Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 169th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud on April, 2nd 2024.
About this episode. – As Colleen is on vacation, she had a special show lined up for us! This 169th episode includes, in its first hour, a mix by Tomohiro Yamada, a regular Balearic Breakfast contributor. Residing in Osaka, Japan, Tomohiro, who runs Imperfection Records, crafted a beautiful chilled-out mix that Wowed the Balearic Breakfast Family (he gave an interview for the blog; read it all here)!
Part two of this 169th episode of Balearic Breakfast features an exclusive mix from and an interview with DJ Paulette. The 30+ year dance music veteran tells us about her new book ‘Welcome to the Club: The Life and Lessons of a Black Woman DJ’ which is the first memoir of its kind and entirely written by the DJ, broadcaster and journalist, herself (you’ll find a review in this post). She reminds us that there are a lot of stories that comprise DJ and dance music history that are still yet to be written and heard. Brava Paulette for leading the way. She has also put together a sublime and eclectic mix that ranges from Nina Simone to Ryuichi Sakamoto to Sylvester and much more! Welcome to our Balearic Club!
Listen back to the 169th episode of Balearic Breakfast:
PLAYLIST
Tomohiro Yamada's Mix
(2020) Raul Buelna – Angel del Mar
(1985) Musica Esporadica – S.T.
(1993) Terre Thaemlitz – Raw Through a Straw
(2021) Mental Remedy – Noi (First Demo)
(2012) Calm presents K.F. – Peace of Mind
(2019) Caruso (ft Paul David Gillman) – Memories
DJ Paulette's Mix
(1975) Leroy Hutson – Cool out
(1970) Lorraine Ellison – Stay With Me Baby
(1967) Nina Simone – Do I Move You
(1980) A Taste of Honey – Sukiyaki
(2011) Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse – Body & Soul
(1993) 2 pac – I Get Around
(1992) Galliano – Prince Of Peace
(1979) The Clash – Armageddon Time
(1984) Ini Kamoze – World-A-Music
(1985) Prince – Pop Life
(1986) Kraftwerk – Musique Non Stop
(1984) Art of Noise – Close to the edit
(1981) Imagination – Flashback
(1979) Gina X – No G.D.M.
(1982) Fun Boy Three – The lunatics have taken over the asylum
(2009) Ryuichi Sakamoto – Riot in Lagos
(1973) Sylvester – God Bless the Child
THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE
We had a lot of musical images in 3 years of Balearic Breakfast. But never before did I see what I saw while listening to Tomohiro’s mix, which resembled an oceanic bubble with glowing lights floating around, meeting me, sometimes calmly, sometimes more violently, me, a floating undiscovered entity, without conscience, without fear, without a now and without a tomorrow... Tomohiro’s mix, even through the strange buzzing sounds that penetrate the listener's ears is as Balearic as can be, it is a suspended moment in time that will allow you to meet your "Aura"…
Starting with Raul Buelna's "Angel del Mar", Tomohiro sets the tone of his mix, a contemplative and meditative trip, allowing the listener to dive deep within his own psychic unknown reality. The feeling of well-being conveyed by this opening track seems to be only logical when you know that Raul Buelna is a musical Therapist!
Tomohiro keeps the feeling alive and well by selecting another track holding the same psychic values, Musica Esporadica's S.T. This track is taken from the 1985 studio album, reissued in 2019 with a different cover. Speaking about the recording of the album, Suso Saiz said: "The recording was made with an incredible fluency and about 12 hours after, we had recorded Música Esporádica. Fluency, spontaneity, close friendship was the fuel that fed us." (more about the reissue here). Throughout his mix, Tomohiro demonstrates that a good mix is one that sets you free, not one that jumps at you, and, by doing so, he easily joins Colleen's way of mixing the track, taking into account their "inner flow" and never perturbating them unnecessarily...
The following musical piece arrives very slowly, after a perfect silence... We're reaching High Here (although the buzzing noises disturb us, it's interesting how they blend into the music, making this strange-sounding experience almost a part of the whole mix; I loved that!) If you have ever listened to some of David Mancuso's mixes or parties, you'll recognise, on a sonic level, some similarities with the songs he played at the loft. Appearing on the 12": Comatonse.000, (US: Comatonse Recordings, 1993) and also on the album Tranquilizer studio album (US: Instinct, 1994), Terre Thaemlitz, reflecting upon the evolution Men have with sex over the HIV crisis, says that "Raw Through a Straw" is intended as an "audio blow-job". Well, now that I listen to the track under that intellectual light, I can understand some of its musical speedy contractions, laughs! Liberation could be the title of Tomohiro's mix, indeed!
Tomohiro's mix does not follow a rhythmicall evolution "Noi (First Demo)" (to read an interview click here) & "Peace of Mind" (click here to read an interview where Kiyotaka Fukagawa aka Calm shares his thoughts about Music) are indeed very different both rhythmically and sonically. On the contrary, his mix is all about a "free freedom" where only surprises meet the listener. And that's nice as we never know what to expect, still there is that mental unity to Tomohiro's mix which is truly beautiful...
Reaching out towards a positive opening, Tomohiro selects Caruso's (ft Paul David Gillman) "Memories", quite close to the Mental Remedy's track, "Noi". I interviewed Steve Conry about his record Label "Ten Lovers Music", on which this last beautiful Balearic tune was issued (click here to find out more). What a trip your mix is, Tomohiro!
On the other side of today's 169th episode, DJ Paulette’s mix is as straight as her writing, as clear as her speaking, and as musically rich as her thoughts and intellectual openness... A joy to witness and a pleasure to listen to!
WELCOME TO THE CLUB: A REVIEW
(Artur MICHALSKI)
If, like me, you follow at least a few DJs on Instagram, even just a few of the actual greats, you might get lost one day, just as I did, wondering about what it takes to be a DJ. I know this term is, at least lately and from my humble perspective, often misused as it allows people without proper knowledge and understanding of the intellectual, philosophical and cultural fields attached to jump into the revered craft's train without engaging in every level they should when working, thus, even oh so slightly, blemishing this beautiful yet demanding craft’s legacy. And, precisely, this is where Paulette’s book enters the scene: it should be a mandatory read for every young music lover who feels they have something to share using two decks, whatever form they take. In 7 chapters, approximately 300 pages, and with a direct, non-compromising yet humble and gently flowing writing style, Paulette’s book will take you through her life’s ups and downs. Just like a real Friend would, Paulette will invite you to her table in a one-to-one conversation, asking you: “Are you sure about what you want? Here is my story; let me share it with you. Allow it to enter your soul. Let me tell you how it happened, and then you’ll decide your next step”.
Sharing her story in a cleverly laid out structure and putting her experiences (some surprisingly tough) into historical and political context all along the pages, also letting other renowned female DJs share their own, Paulette never plays around. “Welcome to the Club” is not a pamphlet about the scene and indeed not about the job itself. It is neither a ranting nor your typical self-centred biography. It is an empowering statement, a call for Women to take a proud and deserved seat at life’s table. It is an assumed presentation of challenges you may face, sadly even today, when you’re a Woman spinning records and crafting mixes in some of the biggest events worldwide (and oh so, even more, should you be black, bi-sexual with grey hair…). It is also a beautiful presentation of “Life”, of what you need to spend time on before, or while, going out there (and it is surely not just about being “famous” or making people jump in whatever event life will allow you to be a part of). “Welcome to the Club” is an anchor, a small guiding light, a philosophical, deep, sincere but not soppy read that encourages you to wind on your dreams, proven your soul is ready to face both the challenges and the rewards…