Looking For The Balearic Beat / June 2022

Paraphrasing the Soul Sonic Force and sorting through today`s releases for tunes that could have graced Alfie & Leo`s Amnesia dance-floor.

John Beltran / Para Viajeros / Oath

Three of the four tracks on this E.P. are lush, highly percussive, latin house – sophisticated, futuristic fusion-esque sambas – but it was the mellow, marimba`d, Mallorca, that caught my attention. A daydream-like drift, a feather-light float of gentle hand drums and warm synth swells, surrounding carefully placed piano notes. Subtle, but haunting, with melodic patterns recalling John’s classic album, Ten Days Of Blue, the tune occupies a sonic space somewhere between Steve Cobby`s The Departure Lounge Awaitsand Art Of Noise`sMoments In Love and, to my ears, it coulda been a Cafe del Mar contender. 

Cantoma / Shelter / Highwood Recordings

Phil Mison reunites with long-standing firm friend, and collaborator, Quinn Lamont Luke, and…