Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 168th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on March 19th 2024. About this show. – Balearic Breakfast is a musical celebration that never misses its goal of bringing to the forefront important moments of each year, and Springtime is one of them! On the 16th of March, Colleen posted the request line on her socials, sharing with us these few words: "Good morning! Here in the northern hemisphere spring is around the corner and a feeling of renewal in the suez. What would you like to hear this Tuesday on Balearic Breakfast to welcome in the new season? And for those south of the equator, please share the songs you’re feeling right now (...)". The Balearic Breakfast Family got together and requested songs about Season change, Spring (the vernal equinox happens on Wednesday morning – 20th – at 3:06 in the UK), hope, and happiness, including, of course, some Balearic gems! In the end, the show did not disappoint. It brought to our ears a delicate flow, with a specific sonic signature (especially identifiable in the first hour) helping us to picture Spring's awakening on a Beach! Listen back to the 168th episode of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST (1986) Jun Fukamachi – Morning Glow (1988) Vernal Equinox – Sunrise (2024) Hermanos Gutierrez – Low Sun (2021) Dora Morelenbaum – Japao (1996) Boards of Canada – Roygbiv (1991) Saint Etienne – Spring (2024) Mike Salta & Mortale – Hey Moloko (Unknown) Dorothy Ashby – Little Sunflower (Danny Krivit Re-Edit) (1977) Dexter Wansel – First Light of the Morning (1977) Ramsey Lewis – Spring High (1980) I.C. Bell – Explosion (1983) High Resolution – Sweepin’ Off (Extended Mix) (2024) Kim Yaffa – Once Bitten (Nick The Record & Dan Tyler Re-Edit) (2023) Smashed Atoms and Backdoor Man – Hey Dreamer (2005) Matsubara – S.O.S. (Prins Thomas Rework) (2024) Viscardi & Il Duo Magnetico – Amore Mio (1998) Tom & Joyce – Vai Minha Tristeza (Bob’s Le Mix) (2000) Kevin Yost – Spring Again (1958) Blossom Dearie – They Say It's Spring (1959) Nina Simone – It Might as Well Be Spring THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE A rising sun gently illuminates an empty beach... Slowly, there, somewhere, silhouettes appear, one, two (of course, you can't separate these two...), three... hundreds, thousands of moving tiny stars, each one representing a spirit, a Soul, a member of... the Balearic Breakfast Family... Welcome to our Balearic World, dear reader; embrace the new sun and head over to new musical adventures. Our captain will show you the way, and we will hug you in a huge and friendly embrace. Jun Fukamachi's Morning Glow is a perfect example of how much a musical piece can allow you to travel. The album "Nicole (86 Spring And Summer Collection - Instrumental Images)" was never officially released, only made available to the people attending the 1986 fashion show for the Nicole brand’s "Spring and Summer collection" until "We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records" reissued it in 2017! Were we talking about a new start? Laughs! Speaking about that, the first 48 minutes of this show (yes, I'm very precise, laughs!) will help you to picture the dawn of a new season! Although Vernal Equinoxe's Sunrise Start, taken from their "New Find World" 1988 studio album, is slightly more preoccupied intellectually, it keeps the mental representation very alive! I'm sure you noticed that the first three musical pieces are all about the sun! To me, Hermanos Gutierrez's Low Sun is quite close to the opening track; we have the same sun-rising pictures awakening in our minds... With Japao, Dora Morelenbaum offers the listener an awakening "Brazilian song about Japan" (as Mixmaster Morris stated on the chat ^^)... In an interview, the singer explained: "Originally, I wanted to record new songs composed by my friends, including “Vento de Beirada.” I had a few songs of my own but I didn’t recognize them as ready to record yet. It was only when I began to face my own songs, so to speak, and imagine possible directions for them, that I began recording. “Japão” and “Avermelhar” came at the same time, and they both had this feeling of the start of something—the beginning of my first songs, you know? They worked well with the whole idea behind the phrase “vento de beirada,” which is a surrender, a leap of faith, or first step that is recording a debut EP." Clearly, the feeling of a new start is very well represented in today's 167th episode of Balearic Breakfast. Add to this Colleen's glowing jacket (green in reality 😉 – such a clever idea I must say!) and you have the whole picture of the Joy we all experienced while hearing Boards of Canada's light but solid, complex and psychedelic Roygbiv (an acronym for the colors of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). The following three songs (Saint Etienne's Spring, Mike Salta & Mortale's Hey Moloko & Danny Krivit's Re-Edit of Dorothy Ashby's Little Sunflower) have a quicker tempo, with a more upfront soul while retaining a gentle approach to the listener this feeling being present throughout today's episode! Something else needs to be mentioned here: all of these tracks have a solid but "neutral sounding" bass; the sound is very neutral, almost "dry"; it's not attacking the listener, it simply presents itself. I don't remember feeling that way to that extent before while listening to