Juno Recommends Balearic / Downtempo: August 2023

Review: Is It Balearic make a big signing here as Dr Bronzer appears on the label with a first-ever release. It's a 12" awash with warm California sun as A-side tune 'Sandee Bottoms' hats back to a golden 90s Balearic era with its loose-limbed drums and warm synth smears. Coyote offers up a sleazy dub and 'Wet Dreams' then appears on the flip. It's a more intense and busy tune with cowbells, broken house beats, steamy vocals and muted acid next to strummed acoustic riffs. Max Essa then shows his skills on a fine remix and lastly, Projection go deep and smoochy on their remix.

Review: Last year, Pamela Records launched with a fantastic EP of cosmic club music from the late, great Andrew Weatherall and his long-time production partner Nina Walsh. For release number two, they've turned to another long-serving London producer, former Aloof collaborator Jo Sims. Lead cut 'Bass - The Final Frontier' (track two on the A-side) is definitely one that Weatherall would have played: a psychedelic, mid-tempo chugger with trance-inducing electronics, twinkling synthesiser lead lines and a throbbing groove. David Holmes remixes, slowing it down further while adding undulating TB-303 'acid' lines and plenty of cinematic textures. Elsewhere, 'Demons of Dance' is a moody dark disco throb-job (Richard Sen would approve), while 'Mumbo Jumbo' is a deep Balearic breaks number tailor made for sunsets and sunrises.

Review: When it first emerged a few years ago, Mod Hut was an instant favourite with house lovers. It had a dusty outlook and laid-back vibe that led to some big underground hits so we're glad it has navigated those highs and is still turning out the good stuff as it now drops at 30th release. Freak Heat Waves are the cult collective behind this record which is a hard to define cocktail of hazy house, lo-fi electro, psych, dub and soul that has a proudly DIY aesthetic and very real emotions. Highlights include the lazy vocal allure of 'In A Moment Divine' (feat Cindy Lee) and sultry sounds of slow mo outsider cut 'Music Has An Interesting Power.'

Review: David Moufang's legacy of works is vast beyond compare, so it's not surprising in these reissue-rich times his work continues to enjoy a fresh outing. Of course that's equally down to the quality of what he's been making as Move D and otherwise since the early 90s, and there are some projects even getting a second independent reissue such as this rare gem from 1995, Solitaire. Originally released under that alias on Pete Namlook's seminal Fax +49 label, Solitaire also came out credited to Moufang himself in 2010, but now it's getting its first vinyl pressing courtesy of Mule Musiq in Japan. From the original long-form version of 'In/Out' to the wistful bubble bath wonderment of 'P.M.', it's quintessential 90s ambient techno made by one of the best to be doing it then and now.

Review: Raf Dug has always been outspoken when it comes to the less favourable aspects of 'the scene' which if course means more eyes are on him when he steps out with new music. Fortunately he has more than enough skills to keep criticism at bay as this new one on the legendary International Feel shows. He kicks off with the epic electronics and dubby rhythms of 'Casita Mas Alta' which unfold over nine fine minutes. After that dancefloor workout comes the blissed out downtempo of 'Cala Vedella', steamy Balearic of 'Las Cicadas' and innocent new age melodic charms of 'Niu Blau.'

Review: Swedish dub funk electropoppers Little Dragon - Yukimi Nagano, Erik Bodin, Fredrik Wallin and Hakan Wirenstrand - present their latest LP Slugs Of Love here via their longstanding patrons Ninja Tune. Following up their 2020 album New Me, Same Us, which had a long time to gestate, the new album comes at a well-timed moment, charting a thematic undercurrent of finding love in unexpected places - just the message we need for 2023. Eccentric and kooky synthiness bolsters their minimal-kitsch, r&b-inflected post-punk sound, best evidenced by the songs 'Stay' (featuring JID) or 'Gold'.

Review: Taking a break from her frequent collaborations with DJ Sotofett, Laura Sparrow lets LNS fly solo for a release with a significant poignancy to it. The title track, which actually occupies the B2 of this release on Counter 99, originally came out in 2022 around the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sparrow's heritage is Ukrainian-Canadian, and she drew on her roots growing up connected to Ukrainian culture to make 'Misiats', which is based on a Ukrainian folk song. The Ukrainian folk motifs carry through the rest of this beautifully crafted EP, which feels all the more meaningful for the loaded context behind it.

Review: These days, NuNorthern Soul's vinyl output is a bit more selective than it once was, allowing boss man Phil Cooper to release what he thinks are the choicest cuts and EPs. The label's latest, from sometime Soul Clap Records contributor Zeynep Erbay, is another White Isle friendly Balearic treat. For proof, check the gently lolloping grooves, simmering synth strings, enveloping chords and twinkling pianos of 'Heart of a Healer', which Danilo Braca then smartly turns into an acid-flecked Balearic nu-disco chugger. B-side opener 'Whale Healer' features more gorgeous piano meditations over a warming bassline and a more skittish and minimalistic beat. NNS label regular Marshall Watson reworks, first delivering a dubby balearic disco take before unfurling an impeccable ambient 'Reprise' version based around the Turkish producer's luscious piano parts.

Review: Guangzhou, China-based artist and DJ Cola Ran tune sin to her inner reflections and global travel experiences when making music. On her debut EP she taps int the human experience to tell the tale of society's development over the years and blends traditional Asian and African instruments with modern electronics, field recordings and vocals to do so. It's a fulsome ambient, Balearic and downtempo brew with a gorgeous sense of melody and spirituality that offers a soothing escape. 'Riot On The Hush' is a lush tapestry of hand drums and xylophone-like sounds that rise and fall like a sea current, 'Outta Space' is the same vibe but with a futuristic cosmic twist. These are two of many highlights.