Interviews

400 Blows - Movin' (Special Extended Club Mix)

400 Blows counted a pre-Moody Boys Tony Thorpe as one of their members. Maybe better known for a more industrial sound, the production on this 80s nightclub remake of Brass Construction's Movin' sounds almost Trevor Horn-esue. I'd love to hear it out at a club. Oh, this is supposed to be back to mine isn't it.....

Miro – Safari of Love

One of my favourite pieces of music. It’s supposed to be Italo Disco but a very weird and unconventional kind. Starts out all bubbly and electronic then the gorgeous strings and phased guitars come in.

Count Down - Vampire

It’s no wonder a Balearic Italian label is the only one that would have me, I seem to have a thing for weird psychedelic Italian music from the 1970s. First heard on a Psychemagik mix, it took me nearly 10 years to find out what it was. Not as sinister as the title may sound, but a slice of psychedelic funk full of breathy vocals and those synth leads I love from that era, instrumental prog but not too much noodling around, prog with manners haha.

Jack Cutter – Gift of Our Fathers (Future Mix)

If you’re back at mine at Yuletide you will most likely hear this. Some people can take or leave Christmas music, but I can appreciate it when it’s done well. I even released my own seasonal EP a few years ago on Hell Yeah. This is wonderfully psychedelic and full of melody. If anyone says there’s no such thing as a Balearic Christmas track, play them this.

Tiago – Motorcycles

After disappearing from the world of dance music for 10 years, when I returned, mostly aided by listening to early ALFOS or Richard Norris mixes, some names stood out for quality, Max Essa, Gatto Fritto, International Feel for example. Tiago was another and this track blew me away on first hearing. Acid rock but with a 303 on lead vocals, proper psychedelic guitars and what sounds like live drums too. Genius.

Boards of Canada – Nothing Is Real

I was out of action for the first half of 2023 after a kidney malfunction landed me in hospital. I didn’t really listen to much music during my recovery, but I had a bit of a BOC revival after watching a great documentary on them.

Raun MacKinnon – Sacrifice of the Goat

I’m fond of a a bit of witchy-folk from time to time. As with the Count Down track, this instrumental isn’t as sinister as the title suggests, but a fine piece of guitar work.

Torch Song – Ballad of Pearl and John

The genius of William Orbit from 1995. I just love everything about this, the groove, the lovely sounds, the vocals, a perfect track for a lazy summer day.

Reload – The Biosphere (Global Communication Remix)

Global Communication filled an Orb shaped hole in my life after I lost interest in them when Thrash moved on. This is an epic track and led me down a rabbit hole searching out their various genre-hopping alter egos in the mid-90s.

Headless Heroes – Here Before

From an amazing covers album released in 2008 by a band produced by Hugo Nicolson and featuring some of the musicians that played on David Holmes’ Holy Pictures album. Every track a winner but this gorgeous version of Vashti Bunyan’s Here Before is the one for me.