Balearic Breakfast! As Colleen is not forcing the mix, you can hear these details more than in a mix that imposes itself on the listener. I like it very much when Colleen gathers together songs sharing a common theme, a common musical structure, and a common spirit. You can easily feel that as Dexter Wansel's First Light of the Morning plays on. It is pretty close to Dorothy Asby's Little Sunflower! By the way, a member of the Family shared with us on the chat a mix he crafted using several versions of that Classic tune; listen to it just here! To me, the show's second hour starts with the great Spring High by Ramsey Lewis. By the way, if you're a fan of the all MIghty Cerrone, I'm sure you noticed that this track does have a close sound to the ones found on his "Back Track" album, issued in 1982! As very often, Colleen keeps the musical flow throughout her presentation, and she then takes us to the dancefloor with the next three songs (I.C. Bell's Explosion, High Resolution's Sweepin’ Off (Extended Mix) & Kim Yaffa's Once Bitten (Nick The Record & Dan Tyler Re-Edit), nicely put together! Balearic Breakfast is all about musical discoveries, and Smashed Atoms and Backdoor Man's Hey Dreamer is a perfect example of that. The track blends the sonic elements of disco, Balearic, and electronic music in a spacy, danceable tune; definitely the wow effect of that episode! Keeping the spacey approach very alive, Colleen then plays Matsubara – S.O.S. (Prins Thomas Rework) & Viscardi & Il Duo Magnetico's, Amore Mio not searching to mix these tunes together, as evoked earlier this gentle way of letting the music play enhancing today's theme strength! Keeping a light touch on the mix, Colleen then plays Tom & Joyce's Vai Minha Tristeza (Bob’s Le Mix) & Kevin Yost's Spring Again, two very Blearic tunes indeed! Till the very end, this show surprises the listener as we do not get one but two beautiful closing songs! The first one is Blossom Dearie's They Say It's Spring. Colleen then ends the 167th episode of Balearic Breakfast with Nina Simone's It Might as Well Be Spring. The slightly sad song, which captures the sense of anticipation we associate with the season, was performed by Jeanne Crain in the film State Fair, her voice being dubbed by Louanne Hogan. In his biography of Richard Rodgers, William G. Hyland explains: “The song originated while Hammerstein was musing about the uneasiness of the female lead. He told Rodgers that even though state fairs were never held in the spring, Margy’s mood was such that it might as well be spring. Rodgers immediately recognized a song title.” An American standard, “It Might As Well Be Spring” initially reached Billboard magazine’s Best Seller chart on November 8, 1945, lasted 12 weeks there, peaking at number 5 and has been covered by many artists since its release! Such a refreshing show... Don't you think? Let there be Spring!

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 169th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on March 26th 2024. About this show. – On March 23rd 2024, Colleen opened the request line for the 168th and forthcoming Balearic Breakfast show, sharing these few words with us "Good morning! What would you like to hear on this Tuesday’s Balearic Breakfast? This will be the last request show for the month as I’ll be hosting the show remotely for the next few weeks with some special guest mixes all lined up (more on that Tuesday). So now is your time! Get those requests in and I hope to see you on the live stream and chat on my Mixcloud Live and Twitch TV from 10am to 1pm BST on Tuesday morning. Please put artist and song title in the comments and thank you 🙂" Of course, the Balearic Breakfast Family answered as one, with requests including tracks by the great DJ Alfredo to support the recently launched GoFundMe campaign! The show in itself was really of the hook, with that light cosmic touch present in many of the tracks played by our captain, and with the promise of new mixes to be streamed in the coming weeks by members of the family, I decided to entitle this post: "Cosmic Family Affairs" (laughs)! After the show, Colleen shared these few words with us: "This week’s show is another mishmash of 80’s grooves, deep soul, Balearic biscuits and even the late Cockney Rebel makes an appearance. We are holding off on the requests for the next few weeks as I stream remotely with special guest mixes from our global Balearic Breakfast family and next week we have an interview with and a mix from DJ Paulette who has just published her first book ‘Welcome to the Club’. And once again, if you are a regular listener, please consider subscribing to my Mixcloud for £3 a month and a massive thank you to those who already subscribe. I appreciate your support." Listen back to the 169th episode of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST (1977) ELO – The Whale (2024) Laurent Bardainne & Tigre d’Eau Douce – Eden (1985/2023) The NM Band – She Wants (2024) Jim – The Ballad of San Marino (Mang Dynasty Remix) (1978) Steve Harley – I Don’t Believe God is an Anarchist (2024) North Satellite – The Stars Are Ours (Conrado’s Vox Dub) (2023) Residentes Balearicos & DJ Alfredo – Sundown (2017) Odyssey ft Romina Johnson – Inside Out (Al Kent Remix) (1980) The S.O.S. Band – Take Your Time (2024) Lady Lois Snead – I Found Out (Divine Who Rework) (2024) Tuccillo – Magari (1999) Majesitka – Majestika (1979) Mascara ft