Attempting to recreate the golden yesterdays of Jose Padilla`s White Isle sunsets with the tunes of today.
There`s a brace of new albums whose aim is to soundtrack your Summer. Sets seamlessly designed by folks who make a living entertaining crowds as the sun goes down. Albums that cover every Chill Out trope you could wish for. Tropical chimes. Beats like a lazy low tide lapping at hot sand. Hushed harmonies. New Age lullabies. Music box melodies. Plaintive thoughtful piano and flamenco guitar. Muted hymn-like choirs. Ethnic woodwinds. Nods to the moving Modern Classical of Hans Zimmer`s Time and pretty like Carl Orff`s Gassenhauer.
Chris Coco has his My Favourite Place. I`ve included the title track here. A collaboration with Japan`s Calm. The duo reference Arthur Russell by adding World Of Echo in brackets, but it`s more a cloud. Drifting. Blank & Jones` Relax Edition 10 is in shops. Their My Island also making the cut for Moonboots` forthcoming compilation on Music For Dreams. MFD`s Kenneth Bager, of course, a fixture on the White Isle since the early 1980s. If anybody knows, he does. His label issuing long players from Troel`s Hammer and The Swan And The Lake. Troel`s Hammer`s sax-y Letters From Uhuru and TSATL`s Arvo Part homage, Port d`Andratx, being my picks from both. MFD also have that essential Nordso & Theill record.
Tommy Awards make like The Cure disintegrating on Prometheus. Garrett does Jun Fukumachi scoring Nicole`s catwalk. Jonny 5 sends an Innovative Communication for Pleasure Wave. Penelope Trappes recreates the classic 4AD sound of This Mortal Coil for Optimo. Optimo also doing a much-needed repress of their Miracle Steps collection. From which I`ve chosen Jon Keliehor`s Subcontinent.
Other reissues include Roberto Musci`s expanded Loa Of Music, and Kenji Kawai`s haunting Ghost In The Shell score. I`ve signed the petition for the release of Clint Mansell and Lorn Balfe`s music for the recent live-action remake. Fingers crossed there. Freedom To Spend follow Pep Llopis` Poiemusia La Nau Dels Argonautes with Eros In Arabia from Jon Hassell collaborator, Richard Horowitz. The man who coined the term “Ambient”, Brian Eno has first four solo LPs remastered and ready for reassessment.
Track-list
Roberto Musci – Lazy Raga – Soave
Jonny 5 – Stardriver – Pleasure Wave
Kenji Kawai – Making Of A Cyborg – We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want
Jon Keliehor – Subcontinent – Optimo Music
Garrett – End Theme – Music From Memory
Penelope Trappes – Gone – Optimo Music
Troel`s Hammer – Letters From Uhuru – Music For Dreams
Tommy Awards – Prometheus – Origin Peoples
Richard Horowitz – Eros Never Stops Dreaming – Freedom To Spend
Chris Coco & Calm – My Favourite Place – Suburbia
Nordso & Theill – Velvet Sky – Music For Dreams
Blank & Jones – My Island – Soundcolours
The Swan And The Lake – Port d`Andratx – Music For Dreams
Brian Eno – Taking Tiger Mountain – UMC / Virgin EMI