Here’s July’s mix, compiled and recorded over the hottest weekend of the year, so it’s a super chilled, dreamy selection of beautiful tracks, lots of new stuff, a few classics, all gorgeous…
Matt Nearest Faraway Place July ’21 Mix
Don’t Run Away – Quinn Lamont Luke fka Bing Ji Ling
Quinn Lamont Luke is back from lockdown with one of the tracks of the year, ‘Don’t Run Away‘ on his own label El Triangulo. A timeless slice of deep house Balearic soul with a hint of Larry Heard / Mr Fingers in it’s DNA. If you’ve enjoyed Quinn’s work with Cantoma and Paqua then you’re going to love this, it’s an essential Summer soundtrack with tough, chugging drums and dreamy synths topped off with the artist formerly known as Bing Ji Ling’s soulful melancholic vocal. File in your collection alongside the Mancuso Loft classics that inspired it.
Out on the 9/7/21 buy via Bandcamp, listen in the player below…
Raise EP – James Bright
Starry-eyed sunset disciple James Bright makes a welcome return with his latest blissfully refined studio offering, ‘Raise’, which comes out courtesy of brand new label Sveva Music. The shimmering cosmic reggae hybrid features an exquisite vocal performance from Zoe Devlin Love and comes complete with an expert set of remixes from perennially on-point Balearic disco maestro, Pete Herbert, and White Island sonic luminary, Steve ‘Afterlife’ Miller. Pete’s remix and dub are the pick of the bunch for me, piano lead mid tempo chuggers built around the core acid throb of the original, very nice. Get your copy on Spotify and all digital services now.
Out For You – Birds Of Pandæmonium
If we dare to be optimistic, there’s a chance we’ll be back at gigs, clubs and festivals sometime soon, this is a good thing for the guys who’ve just released these big, anthemic VERY arena friendly bangers. This big guitar lead stadium house sound hasn’t been hammered like this since the golden days of the KLF!
Self confessed ‘Hippy Goths’ Birds Of Pandæmonium are a nomadic psychedelic collective led by Millennium Culkin and Hazy James. Taking simple songs of raw emotion then refracted through their maximalist, tripped out lens. The Birds are out to craft sonic collages for the new love renaissance. Exploring the darkness while pursuing light.
First up on the EP, title track, “Out For You” is an anthemic belter filled with ripping guitars (two solos….wtf?!), pounding arpeggiated bass, 808 drops, plus a dreamy break filled with slide guitars that rumble, build and explode underneath Hazy James’ airy falsetto. Designed for arena madness and soundtracking your moments of catharsis.
Not satisfied with just arena filling vibes, Each Other (Justin Strauss and Max Pask) take the original and twist it into a different experience which should really only be beamed down from a DJ booth orbiting the Earth to a fully global dance party. File this in the “Peak Time Festival” folder.
Flipping over to the b-side, the energy is high but the feeling a little colder on “The Night” – a chugging, introspective, escapist anthem for anytime the sun goes down. Sonically it’s a little goth-punk and a little bit acid house.
NY icon, Juan MacLean picks up remixing duties and turns in a taut, lean, dark, body moving machine. Shimmering synth lines cascade over a rough hypnotic beat
Available on May 28, 2021 vinyl & digital via Bandcamp link above or here…
Beam Me Up Remixed – Midnight Magic
Stunning 10th anniversary remix package of Midnight Magic‘s much loved ‘Beam Me Up‘ from Razor-N-Tape with Prins Thomas, Kim Ann Foxman and Each Other (that’s a Max Pask & Justin Stauss collab) on the knobs & faders.
Even before we get to the remixes, how can we not love Midnight Magic? Describing themselves as ‘A nine person ensemble bonded by the unwavering desire to make you, the listener, and the rhythm become one; the secret love children of Donna Summer and George Clinton serving up an orgasmic feast of funk, disco, electro and soul.’ You had me at ‘Donna & George’…
Norwegian space-disco don Prins Thomas delivers a sprawling and elegant mix, grounding melodic and psychedelic elements over a bumping percussive disco rhythm treatment, stretching out over 8 minutes of blissful breakdowns, delays and driving bass lines. Kim Ann Foxman takes the song to a darker and dubbier place with her “Beam Me To The Basement Mix,” layering samples of singer Tiffany Roth’s vocal and insistent acid synths over a heavy and pulsing low end. Each Other, a new project by Max Pask and NYC club royalty Justin Strauss, crafts an extended peak-time stormer of a mix, with churning analog drum and synth production that is somehow ravey, New-Wavey and lush all at once.
