John Beltran is one of those producers who has been around longer than you think – since the mid-1990s in fact. In that time he has amassed an impressive body of work that satisfies both lovers of techno and chillout, so he’s in a great position to make a compilation that also combines the two. ‘Music For Machines’ is blissful listening, tapping into the still hours before or after the sun is in the sky through a gorgeous mix that drifts through some excellent tracks. One of these is the first, Winter Flags’ widescreen epic ‘Winterfall Winds’, which ends with a rush of percussion, while Blair French’s ‘Before Morning’s Arrival’ seems to be carried on the wind itself. It’s no surprise to see Kirk Digiorgio make an appearance, with the timeless ‘High Tide’, and Beltran himself offers the softly voiced ‘Music for Machines’. However while it’s good to pick out individual tracks this is a compilation worth hearing in its entirety, as Beltran moves effortlessly between selections. On his way he gives us some good guidance points for future listening too, which is surely the hallmark of the best compilers.
5 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
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