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Simon Peter's "You Don't Send Slow Waves Anymore" was featured in Balearic Breakfast's 161st episode. I met Simon for a chat about his Music! 1) When listening to several of your tracks, we're surprised by how many variations you include: sonic, structural, and pictural variations. These changes make your tracks living pictures in which the listener can lose himself, yet you always pick him up at the right time. How did that specific way of putting music together come to you? This is an interesting and very pleasing analysis of my music; thank you, Artur! Overall, I take an explorative approach to my compositions – I never have a clear vision of a track at the outset. In terms of structure, I don’t worry at all about following any particular rules. It's probably true that my tracks tend to have extended passages in which listeners can immerse themselves (perhaps a feature of much ‘Balearic’ music?), introducing a new element, variation, or section before the track starts to feel too repetitive or drawn out. When producing a track, I largely avoid using loops, and I like to include a lot of variations throughout to help the tracks feel organic and somewhat live-sounding. 2) « You Don’t Send Slow Waves Anymore » was played during the 161st episode of Balearic Breakfast, and it perfectly showcases the plurality of your music, where sound effects reproduce nature’s sounds (when you don’t use real nature sound to enhance your musical visions...). I feel this sonic picturality is nicely translated in the track’s titles, too… How do you choose them, and when does that occur in the creative process? I tend to settle on a title once a track is completed or nearly completed. I prefer abstract over descriptive titles as this leaves more to the imagination, and it's not always easy to come up with a track name that I am satisfied with. I remember that I was struggling for the title for ‘You Don’t Send Slow Waves Anymore’. I ended up using an online song name generator, which, with some prompts, came up with ‘You Don’t Send Slow Waves’. I added ‘...Anymore’ to it to make it feel a bit more emotive and wistful. I really like this title – it fits the track but is slightly odd. 3) According to you, what is the hardest step when working on a song? What are you avoiding to do as a producer at all costs when producing music joining the “Balearic realm”? The hardest part for me is turning a musical idea into a complete track. It is one thing to come up with one nice chord sequence or musical phrase but quite another to develop that into a fully formed composition. When it comes to producing Balearic tracks, I suppose I am just trying to ensure the Simon Peter tracks have character and some level of musical intricacy. I try hard to avoid my tracks sounding generic or cliché. 4) Colleen’s show, Balearic Breakfast, is all about sharing the music we love, and members of the Family proposed their own sets when Collen went on tour. You also love to share your musical influences, be it through playlists on Spotify or through mixes you craft. One of these musical influences can be found in Japanese Music (Shu Suzuki even did a wonderful remix of « You Don’t Send Slow Waves Anymore»). What is it in the “Japanese touch” that makes it so Balearic? Perhaps it’s more the case that in recent years, Balearic DJs have found Japanese music to be a treasure trove for Balearic nuggets. Certainly, a range of Japanese music can be considered Balearic – from City Pop to new age/ambient, minimal electronic stuff, or the (sometimes good, often dodgy) Japanese reggae versions of pop songs. I’ve been listening to certain Japanese artists for a long time (Cornelius and Susumu Yokota spring to mind), and, in fact, this Cornelius track (Point of View Point (Yann Tomita Mix)) was a key inspiration for ‘You Don’t Send Slow Waves Anymore’. I absolutely love it. And yes, I would also like to thank Shu Suzuki again for his wonderfully creative re-interpretation of ‘You Don’t Send Slow Waves Anymore’. It's quite a ride! Thank you, Shu! 5) Looking back at what you crafted and the recognition and support you received over the years, do you ask yourself the question, “What hasn’t yet been done in the Balearic Musical genre?” If so, could you share with us a tiny bit of the “musical dreams” you have for the future? I would not say that I am necessarily trying to break any new ground within the Balearic genre; I only aspire to develop my own voice with the Simon Peter tracks. Increasingly, I do try to push myself musically with each track I work on. My musical ambitions are not lofty – I simply hope to be able to continue to find the time to finish tracks and to work with friendly labels to get them released. In terms of future releases, I do have one track finished (a collaboration with a singer/songwriter), which should be released on a compilation record next year, and I have another couple of tracks in the works – including another collaboration – so there should be new Simon Peter tracks appearing over the horizon in their own laid-back time! Thank you So Much, Simon! Simon put together a Spotify Balearic Playlist, including both his own works and his Musical Influences. It's a musical trip for sure! Be sure to check that one out! 😉

NTS Radio broadcast the 1st episode of Balearic Brunch live on November 5th 2023. About this show. – Slowly opening your eyes, you find yourself in an unknown place... As you wake up from the somewhere you were lost in, you can't disguise what's surrounding you; nothing seems to truly present itself to you, silence everywhere, a calm and reassuring silence; sometimes, a light wind caresses your face... Not knowing what to expect, you try to put a step ahead; what's there left to do, after all... There must be a way out, somewhere, right there... A step, followed by another one... "Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most"... As you go by, some kind of ghostly visions seem to visit you in their white permeable reality, going through you, penetrating you, forcing you to walk away from them, yet they're not frightening, they're like spirits coming by and saying hello... Where will this journey lead you? There is only one way to know... Going straight ahead... Through the unknown... For her first show on NTS Radio, Colleen takes us on a wild musical journey. Dreamy, light, trippy, uncertain musical landscapes take the listener to another ground... Let's dive into this wonderful first Balearic Brunch show together; maybe we'll find an answer, there, somewhere?... Listen back to the first episode of Balearic Brunch: PLAYLIST Haruomi Hosono – Ambient Meditation # 3 Saint Malo – Le Pont Roulant Philamore Lincoln – The Plains of Delight Twelve Caesars – Ride the American Wave The Senior Allstars – Slipping into Darkness Pigeons – Infinity (Josh's Extended Disco Mix) Jazxing – W Uscisku (Polotronic Remix) Sanctuary's – I am Going to Love Him (Pete Blaker Rework - NYR THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE When listening to the show, and hearing Colleen's voice opening this first edition of the "Balearic Brunch", you can't believe that you just heard two songs. But you actually did. Using her "savoir-faire", Colleen just showed you how far music can take you when it's treated with respect, care and Knowledge... Starting with Haruomi Hosono's "Ambient Meditation # 3", she keeps the trip going by mixing this astounding dreamy track with another one sharing a very close sonic structure, Saint Malo's "Le Pont Roulant" (The Crane Bridge) [2023]. For your information, Haruomi Hosono's "Ambien Meditation first appeared on the 1993 album "Medicine Compilation From The Quiet Lodge". Read a nice interview here. Colleen keeps up the pace with the next three tracks, among which are Philamore Lincoln's "The Plains of Delight", Twelve Caesars' "Ride the American Wave" [2023], and The Senior Allstars' "Slipping into Darkness" presenting, with these 5 tracks, the first part of the show: a dreamy but somewhat worried journey through the unknown... Find out more about Philamore Lincoln's 1970 album, "The North Wind Blew South" here. Starting the second part of the show with Pigeons' "Infinity" (Josh's Extended Disco Mix) [2023], you might think that the trip through the unknown would take a more positive turn. Well, I'm sad to say that we're going to dive deep for the next three tracks... Infinity is not your friendly type of song; it takes you away, and away, in a never-ending trip through space... Is this space composed of clouds, maybe of a darker blue ocean or a trippy dark cosmos with blinding flashes of light attacking you? Only you will discover that reality by closing your eyes as the track develops inside of your lost mind... It is with a shocked surprise (yes, you read that well, no mistakes here, all is intentional...) that you hear the start of the next song, Jazxing's "W Uscisku (Polotronic Remix)" [2023]. Your trip did not reach its end; you are still as lost as you were at the beginning of the show. Who are you holding to? Who is holding you? Is it all only in your mind? The only answer may presently lay in your troubled mind... Undoubtedly the Wow effect of this Balearic Brunch! There is a nice interview of our friends, Balearic Ultras, just here. But, but, wait, wait, there is a light right there, somewhere. Can you see it? Can you grab it? Can you hold it close to you? Can it enter your soul and make you whole? Just when you thought everything was over and that you would be locked in here for eternity, something, somewhere, Sanctuary's "I am Going to Love Him" (Pete Blaker Rework - NYR) changed, inviting you to an everlasting and never-ending... ending...

