Now into its fifth volume, the La Torre series of compilations have been taking inspiration from the Ibiza bar of the same name for nearly 10 years. For those invested in the sunset experience, not just as a chillout pastime but as something altogether more 'spiritual', this music assumes a unique significance as something quite distinct from the noisier elements of the island.

I first visited La Torre a few years ago when I heard that it was one of the few remaining west facing spots on the island where you could still hear this music outdoors; somewhere firmly pitched at those armed with nothing more than a hierbas, spliff and/or pair of ears, whilst strategically perched on a rock somewhere within earshot. Occupying an isolated space north of Cala Gracio and the San An din, it appeared to reprise the spirit of the original Café del Mar, first immortalised by the late José Padilla in the 90s. La Torre tends to draw the great and the good, DJs and enthusiasts alike, from across the sunset circuit and, on a clear day, offers a jawdropping horizon across the vast sea, with which the island has become indelibly synonymous over time.

I’ve never fully understood why certain music lends itself so well to this visual backdrop; attributing it in part to the gentle, breezy Mediterranean feel of certain tunes, or their melancholic capacity to appeal to people of a certain age, and, in particular, those still feeling ‘fragile’ from the night before. I find it intriguing how the Ibizan sunset experience has exported worldwide, inspiring similar scenes elsewhere from Bali and Croatia to Copenhagen and Hastings, but Ibiza (despite everything) still somehow stands out from the pack, for reasons I cannot quite explain. Perhaps it’s because that’s where it 'began', in a more innocent era when things happened by happy accident and weren’t analysed or monetised to anything like the same degree. Perhaps we cannot let go because Ibiza is still the ultimate nostalgia trip? The grainy footage fantasy that still outweighs else everything that followed? For others perhaps, there is an almost primeval, pagan connection to sunsets which goes even deeper. How long Ibiza can retain that charm in the island's remaining nooks and crannies, only time will tell, but for now, get immersed in this wonderful music.

So how does Volumen Cinco stack up? Compiled by local heroes Mark Barrott and Pete Gooding, it has something for everyone, with nods to Brazil, Detroit, soul, ambient, classic deep house, orchestral minimalism, and tranquil soundscapes, periodically interspersed with moments that will have you in floods of tears. Nestling alongside old faves by Nina Simone and Mazzy Star ('Fade Into You' still unites so many people in appreciation) are newer inclusions such as Auntie Flo’s 'Green City', a popular choice for tune of the year in 2024' recorded by one of the most inventive talents of our time, a musical magpie who absorbs global influences from all over the world. Then there is a welcome long-time-no-hear for the Nu Grooves deep house classic NY Housin’ Authority 'Apt 3B' offering slightly more mellow keys than the other side, a 12 which astonishingly first came out in 1989, way, way ahead of its time.

There is an emotional poignancy about Mark Barrott’s ‘When Devils Become Gods’ with its Ritournelle-esque percussion and soaring strings, released in the wake of unbearable personal tragedy, whilst Japan’s Yukihiro Takahoshi returns us to the Yellow Magic Orchestra era with his gorgeous, possibly West Coast inspired ‘Present’ released in 1978. Talk Talk feature too with ‘Wealth’ the closing track on their masterpiece ‘Spirit of Eden’. My favourite new discovery was possibly the wonderful Arthur Vecorai, a singer and composer from Rio de Janeiro, who fuses samba, bossa and soul on the wonderful 'Caboclo' which at under 3 minutes is criminally short.

It is this musical adventurism that that is perhaps the defining mission of the balearosphere. Music unencumbered by geography or genre provided it fits the moment, and on that score La Torre Volumen Cinco is another fine addition to the series.

Volume CInco in the La Torre series is released on June 27 on CD and double vinyl.