Cosmic | Balearic Vinyl 391 Items

Mystic Jungle makes a much awaited return with Deviant Disco, a new 12” of sun-soaked groovers released through Periodica Records. A culmination of several years of writing, vibing, and influence mining, these compositions represent the producer’s most varied and expansive works yet, and to fully realize his vision, Mystic Jungle invited the entire West Hill Studio crew to contribute narcotizing layers of pop vocal mesmerism, and additional touches of guitar, bass, percussion, and synth. Strains of Italo disco, balearic boogie, and freaky funk are interspersed amidst passages of Nigerian highlife, soft focus AOR, kinetic Hi-NRG, and exotic lover’s rock, resulting in a personalized voyage through a paradise of sound, one that is unmoored from the concerns of modernity, and celebrates instead a hedonistic naivety, and a desire to dance all day in spiritual ecstasy.

Introducing ‘Total Blue’, the Los Angeles-based trio of Nicky Benedek, Alex Talan, and Anthony Calonico. Despite collaborating for over a decade, ‘Total Blue’ represents a new chapter in their artistic journey together as a trio.

Embracing chance, inviting the unknown, and guided by a spirit of sheer play and exploration, ‘Total Blue’ was driven by a desire to ‘touch the beyond’ in pursuit of an elusive vibe the three had been chasing for years.

Alex, Nick, and Anthony envision ‘Total Blue’ as the all-encompassing full picture, a place where the real and the imaginary begin to blur; a destination reached not through escapism but by expanding one's perspective; a widened scope of vision where personality both shines and disintegrates.

Across the album, their mission statement is expertly achieved with subtlety and delicate human touch; painting with a lush palette of digital synths, Akai EVI wind synthesizer, fretless bass, and guitar, the trio masterfully balance texture and color, evoking wide expansive vistas that stretch from Los Angeles right out to the furthest reaches of sky and sea. This is ‘Total Blue’ - a place of time and timelessness where echoes of history and tradition merge with rootless inhuman sonics.

Art and design by Michael Willis.

Who doesn't love a good edit, some nice Balearic, and especially some mystical Balearic edits? Well, that's just what we have here from Matsoaka who taps into several worldly flavours on this new six tracker courtesy of Magic Wand. 'Parlband Utmed Kusten' starts slow and steady, wet and dubby. 'Jah Banana' is a supremely horizontal and sun-kissed beach groove and 'Alligator' cuts loose on glistening melodies and playful chord vamps. Gentle breakbeats power the seductive 'Shish Balearic' and 'Asian Dance Groove' closes out with loose, percussive rhythms and funky guitar rifts. A truly global sonic trip.

The 2nd of 2 singles from the wizards of editing, with lysergic renderings of some well-known pop/dance classics, just not as you might expect.

Finally on vinyl after some considerable time, this one has a limited pressing!

It’s Italian time! Sam Ruffillo is back. Sicilian producer doing smooth Balearic disco with Italian vocals. The direction is clear: Sam Ruffillo’s music brings us back into the Italian riviera and the hippy days of Ibiza in the late 1970ies. Even his way of production is similar to how the early days disco producers in Italia used to work: No samples needed. Instead a few guest musicians come to jam over Sam’s beats in his Italian studio space. Guitar, bass, percussions. Sam later makes the production and added keyboard solos and put together the vibes into what is this new EP. The girl voice comes from Ninfa. It’s the classic studio story: Ninfa is a singer and DJ and friend of Sam. She was hanging at the studio while Sam was finishing these tracks. She stated to sing along… the words came up spontaneously… so they decided to record her and finally decided to keep them. The vibe was too good. Why talk English if u can do it better: in Italian! :) This is second for Toy Tonics after his Sport House EP from last year. Sam also appeared on the solo record of Joel Holmes on Toy Tonics. Together with Kapote Modica he co-produced and made the beats on that record. Now Sam is back with this pure Italian EP. Inclusive remixes by new German artists Gome and Italian Musemeci - known to many from his fabulous Italo-trance releases on Diynamic records.

