Review: With Hell Yeah out of Italy now basing themselves in Berlin and chasing that imaginary Balearic sun - this Buena Onda Balearic Beats 2021 compilation sees the label deliver a bevvy of unreleased tunes and remixes. With global content coming from the likes of Australian producer Kayroy (who appeared on the label in 2020 with his Imaginary Expeditions EP) - hooking up with Jaspar Robinson in the star-strung "Satellite - you'll find warm and percussive synth remixes from Max Essa alongside some loose joints from The Mechanical Man. Also catch Chris Coco & Micko Roche's undeniable "What Is Love" (that guitar, those pipes) next to the percussive, broken beat and vocoded sounds of "The Healing Place" by Relative. Hell Yeah - get to know.
Review: If you enjoy dreamy, otherworldly music tailor-made for sunsets and sunrises, there's a fair chance you already own a number of Max Essa releases. While his singles are often excellent, it's his albums that really stand out. "The Great Adventure", the Tokyo-based Brit's first LP in two years and fifth solo set in total - is typically impressive. Rich in dreamy analogue synthesizer sounds, even gentler rhythms and glistening, sun-bright guitar solos, it's the kind of album that feels like a warm, loved-up embrace from start to finish. Amongst the undeniably Balearic highlights are the Flamenco-tinged nu-disco shuffle of "The Great Adventure", the yearning ambient-meets-dub bliss of "Themes From The Hood, The Cad & The Lovely", and the picturesque beauty of "Buran Chime".
Review: Calm's second outing is already in the shape of an album, once again coming through on Italy's reliable Hell Yeah! Records, marking a significant step-up for the artist, and an entrance into the more conceptual side of electronic music. The album begins as a thrilling voyage of sounds and remains as such for its entirety, using the wider 'balearic' framework as a platform to base its diverse range of tracks. Synths are the biggest component of these segments, gently weaving an immersive story from the ground up. There are hardly any beats on here but the music is full of movement and rich in texture, creating a colourful world that sways from sadness to euphoria with elegance.
Review: Italian founded, now Berlin based disco/balearic deviants Hell Yeah are back with a guy named Gallo. Story has it that when When Hell Yeah boss Marco dropped Fabrizio Mammarella's ambient Remix of "Faron" at sunset at Hostal la Torre in Ibiza last year - people started queuing up for IDs. The Italian DJ is part of Balearic Gabba Sound System and resident at horizontal party Buena Onda in Berlin and Ibiza - so you are certainly in good hands. In its original version, "Remember To Forget" is a slo-mo, psyched-out chill time cut, as is the lush new age vibe of "Ebrezza" (original mix) but the remix up next by Leeds based trio Clandestino delivers a more energised and neon-lit perspective for the dancefloor.
Review: Both "Corner Song" and "The Flying Man" were first featured on Tempelhof and Gigi Masin's second collaborative album, 2016's arguably overlooked album Tsuki. Both are naturally worthy of a single release, though, as they deserve wider recognition. Both are quietly beautiful, drowsy and hazily picturesque, with gently percussive opener "Corner Song" just edging out the beat-less brilliance of "The Flying Man" - in which Masin delivers a weary and heart-aching vocal - in the "best track" stakes. On the flip you'll find a radical re-interpretation of "Corner Song" by New York producer Jex Opolis, who wraps Tempelhof and Masin's glistening guitars around a wonderfully colourful and tactile Balearic boogie groove.
Review: Japan's disco don Matthew Bruce aka Max Essa is back with a three part track, namely Themes From The Hood, The Cad & The Lovely. Recording for a decade, this prolific producer has big hits like "Panorama Suite/Uptown Vibration" that have long been in Hell Yeah boss Marco Peedoo's record bag. The story goes that Essa first approached the label with a bunch of tracks until a good correspondence alchemy ensued and together the artist and label decided to put out the most timeless EP possible. This is music that will calm busy minds now and forever.
Review: It's been ages since we've heard from this brilliant cosmic act. Ever since their 2013 second album, Another, in fact. Well, it appears that they're back with Incubo Sintetico - an EP in which they tackle music from classic John Carpenter horror films. "Car Obsession" is a suitably moody 80s synth haunter, "Christine", from the film of the same name, is perky, accelerated Italo disco, "The Fog" is theatrical analogue synth creepiness and "Napoleon" wraps it all up in fluffy electronic cotton wool.
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