Space Echo Italy Vinyl & CDs

Review: Whereas the first volume of Italian house pioneer Don Carlos's retrospective of Italian house, Echoes of Italy, largely stuck to the picturesque but chunky and organ-rich "Italo-house" template, this second volume expressly focuses on "paradise house" - what Young Marco and Christiaan MacDonald dubbed "dream house" on their superb Welcome To Paradise series. As you'd expect given his association with the sound, Carlos's selections are notably different (and arguably less well known) than theirs, even if some of the same artists feature. It's cultured, tactile and loved-up dancefloor dreaminess all the way, with highlights including the slow-build wonder of Onrico's saucer-eyed 'Echo Gimini', the low-slung groove of Alex Neri's 'The Wizard (Hot Funky Version)', the piano-laden, breakbeat-driven shuffle of Moto Grosso's 'Titanic', and Carlos's own gorgeous, organ-heavy 'Boy'.