Big tunes from the big hitters…
He may not be The Worlds’ Greatest Archer like his namesake – but DMC is proud to introduce you to Ibiza resident and DJ Howard Hill, who describes himself as a ‘Balearic DJ’ and whose tune selection aims straight for the bullseye. Howard says: ‘Everyone who came to Ibiza in those early days has tales to tell of how the DJ’s would surprise them mid gig with a well known rock tune or some well placed psychedelia. Ibiza with its epic sunset and sandy beaches also gave birth to what has come to be known as Chillout or downbeat. I feel that balearic Djing brings these disparate elements together’. A past regular at Ibiza Rocks at Pikes and occasional guest at some of the best hotels on the island, you will find Howard Hill spinning the coolest tunes either around sunny pools, on sandy beaches or welcoming the sunset in stylish villas. His M.O is long sets leading to hours of full on dancing.
Here are his top 15 tunes for the summer…
01. O Cypres by Compuphonic
I would describe this as a typical Balearic tune. It is lush (some might say chilled) but it also has a driving beat. It also features the intermittent line ‘hear we go’. Not a sample from the Chemical Brothers hit Hey Boy Hey Girl but I like to think that it is a reference to that club banger to remind us that although this is much more subdued it is still essentially a dance track which is ideal for waving ones hands in the air on a sunny beach.
02. Pearls (Timo Jahns Mix) by Alex Adair & Sade
I must admit that the original of this track virtually passed me by when it was released some 10 years ago but thanks to Sade’s voice it immediately sounded familiar. I couldn’t quite make out the words but instinctively felt that it was heart felt and so for the first time in ages I googled the lyrics and was very moved to discover the tale of a starving woman in Sudan scrabbling around for grains of rice to feed her child. Where the original perhaps went straight for the emotion this mix includes an enchanting repeating tribal sample which roots it in in the African continent. Very moving and somehow inspiring.
03. Breakadawn by Amerigo Gazaway
This brings together two of my loves, Afro Beats and Hip Hop. Amerigo Gazaway skilfully blends a tantalizing interview and a haunting musical sample of Fela Kuti with De La Soul rap.
04. Eighty – eights by Nebraska
I have a bit of a penchant for Jazz. Having said that I can’t really explain why this simple funky deep house tune has been on replay in my car. Well yes, I suppose I can, it’s tantalising exploding and cascading piano riffs.
05. Good Feeling (Moodymanc’s Balaphonic Booty Mix) – Gregory Porter
Gregory Porters track Liquid Spirit is without doubt one of the songs of the summer but am sure this will get enough attention without my push so I would like to highlight another recent release by him. This is essentially a reworking of Nina Simone’s track.
https://soundcloud.com/moodymanc/dd-v-gp_good-feeling
06. Spell On You by Stranger Danger
Nina Simone’s music is going to enjoy quite a summer if I have my way and to my mind this track is a perfect remix that adds funk to the original but also breaks down into a stripped back and phased version of the original to remind us what power her voice has when all the beats are taken away. You can feel the steady volition of the dance movement as she spells out each emotional phrase before the beats kick back in.
07. Eminescence by Vince Watson
From the early days of dance I have been in love with hammering piano riffs and here they are provided by someone who sounds like they can really play rather than relying on a repeating sample. Grand yet warm.
08. Norigon by Daniel Melingo
Latin is an essential element of the Balearic vibe and this is my current favourite. I had a bit of a problem last year because as yet I don’t understand Spanish, however I do find the sound of some female singers quite enticing and often sexy. I had one such track which I was looking forward to unleashing in a beach bar. However, as soon as the female vocals kicked in a woman sitting at the other end of the beach bar shot me a glance which I recognised immediately to be saying that the track was totally inappropriate for a bar full of families and children. I took her encouragement and quickly faded into another track. Later I realised that the reason the womans vocals sounded so sexy it was sampled from a Spanish porno film. As soon as I heard Norigon I loved the lascivious tone to his voice and asked one of the Spanish waitresses in a bar I was playing to tell me if she felt it was inappropriate. Soon after it started she began laughing and later told me that although she felt that the song was referring to cocaine it was never specifically mentioned.
09. Please Don’t Go – Saison
I like the structure of this for the same reason I like the Nina Simone track put a Spell On You. It brings a hypnotic funk to the original but at the same time lets us enjoy the power of the original voice. I have know this track to send dance floors crazy with voodoo shapes being thrown around.
10. Spirit Light (Adriatique Mix) by Adriatique & Of Norway
I am assuming that Of Norway is from that Northern European country where during winter times it barely sees daylight. It has always amazed me how some of the most sunny and clear toned music seems to emanate from the Northern European countries like Denmark and Sweeden which are severly limited in sunshine. One theory is that the producers are so longing for sunshine that they try to evoke it in their snowbound winter studios. This track radiates sun both in its African Marimba beats but also in its soaring optimistic vocals.
11. Whitworth Strut by Monkey Boots
I play quite a lot of Nu Disco but over the last year realised that I have a particular fondness for many of the more tripped out and phased remixes from such people as Australians Dr Packer and Late Nite Tuff Guy. Although this track was originally released in 2012 it has become the flag waver for my collection of Tripped Out Nu Disco. It sounds particular good when played outside with a slight breeze to accentuate the phasing.
12. Come Together (Rhythm Scholars Remix) – The Beatles
Every now and again someone does a remix which genuinely improves the original. In this case it sounds to me as though the track has been taken to pieces polished and put back together with much greater clarity and a few scratchy panning and phasing effects to heighten the solid original Beatles riffs.
13. Blue Shadow – Chaim
I love techno but sadly find much of it rather clanky and unpleasant. This is sheer bliss as the melody unfolds like a flower coming into bloom. I find it joyous and it seems to have a similar effect on dance floors.
14. Soft – Lemon Jelly
I listen to an awful lot of music (and a lot of it is awful but that goes with the job) but I am amazed that this little nugget passed me by having been released several years ago. I would say that Balearic Djing style is more concerned with mood mixing than beat mixing. So I have started to flag my tracks stored in Traktor with emotive words to help me select the mood I want. The words I have added to this are ‘Open heart’ because it feels as though this odd little rework opens up people’s hearts. It certainly brings a smile to peoples faces as they gradually recognise this very familiar track by Chicago.
15. The Wild (Vinyl Mix) by Joris Voorn
I have long been a fan of Joris Voorn, who has pens and mixes a bewildering array of styles and genres. Last year he produced the popular techno anthem Ringo and now this little surprise of a dub anthem. One of my criteria with all genres of music is, ‘does it go anywhere?’ So much deep and tech house seems to settle for a groove and provide little in the way of musical elaboration. This, on the other hand continues on a gentle spacey dub groove before opening out into a beautiful crystal clear anthemic melody.
