Cosmic | Balearic 324 Items

Limited (to just 200 copies!) teaser single off the upcoming PEPIN full length due on STAR CREATURE in the Spring of 2020. Here PEPIN teams up with Japan's No. 1 in demand producer SAUCE81 for a downtempo preview to his spaced out LP. Don't sleep, sure to go fast.

Crossover balearic/leftfield house cuts from newly minted Australia based Within Reason Records.

I Love It When A Band Comes Together…The one thing that has kept most artists sane during the pandemic is writing and creating. In an attempt to apply this logic Red Ant Records maestro Pete Bones decided to recruit the talents of a bunch of cool cats he had met whilst traveling the globe and put a band together. Having often wondered after 30 odd years as a DJ/Producer how the band would sound had he not been swept up by Acid House in the late 80s, six months later, plenty of file bouncing and numerous edits, and The Stones Of Convention are ready to wreak havoc; with Jeff Ward on electric guitar, Jeff Richey on saxophone, Pierre Davis on drums, Scott Anderson on slide guitar, Duncan Gray on bass and electric guitar, Sean Q6 on acoustic guitar, and featuring the effervescent vocals of Laura Clarke. Hailing from Galway, Orlando, Pittsburg, St Petersburg, Slough, San Francisco and Glastonbury respectively, band practice might be problematic. The album features 7 original tracks, 2 full vocal cuts, and a cover of the Talking Heads classic Pull Up The Roots

This release is on 180g vinyl. The fifth in International Feel's minialbum series. From their base in Los Angeles, intrepid musical voyagers Pharaohs have imagined a place far from the city for their first stand alone release on International Feel.

Two of Russian electronic music’s rising stars, Phil Gerus and Alexander Lay-Far, invite you to join them at the Solitary High Social Club. While table service is provided, they’d much rather you throw caution to the wind and head to the dancefloor.
Before joining forces in the studio, both Moscow-based musicians have delivered a string of memorable solo productions. Lay-Far has previously released a wealth of material on such labels as Local Talk, City Fly, Lazy Days and 4Lux Black, while synthesizer fetishist Gerus has showcased his electrofunk and disco-fired cuts on Futureboogie Recordings, Sonar Kollektiv, Public Release and Superior Elevation Records.
The five tracks that make up Solitary High Social Club deliver a perfect marriage of the two producers’ distinctive solo styles, combining the rich musicality of Lay-Far’s house productions with the spacey, intergalactic electronics of Gerus’s discoid adventures. In many ways, it’s a marriage made in heaven – or in Lay-Far’s celebrated In-Beat-Ween Studio, at least.
The duo’s spacey and melodious musical fusion is arguably best exemplified by lead cut “City 2 City, Star 2 Star”, a widescreen, mid-tempo disco epic rich in tactile Rhodes riffs, supernova synth solos, delay-laden drum beats, tumbling melody lines and heavy analogue bass. Fittingly, the track returns in “Reprise” form – think sweeping, weightless ambient bliss – to round off the EP. Elsewhere, the duo provides further proof of their combined musical talents. Check, for example, the gentle drum machine electro beats, cascading new age
melodies and sparkling, stretched-out synthesizer chords of the impeccably beautiful “Am I Tripping”, or the devilishly percussive, mind-altering brilliance of “Love Life”, where mutant electro bass, wide-eyed chords and alien melodies rise above a heavy, Afro-influenced groove.
As for “Snowflakes On Her Lips”, you’ll struggle to find a more confident and positive dancefloor workout all year. Blessed with killer piano parts, darting analogue synth-bass and a range of disco-tinged musical flourishes, it’s by far and away the most celebratory moment on an already happy-go-lucky EP. It confirms, too, our initial hunch: at the Solitary High Social Club, life is always good.

The new LP by Krefeld-born, Berlin-based artist Philipp Otterbach entitled 'The Dahlem Diaries'.

Recorded in a little-visited corner of the German capital, 'The Dahlem Diaries' is a convergence of ideas, sketches and tracks, both old and new, most of which were produced between 2020-2022. Whilst eerie atmospheres, electronics and drums have played a pivotal role in Philipp’s earlier releases, his latest is a rather more introspective affair, in which the guitar takes a leading role. A role Otterbach uses to quietly bring light and hope to his music.

