Back catalogue: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: Composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Frank Harris has enjoyed a long and varied career. During the 1980s, he was one of the world's most esteemed Synclavier synthesiser programmers, and also recorded extensively with singer-songwriter Maria Marquez - though it took until 2019 for much of that music to be released (on the album Echoes). This 12" boasts fresh reworks of tracks from that set. Frankie Deluxe handles side A, first delivering a deliciously slow-burn revision of 'Loveroom' - all sparse, undulating synth melodies, whispers of percussion and beautiful lead vocals - before offering up a seductively summery shuffle through the samba-seeped shuffle of 'Down By The Rio'. That track is twice more remixed on the flip. First Frakas supplies a tactile, deep Balearic nu-disco tweak, before Julian Dyne offers up a deep, dubbed-out, slow-motion house take.

Review: If the Balearic Islands are a physical place, then Balearic music is certainly the foremost concept in its adjacent ideaspace - it seems as long as Balearic music exists, there can be no further cultural exports from the Archipelago. Have A Nice Day are a mysterious collective of DJs and producers inspired by said sonic throughline, and they're determined to tap into it for as long as it exists. They describe their music as 'Baleariche', a fusion of Balearic and Italo disco with a touch of kosmische and psychedelia. The first in their Baleariche Grammophon series exemplifies this, with two polar tracks coming as blends of heatstricken Latin guitar, jubilant handclaps and and flowingly happy pair of mixes overall.

Review: Have A Nice Day is an alias of an unknown producer or producers as well as being the name of their own fledgling label, H.A.N.D.. Balearische Grammophon 02 is its third release and it features two cuts which are unreleased and secret versions of an 80s anthem from Germany, namely 'Brother Louie.' They beef up the original with all new dancefloor clout but in very different ways. The b-side in particular is a weird and wonderful cut with narcotic overtones and beguiling rhythms. An absolute must for those DJs who want to wonk out a club.

Review: Heart People is a new project from long-time Australian underground operative Ryan Grieve and Rachel Rutt, and on this record for Pinchy & Friends they sail towards Balearic tones aplenty across four dream state cuts for sun-down, sun-up or any hour in between. 'In Your Eyes' breezes along on the smoothest of rhythm sections, draped in the lilt of acoustic guitar and guided by Ruth's heavenly voice. 'Adriatica' is a pitch-perfect cast adrift into cascading synths, flute motifs and reverb-soaked bongos, all the better to float away to. 'Secrets' explores 80s drum machine meditation and sampledelia, while 'Angel' takes on a more mysterious tone with a hint of Cocteau Twins woven in for good measure.

Review: Given that Holo's Lost Palms debut is called Technicolour, you'd expect the three included tracks to tend towards the kaleidoscopic and aurally vivid end of the dance music spectrum. They are, of course, with opener 'Juniper' delivering an enticing blend of languid, swing-packed deep house grooves, ultra-dreamy chords, ambient house style spoken word snippets, sampled instrumentation and twinkling, eyes-closed piano flourishes. Holo opts for an even more emotive, melody-driven sound on the sparkling and vivacious 'Shosa' - all heart-soaring chords, tactile melodic motifs and huggable grooves - before diving deep into dreamy, breakbeat-driven ambient techno territory on the mid-90s style gorgeousness of 'Try'.

Review: A Pale Fire, Goldmund, Mint Julep and Helios are just a few of the pies that American composer and multi-instrumentalist Keith Kenniff has their fingers in. The latter, an ambient project started in 2004 with 'Unomia', has received critical acclaim, their formal music training and unique approach to the genre garnering quite the following in the late 2000s. Since then, Helios has been consistently putting out projects, all the while still working on Goldmund and more - 'Espera' feels like it's what Kenniff does to unwind from his busy schedule. It's a deep sigh, a breath of fresh air as a sunbeam bursts through the clouds. Single 'Intertwine' is heavily inspired by the lo-fi hip-hop boom of the 2010s, the gentle rolling percussion, swaying synths and muted snares are meditative and nostalgic. 'Lineoa' takes a more upright approach, a spacious composition and orchestral elements cradle a gentle guitar riff, as blown-up flutes and uplifting strings evoke Eric Barones work on 'Stardew Valley'. This version is pressed on a beige and blue gradient vinyl, a picturesque disc that imitates the dusk on the album cover.

Review: It is always a joy to hear from the Music For Dreams label. Not only is it a musically interesting outlet but also one that digs deep into plenty of fascinating different scenes. And this is one such case as the project is centered around 99-year-old Iboja Wandall-Holm who sings about memories from her childhood growing up in Eastern Europe. The record plays out like a musical encounter where the songs are worked into magical forms by Danish musician Mikkel Hess and other members of his Hess Is More band with extra collaborative input from label head and producer Kenneth Bager.

Review: Thievery Corporation co-founder Eric Hilton is adept at many different produciton styles and he calls on most of them on this new Present Past & Future EP for Montserrat House. First up is a future jazz and jungle fusion with steamy sax motifs drifting up high over the slick drums. The tempo drops to nothing on the lush downtempo sounds of 'Put Em' Down' and 'Something For Byrd' (feat Brian Jackson) is a star-gazing after dark masterclass with wispy synths and soulful vocals. There is squelchy synth funk on 'E Plays It Cool', blissed out trip hop on 'Cold Gemini' and another 90s era acid jazz and breaks fusion to finish with 'Mind Archelogy' (feat Brian Falkowski).

Review: Thievery Corporation veteran Eric Hilton is on a roll with his Montserrat House label, operating out of DC and adding new layers to his considerable legacy in downtempo sounds. As was teased by the 'Amor Astral' single from 2023, this new album finds Hilton working closely with long time Thievery collaborator, Argentinian singer Natalia Clavier. Her coolly soulful tone hovers over the buttery funk jams Hilton lays down, where the drums are tight and crisp and the basslines wrap themselves around the groove with snake-like grip, all the better to sink into when you need a little chill-out time from a certified master of the art.

Review: Kicking off his new R&R imprint, LA-born and Berlin-based producer Huerta brings us TV Slang - an LP which exists somewhere between rhythmic and ambient house. For the title track, woozy voice samples drift in and out of focus, existing in a space just outside of reality. 'Stutter Dub' emerges as one of the more dance-geared tracks, yet it's still decorated with the hazy sound design of the release's ambient numbers; its buffed-out environment softening the edges of Huerta's percussion. On the B-side, 'Traces' features dreamily reverberating piano chords embellished with glittering breaks. This is a highly multi-faceted release which promises to take listeners and dancers alike into a beautifully realised soundworld.