International Feel Uruguay Vinilo y CD

Review: International Feel has been away on what it calls an 'extended meditation' but now, happily, makes a welcome return. And what an album to come back with - Charlie Charlie is the work of Gabriella Borbely, alias Bella Boo, and Jens Resch, better known as Chords. They hail from Stockholm but dreamt this one up in Southern California. And so the music is steeped in hippie sounds, counter culture dreams and beauty pop that transports you to that world immediately. Dreamy and beautiful tracks come thing and fast from the downtempo sounds of 'Nothing Here But You & Me' to innocent Balearic ditties like 'Save Us.'

Review: International Feel kicks off what is presumably a new series given its title, Mediterranean Dreams - Part 1. For it, they turn to Perugia synth obsessive, underground mainstay and fine producer Feel Fly for four tracks of breezy and sunny disco-house chuggers. 'Onironauta' brings retro Italo chords and nice chunky drums, 'Grace In Space' is a leggy cosmic wonder with far-sighted chords and muted acid magic, then 'Mediterranean Dreams' is pure 80s dream house bliss. 'Becalmed' is the most rough edged and analogue house jack track of the lot.

Review: Italian DJ and producer and Afrotemplum co-founder, Feel Fly, revisits the sunned, balearic mood of his childhood on this early-stage career definer of an EP. As a series, 'Mediterranean Dreams' lets the light in on only the haziest of sonic visions, letting in island stenches and coconut skitters between the palms. Everything from dub, ambient, balearic and kraut is here channelled into a realised smattering of deep trance, tittilating the senses with an echoic foray into navel-gazing reverie.

Review: Pop on your space suit and lock in for an intergalactic Balearic ride at the hands of Luca, whose new Terra LP is a terrific trip through the cosmos. This is a second full length from the artist born Francesco De Bellis and it follows on swiftly from his well received Venus EP early in 2022. It's a fr-reaching musical journey with retro-future synths glistening in the solar rays, loose and jumbled drums suspending you amongst the stars and pieces like 'Capitolo 2 Coscienza' with its spoken word elements contouring up the feeling of some mystic ritual dance.

Review: Raf Dug has always been outspoken when it comes to the less favourable aspects of 'the scene' which if course means more eyes are on him when he steps out with new music. Fortunately he has more than enough skills to keep criticism at bay as this new one on the legendary International Feel shows. He kicks off with the epic electronics and dubby rhythms of 'Casita Mas Alta' which unfold over nine fine minutes. After that dancefloor workout comes the blissed out downtempo of 'Cala Vedella', steamy Balearic of 'Las Cicadas' and innocent new age melodic charms of 'Niu Blau.'