Speaking about his writing process, Philipp explains that, based around his original compositions, “Friends were nice enough to contribute additional parts on their instruments which I then reworked, put together and re-contextualized. The recordings encapsulate a very specific moment in time, one that would have sounded perhaps very different the day before or after.”

Combined with a strong use of effects and field recordings, 'The Dahlem Diaries' feels somewhat like a scene or fragment from a story, in which the narrative remains undefined. It is a playful album that is something of a blurred underwater adventure, sounding as bright as it is hazy, even psychedelic at times, yet with an almost melancholic positivity. In Philipp’s own words: “It could be an album about friendship and being at one with myself, whilst at the same time bringing a certain seriousness to my music, but not necessarily to myself; there is also a playful humour hidden in there. ”

Artwork by David McFarline.

First release from the BEAT catalogue serie which is focused on new artists. All music produced and mastered by Kevin Skyler.
Electronic delight ranging from dance to experimental style!

Beautiful release coming from Italy drawing inspiration from the intense colors of the works of the painter Tania Cantone on this work of love; "Sharade" by Pino Presti & Garden Planet. Mediterranean and Balearic lushness from the talented Pino Presti, and the eclectic keyboardist Claudio Calzolari, his son Andrea Calzolari, bass player Andrea Verardi and the organist Guido Mazzella. All together they created that magic, that long-forgotten, set aside, almost hidden atmosphere, which covers various genres such as lounge, future jazz, bossa-nova, ambient, which obviously includes chillout and downtempo vibes from the hot summer nights in the Mediterranean. So much vibes on this one release coming from the Italian friends of Best Record! Recommened!

Alelah records presents the debut album from Polow – ‘In Da Diggalow’, recorded at Hilbert’s Grand Hotel with tracks produced between 2017 and 2019.
Dusty instrumental beats, hazy jazz loops and MPC-styled hip hop treats across two sides of a lovingly created cassette tape. A pure unadulterated listening experience that deserves the time and space that a tape can offer.
Kick back, light up that incense and lose yourself in this one.

Pretty Sneaky slips deep down the dub-hole for the sweet 4 tracker on Private Stress (Brussels). Refined stuff. TIP! The sneaky one is slowing carving out quite a reputation with a super solid back catalogue of releases and ultra dope radio shows and DJ appearances.

Life is full of wonder and excitement. Now it is also filled with the 14th release on Fasaan Recordings, produced by one of its founding fathers: part-time fruit picker Prins Emanuel. Gli Ornamenti comes in three different versions, which is nice. The U20 Mix is all about that sweet Roland U20 and offers us many of its decorative sounds. The Maximal Minimal Mix is the one to go to when you don’t want a lot of different stuff, but what you want you really want a lot of. The Ambient Mix is perfect to play while inspecting the grass growing under your apple tree. This is a good 12-inch single for the industrial balearic summers ahead.

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!

Really Swing goes wider with a new 12” series, head honcho Quiroga delivers three track dedicated to magician and eminence of misdirection Dariel Fitzkee and Italian master composer Alessandro Alessandroni.
“Cup and Balls” the title track is an elegant disco cut blending latin bass, guitar and percussion, creating an emotional texture in its rhythm and serenity that became an astonishing future jazz tune with a leading bassline.
On the flip side “ Ciao Fischio” an homage to Maestro Alessandroni drowning lush rhodes melodies over funky breaks and intricate bassline, while “Citta di Mare” is voyage through eighties atmosphere that became a soulful and sensous tune full of heavenly piano licks and warmth synth leads

At the third New Interplanetary Melodies' astral journey stopover, it was mandatory to catch an Italian project deeply inspired by the Sun Ra visionary realm, expressing contemporary trials of hybridising jazz with artful electronica. So Ra Toth and The Brigantes' Orchestra landed on vinyl grooves for the label, after having previously appeared on the likes of Mathematics and Berceuse Heroique. Behind the sound, we find the elusive and unpredictable genius of the well-respected producer Marcello Napoletano.

