Tags: Balearic Disco

Review: Said to be discovered and championed by a young Daniele Baldelli, this track from 1983 has been defined as a cosmic classic. The work of producer Steve Coe and his partner Sheila Chandra as Monsoon, they combined elements of dub, dance and ethnic music, mainly released through their Indipop label. Their mesmerising and majestic track 'The Dream' is featured on this reissue by Emotional Rescue, as well as an edit of original B-side cut 'Meditasian' featuring a sublime sitar solo which will hypnotise you into submission, but cut down by a good 20 minutes compared to the original.

Review: If you have had your ear to the Balearic underground over the summer you might well have heard some high-profile selectors dropping cuts off this latest missive from US label Just What The World Needs. It is another sublime three-tracker that kicks off with the string-laced and upbeat disco delights of the A1. Second up is a much more slow and sensuous sound that sinks you in deep to a beach lounger as the sun fades into the sea and the sky turns flame red and orange. Things pick up again with the third and final cut - a percussive jumble of organic hits and drums overlaid with a heart-melting vocal sample and deft melodic details that drift by like wispy clouds.

Review: Emotional Rescue returns with the third (and final?) King Sporty & The Ex Tras releases with the first ever-official reissue of the highly sought after cult boogie jam Do You Wanna Dance? Coming as remastered vocal and instrumental, plus again featuring a special Discomix, this time courtesy of acid-disco slayer Felix Dickinson.

Appearing shortly after the success of the band's only album, Extra Funky, Do You Wanna Dance? pointed the way forward, moving further from Disco and closer to the rising electro-boogie sounds that were sweeping the dance floors. The confident up / jump electro drum programming, slap bass and trademark Sporty guitar chops are propelled by a monster swamp inducing synth arpeggio that sings the funk electric, while hip-hop-shout-outs ride the rhythm. If the vocals are too much for some, then the original Instrumental (dub) is also included for those just wanting that infectious groove.

As many will recall, Do You Wanna Dance? featured on Felix's "Originals" compilation for Claremont 56 back in 2011, so when the King Sporty reissue project was coming together there was only one name to be asked for the Discomix. With a long history of DJing and music production, as well the man behind the Recycled Records, Fools Gold, Urban Myth and Bastedos labels, as well many, many releases on the long running and aptly titled Cynic Recordings, his remix arrives on point.

Teasingly drawn out, his mix switches back / forth between versions, the interplay between vocals, guitar, bass and electro-glide synths hypnotically building, with Dickinson's deftly dubbing tripping it out, making the title's question irrelevant, as mind and feet involuntarily move.

Review: Downtempo maestro Mudd is back with a new album In The Garden Of Mindfulness on the faultless Claremont 56 label. Coming after years of him working with Benjamin Smith, amongst others, it's his first solo album since 2006. His magical touch has not left him here as he explores dubbed out disco, Balearic, cosmic chill out and layers of alluring instrumentation, some of which is provided by Michele Chiavarini. These are widescreen sounds to get fully immersed in as you gaze on at sun soaked jazz guitars, low-lit synths, gently cascading synths hints of psychedelia, funk and soul. Another timeless and sparkling work from the great producer.

Review: So far spring has been a real wash out here in the UK. As this is typed, the drizzle has been falling non-stop for 12 hours. But as soon as the first few bars of these Flying Mojito Bros Refritos versions of Rudy Norman's 'Bacl to the Streets' play out, our mood is lifted. There is sunshine b the lush keys, warmth in the bass and feel good groove in the gentle rhythms. The original is included and has a more angular and arts feel, while the dub is the most cosmic and rolling of the lot. You can always rely on Ubiquity for some sunny goodness

Review: For his latest outing on the Good Timin' imprint he set up some years back, Jex Opolis is joined by Ian D Knight. The St Louis-based performance artist notably makes his presence felt on "Look At My Car", delivering a vocal inspired by "consumerism and rampant motorism" over the NYC producer's superb, Padlock-inspired, boogie-dub groove. The Compass Point influence also comes to the fore on closer "Guitar Sands", where intertwining guitar and synthesizer motifs stretch out across a Larry Levan-friendly backing track. The EP's other cut, "Rimini Nite", successfully pays tribute to the halcyon days of Italo-disco. It's every bit as thrilling as the rest of this superb 12".

