Cosmic | Balearic Vinyl 295 Items

oogielicious Synth Pop made in Napoli! "Acqua Di Sale" is the first mini-album of the mysterious Rosa. Recorded at the West Hill Studio, this is the umpteenth creation of the well known Neapolitan production team which inaugurates the "Pegaso Series" on Periodica Records.

"A deserted beach and a rendezvous at the bar, with waves crashing gently in the distance and wine glasses catching the last rays of the setting sun. The seductive panorama of Posillipo unfolds before the eyes, evoking the charms of a photo-novella, though something mysterious lurks in the emerging dark, leading to unavoidable questions and temptations of the soul. This is the Napoli of the heart…no longer a physical manifestation, but instead, a stage for clandestine encounters and forbidden desires, where the most vivid emotions take the form of notes on the staff."

The 21 track selection curated by Trujillo, a Venezuelan producer, DJ and record collector based in Berlin, explores the forgotten corners of the 1980s and early 90s Spanish music scene. Veering through early bleep and hip house, electro, boogie, Iberian pop and much more, it has broad appeal to both Balearic heads and diggers alike. Serendipitously, the cover art for the compilation is an original work by Yves Uro, a figurehead of Ibiza’s party scene from the 70s and 80s and whose visionary poster artwork became representative of the white isle. While some of the artists or producers on the compilation went on to have notable careers, many of the tracks selected here represent “one-offs” for the artists, and on occasion the labels as well. These sometimes self-released, privatelypressed productions, on short-lived imprints with names like Cantos and Prismatic, document the nascent clubland communities - from the capital, to major cities to the north, and east, and also smaller locales, coastal towns such as Marbella, Gijón, and Cádiz. Ritmo Fantasía is the result of over a decade’s worth of record collecting by DJ Trujillo, searching out bespoke stores, markets, and dealers. For the first time ever, it brings to light and groups together some hidden gems from an era that without it, would likely remain hidden from view.

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!

NO OBI VERSION

Music From Memory is excited to announce a special compilation that they’ve been working on for some time now; Mfm053 – VA – Heisei No Oto – Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996). Compiled by long-time friends of the label, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, Heisei No Oto delves into a world of music released almost exclusively on CD and brings together a fascinating selection of discoveries from a little known and overlooked part of Japan’s musical history. The last ten or so years have seen a global wave of interest in Japanese music encompassing ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records from the 1980s, some of which is increasingly considered the most innovative and visionary music of that time. Although some music from this period, in the form of ‘City Pop’ or ‘rare groove’ records, had been coveted by collectors and DJs for a number of years, most Japanese music from the time was little known outside and often even within Japan. Sometime around the mid 2000s, two Osaka record store owners, Eiji Taniguchi of Revelation Time and Norio Sato of Rare Groove, along with a handful of deep Japanese diggers such as Chee Shimizu of Organic Music records in Tokyo, began to explore beyond the typical ‘grooves’ or ‘breaks’. Much like their counterparts in Europe and the US, they began delving into home-grown ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records, discovering visionary music, often driven by synthesizers or drum computers, that broke beyond the typical confines of their genres. Spending tireless hours in local record stores and embarking on digging trips across the country, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, much like Chee Shimizu, have been at the forefront of unearthing and introducing many of the very Japanese records now loved and sought after around the world. Yet as YouTube algorithms and vinyl reissues would transport such music into the global consciousness and demand and therefore scarcity intensified for such records, so Eiji and Norio have recently begun to turn their attention to CDs. The title of the compilation Heisei No Oto refers to the sound of the Heisei era, which began in 1989 and corresponds to the reign of Emperor Akihito until his abdication in 2019. Marking the culmination of one of the most rapid economic growths in Japanese history, 1989 also coincided with the music industry’s final shift away from vinyl in favour of CDs. And, although compact discs were first introduced seven years earlier it wasn’t until late into the ‘80s that, beyond dance music labels, CDs became the exclusive format for major and independent labels in Japan and throughout the world. This however didn’t signal the end of the innovation in Japan. Many of those same musicians who have become known for their work in the ‘80s would continue to produce outstanding music well into the mid ‘90s, as greater innovation and advances in musical equipment allowed Japanese musicians and producers to refine and explore new sounds. While musicians such as the seminal Haruomi Hosono, whose productions feature on a number of tracks, would continue to push the boundaries of these new technologies, these technological advances also meant less established musicians were able to make use of increasingly affordable but state-of-the-art equipment. Including music by Haruomi Hosono as well as Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshifumi Hinata and Ichiko Hashimoto who have become known and loved around the world in recent years, Hesei No Oto also features Japanese pop star Yosui Inoue, producers Jun Sato and Keisuke Kikuchi in aaddition to less established artists from the contemporary, jazz, new wave, pop and dance music scenes. Bringing together a selection of tracks that seem to define these specific genres and in fact move fluidly between a number of them, the music on the compilation is again underscored by experimentations with synthesizers and drum computers though with something of a gentle Pop sensibility. Reimagined here then under the encompassing term ‘Left-field Pop’, this is an exciting chapter in Japanese musical history that has only just begun to be fully explored.

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).

