balearic

Slagerij Van Kampen: A Long Walk On A Short Pier (1989)

2018/09/18

Those drums! Slagerij Van Kampen’s A Long Walk On A Short Pier is a must have for those who appreciate purely percussive music. A brilliant mish mash of all sorts of “tribal” music, Slagerij Van Kampen’s A Long Walk On A Short Pier takes you out of their Dutch roots and transports you to the…
The Voice & Rhythm: Ohh!!! (1985)

2018/08/31

Leave it to me to create a post that’s not “evergreen” for a record that positively radiates with fun. Imagine Parliament set their mothership to Japan, and along the way picked up Gang Of Four, then decided that they really like techno-kayo music. Well, The Voice & Rhythm, led by the late, great vocalist and…
Tsugutoshi Goto: City Trickles: 街の雫 (1984)

2018/08/24

Simply impressive. What else is there to say about Tsugutoshi Goto’s City Trickles: 街の雫? Most double-LP’s suffer under the weight of their own reach, but the best one’s justify their length due to the sheer scope of that maker’s vision. And boy does Tsugutoshi Goto have one here. From neck-snapping electro, out-there fusion to impressive…
Mushi & Lakansyel: Koté Ou (1983)

2018/08/21

There’s something special about Haitian zouk music, if you look in the right place. Mushi & Lakansyel’s Koté Ou, much like the cover suggests, is a meditation on the intimate and quite unique musical style of this Caribbean nation. A product of all the touchstone influences that have set foot in Haiti — latin, French,…
Robin Scott & Shikisha: Jive Shikisha! (1984)

2018/08/17

It’s always a good sign when you’re out of step with whatever’s out there. Someone who really lived this idea was one Robin Scott. Robin Scott & Shishika’s Jive Shishika! was a curious release that got shelved by a company who had no idea what to think of it. Before Paul Simon’s Graceland or Peter…
Tony Esposito: Tamburo (1982)

2018/08/14

Let’s unwind for a moment. When I haven’t been busy occupying my days with writing, my mind and body has literally been going to the beach to unwind. Somehow, I’ve lucked out and am living the coastal lifestyle (without actually living on any sea coast). While I would say it takes a change of mind…
Ziad Rahbani: Houdou Nisbi (1984)

2018/08/07

First, a huge thanks to Kyle for sharing this wonderful album with me. Too smooth for a Disco Tehran party he dj’ed, I can understand why he thought its sound might be appreciated elsewhere. From the first moment you put on Ziad Rahbani’s Houdou Nisbi (زياد الرحباني) you feel an instant pull that just floors…
Seigen Ono: The Green Chinese Table (1988)

2018/07/27

This one is a bit special. Last we heard from Seigen, he was introducing us to his very jazz-influenced take on Japanese New Age music. On the follow up to that epic debut, The Green Chinese Table, we find Seigen dividing his time up between recording sessions in Tokyo and New York City. It’s impossible…
Paradigm Shift: The Rain Child And The River King (1986)

2018/07/20

Seems like the perfect time to sneak this one through ye olde FOND/SOUND blog. Led by Makoto Matsushita, proud creator of one of City Pop’s timeless gems (First Light), and Chris Mosdell, proud creator of this totally slept on “Japanese” techno-pop gem, comes this decidedly different collaboration called Paradigm Shift. Like its namesake, it actually does…
Hajime Mizoguchi: Oasis – Behind The Clear Waters (1986)

2018/07/06

Let’s take a step back. Let’s take a breather and rediscover the music of Hajime Mizoguchi. Romantic, sunny, and surprisingly graceful, Halfinch Dessert notched another special rung on Japan’s wonderful New Age music from that era. In 1985, it was that debut, that gave us a taste of the string-laden, pining sound Hajime was inkling…