Back catalogue: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: With over 50 years of experience dating way back to the early 70s with the progressive outfit Zebra, Joan has left quite a discography that is still being discovered and enjoyed. This EP - Joan Bibloni's second appearance on the label in total - features three versions of 'Badia Onirica', two of them being language versions and then the instrumental. Overall, the song is a track fitting for the Cafe Del Mar sound - a mix of folk, electronica, house with a Latin and folk influence and versions in Spanish and Catalan. An EP for watching the sunsets, dreaming on the beach and remembering life's great time with friends and family. NuNorthernSoul continues to honor the chill out legacy.

Review: To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Archeo Recordings breaks tradition with the release of a new series of exquisite EPs honoring past masters. This collection features reimagined tracks from the label's cherished catalog, showcasing the talents of contemporary artists. Among these, Pepe Maina's 'The Infinite', enhanced by Manu's tribal percussion and electronics, transforms a classic into a celestial slow dance. Roberto Aglieri's 'Danza N. 1' receives a vibrant reinterpretation from Daniele Tomassini, merging proto-techno rhythms with psychedelic flute melodies, perfect for day raves and moonlit gatherings. The EP also revisits Radio Band's Italo-boogie classic 'Radio Rap', given a contemporary twist by the enigmatic Radiomarc. Finally, Mushrooms Project breathes new life into Futuro Antico's 'Pan Tuning', creating a transcendent dance journey that blends ancient sounds with modern beats. This collection not only honors the label's history but also promises exciting future endeavors, making it a great time to reflect on the past.

Review: Long time deep house master Recloose breaks cover for this new EP on Interspecies and as ever it operates in its own unique sound world. Opener 'Round & Round' is a high speed house cut with squelchy bass and balmy vocals full of love and soul next to a pitched up r&b hook. It's a real joy. 'Keep It Together' flips the script and is a downbeat house workout with live drum and perc and humid chords. A Space Talk remix of 'Round & Round' then gets more cosmic and far sighted over dusty drums and a Polepole remix of 'Keep It Together' then layers up the percussion into something warm, jazzy and humid.

Review: Lips & Rhythm cruises into Summer 2024 with a new EP by Residentes Balearicos. Based in Ibiza, Alessandro Doretto and Luca Averna craft sun-drenched dance music from their island studio. The title track, 'Paraiso,' merges slowed-down Acid and Flamenco guitar with claps, creating a timeless vibe. 'Polvo Mineral' offers mystery with ethereal pads, robust drum fills, and chanting. 'I Wanna Dance' pays homage to the Italian Dream House era with lush chimes, driving synth lines, and pitched-down vocals. Gaspar Muniz, with roots in Brazil and New York, remixes 'Paraiso' into a breaky electro track perfect for late nights in Rio De Janeiro...or whoever you are so long as you shut your eyes and dream.

Review: Phoebe Guillemot's world-building as RAMZi has yielded us a plethora of exquisite albums since she first emerged in the tape-oriented scene around 2013. She's gone on to helm different projects, tour the world and generally blossom as a singular and gifted artist. After a string of self-released LPs, she's popped up on Music From Memory with one of her most refined works to date. Hyphea unmistakably belongs in the RAMZi-verse, full of the same mystical, softly shaped flora and fauna which makes her music so inviting, but there's also a sense of structure and purpose here which suggests she was honing her expressions - a natural progression for an artist who can make electronic music sound so very natural indeed.

Review: It's been a while since we've heard from ethereal music doyenne Ramzi. The release pace has run steady since 2022, with 'Feu Follets' being the last to come out via her own FATi Records. But now she lodges unto the cubbyhole a quick but unassuming reminder of her talents with Moon Tan, a cheekily sweet new album themed around the harnessing of so-called "World Fuzion Music" frequencies, and the resolution of the apparent Gremlin's Paradox (the existence of which in our timeline we cannot verify). Moving through every stylistic avenue from vintage dub to chirrupy 2-step - many of which experiments sounds as if they were made on a possessed Tascam four-track - there is an arresting mood of experimentation in limitation here, as Ramzi leans deeper and deeper into colourfully psych-ish but not grandiose moods.

Review: For Left Ear's 35th release, the label revisits the archives of Spanish musician Jesus M' Catalan and his project, Respuesta Alternativa. Unlike his previous release, these tracks, which were created between 1987 and 1990, were recently discovered in a forgotten shoebox. While working as a sound technician, Jesus crafted atmospheric tracks in his bedroom, later refining them with collaborator Julian C. Perez. Their music evolved from simple themes with guitars to incorporating vocal samples. Influenced by his Asturian roots, Jesus blended serene and stormy elements, reflecting the contrasting seas of the Balearic and Asturias Islands, creating unique, enduring soundscapes.

