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

Chris Coco & George Solar / Holy Sun / DSPPR

Holy Rising, a highlight from Chris Coco & George Solar’s album, Island Vibrations, has picked up a couple of remixes. Multi-Instrumentalist Ben Smith, one half of Claremont 56’s Smith & Mudd, and the man behind those much-loved “Dedications To The Greats” covers of The Pharcyde, Outkast and Mos Def, transforms the track into a piece of funky folk for trippy troubadours. Retitled Holy Sun, it remains a hymn to the healing orb, but it’s now a proper, soulful, song. The original’s mix of drum circle, drone and cicadas are swapped for angelic vocals, Moog-y solos, orchestral strings, brass, and acoustic strumming. All building together toward a great, glorious, psychedelic guitar-assisted, crescendo. Batteaux, Eddie Chacon, Common Saints and Quinn Lamont Luke are all good points of reference. The second “alternate” comes from Chris himself, who delivers a deep mediative dive on Holy Ambient. Removing George’s percussion, but retaining the drones, he adds what sounds like singing dolphins. A graceful warm glide, shot through with a euphoric glow, it could easily be an outtake from Eno & Lanois’ Apollo Soundtracks.

Coyote / Habitual Illusions / DSPPR

Coyote also crop up on Chris Coco’s DSPPR with two new tracks of dubby downtempo. Habitual Illusions harbours Cure-like guitar and an increasingly acidic undertow. Embrace It samples a señorita in the midst of a White Isle LSD trip, as “the colours start to come alive.” Both pack righteous roots b-lines and plenty of Beniras Beach percussion.

Love Wonderland / The Best Twilights Of / Camisole

Parisian peddlers of the obscure and cult, Camisole, have compiled the demos of Japanese trio Love Wonderland. The band describe their music as “lovers rock from the other side”, which means that while reggae rhythms provide a loose base they cherry pick influences from a range of genres. The press sheet cites psychedelia and synth-pop, but to my ears their inspiration seems to come more from shoegaze and 1980s indie. Dream pop and post-rock. Since these songs are demos the production in places is kinda lo-fi, and the vocals sometimes “wayward”, but to be honest this only adds to the overall naive charm. The recordings occupying a sonic space somewhere between Brenda Ray and The Marine Girls. The stand out for me is Raspberry Sun which fuses funky drumming with Rickenbacker jangle, a rude dub b-line, and ethereal harmonies akin to Kevin Shields’ City Girl. All of this building toward a brilliantly intense instrumental coda. There’s also a smart skanking melodica cover of Erik Satie’s Gnossiennes No.3 which is actually pretty polished.

Melenas / 1000 Canciones (Tim Gane Remix) / Mushroom Pillow

Spanish band Melanas released their Ahora Remixes E.P. a little while back. At the time, the Peanut Butter Wolf transformation of Bang gained a lot of traction. However, it’s Tim (Cavern Of Antimatter, Stereolab, McCarthy) Gane’s reimagining of 1000 Canciones that does it for me. Gane grafts the the all-female four-piece’s strange synth-y ballad to a mellow motorik beat, adds fluttering kosmische flute and Nico’s Velvet Underground tambourine. The lyrics now swinging to a softly psychedelic `60s ye-ye melody. In the process creating some fine plugged-in pastoral pop.

Pedro Mitzutani & Skinshape / Pensando Baixo / Nice Guys

British musician Will Dorey, aka Skinshape, teams up with Brazilian singer / songwriter / guitarist Pedro Mitzutani for a sunshine-soaked 7”. Together they’ve produced two songs that pay totally authentic homage to the musical heritage of Pedro’s homeland. Conjuring classics by Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. En Pensi is a super slice of novo bossa nova. Acoustic strum, cool contrabass, and a little cowbell accompanying Pedro’s soft sympathetic vocal. The production, warm, analog, and indiscernible from something from the 1970s. Chorar Na Beira Do Mar sets Tubular Bell-like chimes to a seductive Ipanema swing. Retro yes, but Bahia beautiful. The 45 also features both songs’ delicate dextrous instrumentals.

Dennis Mpale / Do Like Miles / Sticky Buttons

South African jazz trumpeter, Dennis Mpale, recorded the album Paying My Bills in 1994. Late last year London label, Sticky Buttons, gave the set its first vinyl pressing. Somehow, I recently got sent a promo. The LP includes a few good tunes, but my favourite is Do Like Miles. Its contemporary production sounds very pop, and I’m sure 30 years ago was super modern. Perhaps, as the title suggests, the track takes its cues from Miles Davis. However, if that’s true, it’s not paying tribute to Bitches Brew, rather You’re Under Arrest, with its covers of Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson. It bubbles, brims with programmed percussion and cool, cool vibes…  And, of course, is topped off with some terrific trumpet.