Cosmic | Balearic 154 Items

Mike Paradinas, veteran producer and Planet Mu label owner has written a new album called ‘Grush' and it's full of weird bangers that reclaim the 'dance' part of the woeful term IDM. A back-to-first-principles record, inspired in part by the group of artists IDM was coined for; melodic dance music that didn't come out of urban scenes, but interpreted them from a distance.

The tracks on ‘Grush’ are all road-tested live favorites developed with feedback from Mike's touring partner and visuals guy Mora (Jan Moravec). It's a detailed and energetic journey which replicates the flow of a live gig. A lot of the tracks have been made in hotel rooms in response to shows, ‘Imperial Crescent’ is named after a Japanese Hotel, as is ‘Belvedere’ in Prague, while some tracks such as ‘Hyper Daddy’ were created specifically to play live.

Drums are confidently at the fore here and the album feels like it traces Mike's musical history and interests neatly around his sweetly nostalgic melodies, with atmospheres and structures which twist and turn with a charming softness which contrasts with the tension in the drums. Take ‘Hyper Daddy’s’ spiralling notes and twinkling piano which remind one of early Black Dog or Omni Trio rushing alongside splashy jungle drums, or the aquatic acid footwork of the title track with its drums softly bubbling and kicking. Elsewhere there's territory which harks back to his Tusken Raiders pseudonym, like the heads down Drexciyan funk of ‘Windsor Safari Park,’ which transforms from moody electro into a sunny hardcore track midway. The album is interspersed with Reticulum A, B and C at the start middle and end of the album which suggest a theme which carries across the music in an effortless and joyful way. ‘Grush’ is a strong album that works both for listening and DJing and a great snapshot of where Mike Paradinas musical head is at in 2024.

Pinchy & friends is delighted to present the latest offering from Kaifeng-born and raised, Vancouver-based musician Yu Su. In her first major release of original music since 2021’s acclaimed “Yellow River Blue” LP, Yu Su says elements for the EP began to form during time spent in the deserts of Ojai, California and the fertile coastal areas around her home in British Columbia. Of the new release, Yu Su says the ideas are thanks to “the objects around (colors, reflections of light, wood burning in the fireplace, and material rhyme with the sounds in the room) the desert and valley plants, the ground where citrus grows, and the flood a rainstorm created.” She notes that “the golden earth is the changing point of the matter, earth centers, stabilizes, and conserves, nurtures, and seeks to draw all things together with itself.” Likewise, the four varied pieces of the EP match four very different landscapes: Earth-of-water (Wet/Cold Earth) Earth-of-Fire (Arid/Hot Earth) Earth-of-Metal (Dry/Hard Earth) Earth-of-Wood (Loose-Fertile/Warm Earth). Additional guitar and bass were provided by Scott Johnson Gailey and Aiden Ayers - who also play in Yu Su’s live band. The vinyl release comes on 180g vinyl in a full-colour sleeve by Seoul based Lobde Kim, with OBI Strip.

This is the first album by Yo, an electronic musician who took over the name from the ink painting artist Sesshu Toyo. While carrying a hint of caricatured folk music in the style of the Geinoh Yamashirogumi, Yo seeks something more virtual and sympathizes with the tribal beats radicalized in the background music of video games such as "evergrace" and "garage". At the same time, he was heavily influenced by dub / bass artist such as Goth-trad, and even swallowed the "ska-core" aesthetic of 54-71.

Ylia—aka Susana Hernández—had a remarkably productive 2020. In addition to releasing her debut album, Dulce Rendición, on Barcelona’s Paralaxe Editions, she penned compilation tracks for Lapsus Records, Hivern Discs, and Super Utu/Stars on Earth.

But professional success can be deceiving: The following year was, personally speaking, terrible. Her grandfather died. Her father died. Her cat died. And she ended a relationship. “That’s a lot of things all at once, no?” she says.

Her second album, Ame Agaru, is not necessarily a record of that year, but it is, she says, a response to those life events—a record of grief.

The new album is clearly a continuation of the ambient investigations of Ylia’s debut, but it differs in key ways. Where Dulce Rendición was exploratory and faintly cosmic, Ame Agaru—a Japanese phrase meaning, roughly, “the rain lifts”— captures a melancholy sense of stillness. And where her debut was largely electronic, on the new album, Ylia has folded in a number of acoustic elements, even when they are not recognizable as such. Her partner, Alejandro Lévar, lends fingerpicked acoustic guitar to the glowing dronescapes of “Todos los Cuerpos”; multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Tete Leal adds flutes, clarinet, and soprano saxophone to “Ame Agari”—or “after the rain”—which opens the album with a moment of contemplative calm, the kind that follows an extended deluge.

