A Vision Of Panorama

Review: Since debuting on the sadly departed Aficionado label six years ago, Mikhail Khvasko's A Vision Of Panorama project has become one of the more reliable sources of sun-kissed Balearic soundscapes. He's in a particularly cheery and positive mood on this first outing of 2020, confidently skipping between jazz-funk influenced Balearic boogie (tasty opener "Atlantic Dawn"), late-80s style deep breakbeat haziness (the swelling chords, toe-tapping beats and Nu Guinea style synthesizer flourishes of "Mediterranean Tribal"), languid sunrise warmth (standout "Sentimental Coast", whose twinkling piano solos are sublime) and bubbly, synth-propelled jazziness (the similarly awesome "Vibechos"). In other words, it's another must-have collection of cuts from a modern Balearic maestro.

Review: Having thus far released EPs for Aficionado and Music For Dreams, A Vision Of Panorama return to their regular haunt Mellophonia to expand on the promise of their shorter works to go deep into a Balearic dream on Aquafusion. It's a perfect meditation on serene funk from start to finish, spanning eight tracks of tender musicianship that sit very easy on the ears. The likes of "Surf Blue" almost do away with drums entirely in a quest for calm, while "Barbados" and others offer up a more sprightly vision of 80s-flavoured groove, but throughout the mysterious hands behind the record maintain a smooth and steady mood that binds the album together.

Review: Under the A Vision of Panorama alias, Mikhail Khavsko has released some of the most beguiling nu-Balearic music of the past few years. Aquafusion is his long-awaited debut album, and is sure to further enhance his already high reputation. Drawing on sun kissed synthesizer grooves, languid nu-disco and hazy pop for inspiration, the album boasts all manner of ear-pleasing highlights. These include the new age inspired ambient slinkiness of "Open Sequences", the Gigi Masin style bliss of "Seagulls", the mid-'80s synth-pop-goes-dancing bounce of "Barbados", and the baked, horizontal pop of "Duality" (which notably features the drowsy vocals of Krista Michaela).