Luther Vandross – See You in LA / Jet Plane Ride (1982) Carly Simon – Why (1980) Erasmus Hall – Just Me and You (2001) 4Hero ft Carina Andersson – Les Fleur (1981) Mike Post ft Larry Carlton – The Theme from Hill Street Blues THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE Did you know ELO will be touring North America for their farewell tour? Well, if you haven't had the chance to see them live, the time has come, folks! Starting the show with The Whale, taken from the 1977 Classic Album "Out of the Blue", an instrumental musical piece including, in its beginning, the end of "Mr Blue Sky" reversed, Colleen sets the tone of this 168th edition of Balearic Breakfast! Still, this track is not their most Balearic from that album, as "Jungle" wins the lottery! Laurent Bardainne's Eden takes us to a contemplative mood; there is a sense of anticipation, an indirect expectation, in this laid-back musical piece. The NM Band's She Wants has been reissued in 2023 and also brings that cool yet plunging feeling towards the sky, a feeling confirmed by The Ballad of San Marino (Mang Dynasty Remix)! This edition of Balearic Breakfast WOWED the Balearic Breakfast Family at least two times. The first Wow effect hapenned when we discovered Steve Harley's I Don’t Believe God is an Anarchist. Although the song is not a happy thing, as far as the lyrics are concerned, the lightweight, dynamic and realistic musical structure fits this Cosmic edition very well! Keeping the Cosmi Balearic approach alive and well, Colleen takes us to the sky with North Satellite's The Stars Are Ours. Speaking about the choices he made while selecting the tracks for a remixing project, Eugene stated: "It's a theme which I already introduced as an instrumental in 2020 ("A Rising Sign"). To do a vocal variation seemed like an interesting move while I'm being reintroduced to the public this year. I think it makes a statement musically and lyrically. Hopefully it can attract people to the album if they haven't heard it yet. I was also looking for a concept where I could introduce the Cosmic Freestyle version which had been recorded as a kind of reprise at the end of the album, but I'd decided to save it for another project." The following number, DJ Alfredo's latest musical project, "Sundown", keeps the same slightly worried mind with a Balearic mindset open towards the sky's infinity. I discovered the track whilst publishing the post about the GoFundMe campaign launched in support of DJ Alfredo and simply felt I had to request it! Inside Out was another hit for Odyssey back in 1982, and what is interesting is that this Al Kent Remix shows how open the song is to this new, more neutral and slightly more worried, Balearic Treatment! Romina Johnson's voice shines here! What a nice way to start the second hour of the show by mixing this beautiful rework with The S.O.S. Band's Take Your Time! Colleen was on fire, and Boy, how happy we were!! This was another WOW moment for all of us for sure! Reading about the song on "Songfacts", I stumbled across this sentence: "Disco didn't die in 1980, it just got funkier"... Our funky, Cosmico Balearic Journey was in full bloom as Collen played the Divine Who Rework of Lady Lois Snead's "I Found Out" (Lois is still making music today!), followed by Tucillo's bouncy cosmic number that is Magari! One of the most beautiful mixes Colleen ever did is just here as she blends Tucillo's track with Majestika! Produced by Albert Cabrera and guitarist Cool Daddy, this funky number dates back to 1999 (oh, the secret weapon of well-produced tracks!). The voyaging sensation is also very much present in the next song. With See You in LA / Jet Plane Ride, Mascara proposes a musical escape that can hardly be matched. When asked about the recording of the album, Chris Hill answered: "I produced it, along with Jurgen Korduletsch (one-time husband of Claudia Barry). We originally recorded in Munich with session players like Kieth Forsey, and then we took the tracks to New York to cut the vocals. I asked the studio “fixer” to find me the best session singers available, and he came up with Ulla, David Lasley, and to my total surprise, Luther whose voice was familiar to just about everybody! However, the next thing that happened really blew me away! Luther asked if I could put down guide vocals for him as I knew all the tracks. That I did, and to this day, on the multi-track, the vocals consist of Luther and myself, singing together!". The last part of today's Balearic Breakfast show starts with what we consider here a "Timeless Classic": produced by the legendary Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic and played everywhere from the early Ibiza parties to the Paradise Garage, Carly Simon's very successful Why was featured in the 1982 movie "Soup for One" soundtrack! Keeping the flow on the cool side, once again, Colleen did a Beautiful mix here...; our Balearic Captain played Erasmus Hall's (the band's name comes from the building located in Chicago) classic song: Just Me and You. The album was remastered in 2014; for the sound lovers around, simply click here to get your grooves on! Winding down the Balearic route, the Balearic Breakfast Family enjoyed 4Hero ft Carina Andersson's Les Fleur. Colleen ended the show by playing the 1981 beautiful yet slightly sad Theme from Hill Street Blues. With such a show, I asked myself: "Are there any stars left in our musical sky?"...

