BAOL ~ Best of the Year 2014

Steve KIW - Balearic Assassins of Love

KIW Top singles (7s and 12s) 2014 The top 40

1. Abel Lima E Les Sofas – Corre riba corre baxo (Sofrito 7”)
2. Wildest Dreams – Last ride (Smalltown Supersound 7”)
3. Universal Cave – Around the bend (Universal cave 7”)
4. Matt Berry – Music for insomniacs pt IV / Lost contact (Acid Jazz 7”)
5. Tracey Thorn – Molly Drake songs (Buzzin Fly 7”)
6. Los Porcos – Jesus luvs u baby –(Uber 12”)
7. Ben Watt – Golden ratio EP (Buzzin Fly 2 x 12)
8. Skylevel 06 (skylevel 12”)
9. Jose Padilla – Solito (International Feel 12”)
10. Psychemagik – Triumph of the Gods (Phonica EP ‘ten years of Phonica’)
11. Africane 808 – Lagos, New York / Zombie jamboree (Golf Channel 12”)
12. The The vs DJ Food – Giant (Sony 12”)
13. Jose Manuel – Ajna (Kinfolk 12”)
14. Steel An’ Skin – Afro punk reggae dub (Honest Jon’s 12”)
15. Templehof – Piano piano (Aficionado 12”)
16. Joe’s Bakery Band – Blue Tuesday (Macadam Mambo 12”)
17. Talamanca System – Balanzat (International Feel 12”)
18. Onyricon – Sweet dream (Aficionado 12”)
19. Prins Emanuel & Golden Ivy – Hideen love (Oye 12”)
20. Sven Weisemann – Falling leaves (Fauxpas 12”)
21. Elaborate Hoax – Happy valley (Tsbua 12”)
22. Nautic – Freedom of the floor (Test Pressing 12”)
23. Simple Symmetry – Apes in the orange groove (Maison de disques 12”)
24. Begin - Bassballs (Begin 12”)
25. Magicke – No smoking on the moon (DB 12”)
26. Zisou – Admiral Byrd (Island of the gods 12”)
27. Coyote – Sin distracciones/Felix Dickinson & Jaime Read – Restless people (Is It Balearic/Futureboogie 12”)
28. Paqua – The visitor (Ray Mang dub) (Claremont 56 10”)
29. Mop Mop – Kamakuamba (Music for Dreams EP ‘Sunset sessions 2’)
30. A Vision of Panorama – Southern breeze (Aficionado 12”) 31. Gregory Porter – Musical genocide (St Germain version) (Blue Note 7”)
32. Khruangbin – The infamous bill EP (NightTimeStories 10”)
33. Beatconductor – Message of love/boogie love (Kat 10”)
34. Jaakko Eino Kalevi – BIS015 EP (Beats in Space 12”)
35. Budgie – Budgie EP (Wildheart 12”)
36. Hot Sporran – This devil can dance (Kinfolk 10”)
37. Apiento & Co – ESP/The light machine (Golf Channel 12”)
38. Closed Paradise – On the nature of things EP (Tools and Tables 12”)
39. The Gino Fountaine – Konkondo (Revno 12”) 40. LHAS – If it takes all night (Push II Shove 12”)

Albums

1. Matt Berry - Music for insomniacs – Acid Jazz
2. Mindfair – Mindfair – Golf Channel
3. Vangelis Katsoulis – The Sleeping Beauties – Into the Light
4. Mark Barrott – Sketches from an island – International Feel
5. Bison – Bison – Claremont 56
6. A.R.T. Wilson – Overworld – Growing Bin
7. Gil Scott-Heron – Nothing new – XL Recordings
8. Pink Floyd – The endless river - Parlophone
9. Seahawks – Paradise freaks – Ocean Moon
10. GOAT – Commune - Rocket
11. Wildest Dreams – Wildest dreams – Smalltown Supersound
12. Paqua – Paqua – Claremont 56
13. Javier Bergia – Eclipse – Emotional Rescue
14. Bar – Welcome to BAR - Italic
15. Gulp – Season sun – Sonic Cathedral
16. FKA Twigs – LP1 – Young Turks
17. Ibibio Sound Machine – Ibibio Sound Machine - Soundway
18. Tuneyards – Nikki nack – 4AD
19. Damon Albarn – Everyday robots - Parlophone
20. Orlando Julius and the Heliocentrics – Jaiyede afro - Strut
21. Jean Biblioni – El sur – Music from Memory
22. Young Marco – Biology – ESP Institute
23. Horsebeach – Horsebeach – Alone Together
24. Gigi Masin – Talk to the sea – Music from Memory
25. Woo – When the past arrives – Drag City
26. J*Walk – Off beat – Wonderful Sound
27. The Aphex Twin – Syro - Warp
28. The Time And Space Machine – The way out sound from in – Ample Play
29. Witch – Kuomboka – Invisible City
30. The magic sound of Daniel Grau – Sonar Kolletiv
And one more… Cantoma – Out of town – Claremont 56

