What a decade! Hôtel Costes crept discreetly into the UK without fanfare, with only a few followers at the time; maybe people who had visited the exclusive joint in Rue St. Honoré, Paris and soaked up the atmosphere there. The second volume made more noise, and by the release of Hôtel Costes 3, and various celebrity namechecks, the show was rolling.

Each year, come September, a new volume complements the series; we are now on Costes 12 and counting.

This superb 2CD set aims to capture the essence of the series, whilst stepping outside the box slightly (a daring deviation with cover artwork on this set). Sumptuous and sensual, the tracks glide smoothly, provocatively, emotively…