New album by Montreal based artist Phoebé Guillemot aka RAMZi. Featuring ten mind-melting tracks 'hyphae' is RAMZi's latest sonic quest and is based around sketches she originally made as a score for a documentary about mushrooms called 'Fun Fungi' (directed by Frederic Lavoie).

Recorded between November 2021 and May 2022, writing 'hyphea' began as an attempt to transcend boredom and frustrations imposed by severe restrictions during the pandemic. For Phoebé the album was a way to reconnect with her alter ego RAMZi; who's energy brought her back to uniquely mystical feelings and hope for future magical adventures.

RAMZi is a uniquely wild spirit from the forest and refers to a parallel autonomous world that keeps evolving. In Phoebé's own words: "The music remains as a doorway to that world. It has never been about me, I always see that entity bigger than myself. The process of writing 'hyphea' was rather intuitive. I don't think about styles of music before producing tracks. Those are more like an adventure in itself, each one set in a different ecosystem."

Artwork by Marinka Grondel.

The Other Sound of Music is Edition Hawara’s first compilation of forgotten Austrian treasures from the 1980s. Plucked from dusty basements, flea markets and bespoke stores across the small Alpine country, it features eight quirky and charming pieces that afford a glimpse into largely unknown but surprisingly rich musical subcultures. The lovingly curated selection brings to light early soul, boogie and proto-house productions, as well as some of the most balearic tracks that have ever been made in a landlocked country. Finally giving this music the stage it deserves, The Other Sound of Music is the definitive guide to the outer limits of the Austrian underground.

Here is the debut, self-titled album from a.s.o., singer/songwriter Alia Seror-O'Neill, and producer Lewie Day. 'a.s.o.' is a thematic consolidation of the previous three singles and an impressive artistic progression. Day and Seror-O'Neill show they've mastered the format of the radio-friendly pop song and found how to subvert it completely. Across eleven songs, they have built a rich and compelling body of work.

We know where we are now, emotionally complex, trip-hop torch songs for club freaks. But the palette has broadened to encompass ethereal dream pop à la Cocteau Twins, slow-burning AOR-soul, and dubwise stylings. As a result, 'a.s.o.' is a satisfyingly coherent listen but never a musical monoculture. Variously there are nods toward Julee Cruise, Fleetwood Mac, and the uneasy listening of Portishead. It's an album that wears its influences lightly, is never weighed down by them, and always sure of its own identity.

It's anchored by Alia's unique voice. Her words speak of restraint and release, taking us from the elegiac to the euphoric. This elegantly crafted, perfect pop music sounds like it has had enough of your shit. And Day's music is the perfect foil; deep, slightly menacing, restrained, and powerful. The album has a cinematic texture, as with David Lynch; the seemingly familiar becomes uncanny and strange the closer we look. a.s.o. take our emotions for a joyride before leaving us floating in space.

'a.s.o.' is a journey; by its end, we all are changed.

Finally, this great record gets a nice re-press!

Music From Memory’s latest release in their 12” series focuses on the little known UK band The System. A project masterminded by Bob Lamb, a somewhat cult figure in Birmingham's music history; the short lived group released only one album ‘Logic' and a single in 1983 on the somewhat obscure French label ‘Romantic Records’. This distinctively forward thinking new wave/synth pop album met with poor distribution and with almost no promotion to speak of at the time and quickly dwindled into obscurity. The albums sense of technological exploration, outstanding production value coupled with the band’s gift of writing deeply emotive, yearning pop tunes, make it sound though perhaps more relevant today than many other far more successful albums of its time.

Tom Noble, digger extraordinaire, owner of Superior Elevation Records, and general Brooklyn/LA legend, dons his House Of Sprits moniker for the first single from a forthcoming LP on Razor-N-Tape.

'Times Are Changing' sets the tone for this album project that collects the work of nearly 15 years, a gritty vision of modern-retro soul that throws a reverent nod to its Mizell Brothers and Patrick Adams influences as it brings the sound into the future. Recorded with all live instrumentation and mixed tough for the dance floor, this limited 12 Inch boasts an extended original and instrumental on the A side, and a huge remix from Aussie synth wizard Harvey Sutherland on the flip that highlights the rich instrumentation and extremely catchy vocal hook. A surefire summer jam, this is timeless music that is only the tip of the iceberg from a future classic album.

