Padilla is widely recognised as an international envoy for the Balearic sound, an ambient house that emerged around the late 80s. Since then, his name has also become synonymous with Ibiza's celebrated hub of opulent grooves, Cafe Del Mar, where he first became resident DJ in 1991. The seaside venue provides the perfect setting for his epic, cinematic and spellbinding sets. Like aural postcards, Padilla's series of "Cafe Del Mar" compilations has put this Mediterranean club and bar on the cultural map.

As far as Padilla is concerned, the term 'Balearic' has been misemployed in dance culture. '"Balearic" is really a word that journalists came out with,' he suggests. '"Balearic" is a way of life more than a kind of music. The main thing is English people call anything with a Spanish guitar "Balearic".' Regardless, the Balearic phenomenon corresponds to European clubbers' romance with Ibiza. Weather, beaches, clubs, music, food and freedom -- that's the alluring image the blessed Balearic Isle projects as the clubber's favourite holiday destination. Padilla should know. He's lived there for over 20 years.

Intolerable family pressures compelled him to flee Barcelona as a young adult. Padilla jumped onto the first boat he saw. Serendipity brought him to Ibiza. From the mid-70s onwards he painted houses, DJed in cheesy tourist traps, drifted. But 12-15 years ago the climate changed. Coolness discovered Ibiza. And Padilla discovered cool.

Padilla conceived the "Cafe Del Mar" series to showcase his favourite chill-out tracks each summer. He realised that there was a market for such an endeavour as patrons would frequently request tapes. When interest from the majors was unforthcoming, Padilla signed with React Records. As it happens, the annual compilations proved a success on the downlow. After three years he switched to Judge Jules' Manifesto imprint in order to get wider exposure. Padilla recently released the fifth instalment in his compilation series.

"Volumen Cinco" manifests more emotive, dreamlike moments. Indeed, this latest anthology opens with the oriental cinematic sweep of composer AR Rahman's "Mumbai Theme Tune", which segues into Levitation's gently jazzy swing, "More Than Ever People". A wistful Larry Heard (aka Mr Fingers) croons soulfully on Nookie's drum 'n' bass-inspired "Paradise (Tease Mix)", one of the set's most tender moments. The Ballistic Brothers bring something a little earthier with the laid-back funk "Uschi's Groove", while Massive Attack turn Les Negresses Vertes' "Face A La Mer" into a more percussive, Eastern-spiced suite. Lately pitched as a single, Electribe 101's "Talking With Myself '98 (Canny Remix)" is dreamy house -- echoing Rythim Is Rythim's Summer Of Love classic, "Strings Of Life". Whereas Salt Tank's "Angels Landing" is given a trip-hop remix by Padilla himself and Sunchild. "Volumen Cinco" closes with another snatch of film score -- Wim Mertens' piano piece, "Close Cover". And so, once more Padilla offers libation to the ears.

Of perhaps greater significance, though, Padilla has finally issued his own album, "Souvenir", also via Manifesto. 'It's really in the same style as "Cafe Del Mar",' he muses. 'Maybe some of the tracks have more of an uptempo, upbeat feel. There's more guitar. It's a mixture of ambient, trip-hop -- those kinds of styles.' There are at least two surprises, though, and these are Padilla's intriguing reinterpretations of Marvin Gaye's "After The Dance" and The Carpenters' "Close To You".

Padilla sees his first full-length recording as an inevitable progression. He hopes his music-making will ultimately lead him into the world of film scores (he's known to dig soundtracks, with Vangelis' "Bladerunner" his favourite). Aside from this glamorous enterprise, Padilla cites his main ambitions as setting up his own studio, as well as cultivating some tomatoes at the back of his tranquil hillside villa.