Soma’s enterprising ‘Lo Fi’ series continues with its ‘open all hours’ musical policy, expanding to take in shoegaze over the last 20 years. Rob Da Bank shows his versatility as a compiler, every bit at home here as he has been on folk and chill out mixes, blending together some classic exponents of the genre with new takes on the style from the likes of M83 and Maps. The raking guitar solo of Dinosaur Jr’s ‘Freak Scene’ is bound to bring back some fond memories, while the typically blissful sounds of Ride are typified by ‘Nowhere’. Elsewhere the big drums of Chapterhouse sound good in ‘Pearl’, while Boards of Canada sparkle with the weightless ‘Zoetrope’. The compilation is not mixed but blends together seamlessly, a good point for shoegazers either to start or to pick up where they left off.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood