Pros: Recorded with tons of attitude and street credibility. Incredible drum grooves.

Cons: Key information for music loops not included.

Bottom line: A double lungful of authentic downtempo elements.



Downtempo, lounge, and trip-hop library featuring groove construction kits, drumloops, and processed instruments.



Whenever a new eLab soundware collection hits the shelves, we at Keyboard always thumb-wrestle to see who gets to review it. If it's quality and street-cred you're looking for, the folks at eLab rarely disappoint.



Such is the case with Smokers Delight. In previous reviews of their products, the only flaw I could ever find was an absence of REX2 files to go along with the audio and Acidized WAV files. Perhaps I wasn't alone in my disappointment, because Smokers Delight comes on three CDs, including Red Book audio, WAV, REX2 and a whole slew of extra elements optimized for MPC-style composition.



I'm currently in the middle of producing a downtempo record, so this collection couldn't have arrived at a better time. I'd already used a few samples from eLab's Abstract Hip Hop library and was looking for a few more sexy, jazzy loops to add to the mix. Popping in Smoker's Delight was exactly the ticket.



The groove construction kits that kick off the collection are positively gorgeous. Listening to the audio CD, I was amazed that these guys don't just put out their own stuff on Om Records, lie back, and let the royalties roll in. The tracks are really that good.



The first 26 construction kits feature eLab's signature smoky, ambient vibe with a delicious '70s flavor. There really isn't a clunker in the bunch. And that is nothing short of astounding nowadays.



The instrumentation consists of exactly what you'd expect from a soulful lounge compilation. First of all, the drum loops are utterly authentic. In these construction kits, eLab usually pairs two loops -- one with a tight, dry and punchy sound and another with more of a crunchy, distressed breakbeat feel. Either loop would sound terrific on its own, but combined, they groove. What's more, many of the common elements like kick, snare, and hats are also broken out into their own loop files, making it relatively easy to set up intelligent breakdowns in your arrangements.



The rest of the components are also spot-on in their slavish devotion to the downtempo scene. The Wurlitzer and Rhodes parts feature jazzy ninth chords, coated in phasers, tremolo, and chorus. The guitars are tasteful and diverse, ranging from muted pick accents to erotic wah riffs to those luscious, fruity Les Paul tones that define the mid-'70s jazz sound. Of course, a preponderance of mellow bass lines complements this vibe perfectly.



Topping off each of the tracks is an array of horn and woodwind solos. Muted trumpets and fluttery flutes abound, along with the occasional wickety-wickety (yet nicely restrained) scratching bit.



Tracks 27 through 60 on the audio CD feature an extended selection of additional layered drum loops, each with its own distinct vibe -- some are more shuffled than others, so a variety of groove styles are covered. As with the music grooves, each element is also available a la carte, so it's easy to add or subtract elements until you get exactly the sound you're after. And that's just the first CD!



The second CD, labeled ROM1, features all of the initial audio CD's elements as individual wave files, along with many of the breakbeats as REX2 files. Some may be disappointed that the musical loops aren't in REX2 format also, but it's a little harder to ReCycle fluid trumpet passages -- and many of the musical elements are also broken down to single chords and riff waves for MPC-style composing -- so it's not a huge issue when you think about it. It's just a matter of your tools and work style.



An additional folder, labeled "MpcChords_Sounds," features an array of atmospheric chords, vinyl stabs, and tuneful exotica that's perfect for upping the ambient ante in your tracks.



The third CD, ROM2, is a grab-bag of drum loops, instrument samples and trip-hop textures that evokes eLab's previous downtempo release, Abstract Hip Hop.



These samples are thoughtfully organized by type, and include hybrid music loops, bass loops, effects, vocal sound bites, individual instruments, as well as a few more examples of tasteful scratching -- essential for that authentic hip-hop vibe.



Both of the all-purpose "Music Loops" folders contain treasure troves of inspirational chord progressions that work remarkably well as the basis for new tracks. There are also some isolated horn, sax, and filtered guitar riffs that are absolutely dripping with phlava. If you're looking for even more specific types of loungey loops, there are several folders devoted exclusively to jazz guitar and Wurlitzer, as well as a motherlode of trumpet and flute riffs.



The looped musical elements come in both Acidized WAV and REX2 format, ample enough so that Reason users should give this collection a serious listen. If you like the loops that come with Reason's Dr. Rex player, you won't be disappointed by the selections here. Of course, that should come as no surprise, since eLab was the primary contributor to the original Reason soundbanks.



Nearly all of the sounds in this collection are processed within an inch of their lives, swimming in modulation, delay and sometimes a touch of distortion. If you're put off by this much added processing, you might be missing the point. When you pick up an eLab collection, you're paying for their deep understanding of modern electronica production. The processing is so warm and organic, that you'd be hard-pressed to recreate the sound with a couple of softsynths and some plug-ins. Much of this very musical material sounds incredibly analog, often with accompanying hiss and vinyl artifacts. For some, that richness is priceless.



Regardless of whether you actually own a hookah, Smokers Delight delivers an extensive collection of truly useful downtempo elements. It won't be long before these samples start appearing on commercial recordings, so jump on this bandwagon before the rest of the gang beats you to it.