Review: Eight years on from his last After Dark compilation for Late Night Tales, font of all musical knowledge Bill Brewster returns with a fourth instalment. According to the man himself, it's a 'freestyle' selection with 'low and slow' the overriding theme. That loose but logical concept allows Brewster to showcase a diverse range of selections that defy easy categorisation. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, with our current pics including the synth-heavy Balearic voodoo of 'Idle Hours' by Idle Band, the Weatherall-esque chug of Hotel Motel's terrific remix of Jeb Loy Nichols' 'Don't Drop Me', the dub disco-goes-cosmic disco squelch of Ray Mang remixing Khruangbin, the deep synth-pop sweetness of Debbie & The Code's 'Code of Love', a terrific Naill edit of Gilbert O'Sullivan's 'So What', and the deep electro of Carl Finlow.

Review: NuNorthern Soul's 2021 Record Store Day offering is something of a treat. It's a fresh reissue of an impossible-to-find promo 45 first issued to promote Flamenco legend El Turronero's 1980 disco album, EL Hondo. It features two tracks that have long been regular features in the sets of many dusty-fingered Balearic selectors, especially globe-trotting cult leader DJ Harvey. On the A-side you'll find the cosmic, driving, synth-laden brilliance of 'Las Penas (La Cana) - a genuine "everything but the kitchen sink" affair topped off by El Turronero's distinctive vocals - while the more exotic 'Si Yo Volviera Al Nacer', where synths and Sitars accompany the Flamenco-disco grooves, resides on the flip.

Review: Under the Jaz alter-ego, John Zahl has been serving up laidback, Balaearic-minded edits of musical obscurities since the mid 2000s. Initially, that was for Claremont 56 offshoot Sixty Five, but in the last decade he's also appeared on Passport To Paradise, Rotating Souls and, most recently, Pinchy & Friends. Here he returns to the latter label with four more rubs of atmospheric cuts from the dusty corners of his record collection. He begins with the wonderfully throbbing, solo-heavy dancefloor synth-scape of 'Cloud Worship', before successfully tinkering with a tactile, semi-organic proto-house gem on 'Pick a Toy'. Over on side B, 'Puzzle' is a tidy revision of a cosmic-minded, French language Balearic synth-pop gem, while 'Friday Night' is an eccentric, off-kilter slab of new wave disco oddness.

Review: Greek DJ/producer Lex has been part of the scene in his home city of Athens since the dawn of the millennium, though it's only in the last few years that he's focused more on making music. The results of his efforts, which were previously showcased on 12" singles for Leng and Samosa Records, amongst others, have been quietly impressive. His debut album, Waving, continues in the same vein, utilising a pool of musician friends to craft cuts that blur the boundaries between sun-kissed, sofa-friendly Balearic warmth and subtly funk-fuelled, dub disco-framed dancefloor shufflers. The plentiful highlights include the stunning, tropical-tinged opener, 'Punta Allen', the organ-sporting vocal squelch-along 'Window Spells', acid-flecked nu-disco-meets-cosmic disco workout 'Silver Peace' and high-octane number 'Down My Soul'.

Review: Coolly stepping out like a white-suited player on a Miami club strip, the high expectations set by any mention of Italian disco pioneer Daniele Baldelli are easily matched by the opener and title number. And things really only get better from there.
'Massive Birth' is an intelligent, freeform outing on a half-time, DJ Rocca's ever-tight drum programming clearly having some influence on the complex percussive patterns. On the flip, Mind Fair have their way with that original, turning it into a more grounded four-four workout if you listen beyond the top layer of rolls and snare crashes. For many, though, this one will be all about the Warehouse Preservation Society remix of 'Taylorpo', which puts Italo right back at the top of the disco agenda, sounding at once space age yet nostalgic, and unquestionably, unstoppably danceable.

Review: Much time has been spent marking the importance and excellence of some aspects of the Italian dance music story - think the 1980s Italo-disco movement, Baldelli's cosmic disco vibes, and the later Italo-house and Roman techno scenes - but there are still gaps in our knowledge. That's where this compilation from Dualismo Sound and Gabrielle Casiraghi comes in. Devoted to 'Italian dancefloor outsiders', it aims to educate us on some of the overlooked oddities recorded in Italy between 1987 and '94. It more than achieves its aims, delivering a mixture of proto-trance (Cy & Gy), Fairlight-powered instrumental synth-pop (Ubaldo Missoni), druggy Afro-cosmic throb-jobs (Teknoafro), sparkling "Worldbeat" (Bokaye), breakbeat-driven downtempo grooves (Nightmare Lodge), and impossible-to pigeonhole sonic insanity (Zen). A genuine 'must-check'.