Travelling extensively across Asia and Africa from 1974-1985 to study music, Roberto made many field recordings and collected many instruments on his travels which he would then combine with synthesizers and electronics back in Italy. TIP!

Summer is slowly approaching and the R&C boys are back with a new double-shot of groovy reworks in style. Dropping from their chilled and well-being recording studio, we got a ’sunny’ reshape of Maria Bazar’s Italo hit, trapped into a smooth Balearic and Funk-Flavoured groove. Jumping into the 80s Synth-Pop era, on the flip side we find a dry & nocturnal re-interpretation of a well-known “Jeopardy”. Special Rsd2024 Edition - Limited Hand-Numbered Sampler

The magic and majesty of Holger Czukay’s late career works for Claremont 56 is being celebrated on a new compilation. The former Can bassist – a musical maverick renowned for his freewheeling approach to composition, recording and promotion – released a string of inspired tracks on Paul Murphy’s label between 2009 and 2012, typically delivering hard-to-pigeonhole workouts, bona-fide epics and radical reinventions of some of his most beloved tracks.

The collection has been a labour of love – fitting given the sonic details and inventive musicality that marked out the late artist’s solo career – for Claremont 56 founder Paul Murphy AKA Mudd, who first reached out to Czukay after witnessing his now legendary live performance at the Roundhouse in 2009. As Murphy details in his introductory liner notes, it led to a productive working relationship between the pair that included collaborative recording sessions with Ben Smith in Czukay’s legendary Innerspace Studio – a former cinema in Cologne in which much of Can’s music was recorded.The impact of that Roundhouse gig on Murphy is reflected in the fact that two of the tracks on the collection are based on that celebrated performance. There’s ‘Ode To Perfume’, a languid and solo-laden version of one of Czukay’s most celebrated solo records that ratchets up the original’s inherent dreaminess, and a jaunty take on quirky kraut-pop number ‘Photosong’ featuring a spoken introduction recorded at the concert in question.

Murphy’s ability to coax Czukay into delving into his archives is evident across the compilation. Opener ‘A Perfect World (Remix)’ is an eccentric, ever-building masterpiece originally recorded in 1984 – but later re-imagined for Claremont 56 – featuring vocalist Sheldon Ancel and former Can band-mates Jaki Leibezeit and Michael Karoli, while ‘Fragrance’ is a subtly re-wired slab of picturesque Balearic kraut-dub which was initially recorded as a coda for ‘Ode To Perfume’ but lay unreleased for decades.

Then there’s ‘Let’s Get Cool’, a bright and breezy, French horn-sporting 2009 take on 1979 avant-disco classic ‘Cool In The Pool’; ‘My Persian Love (Remix)’, a 2010 re-take of one of his earliest solos recordings; and the near 18-minute brilliance of ‘Music Is A Miracle’. Originally recorded for his fans in the 1980s – but only released three decades later – this widescreen epic not only features drums by Jaki Leibezeit and a fine spoken word vocal by Czukay, but also numerous nods to some of his most revered tracks.

It's fitting, too, that two of the most potent cuts feature Czukay’s much-missed wife and musical muse Ursa Major: the dense, trippy and fittingly out-there ambient soundscape ‘In Space’, and the mesmerising ‘Music To be Murdered By’. Partially inspired by hearing painfully out of tune violin practice through his studio windows, the track was originally recorded for an unreleased album but finally found a home on Claremont 56’s 10th anniversary box set ion 2017. A genuinely spaced-out and mind-mangling slab of organic dub in Czukay’s distinctive style, it delivers a fine curtain call to the iconic artist’s endlessly inventive career.