For our fifth release, P&f Recordings is pleased to welcome Berlin-based musician, producer, and DJ, Alex Kassian. Over the past few years, Kassian has made a name for himself in Berlin and beyond as a solo act, as well as with his project Opal Sunn, via a clutch of well received, dancefloor-focused 12s. But on our first release of 2021, Kassian swaps the techy pulse of the German capital for a sound that’s altogether more melodic and atmospheric. Side A kicks off with 'Leave Your Life (Lonely Hearts Mix)' which began as a way for the producer to realize some of his early—and so far unrequited—dreams of playing in a rock band. Next up he delivers 'Leave Your Life (Dance Mix)', which ups the energy and echoes some of the production that made the musician’s 'Oolong Trance' (Love on the Rocks) one of 2020’s best club tunes. On the flip, the gorgeous 'Spirit of Eden' unfurls like a lost Lyle Mays classic, but with a mesmerizing loop that keeps the song’s feet placed firmly on the dancefloor. Concluding the EP is a bass-heavy remix from none other than U.S. dub legend Bill Laswell. 'Eden’s' melodic focus is underpinned by a propulsive groove and filtered through Laswell's trademark sonic dynamics. The EP, comes packaged in a full-color jacket from Parisian artist Alexis Jamet with OBI strip.

Should you find yourself taking a Thames-side stroll in the shadow of the City of London, keep an eye out for the headphone-clad figure of Ilan Pdahtzur. While be-suited bankers and frustrated office workers scurry home to their families, Ilan can frequently be found casting admiring glances towards the blinking lights of towering skyscrapers while filling his ears with the synthesizer-driven sounds of lesser-known 1980s dance music. Ilan, an avid but little-known record collector best known for sharing the artwork of obscure and under-appreciated early-to-mid ’80s club cuts on his popular Instagram feed, has been digging for vibrant, kaleidoscopic records since his teens. Now, thanks to Spacetalk, he’s been given a chance to offer a glimpse into his neon-lit nocturnal musical world. The result is Night City Life, a killer collection of 1980s synthesizer songs inspired by Ilan’s admiration for the glow of London’s late night skyline. Over the course of 13 essential tunes, Ilan escorts us on a vibrant sprint through rare Italo-disco, steamy South African synth-boogie, fizzing American freestyle, oddball Austrian electrofunk and so much more.
There are naturally a fair few sought-after cuts present, but also a fine selection of under-appreciated gems that for one reason or other have been all but ignored since they were released three and a half decades ago. In fact, some selections are so obscure that barely any information exists about them online. Check for example Preludio’s “Mysterious Nights”, an evocative fusion of slow electronic grooves, dreamy chords and twinkling piano motifs previously buried on a lesser-known album of unremarkable German synth-pop, or the dollar-bin brilliance of Fragile’s sweet synth-pop gem “We’ve Got Tonight, Boy”, a cut that Ilan says is capable of “wrapping itself like tendrils around your soul”. He’s not wrong.
At the other end of the scale you’ll find the ultra-rare Italo-disco breeziness of Friend of Mine’s incredible “Just Your Pride” and Mac & Monica’s soulful 1986 South African synth-boogie cut “You’re So Good To Me”, copies of which regularly change hands for hundreds of pounds online. Ilan originally reached out to the men behind the record last year to tell them how one of their other forgotten gems had been played on a Boiler Room session; naturally, they were thrilled. There’s plenty to admire elsewhere on the compilation, too, from the waves of analogue synths, bubbly melodies and bobbing beats of the instrumental dub version of Brian Tatcher’s “Hot Love” – a cold-war era cut inspired by the idea of love blossoming in the midst of a nuclear meltdown – to the Bobby Orlando-esque freestyle bustle of Janelle’s “Don’t Be Shy (Dub)” and the sparkling post-boogie brilliance of Jarmaz’s “Night City Life (Disco Remix)”, a track Ilan has listened to countless times while admiring the midnight skyline of his home city.

Sähkö Recordings offspring and Helsinki's house music label #1 Keys Of Life presents their first part of two balearic 12inches by DJ Sotofett & SVN.

Each heading for their own side, DJ Sotofett stretches epic coastal synths, shaking tambourines, stomping bass notes and whirling crystal resonance to a 14 min ride. SVN on the flip side goes deeper, to the late night or early morning, with spacial rhythms, reverberated back drops and warm pads with a hint of acid.

The stars and their reflection on the sea still inspire Pellegrino and his live band Zodyaco. Their second LP 'Morphè' released on Early Sounds Recordings, is an ode to Naples as seen from Vesuvius. The ensemble that follows him through this musical journey has been enriched with new members for the continuous development of the label's distinctive Mediterranean sound; this marks a further step into the evolution of their Neapolitan melodic disco from the slopes of Vesuvius. The sound and aesthetic metamorphosis of this second release, which gives the title to the LP the greek word "Morphé" is inspired by the conflicting scenarios of the Neapolitan metropolis; always caught up between the never ending and frenetic flow of its narrow alleys and the soothing relief of the sea, with the night as the backdrop that is not able to light it up its inner depths.

Young Marco mines deep into the 90s era Italian house underground and strikes absolute gold... Part 2 of 2..

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This spring, Safe Trip will release Welcome To Paradiso, an expansive retrospective of the Italian dream house sound co-compiled by label founder Young Marco.

At the tail end of the 1980s, a new take on deep house began to emerge from Italian studios. 'Dream house' drew inspiration from key U.S deep house records of the period – the spacey melodiousness of Larry Heard's productions, and the rich jazziness of tracks originating in New Jersey in particular – but sounded distinctly different. Its' 'head-in-the-clouds' feel – all rich chords, tactile basslines, fluid piano lines and starry electronics – made 'dream house' a uniquely Italian proposition.

First and foremost, the style echoed the wavy, glassy-eyed positivity of the period more than any other. While music in the UK and the low countries was getting faster and heavier, Italy's 'dream house' producers continued to create music shot through with warmth and colourful musicality until 1993. While few 'dream house' records were made after then, its' sounds and loose aesthetic influenced subsequent styles such as trance and progressive house.

