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When I heard Axnér's "Shoot from the rooftop", I knew I had to ask them a few questions about that song and about their musical duo. Come on, let's meet them! 1) Dea Chris, dear Julia, I am over the Moon to actually have you Here, on the Balearic Breakfast Blog! Your song, "Shout from the rooftop", has received a beautiful blend of re-mixes, and a limited edition vinyl has been produced. Congratulations! Can you tell us more about how the song was originally born? Hi Artur, thanks for having us. The song was the first track that we wrote together - it started life at least five years ago. It’s taken many forms since, with different lyrics and melodies and for a while, we were a little stuck on it. We returned to it after we’d released our first single, ‘Got The Look,’ and something clicked, and it came together a lot easier. The drums were recorded in a session with Ralph Rolle, drummer for Nile Rodgers & Chic, at the same time as Got The Look, and when we thought the track was finally finished, we sent it over to Ralph to see what he thought. A couple of days later, we received it back with some extra vocals from another member of Nile Rodgers & Chic, Audrey Martells, who’d added some amazing backing and ad-libs to the track. We’ve been amazed by the journey this track has taken us on, partnering with some legends of disco from Ralph & Audrey, John Morales & Al Kent, who, along with Kousto, produced great remixes of the track and Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy who, ’s, shown some wonderful support. Limited quantities of the record are still available :-D 2) Colleen played John Morales' M&M Main mix version of the song during the 144th edition of Balearic Breakfast. I remember that this edition was, musically, a special one as it showcased how much "Balearic Music" was not only about the musical style itself but also about the music having a specific "soul". According to you, what makes "Shout from the rooftop" a Balearic Tune? Colleen spinning the track makes it Balearic! We feel honoured Cos included the track in her show, as we’ve listened to it for years and never expected to hear our music featured. It’s connected us to a number of people, including yourself. Radio is still such an important medium for reaching listeners - we prefer it over a Spotify playlist any day. Colleen also launched her new chapter of The Loft Party at the start of December and played our record on the night. This felt really special for us. The New York link has been so strong with this track that we mixed it in Brooklyn; Ralph Rolle & John Morales are from The Bronx & David Mancuso started The Loft Party on Broadway in New York City. Full circle complete! 3) Can you tell us more about your musical journey together? We started making music together after Acid Jazz Records proposed Chris produced some original music under ‘Disco Freaks’, his DJ partnership, after they’d released a couple of remixes on the label. Soon after, Ralph Rolle overheard Julia singing while he was being interviewed on The Disco Freaks Radio Show and offered to drum for us! That was pretty inspiring so we pulled our finger out and got some songs together to demo with him. Lockdown gave us the time to write about ten tracks, ones we’re currently focusing on finishing, and everything’s continued from there. We do have to thank a lot of people who have shared advice and helped along the way. We hope you know who you are, as there are too many to list! We’re very grateful to have creative and talented friends who have worked with us on everything from artwork to photos & videos and the songs themselves. We’re very much independent, co-dependent artists! 4) You did a guest mix for 1btn radio a few weeks ago, showcasing your broad musical tastes, and influences. It also included another stunning track of yours, "Got the Look". There is a great sense of unity in what you propose, musically speaking. Would you say that, in a way, Music extends your human existence, showing you things you weren't aware of in the first place? Music has always been a major part of our life. It’s connected us, family & friends, and we do what we can to keep that connection through the music. As well as Julia & Audrey Martells singing on the track we’ve got Julia’s twin, best friend, Mum & Auntie singing on it so you’re hearing that unity on the record. SETLIST AXNÉR - Shout From The Rooftop (John Morales M+M Acapella Mix) Bosq - Out Of My Head LAZYWAX - Hotel Colomba D’oro AXNÉR - Got The Look (Al Kent’s Feel Good Instrumental Remix) MORE AMOUR - Solar Flair Lenny Williams - When I’m Dancing (Sam Flanagan Remix) Wee Willie - Get Some (Aroop Roy Rework) Prince - 17 Days (Zach Witness Version) Kelly G - Feels Good (Yeah!) (Kelly G. Little Louie Party Mix) AXNÉR - Got The Look (DK’s Super Disco Edit) Jungle - GOOD TIMES (Braxe + Falcon Remix) L’Impératrice - Submarine (Todd Edwards Remix) AXNÉR - Shout From The Rooftop (John Morales M+M Club Mix) Freda Payne - I Get High (On Your Memory) 5) What are your plans for the foreseeable future? Can we expect an album? We’re currently working towards an EP & a live show in May. It’s going to sound a little different. Still rhythmical with plenty of grooves, actually more Balearic in places, which you’ll be happy to hear! Thank you so much, Chris & Julia!

There are names you can't forget. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to chat with Rob Calcutt, who is a dedicated Listener of the show, a great requester and Colleen's friend! Rob has put together a guided, 45-minute journey for Balearic Breakfast listeners, containing all kinds of breathwork and ambient sounds. You can get this at www.urbanhealer.co.uk/balearicbreakfast 1) Hello Rob! So happy to have you here! You've been a longtime listener of the show! Working as a shamanic practitioner, it all makes sense to me! Can you tell us more about your professional practice? I ditched the corporate ladder 15 years ago to provide support to victims of violent crime & terrorism, later moving to prisoner rehabilitation & homeless services. I'm also a shamanic practitioner, which is a thread that began in the Australian outback in 2003. These days I work with misfits and outsiders in the urban jungle, since the queer experience lends itself to this kind of narrative. I offer a range of things from drum/gong journeys to guided visualisation, breathwork, plant medicine ceremonies, tarot readings and other fun stuff, both online and in-person (North London). I’m also a proud cat mother - Fred, since you asked. 🐈‍⬛🤣 2) What is your approach to music? I'm sure you use it in some ways during your professional practice. But, more than that, does your professional practice influence the way you listen to it and the way you Experience it? I'm not a fan of New Age spirituality, so flutes and panpipes aren't really my bag. More Brian Eno and less Clannad, please (no offence, Enya). I sometimes incorporate music in my ceremonies, since they're quite long and cover a dramatic arc. This can include Biosonic tuning forks, singing bowls, shamanic drums, rainsticks, rattles, leaf bundles, tingsha cymbals, an ocean drum and a bull roarer for dramatic effect. It's all about holding space and framing silence, so when I'm working, any musical interventions are to facilitate a natural flow, rather than prescribe a specific mood. On a normal day, anything goes! 3) Do you believe Souls can communicate through music? I have a powerful feeling about what Colleen "sends us" through the way she mixes and the musical choices she makes. There's more than just music in Balearic Breakfast. Does it make sense to you? Complete sense yes. Since conscious listening is about stopping time and coming into the present moment. Giving someone your undivided attention is a rare and meaningful gift in today's world, and there's something about the immediacy and community that translates across Wi-Fi. 4) You must have been appealed by Colleen's aphorism! According to you, what does it really take to "Be Balearic"? I spent a huge portion of the nineties and noughties as a beach slug, passed out listening to Jon Sa Trinxa. Jon's music was always about accessing a flow state and he'd change it up depending on the weather, positioning of the sun, or how nature was responding on a given day. I still love Ibiza despite the horrific Vegas takeover in recent years. Rain or shine, it was always a mood, and Pat Metheny Group's 'Slip Away' never fails to take me back. That old "Balearic" tag is a mutable genre and moving goalpost that reinvents itself every decade – so the jury's out. It’s all about searching for that b-side or vinyl oddity and flexing rigid genre restrictions to blend seamlessly alongside 80s synth-pop, acid folk, early house, flamenco guitar and Bristol trip-hop. Anything Steely Dan wouldn’t do without his fez on, basically! 🤠🙃 ... And YES, you can overthink these things, but isn't that the point? 😜 5) 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? The first thing I did was panic. HOW on Earth was I supposed to curate a setlist of tracks that haven’t already been aired on the show, whilst still making it light and listenable? I guess my secret weapon was an obscure South Korean jazz import from ‘93. I don’t understand a word, but somehow, the sentiment still transmits. Playing ‘jazz’ (a blanket term for depraved Western music, not sanctioned by the state) has been a crime in North Korea since the 50s, so I hope it somehow carried across the border. 🙏 Being a 40-something gay man, I'm also a cliché – so Madonna had to feature. 🤣 It's a good Madge moment, though – I'll let you decide if this lowers the tone! 🤔 It was a pleasure to have you here Rob! Thank you!

