Juno Recommends Balearic / Downtempo: July 2024

Review: Magic Wand and Matsoaka serve up five mysterious Baleairc treasures from around the World. 'Parlband Utmed Kusten' with its glistening percusion and strings opens the EP. 'Jah Banana' is next with more funked up drums and horns. On the flip we have 'Alligator', with its Afro/Iberian guitars and vocals. Gentle early 90s breakbeats power the seductive 'Shish Balearic' and 'Asian Dance Groove' closes out with loose, percussive rhythms and funky guitar rifts.

Review: Is It Balearic? presents the second EP from the Wrekin Crew, continuing where the first left off and delivering two original tracks, 'Vapour Trail' and 'Broken Wings'. 'Vapour Trails' has the trademark nod to the Italo Disco & emotional pop bombs that are a staple of their DJ sets. Goldsuite remixes Vapour Trails and create a softly mesmerising balearic pop twilight shuffler. 'Broken Wings' keeps the same feel, poignant vocals over slightly more late night beats and Woolfy brings a cosmic arpy feel and dubs it up for a more electronic groove.

Review: Archeo Recordings home back in on the quintessentially Balearic stylings of Tony Esposito, whose stunningly original works simultaneously flaunt an unmistakable 'Balearism' whilst also escaping pure conformity with the Balearic style. It's only apt that we should consider his music as such; the Neapolitan drummer and bandleader was active largely when Balearic was first termed as a a category, and his idiosyncratic instrumental experiments and geneses - notable among which is the Tamborder, a little known invention of his own making resembling a tambourine - are what set him apart. 'Pagaia' was first released as a B-side to the 7" 1983 record 'Je -Na/Pagaia', and is now a staple of 'Afro-cosmic' Italian music, bringing an otherwise zany disco lilt to the then nascent sound; these are all too fleshed out by the new takes by Archeo staple Feel Fly here. Made in 1983 after a trip to Jamaica, and composed with Pino Daniele; 'Pagaia' is said to reflect the influence of Bob Marley and his group, with whom Esposito once worked both in Italy and Kingston.

Review: First released way back in 1991, minus a title (that appeared when it was reissued the following year), Mr Monday's 'Daybreak' has long been considered a Balearic classic by those of a certain vintage. Genuinely sunset and sunrise-ready, the original mix is a warming, tactile and pitched down treat full of slow-motion acid house bass, kaleidoscopic chords, spacey synth sounds and sparkling piano motifs - all rising above a languid beat that's perfect for wearing early morning shuffling and seated early evening head-nodding. This Thank You reissues also boasts two previously unheard versions: a deliciously dubbed-out, delay and reverb-laden 'Bonus Beat' take, and a near 10-minute 'bonus dub prayer', full of whispered female vocals, stretched-out grooves and dub-flecked percussion breaks. A genuine must-have!

Review: Hull's finest downtempo and Balearic master Steve Cobby (who is best known for being part of Fila Brazillia) is back with a brilliantly titled record that once again finds him impressing on all fronts. He is the producer but also the man who plays all the keyboards, bass, guitar, flute, clarinet, plus drums both live and programmed. Across seven captivating tunes, he explores snaking rhythms with sunny melodies, dusty broken beat smoking soundtracks, late-night lovestruck lullabies and heart-aching moments of inward reflection. Yet another vital work from this ever-underrated talent that instantly becomes a favourite for years to come.

Review: Aficionado has long been standing as an enticing oasis in the middle of an arid desert of mainstream club culture. And now, to mark its 25th anniversary, DJs Jason Boardman and Moonboots have curated a reflective compilation of 16 tracks that are equally cherished by them and attendees to their legendary parties. Exclusive to this release are J-Walk's 'Cool Bright Northern Morning' and Begin's remix of Canyons' 'Akasha', both of which stay true to the label's original mantra of "simply playing good records without concern for trends" and sit amongst many other mature and escapist delights.

Review: Brijean is the solo moniker and shortening of the name Brijean Murphy, the percussionist and singer-songwriter best known for his outings as an instrumental player at the heart of various live band instances of well-known alt-indie bands such as Toro Y Moi, Mitski and Poolside. Here, however, Brijean manifests as a collab project with multi-instrumentalist and producer Doug Stuart, adding another record to their own discog. Macro takes in the big picture, erring from the themes explored on 2021's Feelings and 2022's Angelo - which took in discrete topics - and instead providing the formal toolkit with which we may, simply, dance. Colourful, collaborative, sophisticated, and deeply fun, the album animates a macrocosm with characters, moods and points of view rooted in the notion that no feeling is final and the only way out is through.

Review: Braulio Lam's latest record is a unique outing, spanning pensive ambient dub and trip-hop moods, and cherrying them with an added visual element in the form of a photography insert. Born on the border region of San Diego and Tijuana, Lam's repertoire works in an expressly brooding sound that threshes its inspirations from the close but separate apposition of these two cities. The sense of a polemic being is a central theme of Lam's work; this is not only evident in his practice, which drifts back and forth between music production and photography, but also in the sonic content of Close Up itself, which drifts between depth-scouring electronica and Pacific folk in quick step, revealing them to be dialectically adjoined. Our favourites here have to be 'Buena Vista Social Dub', a crystalline immersion in dub and vocal etherics, and 'Mirror', and 'Monika', which lends a seething tape hue to a slowly moving slice of Latin blues.

