Back catalogue: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: International Feel kicks off what is presumably a new series given its title, Mediterranean Dreams - Part 1. For it, they turn to Perugia synth obsessive, underground mainstay and fine producer Feel Fly for four tracks of breezy and sunny disco-house chuggers. 'Onironauta' brings retro Italo chords and nice chunky drums, 'Grace In Space' is a leggy cosmic wonder with far-sighted chords and muted acid magic, then 'Mediterranean Dreams' is pure 80s dream house bliss. 'Becalmed' is the most rough edged and analogue house jack track of the lot.

Review: Scott Ferguson came to house and techno in one of its most fertile grounds - Detroit, in the mid 90s. Since then he has served up his own take on the timeless genres on a range of quality labels. Now he arrives on Chateau Chepere with four more of his stylish cuts. They are couched in deep house as always but with cues taken from future jazz, garage and plenty in between. These are real winter warmers that will seduce an early evening crowd or lock in a 5 am dance floor in equal measure.

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: The legendary deep house duo Fila Brazilia return with another retrospective four-track, following last year's Mermaids' reissue. Steel Tiger Records founder Steve Cobby and lecturer David McSherry ha da whirlwind romance with the house scene, one they reignited in 2020 after a 16-year separation. 'Subtle Body' serves as an incredible reintroduction to the dynamic duos sound, tripped-out dubby beats and raw house sessions, with the title track's layered chimes, looped delay feedback and floaty chords blasting right out of the gate. What follows is an unreleased instrumental version of 'Nightfall' from the 2002 album 'Jump Leads', an industrial ambient drifter.

On Side B, the tempo and temperature rises, and we're treated to 'The Light Of Jesus', from the debut LP 'Old Codes: New Chaos'. A bumping house groove, smooth organ and sweet bass combine for an unforgettable track that has stood the test of time fiercely. The EP rounds out with 'Room '96', a live house jam from Hull's Room nightclub - a time capsule to better days. The songs here on Subtle Body might be a window into a time long past, but they remain in the present: and as long as bodies seek pleasure, and dancers want to keep going til sunrise, Fila Brazillia will endure, and soundtrack those moments for us all to get lost in.

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: Especial Specials has joined forces with Osaka-based imprint Chillmountain Recordings to offer up another Enjoy Your Self EP. This one once again showcases the talents on its roster with label head Ground kicking off with a beatdown meets trance sound on "Utau Narukoyuri'. After that slow burner come tribal percussive sounds from 'Arauma' (Kobato Dub), sunny cumbia on 'Something Sign' and a meandering Balearic journey from Akira Arasawa With KUN & FRANKY-CH that is brought to life with new age flute sounds, bird calls, jungle drips and folkloric strings. A fantastic EP, then.

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.