NTS Radio broadcast the 2nd episode of Balearic Brunch live on December 3rd 2023. About this show. – There is a change in the air; can you hear it in the Music? It took me two listening sessions to get the picture and the lingering message of the show. Of course, the whole vibe is relaxed, but, nonetheless, it holds in it some concern about tomorrow, about the future; nothing is everlastingly Joyous here, though the sun does get out a little bit; there is still a balance here, between now, what has been and what will be, hence the title of this post which precisely reflects that. And it makes me think about The Little Prince; in fact, I just found that quote that I forgot, and it perfectly fits this show's soul: "Of course, I’ll hurt you. Of course, you’ll hurt me. Of course, we will hurt each other. But this is the very condition of existence. To become spring means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence means accepting the risk of absence." This second edition of Balearic Brunch is all about that Joy that should be there, that can be there, but that is often if not always, slightly shadowed by the struggles, the changing, Life's instability and decorated with our own subjective fears. It's all in the Music and the lyrics, so, without further due, let's dive into this beautiful show! Listen back to the 2nd edition of Balearic Brunch: PLAYLIST Calm Presents Moonage Electric Ensemble – Noon at the Moon Camelle Hinds – Sausalito Calling Maze ft Frankie Beverley – Golden Time of Day Cecilio & Kapono – Someday Seawind – Free Ned Doheny – To prove my love Xavier – Love is on the one Leonidas & Hobbes – Web of Intrigue (extended mix) Blue night – Turn me loose THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE Starting with two Gorgeous tracks that perfectly blend together, Calm Presents Moonage Electric Ensemble – Noon at the Moon [1999 - Discogs] & Camelle Hinds – Sausalito Calling [1996 - Discogs], Colleen sets the leading tone of this episode, which is one of relaxation, calm but with that icy spicy taste on the top of the cake, somewhere! For your information, Calm Presents Moonage Electric Ensemble was reissued a few days ago both on vinyl and on CD; a special CD version includes beautiful remixes by talented artists, including Davide Lovato whom we interviewed here on the blog. This light uneasiness gets its confirmation in the following songs. Please look at the next five tracks; you'll see the equilibrium point I discussed at the start of this post. Maze ft Frankie Beverley – Golden Time of Day [1978 - Discogs] perfectly fits Sausalito Calling's rhythm, bringing a free moment of pure happiness. It is about enjoying the moment and considering what Life is all about when you change your point of view. Though we keep the Musical Balearic Spirit on the next song, Cecilio & Kapono – Someday [1975 - Discogs], we can't help but feel this song's message is much stronger; there is a need for change here, obviously. This need for a change is still present in the following song by the jazz fusion group from Hawaii, fronted by the vocals of Grammy-winning singer Pauline Wilson which is Seawind – Free [1979 - Discogs]. Keeping the pulse absolutely alive, Colleen then takes us to the next number, the absolutely Balearic but nonetheless a little bit weary track that is Ned Doheny – To Prove My Love [1978 - Discogs] – There is a wonderful page about Ned just here. Ending the show, the following three songs, Xavier – Love is on the one [1982 - Discogs], Leonidas & Hobbes – Web of Intrigue (extended mix) [2019 - Discogs] & Blue night – turn me loose [1983 - Discogs & Bandcamp for the 2022 reissue] keep a worried musical touch with almost invocative lyrics, letting winter slowly enter your soul...

NTS Radio published the 3rd episode of Balearic Brunch on December 31st 2023. About this show. – Musically summing up 2023 is a challenging task indeed! With Christmas already behind us and the new year approaching (with a lot of travelling ahead of our Musical Captain), we were eagerly waiting for Balearic Brunch to be in our ears! With her delicate and musical touch, Colleen proposed, in this already 3rd episode of the series, a Year End Round Up of her Favourite Tunes from 2023. And my my my, if this isn't a way out, I don't know what it is (laughs)! But we'll come back to the analysis in the Detailed Playlist section; let's first have a listen to the show! Listen back to the 3rd episode of Balearic Brunch: PLAYLIST Matthew Halsall – Calder Shapes Hifi Sean & David McAlmont – Happy Ending Pigeon – Infinity (Josh's Extended Disco Mix) LTJ Xperience featuring Anduze – Best Life More Amour – Solar Flair Django Django ft Yuuko Sings – Don't Touch That Dial Manabu Nagayama – Light and Shadow (Masalo Version) THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE Finding the right words to describe a show is not always easy, especially for a show like this one where our Captain already determined the musical journey as being a "Best of". Yet, when listening to it, I felt that this third Balearic Brunch was all about relaxation and waving goodbyes. The musical unity is supported here by a strong feeling of departure. You can feel it in every song, even those with a more affirmed rhythm! Let's dive into the tracks selected by Colleen. The show opener, Matthew Halsall – Calder Shapes [Bandcamp - Bal. Brkfst, ep. 147], is a track that shows a way, a route to a new destination, a march; even though you might feel it's raining somewhere, it's a light rain cleansing the earth rather than submerging it. Everything here is full of hope and peace, even time ticking your heart's rhythm out... It's interesting to put Matthew's music in retrospect with some of the interviews he did; it gives his music a new light. Recently, he explained: "I find being creative super relaxing and therapeutic. It allows me to focus on one thing that I enjoy for hours on end. I'm often at my happiest when I put my headphones on and create things in my own little world, the sounds can transport you to all types of magical fun places." This feeling of "Calmness" is also present in the second track, which is a trip in itself; the engaging moment is over; we're flying right now, flying away with Hifi Sean & David McAlmont – Happy Ending [Bandcamp - Greene Room mix]. Happy Ending has received a lot of love from critics and music lovers alike, and the flying effect has been felt by many listeners of this gorgeous album! Colleen must also be praised for her delicate touch when it comes to blending tracks, and she knows how to take you by the hand and take you higher. This is precisely what she does with the stunning track that is Pigeon – Infinity (Josh's Extended Disco Mix) [Bandcamp - Bal. Brunch, ep. 01]. The new album, entitled Backslide EP, by the 5-piece group, is an astounding sonic experience, not limiting itself to mental escapism but also including a beautiful soundstage and realistic-sounding instruments and effects. A whole trip, at every level for sure and Highly recommended. Hearing Colleen say that Infinity will be included in the third Balearic Breakfast compilation made me jump out of my sofa from happiness! That's the first non-musical Wow effect I've ever experienced; laughs! Colleen keeps up the rhythm by playing LTJ Xperience featuring Anduze – Best Life [Discogs - Bal. Brkfst, ep. 135] whose cover could easily join those crafted by the Blue Note Label, you see what I mean, right? Followed by the synth-driven track that is More Amour – Solar Flair [Discogs - Bal. Brkfst ep. 148], Best Life, thanks to Colleen's light mix, takes its whole funkiness to another level. There lies Colleen's magic: in her ability to choose songs that go so well together, enhancing your feeling of belonging to another universe! At this show's point, you're either dancing unconsciously or lying calmly on your sofa, dreaming to the music... In any case, you're not touching Earth, that's for sure! To me, the last two tracks also belong together, ending the show with a dreamy opening. I felt that because of their rhythm, which is quicker than the one of the previous tracks played during this third episode, but also because of their "calmer" musical approach. These two songs are ecstatic in their own ways. Let's discover more about them together. The first one, Django Django ft Yuuko Sings – Don't Touch That Dial [Bandcamp - Bal. Brkfst, ep. 144], a futuristic, percussion-driven club track, saw producer Dave MacLean and Japanese rapper Yuuko join forces in a song describing a typical day in life where there's only one rule… Don't Touch That Dial. Sharing his memories about the song [the producer stumbled across the Japanese rapper online], Mac Lean said: "This was a weird instrumental track that came out of looping some little chopped-up bits of a studio jam. I liked the odd groove of the track, and I wanted a vocalist on there, but I wanted something quite different, so I reached out to Yuuko, and she totally got it, and delivered this outstanding top line." This track, to me is a trip in action, the lack of an actual melody helps to drive the emotions down, allowing the listener to "stabilize". The second one, Manabu Nagayama – Light and Shadow (Masalo Version) [Discogs - Bal. Brkfst, ep. 150], with its vast skyish landscapes, is a perfect closer as there is no expectation here, no eagerness to achieve anything or to attain a certain place; you've arrived at your destination, you're there, enjoying the moment you've been longing for and this moment of ecstasy will follow you through the next phase of your journey... What did we say? Oh yes, we were easing 2023 out of our way...

