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You know summer is fast approaching when the annual deluge of “special import” Ibiza compilations come flooding in from the white isle. The famous double cherries of the Pacha camp adorn this double CD mixed by Pete Tong and Sarah Main, who offer us a mixed bag of the latest Balearic anthems set amongst a lush background of the lesser-known. If not nothing else, this double CD is an eclectic introduction to the decadent moods and flows of this now infamous clubbing institution.
If you were expecting Tongy to whip out an arsenal of d-floor weaponry á la the essential mix, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. Instead, Tong’s disc starts off with the tranquil strings of Kris Menace’s Jupiter, whose loungy mid-day vibe persists until he finally slams Eric Prydz’s overhaul of A Bit Patchy into the mix. It’s from here on in that the hands start to gravitate to the ceiling as Fedde Le Grande’s ode to the Motor-city and Kurd Maverick’s throbbing The Rub whip into effect. However, Tong shows impressive restraint as he continually reverts back to some more minimal tones throughout the disc, leaving us with an interesting collection of instant pleasures on a bed of slow-release gems.
Australian ex-pat Sarah Main begins promisingly, ushering in late-nite minimalism with Booka Shade’s In White Rooms. Yet, after Pete Tong’s solid selection, Sarah’s disc seems a little flat. There is the odd over-used vocal such as Mish-Mash’s Speechless and the somewhat frustrating 2006 resurrection of Loretta Holloway’s Love Sensation. However, Main does aim to impress with her vocal and deep house knowledge, educating us in the further reaches of the Pacha play-list.
Pure Pacha is everything its title and logo suggests – a well-rounded compilation that pairs the anthems and the under-the-radar rarities. Whilst it may be uneven at times, this package is still a very enjoyable ride, even to those yet to pop their Balearic cherries.