Review: Orange Tree Edits are back once again with more of that super fruity dance floor juiciness. Jimmy Rouge is the man at the controls this time and he wastes no time in heading off to the stars with the cosmic disco workout that is 'Bay Leaf' and its stiff retro arps. 'Rounders' sinks into a more laid-back vibe, with late night chords and gently tumbling drum breaks perfect for seaside dancing. 'Night Train' is a real cosmic chugger with spangled synths spiraling round the mix and 'Fever Dream' then locks you into a lush late-night reverie with lo-fi boogie bass.

Review: Prolific American producer Steve Moore served up some low slung retro grooves under the Lovelock alias a decade ago on Prins Thomas' Internasjonal imprint. Burning Feeling receives a much needed second coming on London reissue label Be With, finally appearing on vinyl for the first time with a fresh remaster (supervised by Moore himself) and pressed as a double LP with stylish new black & gold artwork. Bright like neon throughout, with classic (Italo) disco motifs galore and late night boogie-down vibes abound. It's what the label best described themselves as 'the sound of Big Room Smooth' and that's pretty spot on!

Review: Austrian musician and producer Chris Duchatschek had an interesting career during the 1980s, moving from membership of anarchist band Drahdiwaberl (Falco was also a member) to manning the mixing desk on a string of now largely forgotten European pop hits. He also found time to release a handful of singles of his own, 'San Francisco Night' - which Edition Hawara has wisely chosen to reissue - being the best of them. It's a fantastic slab of spacey, star-gazing Balearic synth-pop - the track's White Isle credentials are assured by the seemingly random acoustic guitar jangle sitting in the background - featuring vocal daydreaming about Californian evenings. The flip-side instrumental take is, if anything, even better.

Review: Rose Robinson's debut album as Tigerbalm, 2022's International Love Affair, was a genuinely glorious affair in which she wrapped indigenous instrumentation and all manner of global music influences around grooves rooted in cosmic disco, nu-disco, proto-house, Italo and Balearic beats. This palette of influences once again comes to the fore on this remixed version, which boasts some of her favourite artists rework tracks from the LP. It's all killer, no filler - as the old saying goes - with our picks including Session Victim''s percussive deep house fix of 'Cocktail D'Amore', Isaac Soto's devilishly dubbed-out interpretation of 'La Brisa', a hybrid jazz-funk/Balearic soul re-build of 'Cosmic Camel' by Mystic Jungle, and a predictably proto-house leaning vocal interpretation of 'Tokyo Business' by Andrew Meecham AKA The Emperor Machine.

Review: Daniel Klein aka SIRS impressed us recently with his fine work on Robert Johnson and is now back on his own Sirsounds Records label with a seriously seductive collection of tunes. His The East Is Near EP brings melodies from that faraway land to Balearic beats. The Berlin based talent kicks off with the winky and intricate rhythms of 'Zappelnder Hindu' before 'Treibsand' layers up what sounds like a didgeridoo with loose-limbed drums. The marvelous 'Ocean Dreams' brings upbeat sounds and smart arrangements that are run through with exotic melodies and last of all is a blissed-out instrumental mix of 'Zappelnder Hindu.'

Review: When tasked with compiling his first After Dark compilation for eight years, musical font-of-all-knowledge Bill Brewster decided to go "slow and low", picking an impressively eclectic collection of low-tempo outings old and new. The results are undeniably impressive, with Brewster serving up an entertaining and eye-opening mixture of twinkling, jazz-flecked electronica (T.O.E), synth-laden proto-Balearic dreaminess (Island Band), Weatherall-esque dark disco psychedelia (Brewster's Hotel Motel project remixing Jeb Loy Nichols), squelchy nu-disco deepness (Ray Mang dubbing out Khruangbin), acid-flecked revivalist proto-house (Rhythm Plate), little-known, 80s soul era synth-pop (Debbie & The Code), future Balearic anthems (Nail re-editing Gilbert O'Sullivan), saucer-eyed, piano-sporting space house (Gus Patterson) and ultra-deep electro (Carl Finlow). As usual, Brewster has largely avoided familiar favourites, instead showcasing obscurities that deserve wider attention.