During its' peak, dream house – or, as it was tagged by leading Italian label DFC, 'ambient house' (echoing the similarly minded work of UK pioneers such as The Orb and The KLF) – could be heard blaring from club sound systems across Europe. The style's popularity was fuelled, in part at least, by the runaway international success of "Sueno Latino".

Welcome To Paradiso gathers together some of the finest examples of the style for the first time since the turn of the 90s. It includes a smattering of scene anthems – Key Tronics Ensemble's peerless "Calypso of House", Morenas's "Sonnambulism", the ambient mix of Last Rhythm's Italo-house classic "Last Rhythm" – alongside a swathe of hard-to-find, in-demand and forgotten gems.

There are cuts from key players in the movement – the likes of Don Pablos Animals, Sasha (later to find fame with a strong of bouncy, piano-heavy Italo-house cuts), and Dreamatic – plus a string of lesser-known names whose contribution to the evolution of the sound should not be overlooked. Young Marco has also found space for Leo Anibaldi's "Elements", a rare deep house outing from a producer who later helped define the sound of Roman techno.

Over the course of two double-vinyl compilations (and one extended digital download package), Welcome To Paradiso celebrates one of the most evocative and imaginative musical styles of electronic music's golden era. Kick off your shoes, turn your gaze skywards, and immerse yourself in the music.

The Mushroom House compilation is a collection of balearic, afro and cosmic tracks that have been released on Toy Tonics EPs over the last 5 years. Original tracks and remixes by friends of the label: Auntie Flo, Rebolledo, Hyenah, Daniel Avery, WhoMadeWho & DJ Koze, Munk … and there is also legendary italian cosmic DJ Baldelli featured. All these tracks are exclusively produced for Toy Tonics. A few had been already released before on Gomma records. The now sleeping indie-electronica label that was the „mother“ of Toy Tonics. It’s fun to see that these tracks seem not to get old. They sound still fresh and ace. Like the DJ Koze remix of WhoMadeWho or Munk’s Nigerian Jam. Now they all come together on double vinyl. Vinyl comes Including the new 60 page TOY Tonics Magazine no 1.

Quiroga is back on Really Swing providing an extensive set of tracks in his typical style, a breezy and ear pleasing affair with his longtime friend and collaborator Dario Bass. “Dabbler in Love” is a sunrise-ready boogie affair with stunning chords and bass progression summed by a twinkling Rhodes solo; “Kundabuffer” drives into more jazzy territory delivering throbbing basslines over a 4/4 latin beat while “Villa Lysis” is a laidback piano soundscape over a lately bassline on a Capri sunset. On the flipside “Snaporaz” named after the Marcello Mastroianni’s character draws a housey jazz atmosphere with an astonishing bassline reminding of Kaytranada’s groove. “Drum’n’Bass for Papa” closes out the release - an homage to Plug/Luke vibert where chord progressions fuse onto a Squarepusher-Pastorious esque bass lead. Rock on!

While the ongoing global pandemic means our chances to gather and dance beneath deep blue skies are likely to be limited, there’s never been a greater need for warm, positive and life-affirming music. NuNorthern Soul has decided to do its bit by offering up a brand new 'Summer Selections' sampler that’s packed to the rafters with magical musical treats lifted from some of the label’s most potent forthcoming releases. The EP begins with something rather special from Canadian producer Igor B: a gentle, sunrise-ready soundscape rich in languid hand percussion, bubbly synthesizer lines and glistening guitars. Entitled 'Deep Breath', the track is just one of the many highlights you’ll find on his forthcoming debut album, “Stranded Seaside”. There’s a similarly tactile and immersive feel to 'Early Morning Ferry' by George Koutalieris, a Greek producer whose debut album 'Stop, Look, Listen' will be released by NuNorthern Soul later in the year. On his contribution to 'Summer Selections Two', Koutalieris wraps lilting, sun-soaked guitar solos and soft-touch electronics around a chunky groove that doffs a cap to the more laidback end of the 1970s West Coast rock spectrum. Next up, long-time friend of the family Chris Coco delivers a stunning interpretation of 'Dinum', an overlooked neo-classical/ambient fusion track by Faroe Islands-based producer Kristian Blak’s Yggdrasil project. Coco’s simmering, string-drenched re-imagining is featured here as a teaser of NuNorthern Soul’s reissue of the 2014 track in the autumn, which will also feature a mind-blowing 10-minute rework by Mike Salta – an artist who is also featured on 'Summer Selections Two'. This time round you’ll find Salta collaborating with Mortale on the starry, EP-ending ambient bliss of 'Bells of Burgibba', a deliciously drowsy mixture of twinkling electric piano motifs, chiming lead lines and woozy pads taken from the forthcoming “Celestial Hike EP”. It paddles in similar sonic waters to label boss Phil Cooper’s stretched-out, slo-mo Balearic dub of new signing Faint Waves’ 'Aphrodesia', a teaser of the artist’s “Islands In Time EP” which can be found elsewhere on 'Summer Selections Two'. No NuNorthern Soul label sampler would be complete without a contribution from BJ Smith, an artist who has been with the imprint from its earliest days. Smith returns to the imprint with another reminder of his uncanny ability to deliver ear-catching cover versions that re-cast classic cuts as loved-up rays of Balearic sunshine. This time round Smith takes us on a huggable shuffle through Prefab Sprout’s 'All the World Loves Lovers', re-imagining it as a future Balearic anthem and a summer 2020 sing-along. It’s not only a sneak peak of what we can expect from 'Dedication to the Greats Volume 3', his first covers collection for nigh on six years, but also a life-affirming highlight of an EP that oozes musical positivity from start to finish.