When I launched the blog, I wanted to share the "Family Feeling" I felt on the Mixcloud chat. Bertrand Vraiment is a passionate member of the Family indeed! Let's meet him! To our French readers, we translated the interview below, enjoy! 1) Hello Bertrand! I am so happy to have you here on the Balearic Breakfast Blog! How did your musical journey start as a kid? What were your influences while growing up? Hi Artur, thank you very much for the invitation! My passion for music dates back to my youth, taking shape during my teenage period. At that time, my early party experiences coincided with the emergence of French house in the mid-90s, with Daft Punk leading the way, of course! It was a period of positive and joyful music, perfect for partying and bringing people together. This influence remains relevant to the music I dig and appreciate today. My true musical turning point occurred in 2001 when I moved to Paris for my studies. My radio was consistently tuned to Radio Nova and FG. I particularly remember the late-night show called 'Al-Loungez Vous', two hours of downtempo music hosted by selectors like Eric Rug, Gilb'R, Emmanuel S, and especially Chloé, whom I was a big fan of at the time. A style quite close to the Balearic spirit – Hazard ou Coincidence? Je ne crois pas! 😊 2) You invited me a couple of times to your live sets, and I must say I love how you mix! Can you tell us more about your passion for DJing? Ahah, thanks again, Artur! I enjoy preparing these live sessions with the Melomaniacs, alternating between the latest additions to my collection and tunes I've accumulated over the past twenty years! As in Balearic Breakfast, I like gradually building up the rhythm and exploring some curiosities before transitioning from disco to house, which is generally a winning formula! Regarding the technique, I quickly wanted to feel comfortable behind the turntables. During my studies, I actively organized parties and was part of the school bar team. Every Wednesday, we provided 4 hours of vinyl music for parties 200 to 300 students attended! Between these events, I would take the organization's MK2s and Ecler mixer to practice in my student apartment. Looking back, it reflects my significant motivation at the time. As a result, I completed my studies with a degree, a certain confidence behind the turntables, and a lasting addiction to records! 3) Do you believe being part of the Melomaniacs enhances your journey? Absolutely! The Melomaniacs have played a key role in my musical emancipation since I arrived in London in late 2021. This group of music enthusiasts formed through regular participation in the same radio shows, primarily Gilles Peterson and Worldwide. fm, where Balearic Breakfast started. The dedicated members of Colleen's Balearic Breakfast on Tuesday mornings include Pops, Mofonk, SwayOfTheVerses, JL, Curate, and Sean, to name just a few. We now have between 20 and 30 participants actively contributing to the Melomaniacs community, sharing our live or recorded mixtapes on our Mixcloud page, and performing in London. What is appreciable is the musical curiosity of each member, the bridges between musical genres, and mutual support for our musical projects and ambitions. These are wonderful people who have become friends! Personally, having worked abroad for about fifteen years, I remained a collector without really being able to share my passion. I discovered the Melomaniacs thanks to JL one Wednesday night at BBE Store, where Louie Vega was a guest. He then invited me to the monthly Melomaniacs show on RunDemRadio hosted by Charlie Dark. Since then, I've been doing live sessions for the Melomaniacs once a month from my home, which we've dubbed "Disco Towers," and it always brings a smile to my face. Thanks to the Melomaniacs, I became a more diligent collector, a more active DJ and, therefore, a happier man! 4) Lately, you launched the "Boogie Across Borders" YouTube channel! Congratulations! What is the reason fueling this new musical adventure? Thank you for asking about Boogie Across Borders Artur! This recently created YouTube channel is a natural progression of my musical journey. I share approximately one-hour mixes of 12* records every two weeks on YouTube. Boogie Across Borders allows me to organize and share my music collection in a targeted way. What I particularly appreciate at the moment is that I manage this project from A to Z, from selecting the records to video editing and then publishing and following it up via an Instagram page. However, I want to open the doors to other DJs to participate in this project. Two Melomaniacs have proposed interesting selections entirely in line with the spirit of Boogie Across Borders. They will soon come to spin at Disco Towers, and I am really excited to host them! I conceptualized Boogie Across Borders around two distinct axes. First, the idea is to share about a dozen songs from a particular country, exploring the period of the 80s when traditional music blended with disco sounds. I present tunes specific to the chosen country, often from the mid-70s, following the evolution throughout records. We discover catchy sounds with slapped bass that I particularly love. The second axis is dedicated to original disco music from the United States, shared year by year between 1977 and 1983. I like to alternate between iconic songs of the time and more obscure gems discovered over the years. This approach reveals interesting trends, ranging from original disco bands to the rise of divas, especially in 1979 in my selection, and the arrival of synthesizers in the 80s. In this adventure, my program is already planned until the summer of 2024, but I wonder about the future. Will I continue by sharing my passion for House music? Time will tell! 5) What makes Balearic Breakfast so special to you? Balearic Breakfast is special to me because Colleen offers us two hours of meticulously selected music every week that takes us through various styles and eras. While respecting the Balearic style and injecting her personality as a lover of the '70s/'80s, inspired by the Loft and the spirit of David Mancuso. It's exciting to see Colleen bring together a passionate community from many countries, such as Italy, France, Greece, Spain, England, and even the United States, with Bert François waking up at dawn to listen to the show live from New York! It was only natural for me to become a dedicated listener of Balearic Breakfast. Upon my arrival in London, I attended the exhibition by photographer Bill Bernstein, capturing moments in New York clubs in the late '70s and early '80s. Colleen interviewed him at Defected Records on that occasion. By the way, I am the proud owner of the iconic Larry Levan photograph at Paradise Garage, visible on almost all my Instagram posts, reminding everyone that the music I love originates from that spirit and era. A few months later, the first significant party I attended in London was Hacienda 51, where Colleen performed. It was the first time I saw her live. Shortly after, I attended a Loft party right next to my place in East London. There were too many coincidences not to be more interested in Colleen's musical world. Consequently, I became a regular listener, not only for the musical universe that Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy presents, which I fully endorse, but also to discover new tracks that I later play on vinyl 😊 Thank you so much Bertrand, Vraiment! 1) Salut Bertrand ! Je suis très heureux de t'avoir ici sure le Balearic Breakfast blog! Enfant, comment a commencé ton voyage musical ? Quelles étaient tes influences pendant ton adolescence? Salut Artur, merci beaucoup pour l’invitation ! Ma passion pour la musique remonte à ma jeunesse, prenant forme pendant mon adolescence. À cette époque, mes premières soirées ont coïncidé avec l’émergence de la French house au milieu des années 90, avec Daft Punk en tête, bien sûr ! Une musique positive et joyeuse, propice à la fête et au rassemblement, cette influence est toujours d'actualite a propos de la musique que je recherche et apprécie de nos jours. Mon véritable tournant musical a eu lieu en 2001, lorsque j’ai déménagé à Paris pour mes études. Ma radio était constamment réglée sur Radio Nova et FG. Je me souviens notamment de l’émission en deuxième partie de soirée appelée ‘Al-Loungez Vous’, deux heures de musique downtempo animées par des sélecteurs tels que Eric Rug, Gilb’R, Emmanuel S, et surtout Chloé, grand fan a l'epoque. Un style assez proche de l’esprit de Balearic Breakfast, hasard ou coïncidence ? Je ne crois pas ! 2) Tu m'as invité à plusieurs de tes sessions live sure Mixcloud et je dois dire queue j'adore ta façon de mixer! Peux-tu nous en dire plus sure ta passion pour le Djing? Eheh, merci encore Artur! J’aime préparer ces Live sessions avec les Melomaniacs, alternant entre les derniers arrivages dans ma collection et les morceaux que j’ai accumulés au fil des vingt dernières années ! À l’image de Balearic Breakfast, j’apprécie monter progressivement le rythme, explorant quelques curiosités avant de glisser de la disco vers la house, une formule généralement gagnante ! En ce qui concerne la technique, j’ai rapidement cherché à me sentir à l’aise derrière les platines vinyles. Durant mes études, j’ai été actif dans l’organisation des soirées et ai fait partie de l’équipe du bar de l’école. Chaque semaine, le mercredi, nous assurions 4 heures de musique vinyle lors de soirées rassemblant 200 à 300 étudiants ! Entre ces rendez-vous, je prenais les MK2 et la table de mixage Ecler de l’association pour m’entraîner dans mon appartement d’étudiant. Rétrospectivement, cela témoigne de ma grande motivation à l’époque ! Ainsi, j’ai terminé mes études avec un diplôme, une certaine assurance derrière les platines, et une addiction persistante pour les disques ! 3) Estimes-tu que faire partie des Melomaniacs enrichit ton voyage musical? Absolument ! Les Melomaniacs ont joué un rôle clé dans mon émancipation musicale suite a mon arrivée à Londres fin 2021. Ce groupe de passionnés s’est formé grâce à une participation régulière aux mêmes émissions de radio, en tête de file Gilles Peterson et Worldwide.fm, où Balearic Breakfast a débuté d'ailleurs. Les membres assidus de Balearic Breakfast animé par Colleen le mardi matin incluent Pops, Mofonk, SwayOfTheVerses, JL, Curate et Sean, pour n’en nommer que quelques-uns. Nous sommes maintenant entre 20 et 30 à participer à faire vivre le crew Melomaniacs, partageant nos mixtapes en direct ou enregistrées sur notre page Mixcloud, et effectuant des performances à Londres. Ce qui est appréciable, c’est la curiosité musicale de chacun, les passerelles de genres musicaux qui existent entre les membres, et le soutien mutuel dans nos projets et ambitions musicaux. Ce sont des personnes formidables qui sont devenues des amis! Personnellement, après avoir travaillé à l’étranger pendant une quinzaine d’années, je suis resté collectionneur sans vraiment pouvoir partager ma passion. J’ai découvert les Melomaniacs grâce à JL un mercredi soir chez BBE Store, où Louie Vega était l’invité. Il m’a ensuite invité au show mensuel des Melomaniacs sur RunDemRadio de Charlie Dark. Depuis lors, je réalise des lives pour les Melomaniacs une fois par mois depuis chez moi, que nous avons surnommé “Disco Towers”, ce qui me fait bien rire. Grâce aux Melomaniacs, je suis devenu un collectionneur plus assidu, un DJ plus actif et donc un homme plus heureux ! 4) Récemment tu as lancé la chaine Youtube "Boogie Across Borders"! Félicitations! Qu'est ce qui a motivé le commencement de cette nouvelle aventure? Merci de poser la question sur Boogie Across Borders 🙂 Cette chaîne YouTube récemment créée représente la suite naturelle de mon évolution musicale. J’y partage des mixes de 12 disques d’environ une heure que je publie toutes les deux semaines sur YouTube. Boogie Across Borders me permet d’organiser et de partager de manière ciblée ma collection musicale. Ce que j’apprécie particulièrement pour le moment, c’est que je gère ce projet de A à Z, de la sélection des disques, aux prises et montages vidéo, jusqu’à sa publication et son suivi via la page Instagram. Pour autant, je souhaite ouvrir les portes à d’autres DJs pour participer a ce projet. Deux Melomaniacs m’ont proposé des sélections intéressantes, respectant tout à fait l’esprit de Boogie Across Borders. Ils vont bientôt venir tourner à Disco Towers, et je suis vraiment excité de les recevoir ! J’ai conceptualisé Boogie Across Borders autour de deux axes distincts. D’abord, l’idée est de partager une douzaine de morceaux d’un pays particulier, explorant la période des années 80 où les musiques traditionnelles se sont entremêlées aux sonorités disco. Je propose ainsi des morceaux propres au pays choisi, souvent du milieu des années 70, en suivant l’évolution au fil des disques. On y découvre des sons entraînants avec des basses “slappées” que j’affectionne particulièrement. Le deuxième axe est consacré à la musique disco originelle des États-Unis, partagée année par année entre 1977 et 1983. J’aime alterner entre des morceaux emblématiques de l’époque et des pépites plus obscures découvertes au fil des années. Cette démarche révèle des tendances intéressantes, allant des disco bands à l’origine, à l’avènement des divas, surtout en 1979 dans ma selection, et à l’arrivée des synthétiseurs dans les années 80. Dans cette aventure, mon programme est déjà planifié jusqu’à l’été 2024, mais je m’interroge sur la suite. Partager dans de prochains épisodes ma passion pour la House music ? L’avenir le dira. 5) Qu'est ce qui fait que Balearic Breakfast est si spécial à tes yeux? Balearic Breakfast est particulier parce que Colleen nous offre chaque semaine deux heures de musique minutieusement sélectionnée qui nous transporte à travers les styles et les époques. Tout en respectant le style Balearic et en injectant sa personnalité d’amoureuse des années 70/80, inspirée du Loft et de l’esprit de David Mancuso. Il est enthousiasmant de constater que Colleen rassemble une communauté passionnée issue de nombreux pays tels que l’Italie, la France, la Grèce, l’Espagne, l’Angleterre et même les États-Unis, avec Bert François qui se lève aux aurores pour écouter le show en direct depuis New York ! En ce qui me concerne, c’est tout naturellement que je suis devenu un auditeur assidu de Balearic Breakfast. À mon arrivée à Londres, j’ai assisté à l’exposition du photographe Bill Bernstein sur ces moments capturés dans les clubs new-yorkais à la fin des années 70 et au début des années 80. Colleen l’avait interviewé chez Defected Records à cette occasion. Au passage, je suis l’heureux possesseur du cliché emblématique de Larry Levan au Paradise Garage, que l’on peut voir sur quasiment tous mes posts Instagram, histoire de rappeler que la musique que j’aime trouve ses racines dans cet esprit et cette époque. Quelques mois plus tard, la première grande fête à laquelle j’ai participé à Londres était Hacienda 51, où Colleen a eu une performance. C’était la première fois que je la voyais en direct. Dans la foulée, j’ai assisté à une soirée au Loft, qui était à côté de chez moi dans l’est de Londres. Il y avait trop de coïncidences pour ne pas m’intéresser plus largement à la musique de Colleen. Ainsi, je suis devenu un auditeur régulier, tant pour l’univers musical que propose Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy, auquel j’adhère pleinement, que pour découvrir de nouveaux morceaux que je convertis ensuite en vinyle 🙂 Merci Bertrand, Vraiment!

