BEATS OF LOVE 

118. Hai-Donan by Shigharu Mukai-Morning Flight     

Is It Balearic? continues to branch out into new musical territories, showcasing the true depth of their roster. While the Marius Circus 12-inch has understandably stolen the spotlight, Wrekin Havoc's Camino is equally stellar. It perfectly captures the label’s signature sound: pure, soulful, Italo-infused goodness.

If the Delia Recordings sampler is anything to go by, three brilliant LPs are just around the corner by Shrinkwrap, Torn Sail and Brown Fang. Three unique acts that instantly scream quality. Add to that Jim's remix package that includes a sun-drenched Begin interpretation of Still River Flow with its subtle keys, with a more dizzying, floor-friendly X-Press 2 remix of Phoenix and you have a Midlands set on musical fire.

I had to mention that, but this week I've been obsessed with this colourful masterpiece. It was Basso or Moonboots who first introduced me to Japanese jazz-fusion with its sonic perfectionism and resplendent touches that work against the American orthodoxy to produce something more sanitised, yet more magical. Trombone virtuoso Shigeharu Mukai once lived in New York. After moving back to Japan, he formed his own musical group. Online search results also reveal his specific blood type. Note the ridiculous attention to detail.

While known for the powerful Miracle of Tungus, which elevates his trombone into a next-level boogie machine, this album opener wraps the listener in steel band percussive fairy dust. Reggae icon Pecker sprinkles rhythmic magic against a soothing trombone backdrop, answering the ultimate question with absolute certainty: this is unequivocally Balearic.

BEATS OF LOVE 

117. Last Night I Had a Dream by Randy Newman

I'VE ALWAYS been fatalistic and paranoid. And with just cause. My father suffered a heart attack on Friday the 13th, then suffered a fatal one thirteen days later. 

My mother spent a full six months of tests and anxiety after a bleed led her GP to fear the worst, only to be given the all clear. Less than a month later, she was dead after tripping over her hair dryer's cord.

Quite a few friends attended Buddhist retreats in their twenties and despite me not biting, the undeniable change in them left an indelible mark on my senses. I vividly recall the torpor of an unmonitored cold turkey withdrawal from Librium in my aunt's back bedroom where she thought I'd gone full, Syd Barrett. Only when I prayed did I feel any relief and at just that point, a massiv bolt of light shone through the window. I woke up less agitated, reasoning it was just coincidental that the streetlights came on. But I wasn't certain coz I began praying more regularly.

Even with my faith, I still worry too much about bad things happening. But faith and music give me time to think about the good things in my life. These thoughts create inner voices that helped me quit smoking, drink less, and stop bad habits.

Little wonder I'm able to call these voices my other friends. Friends that enter my subconscious more and more, strengthening my faith while making me a little less fatalistic and paranoid. Hallelujah! 

BEATS OF LOVE

116. Sworn by Dream Boys

MUST SAY, it's great to have Horsebeach's Pure Shores spinning on the turntable. Ryan has made the song his own with his inimitable charm and colourful way around a song. 

Wanting to know what made him tick led me to discover this LA/Scottish band whose name creates a google nightmare. Their sole LP was a steal and has been on repeat since it arrived. Their songs are awash with a fiery fragility that sound like they could collapse at any time but miraculously don't. 

The chiming guitars glide over rich harmonies that never sound fey, maintaining a subtle suspense that is missing from most songs, even those made with guitars in 1986.

This song is short but packs a real punch with its subtly crafted breaks and soaring fallen angel voices. A band should sound like one person, albeit a superhuman one, so Horsebeach has a distinct advantage, as do bands comprising siblings, and in this song, the trans-Atlantic Dream Boys truly do sound as one. No mean feat.

Nothing beats the sharp, clean shock of perfect guitar pop. It is the last pure gift left; the only thing the algorithms and ad-men haven't corrupted.

https://open.spotify.com/track/2Ehm3s5f2OQF9bYGeqBJnD