Worldwide FM broadcast the 31st episode of Balearic Breakfast on March 30th 2021. About this show. – The title of this episode came to me towards the end of the listening session. It didn't immediately occur to me, but when listening to the show again, it made perfect sense. A lot of the tracks played by Colleen have that direct (or indirect) reference to the waltz. Knowing that she was still catching on to some of our springtime requests, and listening to her introduction to the show, it all fell logically into place. Contrasting with the situation that a lot of countries were experiencing on the Covid front back then, this 30th episode of Balearic Breakfast is a relaxed one; it will allow you to ease out, fly away, and find your new life in a never-ending Waltz... Listen back to the 30th edition of Balearic Breakfast: THE PLAYLIST Mark Hollis – The Daily Planet Caoilfhionn Rose – Being Human Fontän – Early Morning (feat. Studio) The Style Council – The Lodgers (Or she was only a Shopkeeper's Daughter) The Blackbyrds – April Showers Arthur Russell – In the Light of the Miracle Silver Pozzoli – Around My Dreams Ned Doheny – To prove my love Oby Onyioha – Enjoy your life Joe Simon – Love Vibration Womack & Womack – Conscious of My Conscience (Ashley Beedle edit) Desmond and the Tutus – Kiss You on the Cheek (King of Town Remix) Dan Kye – Raro Mental Remedy – The Sun. The Moon. Our Souls (Sacred Rhythm Version) Cesaria Evora – Carnaval de Sao Vincete (Jazzy Carnaval mix by François Kevorkian & Joe Claussell) Seawind – Pra Vosé Roisin Murphy – Ancora Ancora Ancora Nitin Sawhney – Exile THE DETAILED PLAYLIST Starting the show with two beautiful slow jams allowing us to dive into the music (Mark Hollis – The Daily Planet / Caoilfhionn Rose – Being Human), Colleen sets the picture with a nice dose of delicacy. Mark Hollis' last album was issued in 1998 and it showcases how delicate he was, and, interestingly enough, had always been even in his "Talk Talk" years (this is a feeling... and it is there even in songs like "It's my life"). Mark told Dutch magazine Music Minded in April 1998 “I wanted to make a record where you can’t hear when it has been made. Two albums that I really like are Sketches Of Spain and Porgy And Bess, records that Miles Davis made with Gil Evans. They used arrangements and a loose manner of playing [their instruments] for a clear atmosphere and suggestiveness. I wanted to create that as well.” There is a nice page to visit that presents this last album. "Being Human" is a beautiful and calm track that can be found on Caoilfhionn Rose's latest album to date, Awaken. By the way, she has a beautiful website, head over there. I absolutely love how, following these two tracks, Colleen steadily "strengthens up" the pace with the third song (Fontän – Early Morning (feat. Studio)), which is slightly slower but thicker in its sonic structure, without leaving the two other songs' power behind. We're in springtime's arms, and the rhythm keeps on rising without losing a nice dose of fresh air (The Style Council – The Lodgers), (though this song really seems to be a protest one). Taken from their 1985 album "Our Favourite Shop", the song really is a scathing attack on the class system and the lies told to keep present society together. Through different settings, Weller attacks the central lie, which he saw as if you play along and toe the line, you would come out on top. Society requires you to sell your integrity for the chance. Dee C. Lee who is brilliant on the entire album really shines on this track, and there is a stellar jazz interlude that is not to be missed. The track is a brilliant juxtapostioning of the commonly offered doggerel and reality. “The Lodgers” is Weller begging for some kind of wake-up call and change (talking about spring?)... Talking about fresh air, the next act just feels at its place (The Blackbyrds – April Showers). Stylistically, this song is close to Johnny Mathis' musical universe, without a shadow of a doubt! Taken from the 1974 studio album "Flying Start", this song fits the show as a glove, both musically and spiritually! Do you feel how much all of the tracks share a somewhat light (Arthur Russell – In the Light of the Miracle) and resolutely positive (Silver Pozzoli – Around My Dreams) approach? Taken from his posthumous 1994 album, "Another Thought", "In the Light of the Miracle" seems to share a common spirit with its predecessor in the show, take the time to read the lyrics of these two songs, the idea of a "new life" after someone's death seems to be there... (for a nicely written review of the album, read here). And, since we're talking about starting a "new life", dreams seem to fully be a part of that, especially when you're in love! For your musical information, Silver Puzzoli's "Around my Dreams", was covered by the Belgian duo Kazino, comprised of Nicolas Finn & Pierre-Henri Steyt and was a hit in its own right (reaching the top 10 in Belgium and France)! Colleen's delicate touch makes wonders as she takes us to the next song (Ned Doheny – To Prove My Love) – which isn't as lyrically positive as its predecessors though musically it takes us to a beautiful field of flowers, of course, dancing! Taken from Ned's 1979 studio album Prone, released in the United Kingdom and Japan, featuring a vocal chorus that Ned had not originally intended on using, the song became an underground dance hit in the U.K., receiving a 12-inch disco single pressing. “[It] was a big dance record in England, and I had no idea about it. It would have never enjoyed what it enjoyed in England if that vocal had not been there. I know that”. Keeping things light, we fly to the two next two songs (Oby Onyioha – Enjoy Your Life / Joe Simon – Love Vibration) that really gave this show its absolute Wow Moment! Oh, how much we all love these "small mixes" Colleen does during Balearic Breakfast! There you have it, in all of its perfection: this small mix (comprised of 4 well-mixed songs, without anything being forced musically nor rhythmically), really gave us all the Joy we needed, and it explains why I had to create this blog! You discover tracks you don't know in a beautiful musical context and you just fly away from life's problems! For your information, Oby Onyioha's "Enjoy Your Life" was recently issued in the beautiful triple lp compilation, Doing It In Lagos. And, sadly, Joe was to pass away at the end of this year on December 13 2021. "Love Vibration" was, of course, issued as a Maxi back in 1979. We just started the second hour of the show, and no signs of slowing down our beautiful Springtime dance (Womack & Womack – Conscious of My Conscience (Ashley Beedle Edit)). Can you see yourself dancing with a beautiful Lady in a white dress as the following track arrives with its realistic clappings and its very Balearic nature (Desmond and the Tutus – Kiss You on the Cheek)? We're in for another great moment of this show as the music flows, and the small counterpoint in the mixing is just absolutely perfect and enhances the following track (Dan Kye – Raro). Music is silence, and Colleen