How do you start a New Year? Simply by asking a Legend to tell you his Story. That's what I did by contacting D.C. Larue! We had a chat, let's see how he's building Cathedrals... 1) Hello David, I'm over the moon to have you here on the Balearic Breakfast Blog! Colleen played "Cathedrals" on the 158th episode of the show. You shared in an interview that the Idea for the song was born during a party at the loft when Steve D'Acquisto said, "Ahh, Discos are the Cathedrals of now!" Yet, Instead, the lyrics seem to present, within a worried world, a somewhat sad statement of abandoned cult places. Do you remember how the lyrics came to you and what you wanted to convey through them? Hello Artur, and thanks for having me! First of all the "CATHEDRALS" metafore included and covered more than just discos although I was at THE LOFT when it inspired me. It sounded like the perfect title for a concept album. Concept albums were the big thing in music at the time. The lyrics refer to all the various places that were part of what was considered the "disco" lifestyle at that moment ("they're in the dance halls [ie discos]"). And, at the time, I don't believe those places were abandoned. Were they ever truly abandoned? I don't think so. They still apply today from what I can see. I might add that they weren't specifically referring to gays (try to watch the "LOOKING FOR MISTER GOODBAR" film. It says it all about it being a heterosexual thing as well). It took me a few weeks to come up with a title track for the album. The first song was "I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU". I wrote the melody and lyrics over those wonderful  "churchie" chords. I thought it was very appropriate considering the album title. Then came "CATHEDRALS". Aram presented a guitar riff and a chord progression and it took me about an hour to come up with a melody and lyrics. It just happened. No great story. Maybe it was just a tad autobiographical! Then I wanted to write lyrics to a mass (album title again) and I had always loved Handel's MESSIAH so I arbitrarily chose a movement and wrote the song "I'LL STILL BE HERE FOR YOU".  The final track and the least disco of the album was "DEEP, DARK, DELICIOUS NIGHT''. It was a tune I had written around 1974. I was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and wanted it to be very much like "BORN TO RUN''. Aram tried his best to "disco-fy'' it but it was always a little too rock and too fast. From end to end, the song chronicles a love affair from its inception to the waiting for the unfaithful lover and the realization of how hopeless searching for true love is, then accepting reality and dancing off into the night search for sex with no expectations of love! 2) Another track on that incredible album of yours, my personal favourite, is "I Don't Want to Lose You", with its whooping 14:14 minutes, allowing you, through music, silence and a swirling wind, to, once again, present a very pictural track to the listener. Of course, in hindsight, we see the "Summer Influence" there, but still, the visual capabilities are stronger. Do you believe that Disco, thanks to its intrinsic musical structure, helped musicians create a vision that freed the listener? Correct! "LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY" was a huge influence. I had been recording since 1961 to no avail. Then I signed with KIRSHNER RECORDS in 1975, the record was produced by Wally Gold and arranged by Ron Frangipane. I felt it was the best I had made in my life. It was not successful and it was because of the music business politics and payola. At that point, I promised myself that I would never record again... Then I met Aram Schefrin while doing the graphic design for his TEN WHEEL DRIVE album and we became great friends. And at that juncture, I started going out and dancing at the disco in my neighbourhood. One evening at 12 WEST the dj Tom Savarese played Donna's track and it blew my mind! Stopped me cold. And it did make me want to record again, if for no other reason except to make a similar recording.  So the flame had been ignited. Then, a month or so went by and Steve came up with the "CATHEDRALS" title. I presented the concept to Aram and he loved the idea. I wrote "I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU" and played him "LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY" as a template. It's better and more densely musical because I feel Aram was a great arranger and producer and creatively different from Georgio Moroder. Do I believe that Disco, because of its intrinsic musical structure, helped musicians create a vision that freed the listener as well? Of course!! 3) An insider of the Disco Era, you saw its rise, lived its fall, and met the greatest names associated with its history. Though as we know it, people were still fighting for equity and a recognition of their freedom on many levels, it seems musically there was "something more". How do you reflect upon what you experienced back then as an artist? Unannounced to me I was breaking a lot of the rules and making a lot of music people very unhappy. I could never get on Top 40 radios because of my lyrics and the length of my tracks. By 1981, I was very bitter and felt abused. I wanted nothing to do with disco for about 30 years. Fortunately, I have lived to see a total 360-degree turn in the respect and acceptance of disco. I will pass knowing I was right and courageous and innovating and, I guess, years before my time. I am thankful to have lived to see it happen again. Now I am having more top-five charting tracks with my remixes than I could have imagined. And this upcoming year of 2024, there are so many vinyl releases and new remixes scheduled for release. It Makes me very happy, indeed. And that "something more" you refer to was just that. If you were open to new experiences, just listening to the disco from that era was a life-changing experience... with or without the drugs. But I guess, looking back, it took courage. Really. Going to a disco was nothing like hanging out at an EAGLES concert with your friends. It was an entirely different communal experience. 4) 2018 saw the release of brand new remixes of some of your tracks, including "Cathedrals", after you got your hands back on your masters! Soundwise, it's brilliant! We owe these new remixes to your dedication towards your body of work! I have only known one thing in my life and that is to do what I love. I don't think I ever (and to this very day) thought much about the future. My dreams are of the moment. I never cared about the money, I only created for the joy of creating. And the universe has always taken care of my needs. That's about it! 5) You launched your radio show in 2020: DISCO JUICE is listened to by a Worldwide audience. Though you haven't produced any new music for quite a long time, can we expect new music from you in the future? As you stated rightfully, my DISCO JUICE programs contain disco at its very best and are doing great with thousands of listeners around the world! I even listen to them myself! Musically speaking, as long as these brilliant young DJs and musicians keep reaching out to rework my music, it will be there for them. In a sense, I am reproducing all my past recordings through them and making new recordings all the time. But don't expect brand-new music from me in the future, as, unfortunately, the disco muse flew away 35 years ago! Sorry! I wish you all a Happy New Year and the best for 2024! Cheers! D.C.