Antoni Maiovvi Has Established a Distinguished Career Spanning 15 Years, Boasting an Extensive Discography Featured on Labels Including Tusk Wax, Vivod, Omnidisc, Giallo Disco, Italo Moderni, and Bordello a Parigi. Profoundly Experienced in Music Production, He Channels the Enigmatic Facets of Disco, Synthesizer-Driven Beats, and the Captivating Allure of Italo Disco, Creating a Sound Steeped in Vintage Analog Essence. His Latest Ep Represents a Masterful Fusion of Diverse Influences. We Extend a Warm Welcome as He Returns to Our Specialized Sub-Label, Cosmic Club, Tailored for This Genre. His Work Is Undeniably Destined to Become a Future Classic, a Testament to His Auditory Craftsmanship. the Tracks on This Ep Offer a Captivating Journey Through a Diverse Spectrum of Electronic Music Styles. on the A-Side, "Lucidario" Introduces Us to a Meticulously Crafted Blend of Moroder-Esque Soundscapes, Offering a Profoundly Cinematic Experience. Following This, "Cenotaph" Presents a Beguiling Mix of Pop Sensibilities, Echoing the Spirit of Legowelt. Closing the A-Side, "Cyberia" Enigmatically Concludes This Part of the Record With Its Electronic Allure and Sonic Intrigue. on the B-Side, We're Met With the Remarkable "Ghosted Again," an Explosive Dark Italo-Disco Gem With Undeniable Dancefloor Appeal. "Levitation Technique" Continues the Sonic Journey, Delving Into Ethereal Realms of Electronic Music, and "Today Is Yes" Provides a Fulfilling Conclusion to the Ep. Each Track Is a Unique Sonic Exploration, Showcasing the Artist's Ability to Weave Diverse Influences Into a Coherent and Engaging Musical Journey. Antoni Maiovvi's Musical Universe Harmoniously Resonates With the Enigmatic Gesloten Cirkel and the Enchanting "Gesamtkunstwerk" by Dopplereffekt, Solidifying His Status as a Future Classic in the Making....

Melbourne's Sgt Slick returns with another 4 supreb re-edits for his Recuts imprint. 20 years deep in the game, accolades aplenty, collabs with some the finest out there and a serious string of his own productions, Sgt Slick knows what works on the dancefloor and these edits showcase that to a T. Some out and out classics, reworked with the club clearly in mind.

Buy or Cry.

An electronic homage to celebrated B-Movies and Cult films. Limited Edition of 100, includes download card

Turbotito and Ragz's electrifying Naya Beat label has curated a cultured list of remixers to add their spin to the work of legendary Indian vocalist Asha Puthli. This essential remix album features Yuksek, Maurice Fulton, Psychemagik, Kraak & Smaak, Jitwam, and Turbotito & Ragz. Naya Beat, which translates from Hindi as 'new beat', is focused on uncovering foundational electronic sounds from the subcontinent and South Asian diaspora through reissues, remixes and compilations. It found quick success with its first release, 'Naya Beat Volume 1: South Asian Dance and Electronic Music 1983 - 1992', followed by a rare 1985 Hindi New Wave album by Pinky Ann Rihal and more recently a ground-breaking compilation ‘Awaaz’ uncovering Bollywood electro and leftfield 80s original soundtrack recordings. Hot off their highly sought after EP of Dimitri From Paris’ seminal remixes of Asha Puthli’s iconic track ‘Space Talk’, the label now offers up the first of two full-length releases based around her music. For this LP, Naya Beat tracked down the long mythologised original stems and recordings of Puthli's most seminal albums, including ‘The Devil is Loose’, and working closely with Asha, they have tasked a series of producers inspired by her work to remix her music. Yuksek opens up with a pumping disco remix of 'I Am Song (Sing Me)' awash with uplifting synths and big claps next to the original vocals, which soar to the heavens. The seminal 'Space Talk' is remixed by Maurice Fulton into super steamy and late-night territory. The live drums and jumbled percussion are lit up with soulful chords as Puthli's carefully delivered vocals seduce up top. 'Lies' (Kraak & Smaak Remix) rides on fat-bottomed drums and bass that unfold with a dub swagger beneath a nebulous eco-system of cosmic synths and dramatic vocals. Label heads Turbotito & Ragz flip 'One Night Affair' into a leggy disco celebration with sweeping synths and bright effects, and Psychemagik's 'Right Down Here' is a pulsating mix of dark, snaking bass and drums with deep space ambience and raw hits making for a turbulent and tense atmosphere. Lastly, Jitwam closes out with a smooth disco sound laced with dynamic drums and cruising chords next to another sensuous top line from Asha Puthli. This is a stunning collection of remixes that pay homage to the originals while taking them into new sonic territoryA series of single drops will precede the whole LP; Yuksek (21st July), Maurice Fulton (4th August), Turbotito & Ragz (18th August), Psychemagik (1st September), Kraak & Smaak (15th September), Jitwam + LP (22nd September).

