“Sagajar”, Gallo surrounds a whirlpool of outerspace bubbles in darkly glowing pads, while melodic sequences join hand drums covered in layers of fog. It’s like drifting beneath the ocean’s surface, with melodious currents and percussive bass synths carrying you through an underwater wonderland filled with shimmering sea-plants and swirls of rainbow hued jellyfish. – Octagon Eyes.
Link to buy the ‘Various Vibrations’ EP
Octagon Eyes lives tucked away in the mountains of Colorado and has spent the better part of the last decade exploring the outer reaches of prog and psychedelia with the musical collective Sungod. Somewhere along the way an interest in writing developed and The Sun Lounge began, which is a vinyl focused blog allowing him to dive deep into the cosmic, new age, ambient, and balearic music he loves so much (with a focus on current releases).
In that spirit, this continuous vinyl mix collects some of the most ecstatic and euphoric seaside bangers of the year and wraps them around with naturalistic ambiance and aquamarine clouds of new age atmosphere. It’s an adventurous journey, transporting the listener to some interstellar beach party with radiant starlight raining down and bodies moving in harmony through the feverish night.
Seahawks – Eternal Beams | Ocean Moon
Beach Wizards – The Diamond Sea | Tracy Island
Sign Libra – Outro: Oophaga Pumilio | Antinote
Ilija Rudman (feat. Andre Espeut) – Tears to Sound (Aquapella Mix) | NuNorthern Soul
Ilija Rudman – Motions (Don Carlos Ambient Mix) | Is It Balearic?
Jura Soundsystem – Jungle Ambient Tool I Temples of Jura
Okinawa Delays (feat. Satoko Ishimine) – Lotta Love (Psychemagik Dub Mix) | Music for Dreams
Jura Soundsystem – Udaberri Blues (Space Mix) | Temples of Jura
Ghost Vision – Shakuhachi | Love on the Rocks
Tony Esposito – Dove c’è luce (LucaEffeSunset Balearic Seagulls and Children Mix) | Archeo Recordings
Krystal Klear – Division Ave | Running Back
Sth. Notional – Yawn Yawn Yawn (Dream…Another Reality Mix) [Wave Outro] | Archeo Recordings
Kito Jempere – Ampa (Max Essa Remix) | Hell Yeah Recordings
When thinking Balearic, there is a name that should strike you right away. No, not Ibiza itself, but the man responsible for producing and curating some of the lushest sunset music the White Island has ever heard – Steve Miller, perhaps most commonly known as Afterlife. Making a name for himself in the early 2000’s by playing monumental events such as Glastonbury, headlining Cafe Del Mar’s 20th anniversary party and reaching the top of the UK charts by remixing Another Chance from Roger Sanchez, he’s managed a consistency unlike many others in the decade and a half since.
Releasing standout classic albums such as “Simplicity Two Thousand” and “Speck of Gold”, his music has been released on the premiere labels of the time, such as Hed Kandi and Defected, while also being featured on numerous compilations to date. Not only is he a master of his craft, but he’s also managed to attract some of the best in the business to work with him, namely K-Klass, Jose Padilla, Chris Coco and an almost inconceivable amount of others. Lately, Steve has shifted his output to his own record label, Subatomic UK, averaging an album release every two years over the past six years.
Not looking to break that pattern, we’re happy to announce that Afterlife is back with another full length offering entitled “String Theory”. This time, Miller seems to shed a bit more of the White Isle in his productions, with the album presenting a deeper, more introspective angle of his musical prowess. As per usual, plenty of different influences are to be found within, from the impeccable flamenco-inspired tremolo guitar of the title track to the driving rhythm and vivid textures of Give It Up, there is not a single flaw to be found. The album is diverse yet remarkably coherent, rightfully demonstrating why Afterlife is a name that hasn’t faded for 20 years.
This time Afterlife looks to build a bridge to the dance floor, with a pair of remixes released on a 12” with one of the lead singles ahead of the album. ‘Give It Up’ gets the treatment from two of the underground’s current finest. WOLF Music’s Medlar changes up the percussion and gives it a more tropical flare, all the while using the main arpeggiated elements of the original, adding his own airy synth work and groovy bassline that’s just bound to set dancefloors on fire. The second rework comes from Futureboogie’s mainstay Christophe. Choosing to work with atmospheric strings and vocals, this version utilizes plenty of the producer’s own groovy ingredients. Managing to inject some funk into his take, the bassline and disco toms give it a fresh, playful vibe that pleasantly contrasts the original.
The remix 12” is set to hit shops first as a teaser to the full product in mid -June with the album following closely behind.
Pioneering British duo Izaak Gray & Nicola Robinson’s musical vision is best summed up by their selfproclaimed dedication to all things intergalactic, cosmic, tribal and terrestrial. Their music is drawn from inspiring sounds from across the world; African, Latin and Eastern sounds are present in all their productions, which have sprouted from collaborations with singers such as Nina Miranda, and Angelique Kidjo. With clear parallels between the Afro-cosmic work of Italian pioneers Daniele Baldelli and Beppe Loda, rock guitars, disco riffs, vintage synthesizers and heavy African drum rhythms are all thrown in the melting pot.
Their debut Mr Mystery EP came out on Leng Records in 2017 followed by their Silken Moon single March 2018 with an animated music video directed by Sean Gorham and illustrated by James Wilson. For Record Store Day April 2018 Earthboogie released an exclusive remix 12 with The Mushrooms Project on Leng Records.
11th May 2018 is their debut album release on Leng Records. Their LP, named Human Call isa vibrant eight-track missive that fixes the sticky tropical cheeriness of African and South American dance music be it Afro-disco, Afro-funk or samba with a wide range of complimentary sounds, styles and influences, from spacey analogue electronics, sun-kissed Balearica and hazy West Coast jazz-rock, to chunky dub disco, snappy retro-futurist house and bouncy, dub-fuelled club workouts. The album has special remixes from Ali Kuru, Felix Dickinson, Pete Herbert & Gerd Janson.