BEPPE LODA is back with OBSCURE ITALIAN SPACE PROG. This is the 2nd release on GAIL FORCE DISCO RECORDS which explores rare tracks that blur the line between disco and prog rock from 70's and 80's Italy.

The first in a series of compilations by Jura Soundsystem is a blend of Dub, Ambient, Downtempo, Boogie and Proto House with a focus on music never before released on Vinyl, sought after out of print titles and some special versions edited specifically for the album.
The intention with this project was to delve deeper into the reissue pond and unearth some lesser known tracks and artists. Highlights include Smackos (AKA Legowelt) Ambient epic ‘We Can Watch Alf In The Hotel Room’, never before released on Vinyl, the Dub / Psych hybrid of Minus Group’s ‘Black Shadow’, Kash’s sought after ‘Percussion Sundance’ and special edits of Ken Dang and Tabou Combo. The end of the album includes some soothing Ambient tools.

Maugli blends vibrant sounds and driving rhythms from all over the globe. With a background as a drummer and of various styles, his genre-bending music blends sampling and recording into a lively collage. His crisp arrangements balance an electronic yet organic feeling. His debut album “Alba” (translated from Italian as “sunset“) is inspired by traditional music and the dance rituals of various Afro cultures and their diaspora such as capoeira, work songs or gnawa. While seeking to translate their spirit into the present day, MAUGLI combines these elements with electronic music, wobbling synthesizers and stomping beats. “Ladainha” is a soulful homage to the capoeira culture featuring Professor Chipreu PDM and "Baksheesh" to the rich American blues tradition, with hypnotic synth riffs and chopped up guitar licks resolving in a south african chant (recorded in the late 1950`s). “Mizan” opens with a pounding Guembri (a traditional gnawa three-stringed lute) accompanied by it’s descendant the ’banjo‘, allowing the sampled berber vocals to shine through. “Rawa’s” striking guitar riff is set up against biting synth blobs and piano chords, Nigerian fiddles and chants that swing us deeply into the groove. Get your ticket, for this album is an outernational roundtrip.

Tom Findlay (Groove Armada) and James Alexander Bright's relationship started on Twitter (a place where hope usually goes to die) However, Tom had listened to James' recent release on the radio reached out to chat about working together on some tracks. Over a few months in the studio they created a mountain of work, some of which would feature on Groove Armada's recent 'Edge Of The Horizon' album.

Having enjoyed working together so much, they decided to start their own project and Bright & Findlay was born. The first track they worked on together is featured as the lead on this 12" was 'Slow Dance' Funky party track with its feet firmly in 80s boogie territory and. Following tracks seemed to interweave / play alongside each other. Drums machine / chorus laden synths and guitars, and a soulful vocal are a staple of their sound.

When Tom and James sent the EP over I was down from 20 seconds into the first track, 80s Boogie, Tangerine dream, Disco rap style rhythms yet totally their own thing. Slow dance was one of those tunes I could see myself dropping mid-set when I want to cool it down and focus the room again, dance floor fire.

The legendary Daniele Baldelli began to propose the two Azymuth’s tracks taken from the album ‘Light As A Feather’ in his DJ sets at Discoteca Cosmic the two Azymuth’s tracks taken from the album ‘Light As A Feather’ the same year in which they were released: 1979. And a trace of this has remained in his legendary mixed tapes of those years. Today he remixes and models them as he deems most suited to a Cosmic DJ set. In addition to the two Remixes released with his right arm Marco Dionigi there is a totally resonated cover version of ‘Jazz Carnival’ and the original 1979 ‘Young Embrace’.

80g Limited Edition (2×12″lp)

“Sueño Mediterráneo” meets our primary goals of then and now: expanding our sonic horizon and telling a story in music that focuses on the human being, the soul, and the essential things to appreciate in life. “Sueño Mediterráneo” is a two-hand effort by the Italian DJ and producer Luca Averna (elsewhere also known as Jay Green) and the UK House veteran DJ and producer Chris Coco.

Luca moved to Ibiza permanently a few years back, firmly wanting to live the isle differently, appreciating the rustical life of the western hills with his beloved wife, dog, turntables, vinyl records, and drum machines. Chris is an Ibiza regular since the 90s, and during the last two decades, he has become one of the most respected figures within the island’s Balearic scene.

After meeting a couple of years ago, they decided right away to produce music together, giving birth to this “Sueño Mediterráneo” project, with the desire to pay tribute to the 90s Italo Dream House, celebrate a newborn friendship, and their shared love for the White Island.

All tracks written & produced in 2018 by Chris Mellor and Luca Averna, between Ibiza and London and using the following gear: Roland® TR 606,626,707,909; Yamaha RX5, Yamaha DX7, Korg M1.

Additional Credits: Guitar in ‘Mare’ By Micko Roche. Bass Guitar in “Walearic Dub” By Yusuke. Vocals in “Underwater” By Louis Van Johnson. Vocals in “Il Tempio Dell’Amore” By Luca Averna.

Mastered by Rune Lindbaek.

Graphic design by Dextro.org.

Buy Digital Album Streaming + Download Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, Flac and more.

My Friend Dario is back on Hell Yeah this August with more of his low tempo, high-temperature dance floor bombs. Dario has been carefully nurtured by label head Marco over the course of a few fresh EPs in the last year. Just before this EP lands he will release on Nu Northern Soul, and earlier in the year he served up a stunning live set at the foot of iconic volcano Etna, so is very much part of the current wave of Balearic tastemakers. Opener 'Desertico' has already been caned by Alfos chief Sean Johnston who recognises the power of its heavyweight chug. Over the course of nearly ten minutes and two epic breakdowns, the tune builds on supple techno pulses, with tense synth phrases keeping you in suspense before the drop brings a sense of tropical rain and thunder. 'Sunset Outro' was the last track from his live set and gets your heady amongst the clouds. The churning drums, wooden hits and lush chords are dreamy yet heavy and have an effortlessly hypnotic effect that will lock in any dance floor. These two tunes prove My Friend Dario can do no wrong right now.

