Music Video Distributors presents

Visions of Ibiza—Volume 2 (2002)

"Ambient music, or chillout, or whatever... there is so many styles and different tracks from other styles that fit on to this one. It's very hard terms to define."- Lenny Ibizarre

Stars: Lenny Ibizarre
Director: Mark Pearce, Mark Gregory, Phuong Quan, Ronnie Ranndall, Lenny Ibizarre

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (brief nudity)
Run Time: 00h:52m:45s
Release Date: 2002-08-20
Genre: music

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
C	D	B+	B	B-

 

DVD Review

Prior to my viewing Visions of Ibiza, I would have had no idea where to locate the island of Ibiza on a map. After seeing the images of warm sunsets, inviting aqua waters, and stunning rock formations of Ibiza on my television screen, I became quite interested in its tropical allure. I now know that beautiful Ibiza is part of the Balearic Islands that lie in the West Mediterranean Sea; I would very much like to visit there. Unfortunately, my enhanced knowledge of geography is about the only benefit I received from watching Visions of Ibiza.

Visions of Ibiza is essentially a 52-minute music video, consisting of songs by Lenny Ibizarre and various other artists. These soothing tunes are set to footage shot on the island of Ibiza. Most of the songs are quite relaxing, and the images at times are breathtaking. However, five minutes into Visions of Ibiza, I felt as if I had seen the entire piece. Many of the picturesque images are repeated over and over again. The recurring shots of natives dancing in slow motion are not only redundant, but also dreadfully cheesy. At its very worst, Visions of Ibiza comes across a lot like one of those "offer not valid in stores" infomercials, where one can purchase a 4-CD set "for only $19.95!"

The recurring jazz motif of the first three songs is tonally smooth, yet becomes monotonous all too quickly. The middle of Visions delves into more psychedelic tones, which was my favorite part, musically speaking. Sadly, this section is also plagued by low budget, lava lamp images that have a tendency to undermine the effect of these more powerful songs. While all are sonically pleasing, the majority of the songs are technically tacky, resonating like nothing more than the clichéd tones that often dominate soft-core pornography.

Lenny Ibizarre refers to these tunes as music to kick back to, close your eyes, and chill out. If it works best with my eyes closed, why the visuals? This is not the type of DVD one sits down and watches; it is more of a background piece. While I can entirely understand background music, say, at a party, background television baffles me. The songs on Visions of Ibiza would work much better on an audio CD rather than a DVD. I must admit, much of this music could be quite helpful for when I am trying to fall asleep, but should I not want to try and stay awake while watching a DVD? Even for those individuals whose idea of a good time is to listen to psychedelic music and gaze at kaleidoscopic images, Visions of Ibiza still falls flat. I enjoyed the music, but for those who crave any sort of substance from a DVD, look elsewhere.

Rating for Style: C
Rating for Substance: D

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: The 1.33:1 image transfer is clearly video-based, yet quite pleasing. Other than infrequent background noise and minimal grain, the picture appears very sharp and lifelike. Colors are often striking, blending in especially well with the nighttime blacks. Given the psychedelic nature of the visuals, I doubt anyone will find too much to complain about with this transfer.

Image Transfer Grade: B+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes
Dolby Digital 5.1	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: The 5.1 surround mix is strong and robust, yet quite front-heavy throughout. Several of the more psychedelic tracks exhibit decent surround presence, but the sense of envelopment is never quite satisfying. The biggest downside to the mix is that the bass frequently sounds overcooked. Otherwise, fidelity is enjoyable and free from distortion.

A 2.0 stereo track is also included. This track exhibits all of the tonal flaws of the 5.1 mix, but is also far less dynamic and completely flat in comparison.

Audio Transfer Grade: B 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 12 cues and remote access
Music/Song Access with 12 cues and remote access
3 Other Trailer(s) featuring Visions of Ibiza (Volume 1), Universal Stories of Dance, The UK Garage Project
1 Documentaries
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extra Extras:

1. Psychedelic Wheel

Extras Review: The Lenny Ibizarre Documentary is a 17-minute interview with Lenny and many of the people of Ibiza. This documentary gives a fair amount of insight into the Ibicencan lifestyle, which seems very much based around music. Anyone who enjoys Visions of Ibiza will appreciate learning more about the people behind it and where they draw their inspirations. While I normally would never recommend watching a documentary before viewing the main feature, one might want to make an exception in this case, as it elaborates on the visuals seen throughout.

The Psychedelic Wheel plays five minutes of Utopia in Dolby Stereo, accompanied by more kaleidoscopic images. However, as Utopia is also featured in the main film, this special feature comes across as superfluous.

Other D-Rom Releases features information on three additional music DVDs. Each selectable icon leads to a still page of cover art for the DVD, as well as another selectable icon that presents a brief clip from the release.

Extras Grade: B-
 

Final Comments

There are those who will find Visions of Ibiza a waste of time, and others who may find it an uplifting yet relaxing experience. For what it's worth, The 5.1 audio deserves a listen from those who are interested in finding out more about "chillout" music.

Brian Calhoun 2002-08-08