When I heard "Silent Messages", it took me away. George's music is like an invisible hand, leading you towards an unknown destination. I had to meet the man behind the trip... 1) Thank you so much, George, for joining me here on the Balearic Breakfast blog! Your track « Silent Messages » was played by Colleen on Balearic Breakfast, and it shares with the 3 other tracks of your EP something allying solid but non-overwhelming bass, an extended sonic soundstage, with a beautiful equilibrium of musicality and realism in some of the effects (which are quite seizing on secret messages!). When composing a track, does it happen to you that you already have in mind the sound you would like to achieve in the mastering process? Thank you for having me on the Balearic Breakfast blog, Artur; it is a truly fantastic experience for me. I have immense appreciation for your work and Colleen's shows, and this blog is a constant source of inspiration for me. Your warm welcome and featuring my track in the show were truly highlights. 'Silent Messages' was born from the realization that our interactions often convey much more than the mere words we speak. The title emerged in parallel with the song's production, which is typical for me. I might start with one title and concept, but as the creative process unfolds, it can undergo significant changes, leading to a completely new name and concept. This creative evolution is active during the writing, production, and mixing phases. What drew me into electronic music was the unique opportunity to explore subtle nuances and convey various shades of the same emotional colour. In my productions, I prefer to explore different shades and their interplay rather than using many different colours. Throughout the production process, a concept gradually takes shape and evolves during this creative journey. While a track is never truly 'finished' in the traditional sense, at a certain point, it's ready to meet its audience and embark on its unique voyage. 2) When listening to your other musical creations (thinking about « Stop, look, listen), one can feel there is a worried touch to your music, enhanced by the non-harmonic tones you put here and there, almost lending a hand to sadness but without totally falling into it. The listener is almost always on the verge of surprise when listening to your music. Is there a hidden (and Balearic…) message in there you are trying to convey? 'Stop, Look, Listen' marked a significant turning point in my approach to production and my connection to the broader Balearic community. Collaborating with NuNorthern Soul and Phil Cooper offered me a valuable opportunity to channel my creative potential and cultivate trust in my instincts. In my music, I always seek to introduce moments of tension and carefully develop them in the track I am working on. Often, subtle moments of tension arise unexpectedly during the production process. Rather than viewing them as mistakes, I see them as fortunate occurrences that I strive to preserve. I have always appreciated these nuances or imperfections in other artists and I believe they are integral to defining the character of the music and the artist. So I devote careful attention to them and try to make way for them in my compositions, especially when they bring a fresh perspective or the element of pleasant surprise. While my music doesn't convey hidden messages, it is anchored in recurring emotions that you'll find in much of my work. These emotions primarily stem from a sense of nostalgia. Not for a specific place but rather for an ideal imaginary place. It's a complex feeling of fulfilment and well-being in this present moment while being aware that there is much more to the human experience than meets the eye. Simultaneously, there's a deep gratitude for the places, moments, and people that life has introduced along the way. In many ways, it echoes the story of Odysseus, who yearns for home and ultimately returns to Ithaca. 3) In 2001, Michael Jackson issued “Invincible”, an album showcasing a very specific and modern approach to sound. Do you believe an artist should work on his sonic identity? How much is that aspect important to you? In addition to my deep love for my family and music, I have a deep passion for innovation and engineering. In my view, progress doesn't necessarily mean only moving forward. It can also involve taking steps backwards when it's the right move at the right time. Often, we readily embrace technology and the array of options it offers, overlooking the fact that limitations can actually fuel our creative potential. Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to isolated a cappella backing tracks of Michael Jackson's iconic productions from the Quincy Jones/Rod Temperton era, and they were simply breathtaking. These tracks are complete compositions on their own. For me, researching and developing my music is a key motivator. I view this development as moving along different dimensions and playing with limitations. Juxtapositions such as dense versus sparse, lighter tones versus darker tones, or even using the guitar in unconventional ways in place of a synth part, often serve as the starting points for my creative journey. Speaking of which, I'm keen to get my hands on a vinyl copy of "Invincible." Vinyl offers a unique way to truly experience the music, and I've heard great reviews about this album. 4) You shared with me your past musical experiences, which are absolutely impressive. If there was one thing you learned from all of these years working in music, which one would it be? I can only share my personal experiences and lessons, hoping they can be valuable to even a few readers. However, we can all agree that each person's journey is unique, and there are no real mistakes as long as they come from within and teach us something. We live in an era where knowledge is more accessible than ever, and many people are eager to share their expertise and offer support. Decide what it is that you want to learn and pursue it with intention. I mean, simply browsing through videos and teasers won't get you far, but purposeful research can be immensely helpful. Music production is an ongoing journey, but it means little without developing the creative facets of our personality as well. Many iconic recordings were created with very limited resources and even feature what some might call 'mistakes.' However, these 'mistakes' didn't diminish their mass appeal and enduring legacy. Finding your own voice and fully owning it is the most important objective any artist or any creative person could have. Everything else stems from that. 5) What are your future plans? A couple of months before the end of 2023, I had the privilege of releasing my new mini-album titled "Silent Messages" with the Barcelona-based label Balearic Ensemble (https://balearicensemble.bandcamp.com/). Working with Vitor Silva and all the label's collaborators was an absolute thrill, and I'm particularly delighted with every aspect, from the mastering to the artwork. The album swiftly made its debut through Dream Chimney and was warmly embraced, receiving airplay on Balearic Breakfast and numerous other fantastic shows and mixes. I'm always deeply grateful to all the DJs and producers who take the time to listen to my music and seamlessly blend it with the incredible releases that drop month by month. As a token of my appreciation, I make sure to feature new mixes in my social media sources and promote the shows within my networks. In 2024, I plan to continue supporting and promoting "Silent Messages" and even consider some remixes or reworks. Additionally, I'm diligently working on a concept album of short ambient tracks that I like to call "post-chill." I believe there's room for a more accessible yet still captivating and organic chill sound. Furthermore, I'm interested in assembling a small music group where we can collaborate, using original tunes and reworking tracks from my back catalogue. They say there are too many ideas and too little time, and I couldn't agree more! Participating in Balearic Breakfast and sharing my thoughts and experiences has been an absolute pleasure. I'm especially grateful to Colleen and to you, Artur, for the incredible work you're doing. The Balearic community is a vibrant and ever-evolving hub of artists, and the opportunity to share our ideas and stories is something I deeply cherish. Here's to a Happy New Year! Thank you so much, George! Merry Christmas to you and to our Balearic Breakfast Family! George's Musical Journey... "Silent Messages" is such an important track to me that I wanted to discover more about George's musical universe. He gladly shared his story with me. Here it is, enjoy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uht4FhLTs7Q: a little history University freshman and member of the pop-rock band Rififi circa 95. It's too bad that the original YouTube videos have been taken down due to copyright claims because this song has reached over 100K hits, whereas a number of other band hits (not with me in them) were over 2 Million. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyEBWtlGbRY Since 2010 I have been self-producing my music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5FIbKRDf7c: circa 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSWGnMIP0S0: Spring Breeze (Scatters the Flowers): another original and unreleased track. I am happy for the careless vibes and ultra-smooth sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDd-N35clAA: this somehow started the Balearic trip. This short-lived duo called FAREL freed me to play more openly and compose a sound closer to my long soul-jazz influences in the spirit of Grant Green, Pat Martino and Ronnie Jordan. I produced the video and sent it around. Immediately as I posted this on Facebook, Grant Williams of Eclectics label made a very supportive endorsement. At around the same time, a short demo went to Phil, and he decided to sign me in Nu Northern Soul. This has led to my first album with the label "Stop, Look, Listen" in 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFVwYLx_klg: "Theme For My Father" is a nod to two of my favourite artists, Steely Dan, who used the bass line of "Song for My Father" by Horace Silver in their famous "Rikki Don't Lose that number". Of course, the similarities ended up much less obvious, but I have kept the title. One of the bands that have led the not-so-recent Yacht Rock craze with original material, impeccable musicianship and LA-style lush productions is the State Cows, a duo of great Swedish musicians. At some point, I contacted one half of this duo, Stefan Olofsson, an amazing keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist, and he decided to contribute to the Rhodes el. piano riffs and solos in this track. I take some chances with my guitar as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_HM2R_nB-o: "Early Morning Ferry" is still the most listened track from this album. I prepared the video with my own footage from a place that I like to visit during summer. It's not far from Athens but it's great. Actually, it seems other famous people prefer this same place too!  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11121089/Boris-Carrie-Johnson-children-beach-holiday-Greece.html In late 2020, we talked with Phil, and he had an idea to release "Early Morning Ferry" as a beatless version. I listen to the work, and I understand it needs much more than eliminating the drums. So I offered to rework the track, and although the clock was ticking for the Winter Warmers compilation, I managed to prepare a completely revamped "Morning Ferry (Sun Fanatics Beatless Mix)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDLZd7Kiu_Q: The track was one of the 10 tracks that were included in the Nu Northern Soul 10 years Special Anniversary Vinyl Boxset. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul8sz51Qakc: "Stop, Look. Listen" from my album with the same name is also a very special track for me because it was the result of my effort to create an original folk-funk experience. The vocals remain undisclosed because no one would afford to disclose them (this is of the record). I was really happy that my label has decided to release this as a rework in 2022. I am still very fond of the original mix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrFrCo2E2qo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUrEwZBR4L8 La Nuit Blanche started as a nod to the early Cafe Del Mar sounds, less electronic and more organic. Multitracked guitars and string manipulations created an ethereal sound that I was really happy to achieve. Immediately Imaginaria label masterminds Giovanni Santucci and Luca Fani liked the track and encouraged me to build a vinyl production project around it. This turned out to be a very special release that was implemented with the support of Filippo Dala VIlla of the super creative Italian agency Freskiz. You can read about the project here (I use google translate too...): https://www.frizzifrizzi.it/2022/01/11/garbin-project-tra-musica-grafica-e-illustrazione-allinsegna-della-contaminazione/ A small number of high-quality red 7' vinyl have been printed and have been available since last month: https://www.hhv.de/shop/en/item/george-koutalieris-george-koutalieris-1052632 https://www.phonicarecords.com/product/george-koutalieris-george-koutalieris-pre-order-imaginaria-records/189850 https://www.jetsetrecords.net/725006221469/ Dream Chimney is a truly special blog for me, and I have been following it for nearly 20 years! (right time flies!). I was so thrilled to see their logo in the video premiering my new album https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7xhyABvDHc https://www.instagram.com/reel/CylTYX_MkS9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Last week's Balearic Breakfast Show was a highlight for me. Not only because of my immense admiration for Colleen's work and aesthetics but also because the show was such a trip in itself. Eagle by the Abba and then the amazing Amigo by Roberto Carlos followed by the Kraak & Smaak remix of Lies put out by my friends at Naya Beat, wow just wow!!