Boulderball is a whole new, fully stretched world, inspired by everything from the Bomberman Hero OST and Cesar Camargo Mariano's Prisma LP, to "going on youtube and playing tracks at 1.25 speed." The LP is made of fizzing Brazilian fusion, video game music, virtuoso keyboard playing, funk, and the type of glorious, hook-driven pop energy known to fans of YMO, New Order, and Mario 64 alike. Dope. Period.

Since he made his debut three years ago with sun-soaked first album Warm Nights, Reuben Vaun Smith has grown and evolved as an artist. His aims, objectives and musical output have changed, too – something that’s evident from the opening bars of his third full-length, Da Cuckoo Ya Ya, which also marks his first appearance on Californian institution Ubiquity Records. Whereas the summery and colourful Warm Nights was the result of time spent teaching himself music and production, not to mention over a year of daily recording, Da Cuckoo Ya Ya was recorded in less than two months. It not only showcases Smith’s sharpened musicianship and his growing love of Eastern exoticism and wide-eyed psychedelia, but also features guest spots from friends (and fellow Leeds locals) Sakura Murakami (a guitarist who also featured on 2021’s Sounds From The Workshop album), bassist Nial Deravairere (on deliciously dubbed-out and hazy closing cut ‘Beams’) and vocalist Lucy Saddler. While it shares some sonic similarities with its predecessors – not least a greater reliance on live instrumentation and plenty of audible nods towards Malian musical culture – Smith’s new set is his most confident and dynamic yet, with the Leeds-based producer consciously moving closer to the dancefloor whilst polishing his productions further and showcasing all he’s learned to date.

"This release is LP and it's individually 300 hand-numbered limited edition. The first 100 copies are pressed on WHITE & GREEN MARBLED vinyls (AR016).
It's dedicated to the 1988 Experimental / Electronic masterpiece by the Italian contemporary guitarist Riccardo Giagni, originally released on Stile Libero (Italy) + a special Balearic Remix by SIMON PETER.
Archeo Recordings is a reissue record label that regenerates old, lost, obscure and forgotten rare gems of mostly Italian music but also all over the world of the 70s, 80s and 90s.
All outputs are licensed by the artists and the vintage labels; audio tracks are remastered in their original form; the sleeves and center labels are graphically recreated for today but all based on the original images.
Archeo would like to make the music available to a wider audience of collectors, DJs, music lovers of a forgotten time.
All releases are hand-numbered limited edition vinyl. The first copies of each release are pressed in coloured vinyls."

Futuro Antico, the mesmerizing collaboration of Riccardo Sinigaglia with Walter Maioli and Gabin Dabirè evoked in its name the uncanniness of simultaneously witnessing past and future. Ambient Music, Riccardo Sinigaglia’s first solo work –recorded in Dec. 1984 and originally out on cassette from ADN Tapes in 1985— ultimately delivers on that idea, embodying different irreconcilable time frames not just in name.
From our vantage point, the sounds of the two performances --“Watertube” and “Ringspiel”-- appear as though they arrive to us from a past which we have great difficulty in recognizing and imagining ourselves coming from while simultaneously working as a projection of a future that is both our contemporaneity yet also surpasses it. It’s this ability that Riccardo Sinigaglia’s work has of being both rooted in its context while instantaneously capable of transcending our own that makes him one of the key figures of that explosion of beauty and creativity that defines the peculiar iteration of radical minimalism that characterized the experimental and avant-garde music scene in Italy, particularly the Milanese one with its rich countercultural scenes crossing over into the long reverberating academic legacy of the Studio di Fonologia Musicale RAI di Milano during a hyperactive decade starting in the late 1970s. An aggressively conquered freedom which resulted in works of an incredible gracefulness aimed towards a future at a moment when both grace and the future had seemingly begun their slow obliteration under the blows of powerful destructive forces.
“Watertube” starts as a synth and magnetic-tape based ambient soundscape that slowly adds what appears to be a prepared piano which eventually competes for audibility with a phrase that evokes the titular watertube, treated, looped and stacked as it phase-shifts producing a busy polyrhythm that asynchronously gurgles and bubbles, approaching but never breaking into chaos. It’s some strange version of Eno’s oblique discreetness ostensibly being overwhelmed by the perversity of a Stevereichian shape-shifting pattern but the moment the former is about to be overwhelmed the composition begins a slow recession back towards the system it originated from.
“Ringspiel” is a more playful yet warped affair, a complex ecology rather than a simple economy of sounds. Opening with a whimsical melody seemingly played on a prepared toy piano this gives way to a tape loop punctuated throughout the rest of the piece by individual sounds whose origins remain uncertain. These produce scattered melodies that underscore an electronic based minimalism with a synthetic heart that nonetheless showcases a pulsating, wet, fibrous core that beats with organic life. It ends not in the opening whimsy but in fragmenting percussive shards of sounds. While it might superficially appear deceitfully familiar and comforting and evoke recognizable pleasures this is neither your father’s ambient nor your mom’s minimalism. And it sure as hell ain’t your older brother’s lame substanceless new age noodling. There’s a dark heart to Sinigaglia’s record – listened to today we are conscious that the future “Watertube” and “Ringspiel” pointed towards never arrived and yet we are aware of nonetheless inhabiting it. That is ultimately the tragedy and the thrill of these compositions. We are told that the future’s been annulled due to a degenerative process that began precisely around the time in which this music was first recorded. And yet. As time folded in on itself and we were made to inhabit the futureless predicament of an eternal present these recordings act as relics from the last possible instance where a future could still stand to be imagined. A little sliver of opportunity. Look into it. It just might give you a peek into tomorrow. The time is out of joint.

