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

Kenneth Bager, WALTHER, OliO, Reinhard Vanbergen, Charlotte Caluwaerts / Survivor / Music For Dreams

An all-star line-up from Music For Dreams covers Mike Francis’ Balearic classic, Survivor, in cracking fashion. The team taking their cues from Belen Thomas’ brilliant 1989 version. Combining Spanish guitar with beefy beats, and a little Roma violin. There are some very Mediterranean shouts and exclamations, while the lead vocals soar somewhere between Rai and Flamenco. You can find this gem on the forthcoming Balearic Biscuits Volume 5, Part 3 EP. 

Alex Kassian / Trippy Gas / Pinchy & Friends

Not content with another stellar, sold-out release on Test Pressing, Alex Kassian also recently issued a terrific 12 on Pinchy & Friends. Of the 5 tracks the standout for me is something called Trippy Gas. Racing, motoring motorik, with a touch of post-rock Americana twang, this’d make for the perfect soundtrack to a convertible, top-down Californian costal highway cruise. Picking up speed, and spaceship sound effects, it spins through filters and phase until its finale has cymbals flying, crashing. The tune’s title is a not so cryptic tip of the hat to nitrous oxide. The big clue’s in the Bam Bam / Where’s Your Child-like demonic laughter. 

Gordon Kaye / Galactic Ride

Gordon Kaye began DJing in 1985, at Brighton’s Escape Club. Through the 1990s and 2000s he rose to superstar status and toured the globe. Along the way Gordon produced more than the odd track and he now has a new one good to go. Currently unsigned, Galactic Ride is a powerful, pumping, mid-tempo chugger. Shaken by sound effects, cavernous hand claps and a considerable kick, it evolves into an epic bit of echoed trance. Its live post-punk-funk bass-line countered by an emotive orchestral refrain. After a split second breakdown at the 6 minute mark, the tune bangs back in with added percussive buzz and the symphonic strings, circling, more to the fore. Some acidic edges also elegantly surfacing. 

Lily Ko / Pure Rubber / Palms & Charms

In line with its flexible / elastic title Lily Ko’s Pure Rubber is a bright, bouncing bit of “Tokyo Balearic”. Carried by a forceful 4 / 4 and party hand claps, summer, blue sky bleeps play tag with bongos, a break-like beat and a B-line that pays homage to late `80s house. Quality touches of both piano and synth tickling them along the way. 

Monk Belize / Collision Routine / Palms & Charms

Monk Belize are a mysterious trio who’ve previously released tracks via Max Essa’s Jansen Jardin. Keeping it in the family their latest, Collision Routine comes care of Palms & Charms, the label run by Max’s younger brothers, the twins Sam and Barney. The tune initially hits kinda “kosmische”, building in interlocking layers from busy keys, congas, shakers, snares and finally some terrific trumpet. Listening, the latter had me thinking of Peter Gordon. The instruments’ synergy more than the sum of its parts and the results landing somewhere between the classic disco-not-disco of Gordon’s Beginning Of The Heartbreak and C-side, his collaboration with Factory Floor on Optimo. It’s a journey, definitely, and one toward the light. 

Modern English  / Voices (Sundowners db Remix)

Back in 1980, Modern English were among the first bands to sign to legendary independent label, 4AD. A cover of their song, “16 Days”, appeared on the inaugural This Mortal Coil single, alongside a version of Tim Buckley’s “Song To The Siren”. The group released a fresh LP in February, titled “1 2 3 4”, and one of the tracks, “Voices” has now been remixed by Suffolk-based DJ / production trio Sundowners db. The team of Davids Freeland and Black and Ben Horner take what was once a ballad and extend it over a sleepy, tick-tock-ing beat. Also adding a bubbling TB-303-like B-line. They make the most of the original’s psychedelic, shoegaze-y guitar and close Beach Boys harmonies, by chopping them up, spacing them out, and using them to build a totally new, evolving, euphoric arrangement.  

Mystery Tiime / Everything (Version) / Vicious Charm

Ayman Rostom aka Mystery Tiime follows his acclaimed, and brutally personal album, Maudlin Tales Of Grief & Love, with a new single. Everything is available in a several mixes, the Version though, packs a real, bass-heavy post-punk punch. The drums, care of modern jazz don, Nick “Emanative” Woodmansey, feature dynamite, dubbed out disco snares, while Maia Avery adds spectral sax skronk to the track’s icy synths. Rostom says that he took some influence from new beat, and you can hear nods to Ancienne Belgique DJ Fat Ronnie favourites such as Medium Medium. Also The Pop Group’s seminal incendiary work with Dennis “Blackbeard” Bovell. 

Palace Pasador / Footprint Affair / Phantom Island

The latest album from Switzerland’s Phantom Island comes from a reshuffling of the much-loved Fuga Ronto crew. Shifting the groups’ focus onto vocalists Judith Heiniger, Geraldine Roth and Biveto Scherzi. The 10 track LP is a set of polished, perky, bright, summery pop songs, some accompanied by dubs, plus the odd instrumental. Its a definite for fans of fellow travellers, such as BAR and Rheinzand, or Cosmic Club cover-ups Ken Dang. Those dubs reminiscent of Dennis Bovell’s (again) sessions with Saada Bonaire.

Laughter punctuates the entire proceedings and there’s a real sense of close friends creating together, having fun. Playful programmed percussion percolates, Roger Szedalik contributes some cool, clipped, jazzy guitar. There are hand claps and group chants. Melodies sometimes moving toward the Middle East. All painting a picture of an intimate holiday soiree in the tropics. 

Julius Papp / Sade 2000 / Excursions

This is a recent repress of an edit that’s been demand since it first appeared 25 years ago. While there are obviously tons of unofficial house-ed-up Sade remixes about, this one, I think, is pretty special. 

Wonky, wobbling, sort of splishing, splashing aquatic percussion surrounds its skipping 4 /4, as the original’s melody, muted is slowly mixed in. Ms. Adu is initially looped, before the full song is finally released, along with brass and a sax solo from brothers Gordon and Stuart Matthewman. A bumping, banging rework of an old familiar Balearic favourite, perhaps its the teasing of the OG that makes this work, dancers anticipating, knowing what’s in store: a down to earth, heartfelt hymn to love and loyalty. A flawless score for E-ed up empathy. 

Spacer IV / Sirocco / Slush Records

Spacer IV was an early alias of veteran Mancunian producer James Zeiter. These days he’s perhaps best known for his dub techno output as MCMLXV. However, young German label, Slush Records, have licensed Zeiter’s 1997 treasured tech / prog house EP from Pleasure, which was an offshoot of former Joy Division manger Rob Gretton’s Robs Records. Of the 4 tunes, Sirocco is the one for me. Very similar in tone to Test Pressing’s new reworks of Spooky, it’s upbeat, summery IDM, with a pop / Stella accessibility and acidic, breakbeat energy. Fluffy, fluttering, fluid, fidgeting and feel good, like the warm Mediterranean breeze it’s named after. 

Timeless Echoes / Swell / Jansen Jardin

Aichi-based DJ Tera and Yota Miyachi return to Tokyo’s Jansen Jardin as Timeless Echoes. Whereas the pair’s previous track, Aquatic, was a laidback sorta techno samba, Swell, moves with the times / vogues, mixing big booming, almost go-go, beats with a bulging low pH B-line. A chiming melody and cool keyboard loop calming its percussive chugging.