Dario Aiello’s first EP for NuNorthern Soul as My Friend Dario, Cosmic Sailing, was one of the label’s most inspired releases of 2020 – a six-track musical voyage into the unknown that cannily combined elements of Balearic disco, ambient, turn-of-the-90s Italian dream house, horizontal jazz-funk and colourful synth-boogie.

With such strong musical motifs and instrumentation to work with, NuNorthern Soul boss Phil Cooper decided to ask some well-established producers and friends-of-the family to put their own spin on the Sicilian producer’s EP. The result is Cosmic Sailing Remixed, a four-track set of reworks that takes Aiello’s mesmerising, atmospheric and enveloping cuts to whole new musical places.

Crazy P’s Chris Todd dons his now familiar Hot Toddy guise for an EP-opening revision of ‘Neve Su Acireale’. Todd makes the most of Aiello’s Pat Metheny style jazz guitar motifs, teasing the track in via an ambient intro that recalls both the Orb’s earliest singles and Steve Reich classic ‘Electric Counterpoint’. After building tension through loose-limbed, progressively more intense drum fills, Todd unleashes a glorious Balearic disco groove that carries the track forwards towards a blissful conclusion.

Sometime Music For Dreams, Hell Yeah recordings and Leng contributor Willie Graff steps up next, brilliantly re-imagining ‘Fenice’ as a hypnotic and bass-heavy chunk of Balearic dub disco rich in layered, samba-style percussion, glistening electric guitar motifs and fluid synthesizer flourishes. Later in the track, Graff introduces more elements from Aiello’s original track – twinkling pianos and dream house style aural textures for starters – before adding touches of tape delay to emphasize the track’s dubby dancefloor mood.

Those seeking extremely immersive, mood-enhancing music will be thrilled by Blair French’s tactile, sunrise-ready take on ‘Malvisa’. The Detroit-based musician and soundtrack composer draws heavily on the kaleidoscopic but mellow synthesizer textures of Aiello’s original version while continually adding new layers of percussion and electronic melodies. The result is a swirling, calming remix that should delight home listeners and slow-motion dancers alike.

To round off the EP, Balearic synth-pop specialist James Bright puts his creative stamp on ‘Storm’. In keeping with the warm, tactile and synthesizer-heavy sound of his superb debut album on !K7, Headroom, Bright re-frames the most atmospheric cut on Aiello’s EP and a yearning, heart-aching journey through slow-motion acid lines, twinkling pianos, huggable synth-pop grooves and the kind of sustained chords that feel like they’re wrapping your body in a toasty blanket made of the finest cashmere. It provides a poignant, jaw-dropping conclusion to a high-quality set of imaginative and kaleidoscopic remixes.

Barcelona's Pau Roca is back with his 2nd release on LA label Pleasure of Love, EP of cool-hazy balearic house with equal parts sunrise and sunset energy. Roca is a standout in the Barcelona DJ scene, with his party Libido and labels Escola and Bons Records, he’s established himself as a premiere record collector/DJ and a producer in the scene. You can hear it in "Euphoria", a track that shows Roca’s deep understanding/appreciation of this music’s roots while updating the sound and capturing the mood and essence of the title. "Marble Arch" is another chugging, deep italo/spanish house number - filtering in breakbeats, choir patches, and a resonant lead to hypnotizing effect. The legend Pal Joey brings a trademark sound to his version of "Euphoria" on the flip, lending vocals and organ to a tripped out and blissful vision of the track. "Hope" rounds out the EP, a downtempo, uplifting piece for lovers of atmospheric retro-house.

Welcome to Nicolini’s wonderful world of surprise - Penni’s Palace. Here you will find zebra-chairs and matchbox countachs, colourful tv-screens and Penni the cat presiding over proceedings. You will also find Nicolini, hunched over his MPC or Casio keyboards, sweeping the EQs to make the sounds move, jamming out his songs in heavy microdoses. They are the sounds of machines and the city - Amsterdam centre to be precise - brought to life with volts of electricity.

These songs started out as a live show on the terrace of Garage Noord nightclub, and over the following months Nicolini tweaked and re-recorded them into the collection of tracks you have before you. Bristling with energy, these live jams have a loose, almost mystical feeling - you never know quite what’s around the corner. Sounds jump out of the speakers at you, from car engines to reverb crashes. Opposites face off against each other - the mechanical meets the organic, and the cold emptiness of the city contrasts with the warm timbres of tropical climes.

Nicolini is quite used to combining disparate elements, particularly as a member of the re-configured Zamrock band Witch. As pioneers of some of the heaviest space fuzz back in the ‘70s, Witch combined garage-psych guitars with Zambian dialects and culture to create a wildly unique sound. Nicolini joined the band during their resurgence over the last few years, as they toured far-flung corners of the world. It’s an experience that undoubtedly helped Nicolini hone one skill set in particular - combining unexpected sounds together in unusual ways - and it’s on full display across these nine tracks.

Our secret agent in Oslo returns with another essential communique in the Norsk Tripping series. Six more tracks selected from a private vault of dance floor dynamite & super rarities, which takes in Italo, Dutch new wave, Space Rock & Balearic obscurities. All given the sonic once-over for maximum playability. As always, a Very limited run.

