During the pandemic and lockdowns Balearic Mike was a regular contributor and big part of Ban Ban Ton Ton. As restrictions lifted Mike, along with close friend, Kelvin Andrews, got busy working on the third volume of their Down To The Sea & Back compilation series. The result was one of our top comps of 2024 – of course it was – and its success helped to get Mike DJing and globetrotting again. Before 2025 properly kicks into gear, over the next few days we’re going to run a number of posts where Mike returns to look back at some of his musical highlights from the past year.

Super selections and wonderful words by Balearic Mike.

This is another amazing set of releases, with Tracey Thorn’s pre-EBTG solo record getting a lovely, expanded edition, as did Dorothy Ashby’s timeless masterpiece “Afro Harping” and David Sylvian’s previously CD only “Snow Borne Sorrow”, plus Parliament’s debut.

Be With Records smashed it out of the park again with a slew of Library reissues, as well as the lost Parsley Sound masterpiece. 

Trunk Records had a couple of the weirdest, but also essential reissues.

Sade had their entire back catalogue reissued – so great for anyone who’d initially passed on vinyl copies of the later albums.

ATCQ’s “The Low End Theory” got repressed for any idiots who sold their copy (me).

Surprise of the year was probably me buying a Lilac Time album, which is gorgeous, and the incredible Coti K. collection on Dark Entries, who also dropped more Patrick Cowley wonders on us. 

Tracey Thorn – A Distant Shore (Expanded Edition) – Cherry Red Records

Dorothy Ashby – Afro-Harping (Deluxe Edition) – Cadet Records / Verve

David Sylvian | Nine Horses – Snow Borne Sorrow – Samadhisound

Parsley Sound – Parsley Sounds – Mo Wax /. Be With Records

Brian Bennett / Neil Richardson / David Gold / John Scott / John Fiddy / Steve Gray – Image: Imaginative Descriptive Scores, Active And Passive – KPM 100 series / Be With Records

Parliament – Osmium (Deluxe Edition) – Demon

Coti K. – Theros – Dark Entries Records

Patrick Cowley – From Behind – Dark Entries Records

Holger Czukay – The Claremont 56 Version – Claremont 56

The Lilac Time – Astronauts – Needle Mythology

Geoff Bastow – Music To Varnish Owls By – Programme Music Recording / Be With Records

A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory – Sony

Vincent Geminiani – Musique Pour Un Voyage Extraordinaire – Trunk Records

The George School Theatre Arts And Music Department – The Journey Of Persephone – Trunk Records

Sade – Love Deluxe – Sony

Sade – Lovers Rock – Sony

Sade – Soldier Of Love – Sony

Amancio D’Silva – Reflections: The Romantic Sound Of Amancio D’Silva – Decca

Malcolm McLaren – Paris – Sony

The Durutti Column – Vini Reilly – London Records

Alan Tew – Drama Suite Part 1 – Themes International / Be With Records

Alan Tew – Drama Suite Part 2 – Themes International / Be With Records