NTS Radio published the 4th episode of Balearic Brunch on January 28th 2024. About this show. – We all can travel thanks to Music. I was fortunate because I was raised in a way that allowed my mental representation to fully express itself, as, from a very young age (3/4), my father said to me, "When you listen to music, lay on the bed, close your eyes and imagine when listening to that Symphony (it was Beethoven's 9th) a beautiful forest and see the animals while you walk discovering it"... There you go, that's the way we should raise our children I believe. Anyway, when listening to this 4th episode of the series, and the first of 2024, I quickly felt that it was all about that "Balearic Togetherness". We shall discover why in a few minutes! I hope Colleen does not read everything I write down here because I don't want the Magic to end; I really don't want it to end! This fourth show of the series is another great example of musical and intellectual unity, and as always, I'm not forcing anything here; Music does the Intellectual Talking! Let's go! Listen back to the 4th episode of Balearic Brunch: PLAYLIST Devadip Carlos Santana – Love theme from "Spartacus" J.J. Cale – The woman that got away Per-Erik Hallin – Gospel train John Forde – Stardance Dennis Parker – Like an eagle Ashford & Simpson – Count Your Blessings (François Kevorkian, Ron St. Germain mix) Amr Diab – Wala Ala Baloh (from film: Intervention Divine) Fat Freddy’s Drop – Mother Mother (Cosmodelica remix) THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE I never wrote these analyses thinking they were the absolute truth. They are just one possible interpretation. And, of course, you may have your own visuals coming down the road! What I try to achieve here is to wake up your ability to imagine and your capability to Listen actively to Music: of course, Music takes us to another world, but only if we Let her do the talking, so it takes both a relaxed mind but also some indirect concentration, I would say. Then, when you reach that slightly transcendental state of mind, almost asleep or freed from your direct mind, only then can the pictures arise, the Music finally taking you elsewhere... So why did I feel that this 4th edition of Balearic Brunch was all about that "Balearic Togetherness"? Well, when I heard Devadip Carlos Santana – Love theme from "Spartacus" [1980 - Discogs], I felt it depicted a lonely woman, somewhat desperate, joined by a handsome man, helping her to get up on her feet and inviting her to a dance. Listen Closely to this first song; there are three distinctive parts. The first one is a lonely complaint, very dreamy, relaxed, very Balearic; you could almost start the written story by writing: "Once upon a time, there was a Lady. Once upon a time, there was a Beautiful young Lady. She was alone, desperately alone..." Then, after these first minutes, there is a change in tonality; the melodic structure is almost kept intact, though, but there is a change: the guitar disappears, and we're only left with the organs. Then, the third part comes in slowly and gently, and new instruments enter the soundstage. It's a Samba, if I'm not mistaken. If you want to discover more about what Colleen said about this peculiar song, head over here! For those of you interested in Jazz, I can only Highly recommend that you listen to Wayne Shorter's "Wayning moments" album issued in 1962; what a beauty this one is! After such an introduction, you don't need more words to let your imagination run wild! Following with J.J. Cale – The Woman That Got Away [1976 - Discogs], which presents a similar invitation to dance and a somewhat worried approach too, Colleen clearly wants you to join here somewhere for a Balearic Dance! Listen to how Colleen underlines the next track, one about a train taking its passengers towards heaven, Per-Erik Hallin – Gospel Train [1982 - Discogs], while keeping the flow intact. Pure Bliss, right? This is also an element that explains the "Togetherness" I used in the title. Being a DJ is not always about beatmatching to perfection but it's about letting the tracks have their own life together, being a DJ is all about letting the musical dance Happen. With its open soundstage, the dynamics and the rhythmical structure allowing the track to breathe and its groove to shine, Gospel Train is also an invitation to dance, allowing you to picture a young couple swaying to the music! Colleen keeps up a nice steady rhythmical approach to this show by selecting John Forde – Stardance [1979 - Discogs], as for the previous numbers, the soundstage is wide and the dynamics are alive and well, letting the sound breathe, not attacking us and, furthermore, beautifully followed both by Dennis Parker – Like an eagle [1979 - Discogs] and the incredible Ashford & Simpson – Count Your Blessings (François Kevorkian, Ron St. Germain mix) [1986 - Discogs]. Now, there you have it, the Pinnacle of this 4th "Balearic Brunch" is that little mix; what a Treasure this one is! An absolute Wow moment of the show if you ask me! And that's why this blog was born: because of Colleen's magic! An absolutely ecstatic moment you'll find hard to forget! By the way, if you want to keep on dreaming, why wouldn't you go and have a listen to the Worldwide FM's special show dedicated to François? The link is here. The last two tracks selected by Colleen, namely Amr Diab – Wala Ala Baloh (from the film: Intervention Divine) [2002 - Discogs] and Fat Freddy’s Drop – Mother Mother (Cosmodelica remix) [2014 - Discogs], for which I wrote an analysis (here), fit the show as a glove; both on the musical and on the philosophical side! Did you find why? (laughs!)…

NTS Radio broadcast the 5th episode of Balearic Brunch on February 25th 2024. About this show. – For those of you who follow me here, you all know by now, I suppose, how much I love Colleen's "Balearic Brunch" shows. I feel I need to share more details about the "whys"! First, these shows are shorter, and this smaller format allows Colleen to be more "focused", musically speaking, I feel the intellectual unity is stronger in these shows, the mental pictures appear quickly! Even though we would all love to have 2-hour episodes, I feel it wouldn't have the same musical impact. Also, did you notice that Colleen uses her voice differently during these shows? She's giving them another DNA by doing this, a pro is a pro, right? Lastly, Balearic Breakfast is never too far away as Colleen always mentions it during Balearic Brunch! This episode very quickly allowed me to see someone diving into an ocean, of music of course, laughs!, but we're going to come back to this vision in the detailed playlist in a few moments. A great new episode of "Balearic Brunch" for sure! Listen back to the 5th episode of Balearic Brunch: PLAYLIST Nine Voices – And so it goes Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi – Anima Yoshiko Sai – Aoi Galasudama E. Lundquist – My Sun Max Essa – Belgian Caravan Split Enz – Message to My Girl (Pete Blaker by the Sea edit) Esa – A muto (Kalson Cosmic Rework) Feel Fly – Esperanto (Marcoradi Remix) Fred Everything (feat. James Alexander Bright) – Breathe Crown Heights Affair – Dreaming a Dream (2024 rework) THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE Being welcomed by the beautiful vocal-only ensemble "Nine Voices", one can only picture oceanic depths appearing before surprised eyes. With the incredibly profound Nine Voices – And so it goes [2024-Bandcamp], Colleen perfectly sets the tone of what will be, to me, the first deep-diving show of the "Balearic series" (by the way, "Nine Voices" is a three-vocalist ensemble composed of Emma Thorpe, Ben Smith & Huw Costin)! This willingness to take us on a diving trip is confirmed by the second track, Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi – Anima - Breathe [2024-Bandcamp]. The slow rhythm and almost meditative ambience (with the use of some light electronic reverb) help the listener to picture a diver swimming towards an unknown destination, somewhere deep down the abysses... Yoshiko Sai – Aoi Galasudama [1976-Discogs] is, to me, a turning point in the story as it allows us to picture the beauties of the ocean we swim in... What a track... For your information, the Japanese singer, composer and poet did the artwork of most of her albums. Soon after her fourth album was out in 1978, she retired from the music industry until 30 years later, in 2008, when she released another album, "Taklamakan". Words are not enough to say how much we were Wowed when we all heard this song, which will be featured on the compilation Nippon Psychedelic Soul 1970​-​1979! Though the next track's soul is slightly less "waterly balearic" (laughs!), E. Lundquist – My Sun [2024-Bandcamp] allows the listener to focus on the diver as he leaves the abysses, enjoying a more relaxed part of the ocean with Max Essa – Belgian Caravan [2024-Discogs]. The music played in the first part of this 4th episode of Balearic Brunch is so nicely put together that it greatly explains why we love Colleen so much: Music simply flows whenever she shares it! The second part of the show starts with the also very oceanic Split Enz – Message to My Girl (Pete Blaker by the Sea edit) [1984-Discogs]. In several interviews, composer and Split's Enz frontman Neil Finn (now a member of Fleetwood Mac after Lindsey Buckingham left the band) shared how much every aspect of love had already been covered in songs and how much he didn't felt like saying "I love you" out loud in his songs, and peculiarly in this very one, thus meeting ways with another very Balearic (and sad) song composed by Jean-Jacques Goldman, "Sache Que Je"... Our diver, happy with what he saw, came back to the surface, ready to have a good time with his friends, and he does that while dancing on Esa – A muto (Kalson Cosmic Rework) [2023-Bandcamp]! The original 1986 track has been featured during the 160th episode of Balearic Breakfast by our dear Kieran McCann. The last three tracks of this Balearic Brunch episode take us on a trippier musical trip, starting with Feel Fly – Esperanto (Marcoradi Remix) [2022-Bandcamp] and beautifully encapsulating Fred Everything (feat. James Alexander Bright) – Breathe [2024] which makes me wanna come back to an important element of Colleen's DNA: when she mixes, she, as a human being mixing records, disappears behind the music... Ending the show with Crown Heights Affair – Dreaming a Dream [2024 rework], there is one thing we really need to do: listen to that diving musical trip once again!

Nick Callaghan's tribute mix to Andrew Weatherall made me realize how serious we sometimes should be when listening to music... Listening context. – It comes from nowhere. The Pain. Unexpected. Unwanted. Violent. A sudden rape that leaves you hanging, bleeding, almost dead, spiralling down in the unknown undertow of your own inexistence. The Blow. Unexpected. It comes from an unwanted bleeding, from a sudden nowhere, spiralling you down the rape you just experienced to an unknown undertow of your own rebirth. "I've always thought that the best music was uncontrived, it's done in an instant. The first things that come to mind are usually the best, once you start finally tuning things and honing things down you disappear up your own arse." Tell me how do you listen to Music, I will tell you who you are. A vibration. Thank god, I am a vibration. A sound. My Body has an inner instrument, and it is able to produce a sound when anything hits me; it can be a loud and absolutely dynamically deafening moment, forcing me to evacuate the sound; the deflagration can be also only felt in the inside, long after the blow has gone, it can be a calm response too, joy, who knows where you’re leading yourself to. Only you are your own conductor. Sometimes, life has a master plan, and you have to be there, experiencing your own disappearance allowing your rebirth. But at all times, you’re aware. At every single moment, your truth is all that matters. You are not somebody’s else frequency to play with. You’re not here to adjust to anybody but only there for you to grow. You should always be beyond the pain of their unwanted solicitations and keep your vibration intact should they hit you. And, understand me: it’s not about how quickly you’ll vibrate or how quickly you will fill the room with your chaos, answering their supposed heavenly belonging to you. It’s all about the reality of it, the objective reality of you accepting to drown, vibrating down, maybe in the process dying and somehow coming back to life. The secret lies here: unlike you, I am not trying to save myself. Unlike you, I am not trying to save myself. My hurt is mine to shine; my darkness does not need your false light. Everything will come back to its place one day, eventually. The thing you must take into consideration: are you aware of your vibration? Do you know how it manifests itself, when it appears, when it dies, and where it is located within you? Does it need anything more to fully express itself? Is it working against you or on par with you? Do you block it? Can it bring you up? What’s the aftermath but also, can you feel other people's vibrations... Listen to Nick's Tribute to Andrew Weatherall: Andrew's takes on music and subjective outputs. – Life had a master plan. Tell me how do you listen to music. I will tell you who you are. I waited to receive Nick’s tribute to Andrew Weatherall at the right moment. I didn’t want to just listen to the mix like "just for the sake of it". I knew it was far too precious to be overlooked. I wanted to be able to dive in. Totally. Life hit. I reacted. Pain came. I listened. Once again, it’s not about the subjectivity of the vibration, not about the importance (or the non-importance) of the pain that initiated it. It’s about the existence of these two factors and how each one of us copes with these always dynamic situations. As I listened to Nick’s tribute, as Andrew’s music penetrated my soul, I visualised my Vibration and felt the pain form its reality in my soul. This precise moment was crucial because it enlightened Andrew’s musical importance, nicely put on the forefront by Nick’s work, ultimately leading me to write... A selector’s work essential is. Repeat. A selector’s work essential is. Only he can your mortal coil portray. And this is exactly what Nick did here. The 2 hours musical journey takes us through some of Andrew’s nicest musical moments, notably showcasing: the importance of space: Whether you listen to a track like "Primal Scream - Loaded", Doves – Compulsion (Andrew Weatherall Remix), or, from Nick's Mix Big Hard Excellent Fish – Imperfect List Part 1 (the list could go on and on), the vast majority of Andrew's Music is rooted into space, large soundstages, echos, allowing your mind to loose contact with your body... the sadness: Starting the mix with Cowboys International – The ‘No’ Tune (which can be considered Andrew's "title soundtrack"), Nick not only respects Andrew's legacy but also puts on a logical forefront what makes Andrew's music so appealing to people like myself: the sadness, the lingering sadness which is present in a lot of the tracks he played and produced or mixes he crafted – I will be forever proud to have discovered such an important artist thanks to Balearic Breakfast...; the revolving questioning aspect of his music: If you take the time to dive into Nick's tribute mix, you'll feel the unstoppable questioning, lost shapes asking blurry whys, cloudy skies, lost cars driving in circles towards empty destinations...; the sonic qualities: One of the things that left me totally awestruck when listening to Nick's mix is the sonic quality of Andrew's music; it's sharp, it has a 3D element to it, it constantly surprises your ears (listen to a track like "Ricardo