Undoubtedly, Davide Lovato is a very talented composer. His ability to create "mental representations" thanks to music is astounding... Music helps not to hear inside the silence that is outside. (Johann Sebastian Bach) 1) Dear Davide, Hello and welcome to the Balearic Breakfast Blog! Can you tell us more about your musical and professional Background? How was 'Lova Music' Born? Thank you for having me, Colleen, and Artur! When I was 13, I began recording cassettes from an Italian radio station; back then, I liked house/dance/electronic music in general. I bought my first CDJ100s with a Gemini mixer and started discovering music production by myself. For 15 years, I experimented and kept on learning from my mistakes. During all these years, I also broadened my musical horizons, listening to genres like Trip-hop, Indie, shoegaze, dream and pop music, which influenced my tastes and my productions. At 30, I decided to get serious about my musical passion and studied theory, arrangements, and mixing, which allowed me to produce five tracks. Around this time, I finally found the musical identity I was searching for: LOVA (a mix of Balearic/downtempo/Scandinavian disco/Italo disco & chillout ambient). I came to Ibiza during the pandemic in the Summer of 2020 with those tracks on a USB Drive. I gave them to a DJ, who played them during his session at La Torre. He then contacted me two days after the party, asking me to sign for his label NuNorthern Soul: his name was Phil Cooper... 2) Your track "Two ends - Frame of Mind (Lova Summer '87Mix)", taken from the Shades of Summer Vol. 1 album, had great success among Balearic Breakfast's Family members, and it has been played on the 136th show of the series by Colleen. With its huge visual capabilities, beautiful soundstage, and perfect blissful rhythm, this track embodies what a great "Balearic track" sounds like. What are you searching for when working on a remix? Thank you all; I am so happy to hear that! It is so kind of you! Actually, I am pretty new to the remixing side of things. Usually, before doing anything, I take a lot of time listening to the track I want to remix until I can destructure it mentally, seeing how I can recreate and re-arrange its story. I search for its "soul" which I always want to keep and to emphasise. Only then, when I am sure about the "core material," I add some new instruments. I usually add some mellow melody, chords, and groove (then working like I usually do on my own compositions). Sometimes, during the mixing process, I listen to the track on a dancefloor or on the beach with the sun setting down to see if I can Feel the music. If the track allows me to dance or to dream, I know I "seized" something. The track played by Colleen during Balearic Breakfast is only the second official remix I ever did (and the second one of the same original tune)! Finding a different interpretation of the same track was so funny - first attempt here)! As I speak, I am working on a new remix of an original, well-known track of a Balearic legend... I am searching for how to add value to it, so Stay tuned! 3) When reading your description of the songs composing your last EP (Storie d'Amore), it is obvious that you took inspiration from very private and emotionally intense moments of your life. While keeping your beautiful Balearic touch, you were still able to link your life's experiences to evocative musical representations, showcasing your talent as a composer and as a producer ("Madre and Padre" is an astonishing track to me, for instance). Was working on this EP a tough process emotionally, or was it, on the contrary, a somewhat "soothing" experience? Before composing a new tune, I usually check my notes to find a title and inspiration. Every title reflects a moment, an experience, a memory, a story, a feeling, or something I believe in. For instance, when I started working on “Storie d’Amore EP”, I tried to focus on the title's subject, converting into music what my heart, mind, and soul had to say. I remember feeling a mixture of several emotions, ranging from happiness to sadness. I must say that, to me, life's challenging moments don’t necessarily bring sad feelings. I always try to take the best out of any situation and learn from life's most challenging moments, accepting its reality… So, in the end, I also felt peace and calm while working on this EP (though, Later in the production process, I was pretty stressed out because I wanted to achieve what I had in my mind, laughs!). Madre Padre
 - Initially this was called Mother, Father, I wrote it during covid time and dedicated it to my parents,. At the time my father was close to say goodbye universe. My father had ALS when he was 50, and my mother assisted him for 27 years with the illness. The tune includes the difficulties, the bravery, the challenges life gave to them and the way of love they got. In the meantime, I became a Father. So I thought of dedicating the tune to my parents, as well as to me and Anna.
The baby on the bridge is me watching my parents, but it is also Cecilia watching me and Anna. 4) You're no stranger to Ibiza; the island has always inspired you mentally and musically. Do you believe the Island has its own spirit? What do you feel when being there that inspires you? Generally speaking, I'm really close to nature: the small Islands, the sea, the beaches, sunsets, and nature give me the energy and the positivity I need, along with some freedom of mind! The first time I went to Ibiza was around 2010. With its Balearic Island colours, landscapes, smells, rocks, pines, cicalas, roads, and hidden gems, the Island has tremendously affected me and gained a special place in my heart. Three years ago, the Island and its people also allowed me to pursue my musical dream, which I spent 15 years working on, Ibiza is a friendly place where I can put out my music in a more relaxed way... Even as a child that did not have big expectations, I remember Ibiza being a place where I could dream, hope, feel... This Island brought me real inner freedom and allowed me to get closer to my soul, thinking about how I want to live my life and what I still must achieve to become a better person... 5) To me, your music shows how sensitive you are; I truly mean it. It's plain to hear that you can convey realistic images to your listeners without using lyrics. I have a strange question for you. Do you think Music can convey inner silence and create mental images when used proficiently? Though we never met Artur, I feel you know me better than I know myself (laughs!). Absolutely, yes, you're right. I think everyone has something special, a secret deep down inside where the soul lives. I am lucky because music has always been by my side, even as a child, helping me growing up; so sharing life experiences with my listeners using its means is truly a blessing. As a composer, music allows me to escape this world for a moment and translate its reality on another level. Music also allows me to share pure feelings and bring to people something that will stay long after I'm gone. It's nice to know I can convey realistic images without lyrics; it's much better that way because you don't hear my voice😊 (laughs again!). Thank you so much, dear Davide, for this great interview! Thank you, Colleen and Artur, for your interest, for your time, for your kind words, and for your authentic questions. I wish you love and health and many, many good Balearic Breakfasts to come! 😊 DISCOGRAPHY 2021-05 LOVA - Echoes of Memories on SUMMER SAMPLER 3 Vinyl (NuNorthern Soul - Ibiza) 2021-06 LOVA - Gypsophila EP (NuNorthern Soul - Ibiza) 2021-11 LOVA - Lento Levante on AIR WAVES compilation (Dream Chimney - San Francisco) 2022-07 LOVA - Colours of the Mind EP (Balearic Ensemble - Barcelona) 2022-09 LOVA - Gypsophila Remixes Vinyl (Hear & Now, Leo Mas, Danilo Braca) 2022-10 Two Ends - This Moment Is For Life (LOVA Eivissa Flight remix) 2023-06 LOVA - Storie d’Amore (DSPPR - Chris Coco’s Label, London) 2023-07 Two Ends - This Moment Is For Life (LOVA Summer ‘87 remix) - Shades of Sound summer compilation 2023-08 Cafè del Mar Summer Compilation 2023-10 NuNorthern Soul - Posta de Sol Compilation 2023-08 The Chillout Tent Vol.2 2023-11 Authentic Love Song - LOVA Batticuore Remix

The UK-based DJ Emma Ryalls started her career during the nineties. I discovered her a few years ago and absolutely loved her "musical vibe". Let's dig deeper into her realm! It's difficult to talk about someone when you're "connected" to that person: sometimes, I stop and wonder. How can it be that without actually Knowing someone, you can receive so much, feel so much happiness, feel so "complete"? The best way would be to use the well-known "It's Music" answer. Of course, this is true as far as Emma is concerned (her ability to take you out of your daily routine is unparalleled, blending tracks you would never have thought could go together...), but, as we shall see, it's also much more than that when you know what the Lady has in store (find out more about her on Mixcloud and on Instagram)... Starting her career in the '90s (an era she's stayed very close to this very day), the classy, soft-spoken DJ played funky house and garage sets in bars and clubs around the South West of the UK from 2003 on, an experience she deeply appreciated but that she had, eventually, to cut short in 2008 to take Care of her then growing Family. Still, when you love doing something, it seems you can't let things go, let alone when Life has a master plan laid out for you... And this is where things get Humanly interesting as Emma explains it in her own words: "I began to teach music in and out of schools. I loved doing this, and it became my main focus for the next few years" (we shall dig deeper into this aspect of Emma's life later during the interview she agreed to give us (a dream come true for me)! Resuming her DJ career for good in 2015 after playing a set at her brother's wedding, DJ_Emma played great venues and renowned festivals (Shindig, We Out Here, Camp Bestival, to mention a few), becoming a respected radio host (her show on 1BTN allowed me to discover her), issuing her own solo tracks - working as a Freelance Producer, being featured in the "Lady Of The House" book, teaching children both in schools and on a 1:1 basis and even joining the Balearic Breakfast Family (her 2022 Balearic Breakfast set is to die for...)! With these few lifeline moments in mind, I asked my beloved "Risky DJ' if she could join the Balearic Breakfast Blog and answer some questions... She gladly did! Hello Emma! Thank you so much for answering these few questions! When we listen to your mixes (« All back to the rave », for instance, and even one of your last, the great « Reflections of Garage & House ’96-’99 ») we can hear that you’re really into the '90s. What does house music have that other musical styles don’t? Is it solely nostalgia that drives you back to these musical horizons? House music for me, and specifically 90’s US House/Garage, holds a very special place in my heart because this was the music I discovered when I was ‘coming of age’ as a very curious, excitable and literally ‘bursting at the seams’ 16/17-year-old. I grew up in a small medieval cathedral city in the South of the UK – had gone to an all-girls grammar school (that was not at all suitable for me and I was always getting into trouble of some sort), and during 6th form – I became friends with an older crowd (much to my parent's horror) who regularly drove all around the UK to experience the best clubs – the main ones that we went too were Ministry Of Sound & Bagleys in London and Lakota in Bristol. I was absolutely mesmerized by this alternative way of life and the music was part of that incredibly exciting time. I had always loved music from a young age and previously had always had an ear for old soul and funk tunes and then acid jazz in the early 90s, but discovering house music was a huge life-affirming moment for me – and those first friends that I experienced that time with are still my best and closest friends today! You’ve played a lot of great places & festivals over the years. How do you prepare your sets? Are you only musically driven, or does the location have an impact on what you’re gonna play? Does it happen that you change your set on the fly following what the partying people bring to your "inner table"? I always make a playlist of the tracks that I’ve been loving in the lead-up to the festival/club night etc. I have way too many playlists now and a very bad memory, so I try to be as organised as I can with my music. I am mainly musically driven but luckily, I love a wide range of music, from house to disco to UK garage to funk, so I feel like I can cater to a wide range of audiences. I play a lot of daytime sets at festivals or early evening, so of course – it’s important to think about the time of day and who is coming on after you. For example – at one festival last summer (Shindig), I was playing the 12-2 p.m. set on a very hot Sunday and Melvo Baptiste and Norman Jaye were on after me. I had to work out if people wanted to chill in the summer sun after a heavy Saturday night or needed picking up and an injection of energy. I also knew that the ‘main act’ of the day were on after me, so I had to take all these things into consideration. I ended up playing a lovely fusion of funk, spacey disco and classic house. That was a very different set to another festival I played over the summer (Camp Bestival) in a huge tent. I knew that it was a festival full of middle-aged parents, young kids and quite a big array of 16-18-year-olds – I also predicted that as the other huge tent had the Stereo MC’s performing (so lots of the ‘older’ gens would be there) and on the main stage – Sam Ryder was performing – again a certain audience would be in attendance – I pretty much guessed my tent would have the teenagers looking for a party…(which turned out to be correct). And so my selections responded to that – lots of UK