Plus 10 re-issues that every record owner needs…

41. Peter Zummo – Song IV (Foom EP ‘Lateral pass’)
42. Gloria Ann Taylor and Walter Whisenhunt’s Orchestra – Love is a hurting thing (Music Gallery 12”)
43. Inner Life – Ain’t no mountain high enough (M&M acapella dub mix w/Patrick Adams reprise) (BBE 12”)
44. Panache – Sweet jazz music (Enterprise 12”)
45. Jimmy Chambers – You can’t fight it (Fly by Night 10”)
46. Tony Esporito – Je-na pagaia (Archeo 12”)
47. Cosmic Hoffman – Space disco (Emotional Rescue 10”)
48. Parada 88 – You’re gonna miss me (International Feel 12”)
49. Heaven n Hell Orchestra – Heartbeat (BrookSide 12”)
50. Joanne Wilson – I got to have you (Cultures of Soul 12”)

top five gigs of the year...

Kate Bush @ Hammersmith Odeon

The Cure @ Royal Albert Hall
Connan Mockasin @ Haunt, Brighton
GOAT @ Concorde, Brighton
Penquin Cafe @ St Georges Church, Brighton

David Pickering - Balearic Assassins of Love

Singles
 

 

Chou Chou San - Max Essa

Begin - Bassballs

Falling Leaves - Sven Weisemann

I've been around - Dos Palos

Round the bend - Universal Cave

Sweet Dream (On Air Mix) - Onyricon

Feel the Wheel - Barnaby Bruce

Look At The Sun (Georges Vert New Horizons Remix)

ESP - Apiento and Co

Piano,Piano - Tempelhof

Late train (Idjut Boys Late Brain Version) - Paqua

Jesus Loves you Baby - Los Porcos

You've Got Style - Werner Williams

Jungle Goddess - Closed Paradise

Complicated Lover - Max Essa

Sin Distracciones - Coyote

Sun Stepper - Psychemagik

magma - Farbror Resande Mac

I'm Aquarius - Metronomy

Busy Earnin - Jungle

Look at the Sun is by The Seahawks

 

Albums

 

Morning Phase - Beck

Akaliko - Paqua

Sketches From an island - Mark Barrott

Separate Oceans - Ned Doheny

Paradise Freaks - Seahawks

Talk to the Sea - Gigi Masin

Eclipse - Javier Bergia

The Magic Sound Of Daniel Grau - Daniel Grau

El Sur - Joan Bibiloni

Yttre Rymden - Farbror Resande Mac

Have fun with God - Bill Callahan

Introduction to Lisboa - Sad City

South Wind , Clear Sky - Mark Fry

Overworld - A.r.t Wilson

Into Forever - Eat Lights Become Lights

Horsebeach - Horsebeach

Down to the Sea and Back Vol 2 - Various

Is It Balearic? Recordings The First 5 Years - Various

The Sleeping Beauties - Vangelis Katsoulis

The Rules of the Game - George Theodorakis

Off Beat - J-Walk

Auto Music - Brian Reitzell

Out of Town - Cantoma

The Endless River - Pink Floyd

Everyday Robots - Damon Albarn

Nothing new - Gil Scott heron

Love Letters - Metronomy

 

KSAP - Balearic Assassins of Love

 

Albums

 

1. Half Man Half Biscuit - Urge For Offal

2. Horsebeach - Horsebeach

3. War on Drugs - Lost In The Dream

4. Beck - Morning Phase

5. Admiral Sir Cloudsely Shovell - Check 'em Before You Wreck 'em 

6. Sleaford Mods - Divide and Exit

7. Teleman - Breakfast

8. Goat - Commune

9. Mark Barrott - Sketches From An Island

10. Mogwai - Rave Tapes

11. Cantoma - Out of Town

12. Archie Bronson Outfit - Wild Crush

13. The Advisory Circle - From Out Here

14. Jimi Goodwin - Odludek

15. Tempelhof + Gigi Masin - Hosin

16. Wild Billy Childish & CTMF - Acorn Man

17. Steve Cobby - Saudade

18. Natural Pure Mouse - Sink Cleaning Racket

19. Hookworms - The Hum

20. Land Observations - Grand Tour

 

 

 

 

 

Andy Pye  -  Balearic Social

1. Pepe California – Born Sleepy
2. Leila Abdul Rauf & Tor Lundvall – Quiet Seaside
3. Dune – Dune
4. Greg Paulus & John Camp – Remo
5. Vidal Benjamin Présente -Disco Sympathie
6. Joe’s Bakery presents Diavol Edits - Una Splendida Giornata (Nassau Balearic Edit)
7. Clandestino – Beyond the sun
8. Max Essa – Chou Chou San
9. Jose Padilla – Solito (Wulf Muller mix)
10. Sacha Mambo/Keeto – Les Disques Superfriends

