Various Artists

*2022 stock* Lounge at Cinevox: Beat, Vol. 1 plucks a series of lounge-influenced instrumentals from the vaults of Cinevox Records, an Italian record company that has specialized in soundtracks for many decades. Lounge fanatics will be happy to know that much of the material on this disc is either previously unreleased or making its first appearance on compact disc. Much of the material presented here has a jazzy swing to it: "Bakenda Beat" layers freewheeling sax and piano solos over the throb of a tight rhythm section, and "Up to Date" is a furiously paced track that lets percolating horns take the lead over a rat-a-tat backbeat from the drummer. Other cuts pursue a psychedelic pop style: "La Cosa Buffa" is an organ showcase paced by some mellow guitar riffs, while "2968" is a positively unhinged tune that piles fuzz guitar riffs and squealing brass atop a throbbing, echo-laden drumbeat. Precious little here fits the easy listening tag, but the occasional cut gives the listener a breather: "Supermarket" is a mellow track that sets some groovy organ soloing to the rhythms of a gently funky bassline, and the elegant closer, "C'Era Una Volta Un Motivo," juxtaposes yearning strings and peppy horns over a light jazz beat. The problem with Lounge at Cinevox: Beat, Vol. 1 is that its selections often sacrifice melodic content in favor of just creating a mood, and this might cause non-lounge fans to quickly lose interest. Despite this problem, most of the cuts keep things short and sweet (only "Unknit" overstays its welcome), and the disc maintains a solid lounge-y groove throughout. As a result, Lounge at Cinevox: Beat, Vol. 1 is a solid pick for European lounge enthusiasts.