Seven years since releasing two back to back dance floor hits, Jack J returns to the airwaves with this amazing LP on Mood Hut Records. Worth the wait!

Here after a long time the first EP release on Best Record containing new unreleased music. Afrodesia project born from a close collaboration between Periodica Records and Best Italy featuring Mystic Jungle & Whodamanny.
Afrodesia took inspiration from the italian afro-movement that lasted for few years during mid-eighties expecially from those songs produced at the legendary Les Folies Studios in Milan. Afrodesia sounds balearic boogie afro and cosmic with heavy use of original past synths and drum machines programmed and played by Dario Di Pace, Raffaele Arcella and real acoustic instruments thanks to the musicians : Giulio Neri
Tenor Saxophone and vocals), Andrea Farias
Guitar), Davide Di Sauro
Bass) and the late George Aghedo
Percussion).

M.A.D have rounded up some friends new and old to bring you this stomping VA.

Glasgow based Seated Records return with more 1980s Scottish Post-Punk / New Wave material. In this 8-track mini compilation the label introduces the work of Stirling band 22 Beaches, offering a deep dive into music recorded between 1980-1984 - the majority of which has never seen the light of day! 22 Beaches formed in Stirling in the late 1970s as an evolution of the short lived group ‘Alone at Last’ - drummer Fred Parson’s and guitarist Stephen Hunter being the two who spanned the divide. Out of the six members of 22 Beaches, many were school friends, and the rest naturally fell together. The band toured extensively and played at a truly diverse set of venues across the UK: from a local swimming pool boiler room, to small nightclubs and university parties, to several fundraisers for the miners strike. Maybe most notably of all, drummer Fred Parsons described playing at what he calls “the Grangemouth International”, organised by local promoter Brian Guthrie and which featured an all-star lineup of 22 Beaches, The Exploited and the first incarnation of The Cocteau Twins. A coach was hired to ship the audience to Grangemouth from Stirling, the cost of which was included in the ticket. The gig then paused halfway through for a 'help yourself' buffet. Young promoters take heed. This is how it's done! Over the course of the 80s the band released music on three different, and now sought after, various artists compilation cassettes. “What Day Is It?” and “Sadie When She Died” were released on a compilation of local Stirling artists 'The A.N.K.L.E File'. The track from which the current record takes its namesake - “Dust” - was initially released on a compilation-tape for the fanzine 'Another Spark'. And ‘‘Zoo” (also featured on this record) was first released on Glasgow label Pleasantly Surprised via compilation, 'An Hour Of Eloquent Sounds', where 22 Beaches rubbed shoulders with early music from Scottish names Primal Scream, Cocteau Twins, The Wake and Sunset Gun. Unfortunately, 22 Beaches never met the same level of commercial success as these others and decided to retire the project in 1984 - leaving their recordings and demos to gather dust (hehe)…until now! This compilation, “Dust: recordings 1980-1984” follows the band's journey and the changes in their sound over the years. It moves from the raw, punk energy of early DIY recordings through to the A Certain Ratio style Balearica of their later pieces. The record's opener and title track “Dust” is perhaps the most shining example of the latter. Characterised by the plenitude of sonic space in the mix, “Dust” has an almost dub sensibility that is communicated through centrality of Parsons’ drums, McChord’s percussion, and Fildes’ Bass while the harmonising vocals of Sharkey and McGregor chant over the top to give the track its distinctive psychedelic edge. This is an atmosphere only exacerbated by the lofi quality of the recording which sits the vocals in the same aural realm as much 1960s psych-folk. On “Cartoon Boy”, the band strips things down further. A droning bass line persists through the tape fuzz and is accompanied by the sounds of a sole looping guitar chord sequence and McGregor and Sharkey’s vocals - respectively and carefully dancing around one another before harmonising in the most beautiful way. The result is a haunting and abstract Marine Girls style heartbreaker. ‘That Girl’ again delivers a dub adjacent rhythm section similar to that of “Dust”. However, on this instance crisp guitar chords, a distant, phased organ and blue-eyed soul vocal delivery, produce a track that could easily have been a lost Orange Juice recording from their sessions with Dennis Bovel. On “Somebody Got It Wrong” and “One Of Us” the band employ a more macro approach where a jangling guitar with an almost highlife-influenced tone, vocal ad-libs and syncopated percussion give the music a Talking Heads-esque swagger. Taken together these tracks illustrate a clear trajectory in the band's sound, moving from from the high energy no-wave quality of early recordings towards a more dub influenced, and stripped-back sound - a sonic trajectory followed by so many bands of the time, not least those emerging from the diaspora of Manchester’s Factory Records. On “Breathing’’ we hear the beginning of this transition, with the strong influence of the oddball NYC disco styles of Was (Not Was) and ZE records. All of this is meshed together with the residual punk rock energy of 1980s UK. This combination is employed to excellent effect with the addition of the distinctly Scottish (and what the band confirmed to me to be spontaneous) vocal delivery of: “Do you love me? Do you want me?” “Aye!” “Do you love me? Do you need me?” “Naw!”. On the record’s closing tracks, “Zoo” and “Talent Show”, we hear early examples of the band’s work, playing with their rawest all-in-one-take live energy where Hunter’s spiralling guitar riffs and McGregor's distorted vocal exclamations lead the charge. The band recalls that these initial-forays did not always translate so well into multitrack recording and overdubbing: “the deconstruction took away some of the band's natural feel”. On “Talent Show” the record ends with Sharkey delivering an almost unintelligible spoken word section over the top of the track, making for one final, disorientating, almost manic slice of post-punk. These tracks from 1980-1984 chart the progress of a unique contribution to the world of Scottish Post-Punk and New Wave, encapsulating not only the musical trajectory of 22 Beaches but also echoing the broader sonic landscape of 1980s UK, a testament to the adaptability and creativity of the UK’s underground music of the time.

