Earlier this month, Music For Dreams Radio asked me to compile an hour`s worth of musical favourites from 2018. It just wasn’t possible. Too much good stuff to choose from. I tried to break it down into one hour of new music, one hour of reissues. Still didn’t work. “Balearic Beat” is a mix of old and new – electronic and “organic” – Pop and Underground. Often what makes a record danceable is down to context. i.e. the records that came before it. Throwing everything I`ve loved this year together, the result was more like five hours. 

Please don’t view this post as a poll. `Cos, to be honest, I couldn’t fit it all in. James Perri`s Express Yourself, for example was something I didn’t stop playing, but wasn’t skilled enough to segue here. Benedek`s Earlyman Dance. Earthboogie`s Overground. Instead, please look on it as a big Thank You! To everybody who visited Ban Ban Ton Ton, everybody who listened, and of course, everybody who very kindly sent over tunes for me to review. If I wrote about your release, or included it in a Looking For The Balearic Beat mix, then it made my “Best Of”. 

I`ve been lucky enough to have interviewed most of the key players in the creation of the Balearic Beat. The Italian, South American, and Spanish DJs who fueled Ibiza`s 80s nightlife. My questioning, attempting to nail that impossible to nail definition of “Balearic”. One thing all their testimonies shared was the need to spin records from all over the globe. To include everyone, and exclude no one. So it makes me feel kinda warm inside to scan this track-list and see music from Australia, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Denmark, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the UK, the US, and Venezuela.  

Since this is likely my last post of 2018, below is a selection of music with a party in mind. I`d be flattered if it served, in some part, as a soundtrack to your own celebrations. 

良いお年を!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Track-list

Gigi Flag – Nymphomaniac (Instrumental) – Spacetalk

Anatolian Weapons – Sunbeam Dance – Lurid Records

Tao – Eenie Meenie (XTC Excursion) – Rogue Cat Sounds

Sth Notional – Yawn Yawn Yawn (Yabe`s Remix) – Archeo Recordings

Talking Drums – Get Serious – Talking Drums

Oro – Stop The War – Best Records Italy

Andrea Benini – The Forbidden Tale – Cristalline

Penya – Search It Out (Dengue Dengue Remix) – On The Corner

Orquesta De Las Nubes – Ella No Lleva Gafas – Music From Memory

Jean Pierre Boistel & Tony Kenneybrew – Des Perce Bois – Left Ear Records

Vania Bastos – Tabu – Strut

Blank & Jones  – Good (Leo Mas & Fabrice Mix) – Soundcolours

Pink Rhythm – India (Instrumental) – Be With Records

Diva – La Nuit – Discomatin

Lou Blic – Mineralite – Music From Memory

Maya – Lait de Coco – Attic Salt

Eddy La Viny – Havan Hamac – Spacetalk

Flamingo Flame – Simmer (Mind Fair 12”) – Rogue Cat Sounds

Arvo – Bikini (Shelter Extension) – Strangelove

Roberto Lodola – Feeling Of The Sun – Best Records Italy

Akendengue – Epuguzu (Good Plus Edit) – Good Plus

Los Twangueros – Entre Dos Aguas (On-U Sound Dub) – Balearic

Antonio Nicola Bruno – Storia Della Terra Mia – Archeo Recordings

Talking Drums – C60 Lato A – Talking Drums

The Keyboys – Savannah – Spacetalk

Cantoma – Verbana – Highwood Recordings

Shams Dinn – Ane Dassi M`we – Smiling C

Rudys Midnight Machine – Solar Plex – Faze Action Records

Nu Guinea – Stann Fore – NG Records

Miskotom – Hyenas Laugh – Pleasure Wave

Tabala Mouv – Tabala Mouv – Vive La Musique

Preface – Palace Hotel (Instrumental) – Discomatin

Sangre Joven – Zamba Zamba – Matasuna Rec

Robot 84 – San Vorera (Jim Breese Remix) – Balearic

Clifford White – Rain Trek – Emotional Rescue

The CVQ Band – Whatever You Do (Instrumental) – Space Talk

Yasuaki Shimizu – Tamare Tamare (Chee`s Edit) – Japanism

DJ Rocca & Leo Almunia  – Mbira Funk – Really Swing

Esa – A Muto – Nouvelle Ambiance

Brenda & The Beachballs – Dancing Thru The Night – Music From Memory

Parkway Rhythm – Broad St. Pressure – Parkway

Andrea Benini – Pink Twirl – Cristalline

Veronica Vasicka – From Here (Regis Mix) – Downwards

Penya – Tribes (Al Zanders Remix) – On The Corner

Copenema – Dexia A Musica Tocar – Music For Dreams

Chevalier Yannick – Ecoute Le Son Du Soleil (Instrumental) – Best Records Italy

Giorgia Morandi – Children Of The Sky – Hell Yeah!

Juan Laya and Jorge Montiel – Crie Sua Realidade – Imagenes

Wavetest – Hanstraum (Love mix) – Phantom Island

Teknokrats – What Did She Say – Rush Hour

Kojo Antwi – Hini Mi – Music For Dreams

Nu Guinea – Je Vulesse – NG Records

Belpaese – Vai Di Samba – Belpaese Edits

Judith Ravitz – Boiadeiro – Be With Records

Angelique Kidjo – Once In A Lifetime – Kravenworks