One track, the dub techno-influenced “Flowers in June,” grew out of Ylia’s live sets, but the rest are the fruit of improvisational sessions at home in Málaga, five minutes from the beach—jamming and then refining, searching for the ideal expression of a feeling as it was first captured. Searching for the spontaneity behind the stillness. In places, Ylia even incorporates piano, an instrument she has played since she was 10, yet has never included on one of her recordings before. For the most part on Ame Agaru, she seeks ways to fuse piano with synthesizers and electronic processes. But on the closing track, “El Único Adiós Posible,” she leaves us alone with the instrument in all its stark, unadorned beauty. It is a profoundly moving conclusion to an album defined by its economy of means and purity of expression: a cycle

Yetsuby lands on London label Third Place with her 'Water Flash' EP this July. Seoul-based artist Yetsuby is best known as one half of electronic super-duo Salamanda, who have won hearts and minds with their light and floaty new-age electronica via releases on Good Morning Tapes, Human Pitch, and Métron Records. As a solo act, she has released her own music on the Taipei-based 禁 JIN as well as through the Seoul store The Internatiiional amongst self-released delights on her Bandcamp. Turning to Will Hofbauer's playful Third Place imprint for her latest 12', Yetsuby delivers four bubbly tracks. On the A-side, the title cut 'Water Flash' leads with airy synths and textured percussion, while 'Electro Union' ups the energy with choppy vocal samples, punchy drums, and twinkling arps. On the flip, subtle synths wriggle alongside low-key percussion on 'Commercial Noisy Day', making for a heads-down affair, before the gorgeous finalé '물먹는하마' rounds out the B-side with delicate keys and detailed yet muted drums.

King Of Blue by Yes Indeed sees Laurie Tompkins and Otto Wilberg take their eclectic stance on cosmic jazz and electronics to further uncharted and dreamlike territory, encompassing a unique logic of what is harmoniously absurdist.

King of Blue by Yes Indeed sees members Laurie Tompkins and Otto Willberg further dive into their melismatic take on cosmic jazz and new electronics, by way of their highly eclectic and at times nonsensically sensical modus operandi. Their work is defined by an eloquent flurry of ideas, spheres, and signifiers, creating a musical universe of surprising longevity and depth. Treating musical convention with gentle disdain, Yes Indeed take on a variety of genres and moods and switch them around into a beautifully melismatic and dreamlike state of being. King Of Blue is a mini- album of fragmented beauty and warmth. It puts the illogical center stage and gives space to abruptly miniaturist musical ideas, allowing them to take on a meaning bigger than one would expect. It is cosmic music for modern times. A brazen descent into the execution of a fundamentally diversified musical stance.

'Yes Indeed' are Laurie Tompkins & Otto Willberg. Live, they play keys, bouncy bass and sing over tactile, emotive samples. Their music is epic and also somehow wrong, with space for delicacy, straight-up joy and soaring licks. Since 2022’s ‘Rotten Luck’ - their first proper album, on Bison - YI have played across the UK and Europe. Solo, Laurie co-ran the Slip label and has put out CDs on Entr’acte, 33-33 and Hyperdelia. Otto is a roaming bassist in groups like Historically Fucked and Abstract Concrete and his LP of “wildly singular, wickedly trippy and sensual set of fusion jams” (Boomkat) was recently out on Black Truffle.

The Wrekin Crew is back for a seance outing on the peerless Is It Balearic? This new offering rather continues where the first one left off with two tracks of immersive sonics for sunny days. First up is 'Vapour Trails' which melds lush Italo disco melodies and nice emotinoal pop of the sort you would expect to hear in this duo's DJ sets. Goldsuite also step up with a remix to smooth the edges and lay down moon-lit Balearica then closer 'Broken Wings' has more meaningful vocals but this time over grooves more suited to a late-night setting. Cosmic arps finish it in style with plenty of dubby undercurrents.

Originally digitally released February 11, 2023 and now on vinyl for the first time, 'How To See Through Walls' by Windows 96.

Metropolis; a powerful song addressing city inequalities and their impact on youth. It's a call for freedom, criticizing large corporations. The lyrics remind us of our basic human needs, while the smooth music eases the despair about environmental issues. Despite being recorded over forty years ago, the message feels relevant today, as we continue to struggle with harmful capitalism.

Originally part of a 1975 charity compilation LP raising money for environmental charities in California, which later became a collectors artifact changing has for silly money (which didn’t fit well with the Déjà vu kid team), so this Balearic nugget, the crown jewel of this album, was released on 7”…There is no better way to share it again than on it’s own 45 inch release at a fair price.

Moonboots, Danny Psychemagik, Spruzzi Monorecords, Micky Browne, Paul Hillery are just a selection of names who have championed this track from this great album and now we can reshare it with you in this first time format.

Artwork redesigned by GNB Studios.