never furiously blends tracks together at all costs, when needed, when lets them breathe, respecting each track's "soul"; this is exactly what happens here (Mental Remedy – The Sun. The Moon. Our Souls (Sacred Rhythm Version)). Once again, these beautiful musical moments are rarely heard on other shows! With the last part of the show arriving, you should, by now, feel this post's title in your soul... (Cesaria Evora – Carnaval de Sao Vincete (Jazzy Carnaval mix) / Seawind – Pra Vosé). Of course, we didn't hear a single True Waltz during the show, but, nonetheless, its freedom lingers upon this show (strengthened by the next two songs, Roisin Murphy – Ancora Ancora Ancora / Nitin Sawhney – Exile). For your information, "Ancora Ancora Ancora" was famously covered in France by the great Nicole Croisille, the original song only being issued as a single and not being part of any studio album, though Mina sang it live in 1978... In the times we were facing, this 30th episode of Balearic Breakfast was like a bottle of liberty, mixed with a much-needed dose of Fresh Air, far away from the depressing news... And believe us, it perfectly did what it had to do... Watch Nitin Sawhney's interview with Colleen here:

The night is falling, and the sea rages in its perpetual agony... Somewhere in the distance, a light pulsates... I almost forgot I had a meeting tonight... A meeting at The Lighthouse... 1. Hello Olivier! It's heartwarming to have you here with us on the Balearic Breakfast blog! I wanted to discuss the Lighthouse so badly with you! I must admit that I took the time to listen back to the third track of your EP, "The Lighthouse", just after requesting it, and the guitar blew me away: hearing these «spiralling down notes» was a hypnotic experience! The whole EP is greatly mixed and beautifully mastered. Can you share with us what it takes to get to that level of sonic perfection? What gear do you use in your studio? Thank you so much, Artur... That's a pretty high compliment! Well, I tried to do whatever was necessary to create an immersive experience for the listener, transporting him to a lighthouse in the vast open sea. Truly, my first gear was... time! I dedicated as much time as possible to guide the listener on this journey, fueled by my deep passion for lighthouses and nature. Regarding the equipment, I tried to keep things simple: I utilized a pretty good Spanish guitar, a bass guitar, Rhodes microphones, a Zoom recorder for field recording sessions, and various analogue consoles. I also drew upon my years of experience collaborating with sound engineers and studying exceptional musical productions, such as those by Alan Parsons. I effectively worked thoroughly on the acoustic guitar's sound (which differs according to the tracks...). I searched for a different sound, not necessarily as gentle and delicate as it typically is. I wanted the guitar's sound to align with the immersive, tragic, and mysterious narrative... In short, I made the best out of what I had at hand. I'm thrilled to know that my intentions reached the listener so greatly, and it makes me wonder how You felt while listening to the EP, Artur... You know... The first thing I saw was the advertisement you did on Instagram. I mean, not many musicians nowadays incorporate "sound effects" into music, right? Pink Floyd did that back in the day with great results, and Roger Waters too on his solo Album "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking". When done wisely, the sounds enhance the music's message. I always did that, for instance, in my own mixes like "Swan Song" or "Shit Going Through". It's effectively all about immersion; music tells a story, and the additive sounds help anchor the whole experience, allowing the mind to create "pictures". I found myself whole in your concept; it resonated 100% with how I like to make music live. When listening to your EP at night, of course..., I immediately "saw" the Lighthouse. I felt its walls, the cold, the unbearable and painful loneliness, time ticking away, ghostly invisible figures, and I knew a part of my Soul went there; I felt her, and she sent me that letter, you know... Strangely enough, I also felt that "light evolution" in the third track. It wasn't as dark as the two other ones, and that's why I requested it. Knowing Colleen's appetite for great-sounding tunes, this last track had everything I felt the show was about: the Balearic touch, the strangeness and the evolutive structure, going from darkness to light. It really made me think about our Dear David Mancuso for obvious reasons... The whole "Lighthouse" experience was something I needed to share, and here we are... 2. Speaking about sound effects, and given the insane amount of work you put into the editing process (working with nature's sound and other sounds to enhance your musical message), when do you know a sound can be added to your mix? Is it a feeling, or do you have a story in mind while composing? An insane amount of work... You're right! (laughs!) I literally put my whole life on hold for about a year to complete the first part of the project! As for the sounds, they are both a feeling (as I’m so moved and touched by every nuance, every detail of these layers of sounds, offering them to your ears) and a story: as you said perfectly, music does not tell anything explicitly by itself, and, since there are no words spoken, sounds immerse and guide you in your eerie experience. At the same time, you’re still free to imagine what you want. So, I use them to make you feel contemplative and introspective and to make you understand what happens. I design them accordingly to align with the music, as they do in concrete music, or as Damian Volpe did for the film The Lighthouse. But my tracks are also a hymn to nature, which was not the film's point. I must add that the musical aim is central: the roaring sea plays the bass, birds and all the strange creatures play in the midrange, the high wind in the treble… I enjoy doing that! All these sounds become music, not just an atmosphere; they align with the lantern's ostinato... Nature is rough and requires much listening to be set to music and thus revealed... I really worked my soul for this experience to be Unexpected, and I was surprised by the results when I listened back to the EP: the whole movements of the tracks became independent of my own will; they speak for themselves, they are not me, it’s the Lighthouse... who is talking to you... 3. Speaking about lighthouses, you seem passionate about them as you are part of the French SNPB! How did the whole idea come to your mind? I’m fascinated by lighthouses. I can say I love them! They challenge nature and the people who keep them: on the high seas, they stand alone in dangerous places where nobody should be. Moreover, lighthouses are so important in the cultural domain... There are so many dramatic tales about them! This is why I am honoured to share SNPB's advocacy for preserving the cultural legacy and the future of these incredible buildings, which are now automated and completely unmanned, leading to their widespread abandonment. You know, lighthouses are places of unique solitude, connecting with nature's elements, evoking a range of emotions including fear, tenderness, despair, and love. After experiencing a stay in a lighthouse, it's hard to view the world the same way; it alters everything, and I'm still exploring that change. I opted for an esoteric approach, a peculiar musical narrative, to convey that transformative power to the listener... 