Beach Grooves

Life's a beach, and if you want to spend the summer grooving by the ocean, you need the right beats for the heat. Prime your beachside boom box with Third World's "Now That We Found Love," as a South Beach Mix pumps up the dance power of this reggae classic's mellow flow. Get into heavier reggae grooves on the raw, randy Dancehall hit "Oh Carolina," as the rough-riding Shaggy unleashes his lusty growl. Ready to wind down for a slow dance on the moonlit sand? Kick off your sandals as neo-soul crooner D'Angelo's lush, luxurious version of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'" wafts over you like a gentle summer breeze.

The beats get deeper as the sun gets hotter in Next Steps.

When the sun's at its highest point and the heat on the beach is blazing, the lazy groove and hazy feel of trip-hop set just the right mood: You can almost hear the steam rising from Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy" with its smoky brew of synth and sultry vocals. Laying out and soaking up the rays alongside the ocean is the perfect time to settle into the slowly rising tide of Morcheeba's cool, jazzy "The Sea," while the breathy echoes of Martina Topley-Bird's voice fluttering above the slow, subterranean funk of Tricky's "Aftermath" are your cue for a Margarita moment right before that sun starts sinking.

Cool down with some chill-out sounds in Deep Cuts.

When nighttime starts to settle on the sand and the party's still on, some chill-out grooves will suit the mood like the ice cubes tinkling in your drink. Invite the onset of darkness with open arms as supreme downtempo groovers Zero 7 (a.k.a. Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker) stir up their outstanding blend of needle crackle and weightless synth, "Warm Sound," and long after you've dipped your toes into the mellow swirls of Phil Kinley's "Miami Beach" the swoosh of the surf lapping against the shore will still be echoing gently in your ears. When it's time to break off from the crowd and watch the sun come up alongside someone special, make Lampshade's "Mellow Dawn" your passport to paradise.

When visions of suntans and volleyball nets start dancing in your head, and you set your sights on the beach for a summertime celebration, don't forget to pack the tracks guaranteed to get the beach party started. Even if you're too busy to soak up the sun, surf, and sand you're longing for, these bathing-suit beats are full of so much solar power you'll feel like you need to slap on some suntan lotion just sitting in front of your desk lamp. From burning-down-the-house dance grooves — like DT8 Project's "Sun Is Shining (Down On Me) — to mellow moods for an ocean-side chill-out session (Air's "Surfing on a Rocket"), these are the sounds of the summer, custom-made for everything from kicking back and relaxing to kicking up some sand for a little hot-stepping beach boogie.