Synth pioneer and musical polymath, Wally Badarou is a genius. But you know that already. A vinyl version of his majestic Colors Of Silence has been craved by the Balearic cognoscenti ever since its low-key 2001 release. Indeed, when we first started work on Be With, we asked some pals with exquisite taste what their dream release would be. We asked Balearic legend Moonboots and, without hesitation, he said Colors Of Silence by Wally Badarou. We didn't know Wally had made this album. And most still don't. But that's about to change.

Colors Of Silence is ostensibly a new age album. As ever though, Wally's sophisticated synth textures and expressive keyboard runs are so full of character, so full of life, that this work of art transcends any easy genre categorisation. It's simply stunning, throughout. It sounds like A.r.t. Wilson or Suzanne Kraft, with traces of Cfcf and Jonny Nash. But it was made a good decade earlier than the work of these modern giants. Sometimes, it doesn't seem far from some Larry Heard albums.

Island Records founder Chris Blackwell's friend Nathalie Delon asked Wally to provide music for the yoga DVD she was to release. Lack of time on both sides made them agree on using "quality demos" Wally had in his ideas bank. It's understandable why Colors Of Silence remains somewhat of a lost gem. As Wally explains: "Total lack of promotion made it an 'intimate' release, which was exactly what I was looking for: just a buzz-maker and time-buyer that would allow me to concentrate on the real thing as soon as I'd have time, which could also turn into a rare collecting item later, once the final versions made their way to success. You never know."

Over the years, Colors Of Silence has become a true cult record for the ambient/Balearic heads.

The beguiling but brief "Dance In The Dust" is the shuffling, hyper-percussive, hypnotic opener. It gives way to the deep serenity of "Amber Whispers". It's a gliding, divine, mini melodic masterpiece. It'll make you swoon in its extreme beauty. The bright and breezy "Where Were We" follows, a tropical, reggae-tinged bounce through the islands.

The uptempo groove is maintained on the keys-drizzled soca-funk of "The Lights Of Kinshasa" before Side A is rounded out with "Pictures Of You". It starts with stately, melancholic, unadorned piano and this alone would make for a beautiful song. But Wally always gives us that bit extra and he effortlessly introduces warm, dreamy pads and minimal, slo-mo percussion to augment a frankly stunning piece of work.

Ushering in Side B, Wally's mesmeric piano playing is to the fore again, in the intro to uber-chilled "Serendipity For Two". The playing becomes more mellifluous as the track progresses and adds warmth through exotic percussion, woodwind, sweeping synths and digi-drums. It has echoes of, er, Echoes. It segues seamlessly into the more propulsive, wavy "Smiles By The Millions". If you're not nodding and grinning along widely to the gently throbbing bassline underpinning this, we can't help you. The meditative "Higher Still" follows, cinematic in feel and ever so slightly sinister with the strings. It sounds particularly Badalamenti-esque, if you ask us.

That unmistakable, almost peculiar Badarou funk - so lyrical, so texturally rich and so rhythmically spacious - is all over "Oriental". Next up, "Days To Wonder" brings the serenity back, insistent yet melodic keys, as if played in a place of worship, coupled with birdsong, conjure a kind of instant nostalgia for halcyon days of youth. The contemplative "Dawn Of Europa" is a sombre, beatless, ambient journey whilst the glorious, too-brief "Crystal Falls" features soft percussion and sparkle before fully glistening with some gentle head-nod beats. Wally brings this incredible collection to a mellow, tender close with the graceful "Purple Lines".

There can be few artists more under-appreciated given their vast influence than Wally Badarou. His solo work practically defined the sound of the Balearic DJs of the 1980s, and thus the more sophisticated sound of dance culture thereafter. A synth specialist, Badarou was the long-time associate of Level 42. He was one of the Compass Point All Stars (with Sly and Robbie, Barry Reynolds, Mikey Chung and Uziah "Sticky" Thompson), the in-house recording team of Compass Point Studios responsible for a series of albums in the 1980s recorded by Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, Mick Jagger, Black Uhuru, Gwen Guthrie, Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Isaacs. Badarou's keyboard playing could also be heard on albums by Robert Palmer, Marianne Faithfull, Herbie Hancock, M (Pop Muzik), Talking Heads, Manu Dibango and Miriam Makeba. He also produced Fela Kuti. Phew!

Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland. Special thanks must go to Apiento from Test Pressing who first introduced us to Wally and facilitated all those early zoom meetings. It couldn't have happened without his help. Not least on pulling the art together, too, which features striking original photography by Mads Perch. Benji Roebuck of Roebuck Press did his thing brilliantly in art working the whole package to completion. All in all: essential.

Walls & Birds‘ debut on the Berlin label Beatbude! Recorded with the aid of “The Whitest Boy Alive” keyboarder Daniel Nentwig at the local Butterama Recording Center, the vinyl is accompanied by a fold-out poster and a digital bonus track. Much like their previous releases, “Less than a kilometer away” is Walls & Birds’ new take on popular music today. The first song “Wearing a Dress” touches on the theme of modern clothing habits, while questioning relationship patterns still widespread in popular music lyrics. The surprising element of new found love is also one of the themes of the B-side “Heads & Tales”, telling the story of a late night after work taxi ride with the chorus contemplating about the eternal either or question, plainly answered with: love. The cheerful upbeat digital bonus track “Summer 2002” is as meaningless as most nice pop songs these days.