Garage and party edits that would appeal to that crowd. The tent went from empty to absolutely heaving within 15 minutes, so my prediction was correct. As I said – I love a variety of music and because of that, I am quite a versatile DJ. My favourite festival set of the summer was at an intimate late-night venue, ‘Gay Paris’ at Beatherder Festival in Lancashire– I don’t often have the opportunity to play a late-night set and these are the times I really feel I can express myself fully with my selections that go much deeper and more soulful to a crowd who are really responsive and truly love the music. I am not on a raised stage as the focal point, and everyone is looking up at me – I am on the same level as the crowd, and my job is to create the vibe and atmosphere – not to be a ‘performer’. Of course – I am constantly reading the crowd, observing what is working for a particular audience because there are always events that surprise you or groups of people that you judge to be one way but respond totally differently. But I have literally all my music with me at every set so normally it’s all ok! From an early point in your career, you started teaching music/DJing to the young generation and even today, you keep on doing this, even sharing on your socials how impactful music can be on injured people. Was it a vocation or a necessity for you to share your knowledge? What is one of the strongest memories you experienced with your pupils? I had been teaching music part-time and DJ’ing in local bars in my home town during my 20s, but because of the way life was – I felt I needed to have a ‘proper job’ so when my children started school – I decided to train as a primary school teacher. Teaching in a school environment wasn’t for me in the end – so when I decided to become a self-employed tutor and go back to DJ’ing about 7 years ago – it seemed to make sense to put both my skills together and teach music and DJ’ing to children and teenagers in schools. It was 2 years ago that I was approached by someone I had known from teaching DJ’ing in schools who had set up a business teaching DJ’ing to brain-injured teenagers and young adults. He asked me if I could teach a young woman who had been in a catastrophic accident at the age of 19 that nearly ended her life and had left her with a life-changing brain injury that required round-the-clock care. Although I have had a lot of experience working with children who are neurodiverse – I had never worked with people with severe acquired brain injuries but I thought it would be good to give it a go. Fast forward 2 years, and my pupil has performed at the Standon Calling festival – this so far has been the most inspiring and joyous moment of my teaching career and I now teach a second student who is going to be performing at his first festival next year as well. There’s lots more planned in the pipeline with both of my students – so watch this space! You’re an experienced radio host, and you really have a free and joyful way of blending tracks together (that’s what one calls a Style…) even when they seem to be worlds apart. What drives you when you mix? I have always loved music from many times and genres, and when it comes to radio (which is my number 1 passion!) I feel like I have the freedom to be totally self–indulgent when it comes to my musical selections. I do radio for me primarily, and if anyone else wants to listen and likes my show – then that is a massive bonus. That is where radio differs hugely from my club/festival sets. Even though, of course – I have to love every single track I play when I’m playing sets out and about – I always have my audience in mind so that will guide my choices, whereas with radio – it’s so much more intimate and it’s like I’m inviting anyone who wants to join me into my world for a couple of hours. I also love promoting other new and upcoming artists on my radio shows and playing their music as well as celebrating music from the past that I love – this means that the music will sometimes go from one genre to another completely different style in quick succession but I always put a lot of time and thought into my radio shows because it’s important to me that they are professional, well-structured and hopefully enjoyable to listen to. Being a member of the Balearic Breakfast family, can you tell us more about how you discovered the show? According to you, what does it take to « be Balearic »? I can’t actually remember how I discovered it! It may have actually been through you, Artur! I know I started listening in late 2020, and since I discovered it I have tried to listen most weeks either live or on catch-up. I am a huge fan of Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy – I learn so much from her encyclopedic knowledge of music and I love her voice on the radio and the way she puts together the show each week. It was a great honour to have been asked by Colleen to DJ in the ‘Love Dancin’ tent at the "We Out Here" festival in 2022 to curate a special ‘Balearic Breakfast’ set. I really enjoyed researching and creating a special playlist for festivalgoers to relax and chill in the Love Dancin’ tent on Saturday morning. I also saw her DJ live this past summer at the "We Out Here" festival, and I can safely say – it was the best set I have ever seen. The whole experience was just incredible and the way she selects tracks and puts them together is absolute genius – like ending the night with the 17-minute version of ‘Get Ready’ – Rare Earth, complete with a full power cut halfway through! When the song came back on after about 10 minutes of silence – the ‘Love Dancin’ tent just erupted with joy. For me – to be ‘Balearic’ is to feel calm, at peace and centred. I love listening to the Balearic Breakfast each week and I have discovered so much wonderful music through Colleen and through the listeners of the show who request music for the show. Balearic music is eclectic and can be from many genres, but the feeling it gives reaches into your soul and creates a warm, positive feeling. Thank you so much Emma! My pleasure Artur! DJ_Emma published a brand new track which really is a great musical trip! Have a listen! Click here to read Something More...

Nick Callaghan collaborated with the Berlin-based illustrator Nick Cocozza to make limited-edition music-inspired playing cards. Our dear Captain has been featured, along with our beloved show, of course, in an incredibly beautifully crafted music-inspired set of playing cards. This limited edition can be purchased by directly messaging Nick Callaghan on his Instagram. It has been amazing collaborating with the ridiculously talented @nickcocozza once more to launch a set of limited-edition music-inspired playing cards. Featuring some of the incredible DJs, Artists, Independent Record Shops, Clubs, Albums, Venues, Record labels and memories that have inspired me and my record hoarding over the last 32 years. Excited to announce that this will be an official fundraiser with @amnestyuk with 100% of all profits raised from the sales of each pack of playing cards going directly to Amnesty UK to support some of the incredible work they do. Also excited to finally announce that these are available to purchase now at £20.50 per pack (inclusive of P&P costs to anywhere in the UK) with the £9.00 profit (100%) from each pack going directly to @amnestyuk Please just message me direct on here if you are interested in purchasing a pack and supporting a great cause. Bringing the energy from the dance floor to your card games! Original ‘Surface Noise’ logo design by the amazing @danwilson1982.

"Find Our Balearic Spirit" is a DJ collective whose only music rule is "there are no rules". This time, I met our dear Anslow for a nice interview! 1) Hello Anslow; thank you so much for answering these few questions here on the Balearic Breakfast Blog! On a personal level, how did you start DJing? Hey Artur and Balearic Breakfast Family! It's a bit of a cliche but I think I was a DJ long before I bought turntables, I've actively dug for new music and carefully curated playlists for as long as I can remember. Having decks of my own has just enabled me to channel all the amazing music that I've been discovering and showcase it to others. I started pursuing DJing about 3 years ago when one of my oldest friends Diz (@Diz_Jockey), also a super talented DJ and turntable technician here in Newcastle, lent me his copy of How to DJ Properly and gave me the push I needed to buy turntables during COVID. Since then I've grown a decent record collection from 586 Records (@586_Records) - shout out Tony Daly, Beatdown Records (@Beatdownncl), RPM (@RPM_newcastle), online retailers and private sellers on Discogs. And of course teaming up with my Balearic bro Bradley Circles, the other half of Find Our Balearic Spirit, has seen my DJing and music sphere grow from strength to strength. TRACKLIST Part I Andes y Xavi – Is It Balearic? [Original Mix] Ned Dohney – Get It Up For Love Asha Puthli – Space Talk [Maurice Fulton Remix] Fragile – We’ve Got Tonight, Boy 52nd Street – Tell Me (How It Feels) Imagination – So Good, So Right Junei’ – Let’s Ride HF International – I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) feat. KASHIF [KI’s Extended Disco Dub Remixed by Kaoru Inoue] Sade – Paradise [Extended Mix] Part II Brass Construction – Now Is Tomorrow [John Morales Remix] Warren Zevon – Night Time In The Switching Yard The Salsoul Orchestra – Ooh I Love It (Love Break) [Danny Krivit edit] H.P Vince & Dave Leatherman – The Nu Funk Dexter Wansel – Life On Mars Billy Woost – Please Touch Me Jackie Stoudemire – Dancing Dennis Coffey – Wings of Fire First Choice – Double Cross Bent – Always [Ashley Beedle’s Mahavishnu Remix] 2) During the previous interview with Bradley Circles, we spoke about how important it was to be a part of a community. Do you feel this is something of greater value as far as music is concerned? I believe that a packed dancefloor vibrating to the frequencies of a competent DJ is greater than the sum of its parts - and community is a huge part of that. People dance for lots of reasons but if we could achieve the same catharsis on our own we would just do it at home, and I think you can say the same for DJing - it's about community, shared experience and being part of something bigger than ourselves. There's a tight-knit and vibrant scene here in Newcastle full of passionate people who are all supportive of one another. Getting involved in Slacks Radio (@slacksradio) just over a year ago has opened me and Bradley up to a beautiful community of like-minded music lovers and DJs across the North East. It's a testament to the hard work that radio boss Jon Cornbill (@Cornbilljon) has put into the station and the friendliness of people here in the North East. I remember feeling like I'd found my people at the ripe age of 18 when I first started going to World Headquarters (@Worldheadquartersclub), a historic club here in Newcastle celebrating its 30th year in 2023. WHQ is a club with an amazing ethos that has always attracted open-minded clubbers and nurtured the underground community in Newcastle. It feels really fitting that this is where we are hosting Colleen on Friday 3rd November and a nice full-circle moment for me. Online communities like the Balearic Breakfast Family, and LWSTD.FM (@LWSTD.FM) also play a huge part in connecting us not just to our local scene but with like-minded people across the globe. I truly believe it takes a village and without these communities it's difficult to picture where I'd be right now, probably DJing in my bedroom or not at all. 3) Musically speaking, how would you present yourself? Do you have any boundaries as far as music is concerned? First and foremost, I present myself as a music lover. I don't have any boundaries as far as music is concerned but if you look at my record collection and what I play I'd say it's generally a lot of Disco, House, Deep House, Balearic, Broken Beat, Funk, Soul, Trip-Hop, Jazz. I'm not the most technically proficient DJ, but part of that is how I choose to present myself too. Seems silly now but I remember the first DJ mix I recorded for my friends over at Good Custard (@GoodCustard_), I agonised over having every transition perfect and must have re-recorded the set close to 10 times. From seeing DJs like Colleen, going to parties like Cosmic Slop and learning about David Mancuso and the Loft, I've learned to let the music speak for itself. Track selection trumps technical ability every day of the week - that's why good DJs are called 'selectors' and not 'transitioners'. 4) How do you work on the sets you do with Bradley? Do you prepare them before hitting the live show or does it happen that you do your sets "on the fly" with a bunch of records you took with you previously? What are you aiming for when doing your shows? It can vary but I'd say we have the most fun when we're just playing off each other on the fly. Part of that working so well is good communication with your B2B partner. On the radio, I'd say we're aiming to showcase recent discoveries or music that we really love. Whereas, for our parties, we're looking to move people with music for the mind, body and soul. Ultimately I want people to feel good through the shared experience of music and I don't think I can articulate a better aim than that. 5) Colleen shared with us this great sentence "And remember, just be Balearic". Do you ever feel like Music helps you to stay focused or helps you get through the difficulties of life? Isn't being Balearic all about listening to music that wakes us up? For me, being Balearic is about being open to finding things that take you to that special blissful place, whether that be a track by José Padilla or a can of Fanta Lemon. Music definitely has the power to get us through the difficulties in life. In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer - and it's music, community and connectedness that can help us unlock that and Find Our Balearic Spirit.

