Late Night Tales

Late Night Tales is a Germany-based compilation series built around the idea of the after-hours mix: an artist is invited to select and blend music for a late-night setting, turning each release into a personal sequence rather than a standard various-artists collection. The series grew from Another Late Night, and both projects were started by author A.W. Wilde.

Another Late Night and Late Night Tales were released by Azuli Records in the UK until 2009, when independent label Night Time Stories took over the series. Its curators have come from a wide range of musical backgrounds, giving the albums distinct voices while retaining the same invitation to assemble an “ultimate late night mix.” Barry Can’t Swim is among the artists connected with Late Night Tales.

A recurring element of the format is the inclusion of a cover version recorded by the curator. Jamiroquai, Air, Bill Brewster and Don Letts are the exceptions to that rule. Many editions also close with a spoken story, read by English performers including Benedict Cumberbatch, Will Self, Brian Blessed, Alex Turner and Patrick Moore. In 2011, Late Night Tales marked its tenth anniversary with a box set collecting all albums released in the series to that point. GQ described Late Night Tales as “The Rolls Royce of compilations.”