit. Far more than just a tossed-in freebie, this is a bopping lil' set in it's own right; Satin Soul adds sprightly keyboard with punchy drums on a welcome revisit to "Music & Wine," a tasty set-up to Kaskade/Quant's festive "Brighter Day," breathy vocals by Josyln. Add quality work from Gaelle via Bugs in the Attic, and energetic beats by Project 4 (a catchy gem that peaks the hour), for a disc that heartily upstages its companion. How's that for essential? 4/5