Villalobos – Dexter (Two Lone Swordsmen remix"), even on loudspeakers you'll be surprised by how much the sound on that one will grab you...; the musicality: Even though we can of course think about artists like Reich, Stockhausen, Boulez, Penderecki or even Medek, or as Andrew puts it "Seeking transcendence through repetitive beats", there is always an absolute Musicality to the sounds Andrew created or played (making me think that really I wasn't, like other people I suppose, really about a Musical style but more about notes that are awakening my soul (the stop sign being, obviously, for me, musical creations where Music in its musicality element was not present or far less present than what I needed); the Artistry of the music: Andrew's music is never a flat line (listen to his "Music's not for Everyone" on Mixcloud shows). It's always and Absolutely Dynamic; it slows; it speeds up; it has sound effects; there are so many information to be found in Andrew's sounds, perfectly joining his analysis of what music should be like "I think music should be like a movie soundtrack in a way, it should be like a journey, it should tell a story". When listening to Nick's mix and diving deeper into Andrew's music (My Bloody Valentine – Soon (Andrew Weatherall Remix)), I was able to picture paintings by the great Beksinski or Dali; I was able to see Artaud's face flying over me, thinking about some of his writings, and even picture other artists' creations... Andrew's music is an open door to Art, and it is because of its own artistry... So, yeah, Nick's mix is something to listen to times and times again as it is a beautiful resume of Andrew's musical Legacy! Lastly, Nick’s tribute showcased how important it is to dive into Music while taking into account your mental state. By choosing wisely the moment you’ll listen, you’ll be able to allow revelations to occur and the healing process to start, even oh so indirectly... I'm on my knees, I’m drowning, Andrew. Stay there, Lioncub, I’ll help you. THE PLAYLIST (Thank you, Nick, for the playlist and the picture!) Cowboys International – The ‘No’ Tune Andrew Weatherall – Thirteenth Night “The first music that moved me…” Big Hard Excellent Fish – Imperfect List Part 1 (Rimming Elvis the Andy Weatherall Way mix) Ricardo Villalobos – Dexter (Two Lone Swordsmen remix) “Sydney Opera House…” Two Lone Swordsmen – Spin Desire “Sean Johnston - I first met Andrew back in the summer of 1999…” My Bloody Valentine – Soon (Andrew Weatherall Remix) “When did the DJ’ing start off?…” Fort Beulah N.U. – 002 “Andrew on Tony Wilson…” Mike Garry & Joe Duddell – St Anthony: An Ode to Anthony H Wilson (Andrew Weatherall Remix) “Basic human need for transcendence…” Cut Copy – Son God (Weatherall ARP mix) Two Lone Swordsmen – It’s Not the Worst (Lali Puna Remix) “The Boys Own story…” Primal Scream – Don’t Fight It, Feel It (Weatherall Scat Mix) “S is for Sabres of Paradise...” Sabres of Paradise – Ballad of Nicky McGuire “At the moment the studio is really productive…” The Asphodells – Another Lonely City Andrew Weatherall – Ghosts Again “Dave Beer… but what about Weatherall?!…” Primal Scream – Come Together (Weatherall extended remix) “Life has Surface Noise…” Sabre of Paradise – Smokebelch II (Beatless Mix)

A few weeks ago, Douglas Noble kindly asked me if I felt like sharing my story about the Balearic Breakfast Blog. I was humbled and gladly accepted his invitation! About the interview. – December 2023. When Douglas proposed to me on Instagram to do a feature about the Balearic Breakfast blog, I was really humbled. As you all know, this adventure started because of the show itself and its quality. I gladly accepted Douglas' proposal and we started working on the interview in the course of January 2024. I will never forget that Interview for a lot of reasons. First things first, I was as tired as I could be (hence the few mistakes I made during the interview) because I wasn't able to sleep the previous night, you know, "life's Downs and ups". So I was a little bit nervous. Would I be able to sustain a 40-minute conversation in English? I haven't done that for years! Secondly, and this is the main reason I will never forget this experience, Douglas has been incredible: relaxed, gentle, and joyous, and he made me quickly forget how tired I was. 5/10 minutes into the interview, I just started telling my story, finding my own rhythm, you know... (laughs!). I was really happily surprised when we got to the end of it! I said to Douglas, laughing, "I think we nailed it; it was perfect"! Then, I proposed to Douglas to edit the interview (o so slightly to cut some uninteresting things and some blurps and some more, you know..., laughs!). I quickly felt I could do something original with that recording. Almost 8 hours later, I sent him the first draft of the interview with the songs mixed in. But, what happened is that when I listened to this first edit on my speakers, I felt our voices were not loud enough. So I quickly said to Douglas, "let me correct that, I know how to handle it". Douglas gave me "carte blanche". And I did compress our voices slightly more to bring them out. They have been equalised, too, to bring out small details that were not audible in the first place. It's a tedious process, but I felt I could not do better than that, so this is the version you're going to hear now. Take the time to listen to it; you'll hear how music underlines the message I tried to convey and how it pops out on specific occasions. It is a small work of art I did, I believe, really. Oh, and listen also to my Silences… So, so important… All in all, despite me being so tired, despite the internet's small cutouts making me sound like a fish out of water, and despite trying to speak between a tear and a laugh, this experience was really worth it. Douglas has been incredible in every step of this wonderful journey. He's been absolutely Balearic, and I can only hope that one day you, too, have the chance to do an interview with him! Also, not to mention, the rhythm he gave to his show was perfect. I wasn't aware that he would cut the interview into two parts, but he really nailed it! It is such a good idea because it allows the listener to take some distance with my never, well, you know... ending flow, laughs! Once again, thank you, dear Douglas. And a big hello, and thank you, for his kind words to DJ Don Pablo! To Colleen. To Adam. To the Artists. To the Music and to each and every one of you, you, the Members of the Balearic Breakfast Family... Listen back to Douglas' interview with Artur: PLAYLIST Eddie Palmieri – Chocolate Ice cream Astrud Gilberto – Light My Fire Mike Lindup – World Is Ready (feat. Ursula Rucker) Oluko Imo – Were Oju Le (The Eyes Are Getting Red) (Edit) Ahemaa Nwomkro – Yebre Ma Owuo Douglas in conversation with Artur (Part 1) Jacob Gurevitsch – Elevation in Minor (Cosmodelica Remix) The Prince St. Reels – Johnny Mathis - Simple The Grid – AW Floatation subsonic Grid The Mighty Pope – Sweet Blindness Chuck Magione with the Hamilton Philarmonic Orchestra – The Land of Make-Believe Roberta Flack – The Impossible Dream Los Charly's Orchestra (Aka Juan Laya & Jorge Montiel) – Open Up Your Mind Chiara Civello – Sono Come Sono (Whodamanny remix) Douglas in conversation with Artur (Part 2) Francois Feldman & Joneice Jamison – Joue Pas Linda de Suza – Gri-Gri Gwen McCrae – Keep the fire burning Paul Valery At the Disco – A Man Called Adam (Farmaram Remix) The Cranes – What Is Love Chalupa – Jungle Fire Karl Hector & The Malcouns – JB Rip La Clave – Latin Slide Blue Lines Trio – Dark Goeree Circling Sun – Kohan Thomas Haak vs BOW-tanic – Magic Hancock (Instrumental Essence) Lego Edit – Escucha Mi Melodia A Balearic Lioncub The Playlist Nota. – To me, Childhood is the most important moment of life. Some of us forget that period of time, and some of us don't. I compiled in this playlist songs