Viscardi & Il Duo Magnetico is the collaborative project between italo-swiss DJ, producer and singer Pascal Viscardi, Yavor Lilov and Alain Sandri, respectively drummer and percussionist of the swiss cult band L’Éclair. The three musicians joined forces in Geneva and worked in the studio for the past two years with Viscardi as the main vocalist, Lilov producing the tracks and playing drums, bass and keys, and Sandri on guitar, percussions, and backing vocals. The result is a unique and contemporary version of italian pop, peppered with new-wave, boogie, disco and world music references.

After the release of the first two singles, Sale Sole & Jamba Club in June 2023, Cosmic Romance is proud to present their first full-length effort: Elka Mare.

Like a mystical portal that opens on a digital journey through sunny Boogie and Mellow Reggae, Art Pop and Ambient New Age, the eight songs that make up the album draw on a vocabulary composed of fragmentary images, unusual verses and original assonances, where maritime themes mix with the gray of the city and the Neapolitan dialect sparsely appears; witness to a paternal emigration. The journey sounds like dreaming of Campania beaches in the midst of Geneva traffic, or fantasizing about speeding motorboats and Balearic bonfires while listening to Enzo Carella on the sixth floor of a council building. And then dance until the sun rises on the last slow song of the night.

For its first release, Tiella Sound has chosen Perugia-born DJ and producer Daniele Tomassini, already known for his records under the Feel Fly moniker, this time with the first LP by his alter ego Vaisa. This work consists of unreleased tracks composed between 2014 and 2016, during an intense creative period that saw him involved in more experimental and alternative projects such as Palenque Pacaltrio and Wunder Cameraduo.

“Vaisa is a dense, raw, evocative project. A lo-fi maelstrom of field recordings, sound collage, mysterious vocal samples from ancient cultures, obscure rhythms and layered tribal percussions, ambient clouds, dub echoes, with the martial tolling of the kick drum beating out the slow electronic ritual” (Caveargento): a deep and timeless journey, ready to drive all the lovers of the most abstract and primitive sounds into ecstasy.

The idea of the project was to reconstruct a different perspective of Tribal Italia, an imprint set in 1995 in Riccione. The label recollected the attitude of the Afro/Cosmic djs of the region like Meo, Fary, Fattori and Brahms that created a distinctive "world-sound trademark" in whole Italy and Europe (as seen lately in the Austrian experiments of Stefan Egger). There was a side of the label that was clearly influenced by the "heavy-sample" culture of Hip-Hop and, especially, by what was going on in the UK where groups like Transglobal Underground and Loop Guru were creating a new identitarian imagination. These influences gave birth to a suggestive selection of the best breaks of the Tribal Italia catalogue.

Invisible Inc is back with another remarkable release, this time diving even further into ambient, spiritual and folk-infused psychedelia.

“Mondo Organico”, as the name suggests, is a concept compilation that captures the “organic” side of Invisible Inc. The use of non-electronic instrumentation is a familiar theme explored by the label previously with the likes of Komodo Kolektif, Immaculate Rivombo and Peter Power...but this time the instruments and voices, tranquil and meditatively hypnotic in places, display an even deeper spirituality. Featuring the talents of Andi Otto and his fello (electronic cello), Anna vs June's ethereal vocals, Tyler Ov Gaia's zoned-out mantra rhythms, Pieter Kock's 8-minute bass and guitar psych odyssey, as well as label favourites Sordid Sound System and Puma & The Dolphin, the record is enthralling and mesmerizing from start to finish - and yet another notch in Invisible Inc's rather idiosyncratic belt.

This record was pressed on eco vinyl. Everything from the sleeve to the inks are recycled too, in an attempt to address some the environmental issues we face today, albeit fractionally. “Mondo Organico” is the future.

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

The hottest 1980?s cosmic italo disco songs from the Czech national music archive bundled on one album.

This one has been in the works for quite some time. A statement compilation showing what Full Circle is about, paying homage to the very roots of psychedelic dance music. A little town in India, which was a haven to a bunch of hippie outcasts, was throwing freeform outdoor parties since the day those freaks put their flag down. What was once a gathering around live music blew up into a rave as electronic music started to appear, paving the way to what would eventually become Goa Trance.

Full Circle, the duo project of Alexis Le-Tan and Joakim, started 10 years ago when Alexis accidentally discovered that some of his old Goa Trance records he was about to sell sounded great when played at the wrong speed : 33rpm instead of 45rpm. He called his long-time friend and collaborator Joakim to work on edits of those tracks that became the sound signature of this DJ duo : a slow, heavy and trippy sound that would eventually infiltrate the fringes of the underground club scene via like-minded DJs such as Vladimir Ivkovic, Jane Fitz, Ivan Smagghe and many more.