Review: First released in 2022, Rheinzand's Atlantis Atlantis updated the Belgian disco-house collective's sound for the utmost present, laying down a thickly layered collection of uncanny dark disco via post punk across thirteen tracks. Now two years on from the original release, Netherlands producer Pete Blaker has teamed up with the band to rework the album tracks; however, in the words of the label and Blaker themselves, this is by no means your bog-standard 'remix' album! Unlike most, this one hears Blaker go the extra mile, sonically refurbishing the tracks with entirely new instrumental layers and vocal takes, personally commissioning the band to do so himself. Formatively emerging after being asked to do just one remix for the band in 2021, this is a rare case of divine inspiration striking in an unexpectedly extended fashion - not to be missed.

Review: A quadruple box set spanning recordings made between 1968 and 1980 on two-track Revox tape, these previously unreleased works showcase the hypnotic cycles and textural explorations that define kosmische musik. Using his signature Farfisa organ and Echolette tape delay, the pieces evoke the spirit of Roedelius' Selbstportrait series and collaborations with Dieter Moebius and Michael Rother. Rather than a strict retrospective, 90 feels like a timeless sound journey, blending cascading minimalist loops with the organic warmth that has inspired generations. Tracks are unnamed and unmoored from chronology, allowing the listener to experience them as fluid expressions of Roedelius's artistry. The music recalls the meditative brilliance of contemporaries like Terry Riley, while firmly rooted in the experimental ethos of early German electronic music. Released to celebrate Roedelius's 90th birthday, this collection is both a celebration and a rediscovery, offering a vivid portrait of a visionary artist. 90 is a masterclass in innovation and introspection, essential for fans of kosmische and beyond.

Review: Samuel Rohrer's stylish new solo album is a fine advert for his expertise as a multi-instrumentalist as it blends percussion, modular synths and keys into lovely downtempo grooves. The title may suggest romantic simplicity, but the music delivers nuanced emotional and tonal complexity and is dedicated to "brave lovers" seeking truth. Tracks like 'The Parish Bell' reveal Rohrer's focused, unhurried style with ephemeral sounds emerging and fading gracefully and guest contributions like Nils Petter Molvaer's muted horn on 'The Gift' add layers of warmth at a record which rewards attentive listening.

Review: Ronnie Lion is one half of Ambient Warrior and this is his debut solo outing. It finds him paying homage to Spanish Town, which is the capital of St Catherine in Jamaica and that is apparent from the off with its lush Spanish guitar notes fluttering over the face of the dubbed-out low ends and shiny digital chords. Lead guitarist Sean Wilkinson pays plenty of the guitar and the rhythm section has Ronnie himself on bass while Horseman is on drums to bring a heavy foundation. Up to the intricate and memorable hooks add the colour and charm and elements of Bossa Nova and Flamenco guitar also help add extra layers to this fine debut.

Review: Given the wide-eyed, largely downtempo nature of their music, it's perhaps a little surprising that it took Late Night Tales this long to ask Royksopp to mix a volume in the long-running after-hours series. Royksopp are, of course, old hands at this kind of thing - they delivered an impressive Back To Mine comp back in 2007 - and use the opportunity to mix-up a typically heady selection of stoner soft rock (Little River Band, FR David), sparse dub-rock (Tuxedomoon), cinematic soundscapes (Johann Johannsen), psychedelia (Prelude), well-worn favourites (Acker Bilk) and folksy Balearica (John Martyn). Fans will be pleased to see a sprinkling of unreleased Royksopp fare, including intensely beautiful opener "Daddy's Groove".

Review: Rich Ruth is the recording alias of Nashville multi-instrumentalist Michael Ruth, and it is a project which he uses to craft immersive instrumental pieces that blend gleeful adventure with soothing meditation. Beginning with solitary mesmerising loops and drones, Ruth enriches his arrangements with a diverse array of collaborators. The resulting compositions meld spiritual jazz, synth-infused post-rock, and cosmic ambient into absorbing trips that captivate and elevate in equal measure. His latest album, Water Still Flows, is the third in a series of celebrated LPs and represents his most intense and cathartic work yet. Spanning seven tracks, the record finds Ruth pushing his creative boundaries while showcasing how songwriting serves as a deeply personal and grounding expression of artistry.

Review: Nashville-based experimental musician Rich Ruth's upcoming album, Water Still Flows, is a journey into immersive soundscapes and introspective melodies. Recorded at his home studio, this seasoned session player, who initally started making his own meditative solo material to help him get over a traumatic carjacking, weaves together crafty loops and drones with the help of collaborators like Spencer Cullum, Ruben Gingrich, Patrick M'gonigle and Jared Selner. The album, set to released via Third Man Records, reflects Ruth's struggles and triumphs as a working musician, capturing both the soothing calmness of solitude and the tense variability of his professional life. Tracks like 'No Muscle, No Memory' showcase Ruth's ability to blend spiritual jazz, synth-infused post-rock, and cosmic ambient into a cohesive sonic experience. With Jake Davis handling the mixing duties, Water Still Flows is Rich Ruth's most cathartic and introspective offering yet.