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

We seemed to review a lot of music in 2023. Everyone who contributes to Ban Ban Ton Ton – Adam, Cal, The Insider, Mike, and myself – unfortunately had serious life stuff to juggle, but nevertheless, sometimes, personally, it feels like reviewing is all I do. Even limiting it to one-a-day, ideally with weekends off, that`s still upwards of 250 releases. I`m not complaining, no way – I`d like to thank everybody who very kindly sends music over – but rather using this to illustrate the fact that when it comes to “rounding up” the year, there`s a considerable amount of cool tunes to go back through. This is the first of several planned lists, a few favourites from an eclectic mixed bag of dancefloor-directed gear, labelled Balearic Beats. 

Breaking down the new stuff first, Is It Balearic? had a bumper year. Every month seemed to bring something from Timm and Ampo – either their own productions, or that of others, championed via their label. The big ones for me were Rune Lindbaek`s take on Chris Coco`s La Guitarra, Rolo Woodentops` roof-raising sing-along, Marijuana, and the wonderful Western Revolution.  

Imprint-wise, Music For Dreams came a close second. To be honest, it was pretty much impossible to keep up with the digital singles that Kenneth Bager & Co. made available, but Julie Pavon`s debut E.P. was something that deserves spotlighting, as was Kenneth`s own collaboration with Findlay Brown, Don`t Give Up.

David Holmes` Blind On A Galloping Horse was one of the album`s of the year. While not exactly Balearic, X-Press 2`s Larry Heard-referencing remix of the track, Yeah X3, most certainly was. Darrens House and Rock also had a very decent crack at David Kitt`s Til The End, while Holmes himself turned Jo Sims` Bass: The Final Frontier into an ALFOS anthem. While on the subject of ALFOS, Nina Walsh bravely pressed  up Woodleigh Research Facility`s Phonox Nights, a double LP of gear, co-produced with Andrew Weatherall, specifically to soundtrack those fabled, storied parties. 

Plenty of remixes stood out. Eddie C`s TB-303 spiked, Tumblin` spin on Woolfy`s Aeroplane. Kiko Navarro and Willie Graff`s piano-tastic take of Joan Bibiloni`s Valerie. Nik Colk Void`s tribal / industrial rattling of Santaka`s 555. There was Gaudi`s dynamite dub disco deconstruction of BCUC, Kenny Wisdom and Frank Milan`s epic extension of Christopher Lamp`s Our Time, and someone – anonymously – put out a brilliant, blue-labelled party-starting shake of Prince`s 17 Days. Much more than a remix was Good Block`s reimagining of the Ryuichi Sakamoto rarity, Strong Relax. 

House-ier hits came in the shape of Mark Seven`s magnificent Vibes, Fila Brazillia`s terrific Toro De Fuego, and Ghost Assembly`s ace I Miss Your Love. 

I`d also like to give special “uncategorisable” shouts to ddwy`s Orchard, and Marshall Watson & Cole Odin`s Just A Daydream Away, the latter`s “Rocket Ride”, plus No Zu`s final, parting shot, Last Words. 

On the reissue front, Richard Sen’s Dream The Dream, a cracking collection of mid-90s UK house, was one of comps of 2023. It covered quite a few bases, from ambient, to techno and trance, and two of the tunes – Orr Some’s We Can Make It and Strontium 90’s Rave On The Congo – as far as I’m concerned would slot right into a more eclectic / Balearic set. Richard was also kind enough to Zoom us for a fascinating chat on the collection’s background.

More techno-tinged gear from yesteryear came care of Missile Vintage, with Revelation’s First Power, and Transmigration’s first vinyl pressing of Hole In One’s Ideas For Virtual Reality. While the latter is an ambient classic, the reissue featured a dynamite, dark, rattling Anatolian Weapons remix. The former, back in 1990, was a big tune, that was instrumental in shaping the UK progressive house sound.

Sunny Crypt shone a spotlight on a few of lesser known musical jewels. Les Dupont’s Sur L`eau was a super interesting arty, magpie-like, electronic set that collaged ideas from techno, house, ambient, and jazz. Nine Minutes From Cairo was a chunky, chugging, downtempo cut, whose melodies were full of Middle Eastern mystery. Bokaye’s N’Sel Fik-sampling Ethno Groove, on Emotional Rescue, was another brilliant example of a revived Balearic / new beat groove, in a Code 61 / Drop The Deal stylee.

A couple of down / mid-tempo classics were lovingly dusted off. Be With Records did their bespoke thing with Malcolm McLaren’s Call A Wave, while Sound Metaphors revived the Ethereal Beat’s more below-the-radar Underboard. 

Rush Hour did the four-to-the-floor business, making Japanese gems from Manabu Nagayama and Hiroshi Matsui’s Royal Mirrorball finally available to mere mortals.

Dubby stuff to follow shortly…

Part One
Christopher Lamp – Our Time (Frank & Kenny’s Infinite Sources) – Artificial System
Coyote – Western Revolution – Magic Wand
Good Block – Strong Relax – Emotional Response
Malcolm McLaren – Call A Wave – Be With Records
Kenneth Bager & Findlay Brown – Don’t Give Up – Music For Dreams
Coyote & Rolo – Marijuana – Is It Balearic?
Bokaye – Ethno Groove – Emotional Rescue
Ethereal Beat – Underboard – Sound Metaphors
Marshall Watson & Cole Odin – Just A Daydream Away (Rocket Ride) – Shades Of Sound
Oracle Sound – Birthday Dub – Group Mind
Hole In One – Ideas For Virtual Reality (Anatolian Weapons Remix) – Transmigration
Jo Sims – Bass: The Final Frontier – Pamela
Woodleigh Research Facility – Phonox Nights – Facility 4
Mark Seven – Vibes (Sunsplash Vibes) – Parkway
Coco De La Isla – La Guitarra (Rune Lindbaek Remix) – Is It Balearic?
Ghost Assembly – I Miss Your Love – Ruf Kutz
David Holmes & Raven Violet – Yeah X 3 (Xpress 2 Dub) – Heavenly Recordings

Part Two
Orr Some – We Can Make It – Ransom Note
Lipelis & Andy Butler – Generations Of Sunsets – Polifonic
Les Dupont – Alpha 29 / 30 (Galactic Mix) – Sunny Crypt
David Kitt – Till The End (Xpress 2 Remix) – Re:Warm
ddwy – Orchard – Public Possession
Julie Pavon – Don’t Call Me Out – Music For Dreams
BCUC – Thonga Lami (Gaudi Remix) – On The Corner
Fila Brazillia – Toro De Fuego – Re:Warm
Prince – 17 Days (Remix)
Royal Mirrorball – Earth In Blue – Rush Hour
Joan Bibiloni – Valerie (Kiko Navarro & Willie Graff Remix) – Island Issues
Revelation – First Power – Missile Vintage
Strontium 90 – Rave On The Congo – Ransom Note
Woolfy – Aeroplane (Eddie C Mix) – Ritual Release
Manabu Nagayama – Light And Shadow – Rush Hour