Feeling a bit stressed? The strains of music production getting you down? Well pull up a chair, slip off your shoes, kick back and lounge with this three-CD collection (one audio and two WAV/REX 2) of 'turntable jazz and loungin' hip-hop instrumentalz'. The audio CD contains 26 construction kits that fall into three tempo groups (80, 90 and 100bpm). As suggested by the title, the kits have a nice, laid-back, smooth feel, combining jazzy chords and runs with head-nodding hip-hop beats. Electric pianos, horns, flute and live bass all feature heavily, and the playing/recording is top-notch throughout the collection. To keep things varied, a sprinkling of crackle, effects and vocal snippets are also thrown into the mix.



After the kits, we come to a large collection of drum loops, containing both programmed and played elements. True to the hip-hop influence, the beats are solid and well programmed, with just the right amount of punch and 'boom'. The remaining tracks are then rounded off by a collection of hits, chords and riffs, featuring keys, horns, vocal clips and atmospheres (often shoved through effects), which provide perfect one-off sounds to drop into a mix.



The first CD-ROM has all the samples for the kits included on the audio CD grouped into individual 'tool box pacs'. These are followed by the 'drum loop pacs', which consist of all the rhythm loops in three versions: the full loop, the programmed loop and a live break. This makes layering the beats a doddle, a job made even easier by the inclusion of all the separate drums as well.



The second CD-ROM has all the samples from the first, but with musical phrases and loops sorted into the three tempo groups for those who like to graze rather than use specific kits. This disc also includes all the single-hit samples and tones grouped together with the complete collection of beats (in REX 2 format) sorted into individual loops, hi hats, kicks and so forth. This disc is an added bonus but, at first glance, it's easy to think it's another full CD of additional material rather than just a reshuffle of the existing grouping!



Quality-wise, Smokers Delight is excellent throughout. The kits exude a smoky, relaxed vibe that masks the actual complexity of the compositions. The attention to detail is high, with many of the single loops and riffs good enough to spark off new tracks and ideas in their own right. If you prefer to use such collections as a bank of samples to dip into rather than using whole grooves, there are plenty to choose from (around 1900 samples in total) with piano, horn or flute riffs and one-off hits/atmospheres easily useable for just about any modern dance genre.



Niggles? Well, the limited kit tempos could be seen as a touch restrictive (although it does make mixing and matching between kits easier) and the three-CD format is slightly baffling on first inspection, but none of this can distract from the quality of the material included. Whether you're looking for chilled jazz loops, laid-back hip-hop grooves or just a huge collection of stylish, high-quality samples to throw into your own productions, Smokers Delight more than fits the bill. Nice.