Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 172nd episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on April 23rd 2024.
About this episode. - After taking two weeks off-air, Colleen is back in the Driver's seat! The Balearic Breakfast Family got together in the last few days and requested great tracks that transmitted Joy but also something of that "Unexpected truth"! Do not worry; as always, we will discuss that in the post, laughs!
But for now, let's leave today's show presentation to Colleen herself: "Today's show features new music from musclecars Yuksek Caoilfhionn Rose FRANCK ROGER DJ Spinna Mad Professor Alex Kassian and of course, a lot of great records that you have requested.
It also includes a song featured on my forthcoming Balearic Breakfast 3 compilation coming out on HEAVENLY RECORDINGS on the 7th June. At the moment there is no CD version, but next year there should be a CD that combines Volumes 3&4 like we did with the first two volumes. You will see a very high price tag for a digital download version – that’s because there isn’t one! This is a physical format release only.
Thanks to all who have already pre-ordered and who have supported the compilation series over the past couple of years. And there will be some record release parties in the UK and Ibiza which I’ll tell you about in the near future. If you’re in London, hold this date: 15th June."
Listen back to the 172nd episode of Balearic Breakfast:
PLAYLIST
(2024) Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper – Daraka
(1971) Barbara and Ernie – For You
(2024) Caoilfhionn Rose – Josephine
(2011) Jonathan Wilson – Desert Raven
(1971) Pastor TL Barrett and the Youth for Christ Community Choir – Nobody Knows
(2006) Omar – Ghana Emotion
(2023) Yuksek (ft Julia Jean-Baptiste) – Pura Onda
(C’est Pas l’oiseau Jam Mix)
(1985) Pino Daniele – Ferryboat (Club Mix 1985)
(1981) Syreeta Wright – Move It Do It
(NOL) Renée – Change Your Style (Pete Blaker Rework)
(1980) El Turronero – Las Penas (La Caña)
(2004) The Shapeshifters – Lola’s Theme (Lola’s Loungin’ Mix)
(2024) Florecer – Hidden Thoughts (Hitchhiker Remix)
(1981) Billy Ocean – Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)
(1980) Wilton Felder & Bobby Womack – Inherit the Wind
(1978) Lucio Battisti – Nessun Dolore
(2024) Franck Roger – Enchanted (DJ Spinna’s Galactic Soul Remix)
(2024) Musclecars – Running Out of Time
(2024) Alex Kassian – E2 E4 (Mad Professor Crazy Mix 2)
THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE
The general feeling of the mix. – As always, when Colleen mixes, images or ideas appear in my brain. Laughs! In this episode, I quickly felt that the Unexpected element was king. Listen closely to both the songs and the mix; you'll hear how many unexpected elements appear, even on a rhythmical side!
This eclectic and unexpectedly grooving mix made me think about how important keeping a smooth approach to life is. The more you take things as they are, even when they Hurt, the more you'll be able to shift, to adapt, you'll learn to respond, to cope and digest anything that will come to you along the way, knowing that great things may happen too. Of course, if you're sensitive, you'll feel that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. That's also true. And that’s how I always feel, laughs! But remember that anything great can also happen. I'm not saying here that we should always be happy or that we should always expect good things to happen, but by staying on the edge, you'll be able to see things for what they are and not only for what you would like them to be, or what you think they are. And that's something that may help you along the way... The Unexpected Truth is out there, so be ready to experience it.
More about the songs. – From the show's start, unexpected sounds, colours, textures, and tonalities greet you. The whole rhythm, the entire vibe, and the soundstage of "Daraka" are something we never experienced during Balearic Breakfast (and for a good cause as the album, recorded in London with the vinyl being pressed at Pallas, allows Kora player Ballaké Sissoko – a stringed instrument used extensively in West Africa – and guitarist Derek Gripper to have a musical conversation).
With Barbara and Ernie's "For You", the unexpected keeps presenting itself to you, thanks to the track's dynamics and the instruments' realism (this well-written review shows how much the album stands out in its original sonic structure). Did you notice that the beautiful ballad did not age sonically at all, sounding fresh as ever?
Colleen keeps the flow steady by playing Caoilfhionn Rose's "Josephine", taken from her forthcoming album on Gondwana Records (and, think of it, perfectly falling into the "Unexpected truth" theme as, according to Caoilfhionn "Josephine is a song about what I’d tell my younger self / a younger person to give reassurance and comfort"). I had the absolute pleasure of talking with Caoilfhionn here on the blog, a wonderful interview during which I noted that her new album, while keeping her aerial sonic signature, felt more "solid" sonically. Stop. Listen to Colleen's mix right there. Did you catch the surprise as Jonathan Wilson's "Desert Raven" started? I did, Wow, right?! If you want to preorder your copy of Balearic Breakfast Vol. 3, do so here.
The next song, "Nobody Knows", comes from an album that has already been featured on the show (Pastor T.L. Barrett's legacy is celebrated in a beautiful box set, btw.). I love the lyrics of that song, reflecting so much the main theme of this very post; besides, I love the unorthodox structure of the song too! Now, I'm sure you understand this post's title! And, as I just said, the unexpected is our friend today as Colleen then plays the very "bossa-like" tune that is Omar's "Ghana Emotion". Often referred to as ‘the father of neo-soul’, Omar Lye-Fook recently said in an interview, "My story has been going quite steadily for the last 35, 36 years. I just want to keep adding to the catalogue. This is something that I'm known for, that I produce a lot of quality music, and I just want to be able to keep that flow going" Well, so do we!
With Yuksek's "Pura Onda" (the album's title "Dance 'o' Drome" is inspired by Yuksek's radio show he hosted on Radio Nova between 2020 and 2023) and its funky/cosmic sound (confirming Yuksek's love for Balearic Soundscapes, as he told handsupelectro.fr), Colleen keeps the surprise element as vibrant as ever; that soundstage is incredible. For now, Colleen is not focused on the mix; she lets the music breathe, and every song keeps its own universe, allowing the visual dynamics to hit the listener even more. Yuksek was also previously featured during Balearic Brunch, you might remember that! Colleen then takes us on the dancefloor, nicely blending Pino Daniele's "Ferryboat" with Syreeta's "Move It Do It".
The second hour of today's episode will be nothing short of surprising, and Colleen starts it with Pete Blaker's edit of Renée's "Change Your Style". Pete was with us on the chat today; he came by to say a quick hello! What a track! Another one perfectly showcasing today's show Powerhorse strength. It is followed by another incredible tune, El Turronero's "Las Penas (La Caña)", mixing the "classic disco sound" with Spanish lyrics in an almost Arab-like flair, Colleen taking us here on a musical Roller-Coaster with The Shapeshifters' "Lola’s Theme (Lola’s Loungin’ Mix)" (more about how the song was born here) which just got us on our knees, finally ending this incredible musical moment with Florecer's dreamy "Hidden Thoughts (Hitchhiker Remix)". There goes your WOW effect!!
For the following songs, Colleen is going to keep her mixing on the top, as always, blending Billy Ocean's 1981 breakout R&B hit"Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)", Wilton Felder and Bobby Womack's "Inherit the Wind" ending with Luccio Battisti's great "Nessun Dolore" (found on his 13th studio album on which he collaborated with the lyricist Giulio Rapetti).
Colleen then ends the show by playing three last open-minded tracks: Franck Roger's "Enchanted (DJ Spinna’s Galactic Soul Remix)", Musclecars' "Running Out of Time", and the audacious and trippy Alex Kassian's "E2 E4 (Mad Professor Crazy Mix 2)".
