Claremont 56 レコード& CD

Review: Cool story: 60s psychedelic folk strummer Cutter was spotted busking in an LA subway by Claremont 56's 40 Thieves. Instantly submitting to his acoustic charms, they strike up a creative relationship. Recruiting the writing skills of Jum Jum Records founder David Harks, they create the cosmic beauty that is "Strutting Serpent". Sitting somewhere between Cat Stevens and Paqua, it's the epitome of Balearic timelessness. For added psychedelic majesty flip for a future version of Cutter's classic "Gift Of Our Fathers". Stunning.

Review: Anyone who's ever run a record label will happily tell you how it's rare to find musical gold amongst the many demos speculatively submitted by up-and-coming producers. Imagine Claremont 56 boss Paul Murphy's surprise, then, when he received these superb cuts from previously unheralded German musician Ferdi Schuster. Naturally, he snapped them up straight away. A-side "Little River", in particular, is spectacularly good. Based around the sound of a babbling brook, sun-kissed acoustic guitar licks, vintage synthesizer solos and a languid, samba-inspired groove, it's a grade-A chunk of Balearic brilliance. While B-side "Befreit" doesn't quite reach these dizzying heights, it's still a wonderful trip into sunrise-friendly downtempo territory. As debut singles go, it's little less than stunning.

Review: Claremont 56 founder Paul "Mudd" Murphy has a thing for studio supergroups. New project Hillside follows in the footsteps of Bison (who once counted Holger Czukay, Ursula Kloss and Sal Principato amongst their members) and Paqua. Their debut single is closer in tone to the latter than the former, with opener "Hidden Port" offering a deliciously languid, wide-eyed fusion of eyes-closed jazz-rock guitar solos, unfurling kosmiche keyboards, bobbing Latin rhythms and an electric violin solo from a musician renowned for his work with British folk legend Bert Jansch. You'll find more electric violin on the wilder and more up-tempo flipside "The Kings Tun", where distinctive fiddle solos rise above jangling acoustic guitars, warm bass and spacey keyboard flourishes. Anyone fancy a cosmic hoedown?

Review: Last year, Claremont 56 founder Paul 'Mudd' Murphy finally got round to releasing his second solo album, In The Garden of Mindfulness - a sequel some 18 years in the making. Clearly he felt inspired by that experience, because album number three is due later this year. If this teaser 12" of alternative instrumental mixes of future album tracks is anything to go by, it promises to be another musically detailed and vividly realised release. Written and produced with regular collaborator Michele Chiavarini, both cuts are effortlessly classy. Check first A-side 'Mahalo', a gorgeous chunk of Love Unlimited Orcehstra-goes-jazz-funk brilliance rich in flanged guitars, simmering strings, spacey synths and lolloping grooves, before admiring the dub disco-goes-Balearic shuffle of 'Mata Na', where Chiavarini's brilliant musicianship comes to the fore.

Review: Claremont 56 boss Paul Murphy fell in love with Pan Electric's 2004 cut "Sweet as Rain" after hearing it in Japan a few years ago. Since it has never previously been released on vinyl, he decided to license it from its creator, veteran producer Matt Coldrick. As sublime piece of next-level downtempo bliss rich in Marimba style melodies, calming acoustic guitars and traditional Ethiopian vocals, "Sweet as Rain" is near perfect in every way. Brilliantly, Coldrick has also provided a recently reworked "Album version" which stretches out enticingly for 10 minutes across all of side B. Slower to build and laden with mesmerizing musical elements, it's even better than the magical original mix.

Review: Nurtured by Mudd and owners of their own stunning live band, Paqua should really deliver more Balearic bliss than they have. As we wait tentatively for more heartfelt, organic sun-kissed soul, Claremont 56 have commissioned some incredible remixes... "Late Train" gets a full cosmic treatment from the Idjut Boys while Emperor Machine takes it down a dark alley and roughs it up with a series of analogue synth slaps. Ray Mang, meanwhile, focuses on the dreamiest aspects of "The Visitor" and rearranges and polishes them in a way that's reminiscent of a certain Andrew Ashong. Stunning.

Review: Paul Mudd Murphy's Claremont 56: accept no substitute. Yet more quality Balearic gems from this camp, this time courtesy of Simon Peter, who follows up last year's great Double Up EP on Silhouette Music. "Ark Of Lark" is the kind of blunted, sun-kissed, road trip soundtrack you could imagine playing in your rented Cadillac as you drive out to visit the Joshua Tee in Southern California. With its blues guitar, pan pipes, bongos and Rhodes.. you just cant go wrong. The "Layne Night Vision Mix" gets funkier and definitely a lot tougher with its buzzing synth bass being the centre of it all and the addition of a drummer's sturdy beat to give it momentum. Also on the flip is the "40 Thieves dub extension" which does exactly what it says on the cover: focusing on that rolling bassline and stripping back a few layers for a more immersive experience.

Review: As it approaches the end of its' first decade, Claremont 56 continues to lead the way when it comes to atmospheric, sun-kissed Balearica. This latest chunk of horizontal goodness comes courtesy of Essex-based Statues, a trio who caught label boss Paul 'Mudd' Murphy's attention after submitting a string of impressive demos. "Alaula" is a softly spun delight, with Grant Carruthers' impassioned vocals weaving themselves around alluring acoustic guitars, rich bass, twinkling Rhodes lines, and Robin Lee's immaculate cello parts. Murphy delivers the obligatory flipside remix, serving up a delay-laden dub built around intricate percussion, life-affirming pianos, and Lee's wonderful strings.

Review: Claremont 56 continue to disregard the genre boundaries - preferring instead to give good music the attention it deserves - as their latest looker of a twelve inch presents us the sounds of Torn Sail. Fronted by Smith & Mudd vocalist Huw Costin, Torn Sail go all 60s West Coast rock on us with the gloriously rich sounds of "Birds". From its acoustic beginnings the track gradually unfurls into a delightful groove embellished by soothing vocal harmonies. It's almost a thankless task enlisting anyone to try and remix what sounds like a perfect song, but Claremont 56 obviously chose right in requesting the services of Tiago. In the Portuguese producer's hands "Birds" is transformed into a heavily psychedelic freakout which gently develops into a kraut rock behemoth filled with swathes of heavy organ vibes. Containing several shifts in momentum - including a glorious half speed finish - this is a truly stunning remix which left our jaws occupying the floor!

Review: Waxwood generally likes to keep his identity on the down low, though it was confirmed recently that he's a Brooklyn-based Russian with a penchant for cosmic and spiritual music from around the world, as well as layered ambient experimentation and intoxicating house and techno beats. All of these traits come to the fore on "Kama", which sees him pepper a rolling, head-nodding hypno-house groove with simmering strings, relaxed electronics and chiming melody lines. It's rather good, all told, as is the more obviously Balearic flipside revision by Swiss crew Fuga Ronto, which adds guitars, electric bass and new backing vocals for an even wider-eyed listening experience.