Review: The finale in the Scrapyard series from Quadeca. This final mixtape contains 15 tracks and features from artists Brakence and Kevin Abstract, the former of whom made an appearance in Scrapyard I, the series' debut. Quadeca got his start on YouTube around ten years ago, posting mostly hip-hop freestyles, mixtapes and more, building a steady following through the years; building on his first major departures from hip-hop, the records contained folktronica, indie rock, shoegaze and more, Scrapyard continues in this genre-fluid direction, containing both tracks that didn't make it onto I Didn't Mean To Haunt You as well as new works.

Review: Warriors Of The Dystotheque, initiated a decade ago by Jonny Mac, now sees its members unite physically for the first time. In doing so they blend diverse sounds, ideas, and influences into an album of gentle grooves, Balearic escapism and plenty of jazz business in between. The journey spans Northern Ireland's Troubles, 90s rave culture, Florida's sunshine, and the contrasts of Ibiza's days and nights as tracks merge live and electronic music while reflecting themes of friendship, loss, despair, and enlightenment. Jonny Mac reflects, "It feels like we've connected the dots on this album, embodying the essence of our band beyond our online origins. It's truly a beautiful thing." It sure is, as well as being a beautifully uplifting work of subtle joy.

Review: Around a year after Baba Stiltz latest and possibly greatest album Paid Testimony, Public Possession has enlisted a selection of remixes of it. Reggaeton innovator DJ Python goes first with a dubby, liquid rework of 'Stockholm'. The same cut then gets flipped by Klara Lewis into a swirling ambient world with grainy pads and nostalgic feels. The Powder remix is a lo-fi- broken beat with conscious spoken words and last of all Baba Stiltz flips his own cut into an intriguing and atmospheric piece with muffled melodies and found sounds.

Review: Nunorthern Soul always says it is not a soul music label, but a label for music with soul, and this new and dreamy offering from George Solar very much embodies that. It's a smooth fusion of cosmic, ambient, romance and Balearic bliss across six sublime sounds. 'Media Luna' opens up with slow-motion drums awash with gentle shakers and splashy hi-hats, 'Moonbeams' brings more liquid rhythms and worldly drum sounds and 'Countermoon' shuts down the a-side with a late night, star-gazing feel. A trio of lush, pillowy, immersive sounds and magical flutes close out the

Review: Tamtam is a four-piece band based in Tokyo that warted out playing reggae and dub. However, they slowly evolved their sound and developed into an innovative fusion outfit that draws on diverse influences from jazz, soul and psyche pop to new age and exotica. The wonderful 'Ramble In The Rainbow' is their first outing on US label Peoples Potential Unlimited and shows the richness of their world sound while drawing on Sun Ra, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Yasuaki Shimizu. It's an escapist dub with Eastern melodies and a great mix of subtle euphoria and authentic nostalgia.

Review: Up and coming producer, Volodymyr Gnatenko's THRPY 001, released on the promising new label Rithmotherapy, features three tracks that exemplify what very well be the future of techno. 'Noobkai' opens the EP with a groovy techno beat infused with slight EBM elements and metallic sounds, complemented by melodic parts that create a compelling atmosphere. 'Kistana' blends Goa sounds with techno and trancey moods, creating a track that's both energetic and immersive, showcasing Gnatenko's ability to merge different influences seamlessly. 'Blunariz' finishes the record with a deep electro cut, characterised by moody, post-apocalyptic vibes that leave a lasting impression. THRPY 001 is a forward-thinking release that solidifies Volodymyr Gnatenko and Ritmotherapy as names to watch in the techno scene.

Review: Mculo represents himself on his latest full-length dance LP Bedroom Artist, deepening *eo ipso* his relationship to personal space and making music for 'the other'. In his own words, "I found myself making music for everyone else. What would other musicians think about this record? Would this track get me more gigs? The process of creating become secondary and I fell out of love with it entirely." Clearly having identified the wrong way to go about things, no sooner than this did he embark on an emancipatory approach. Shedding any conscious attachment to external priorities, insofar as he could, Bedroom Artist testifies the ironic power of the bedroom as a site of abject isolation at its worst, yet studious focus at its best. The sonic result of this conclusion, for Mculo, is io-fi, jammy, trip-hoppy beat and beatless excursions, best among which are 'Magogos Garden' and 'Where Are You From, From'.

Review: Kartell's debut album Everything Is Here melds French electronic accessibility with r&b and disco grooves while also drawing on prog rock's esoteric elements and introspective psychedelia. Nostalgic yet forward-looking, it expands on his EPs with dream pop aesthetics and the futuristic allure of the 60s and 70s. Space rock's nebulous textures and ethereal sounds permeate throughout as tracks are anchored by minor-key grooves. The dense, cinematic production weaves a vivid tapestry, integrating live bass, drums, and guitars amid hazy effects and synths to leave you lost in sound.