Buscemi /Various

The words "late nite” in terms of groove compilations usually mean non-intimidating, trying-to-be-sexy beats that work as background music while you try getting down to more serious business. Thus Belgian producer and world beat aficionado Dirk Swartenbroeckx’s (aka Buscemi) first attempt at dressing up global sounds in a double disc set with mostly warm jazzy house beats and drum & bass-lite, is just that — music that doesn’t require a great deal of attention, plays nice with the lights low, and has a stunning black/white cover shot of a Nico look-alike that will look great on top of your stereo. Buscemi’s remixes read like an airport departure board, touching on old and new Brazilian sounds with the likes of Tribalistas, Marcos Valle, Suba, and suave Italian Nicola Conte, bubblegum perfect Euro pop from Isabelle Antena, and space-aged Mexican, Esquivel. The highlights are a re-working of Tex-Mex favourites Calexico’s "Crystal Frontier” with Spanish guitar-driven, cha-cha-cha house beats punctuated with stabbing mariachi-horns, and Popmachine’s "Che Calor,” a sunny Serge Gainsbourg-goes-to-Copacabana impression complete with the mandatory laughing girls. If this compilation doesn’t get you to second base, then at least use that time to look into the original versions of these songs.