that I grew up with. Don't use the "shuffle" option, as I worked countless hours on this one to propose a Musical Flow. Simply select a song, click play, and let me take you to my Dreamland... Mike Oldfield – The Inner Child Akademia Pana Kleksa, Małgorzata Ostrowska – Podróż w Krainę Baśni (z filmu Podróże Pana Kleksa) Noir Désir – Le vent nous portera George Koutalieris – Silent Messages Commodores – Nightshift François Valéry – Aimons–Nous Vivants Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) - Extended Version Alannah Myles – Black Velvet ABBA – Eagle – Long Version David et Jonathan – Bella vita Luba – The Best Is Yet to Come Kim Carnes – More Love François Feldman, Joniece Jamison – Joue Pas Johnny Hallyday – T’as le bonjour de l’amour – Version 2014 Linda De Suza – Gri-gri Chico & Roberta – Frente a Frente La Compagnie Créole – Vive le Douanier Rousseau Charles D. Lewis – Soca Dance Zouk Machine – Maldòn Kaoma – Lambada Jimmy "Bo" Horne – Don't Worry About It Cliff Richard – Doing Fine Garland Jeffreys – Hail Hail Rock 'N' Roll Daran Et Les Chaises – Dormir dehors France Gall – Babacar – Live 1988 Patrick Bruel – Décalé (Live "Si Ce Soir") Michel Sardou – Afrique adieu Rose Laurens – Africa (Version longue) S'Express – Theme from S'Express – 12" Version Donna Hightower – This World Today Is A Mess Dominik Hauser – Love Boat Theme Marie Dauphin – Lady Oscar Solomon Burke – Let Your Love Flow Traks – Long Train Running Jacob Gurevitsch, Cosmodelica – Elevation In Minor (Cosmodelica Remix) Budka Suflera – Martwe morze Czerwone Gitary – Płoną góry, płoną lasy Matia Bazar – Solo Tu Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater – Precious Thing Nicole Croisille – Léo Gérard Lenorman – Nostalgies Canada – Mourir les sirènes Fredericks, Goldman, Jones – Nuit Gianna Nannini – Luna dell'est Matia Bazar – Ti Sento Rammstein – Angst Robert Miles – Children Dschinghis Khan – Moskau Claude François – Je vais à Rio Gilbert Montagné – Les sunlights des tropiques Aqua – Cartoon Heroes Desireless – Voyage voyage Jean-Pierre Mader – Macumba Gwen McCrae – Keep the Fire Burning – U.K. Club Remix Moon Martin – Kitten of Love Gold – Ville de lumière The Korgis – Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime Black – Wonderful Life Candy Dulfer – Lily Was Here Chris Isaak – Blue Hotel Sylvester – One Night Only Alain Bashung – Madame rêve Diana Krall – If I Take You Home Tonight Eva Cassidy – I Can Only Be Me Dan Fogelberg – Tucson, Arizona (Gazette) Frankie Goes To Hollywood – The Power Of Love Donovan – Sailing Homeward Steven Wilson, Ninet Tayeb – Rock Bottom Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb – Live Ange – Capitaine cœur de miel – Live Eagles – Hotel California – Live; 1999 Remaster Led Zeppelin – Kashmir – Live: O2 Arena, London – December 10, 2007 Fleetwood Mac – Rhiannon (Live 1977) Czeslaw Niemen – Pod Papugami Jacques Brel – Les Marquises Francis Cabrel – Hors-saison Nourith Sibony – Ten Od Yom Céline Dion – Tu nages Vangelis – Conquest of Paradise Vangelis, Piano in a Living Room – La petite fille de la mer Joe Dassin – L'été indien Patricia Kaas – Mon mec à moi Johnny Mathis – Simple Jairo – Les Jardins Du Ciel (Sun Of Jamaica) Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax Matthew Wilder – Break My Stride Dorothée – L'étranger Jimmy Cliff – We All Are One Philippe Lavil – Elle préfère l'amour en mer Charles Aznavour – Trousse-chemise Evanescence – Secret Door Vaya Con Dios – Lulu's Song The Doors – Riders On The Storm (2021 Remaster) Julie Pietri – Eve lève–toi Aural Exciters – Spooks in Space (Disco mix) John Paul Young – Love Is in the Air Bernard Lavilliers, Jimmy Cliff – Melody Tempo Harmony Ace of Base – Happy Nation Serge Gainsbourg – Relax Baby Be Cool Mory Kanté – Yeke Yeke Kassav' – Syé bwa Bézu – La Queuleuleu Crystal Waters – Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless) (La Da Dee La Da Da) Everything But The Girl, Todd Terry – Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix / US Radio Edit) Kat Mandu – I Wanna Dance Peter Brown – They Only Come Out at Night Róisín Murphy, Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy – Murphy's Law (Cosmodelica Remix) Ren Woods – Everybody Get Up (12" Mix) Julio Iglesias – Souriez madame (Con una Pinta Asi) Thierry Pastor – Sur des musiques noires Natalia Kukulska – Puszek-okruszek The Earons – Land of Hunger Linda Clifford – Runaway Love Lou Rawls – You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine The Getaway Plan – S.T.A.R.S. Thierry Pastor – Where is My Love Josefine Cronholm & Ibis – My Room Paul Desmond, Dave Brubeck – Koto Song How To Destroy Angels – A Drowning Barbie Bertisch – Warm In The Dark (Release) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake (Suite), Op. 20a, TH. 219: I. Scene – Swan Theme Luciano Pavarotti – Caruso Chuck Mangione, Esther Satterfield – Land Of Make Believe Bernard Lavilliers – If. Maxime Le Forestier – Né quelque part Nina Simone – Baltimore Nino Ferrer – Le sud Israel Kamakawiwo'ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow_What A Wonderful World Roberta Flack – The Impossible Dream The Doors – The Crystal Ship Janis Joplin – Kozmic Blues Cerrone – 101 Tori Amos – A Sorta Fairytale (Live In Toronto 10/23/07) Gerry Rafferty – The Ark Kim Carnes – Sailin' Baccara – Yes Sir, I Can Boogie Vincent Lagaf' – Bo le lavabo Róisín Murphy, DJ Koze – Can’t Replicate Dan Hartman – Instant Replay (12" Single) Haddaway – What is Love Dr. Alban – Sing Hallelujah! Jimmy Somerville – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) Dzem – Do Kołyski (Live)

Lee Zee is, without any doubt, one of the architects of Colleen's request show, Balearic Breakfast. I am so happy he accepted to join us here! Let's meet him! 1) Hello Lee! It’s such a pleasure to have you here on the Blog! We owe the show’s title to you! How did it come to your mind back when the show started? Hi Artur – many thanks for inviting me. It’s a pleasure to be here. Well, as you know, Colleen was holiday-hosting Gilles Peterson’s breakfast show on Worldwide FM, and it had the running name of ‘Summer Staycation’. When summer came to an end, Colleen put a call out on Instagram for listeners to suggest an alternative name for the show. As soon as she put the call out, I messaged her back, saying, “How about Balearic Breakfast?” Then I quickly did a check to make sure there wasn’t another show with that name already!! Thankfully there wasn’t. The name just came to me – it felt like a natural choice. I’ve always felt there was a significant overlap with the musical aesthetic of the Loft and the Balearic movement. A musical open-ended-ness and psychedelic quality. Knowing Colleen, her deep knowledge and love of music across genres, space and time, the name just felt like a good fit. 2) have been featured in the 160th show of the series, and your beautiful mix obtained a lot of praise from the Family. Are you aware of your ability to propose musical stories through the tracks you select? Generally speaking, how do you create a set? It's great to hear the mix was well received. I’m not on social media at all, so when Colleen told me about the positive feedback, I was really touched. Thank you. When Colleen asked me to contribute, it was originally going to be for a mix for the launch event of the first Balearic Breakfast compilation in 2022. I wrote the track list on the back of an envelope in a couple of minutes and told myself I had to stick to it – no matter if a “better” track then came into my consciousness later that day! I can’t really tell you why I chose the tracks I did or why they are in that order. That’s just how I wrote them down. I’m quite interested in Taoism and being in the “flow state”. I generally like to go with the first idea that comes into my head. It’s about listening to your inner voice and trusting it. There is a beautiful power in doing that. It’s