Even as a relatively new face on the scene, Boaksi, isn’t a stranger to longer format releases. The budding Zurich based producer made a splash with his first two releases “Under The Pavilion'' and "I Thought It Was Yesterday” which featured remixes from Soela, Louf and Al Zanders. Now he debuts on Seb Wildblood's all my thoughts label with a 4 track emotionally visceral EP titled Keep Movin’.

The title track, "Keep Movin'," takes a dynamic approach, layering creamy pads and impactful percussion with subtle dub techno influences that create a refreshingly deep groove, propelling a carefully positioned vocal sample into the forefront.

“Didn't I", leads with a beautiful, progressive melody that evokes a sense of yearning, and the ever-relatable Romanticism of the club. Delicately triggered chords dance off the wonderfully unpredictable drum patterns, while Boaksi's minimalist vocals add a touch of human emotion.

"Running Out Of Time" takes a more introspective turn, featuring distant, detuned textures that set the stage for a bed of soft, distorted pads. Stripped-back percussion allows the climbing arpeggios to take centre stage, building to a cleansing break that allows the atmosphereto expand before settling back into a warm, percussive groove.

The EP closes with "Wanna Be With You," another emotionally intelligent piece that showcases Boaksi's prowess for crafting captivating soundscapes. Elemental drums and breathtaking, climatic chords provide the foundation for a beautifully free-forming synth arpeggio that flutters playfully around an unforgettable vocal hook.

Simple Symmetry are back on Calypso for a second offering but this time around it's in a different format. They've enlisted remixes of tracks from their Sorry We Did Something Wrong album which first landed back in 2021 as a self-released project, which won over many fans with a sound that went way beyond the club and now gets repurposed for the dancefloor with extended and club versions. The Horsemen Of Housing & Commercial Services rework of 'Che Che' is a dark disco classic, Smaghhe & Cross rework 'Rounded With A Sleep' into something taught and trippy and INigo Vontier layers in plenty of darkness, grit and grime to his take on 'I Must Not Fear'.