V/A - Paraíso. The True Spirit Of Ibiza (selected by DJ Alfredo)

Format : 2xLP

Label : Rebirth Records

Catalog # : REB131

Genre : Balearic

If there's anyone on Earth you'd trust to have a handle on "the true spirit of Ibiza" then it's surely the legendary DJ Alfredo, whose sets at Amnesia back in the 1980s (along with those of Jose Padilla) laid down the blueprint for others to follow. 'Paraiso' is, accordingly, as definitive a summation of the original Balearic sound as you're likely to find - and the key word there is "original", because this 22-track collection serves as a timely reminder that the word Balearic once meant something far more diverse and uptempo than it does today, with furious African percussion workouts and slick, sexy Italian house sitting where, these days, you'd just find birdsong and wave noises. Don't worry, though - a fluttering flamenco guitar is never too far away!