Various Artists

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More About

• Santa Monica
• The Bronx
• Campos
• Pacha Massive
• Nortec Collective

On this mostly pan-Latin compilation, DJ Raul Campos, the host of Nocturna, a popular program on Santa Monica's KCRW-FM radio station, brings together tunes from artists both new and well-known. He hooks the listener right from the opening track, "Shine," a tune by DJ Bitman, which successfully blends into Nortec Collective's "Olvidela Compa" and Los Rumberos' "Como Mi Ritmo No Hay Dos."

Aware that a mixtape cannot work if all the songs sound too similar, Campos shifts things around by including Bronx-based Pacha Massive's first single, the catchy "Don't Let Go." Then comes Thievery Corporation's "Exilio" for good measure, giving the CD a feel of musical diversity rarely found on compilations.

There are a couple of weak moments, though. The inclusion of Stolen Identity's "Playa de Música" and Choc Quib Town's "Somos Pacíficos" doesn't quite gel, their repetitiveness contrasting too strongly with the other, quirky tunes. But then there are moments like Los Amigos Invisibles' remix of David Byrne's "Like Humans Do" (the sole track entirely sung in English) and the highly enjoyable "Mas Que Nada," a classic bossa nova-era composition that is entirely reworked by a collaboration between Sergio Mendes and the Black Eyed Peas.

Lotería Beats Mixtape's ever-changing, unexpected vibes make it an ideal spin for multiple situations. You could put it on during a laid-back house party. Or you could blast it loudly while driving on the highway; it's guaranteed to make your commute seem shorter.