These three mixes truly capture an entire club night in one record, each a beautifully unique interpretation that showcases the inimitable talent and creativity of the remixers, and is also a testament to the enduring perfection of the original. Grab this record immediately and beam yourself back to the dance floor!
Buy / Listen via Bandcamp link above or here.
May Mix 2021
Beautiful new mix, some new, some old, all bloody lovely. Featuring Palle Mikkelborg, Arawak, Nick & Samantha, Chris Coco, Swing Out Sister, Tamam Shud, Seahawks, Eddie Chacon, Mark Isham, L’Impératrice, Electronic System III, Ruf Dug & Jack Doepel, Jessie Ware, Hillside. Get involved yeah? 🙂
Tracklist
Prince of Peace – Palle Mikkelborg
Accade a Bali – Arawak
On the Beach (Chris Coco Mix) – Nick & Samantha
Communion (Instrumental Mix) – Swing Out Sister
Bali Waters – Tamam Shud
Hurt (Seahawks Mix) – Eddie Chacon
Raffles in Rio – Mark Isham
Sonate Pacifique (feat. Isaac Delusion) – L’Impératrice
Skylab – Electronic System III
TV Sky – Ruf Dug & Jack Doepel
Remember Where You Are – Jessie Ware
Sunday in June – Hillside
The Woodentops – ‘Why Why Why’ Live 1988 London
I was reminded of this incendiary live performance recently, Rolo’s performance here is electrifying…
Walking in the sun EP – Andres Y Xavi
Brighton’s Balearic brethren Andres Y Xavi join forces with legendary Woodentops front man Rolo McGinty with a taster track from the soon to be released 2nd album ‘Sounds From The Secret Bar’ (due on 11 June 2021) . ‘Walking in the sun‘ comes with an atmospheric album mix, dubbed out ‘Higher Vibration Mix’ from IIB? dons Coyote, squelchy, percussive James Bright mix and Xavi himself closes out the package with a storming couple of tripped out dub & pianopella mixes.
Released April 30, 2021 via Bandcamp link below – essential listening!
Satelliti – Saturnino
Fresh out of Italy and just in time for the Summer, this is a really strong five tracker on Milano imprint Roll Over Records. This is a perfect Balearic package taking us from chugging head nodders to guitar lead dream house anthems, from poolside at Pikes into the hedonistic sweat on Freddie’s dancefloor. A call to action after the sensory depravation of the lockdown months.
The sixth outing on Rollover Milano is by one of Italy’s most accredited bass players Saturnino, in collaboration with Metatron, producer Pierpaolo Peroni and guitarist/producer Davide Ferrario. The EP contains five original cuts on which Saturnino’s solo bass prevails.
‘It’s an elegant affair, with EP opener ‘Saturnintro’ drawing you into the idea and concept of what is Balearic via fluttering beats and guitar strums. One for the chuggers and early doors at ALFOS is ‘Mimas’, which packs much vivid detail and colour in its five and half minutes. The glamorous ‘Milano’ is sassy and cheeky with a vocal that wouldn’t be out of place alongside Sueno Latino. ‘Rea’ is full of fun, achieving similar levels of magic. It deceptively begins with shades of acid house and has a breakdown that will certainly see some hands reaching for the air festival moments. When it drops, its funk guitar riff will take the dancefloor through to the end of the night. EP closer, ‘Teti’, ups the tempo and dials the lights down low, with its driving beat and mesmerising bass strings. It’s deliciously dubbed-out groove takes us back to the club where we all so want to be right now. This EP is pure pleasure from beginning to end.’
Beats From the Quarantine – Third Attempt
Third Attempt from Tromsø, Norway has come up with a new album and after a few listens it’s been promoted to the classic heads section of my collection. I’m filing this with my down tempo dons like K&D, David Holmes and Thievery Corporation so you know it’s top quality. Expect jazzy beats and breaks, enigmatic samples and smoky slo-mo atmospherics.
‘How to turn a moment of worry, uncertainty and isolation into something of a warm-hearted, creative catalyst? How to build bridges when humanity in its entirety seems caught in the nets of decisively painful crossroads? Written and recorded during the lockdown that’s put our civilisations to sleep for the past year, the new album from Third Attempt comes as a much welcome balmy treat to our existentially dreadful times.’
Released April 30, 2021 – an essential purchase via the Bandcamp link below
The Nearest Faraway Place 