This isn't one of those compilations you see advertised on TV with Judge Jules providing the voiceover, although to be fair it isn't strictly in keeping with the kitchen-sink-ism kitsch that originally defined Balearic either. Instead it is, as the subtitle suggests, a collection of 'new chill and warm laid back sounds'.
And that pretty much works for BlackPlastic. Occasionally it feels a little deliberately inclusive - slotting The XX's 'VCR' in at track two will certainly help shift units - but actually within the context of the (excellent) mixing it actually works.
So this is a very laid-back mix for daytime lounging and evening warm-ups that would be in danger of feeling formulaic if it wasn't for the fact that enough of the songs are pretty much fantastic. Of the fantastic the most sublime is unquestionably DJ Kaos' 'Love The Night Away', remixed here by Tie Dye it is just the right mix of hippie vocals, retro disco vibes and sunny melodies. Within the context of the mix it works so damn well that it justifies the mix on its own.
Less successful are the slightly formulaic folky numbers that close the mix and Animal Collective as a closing track almost feels a little too obvious but it does the trick.
Future Balearica isn't going to change anyone's perception of chilled out dance music but it certainly manages to do a lot more than many other similar albums. And you can be sure it would sound pretty sublime on the beaches of Ibiza.
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