Back catalogue: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: The Dolfin label has been rolling out some high quality jams of late and are currently building up to a much anticipated album from Blaque Dynamite that is worth keeping an eye open for. Now they look to Felix for this hand-stamped vinyl 7" 'Kween In My Eyes'. It is a slow, low slung and heart-warming deep house sound with a hooky beat and jazzy chord draped over the drums as a smooth r&b vocal is smeared into the mix. On the flip is the even more downbeat and late night 'Domelo Ance' with its lazy and heat damaged chords making for a super seductive sound. A steamy 45 then, for sure.

Review: Unstoppable Munich label Ilian Tape has another entry in its fine ITX Series here and this one is called 'Biospore Farmers' from Fields of Mist, describing it as "Sunrise Beams Through Orbital Mist." In less abstract terms, it is a gorgeously hazy and lo-fi electro-exploration. The first two cuts are slow, doleful and reflective with grainy pads and deep space ambiance swirling around nice rough-edged broken beats. The B-side picks up the pace with the brilliantly kinetic bounce of 'Astral Projection Spores' and then the skittish and celestial trip that is 'Orbital Mist'. A high-class EP once again.

Review: Natacha Fink's 'Pirarublue' delivers a sexy lounge vibe with hints of jazz rock, characterised by its catchy rhythms and melodies, while on the flip Nimalan Yoganathan presents 'Unseen Songlines,' an ambient piece rich in field recording atmosphere and experimental textures. With its unique sounding hord structures and ample use of echo, this track transports listeners on an introspective journey through soundscapes. Overall, the EP showcases the label's commitment to showcasing eclectic and boundary-pushing music from emerging artists.

Review: Florecer steps up to the cultured Is It Balearic label with the sort of soothing downtempo sounds that are perfect for sunset moments with a quality drink. There is plenty of mellow and dreamy West Coast lushness to 'Hidden Thoughts' with its shimmering synths and seductive vocal coos while the first remix from Hitchhiker steps up the energy with an arp-ed sound. Das Complex gets dark and chugging as is his usual want on the flipside, then Cafe Del Mar resident Ken Fan offers a trademark chillout sound to close out another most calming EP from this great label.

Review: The In Waves label is fast approaching its tentth release but before that it turns once again to Flowers On Monday for this lush new four track EP featuring Amega and Weam Ismail. It's the rousing and hymnal sounds of 'Featuring Amega And Weam Ismail.' that open up with loose, interwoven grooves and stirring melodies all topped off by the prayer-like vocals of Ismail. 'Your Sand' (feat Amega) is another dreamy deep house jaunt and 'Resonate Me' (feat Amega) is a spine tinging and angelic electronic lullaby that gets served up in a superb ambient version.

Review: An ultra-depthy broken house production from fellows Roberta and Fawziyya Heart, 'Take Our Time' is a seeming exercise in how many top frequencies one can lop off, yet still use in service a sense of excitement in stasis. The simple tessellation of soul-fed voice, subdued kick, murmurative Rhodes and mono sub make for a fantastic combo, as we're unconsciously fed lyrics and style signifying tarrying and patience, not to mention the Molokos and Smith & Mighties of the 1990s.

Review: Welsh producer Floor is Lava adds to their 'Video Game LoFi' series with 'Zelda Vol 2: Door of Time' with faithful chill hop and lo-fi hip-hop renditions of music from Nintendo's beloved Legend of Zelda franchise. From Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, composed by Koji Kondo, to selections from Skyward Sword, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Breath of the Wild, The Floor Is Lava has meticulously crafted a diverse collection of nostalgic and expressive game music. The album heavily features beautiful guitar playing and ethereal vocals throughout, with collaborations from Save Point and vocal features from Bri Marie and Sophie Edwards on some of the most iconic music in history.

Review: Critically acclaimed British jazz pianist, composer and arranger, Greg Foat has been making quite a bit of waves in the jazz scene as well as his groundbreaking albums that feature artists in other genres. His latest album 'Live At Can Rudayla Ibiza ', is an homage to the magical sound of the Mediterranean. Ibiza has long been known for its night life but perhaps not known as well outside the chill out scene sound, that the area has a sound all to itself. Inspired by his highly regarded and recent album with Gigi Masin, Greg Foat explores the themes further. Pool Side parts 1 and 2 shimmer with beautiful soundscapes that set the mood wonderfully. 'Dining Table Grooves' gives a hint at the late-night sounds to come in Ibiza while the sunset tracks close the album out with an almost chill wave sound that we absolutely adore. If you are looking for an album to put on as guests arrive to your beach home, this is the album you want to play. Greg Foat is a beacon of light for the future of jazz fusion.

Review: Three is the long-awaited twelfth studio album by electronica titan Four Tet, following a long extended 'wildcard era' characterised by legal battles (well, one) and unlikely, curveball stints with fellow juggernauts Skrillex and Fred Again. But despite this judgment, Three hears Kieran Hebden return to his earliest forms, with the semi-eponymous 'Three Drums' recalling his earliest outcroppings emergent from his Fridge days, via slow, crisp breaks and serene string pads. 'Loved', similarly, evokes a 90s hip-hop, dare say Britcore fascination, melded with warmingly serene analogue pulsations, underlaid.

Review: It's been a hell of a long time since Kieran Hebden released a full-length album; Sixteen Oceans and Parallel both came out in 2020 and made for twin final inculcations of his twinkly, stellar dance sound. Three, by contrast, comes a full four years later and promises a return to a relaxed space for the artist, recalling the woodside studio space that facilitated his inauguration as a meme. Not quite abandoning the EDM bent, 'Daydream Repeat' recalls those earlier projects, but the likes of 'Three Drums' and 'Loved' are by contrast much more measured, soft-breaksy constructions in sound, recalling a more radical return to hip-hop than house.

Review: There are not too many house and techno labels in the United States that can boast quite the discography and international success that the Brooklyn based Scissor & Thread label can. For over a decade now, the busy label has kept the quality up to the high standards the label set when starting. A big part of that quality is having Frank & Tony on board through the label's history. Ethos is their new full-length album that, spread across a double pack of wax, with tracks mostly kept under close guard, except the opener 'Olympia'. Make no mistake though, from the rumours and whispers we've heard already, it looks like being a big hit.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Apart from having one of the best and most singular names in electronic dance music, The Future Sound Of London have been one of the pillars of modern UK dance music, pushing through a mixture of house, techno, and breaks since the early 1990s - and, in fact, some of their tunes like "Papua New Guinea" are still getting regular play time in clubs today. While they have released a huge amount of music over the last 25 years, they've got an equally vast amount of unreleased gold in their treasure chest, a collection of tracks that have seen the light of day thanks to the present Archived series. This week it's time for the series' eighth instalment, another twelve unmissable bundles of electronic delight. However, this is a lot more than just a compilation, and the tunes work their fine mixture of melodies, breaks and electronic beats into a sublime collection of sounds. If you're into vast and explorative music with a cutting-edge, you needn't look any further.