Review: Breakout Balearic beat maker My Friend Dario continues to bring a whole new world of influences to the genre with this expansive new EP on Nunorthern Soul. It follows some fine self-related work as well as EPs on Hell Yeah and packs in plenty of the sun you is often baked in back home in the Sicilian coastal city of Catania. It is there that he can gaze out on the azure blue Ionian Sea and there that he tajes us with these dreamy horizontal grooves, gently rhythms, wispy melodies and far off cosmic pads all enrich the mellow drums.

Review: KC

Review: DJ pioneer and Balearic forefather Daniele Baldelli originally released his Baia Degli Angeli 1977-1978 album way back in 2005 on CD. It has now been pressed to vinyl across a series of different installments and this third part comes on two 12"s. It is jam-packed with rarities and anthems from Baia 77/78 and on the inside cover is the Antibaia strip, a historic comic drawn by Andrew Joseph Corsaletti. Musically it's a dazzling mix of disco, Balearic and smooth sunset sounds that ooze class. Another essential outing from the one and only Daniele Baldelli.

Review: Italy's foremost investigator of 60s and 70s library music and jazz fusion sounds can do no wrong if you ask us. Everything they put out is sumptuous whether it's an old reissue or a new outing. Here we have the pair of bassist Federico Amorosi and keys, synth and programming wizard Valerio Lombardozzi cooking up some brilliant blends of cosmic funk and Italo disco, all with fresh flavours from soundtracks and synthporn from days gone. The A-side is an instrumental with a lush mid-tempo groove and the flip has a more infectious dance sound.

Review: Vienna native Lee Stevens returns to Luv Shack Records for his first solo EP since 2012's 'LUV001', in the meantime exploring a more relaxed sound under his Rising Seed moniker. The opening track 'Right On' creates a sonic universe where Ennio Morricone and John Carpenter have joined forces to make synth-heavy dance music. 'Maskaron' sounds like a full homage to new wave and the obscure side of Italo disco, topped with chanting reminiscent of 1970s western movies. On 'Trippin' On Your Love', Stevens taps into proto-house and synth-dance, complete with arp bass and occasional breakbeats. Track number four, 'Ju Know' features Stevens and long-time collaborator Simonlebon in a moody jam, fit with heavy low-end synths, bittersweet vocal samples, and 80s pop-style piano chords. Finally, the closing track 'Destruction' features tight 808 drums accompanying a dark bassline and eerie vocals, with uplifting synth chords reminding us there is still hope.

Review: Berlin-based Saturns Drive is a project by New Zealand-born DJ and producer Elfy, and is one that takes its cues from a world of early sci-fi, exotica and library music, as well as coming on thick with cosmic disco synthesizers, Italo grooves and lush arps. His latest outing 'Next Stop Nebula' also brings in slide guitars and retro digital synth sounds over the top of rhythms that owe a debt to the 90s. It's a fresh and new sound that makes for expansive, immersive listening and transports you to an imagery, sun-kissed world where gentle grooves like 'Next Stop Nebula' and 'Bride Of Frankenstein' await for a nice laid-back party.

Review: This new one from El Triangulo Records is the debut single from North Satellite's 2023 album, Past Life Half-Lived. It features several different and equally good versions including the original LP vision by the legendary Metro Area man Darshan Jesrani and alternate versions by Eugene Tambourine and Conrad McDonnell of Idjut Boys fame. The 12" is limited to 300 copies and for our money features some of the best cosmic disco and analogue drum grooves we've heard in a while. Of all the highlights, the opening Cosmic Freestyle is the one we love most.

Review: Rocksteady Disco has pressed up another tasty little hand-stamped 7" and it offers up another fine brace of Edits From Detroit on this third volume in the series. Eddie Logix is the man behind the buttons and he kicks off with 'BOSS' which has low-slung guitar sleaze and slow-motion groove rotations topped with sprinklings of percussion, angular rock riffs and guttural vocals. Flip it over and things get more smooth and seductive with 'FMPM' which has a dubbed-out disco feel, subtle cosmic chord work and bouncing bass that will keep any 'floor moving. Another great little 45.