The Late Night Tales is a series of mix compilations that showcase some of the world’s most extraordinary artists from all over the musical spectrum. From the very first installment back in 2000 mixed by Fila Brazillia, the calibre of the featured artists and the selection of music has been world-class.

With talented musicians from a diverse range of styles gracing each release, such as Groove Armada, Fatboy Slim, The Flaming Lips, Nightmares On Wax, Jamiroquai, Zero 7, Arctic Monkeys and Snow Patrol, it should be no real surprise that GQ magazine has heralded this series “The Rolls Royce of compilations”.

With some 23 artists being featured since its inception, this latest release has some mighty large shoes to fill, but with the inclusion of The Cinematic Orchestra at the helm there really is nothing to be concerned about. The sophistication found in their music is also abundantly evident in this release and really fits the Late Night Tales name like a silken glove.

From the very first track, the cinematic style is there for all to hear, with Flying Lotus’s Anties Harp creating a hauntingly mellow yet somewhat uplifting vibe that really encapsulates what Jason Swincoe (Cinematic’s founder and main man) has in store for the listener. Nick Drake’s Three Hours and Eddie Gales’s The Rain both then create a sublime chilled feel that showcases the fact that a true classic song defies time and with many tracks on this disc being originally released in the ‘60s and ‘70s, this album is a clear indication of that fact.

Other ageless tracks featured are The Freedom Sound’s superb Latin jazz style tune Behold the Day which had my feet tapping, whilst Terry Callier’s You’re Gonna Miss Your Candyman stood out to me as an absolute gem. There are also many contemporary tracks featured, with the likes of DJ Food, Steve Reich and Bjork all getting a spin in varying lengths and styles. For me, though, the orchestral ambience of Imogen Heap’s Cumulus really stands out, with its beautifully textured musical composition bringing an epic movie score feel to the CD. With its outro blending seamlessly with the classic nu-jazz tune Rose Rouge from Saint Germain, I really couldn’t contain my joy as the smooth groove washed over me.

Following on we have a couple of modern classics – Songstress’s See Line Women and Sebastian Tellier’s La Ritournelle – rounding out this beautifully constructed mix that finishes up with The Cinematic Orchestra doing a cover version of Fontella Bass’s Talking About Freedom. With Fontella having worked with TCO extensively in the past, as well as the fact that the track compliments the rest of the mix so well, really makes for the perfect end to this most perfectly orchestrated compilation.

The latest edition of Late Night Tales is as much a musical journey as it is a compilation mix. The series has earned a reputation for bringing some of the highest quality compilations on offer and this album delivers with more of the same.

Late Night Tales: Cinematic Orchestra is out now on Azuli through Stomp.