also a good way to honour your uniqueness. What I love about the mixes from the Balearic Breakfast family is how completely different and personal they are. 3) You also work with Colleen on the request posts pictures; without any doubt, you have an artist’s soul to me! Is your creativity conscious, or does it come almost silently and unpredictably, fueled by music or other forms of art? Thank you! I have been creative since I was old enough to pick up a pen. It was my mum who spotted this – when I was about two years old and was playing up / whingeing, she was wondering what she could do. So she gave me a big roll of paper, and some felt tip pens. Needless to say, I stopped crying and spent the rest of the day lost in drawing. I’ve been that way ever since. I think creativity – in whatever form it takes – drawing, cooking, playing an instrument, writing, gardening, painting, photography – whatever it is – nurtures the soul and raises your vibration. I do love visiting galleries, reading, and obviously listening to music, but really anything can be inspiring. A sunset, a walk in the forest, a really deep conversation, a really good cup of coffee – (the latter is a daily essential!). I do think that meditation, yoga and various herbs and fungi also have a powerful part to play in letting you tap into your inner creative spirit. You also need to stop worrying about whether people like what you do or not. If you love it – that really is more than enough. 4) The Balearic Musical scene is vast. If you had to choose five albums that are Balearic to you, which would they be and why? Firstly – sorry. I know you asked for five albums, but I’m going to give you 8 of them! As with the mix, I quickly scribbled them down in a couple of minutes! (but this time on a post it, not an envelope (laughs)! I guess the joy with the Balearic genre is that it literally can be anything you want it to be. I first heard the word Balearic (in a musical context) with the Balearic Beats Compilation LP, which came out on FFRR in 1988. But at the time, the music on the LP wasn’t really my cup of tea (apart from the Nitzer Ebb track, which has a great dub mix on the 12”, btw!). Going out clubbing in Manchester in the late 80s, you would hear records that are now considered “Balearic” (such as Carly Simon’s “Why”), but they were just part of an overall “club” / house music soundtrack back then. It wasn’t until 1993 or 1994 when a friend of a friend at University came back from Ibiza with a Jose Padilla mixtape, that I had my proper introduction to what I perceive as being the “Balearic” sound. Of course, this was only a part – the chill-out / Café Del Mar part – of the Balearic sound. But it immediately struck a chord with me. This was the pre-internet era, so trying to find the tracks on that cassette really did take years. Still, that tape opened a lot of musical doors for me. The albums below? Well, they vary somewhat in both genre and notoriety, but, for me, they are all Balearic because they share an otherworldly, transcendent quality. An ability to take you to another place and time. Music to transport. Music to transform. Music to heal. Music to help you connect with the universe. That’s my take on Balearic. So……. In no particular order: Laurie Anderson – Mister Heartbreak (Warner Bros - 1984) Mr. Fingers – Amnesia (Jack Trax - 1989) Collin Walcott – Grazing Dreams (ECM - 1977) Wally Badarou – Words of a Mountain (Island - 1989) Michael Shrieve / Kevin Shrieve / Klaus Schultze – Transfer Station Blue (Fortuna - 1984) Nina Simone – Baltimore (CTI - 1978) Michal Turtle & Suso Saiz – Static Journeys (Planisphere - 2021) Pat Metheny Group – Still Life Talking (Geffen - 1987) 5) I can’t end this interview without asking you, what does it take to “be Balearic” in this life? Having an open heart and an open mind but always dancing to the beat of your own drum! Thank you So Much, Lee...

Matt, like a lot of us, has been there from the very start. I was happy we got to discover more about him through his mix! I met the "I'm no DJ" guy, and we had a fantastic chat! 1) Hello Matt! I’m thrilled to welcome you to our Home! If I understood things the right way, you used to DJ in the past. Can you tell us more about how that passion started? Thanks for having me, Artur. I only really did a small amount of DJ-ing over 20 years ago when I was a uni student at house parties. I’ve always been passionate about music from a young age. I can remember making my own compilations from the ‘Now that's what I call Music….’ tapes I had, basically just compiling all the dance/hip-hop! I was slightly too young when acid house swept the UK, but I used to love the endless tapes that used to get passed around (Sasha at Shelley's was a big favourite as that was local to me). I also used to listen to a lot of local radio, like the ‘New Dawn’ show on Signal radio. When I went to Uni, I got my own decks and used to love going into town on Mondays and trawling through all the new releases. I think my musical tastes really matured in the 2000s as I started listening to a much wider variety of music. If anything I’ve become more obsessive in the past ten years than ever! 2) How did you feel when Colleen asked you to prepare a mix for Balearic Breakfast? What was the most challenging part of that journey, and how did you get things done? I was really pleased to be asked, my first thought was that I probably couldn’t do it as I’m a little out of practice on the djing side. The most challenging part was technical, just getting the setup working on my Mac, getting it recording etc. (I’m quite a technical person and I know it’s not that hard but it was just being a bit stubborn). The actual mix and song selection came together really quickly; I started with about 40 tunes and just played around to see what was working. I guess working with the range of bpm was also slightly different as I’m used to mixing more 4/4 stuff. Getting it all down to an hour also made me appreciate how hard it must be for Colleen to juggle everything every time she does a show. In the end the actual tune selection came pretty easy and I did the mix in one take. I went from saying ‘maybe’ to Colleen to submitting a finished mix in about three days! 3) We both share the « no dj » label spirituality as I call myself « the record cueer » (laughs)! There are a lot of people starting this musical adventure nowadays, often for bad reasons with mitigated sonic results. According to you, what should a « true » DJ be like both spiritually and technically? It’s weird; I read so many conversations on X and Threads from younger DJs obsessed with BPM, technical mixing and working social media (which I guess is inevitable these days). I think the best DJs are the ones who you know would still be doing it passionately as a hobby even without success because they are just obsessed with the music and the culture. For me, Colleen, Bill Brewster, Luke Una and Tim Sweeney all optimise that (I think of Tim doing his show on student radio for 15+ years). I think true DJs don’t put themselves into narrow lanes musically and don’t get bogged down by trends and formats. They listen and play music across the decades and not just new tunes. There also seems to be an obsession with ‘how can I make this bigger’ instead of ‘how can I make this more intimate’. 