10 years later and a bunch of releases and remixes behind them, Full Circle decided to tell the story of how this Goa sound came to life. At a time when Trance has made a major

comeback and infiltrated pretty much all the sub-genres of club music, it felt right to look back at where it all started - going full circle, when Trance was not Trance, Goa was not Goa but the seeds of tripped out dance music were being sown.

After all, there are countless compilations about Balearism, the Italian Cosmic scene,The Loft, The Paradise Garage etc but none about the roots of this Goa sound.

This is a compilation of the best tunes played by the pioneer Goa DJs like Laurent, Goa Gil, Mike Maguire amongst others, between the late 80s and early 90s. Proto House, New Beat, early Techno, Industrial, with a distinct psychedelic tone, a few arpeggios here and there, acid lines, chopped up vocals, all elements of what would later constitute a genre of its own.

This beautifully packaged compilation includes liner notes by Tom Colebrooke and excerpts from Tom and Alexis’ interview of Mike Maguire of Juno Reactor fame, one of the pioneers of Goa Trance.

Check the liner notes for more info about the early Goa history !

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.

12" compilation with new tracks by Eoism, Voertuig, Colkin and a lost gem by Peter Seiler featuring Sheryl Hackett. Picture sleeve with a bold artwork based on a sculpture by Hede Bühl. Limited to 500 copies.

Label text:

"Colkin (Raw Soul, Mauke Club) kicks off the a-side with a spheric acid house meditation. Next is a track by Peter Seiler which could be found on the extended reissue of his 'Flying Frames' debut LP on Innovative Communication in 1989. It features the soulful voice of Sheryl Hackett. An extraordinary groover that is meandering between song and jazz improvisation. Eoism (Pulse Drift, Undersound, Inch By Inch) complete the a-side with some low-swung electro flavors, driving you straight into sunset.

On the b-side Voertuig (Tonal Oceans, Cobra Club) hit us with a serious and raw acid jam - dark and dirty. On the following track they show us their experimental jazzy side and cool things down again. A track the 1990s downbeat era was missing. Eoism close the first volume of Futur with a floating, futuristic banger from their lab.

Benedikt Meger's aspiration for funkscapes was always to feature funk grooves, old and new, fresh and relevant for today. Whether some rare, not so rare or just under the radar recordings from the past or new productions from today's artists across different electronic genres. This idea now culminates into the selection for the compilation Futur.

Enjoy the ride."

File Under Balearic Gabba EP is the first in a new series of serious DJ tools that will encompass remixes, edits, originals and licenses, all with artwork that is a twist on the original Balearic Gabba logo by PlanetLuke. Up first is a new selection of music from core Hell Yeah artists that is unruly, impossible to define, and sure to twist dance floors inside out. First up is Daniel Klein better known as Sirs, a Berlin-based mainstay with releases on the likes of Live At Robert Johnson. His cut of 'Super Rapido' is a dubbed-out blend of kosmiche chug and tropical percussion. Tumbling synth sequences bring extra colour as the groove builds over nine irresistible minutes. Then comes Japanese downtempo master Calm with his Mellow Mellow Acid Dub of Sergio Messina & The Four Twenties's 'Sometimes' which is a nostalgic acid daydream and the perfect sunset soundtrack. Melancholic moods and lazy drums sink you in deep as the gentle acoustic guitars keep you afloat. Label regular and Internasjonal and International Feel associate Feel Fly then comes through with an Estatico Danzante Remix of Pedro Bertho's 'Tornei' feat Mariana Gehring and takes us to the stars on twinkling keys, dusty breakbeats and steamy, worldly vocals that glow as warm as a setting sun. Last of all is New York maestro and Loose Control Band member DJ Spun with his It's Rong Remix of My Friend Dario's 'Acid Mosquito in a Summer Night'. It finds him serving up a nine-minute excursion into jungle humidity with tribal percussion and jumbled bongos all run through with a spooky and primeval lead synth over lurching drum breaks.

The File Under Balearic Gabba EP brings a whole new dimension to wonky dance floor workouts.

20/20 Vision and Crazy P continue their long and fruitful relationship with a fourth volume of carefully curated and super-fresh new cuts as part of this fine ongoing series. Scandi-disco don Ray Man opens up with typically lush cosmic melodies and loose-limed nu-disco beats with more than a hint of funk. Tigerbalm then heads into a tropical oasis with 'Cosmic Union' (feat Joy Tyson) which has Afro rhythms and steamy vocals bringing the heat. Ruf Dug shows his multi-genre chops again with 'Vape Quarter Rhythm' which is part proto-house cut and part dreamy Italo bliss out with rave whistles and hands-in-the-air chords. Ibiza's Tuccillo closes out with one of his signature Balearic gems in 'Siroco', which is as breezy and carefree as cocktails by the sea at sundown.