In 2018, Sean Worsey, a successful lawyer in California, began to receive some rather surprising emails. These were not from prospective clients, or about current cases he was working on, but rather queries from record collectors. They wanted more details about a pair of obscure, largely forgotten records he’d made in the mid 1980s as part of a virtually unknown band called Passion Theatre.

To say he was surprised is an understatement. “People from around the world were emailing, calling and messaging us about the music, particularly a track called ‘Vacation Day’,” he says. “Our records were rare and gaining in value, mainly because there were not many manufactured at the time. By 2019, several individuals in the music industry had emailed me about licensing tracks.”

We eventually agreed with Sean to include ‘Vacation Day’, on Charles Bals’ second compilation, Retour Au Club Meduse. Impressed with the quality of the compilation Sean approached us again to discuss whether we would be interested in reissuing both of his old EP’s in full, an idea he’d been considering for a few months already.

We jumped at the idea of course and have spent the last few months putting the reissue project together. The original studio tapes were long gone but a friend of Sean’s had some mint vinyl copies which we had shipped over from California to use as the master source, restored and mastered superbly by Technology Works in London. The striking original artwork from the two EP’s has been faithfully reworked into a gatefold double vinyl LP by designer Asger Behncke Jacobsen and features extensive interview/sleeve notes by Matt Anniss.

In the words of Sean Worsey - “One of the nicest things about the renewed interest in our music is that we can now enjoy it for what it is – back then we were a bit too worried about succeeding.”

There’s something new under the sun. If you look at it closely, something new is only (and always) created at crossroads – when different and significant traditions are connected and combined. On their own, these traditions have often existed for a while. However, in this new form they have never appeared together. The latest manifestation of something new can now be found on the album “No Future Dubs”, the interpretations of “No Future Days” – the most recent album by German band Messer – by Finnish producer and old friend of the group Kimmo Saastamoinen aka Toto Belmont. The intentional traditions that merge on this grand and dignified album are post-punk, dub and techno. A new chapter in the culturally constant narrative of dub is written here. Through their past and parallel activities in hardcore and post-punk bands, Messer drummer Philipp Wulf met and befriended Kimmo, originally a drummer too. In their continuous dialogue discussing their musical journey, Philipp and Kimmo over the years more and more immersed themselves in the aesthetic possibilities of dub and reggae. Indeed, lots of musicians do not listen to the type of music at home that they write and play in their respective projects (Take me as an example: House is the music that I produce and put on as a DJ. On my own, I listen to various stuff, music by Monk and Messer for example). The same applies to the protagonists involved here. By discussing dub und through Toto Belmont’s steadily increasing producing expertise, the idea of creating dub versions of selected Messer tracks was born. The Messer album “No Future Days”, released in 2020, proved to contain the perfect raw material as the songs on this album are already produced in a much more transparent way than on previous LPs – and are hence more suitable for dub.

The Mushroom House compilation is a collection of balearic, afro and cosmic disco tracks that have been released on several Toy Tonics EPs over the last 5 years. Toy Tonics now releases some of these EPs on a double vinyl together. This is the second part. Featuring eleven tracks. (Vol 1 was released in 2020.) Original tracks and remixes by friends of the label: Kiwi, Red Axes, Karl Hector, Hugo Capablanca, Harry Wolfman. Very special contributions by New York’s legendary Joe Claussell and fashion designer Marcelo Burlon, who contributed the vocals to a song by Milan’s Barking Dogs. Art Alfie from Studio Barnhus is featured also with an exclusive track and legendary DJ Sprinkles with a magic rework of a Hard Ton song. A few of the tracks had been already released on Gomma records. The now sleeping indie-electronica label that was the „mother“ of Toy Tonics records. Some were made exclusively for Toy Tonics.

* NO OBI VERSION** Music From Memory is excited to announce a special compilation that they’ve been working on for some time now; Mfm053 – VA – Heisei No Oto – Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996). Compiled by long-time friends of the label, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, Heisei No Oto delves into a world of music released almost exclusively on CD and brings together a fascinating selection of discoveries from a little known and overlooked part of Japan’s musical history. The last ten or so years have seen a global wave of interest in Japanese music encompassing ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records from the 1980s, some of which is increasingly considered the most innovative and visionary music of that time. Although some music from this period, in the form of ‘City Pop’ or ‘rare groove’ records, had been coveted by collectors and DJs for a number of years, most Japanese music from the time was little known outside and often even within Japan. Sometime around the mid 2000s, two Osaka record store owners, Eiji Taniguchi of Revelation Time and Norio Sato of Rare Groove, along with a handful of deep Japanese diggers such as Chee Shimizu of Organic Music records in Tokyo, began to explore beyond the typical ‘grooves’ or ‘breaks’. Much like their counterparts in Europe and the US, they began delving into home-grown ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records, discovering visionary music, often driven by synthesizers or drum computers, that broke beyond the typical confines of their genres. Spending tireless hours in local record stores and embarking on digging trips across the country, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, much like Chee Shimizu, have been at the forefront of unearthing and introducing many of the very Japanese records now loved and sought after around the world. Yet as YouTube algorithms and vinyl reissues would transport such music into the global consciousness and demand and therefore scarcity intensified for such records, so Eiji and Norio have recently begun to turn their attention to CDs. The title of the compilation Heisei No Oto refers to the sound of the Heisei era, which began in 1989 and corresponds to the reign of Emperor Akihito until his abdication in 2019. Marking the culmination of one of the most rapid economic growths in Japanese history, 1989 also coincided with the music industry’s final shift away from vinyl in favour of CDs. And, although compact discs were first introduced seven years earlier it wasn’t until late into the ‘80s that, beyond dance music labels, CDs became the exclusive format for major and independent labels in Japan and throughout the world. This however didn’t signal the end of the innovation in Japan. Many of those same musicians who have become known for their work in the ‘80s would continue to produce outstanding music well into the mid ‘90s, as greater innovation and advances in musical equipment allowed Japanese musicians and producers to refine and explore new sounds. While musicians such as the seminal Haruomi Hosono, whose productions feature on a number of tracks, would continue to push the boundaries of these new technologies, these technological advances also meant less established musicians were able to make use of increasingly affordable but state-of-the-art equipment. Including music by Haruomi Hosono as well as Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshifumi Hinata and Ichiko Hashimoto who have become known and loved around the world in recent years, Hesei No Oto also features Japanese pop star Yosui Inoue, producers Jun Sato and Keisuke Kikuchi in aaddition to less established artists from the contemporary, jazz, new wave, pop and dance music scenes. Bringing together a selection of tracks that seem to define these specific genres and in fact move fluidly between a number of them, the music on the compilation is again underscored by experimentations with synthesizers and drum computers though with something of a gentle Pop sensibility. Reimagined here then under the encompassing term ‘Left-field Pop’, this is an exciting chapter in Japanese musical history that has only just begun to be fully explored.

