Juno Recommends Balearic / Downtempo: November 2022

Review: Fred Again seems to be one of the most talked about artists of the year. Part of that centers around the astonishing Boiler Room set he served up, but also plenty of credit is due for the music he makes. A lot of that is summed up here on Actual Life 3, the third installment of his series after the previous two back in 2021 and recent collabs with the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Future. It shows off his mastery of a range of different sounds and scenes across 13 fun and fresh tunes that are backed with emotive beats and catchy hooks as well as some standout vocals.

Review: More than 25 years after the American electronic duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton first started out, interest in their music remains high. As such a slew of their albums are getting the full reissue treatment on gatefold and limited edition vinyl. Next up is this one, their debut studio album from 1996. Guest vocals include Pam Bricker - who went on to appear on more albums after this one - and Bebel Gilberto and samples include Kool and the Gang and Cal Tjader's "Samba Do Suenho". The album performed well and set the band on the road to success which they enjoyed for many years after.

Review: Thievery Corporation are well named for a trip-hop band, because as we all secretly know, property is theft, and corporations are thus the ultimate thieves of our time. 'The Mirror Conspiracy' is an important album, as it is a true relic of 1990s trip-hop that not only captures a highly important and anti-establishment sound - it also asks a deep existential question of self, summarized as 'The Mirror Conspiracy'. Sonically, tracks like 'Lebanese Blonde' and 'Samba Tranquille' are superficially quiet-storm cafe music, but there's a deeper subversion between the beats.

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: This collection of ten very classy sounding Balearic pop songs actually consists of unreleased material from 1989-1991, a fact you'd never have guessed from merely listening to it. Brenda is a UK based singer and producer, and during the 80s frontperson of Brenda and the Beachballs (whose 'Theme From A Tall Dark Stranger' makes a return in a new form here), and the palate of influences does revolve around the best the decade had to offer - Grace Jones, ZTT, Roxanne Shante and early St Etienne are all echoed - plus a touch of the plundering DIY sample spirit (see 'Tequila Sam') that also powered that era. Exquisite listening that doesn't let its sophistication distract from a gentle sense if adventure and charm.

Review: If you'd danced under the stars at Amnesia in Ibiza in the summer of 1990, there's a fair chance you would have heard Bianca Binky's 'Tabu', which remains a contender for the title 'most Balearic house record ever made'. That's certainly what NuNorthern Soul boss Phil Cooper thinks, because he went to great lengths to do this fully remastered reissue. Wisely, he's chosen to present both the original mix and the acid bass-propelled 'House Mix' on side A, with a brand-new extended edit of the sought-after 'Caribbean Dub' on side B. Created by his pal Ruf Dug, this ten-minute re-dub builds brilliantly, showcases the best elements of the track (the bassline, pianos, beats and synthesizer melodies) while adding trippy effects in all the right places.

Review: For the first release on his freshly minted Voice Notes label, Toby Tobias has chosen to showcase the work of Cherrie Bea, a debutant producer whose imaginative and vivid sonic worlds draw inspiration from a variety of classic and contemporary electronic styles. 'Jafar's 21st', the EP's title track, is undeniably immersive and spacey, combining vintage Larry Heard sonics and nods towards the rubbery synth-funk of Dam Funk with nods towards electro and heady downtempo grooves. Nuron's accompanying remix offers a little more dancefloor weight and an even more intergalactic sound to get lost inside, while Bea's two bonus cuts are similarly impressive. 'Allure' joins the dots between early Floating Points and jazzy synth-funk, while 'Essence of Jasmine' takes us back to 1984 with chiming synth sounds and P-funk flourishes aplenty.