Attempting to recreate the golden yesterdays of Jose Padilla`s White Isle sunsets with the tunes of today. 

Chris Spheeris And Paul Voudouris` LP, Passage, is Audio Biofeedback Therapy outta 80s Milwaukee. Designed to help “the stressful, the weary and those who have trouble sleeping at night”. Emotional Rescue-d some thirty years later, it makes a perfect sunset accompaniment. A missing “innovative communication” of Kosmische arpeggio and elegiac drone. Made all the more incredible by the fact that it was synthesised from guitars and electric keys, and little else, in one take. No overdubs.

Another moment of Minimalism generated by processed piano and guitar comes from Underworld, teamed up with Iggy Pop. Three of the four Teatime Dub Encounters (released here in Japan by Beat Records) are Techno-dancers, but I`ll See Big finds Iggy reflecting all too briefly on his life, and the importance of friends. Rick and Karl simply whispering “Space” and “Memory” in the background. It`s been known to make grown men cry.

Oslo Sunrise 4K is the standout melodic moment of beautiful calm on Yamaneko`s Afterglow, for Local Action. Where the digital storm breaks, and the sun triumphs over gathering black clouds. 

Drum machines click and pop on the analogue, Post-House ambience of Cale Sexton`s Melondrama, for Butter Sessions. There are booming bottom-ends, playful, raspberry-ing Electro beats, scratched-in rhythms, and dancing 303s. But these are not big room bangers. More soundtracks in the vein of Larry Heard`s Sceneries Not Songs. Especially on opener, The Sump. Featuring cymbal fills, where Jazz Is The Teacher. Almost A Mirror has huge resonating piano chords, that recall the classic Detroit of Yennek`s Empirical Reality. This is music that folks who bought that James Booth E.P. on Growing Bin need to hear. 

But that`s only half the story, `cos when Sexton switches from programming machines to electric bass and guitar he`s summoning the spirits of Shoegaze, and Joy Divison. Soundscapes set to soft skanks and Kosmische-influenced pulses. Crowbar had me thinking of New Order`s Elegia. 

Seance Centre`s collection of MJ Lallo`s vocal experiments declares music a form of escape, and space the place. Ethereal, and dreaming of a universe without division, it`s appropriately titled, Take Me With You. 

Hiroshima`s Singu also set out to commune with the cosmos, through Siki`s Jazz-Rock improvisations, care of Basso`s Growing Bin Records. Fazaria`s explosions sending sparks up into the stratopshere.

Discovered by Claremont 56`s Paul “Mudd” Murphy five years ago, while on tour of Japan (the DJ warming-up for him included it in her set), Pan Electric`s Sweet As Rain has been plucked from the obscurity of a Swedish compilation CD, and pressed up onto a 12. The original mix is sublime, sonic yoga. Consisting of field recordings made in Ethiopia at the end of the last millennium, augmented by subtle electronics and guitar. Sometimes treated, run backwards, and sometimes dry acoustic. While veteran South African musician, Pops Mohamed provides kalimba and percussion. An extended Album Mix (the LP as yet unreleased) employs more complex arrangements of organ keys, and synthesised sequences. Its more intentionally epic, as the uplifting chants rise and fall through washes of delay. Royalties from the record will be donated to the charity, Water. Committed to ensuring access to clean water for all. 

Taken from Balearic 4, but initially part of the suite that made up Themes From The Hood, The Cad, & The Lovely, Max Essa`s Gold Hush is a post-party float off the Isle of Art Of Noise. A post-barmy balm of warm synthetic swells and solo piano.  

Max` Hell Yeah! label mate, Gallo, follows that outstanding Fabrizio Mammarella E2-E4-homaging remix of his Faron, and delivers a new E.P. of near beatless Italian House ambience. Deshalb is downtempo Dub Techno. Topped by a Mediterranean sunset sax. Little Blue opens with grand echoing piano. Its Trance lasers illuminating a pre- / post-Rave sky. Encouraging listeners to ecstatically raise their hands, and if not move their asses, then at least free their minds. Synthesisers exploding in whispered “Wow!”s. Sverna`s symphonic sigh is the aforementioned Gold Hush, with added fractal fizz, and congas. Chilled-out chimes and blissed-out bleeps. Should its original mix fade and still leave you wanting, My Friend Dario`s remix stretches it out to nine minutes. Boasting a groovy b-line and more bongos. 

Millos Kaiser`s Onda De Amor is an essential compilation of Brazilian “Unclassics” drawn from the remainder bins of the mid-80s to mid-90s. Regiao Abissal`s Feminina Mulher is just one Electro-Soul reason why you should purchase a copy from Soundway. 

Track-list

Chris Spheeris And Paul Voudouris – Prism – Emotional Rescue

Yamaneko – Oslo House Sunrise – Local Action

Cale Sexton – The Sump – Butter Sessions

MJ Lallo – Singing In The Light Years – Seance Centre

Pan Electric – Sweet As Rain – Claremont 56

Underworld – I`ll See Big – Beat Records

Singu – Fazaria – Growing Bin

Gallo – Sverna – Hell Yeah!

Max Essa – Gold Hush Part 2 – Balearic

Regiao Abissal – Feminina Mulher – Soundway