Released by the Aleph Zero label, Natural Born Chillers offers deeply intriguing psychedelic ambient electronic music from a carefully handpicked, and at times lesser-known, set of artists in this genre. In the past, Aleph Zero has hosted acclaimed artists including
Bluetech and
Shulman. The album opens with "Alaya" by
Ishq, an extreme downtempo track of hypnotizing atmospheric moments without any percussion. The album then steps up the pace with "Shakti" by
Anahata and "A New Philosophy" by
Zen Mechanics. The fourth track, "Disconnect" by Jirah, is an album highlight. Tim McCall (Jirah) created a track similar to the sound he is best known for: energetic and atmospheric music that strolls along the divide between downtempo and brisk styles. The complete album offers rich sound palettes and "Disconnect" is the best-known example here. What's more interesting is the fact that, despite being an electronic ambient album with a plethora of sampling techniques, Natural Born Chillers does not shy away from using traditional sounds, especially from the East. "Estha" by
J. Viewz and "On Air [MIDIval PunditZ Remix]" by
Son Kite are the best examples, using melodies from Indian instruments while still remaining in the psybient genre. Similarly, "Ya Bouy [Shulman Remix]" by
Omar Faruk Tekbilek and
Steve Shehan showcases Persian sounds, though this track might not stand up to others in the collection. With the remix of "On Air,"
MIDIval PunditZ demonstrate their early influences and production capabilities that are easily groundbreaking, if at times missing from their latter albums. The album closes with the beautifully ambient "Under Water, Pt. 1" by Eastern Spirit. Compiled by DJ Shahar and
Shulman, Natural Born Chillers showcases artists who have taken ambient music a step ahead toward richer, deeper, and cutting-edge sounds. ~ Bhasker Gupta