Search - Hotel Costes By Stephane Pompougnac :: Vol. 1-Hotel Costes

From a New Convert to Lounge Music

K. Oda | Silver Spring, MD United States | 10/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am new to club/lounge compilations in general, and the Hotel Costes series in particular, so I am perhaps being overly enthusiastic here. But I am really knocked out by this music. As background, I am more into classic rock and soul, but I bought this CD after hearing a couple of Costes tracks on an internet radio station from France (Wax Radio--very cool). The CD did not disappoint.



For the benefit of other lounge music newbies, let me explain that the Hotel Costes is a chic nightclub/lounge in Paris, and the Costes series CDs are compilations of tracks by various artists, mixed by the Costes DJ, Stephane Pompougnac. This CD does a wonderful job of evoking the mood of being in a hip nightclub. (I have never been to Paris, but I've hit a few nightspots in my time.)



The music is designed to set a laid back partying mood. The beats tend to be mid to uptempo, danceable, heavy on drums and bass, sort of like disco, but updated and more sophisticated. The melodies are more atmospheric than song-oriented. What especially intrigues me about this compilation is its emphasis on an eclectic mix of international artists and sounds. There are French, Spanish, Brazilian, even Middle Eastern (as well as American) sounds here that you rarely hear on American radio stations. The fact that I had never heard of any of these artists (except Grace Jones) only added to the sense of new discovery I experienced with this CD.



Due to the high cost, you probably should sample this CD before buying. There is an older, out of print version of this CD listed at amazon that includes samples. As far as I can tell, the contents are identical to this version. An even better way to sample is to tune into Wax Radio on the internet--they play Costes numbers fairly frequently.



Another note of fair warning. One of the tracks--"Rollin' on Chrome" by the Aphrodelics--features a heavy-duty vulgarity in the vocal. This doesn't bother me, but it can startle unsuspecting listeners with more genteel tastes.

"

Head straight for this one

Peter Sanderson | Doha, Qatar | 06/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A lot has been written on the Hotel Costes series (1-7), including my own contribution elsewhere. If you like electro-lounge (whatever) music and want to sample this stuff, head straight for this opener with great tracks like Grace Jones' "Libertango" and De-Phazz's "No Jive." The rest of the series is a bit hit and miss. However, through the sweep of it all, I must say DJ Stephane Pompougnac's vibe carries. Listen to his own worthy "PNC aux Portes" (#3) which you could easily argue is derivative, but then who gives a sh**t. As Duke Ellington (remember him?) once said, there are only two kinds of music: good and bad. This series has given us hints of greatness, of inspiration, but could do better and should. So, please, somebody give us a consistent touchstone of what's happening out there in places beyond the average consumer's scope.

What kind of stuff (solid/quirky) should we be hearing more of: Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band, (Matthew) Herbert, more recent DJ Shadow, older Akasha stuff, of course, De-Phazz, and even more electronically based wizardry like Boards of Canada? What about sampling some of the great 60's-70's avant-garde jazz masters like Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders and Coltrane; DJ Cam took a stab at it. Let's keep this lounge/jazz/house groove going as a dynamic and INNOVATIVE kind of thing."

Maybe next time...

Kim L. Faulcon | Jersey City, NJ | 08/21/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I love Hotel Costes as I am a lounge music lover. Artists like Buddha Bar and Cafe Del Mar I have listened to for years now. I thought I'd get the first volume of Hotel Costes to compliment my volumes 5 and 6. While the 1st is ok, it doesn't compare to the later complilations of this servies. There's always however one track that I love no matter what and that's track 6 by De Phazz entitled "no jive". Too bad the whold CD isn't more like that."