4. It's all so captivating, Olivier... Can you share your musical journey with us? Do other musicians work with you on the Lighthouse project? I’m so glad you talk about it, Artur! (laughs!) It's an incredible journey! A journey searching for what lies behind... I composed the first part of the music in a lighthouse in Scotland... And, in a lighthouse... You’re alone! So I don’t have any other musicians with me; I do everything by myself. I must confess that my beloved brother Guillaume, who is a musician, and a music lover, advises me at every step of the process, though. I would not have done all of this without him... For instance, during a summer night recording session on the island of Ouessant, I was deeply focused on the organ part of the third track... And, at one point, I Found Something... I was so excited that I called my brother at 2 a.m. to share my discovery with him. Thanks to his assistance, I regained composure and executed the piece accurately before dawn. It was the best moment to do that as I was in a good mood to build this scary but also sweet passage... 5. That's crazy; I find myself so much in what you share here, Olivier (laughs!). I also spent hours on 5 minutes of a mix because I knew I had found something tremendously perfect! Actually, you are still working on the album as we speak! As discussed earlier, the three first songs share a common “musical base” that opens up in the last track towards its end. Do you feel the rest of the album will be as worried as it's beginning, or can the clouds lift up? Thank you once again, Artur... That’s so well said. Well, the clouds… They will disperse a bit later... The Lighthouse project aims somewhat to awaken people from a kind of numbness we can all experience sometimes… I'm open to everyone's suggestions as far as the Lighthouse story goes, even if I have my own ideas... How about the island having a beautiful cave, which would be a safe haven, for instance, or a dance floor at the top of the lighthouse... in the end? I will take everybody in... You first dear Artur! What is certain, though, is that dawn will come... Only the constant sound of the lighthouse's lantern, an ostinato in D, and your very self will remain... deeply moved, maybe lost, for sure, by this incredible night... Thank you so Much, Olivier... Watch out for the Lighthouse... Artur... https://www.mentensel.com/

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 112nd episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on November 8th 2022. About this episode. – Good morning! After a week’s break I feel rested and ready for the next era of Balearic Breakfast. I’ll be streaming on my Mixcloud Live and Twitch TV this coming Tuesday from 10 am to 12 noon GMT and then the show will be archived on my Mixcloud. Go on - tell me what you would like to hear 🍁🎶 Did you notice the slight change in the post's presentation line, going from "Worldwide FM broadcast..." to "Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast..."? Well, times were changing since Worldwidefm had to reduce its activity. Still, there was no way for the Family to leave the Balearic Breakfast ship nor to wave goodbye to its Musical and oh-so-courageous Captain... So, when Colleen greeted us with a new request line offering to follow her in a new musical era of our beloved show, we answered all as one, making requests that showcased how we all felt about this fresh start. All I can say is that this 112th episode of Balearic Breakfast holds both hope and sadness in its musical soul, a "questioning sadness" (John Martyn – Bless the Weather), I would say, one that asks about what's ahead without entirely accepting its nature (Massive Attack – Weather Storm; Rhetta Hughes – Throwing It All Away)... There is a sense of discovery in that 112th episode (Cornelius – Tone Twilight Zone; Labi Siffre – Watch Me; Primal Scream – Higher than the Sun (The Orb Mix); John Lee & Gerry Bown – Celebration); the music has a somewhat "unexpected" nature (Gabriels – To the Moon and Back; Chez Damier – Close; Xavier – Love is on the One), and it is often slightly "mysterious" too (Quantic – The 5th Exotic). I love diving deep into the older shows; since I don't remember what was going on back then on the chat, I always try to find the hidden message from each of the shows and I thus consider them as real "albums", giving them several listens (up to 4/5), really taking the time to find the "right feeling" and to be sure I don't write too much stupid stuff ^^ All in all, It is one of these episodes that I absolutely love listening to again and again; it has depth, and it quickly became, rightfully, very successful! Wow - my first Balearic Breakfast stream/upload post Worldwide FM is now number one in the Mixcloud Balearic charts! Thanks to all of you who helped make this happen - I really appreciate your support. See you tomorrow (Tuesday) from 10am to 12 noon GMT on my Mixcloud Live for the next weekly helping of Balearic Breakfast. Listen back to the 113rd episode of Balearic Breakfast: The new era of Balearic Breakfast has begun! This morning we streamed on my Mixcloud Live and Twitch TV from 10 am to 12 noon and I would like to thank everyone who joined us - it was quite the turnout! And thanks for your requests, too. The show is now archived with a playlist on my Mixcloud. The Wow Effect. – The feeling of "strangeness" and "expectation" can be easily heard in the first part of the show, where we discovered real new gems like Gabriel's "To the Moon and Back". This track is not your ordinary Jazz beauty... Other tracks that wowed the Family included the absolutely beautiful Rhetta Hughes' "Throwing It All Away", which has that light sadness mixed with the anticipation of a new start! New Music. – This episode allowed us to discover the following new songs: Gabriels – To the Moon and Back (serendeepity.net) SAULT – Love Is All I Know (Bandcamp) PLAYLIST Cornelius – Tone Twilight Zone John Martyn – Bless the Weather Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin' Labi Siffre – Watch Me Gabriels – To the Moon and Back Primal Scream – Higher than the Sun (The Orb Mix) Massive Attack – Weather Storm Rhetta Hughes – Throwing It All Away Stevie Wonder – Love Light in Flight (DJ M remix) Quantic – The 5th Exotic Chez Damier – Close Xavier – Love is on the One Gary Toms Empire – Sexy Lady Bohannon – Let’s Start the Dance III (Francois Kevorkian Mix) John Lee & Gerry Bown – Celebration GALXTC – Life is a Mirror SAULT – Love Is All I Know Kerri Chandler & Roy Ayers – Good Vibrations Shaboom – Bessie The Return – New Day GALLERY & STORIES Click on the images to find out more...

