Of all the tendrils stretching forth from the huge juggernaut that is the Ministry of Sound empire, the chillout collections have perhaps the most diverse range of listeners. Free to embrace a wide variety of artists and genres; spanning electronic, experimental, acoustic and dance, the chillout CD has become a staple for an amazingly varied group of music lovers. The task then, of compiling the best of chillout from 1991 to 2008 is at once daunting and exhilarating. How does one begin to distil two decades of music into a three-disc pack? Not content with resting on their laurels following completion of the 1991-2008 Anthems collection, The MOS team has sought to pin down the most definitive chillout tracks of the era.

It’s interesting that no DJ is listed as having programmed the collection. And indeed, the tracks aren’t exactly mixed; rather they transition in the manner of a jukebox, or a celebrity DJ. The jukebox DJ also makes some interesting track selections. While newcomers Empire of the Sun and Sam Sparro get guernseys, there’s no Aeroplane, who are arguably producing the best of today’s crossover electronica. Similarly, institutions like Moloko, Underworld and Leftfield are all attendance, but there’s no Massive Attack or Orbital.

Also intriguing is the way some tracks are snipped mercilessly short, while others are allowed to linger long past their welcome has worn out. This confusing pattern is perhaps most apparent in the juxtaposition of Lemon Jelly’s enchanting King Raam, reduced to a mere three minutes, while the bland dinner party muzak of Sebastian Tellier’s La Ritournelle is allowed an interminable seven minutes.

But these are mere quibbles, because nobody buys a Ministry album to be wowed by the programming. You buy it for the anthems. And there are plenty. How many albums can boast that they begin with The Orb ( Little Fluffy Clouds ) and end with Hybrid ( Finished Sympathy )? In between is a glorious mix of pop and underground, dub remixes and acoustica. Highlights range from Rob Dougan’s Clubbed to Death (the track that launched a thousand movie trailers) to Basement Jaxx’s cabaret reworking of Romeo.

Anthems abound; Moloko’s Fun For Me, DJ Sammy’s Heaven, Everything But The Girl’s Missing, Jakatta’s American Dream, The Beloved’s Sweet Harmony and Mylo’s In My Arms amongst them. In amongst these seriously huge tracks are moments of quiet, unique and splendid beauty; Coldcut’s melancholic Autumn Leaves, The Art of Noise’s atmospheric Moments in Love and Jose Gonzalez’s delicate Heartbeats are all genuinely moving.

Not every track is a winner, but the album never loses pace; with so much material to get through, it’s inevitable that following every dreary Deepest Blue a Silence will emerge. More mega than mainstream, MOS has plenty of knockers – myself often amongst them. But while it’s not without its flaws, they’ve done well on this collection; a worthy investment as a snapshot of some of the best, and biggest, chillout tunes of our generation.