Secrets Of Sound sold out their first release in quick fashion and now they return with a second instalment in the Exotic Origins series, designed to take you a million light years away from your current reality and deep into the far depths of space with eight superbly cosmic explorations of ambient and downtempo magic. Italians Do It Better man Johnny Jewel kicks off with some sultry sax-laced sounds, David Lynch's musical partner Dean Hurley crushes on shimmering pads and Pye Corner Audio bring a little intergalactic tension. Elsewhere there are sugary synths from Legowelt, suspensory pads from TM Solver and plenty more to help you escape to another dimension. Add to that the fact it arrives on a random variety of different vinyl colours and comes with a download code, and you've got rather a nice package.

The various artists alternative sound concept (ude001) is the first reference, presenting a variety of styles and sounds which represents a sound personality from a listening point. These artists residing in Malaga, Madrid and Barcelona have participated with the first project to give the presentation. -Caradusanto, multidisciplinary artist includes “Semillas” made with analog modular and ramdomized sequences. -Dark Vektor, a pioneer in the electro scene, surprises us with “En Mitg De L’Espai”, sounds that are unusual for him and keeping the same relationship with his clarity when hearing it, sung with his native linguistics and message inside. -Intervalo, shows us a B side where the broken rhythm predominates, its harmonic essence and melody continues to be its identification, we talk about “Solitude”. -Guillermo Garate, innovates with electro sounds achieving the same thing, another B side of this artist “Larga”. -Tio solo by habit in its production slides on synthesizers and analog drum machines, thus achieving “Dark Fluid” an accelerated drum & Bass rhythm differentiated from it with atmospheric and acid pads.

Emotional Response returns with a second volume of its All Trades compilation which is named after its own NTS show. It is just as vast both in terms of style but also the eras it spans with a mix of dub, new wave, slow motion electronics and plenty in between. Tolouse Low Trax kicks off with the filthy dirty and seriously heavy dub glitch of 'Ossia' to provide an early highlight before the likes of Al Wootton get percussive and tribal with 'Altai' and Hlm38 channels some African Head Charge on another devastating dub cut. Later on, London's Good Block brings a little more light and sunshine with their lovely 'Strong Relax.'

You can never really pin down what the excellent Emotional Repose label does and that is exactly the sinking behind the title of its superb All Trades show on NTS. The sheer eclecticism of that show is now reflected in this new two-part compilation, also called All Trades, which offers up little morsels of what they do, something like a sonic tasting menu at a fancy restaurant. There is chugging electronic dub from Apiento & Tepper, industrial clatter from Black Bones, cosmic ambient breakbeat from Paperclip Minimiser and blissed out dub from Yamila & SoFa Elsewhere amongst many more highlights.

Tooflie keeps up deep-vein research instinct to remake and remodel the hidden gems of the worldwide archive quirks to tomorrow's dancefloor. Label's best-kept secret anonymous producers return with a highly anticipated funk-driven four-tracker voyage to pan-Asian crates, from Bollywood to China with a journey to Uzbekistan and Southeast Asia. They're here to take you on a gleeful joyride around their collective musical imagination: the A side sweeps in with a hypnotic feel via psychedelic swells, tension-building textures, and a bumpy, hardy rhythm, while the next cut is softening sharp edges of Bollywood original and adding sophisticated melodic expression into dancefloor territory. Do the flip to find two more bright refixes' of Chinese and Uzbekistan tunes. The bubbling 303-driven rhythms of the 'b1' are packed with sleazed-up keys, thumping bass injections, and resonant chants. The latest cut goes full-on ecstatic disco mode and finishes the release with a clean, floor-filling edit of a rare uplifting slice of Uzbekistan's celestial magic. Vinyl-only and in a very limited quantities as usual!

After the test pressings mysteriously vanished on the Victoria line, the brothers Bend return triumphantly with their second outing on the fledgling Benders imprint. Bndrs002 has been timed to mark the quadrennial celebrations of leap day on the 29th of February and represents their most bent work to date. ‘Rip It Off’ and ‘How’s Your Father’ both chug along at a lazy pace that only the chief benders themselves could get away with. Once again, you have familiar melodies delivered with a twinkle in their eye and a side of acid filtered squelch. Perfect for the last song of the night or first song of the morning.

Type-303 returns to ProForm Series with a blast! This four tracker offers something for everyone. A-side starts with a solid acid banger named “Abso-Funking-Lutely!”. Second take on A-side is “Bad Moms”, a nice percussive track to make every dancefloor to jack. On B-side the mood goes to late 80’s/early 90’s italohouse-balearic-flute-Ibiza style with a track named “Midnight Sun”. This is pure niceness with everything essential in right place showcasing the talent of Type-303. The record ends with Kalle Karvanen remix of “Midnight Sun” which replaces flutes with saxophones and adds more acid into mix. Limited to 200pcs handnumbered copies as always. No digital, no represses, so buy it now or regret when it’s gone.