Mori Ra with the fastest diggers trigger in all the land completes a set of dancefloor ready edits of Japanese electronic & city-pop songs culled from his well-known Japanese Breeze mix series that he does with the Rotating Souls record label. Some of the tunes are familiar and some rare and unknown but Mori puts his own touch that can only come from years of experience and an extreme relationship to the originals. This record is a joint release between both Rotating Souls & Forest Jams.

La Musica' is a dreamy track for the perfect Balearic experience. Written by the 'Balearicos' it comes with two great remixes, one from the chillout legend Cris Coco and another one from Rudy's Midnight Machine. Residentes Balearicos are a duo from Ibiza, consisting of Luca Averna and Alessandro Doretto. Luca is a DJ and works mainly with his friend Camilo Miranda at the legendary Pikes Hotel. Echoes and synthetic pads build up the atmosphere across the original version's intro taking you to a heavenly happy place until the beloved classic combo of a Tr909 and Korg M1 piano send us all straight back to a '90s open air dance floor in Ibiza. This is where the journey starts, accompanied by the piano chords and Brazilian sounding voices washing over you with calls of 'La Musica'. Perfect for a set on the beach, soft sand under foot or as a warmup record in the club, it will fit perfectly in your Balearic session. Rudy's Midnight Machine takes the elements written by R.B. and shakes everything into a disco dimension. All the elements for the perfect track are in place: funky bassline, open hi hats and muted guitar plus an exploding chorus with a great melodic hook. This is a must have tune if you are into disco with a classy and modern feel. Chris Coco's remix is a classic take made with great taste. He keeps the harmonic elements as well as the bass line almost intact, playing around with the vocals and adding melodic touches that give a tropical feeling to proceedings. Don't be fooled by the soft intro because the rhythm will soon take you dancing with a smile spread across your face.

A simple idea in an over complicated moment. Strip away aesthetics and be artist centric, sharing and explore collisions, sounds and genres. Step out of comfort zones to release a series of EPs of broad, challenging and deep music. Starting with The Proposal by A Strange Wedding, this Lyon based producer from the Worst label, builds on their "modern style" slow trance to create a label anthem, a template. Stretched Arp, hypnotic bass and searing melody, underpinned by ocean wide kick. Merci for the perfect beginning. Datasal are next, as this Gothenburg's trio's debut arrives. Acoustics (Miyazawa flute / Fender bass) and electronics Roland Rs-09 / Korg Mono) collide; prog rock meets post punk meets dance; outside organised compositions to improvise to the beat. Side two leads back to the origin. 84pc, the dormant Tel Aviv collective that developed out of the city's Michatronix Crew (featuring Katzele, Naduve, Asaf and Yovav), return with a previously unreleased remix from Khidja. Their "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" moment is peak time perfection. To close Barcelona's Iro Aka arrive with another debut. Having dispatched edits on Hard Fist and 44,100Hz Social Club, their bubbling 303 is a tender dreamtime finale that points ahead.

Hell Yeah welcomes the red hot pairing of Tuccillo and Willie Graff for a new four track EP that includes 'Gliding', as heard on the recent Buena Onda compilation. This is a serious serving for real DJs only. Willie Graff & Tuccillo have been cooking up their delicious deep house dishes for more than a decade now on labels like Finale Sessions, Freerange and Circus Company. Tuccillo is also behind the Balearic Gabba classic 'Solo un Delay', and Graff - a born and bred White Isle native, who is also a long time cohort of Kenneth Bager`s Music For Dreams - is the youngest person to ever have a residency at the legendary Pacha nightclub. They have a rich sound palette that gets all horizontal and Mediterranean across these four fresh new tracks. Day Side opener 'Crystal Ball' has a nimble bassline and bouncing kicks that get you on your toes while the lush synths do a playful dance up top. The excellent 'Gliding' track from the Buena Onda compilation is a super go slow anthem with scuffed up claps and lazy kicks that take you on a real trip far out to sea. Flip on the Night Side and 'The Moment' picks up the pace, exploring late night deep house with a melodic air, distant whistles and subtle acid sounds that make for a tropical beach rave. Last of all, 'Tic Tac' is six minutes of dreamy rhythmic bliss, with delicate drums and new age ambiance washing over you like a cooling Azure breeze. These are classy DJ weapons for those who know.