French producer Jerome Barresi assumes his Robert's Diary Palais here for a new outing on Is It Balearic that offers something a little adjacent to the norm. Opener 'Dinky Bird' is a mix of tender keys and hand claps with a soulful vocal sample that reminds of early-era Moby. Norse mainstay Bjorn Torske appears then to remix and brings some scuttling percussive sounds and watery effects over four-four drums. 'Six O Six' is a yearning dub cut packed with wild FX and 'kxp' is a zoned-out and tinny retro-future nu-disco cut that is a perfect B-side.

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."

Mario Pierro aka Raiders of the Lost ARP (ROTLA) returns to Edizioni Mondo. “Trasmissioni” is his debut LP under this moniker, using fictitious TV show themes as an excuse to create his musically most eclectic record so far. Departing slightly from the Balearic and prog rock influences of the previous “Laguna” EP, in “Trasmissioni” ROTLA covers many territories: opening with the science-celebrating arpeggios of “Progressi della Scienza” (Italian for “advances in science”), to the funky, off-beat grooves of “Telemusic”, then taking a step into a disco during “Nightlife”, before programming his rocket towards eerie nordic drum machines and Hammond organs in “Esterno Neve” and “Effetto Notte”, and many planets more. A welcome edition to the ever expanding Edition Mondo universe and a record you can’t grow tired of. Eco-Friendly green artwork that shows how tiny we all are. Good listening!

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.

A highly limited vinyl only release by the shadowy Safe Camp collective to mark Safe Trip's collaboration with Amsterdam skateboard brand,POP.

* Ships with a 40 page booklet of mind altering imagery. https://safe-trip.org/pop

Earthly Measures are very excited to bring to you 'Doroja', an album by Santiago Córdoba & The Bauls of Bengal. Different to past releases, EM explores another part of the world, introducing you to the traditional sounds of Bengal & its talented musicians. Doroja, is the third album by Argentinian musician Santiago Córdoba, this time in collaboration with The Bauls of Bengal. Recorded at the Hansadhwani Studio in Calcutta, India, where Santiago arrived with only a synthesiser, some effects, and a Legüero Bass Drum (an Argentine percussive instrument used mostly in local folklore) - this album was first conceived in December 2017 during a residency in this mythical city, together with The Bauls of Bengal. The Bauls believe the body and mind are the sources of all truths and that the expression of freedom cannot be restrained by the labelling of genres or religions, something which is evidently expressed in their music. This provides the perfect foundations for this album to develop without limitations and too effortlessly flow to whichever realms both Santiago and the Bauls of Bengal wish to take us too. The album combines traditional songs of the Bauls, rhythmic Jhumar instrumental improvisations with the Argentinian legüero bass drum, and other compositions created together in the studio. The result is a melodic mixture/dialogue of cultures, folklore and ancestral sounds with modern influences that help create an experimental and addictive sound full of electronic textures. Participating in these first recordings: Arpita Chakraborty (vocals), Chandan Ray (dotara), Pijush Baul (Vocals, Dubki) and Tanmoy Pan (percussion), who later, are joined by other artists from different latitudes to achieve a captivating fusion: Matías Romero on strings (Formosa, Argentina), Guilherme Peluci from Mineiro on winds and Daniel Guedes on percussion (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Porteños Walter Broide on tabla and Cobra Rod on bass (both members of Poseidotica), and the Spanish Ángel Calvo on trumpet.