Here is another mystery from the universe comming straight out from London! Popping up from nowhere, don’t expect any infos about the person behind, it’s a very well kept secret… actually Tutu Ta reached us by telepathy to propose this sensationnal album for Macadam Mambo. A concentrate of punkish dubby tunes combining ruffness, deepness, darkness, light, humour and serious vocals on very heavy beats and supa loud basslines. It’s raw but so gracefull in the meantime, 12 tracks, 47 min of pure bliss that won’t leave you on your knees, grab it fast it’s high demands style of music 

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.

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.

This release is 3xLP and it's individually 1000 hand-numbered limited edition. The first 200 copies are pressed on BLUE TRANSPARENT vinyls (AR012). It's dedicated to the Organic / Meditative / Groovy 1992 Japanese release, with all the ORIGINAL tracks, contained both in the CD and in the now so rare 12"" + 4 SPECIAL REMIXES from Japanese men, none than... Kuniyuki, Chee Shimizu (Organic Music), Max Essa and Tadashi Yabe (U.F.O.). Archeo Recordings is a reissue record label that regenerates old, lost, obscure (and forgotten) rare gems of Italian music of the 70s and 80s, and not only. 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 Colored Vinyls.

Beyond Paradise returns with a sumptuous slice of tripped out business from the mind of Richard Hardcastle aka Solid State, complete with two stunning remixes from Richard Sen and The Veteran Delinquents. Over 35 years in the game, as a club DJ, radio presenter and producer since the late ‘80s, Richard Hardcastle is a true veteran of the scene and certainly knows a thing or two about what works on the dancefloor. ‘Seven More Minutes Of Funk’ delves into the psychedelic side of his production with a club-ready cosmic stomper complete with twisted guitars, hypnotic synths and wall shaking bassline. ‘Rhodes To Nowhere’ is more beachside than basement, a funked up retro electro cut with dazzling keys, ‘80s snares and a serious shot of feel-good flare. On the flip, the title track gets the remix treatment from Richard Sen and The Veteran Delinquents, the former warping the original into an EBM powerhouse whilst the later turns into an end of the night, electro-infused chugger.

Soffplaneten is a Swedish band mixing genres like prog rock, funk, downtempo and kraut. Opening track 'Nile Beach Dub' is a dub downtempo groove followed up by a more wistful slo-funk 'Kom till mitt tält' with Swedish vocals with more kraut feel and spacy synths taking over on 'Höga mamma moln'. Samlar Damm is their second full length album and their first release on Sunken Rock.

Fake Yourself is an act of revolt as much as it is a celebration of life and an expression of human alienation. As usual in most of his work, soFa here reflects contrasts and contradictions as our existence so often does. It’s about sadness and joy, ups and downs and the fine line which connects them to tell a story. Fake Yourself comes as a spontaneous output of an artist escaping a scene of which the constant superficiality is unavoidable. Mistakes and wrong production with a strong DIY flavor are a conscious choice to not lose the spontaneous feeling which defines these recordings. A pure and direct self, exploring a realm of sound with sharp curiosity, emotion and humour. Where simplicity and complexity marry. This album is a good example on how some of the most authentic musical explorations are the most personal ones. soFa leaves all boundaries behind and let many of his influences confluence. Unconsciously or not, traces of IDM, Disco, New Beat, Dub and mostly Krautrock cross heavenly paths, followed by ironic and confronted vocals and his hypnotic signature basslines. Everything seems to make sense, to fill the chapters of an adventurous short novel.

What makes Fake Yourself remarkable is not the deep blend of genres, but the definition of one man shaping and finding his authentic sound. Killing boundaries to create this journey in his very own "style-no-style".

All tunes were improvised, recorded and arranged within 10 days in a wooden cabin, isolated in the middle of the nature in Alentejo/Portugal in 2022. This album was not meant to happen and one can strongly feel its spontaneous soul. No overdubs.

Cafe Del Mar chill out classic classic from 1992. Tap into your subconscious and conquer anything with these 4 different mixes featuring the voice samples of new age hypnotist Barry Konicov, known for an outstanding proclivity towards not paying Federal Tax in the US, but also for being the founder of Potentials Unlimited, a self-help hypnotism program that became especially popular in some circles during the 80s and 90s. From beat less ambient excursions to rhythmic drum samples these mixes explore modern Balearic themes in different ways - take a trip.

After his recent release on Robert Johnson, Daniel Klein aka Sirs returns to his own Sirsounds Records imprint serving up more sumptuous original compositions on the searingly good ‘The East Is Near EP.’

