Hell Yeah! Recordings` Buena Onda parties have been running, between Berlin and Bologna, since 2014. Starting out as monthly events in label owner Marco Gallerani`s hometown, they moved with him to Germany, where they became a weekly, Monday night, get together. Bouncing around a little, but eventually finding a more permanent base at Arkaoda in Karl Marx Platz, Neukolln, where Marco was joined by a variety of guest DJs, and fellow residents, Jona Jefferies and Marco`s brother, Gallo. Providing the city with perhaps its only true “chill out” party. When Marco returned to Italy in 2019, Jona and Gallo were left to fly the Buena Onda flag – which they are continuing to do with a series of live transmissions, broadcast throughout the lockdown. The sound of Bueno Onda has now also been captured on a compilation – Bueno Onda Balearic Beats. There was a vinyl sampler released last week, and the full whack is now due, digitally, and on a limited cassette this Friday. 

The album collects 12 tracks from artists who have graced both the label, and the party, and plots a course from “ambient” warm-up to peak-time dancers. Gallo`s “Tropical Hinterof” take on J-Walk`s Find Another Breeze, for example, reduces the song to whispers accompanied by sunset fireworks. Scintillating SFX set to a resting heartbeat rhythm. Beatless save some distant bongos. Sergio Messina & The Four Twenties` Fly Away, similarly, is little more than a vapor of  vocoder-ed croon and 6-string treatments. Tokyo`s Calm remixes Kenkou`s Everlasting Dreams into 11 minutes of flamenco memories. A slow Spanish guitar serenade supplemented by rising synthesized swells, muted handclaps, stiletto heels, and castanets. The Balearic Gabba Soundsystem render Gallo`s Small Things an analogue bubblebath of effervescent acid, sublime slo-mo TB-303 sequences. Shimmering with a classic 1990s IDM sheen. Echoing stuff like, say, State Of Flux` recently reissued Mercury. 

Four of the tracks seem heavily influenced by 80s Street Soul. Perhaps they all picked up copies of Rainer Trüby`s Soulgliding at the start of the year. Willie Graff and Tuccillo sweetly layer synths and sighs over their electro-boogie break. My Friend Dario adorns his with cowbell, vibes and fusion flourishes. Whodamanny`s vocal rework of Quiroga`s Martinica Feelings is full of sax-y outbursts and flashy fretwork. A ringer for a classic from the catalogue of Best Records Italy. Lucas Croon`s Japon has alien harmonies, angels, dancing on a balearic / cosmic border. Taking the same 80s inspirations and turning them inside out, toughening them up. Retro-forward engineering a squelchy elastic, enervated, funk. 

Bjorn Torske mutates Juan Moretti`s Moroboshi. Its percussion made to rattle, shake, snake though intense dub-wise spirals, psychedelic spin-backs and rewinds, while bound to an expertly chopped chunky thud. The dance floor dynamics eventually dissolving into an ambient outro of buzzing bug and bird song-like circuitry. The sampled streams of Aura Safari`s Slow Divers is suffused electric keys and a feathered float of forged flute. Paying homage to the deep house of Heard, Knuckles and Jefferson. Black Spuma`s Failure Day is a mounting machined counterpoint of slapped bass and sharp sci-fi strings. 

Buena Onda Balearic Beats is out this Friday on Hell Yeah! Recordings. As well as the vinyl, digital, and aforementioned cassette, there are also commemorative t-shirts and tote bags on sale. Deals on balearic bundles can be made.