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

Ambala – Eko Maina – Music For Dreams

Phil Mison revives his Ambala alias, an “act” responsible for plenty of previous smashes – the wonderful William Pitt homage, Morning Lights immediately springs to mind. This time he’s working with co-producer, Anders Ponsaing, and one of my favourite Music For Dreams artists, Danish composer, Troels Hammer. The latter adding cascades of classical keys to a cut that comes across like a totally tropical meeting of Dutchman Jasper Van’t Hof’s Pan-African Pili-Pili project and early mellow European house, stuff such as Culture Beat’s Cherry Lips. Bongos, Congas, and tumbling idiophones are buoyed along by a deceptively forceful beat, but it’s the stunning vocal, from Afro-Cuban trio, Iyami Aje, that really makes the track stand, leap, out. 

Aphex Twin – Blackbox Life Recorder 21f – Warp

Lulling unsuspecting listeners into a false sense of sonic security Aphex Twin’s first new music since 2018’s Collapse begins benignly enough, with some `80s electro-soul drums. The sighing synth melody (sorta Music Has The Right…era Boards Of Canada) and ethereal vocal treatments though, are a sure sign that you’re about to be taken somewhere else. The rhythm gets rudely manhandled, roughly chopped about, and then breaks are layered, like collage upon collage. The beat increasingly boisterous. Time-stretched, clipped, tumbling. The seismic subs are more a sustained buzz than a b-line as such. 

Calm – Liminal Moment (Coyote Remixes) – Hell Yeah

For the first in a series of remixes of tracks taken from his 2022 album, Before, Calm hands over Liminal Moment to Is It Balearic? founders, Coyote. Where the OG was beatless, all floating, fluttering chords, featuring virtuoso flute and violin, Timm and Ampo lead it directly to the dancefloor. Turning in two chilled, but 4 / 4’d transformations that both cop cues from the classier end of early `90s Italian house. A TB-303, predictably, drives the duo’s Acid Dream. Snarling throughout, but kept on a tight leash. While percussion whispers like las cicadas hidden in tropical trees, Roland’s little silver box bubbles above and below a rhythm of loops and brief breakbeat ricochets. Their more straight forward Dream Mix starts soaked in dramatic, cinematic strings, before swapping the lysergic licks for the original’s whistling, weaving, woodwind. 

Cousin Kula – Hanging On Your Lips – Rhythm Section International 

Following on from their debut LP, Double Dinners, Bristolian quintet, Cousin Kula, return to Rhythm Section International with a super new single, named Hanging On Your Lips. While the press release offers The Bee Gees and Khruangbin as references, I’ll dig a little bit deeper and say that the 5 fellas make a sound somewhere between Dirty Gold and Tungusku. It’s a reverie with a groove, and falsetto, perfect for crusing against a Californian sunrise backdrop. Swooning, romantic, and managing to be both classy and catchy. The musicians showing their chops in short fusion flashes. All within a 3 minute pop song. 

The Disciples  – For A Few Dollars More – Covert Dubs

Russ Bell-Brown launches a new label, Covert Dubs, with a couple of cracking cinematic covers. The main draw is a dynamite digi-dub do-over of Ennio Morricone’s theme from For A Few Dollars More – where twists of delay-derived feedback replace the familiar whistling, chants, and whip cracks. The “straighter” take, I think, could slot into any Balearic set, while the “Version”, smashed by echo is way wilder. Spaced out, but somehow much more intense. For both, the beat is the shuffle of the Boys Own Fanzine charts of spring / summer 1990. Foxy Brown’s Fast Car and Weatherall remixing St. Etienne. DJs easing spliffs from their lyrical lips. Turning the 10” over, On Her Majesty’s Service receives similar treatment, but I’ve always been a lot more “The Man With No Name” than James Bond. 

Escape From New York – Save Our Love – Isle Of Jura

Having reissued Escape From New York’s classic / essential Fire In My Heart, Isle Of Jura now rescue the short-lived 4-piece’s other single, Save Our Love. A shot of slapped bass-led new wave boogie, dubbed-out disco-not-disco, worthy of an `80s Francois Kevorkian remix, it shines like Simple Minds’ Glittering Prize, New Gold Dream, promising miracles. Recorded in 1983, it’s actually a bit of a ringer for Fashion’s Move Øn, produced by the mighty Zeus B. Held, which was a massive hit a couple of years prior. 

Jezebell – Jezeblue – Jezebell

Home from a triumphant residency at Ibiza’s Pike’s, and now preparing an album, Jezebell’s latest piece of jive is called Jezeblue. Borrowing the opening chimes of a much-loved Jose Padilla / Cafe del Mar favourite – something I consider synonymous with the sadly departed DJ – they set this lullaby loop dancing like sunlight on the Mediterranean. This serves as a super hypnotic intro, which then segues into some peaceful piano – plus someone singing way, way off in the distance – before, after 6 and a half minutes (did I mention the track is nearly 12 minutes long?) finally dropping the drums. Together with a second sample – a Latino string and key motif, repurposed from an `80s house classic – this is the signal for lift-off. 

Marla Kether – In My Corner – Saffron Records

Having previously collaborated with Kokoroko’s Oscar Jerome, phenomenally talented bassist, Marla Kether, goes it alone – well, kinda. On In My Corner she’s joined by Sonia Konaté on guitar, the super accomplished Will Fry on percussion (his credits far too long to list), while Saul’s Barney “Footshooter” Whittaker assists on the mix. This is actually Marla’s third single, but the first that Ban Ban Ton Ton has been lucky enough to have been sent. Distilling elements of Dominican dem bow, and the Congo’s soukous, this is very broadly speaking a superior slice of afro-house. Sonia’s wicked clipped rhythm guitar recalling Talking Heads reimagining West African highlife, while guest vocalist, K.O.G (Kweku of Ghana), chants and adlibs all over the groove. Marla bouncing around, her jazz jumping here, there, and everywhere, but steadfastly holding, nailing, it down. 

Richard Norris – Oracle Sound Volume One – Group Mind

Former Grid frontman Richard Norris steps momentarily away from his marvelous Music For Healing project, to start a new sideline, exploring his love of reggae and dub (he rates DJ / toaster Toyan’s How The West Was Won as one of his all time top LPs). Entitled Oracle Sound, we’re teased with just 2 tracks for now – but that was enough for me to part with my money. Lightning Version is incredibly deep, but house tempo`d, and most definitely danceable. With a heavy hypnotic b-line, whose pH dips in and out of acidic, its melody is wrestled from space-y Sci-Fi transmissions, while the keys are cavernous echoed chimes. The incredibly infectious percussive workout, Birthday Dub bumps, and chunkily chugs, along in a dynamic drum circle fashion – in a manner that mixes Afrobuddha’s Zone with Guem Et Zaka Percussion’s Cosmic / Balearic classic, Le Serpent. The full E.P. / mini-LP is due in October.