The album was mixed by Rodrigo Cursach at Delta Uno Estudio, mastered by Daniel Ovie, and the fascinating cover art is by Alejandro Sordi. It will be released on vinyl by the UK based label Earthly Measures, in addition to being available on all digital platforms. ‘Doroja’ means portal, and this album is indeed a magical portal to music, song and dance. Santiago's only means of communication with Bengali colleagues functioned as an astral portal to build the sounds of this journey through strange and unfathomable landscapes that captivate and surprise by building bridges between different cultures of our planet. Santiago Córdoba is a multi-instrumentalist musician born in the city of Buenos Aires who has been developing his unique sound both with his solo project and with prominent bands from the Argentinian independent music scene. He has been developing his solo career through deep musical and spiritual searching, with the infinite journey as a primary objective. In recent years, he has lived in places such as Madrid, Beirut and Berlin and has released two albums: ‘Corso’ (2015) and ‘En Other Places’ (2019).

"booh Tales" is a one story seen and heard from different parts of the room. It's the memories focused on some vanishing details of the same party. The soap bubble of "booh" splits into many pieces just to spread around the people and have a glimpse of the good time. All the original track written by Sarmacja and taken from the Booh EP (released by Byrd Out). Sarmacja is Aleksandra Szalinska, Pawel Bartnik & MIchal Kolowacik. // The vinyl version features remixes from the tales of Lazy Snail, Sam Ruffillo, Roberto S, Pepe., Revisq, Relative. Plus a digital version with Freeze, Teielte, DJ Rocca, My Friend Dario and Baby Meelo remixes included.

Follow-up EP for Multi Culti from this Berlin duo merging sleek Krautrock influences, decades long production experience, jazz-percussion chops and funky German vocals. ‘Kometenschweif’ will sound the most familiar to fans of Sascha Funke’s club-ready tracks, with percussive and vocal flourishes from Niklas Wandt. ‘Kreidekreis’ takes the tempo down while ramping up the trippiness, a circular journey into funk bass, synth prog, and again, a percussion masterclass. Finally, ‘Weg Vom Leder’ sounds like a lost Falco tune, brought up to date. On the remix side, Alexander Arpeggio somehow manages to swing ‘Kreidekreis’ into a digital reggae slowburner, while Whodamanny turns Kometenschweif toward indie-kraut-wave bop.

Brainchild of Multi Culti A&R, Sascha Funke and Niklas Wandt were introduced by Dreems, who charted a course for the seasoned Berlin-based producer and funky multi-percussionist and singer.
Wandt was just about to enter the scene forcefully with his collaborative 2LP with Wolf Müller and the debut single of his band Neuzeitliche Bodenbeläge. In the icey cold of his warehouse rehearsal space, Funke had him record a variety of slapped, bowed and scratched percussions (congas, talking drum, prepared cymbals played with a bass bow) over his tracks. These first efforts were later expanded into joint sessions at Sascha's home studio and, within a few weeks, the journey reached it’s destination: Wibe strasse, Deutschland.
At first glance, they seem an odd couple: a techno veteran of almost thirty years meets a side-burned upstart socialized in Free Jazz and Krautrock. But the shared sonic influences come through in the hypnotic, dubbed-out sound, perhaps rooted in the close connection the two share to the Rheinland region in West Germany, Funke as part of the Kompakt family and Wandt by origin and socialization in the Cologne and Düsseldorf music scene centered around the Salon des Amateurs. Regional flavours, global appeal.
Multi Culti, promoting local collaboration, one freaky record at a time.

