(Pschent/Creative Vibes)

Hôtel Costes 8 is a rare specimen: a disc that blends chillout and house without becoming numb, dull or superficial. The tracks are diverse and well-selected, the mix is high quality, and the whole production smacks of Parisian class. In short, well worth the hype.

Stéphane Pompougnac, a man with an open-minded musical attitude and a somewhat androgynous name, serves up an intelligent and eclectic mix of tracks that embody the Hôtel Costes ethos. The Hôtel itself is a mélange of 19th-century style and 21st-century celebrity decadence, and capturing this blend is a tribute to the DJ.

Starting on an excellent note with the sweet and downbeat Dream Machine, Pompougnac takes us on a journey from Ralph Myerz’ awesomely cool Think Twice to Flying Pop’s sun-drenched A La Peche, dipping into Tosca, Jazzanova, Soulstice, and one of his very own tracks along the way.

Sure, some of the tracks are a little bit dull, or don’t quite gel so brilliantly with the others. Michael Mayer’s Love Food was perhaps a bit too intimate for a compilation like this, and Visti & Meyland’s All Nite (Yes Maam) is more silly than funky. On the whole though, it’s very difficult to have a problem with an album like this. Versatile enough to be played anywhere from your car to an inner-city lounge bar, the mix traverses numerous genres without ever sounding confused.

Pompougnac’s efforts serve to confirm the statement made on Mr. V’s Jus’ Dance: “French do it better.” Better make a booking.