The Berlin-based musical polymath Sirs (Sounds in Real Stereo), and his project has won over an abundance of admirers across the dance underground in recent years. He's produced and remixed for benchmark labels including Public Possession, Live at Robert Johnson, Compost, Future Disco, and Music for Dreams, and has been drafted to remix artists as diverse as 2raumwohnung and Ennio Morricone. His latest release arrives on the label he launched in 2017 to provide a home for his effervescent output.

On ‘The East Is Near’ Klein has elegantly produced and cleverly arranged spicy and exotic cuts for different moments of the dance, however they all have something in common – an Eastern touch. Teaming up with Berlin master musician Declan McDermott, the captivating tracks have already done some damage and noise on dancefloors around the world.

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'.

Earthly Measures' second vinyl release of the year sees them team up with the talented & mystical producer & multi-instrumentalist Sidirum - bringing you Balearic & Downtempo flavours from Argentina - sounds that haven’t always been associated with his style. An EP that fills you with euphoria & nostalgia, trying to find those sounds that can take you to another time just by listening to them - as he puts it, "rhythms from the past". For Sidirum this release is about the beauty of chance. Samples that he has found from near & far over many years of producing finally find a home. 'Donde' in particular is a special track, he says "it is the track where I found my voice again. I have not used it in a song for almost 10 years." 'Ex-Plane' is heavily influenced by his love for Reggae, which runs throughout the whole track. 'Total Interior' is a perfect dance-floor ready track - with the help of multi-instrumentalist Pedro Alvide, the track builds a musical progression that dives into perfect sunset vibes with uplifting energy - ready for a peak time festival set. After a number of other releases, 'Iris' is an EP where Sidirum feels that he has finally found himself again musically. In a way it's a summary of the places he’s been in the past, intertwined with his ideas in the present, making for a truly unique & pleasant listening experience.

After "Il Mare Di Fronte", Flankup Recordings returns with its second album release “Sidi Bou Said” which presents another substantial 5-track EP composed and produced by Paolo Russi (Discojuice) and Marco Lanfranchi (Indy). Harnessing both disco and Afro Balearic beats, the record will be released both on vinyl and in digital versions and will feature a dynamic remix of the track El Haouharia by none other than Byron The Aquarius titled “Late nite Dub”.

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.

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...

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.

In times where fantasy worlds seem in danger of extinction, Saturns Drive created his own. ‘Next Stop Nebula’ combines oceanic slide guitars, early synth digitalism and 90s-inspired inspired rhythms to get any sailors ship sailing. The result is a fearless space where machines and guitars come together in a psychedelic pop meltdown. Saturns Drive is a Berlin-based music project created by Elfy, a producer and DJ from New Zealand who draws inspiration from early sci-fi, exotica and library music, cosmic disco synthesizers, italo grooves and arpy electronics. He has recently been featured on the track "Parallel Panorama" by Saeko Killy and performs regularly along with other artists of the Berlin music scene.

Ruutu Poiss with his second album “ii” after his 2021’s debut full length “Palav Aed“, a welcome return to Wake Dream. Recorded in a concentrated period of time during the dark winter days of late 2022 and early 2023, “ii” now finds it’s way to the public’s ears in the brighter days of the year.

An album as conceptual as it is emotional, with feelings of transformation and dreaming, hope and arrival, and an aesthetic that is both cinematic and hypnagogic, nostalgic and futuristic, it turns contradictions into harmonies, brings together the dark and the light, spinning and whirling freely around a steady core.

Recorded mainly with one synth and a collection of old drumcomputers, Ruutu Poiss once again shows his futuristic sonic virtuosity within the boundaries of a compact studio setup.

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."

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!

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.

"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."

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.

For their 35th release Left Ear returns to the archives of Spanish Musician Jesús Mª Catalán and his project Respuesta Alternativa, or the Alternative Response. Unlike his previous release, the tracks from this compilation were not released at the time and the tapes only found recently, which had been lying dormant in a shoebox since their creation from the period 1987-1990. When not on the road working as a sound technician,

Jesús continued to craft atmospheric tracks in the quiet of his bedroom and later finished productions with the assistance of long-time collaborator Julián C. Pérez. Together, they captured simple themes, with the sound evolving over time. Transitioning from guitars, they incorporated vocal samples to weave enduring musical tapestries. Given Jesus’ geographic location (Spain) and the atmospheric down-tempo nature of the music, we wondered if the ‘balearic’ sounds had played a part in his productions. Jesus explains that “the distinction in the Balearic and Asturias Islands is marked by the different character of its people and the incidence of the weather, where the sea influences the Mediterranean Sea of the Balearic Islands is a calm sea. The Cantabrico de Asturias Sea is stormier”.

As a proud Asturian, Jesús was influenced by and payed homage to his surroundings, with lush breezy passages echoing calm ocean days and others reflecting sudden turns in conditions, weaving a stormier, more confronting layer into his already distinct sounds.