Balearic Breakfast is a Family affair. Jonathan became a friend a few months ago when he told me how much he liked the blog. Let's meet the Rural Goose! Photo Credit: https://www.kenbrowne.ie/ Dear Jonathan, thank you so much for answering these five very Balearic questions (laughs)! First things first, what were the first records you listened to when growing up? My pleasure, Artur; I'm honoured to be asked! My first memory of enjoying and taking an interest in music was listening to my dad's cassettes in his car; I particularly remember a great Best of Roxy Music, along with Jean-Michel Jarre and Jan Hammer compilations. Actually, the first record I ever bought was a 7" of Phil Collins - Easy Lover. I bought it whilst on a French trip with the school. When I got back to the bus, I looked at it and to my horror, I saw that it had a really big hole in the centre. Luckily, one of my ever-helpful fellow pupils said he had an adapter I could buy to solve the problem; he could sell it to me for £30.00, a bargain!! Fortunately, I got home, and my dad already had one! I then remember getting particularly good value out of 'Now That's What I Call Music 7', along with the necessary Sony Walkman! The first band I became a big fan of was INXS, but that was probably because other friends were too. I personally also really liked the sound of the early Pet Shop Boys. I could relate to Chris Lowe, and I liked their stylish minimalism; it seemed more grown up than other pop music. The cover art and videos also were quite arty, I thought. I remember hearing S-Express on the radio and thinking, this sounds different. I think it was my first encounter with dance music! Your eclectic musical tastes and excellent musical knowledge lead me to this second question. How do you listen to music? Are you the “analytical” type of listener, or do you simply enjoy the music? By the way, do you see yourself as an audiophile? I generally try to listen to music in a room where all the records, CDs and HiFi are situated, as it is well set up for it. Living in the country with no neighbours in earshot can allow the volume knob to creep up as the night goes on and the wine goes down (laughs!). I don't think I am an analytical listener; I often fall asleep ;-). I think I use it mainly to relax with a drink at the end of the day. There was a time when I was listening to the kit more than the music because the HiFi wasn't right, which is some people's definition of an audiophile, I guess. However, now, I have a more transparent system that doesn't really get in the way of the music; I find myself listening more and investing in the music rather than the HiFi system, which I actually get far more pleasure from. I still tinker, though; squash balls under the CD player worked quite well the other day! As chief Uber driver to my teenage kids who hate living in the country and need to be in constant company with their townie friends in different towns, I also listen a lot in the car! You also shared with me your passion for djing. When preparing for a set, how do you choose the songs you’re going to play? Do you take some extras “just in case" or stick to a prepared set tailored for the venue? The DJ sets I do are generally two 40-minute sets. I do them with a few other friends, and we play for 4 hours. I prepare and have a predetermined set to play. However, I always take a good few extra records to allow me to try and follow the mood of the place where required. Ideas can come from anywhere, for example, the weather, what is happening in the world or perhaps a new record I have picked up and can build an arrangement around it, for example, if the weather is good, maybe Balearic; if wintery, perhaps some deep jazz for a while. For this coming month, I picked up the Frida track played on the Balearic Breakfast 3rd anniversary show and plan to build some Abba-esque bits around that! We met thanks to “Balearic Breakfast”, and you told me that you are presently working on a nice project on Discogs (which influenced me about presenting the related posts differently, laughs!). Can you tell us more about this ?! Yes, with great pleasure. You know, Balearic Breakfast has been quite an eye-opener for me. I thought I had a relatively broad range of music tastes. Still, the show has really enlightened me about less mainstream material from an era before I started listening, i.e., the late seventies and early eighties. I think the production on many of these records is top-drawer, too, which makes them even more enjoyable. Plus, I have discovered a lot of later material that has been off my radar for one reason or another; it's hard to get to everything. Balearic Breakfast has struck a chord with me, as I enjoy and admire 95% of what is played. So I started to make a central list of everything played on the shows, and I thought Discogs would be a great place to do this as it can be shared with others who might also take an interest in collecting the records / CDs played on the show, too. In my opinion, there is still nothing like owning physical media, as it's your own and cannot be taken away. Tracks on streaming services go AWOL all the time (laughs!). I decided to list the albums on which the tracks appear rather than the single version. The album is generally more valuable as they are the same purchase price as the single. That is unless the 12" is played and offers any real significance over the album version. The Balearic Breakfast Discogs list link is visible from the Discogs release page, so it also advertises the show (https://www.discogs.com/lists/Balearic-Breakfast/1337331). The hope is that other diggers can also discover the show through the list and join the family! I also added the tracks to a Spotify playlist, although I see others have done this too (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Exgt3H5en9Izu9mVpZmfj). So, it's a long-term project. I am only at show 16, but I expect it will gain momentum as I try to while away some dark, colder winter nights over the coming months. That's so cool. Really! I will try to help you the best I can, as I'm still catching up on older shows and publishing posts about them! As we can feel it, music is all around you, really. But you’re into sports too, you love cycling! Do you believe that “being Balearic” is also about caring for oneself through sports? Does music accompany you when you’re riding? Well, I am not sporty in the competitive sense, but I do enjoy cycling, more for the challenge or adventure than anything else, in fact! I particularly like long-distance cycling, where you go out for the day or more and cover a pre-determined route and distance. It's called Audax cycling or Randonneuring in continental Europe. This form of cycling gives me great freedom, which could be considered Balearic, I suppose. Oh, of course, It isn't too Balearic when the rain is coming down and the wind is blowing the wrong way (in your face), though (laughs!). On some of the longer rides, I might put on a 4-hour Gilles Peterson show and dip in and out of it as the mood takes me. Depends on road and traffic conditions, though. In Ireland, where you may have wide-open, quiet roads, it's relatively safe to listen at lower volumes compared to busy cities, which wouldn't really work for me anyway (also, those Bluetooth JBL speakers fit rather well in a bottle cage, but you do look pretty mad to the onlookers as I have found)! Thank you so much, dear Jonathan; I'll see you soon! My pleasure, Artur!

