Brand new Balearic album series’ from the kings of chill
Interview by Dan Prince
Guys welcome to DMCWORLD…where on planet earth are you today?
Ramsgate!
What was the first piece of music you heard this morning after crawling out of bed?
A Vision of Panorama – Floral Rhythm landed in my inbox. Its on a great EP called Seaside Tune and sounds straight from 1980’s Ibiza. A superb start to the day.
So really exciting news with the announcement of your brand new compilation series ‘Balearic’ launching on June 22nd. What’s it all about?
We decided to bring together some of the tracks that we’d found ourselves playing overlooking that magical sunset in Ibiza. from Joan Bibiloni’s ‘Pinzells’ – to the beauty of ‘Over There, It’s Raining’ by ‘Nils Frahm.’ We wanted to make an album that encapsulated this most perfect time of day. We also tried to capture that feeling of timeless enjoyment that you get from listening to those legendary early Cafe Del Mar compilations curated by Jose Padilla.
The first album features 13 delicious laid back pieces of bliss. Please give us a few words on each of the launch tracks…and why they just had to be on the first outing…
1.Joan Bibiloni – Pinzells
The first track on this compilation is Bibiloni’s ‘Pinzells’, It seemed like the right starting place for both the album & the project’s future. Joan uses the vibe of his Spanish surroundings to inspire the music and sound that he makes. Our compilation is similarly inspired by those never ending Ibiza sunsets disappearing into the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Jonny Nash – Phantom Actors
Jonny is surely the chillout don on the moment.
This track is meditative, relaxing with a heady edge of electronica. Peter our creative director has added, perhaps less poetically, that it reminds him of being battered on a beach after a heavy one.
3. A.R.T Wilson – Rebecca’s Theme (Water)
A.R.T Wilson, aka Andras Fox is a producer from Melbourne, Australia who seems to be making waves all over the world. The tune has that super relaxing vibe we were looking for.
4. Nautic – Freedom of the Floor (Open Space Remix)
Nautic are a three piece from London. This version of their song Freedom Of The Floor epitomises the sound of beach bars worldwide thanks to a bright daytime remix by Open Space, also known as Apiento from Balearic music & culture website Test Pressing, and Andrew Hale. Andy used to play with Sade back in the day, and that smooth 80s feel definitely sings through on this remix.
5. Zen Baboon – La Maison Vert
Zen Baboon is a musical duo from Portugal – Daniel is a sound engineer in a studio in Lisbon, and Henrique is a zoologist. For us La Maison Vert is reminiscent of that golden time of the early 2000 Chill out era. We adore it for that.
6. Lisbon Kid – Sunburst (Alternative Version)
Hedonistic club moments on a dance floor somewhere, with Someday or Sweet Harmony blasting, must have contributed to the writing of Sunburst. No surprise when you find out the Kid in this case is actually super producer Rui DaSilva and songwriter Danny De Matos in laid back mode. This is an alternative version of their album track, specially produced for this collection.
7. Tuccinelli – Solo Un Delay
Tuccinelli is an enigmatic and reclusive producer from Naples, Italy who may or may not be a big house DJ too. Originally appearing on the highly revered Music For Dreams label, this track has a lovely timeless appeal: it has raw clubby undertones, but still maintains that airy, mellow feel that is so essential to great Balearic music.
8. Micko Roche – Baltimore (Afterlife Edit)
Micko has already become part of the Balearic family after flying over from Ireland for our album launch party at Brilliant corners with his guitar, he makes music with love and some finesse. This is a special edit by our chillout pal Afterlife that you can only find on this album.
9. Don Carlos – Ouverture (Enzo Elia Tropical Neukolln Edit)
Don Carlos is a seminal Italian DJ. His first single, Alone, released on Irma Records in 1991, is one of the greatest slabs of Italo House ever made in our opinion. Here is one of his more atmospheric pieces updated by Enzo Elia.
10. Cantoma Featuring Bing Ji Ling – Alive
Cantoma is the brain child of Phil Mison, a DJ who has been involved in the downtempo scene for the last couple of decades, ever since he filled in on the decks at Cafe Del Mar for Jose Padilla. IThis tune is one of his most direct, polished compositions, and once it hooks you in it won’t let you go. It’s just got that feel that Phil seems to always manage on his productions.
11. Manabu Nagayama & Soichi Terada – Low Tension (1991 Original Version)
This vibe of cool, uplifting house goes hand in hand with that twilight time after sunset, when the day bruises into darkness and the music builds for a wild night to come. Japanese ambient house doesn’t get much better than this.
12. Nick & Samantha – Bitter Sweet Song
There’s a certain sweet innocence to this tune. Scottish singer Samantha Whates, British producer Chris Coco and Belgian guitarist Nick Cornu combine to make a happy sad song about the end of the day, the end of the summer, the end of an affair. In Portuguese they have a word for this bitter sweet, warm, almost nostalgic feeling – saudade!
13. Nils Frahm – Over There, It’s Raining
This IS the sundown moment. The title reminds us of those evenings on the strip when you can see a thunderstorm far out to sea, sweeping in on the Island, whilst everything near you is a calm perfection. Nils Frahm spends a lot of time making soundtracks for film and TV. His live performance here is one moment in time recorded and preserved, hiss and all, capturing that mesmerizing moment of a legendary sunset in Ibiza. It’s our perfect album ending.
When did the idea behind this project first begin?
Just an idea…
In a Brixton pub. We were both thinking about doing a Balearicy sounding compilation. We arrived at the idea of doing it together and there was a really good gut feeling for the project. We pretty much nailed the concept there & then over a couple of drinks. Make an album without compromise. Feature music we believe in, inspired by the Ibiza sunset. Make the physical format a thing of beauty and overall, make a timeless piece of art.
You both have huge histories with the island of Ibiza thanks to your music and time spent DJing there. Can you both recall the moment or trip there when you both fell in love with the white isle…?
Jim:
My residency at Cafe Mambo was a proper laugh, it was non stop. But Ibiza clicked once the nine hour daily sets were played. Exploring the back roads leading to the North. On the Tapas quest inland and spending countless hours/days at Malibu, Salinas listening to DJ Chema, a Balearic legend.
Chris:
For me it’s on a visit there when I was editor of DJ Mag, I had been out ‘working’ also known as partying and ended up at Cafe Del Mar for sunset the next day, Jose was on the decks and what he played just took me away somewhere. I decided that day that I wanted to start playing music for sunsets.
A tune that will always remind you of Ibiza…
Maze – Twilight
What are the future plans for Balearic?
Make standout albums.
Chris – how was the Café Mambo Ibiza party on Saturday with Pete Gooding in Halifax?
Really good actually, it’s a lovely venue, sold out for our show. The guys made a massive effort and built a replica of the Mambo DJ booth with their own fair hands. Pete and I played a sort of Balearic party set, plenty of classic and new house, a few disco gems and re-edits and some weird deep experimental stuff too. Who would have guessed there would be a Balearic haven in Halifax?
What would be the perfect 24 hours in Ibiza?
See the day evolve at Es Vedra…Lunch at Es Boldado…Listen to Jose somewhere…Caña con limón…Sunset at Hostal La Torre…Ibiza Underground…
Balearic is released of June 22nd https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/balearic/id1000951202
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