4) An active member of the Balearic Breakfast family, your requests are very often “of quality,” if that makes sense (laughs)! How do you listen to music, and, most importantly, how do you keep yourself up to date? I love this question! To be honest, Bandcamp has really started to dominate how I listen to music; it has the perfect blend of social that means you have close contact with the artists/labels and get great recommendations from the people you choose to follow. I love how you can ‘subscribe’ to labels you want to support too. I’m amazed the other music sites haven’t followed their lead. I still use Apple Music a lot to listen to albums, make playlists, share music and go through new releases. I also subscribe to a few people on Patreon, like ‘The Reflex’ to get exclusives; again, it’s great to support those whose work you appreciate. I also listen to a lot of podcasts and radio stations like WWFM, BBC 6Music and NTS. Good music can come from anywhere, though, really - Instagram stories, WhatsApp recommendations, TV shows, etc. I just like to keep my ears open. I’m not really one to be found in the basements of record stores though, I leave that to the true obsessives ;) 5) If you had to choose, let’s say, 3 Balearic Breakfast shows, which would they be and why? Hmm, that's trickier. I think the ones that stick in my mind are… Episode 15 - I think this was the first one I got a request played - Apiento/She Walks, that gave me a real bug for trying to get requests on; Episode 124 - International Woman’s Day Special - I think Colleen did about 4hrs, avoiding filling in her taxes and making sure everyone’s request got played. I asked for Jessie Ware/Remember Where You Are which is one of my favourite tunes from the past 5 years; Episode 127 - Children on the Sun. I think Paul Hilary’s mix truly blew everyone away, he takes digging to a different level. Also, before I go… Having done the mix for BB I’ve really got the bug back for dj-ing and making mixes. I’m gonna try and do at least one every three months and try and do something with the music I spend so much on! So can I plug my Mixcloud page and the first mix I’ve done (which is much housier than the one I did on the show)!

Balearic Breakfast is "Our Thang". I had a chat with Virginia Tzioti who just reminded us, through this nice interview, the core of our Message... Enjoy! 1) Dear Virginia, thank you so much for being here with us on the Balearic Breakfast blog! How important is music in your everyday life? Music is my way of Life, Patti LaBelle 2) Working as a Jewellery designer, does Music influence you when crafting new models? When I am working, I always listen to music. I am not sure if it affects me directly, but it definitely influences me subconsciously. While creating new designs, I draw inspiration from various aspects of the art world. One aspect that is particularly important to me is cinema, which is also connected to some of the most iconic soundtracks. 3) What does Balearic Breakfast mean to you? I love Balearic Breakfast. I truly appreciate, respect, and admire Colleen as an artist and for all her great work on the show. It's brilliant how all these people, who don't know each other, gather every Tuesday and exchange musical information. Thanks to this amazing community, I have discovered many beautiful songs and artists. Without a doubt, it is my favourite show! 4) You were featured in the 159th episode of the series; congratulations! Can you tell us more about how you prepared your set and what you wanted to convey? I must admit, I was quite nervous about it. My initial thought was to present some of my favourite tracks that, as far as I remember, were not featured in any previous episode. I started with a first selection of about 30 records and listened to them in the order that felt right at that moment. Eventually, I managed to narrow it down to the final 12 tracks that I chose. 5) Can you share with us one moment of pure happiness you had while listening to the show (was it a show in particular you liked, a song that moved you, etc.)? I was incredibly thrilled with the recent 3rd birthday show. It was truly epic and served as a reminder of all the wonderful moments we have shared thus far. Each of us has specific songs that are deeply connected to memories, both sweet and bitter. I want to express my immense gratitude once again to Colleen and all the Balearicans for taking us on this incredible journey. Find out more about Virginia's musical tastes on her Mixcloud! Thank you once again Virginia!

Parbleu! Andres Balbucea and Andrea De Fazio answered a few questions about the band's origins and their latest musical effort, Elios. A sunny musical trip, Indeed! 1. Hello to you, Parbleu, and thank you so much for joining me here on the Balearic Breakfast blog! You issued "Dance cette Zik" in March 2020 amidst a tremendously severe phase of the Covid pandemic when the world was facing lockdowns. The funny lyrics and the musical positivity (including the clever ep's cover - "Parbleu!", a French expression that means "Good Lord!"...) had a great impact on the Balearicans! Can you tell us more about Parbleu's origins and Philosophy? Hello Artur! First of all, Thank you for the interest that led you to exchange a conversation with us about our project and our music. Parbleu was born in March 2020 from our collaboration (Andres and Andrea) in a not-easy time for everyone. We decided to transform those feelings of uncertainty into something positive and original that could renew our happiness and soul. We started sending each other the progress we were making with the compositions from home via email every day, comparing ourselves daily to arrive at a satisfactory synthesis for both of us. The name comes from a joke with Roberto, our friend and musician: we were looking for a cool name without success when he exclaimed, "Parbleu!" almost as if he wanted to make fun of us, and it was right there that we understood that it was the right name for the band... 2. Your latest track (Elios) is so different from "Dance cette Zik". Colleen featured both of them during Balearic Breakfast. Do you feel it's easier to compose a track like "Elios", which is lurking into the Disco Era? We have always been passionate about funk and disco, although we don't like to confine ourselves to a single genre or category. We have the most disparate influences and listening, and indeed, we often like to mix colours to try to arrive at something original done with authenticity. Said with sincerity, the bass line is inspired by the Latin disco world. Specifically, it comes from listening to a record by "The Conga Kings". We decided to synthesize it into a dark disco jam with different contaminations and string instruments contrasting with the acid synths. We hope you like the result! 3. How did you come up with the new album's theme? While we feel that musically, the adventurous journey holds up very well, we can't help but feel the lyrics on the album are somewhat darker... The album's theme Elios is dedicated to a genesis, a new birth, and in particular, the birth of little Elio, Andrea's son, from which we were inspired with our hearts to achieve that feeling. 4. Have you ever thought about the sound you wanted to achieve as a band? When listening to your songs, there is a "soothing" approach to the sound while the rhythm is dead-solid on every track. I can't help but feel a deep "duality" in all that you do. Would you agree, and is that conscious? The dualism, for example, the tight drums and the open, ethereal voice, wasn't intentional. It is the fruit of our collaboration since we both come from similar worlds, yet one of us plays the drums, and the other plays the keyboard and sings. Even though we have these different aspects, we still want to achieve the same outcome. Therefore, we've created this sonorous. This type of sound wasn't necessarily what we were going for, but it was the outcome of our collaboration. This is our way of composing at the moment. In the future, when we'll be in the studio, we'll see what we can create. 5. What can we expect from Parbleu in this coming year? Will you take your music on tour? We will most probably have an EP coming out. At this moment, we need to understand what to do first. We have a lot of new things going on, as well as concerts and growing musically. We will definitely play around Europe and, of course, Italy. We hope to see you when we play! Thank you so much, Parbleu!