With a brand new vinyl out today on 20/20 Vision recordings, ASHRR is undoubtedly a band that knows how to rock your boat. I met them for an exclusive interview! 1) Hello to you guys, and thank you so much for accepting this interview with me here on the Balearic Breakfast Blog! When listening to your music, one can hear that open, balanced, realistic (and quite big, too, laughs!) approach to sound. As a band, did you think about the sound you wanted to achieve right from the start, like having your own sound signature, or has it evolved through time? How much are dynamics important to you? ASHRR has a unique sound as an indie dance in part because of the way we do vocals. Steven has this classic crooner ala Bowie / Roxy Music timbre to his voice and we also do a bunch of the background vocals and constantly try to push the envelope with vocal textures etc.. We also have such diverse backgrounds that come through in our music. Dynamics are everything in music… If you’re constantly at 10 people’s ears will get tired. Dynamics help to shape up things. For the new album, we’ve explored a lot more of our soul / r&b / funk background too. 2) On the 143rd Balearic Breakfast show, Colleen played Fernando's deep mix of 'Talking In Your Sleep' (a cover of the Romantic's 1983 hit single). While keeping the band's sound DNA intact, Fernando added a beautiful Balearic touch to it that enhanced the "running effect" of the song (which made me think of Pink Floyd's "On the Run"). What is your approach when working on a remix? Do you believe a remix allows the original track to find its true nature? A remix should be nothing like the original version in our opinion. It should reflect the remixer’s taste and sensibility and we give carte blanche to anyone who is doing remixes for our band. A remix is really a tool to help see the song in a different light and approach. When we're doing our sound system remixes, we have the original sessions and pick and choose elements we might want to incorporate into the remix but essentially it’s a brand new built from the ground up approach with no rules other than it has to make you dance! 3) Would you say that you approach your DJ act just the same as you do when composing? According to you, what is the perfect way of sharing music with people on a dancefloor? Is it only a rhythm thing, or is there something much more important to it? Performing live as a band and being able to communicate the joy and feeling to the audience is just the same as doing a DJ set. Ultimately, we want to move our crowd and take them on a journey with the music. 4) We had a laugh on Instagram when talking about this interview, and you told me that ASHHR was "Post-Balearic". You may have noticed that I try hard, very hard (laughs!) to understand what being Balearic is all about; I believe it's a way of living, of behaving. So, what's behind the rainbow (at least on a musical level)?! What does Balearic even mean? We honestly have no clue because it seems like anything can be Balearic so we’re saying we’re Post-Balearic (laughs!). All I can say is that in our music we try to achieve greatness and set the bar extremely high on everything we do. It’s taken a few years to make this album which will start rolling out singles in January and we couldn’t be more excited as a band first and foremost to get out there and start performing. We also will be doing a bunch of DJ sets too! 5) This interview comes to an end, but there is one last question I was dying to ask you. You had the absolute privilege of working with the Scientist on your track, 'Fizzy' (soundwise, this one is pure craziness to me...). If you had to share one moment you experienced in the studio with him while working on the remixes, which one would it be? Hopeton is brilliant and one thing I can say is that working with him in the studio the sheer volume that cranks from his speakers is enough to deafen you in about 10 minutes! He’s got his way of doing things and it’s absolute magic to watch him work the faders... ASHRR's new vinyl is out today ! Grab a copy on Juno Records now :-)

I met Douglas Noble, Live Music Now's Strategic Director and Balearic Breakfast Family member, for a chat! Let's find out how much Music is important in people's lives! 1) Dear Douglas, thank you so much for joining us here on the Balearic Breakfast blog! During the 147th show, Colleen and Matthew Halsall exchanged a few words about the healing force of music. You then shared your experience on the Discord channel, explaining that you work with musicians in health and care settings to support people's health and well-being. Can you tell us more about your musical journey and how it impacts the people you meet? Thank you so much for inviting me into this interesting conversation, Artur! I work with Live Music Now, a social impact charity across the UK. With professional musicians, we harness the power of music to bring about positive change for people facing challenges. We reach older people living lonely or isolated, people struggling with mental health challenges, people in hospitals, Disabled young people facing barriers to expressing themselves, developing and being creative, and people with Dementia needing to feel safe, connected and to express themselves. At the heart of this is that we are all musicians with our own musical identities. Music connects, builds resilience, reflects, processes and contains emotions, supports us to feel better at the moment and gives us tools to move on, progress and develop. 2) What brought you to this? I have a life-long love of and relationship with music. I started buying 7-inch singles aged 8 with my pocket money at jumble sales in the small seaside town of Dawlish in Devon. I was already attached to vinyl from my parent’s record collection (Marley, Floyd, Dury, Dylan, Cat Stevens, etc.) and was soon spending my weekly 50p pocket money on post-punk, New Wave 45’s in Woolworths (Clash, Lene Lovich, Members, X-ray Spex, Skids etc.). In Autumn ‘79, Two Tone exploded into my life through the Thursday night TV window of Top of the Pops. I knew reggae through Marley, but Ska was something else, mixing the excitement and energy of Punk with protest, conscious messaging and upbeat Caribbean and R&B rhythms. I bought the clothes and danced the dances but also took in the embedded message about music's role in bringing about a better, fairer, more equal society. This came through the lyrics and, crucially, the make-up of the bands, Black and White people making music together, in itself, intrinsically anti-racist. In the ’90s, I worked in London as an Asylum, Immigration and Human rights lawyer, still picking up vinyl, moving through Synth, and Electro to Indie, Dance to House, Hip Hop & more & DJing at house parties (starting in the late '80s with carefully curated C90 mixtapes!). I was a regular at the Mambo Inn night at the Loughborough Hotel, Brixton; Max and Rita DJing a genre-hopping blend of West African, Samba, Zouk, Latin, Hammond Grooves, etc. This uplifted me. A euphoric Friday night dancefloor refuge from the frontline of my desk. It inspired me in my charity shop and second-hand vinyl shopping, going into my sets, including at the Disco Biscuit nights I hosted with long-time DJ-pal Georgie Brendon at the Windmill on Brixton Hill. Buena Vista Social Club took me to Cuba in 2000, bumping into Eliades Ochoa, sipping a Cristal in the Plaza Vieja, Santiago. I picked up a fistful of somewhat mouldy Egrem records and Son, along with Boogaloo, Salsa, Cumbia, Bossa, MPB, Samba & Nueva Yorkian sounds, bringing the Latin vibe to the collection. I moved to the Whitstable in 2002, leaving Law to have some time at Art College, and I set up the High Life Nights with Alvin Kirby-Brown, who bought a heavy dose of Afrobeat, Rhumba and Jazz, and we mixed live Latin and West African percussion (thanks Jorge Santo and Lucky Moyo!). This ended when Alvin emigrated to Australia. With Imogen Noble and Anne Day, we set up Samba Pelo Mar, Whitstable’s’ Samba Band. In around 2015, my DJing picked up again through the Feet To The Floor (FTTF) grown-up disco nights with co-DJ Bear Richards; get the babysitter in, £5 on the door, bring your own booze and dance your ass off (laughs)! Music For Change was my first job in music and social change in the early 00s. A project supporting newly arrived asylum seekers and the local host community working with an amazing group of International UK-based musicians, into Hear Me Out (music with people in Immigration detention) and then Drake Music (music technology and Disability Equality). I joined Live Music Now in 2013 when my mother was sadly dying prematurely from cancer. Some of her last moments were spent with music that she and my Father loved together (both committed amateur Folkies - him an accordion player and her a singer). I’m the Strategic Director of Adult Social Care and Health, working with a committed team of colleagues and musicians across England, Wales & Northern Ireland. My job includes finding the money, building partnerships, designing programs, capturing and understanding our impact & sharing what we learn, as well as advocating for progress alongside the growing Creative Health movement (not replacing medical and clinical treatments but as part of a whole-person integrated approach to health and care). Right now, we are recruiting musicians in London (deadline 16th October), so if you know anyone, please pass this on as we grow to reflect better the rich and diverse musical and identity landscape of the UK! I’m now back living in Devon, just outside Totnes, with FTTF events at Things Happen Here, regular shows on Soul Roots Radio and Sound Art Radio, South Devon Sound with Radio High Life and a Feet to the Floor show (the latter back with Georgie). I play what I like to call international good grooves, where Latin, Brazilian, West African and Caribbean grooves meet Funk, Soul, Disco, Dance and Jazz. Content comes from digging into my collection and constantly discovering gorgeous new music. You can hear my shows on Mixcloud and SoundCloud, where there are a few edits, too! 3) It is believed that some frequencies, when applied to the body, can heal (I am thinking about the singing bowls) or at least help in the relaxation process. Did you experience such treatments or talk to people who tried them? Do you believe this "pure frequency" approach is still valid when listening to music since several frequencies are blended? Interesting thought, Artur, but I can’t respond directly to that idea as I do not know. However, the science behind it matters in my work, as does evidencing and understanding the difference it makes. Music is a powerful ‘healer’, as I said, but it’s not magic. There are good reasons for this, and our understanding and evidence on these matters is growing. In my work, there is something extraordinary about people experiencing live music in one place, in a sharing experience. As a DJ, I see that happening through the recorded music and the unity and connectedness we feel on the dancefloor, too! We know that music is a social bonding tool that human apes have used in our evolutionary journey, pre-dating spoken word, as a means of strengthening bonds, communicating ideas, keeping us collaborating, and reaffirming our identities (all essential to our survival and success in social groups). This plays no small part in why music makes us feel safe and seen, helping us to communicate when spoken language may not be possible because of cognitive or physical impairment or decline. Thanks to Dr Teppo Särkämo, we also know where and how music works across the brain, with his work mapping how various elements of listening to and playing music connect with different parts of the brain. So, for example, the part linked to emotion, pleasure and reward, or the part that connects playing, singing and moving to the beat and motor function, or keeping track of music and our episodic memory. These and other stimulation points are located right across the brain. Hence, we experience music as a whole-brain, multi-faceted, neurologically active experience. This helps us understand why music seems to ‘wake up’ people with Dementia and the emerging evidence that it can support mobility improvement after Stroke or Parkinson’s and even reduce pain. 4) I love listening to music in the dark, closing my eyes, and drifting away. How do you listen to music? Do you think music can reveal something about our true nature? I touched on this above with my thoughts on musical identity. I am very interested in our musical identities, how they communicate and how they are shaped by our stories, lived experiences and life journeys. They powerfully reflect us as individuals and our cultural contexts and are valuable and important. For me, music is a connector. I do listen to music alone a lot… In the car, when I’m working and sitting relaxing at night too! But I love to share it through radio shows and DJing and value how it brings me closer to others. This was a significant thing for me and my mental health struggles during the Pandemic, when we were separated by necessity, and I couldn’t DJ or socialise around music. I love live gigs, getting up close to the stage, watching musicians in the flow, and immersing myself in that experience of communication and connection. Festivals are great for this, and I am a festival veteran, having started at the age of 8 being taken by my parents to Folk festivals. I love listening to other DJs to discover new music. Like all DJs, I follow threads in Bandcamp, jumping from track to track, searching for the perfect groove. I love this constant potential for discovery and novelty and that rare but very special moment when I get that intense sense of excitement and elation in a new musical discovery, just like I did when I was 10! 5) As a member of the Balearic Breakfast Family, how did you discover Colleen? What attracts you to the show? During the Pandemic, I started listening to WWFM, following the Giles Petersons Brownswood Basement shows, and hunting for new DJs and music. I discovered Coco Maria, Haseeb Iqbal, Charlie Dark, and Colleen. I love her positive energy, excellent selections, and thoughtful, gentle and enthusiastic presentation. She has a deep love for and knowledge of what she plays. She is a connector, not least into her own musical identity right back to a particular and important strand of the emergence, development and growth of Dance music and Dance Cultures, and the role of the DJ in that. Thank you, Colleen! 6) Colleen always ends her shows saying, "And remember, just be Balearic". According to you, what does it take to be "Balearic"? Do you think that questioning how we interact with life/people is something we should always do, helped in this quest by the vibrant forces of Sound, or do you think that letting go and concentrating only on ourselves is the way to go? The word ‘Balearic‘ always takes me back to the first time I heard Grace Jones’ La Vie En Rose, dancing under the stars, in an open-air Disco in Southern Crete, circa1985. I think I have, in some way, already largely shared my position on this question in what I’ve said above. However, it may be summed up like this: “Discover what we share and celebrate what makes us individuals”. Congratulations on all that you do, Douglas! Thank you so much for sharing your passion for music with us! Great to chat, Artur. Thanks again for including me and for your interest in what I do!