(Ministry of Sound Germany/Stomp)

Hailing from Mainz, Germany, Ian Pooley has been cutting up the purest of house cuts since the early nineties. Always admired for the broad spectrum he can cover in any set or album, Pooley has had a long time affection for the Latin music scene. Coming in two parts ‘Brazilution’ is as feisty as it is utterly sublime.

The ‘Sol Side’ of the album is very chilled and best listened to when you have the time to really enjoy it. Featuring a combination of Bossanova greats and the latest in Latin grooves, the pace here meanders along peacefully and whilst some tracks stand out more than others, the thread is a common one and each track is worthy of its place. Highlights include, Nouvelle Vague’s ‘In a Manner of Speaking’, Troubleman’s ‘Paz’, featuring the sultry Nina M, Yello’s ‘Distant Solution’ and Marcos Valle ’s ‘Previsao do Tempo’.

Featuring on the ‘Luna Side’ is a scintillating collection of fiery, uptempo Latin house productions, aimed squarely at the dance floor, this is the reason we have come to love the Latin sound so very much. Favourites here would be ‘Summer Serenade’ from Sven Van Hees, the smash ‘Café De Flore’ from Dr. Rockit (aka Matthew Herbert), John Beltran’s ‘Dashiki’, Pooley’s fabulously warm and funky ‘Bony Batucada’ and Richard Dorfmeister and Madrid’s sensual ‘Valldemosa’.

Be it poolside or couch side, ‘Brazilution’ is the next best thing to being there.