Based in the Sicilian coastal city of Catania, Dario Aiello has plenty of chances to longingly stare into the endless deep blue of the Ionian Sea. It should therefore come as no surprise that his debut EP for NuNorthern Soul, Cosmic Sailing, is a six-track musical daydream about a kaleidoscopic sea voyage into the unknown. Although his recording career as My Friend Dario is still in its infancy, Aiello has already made an impact. He won plaudits from Balearic-minded Bandcamp diggers for a string of self-released singles, before offering up a handful of inspired remixes and tracks on a number of releases on the admirably saucer-eyed Hell Yeah! Recordings imprint. Even so, his NuNorthern Soul debut is a big development, portraying him as an accomplished producer and musician with a gift for crafting colourful and inventive musical fusions. Across the course of six tracks, Aiello perfectly sets out his mellow, warming, spacious and mind-soothing approach, smoothly navigating cosmic waters. Opener ‘Fenice’ sets the tone, with the Sicilian producer cloaking rising and falling synthesizer arpeggio lines in twinkling piano motifs, simmering chords and colourful electronic motifs. He channels the spirits of Italy’s turn-of-the-90s dream house movement and horizontal Balearic disco on the impeccable ‘Malvasia’, while ‘Mr Mellow’ sees him mix-up post-electro beats, pots-and-pans percussion and starry electronics to great effect. Aiello’s varied inspirations come to the fore across the reminder of the EP. Check, for example, the rubbery and undeniably intergalactic 21st century boogie bounce of ‘Neve Su Acireale’, where Pat Metheny style jazz guitar flourishes, sparkling synth riffs and elastic slap-bass notes dance around a snappy, early ‘80s drum machine groove. ‘Campagna 2’ goes further, with the Italian smothering a deliciously crunchy drumbeat with warming chords and looped sax samples, while ‘Storm’ sees him calming choppy waters via fluid, slow-motion piano solos, sleepy beats, enveloping musical textures and a handful of atmospheric samples. It’s a breath-taking end to an EP chock full of evocative, ear-pleasing aural treats.

Midnight Riot present Balearic Headspace - Volume 5 - Sampler 1, four sumptuous cuts that instantly take you to the White Isle, waves lapping up over those weary feet as the sun glistens out across the horizon. Taking in the eclecticism of the island with everything from boogie, soul, acid-tinged Rhodes goodness and smokey soundtrack jazz vibes from Dim Zach, Sophie Lloyd, Alena (with Crazy P’s Ron Basejam on the remix) and Peter Simmons.

Debut release of one of our most fav producer tornado wallace on mule musiq. this music was released on only cd in japan by clothing shop vender in 2018. we really loved this hypnotic and psychedelic beautiful balearic track and hoping to release on vinyl. now we are very happy to release this fantastic music on vinyl.

A little mystery goes a long way, but it's fair to say the appetite for unearthing those secret tunes and lost classics has rarely been stronger. A Love That Never Dies give us a peek inside their formidable archive with four more wonderful pieces of coveted music, in very short supply in their original form. One super limited, clear vinyl pressing.

Becker & Mukai is a coming of titans. Parisian cinema composer Jean-Gabriel Becker, best known for his work alongside Massive Attack on acclaimed film soundtracks and recorded with John Foxx, teams up with Susumu Mukai, one of London’s most sought after musicians, whose list of collaborators includes Floating Points, Vanishing Twin, Alexis Taylor and Fimber Bravo.
Together they’ve created fresh new music that floats effortlessly above traditional genre delineation, with a dubbed-out and experimental melange of modern acid house, post punk, global grooves and clattering beats.
After releasing their first EP ‘Eyes’ in 2018, and their collaborative EP of space-disco-meets-experimental-electronics with label mates Auf Togo in 2019, the duo are now ready to release their tentacular debut album, ‘Time Very Near’, on SaS Recordings.
Still not complying to genres, ‘Time Very Near’ gathers sounds and inspiration from an ever-expanding palette of influences, assembled into something amorphously intangible that’s simultaneously refreshing and sharp, meandering and cosmic, futuristic but timelessly vintage.

Born out of a desire to share a selection of personal DJ focused, dancefloor edits, that have been exclusively test run and hammered by DJ Harvey and Lovebirds for the past few months, SIRS kicks off this new label offshoot with four, slick, sweltering and powerful reworks that ooze class.
Secret weapons of the highest order, each edit reimagines it’s original from the mind of the DJ – anticipating the moves of the club and harnessing the power that deft touches, reshaped structures and expressive effects can make to the force and energy of a record.
As appropriate soundtracking the crescendo of a club night, as they would be scoring the backdrop to a hazy sunset these edits are a must have in any DJs record bag.

BEATCONDUCTOR reworks this Balearic Yugotrack with a sublime guitar hook. Gorgeous Yugoslavian jazz for the crate diggers and late night deejay sets on Ibiza! Hand stamped 1-sided 12". Limited. Nu-disco/Balearic fans don't sleep on this one.

LP + 7" + insert.
Music From Memory’s latest release is a reissue of the lost Art record ‘Marea / Tide’ from Italian Wave duo Alessandro Pizzin and Piergiuseppe Ciranna also know as ‘Ruins’. Made to accompany and as a response to the works of painter ‘Luigi Viola’ the record was released limited to a run of 600 with original artworks by the painter included in the first 200 copies. A number of special showcases were performed at various galleries by the duo alongside Viola’s work, with records being available solely at those events.
Due to poor management and disagreements with the label who produced the record, 300 copies were held for many years in storage and then in fact later even destroyed, the record disappearing almost without a trace.
Finally now available again and with a bonus 7” including four beautiful unreleased tracks, the release is printed in colors true to the original work of Luigi Viola with insert.