Youcef Debbihi continues to impress and surprise after already his 3rd volume as Sea of Disillusions. This 4 tracker extends what was already started and established in the previous volumes, expanding his studio excellence into more break beat oriented directions, either at high speed in the form of almost Drum'n'Bass with "k2" or slowed down as a more trip-hop tempo with "Break Whale". B-side slows down to upper 90bpm range of driving rhythm under atmospheric dubby hints of humidity "5deF", and, finalizing with a beatless Ambient mix of "Loon River" which sounds like the slow motion intro to an epic trance anthem that never fully takes off, setting the stage for something heavy to be mixed in. Essential for any reasonable DJ record bag.

Lips & Rhythm Records sail into 2021 with a hot little Balearic number from Bad Kids Beach Club, a new project from Jesse Sizmo & Seb Hall, featuring a bumping remix by Ibiza-based producer Camilo Miranda.

For BiD006 we're very pleased to announce that renowned Artist Matt Sewell has agreed to release his fledgling audio project, Sewell & The Gong on the label.

4 guitar led mystical meanderings and deep meditations of cosmic transcendental psychedelic folk. Matt's acoustic guitar has been a fixture of his studio for many years, although nobody would ever of known as he kept it pretty much to himself. Over the years he developed a self taught, repetitive, finger picked style in hushed tones to not bother anybody. Just a quiet little part of his studio practise, calming looping melodies.

Like his art, his music is very much inspired by nature, earth magic and cosmic wanderings. His 'A Crushing Glow' compilations are pretty much a defining list of inspirations. Never heard by anybody outside of the family home that all changed after Matt started working with Newcastle based multi-instrumentalist, fellow pathfinder and astral traveler Chris Tate. Combining forces Chris helped build a beautiful world for Matt's melodies to wander in, deep and lush and always, always positive.

It only feels right that this music now gets to stretch its legs in the outside world...

2022 repress

Last time we heard from the Growing Bin, Basso sat at the water‘s edge, trousers rolled up, toes in the tide, savouring a Falanghina while Eleventeen Eston went with the wave. Now we move from the shoreline to the ocean shelf, led on an underwater adventure by young Parisian Shelter. Where previous releases have seen the synth-obsessed Frenchman take his inspiration from Caribbean rhythms or Balearic attitudes, this marine missive sees Shelter turn to the lavish world of the library, creating an alternate score to Jean Faurez’ 1960 documentary short.
More submersible than snorkel, our journey begins in the very dark of the deep, mystical harp trills echoing through the inky blackness, picking up the bioluminescent shimmer of an Abraliopsis Squid. Gradually we make our way into the light, cruising past shoals of silver scales and underwater forests. ‚Immersion’ offers a placid, percolating rhythm and billowing pads, providing sonic symmetry for the dancing leaves, while the spheric soundscape of ‘La Vie A L’Ombre’ bubbles away like an underwater volcano. The optimistic ambience of ‘Plenitude Azotee’, brimming with delicate melody and glistening sequences, perfectly captures the wide-eyed wonder of a reef dive, before drifting into the serenity of ‘Parade’, an aquatic acquaintance of A.R.T. Wilson’s ‘Overworld’. A brief foray into shark fin funk sees out the A-side, before we’re back amid the beauty of the ocean floor; ‘Variation Abyssale II’ echoing the album opener but with even more poetry. The exotic and otherworldly sine waves of ‘Dans La Jungle De Varech’ simultaneously sound like a rainforest canopy, alien landscape and coral microcosm, expanding our horizons nicely ahead of the adrenaline rush of ‘Hors D’Haleine’. Shelter then sets us at ease with the tidal tonality and subtle shuffle of ‘Fumeurs Noirs’, a sublime synthetic suite, then leaves us to marvel at the soft focus splendour of ‘Synthii Outro’.
This is Jules Verne by way of Vangelis, just grab your goggles and take the plunge...(Patrick Ryder)