Phantom Island レコード& CD

Review: Pinning down Ethimm's self-titled 2021 debut album is tough, though his description - snapshots of a hopeless romantic's life packed into an eccentric mix of genres, all in the spirit of Balearic - is surprisingly accurate. Here one of the set's undoubted highlights, the moody dub disco-goes-Balearic chugger 'Choices', is re-animated by Phantom Island regulars Fuga Ronto. The Swiss twosome's A-side vocal take is nothing short of brilliant: a delightfully dreamy, sweet, slow-motion shuffle through reverb-laden synth chords, bubbly bass, echoing vocals and dubbed-out drums. The accompanying instrumental flip-side dub is, if anything, even better - an echoing, shuffling drift through eyes-closed Balearic brilliance that sounds like a long-lost gem from the mid 1980s. Simply superb.

Review: Music producers do tend to be rare breeds, so it's not a surprise to hear of a label series exploring the theme. 'Uncommon Species II' is the second installment of the series from the Swiss label Phantom Island, bringing together various artists for five curios centring on oddball future disco, nu-disco, and re-edits. Highlights include the dream-pop-Balearic Kejeblos Remix of Moreeats' 'Forever Fun' - in which a rogue male vocal seductively implores us to light his fire - and CCO's 'Cyanea' - a standout acid disco number. Frankly, though, all the tracks here are unusual bangers, packed with extra additions that only a rare breed of artist could add.