Olly Hanson  - Balearic Assassins of Love

Despite a third year leading the life of a reclusive hermit in a claustrophobic corner of the South Downs, and a tenth year increasingly institutionalised and marginalised at a faceless corporate behemoth (during a period of escalating political drama across the Hebrides, down the Urals and over the Pyrenees), 2014 at times offered incontrovertible proof that even this weary misanthrope can still rise to the occasion. Amidst the discord and turmoil, some people just cracked on and let the wine flow and ashtrays fill. The sense of enduring personal underachievement which characterised 1975-2013 finally gave way to an unlikely sense of quiet satisfaction. The prolonged catatonic state I had found myself in following my traumatic departure from East London in 2012 gradually gave way to a realisation that there were opportunities to exploit and fortunes to make. My first novel was published in June to imaginary acclaim and on current sales projections, should break even by 2027. I started courting again too. Not one of my usual mismatched romantic farces either, but with someone in it for the long haul. The earth moved and the landscape changed – and perhaps as a reflection so did my attitudes and broader tastes.

I started to get out more and embrace the wider cultural landscape, even if that meant a 900 mile round trip to Scotland for a night out, where I was fortunate to attend the Glasgow Film Festival screening of Under the Skin, a bizarre if enthralling depiction of Scarlett the alien seducing and cannibalising half of Govan’s council estates. I charted my own unlikely voyages too, firstly across the Aegean to my best friend’s wedding on Samos and Ikaria, the historical setting for the world’s most famous birdman and then on to Carcassonne to see the world’s famous lone swordsman. The Andrew Weatherall Festival was indeed very special. The acid-soaked ferocity of Smokebelch, ricocheting around the ancient medieval walls to an ecstatic Anglo-French crowd was a sight to behold. It was perhaps the year I rediscovered the joy of the live performance – visuals were king, whether lasers in underground Haggerston former local authority basements or free cod-flamenco on Barcelona street stages paid for by the erstwhile skint local Ayuntamiento.

Which I suppose all brings me on to my musical highlights of the year, starting with my Tune of the Year. There were a number of strong contenders such as Mark E’s E-Versions inspired de & re - construction of Madonna’s Vogue under the name ‘Magazine’; St Germain’s stylish remix of Gregory Porter’s ‘Musical Genocide’ or Roisin Murphy’s uber-balearic ‘Ancora’; but my nomination is for Rozi Plain ‘Jogalong’. Slightly kooky, insanely melodic and almost certainly produced by some asymmetrically coiffured musical genius in a studio by a fjord somewhere in Clapton, it instantly stood out from the herd. Album of the Year? I barely bothered but a handful enticed me to the stores. The warm techno of Korrupt Data jostled for car play alongside the electronic neo-grunge of St Vincent, who was a firm contender for gig highlight of the year. Up until 72 hours before the event, I had never heard of St Vincent but my new objet d’amour convinced me to drive to the mysterious Winter Gardens in Eastbourne, which - in my head – was still synonymous with under-attended Liberal Democrat conferences. I was therefore sceptical and naturally I was wrong. The concert was sensational. St Vincent combined the visual erotic dramatics of Debbie Harry with ferocious guitars and pulsating synths, the frenetic freak-out climax lending more than a nod to the raucous excitement of Byrne-esque post-punk.

Goblin played the South Coast too – an ever-mutating 35+ year line up of enthusiastic Italian soundtrack experimentalists with influences as broad as Metal and Moroder, both of which made their sonic mark on the shellshocked Concorde 2. The sight of Claudio Simonetti furiously engaging his vocoder whilst the Dawn of the Dead zombies hacked their way across the background screen will never leave me. And then of course there was Goldfrapp at the Royal Albert Hall. Backed by an extraordinary orchestra, a choir, a John Grant double cameo and a strong support from Mara Carlyle, the band had grown men weeping at the sheer beauty of the strings.

The final death knell of the music messageboards I once prowled with such commitment was sounded in 2014. The musical debates and locking of antlers all shifted elsewhere but the passion is still there albeit less frequent and less antagonistic than in their heyday. I’d like to pay tribute to the producers, performers and DJs alike who still inspire me today. Alongside the usual suspects, I embraced new nights with gusto particularly Kinfolk and Enjoy The Sunset (special shout to Barcelona’s Glove Party, held in an ancient Catalan brothel by the docks). Mad love also to all those who stand firm and continue to resist the arctic winds of commercialism, the encroaching urban menace of NIMBYs and the dido-fication of popular music. Finally, big love to KSAP for inviting me on his blog and a hearty xmas to all his readers. You can read more of my ramblings @mrhanson_esq