Brazilian music is cool at the moment, there's no two ways about it. Before CSS could even release an album or single, Sergio Mendes was getting all flustered with current chart-botherers high up the album charts and Giles Peterson had pillaged the records of Brazil's finest for this year's _…In Brazil_. And it’s in much the same vein as Peterson's release that the trend continues with this, the second volume of _…Brazilika_.

Plundering through the catalogue of Far Out Recordings, **Marc Mac** (half of **4hero** mixes a cross-section of past, present and future organic dance, its roots dug deeply into the nation's traditional music of samba and bossa nova. The diversity of styles is best represented by **Azymuth**, a trio working since the 1970s, and their four contributing tracks; _'Pieces Of Ipanema'_ (Mark Pritchard Remix) is given an electronic makeover and becomes a laid-back affair. It also removes the band's love of keyboard as heard _'Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser'_ and _'Roda Piro'_, two of the more upbeat numbers of the mix. Falling into the grouping of 'lounge music' once too often, there is however something other-worldly, sonically, about the trio.

Beginning and ending the mix is **Milton Nascimento**, best known in Britain (perhaps) as the co-writer of Duran Duran's _'Breath After Breath'_. But those fearing (or wishing, depending on your musical outlook) a ghastly '80s pop fixation have nothing to fear. The 63-year-old is famed in Brazil for his acoustic numbers and his perfect falsetto, and the first and last tracks of this mix perfectly exhibit those qualities - _'Bicho Homem'_, with its vocal harmonies, and _'Saidas E Bandeiras'_'s touching male/female vocals and psychedelic instrumentation would be unfair to dismiss as bookends.

The most trance-orientated tracks belong to **Grupo Batuque**, their input of two tracks the most likely to get feet moving. _'Na Batida Do Agogo'_ (Osunlade Remix) features a breathing sample overpowered by samba beats and repressed chanting, and is the highlight of the whole mix at track seven.

Interesting, danceable and made with an abundance of love and care by Marc Mac, _…Brazilika_ would be a novel addition to anyone's collection. Those phobic of the endless barrage of brash dance compilations advertised on television would do well to conquer their fear with this humble release.