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 180th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on June 18th 2024. About this show. – Once again, our dear Captain was very busy a few days before today's show! On Saturday afternoon, the 15th of June, Colleen celebrated the release of the "Balearic Breakfast Vol 3" vinyl compilation, including Zero7 (Sam Hardiker) and Flamingo Piers band members, and Balearic Breakfast Family's members (like Lee Zee, Mark Sanford, who came along with his son, or even our dear Bert François), and also John (@film2046 on Instagram). Bert and John Kindly shared beautiful pictures with me of the event that took place at the @ntloft. The weather was not very Balearic, but judging from the pictures and videos shared on Colleen's socials, it was a moment not to be missed, climaxing on a song we all know... Today's show was an absolutely stunning, coherent musical voyage, and I really don't think I will need to explain the post's title to you, as a majority of the songs played perfectly present its philosophical message... All right, all right, maybe a tiny touch then! 🦁 As always, let's hand the mic to our dear Captain...: "This morning’s Balearic Breakfast is now up on my Mixcloud and features tributes to two recently passed talents: Angela Bofill and Francoise Hardy. Also featured are my forthcoming Cosmodelica remix of @bryonyjarmanpinto (coming out on @tru_thoughts on the 11th July) and a host of soulful and Balearic sounds. Thank you for your requests this week and don’t forget next Tuesday will be our Balearic Breakfast Pride special. Please suggest songs by artists from the LBGT community when I post the request line on my socials this Saturday. And if you are in East Anglia, this weekend I’m playing two sets at @firstlightlowestoft in Lowestoft – a Saturday evening set from 7 to 8 pm and then a Balearic Breakfast sunrise set the following morning on Sunday from 5 to 6 am. Join us to be the first Brits to welcome the sun during the summer solstice weekend on the most eastern point of the UK. And if you aren’t headed to Glastonbury and are looking for a last minute escape, we are hosting our @lastnote_party Summer party on Saturday, the 29th June on an olive farm in the beautiful mountains of Umbria in central Italy. For more info please contact infolastnote@gmail.com Have a great week and thanks for listening." Note: Colleen will be featured in DJ Emma's "Boogie Boulevard" show this very Friday, on 1BTN! Listen back to the 180th edition of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST (2019) Roseaux (feat. Olle Nyman) – Heart & Soul (1978) Angela Bofill – Summer Days (1978) Angela Bofill – Over the Moon and Under the Sky (1981) Angela Bofill – Tropical Love (2001) Soulstice – Wind (Fila Brazilia Mix) (1980) Rick James – Summer Love (1980) Starship Orchestra – New-York New-York (2024) Casinoboy – Searos (2024) Charlotte & Reinhard – Guardian of Sleep (2014) Deadbeat & Paul St Hilaire – Peace and Love (NOL) Copanema – Se Voce Disse Que Vem (1981) Teena Marie – Portuguese Love (1979) Southern Exposure – On Our Way (John Luongo Mix) (2024) Bryony Jarman-Pinto – Moving Forward (Cosmodelica Remix) (2023) Alfredo Linares – La Musica por Dentro (José Parla & Phenomenal Handclap Band Remix) (2024) Balearic Jukebox – Feel The Magic (Discoteca Dub) (1977) Norman Connors – Once I've Been There (1991) Urban Soul – Alright (Club Mix) (1988) Francoise Hardy – Partir Quand Même THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE This 179th episode of Balearic Breakfast is all about Love's strong (yet painful and somehow disillusioned) reality. Love can hurt, regardless of the people involved… Sometimes, Life makes it impossible for its wings to open in the wind’s inviting dance, and painful decisions must be taken... The opening song (by the French trio "Roseaux", or Reed in English) [Note 1] perfectly represents the yearning one feels when being in Love, the light pain, the Hope, the Need to be close to the loved one, the need to take care of the "Aura"... This feeling of belonging will stay present throughout the whole show, and is also greatly presented in Angella Bofill's songs [Note 2], the tonality really says it all here (and of course the lyrics)! Colleen takes a direct approach in her mix for Angella Boffil's second track [Note 3]. This song was, of course, already featured in the show in the past, and we also feel here the escapism that takes place when someone is in love! Keeping the Soulful vibe alive, Colleen then plays the very natural-sounding "Tropical Love" [Note 4], taking us to a musical embrace like no other... The Lush atmosphere is enhanced by the following song, Wind (Fila Brazilia Mix) [Note 5], which keeps the soulful vibe as vibrant as ever, even somewhat bringing the worried feeling felt in the previous songs to the forefront... Rick James' "Summer Love" [Note 6] shares a very close rhythm with the previous song. We still have all of the elements we already described here, with slightly more positivity in the air this time around, and we're really in for a lover's dancing moment with our dear Captain! In the next song, the very jazzy Starship Orchestra's "New-York New-York” [Note 7], the love groove is definitely lost, and strangely enough, the same feeling is present in Casinoboy's "Searos" [Note 8], which keeps the "walking" rhythm found in the previous track, vibrant. There’s something here, something driving the listener ahead no matter how bad the weather is... These two tracks go so well together when you think about it; listen back to the show, and you'll see what I mean... Colleen is always striving for musical unity when she works on her shows! The next song, Charlotte & Reinhard's "Guardian of Sleep" opens up the sky [Note 9]; although we still feel it's always quite low over our heads. This feeling does not change with the machine and dubby-like sounding number that is Deadbeat & Paul St Hilaire's "Peace and Love" [Note 10]. You should be able to picture the show's evolution by now; from a yearning, we moved to a closer part of the relationship, only to be thrown into a more worried reality. What a beautiful and pictural musical path! The second hour of the show starts with Copanema's "Se Voce Disse Que Vem" (you told me you'd be coming) [Note 11], which clearly is an invitation to the loved one! We really dig deep into the Lover's Soulful Truth, don't we?! Colleen really knows how to make the music flow. Listen to how beautifully she introduces Teena Marie's Portuguese Love [Note 12]. What's not to love in this mix?! She enhances Copanema's "Se Voce Disse Que Vem" with "Portugueses love's" dynamic introduction; well done, Colleen! Furthermore, the Soulful intention is so present here it reaches new heights! The "Drive" this 179th episode has is really something to experience; the road is so beautiful, full of twists and turns, with ups and downs. It is long, and you never know what is going to happen under that lover's sky! The loving car keeps on rolling on the mountain's road as Southern Exposure's "On Our Way (John Luongo Mix)" [Note 13] starts! Do you see what I hear Musically since the beginning of this second hour? I feel we never touched such "large visuals" before this episode, it's really a show we could turn into a comic! Starting the last half-hour of the show with her own remix of Bryony Jarman-Pinto's "Moving Forward" [Note 14], Colleen allows the listener to discover another emotion of the Lover's Soulful truth! As I wrote on the blog a few weeks ago (this song was featured on the last Balearic Brunch aired on NTS on June 1st 2024): "Even if it is being said that "Moving Forward" celebrates the deep sense of security and steadfastness Bryony cherishes with her partner while navigating parenthood together (read more about these changing times for Bryony here), this uplifting song has a broader meaning perfectly fitting today's show!". I still think the same about this song right now! While Colleens slightly changes up the pace here, "La Musica por Dentro" [Note 15] still very much showcases what's inside a lover's mind, the very Balearic tune perfectly embracing today's theme! And then, we're taken out of this world as Colleen blends the previous track with Balearic Jukebox's "Feel The Magic (Discoteca Dub)" [Note 16] in an absolutely Perfect Mix. I mean WOW!! Taking us to the ultimate level, Colleen plays two songs that nicely go together: the joyful Norman Connors' "Once I've Been There" [Note 17] followed by Urban Soul's "Alright (Club Mix)" [Note 18], beautifully ending the show with Françoise Hardy's moving song "Partir Quand Même" (Leaving Anyway) [Note 19] (a song about a woman who chooses her freedom over love's imprisoning grips...), fully closing today's "Lover's Soulful Truth" themed show... Footnotes: [Note 1] 'Heart and Soul' by French music project Roseau, featuring the vocals of Olle Nyman, who I believe is a Swedish singer-songwriter, has a couple of records out. And that is from Roseau's second album, Roseau II, released in 2019. [Note 2] Angela Bofill, sadly passed to the next realm last week. The singer songwriter was born and raised in the Bronx to Cuban and Puerto Rican parents. She studied music growing up, and she performed in New York City's All City Chorus, which featured the best singers from the city's high schools across the five boroughs. Angela Bofill got her break when Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen signed her to their GRP label, which was a smoking hot label in the late 70s and early 80s. They produced her debut album, Angie, which featured the single This Time I'll Be Sweeter, which was co-written by Gwen Guthrie. Her following album, Angel of the Night, had more success, and then she signed to Clive Davis's Arista label in the 1980s. She worked with Narada Michael Walden, The System, and George Duke and was one of the first visible Latina artists in the world of R&B. And what a voice she had, effortless, beautiful, a voice that has resonated with many of you. This is a song from Angela Bofill's debut album that welcomes in the solstice this week. Here she is with Summer Days. [Note 3] 'Over the Moon and Under the Sky' was reissued on Grooveline as a 12-inch with her version of People Get Ready, on the other side. [Note 4] Angela Bofill's 'Tropical Love' from her third album, 1981's Something About You. [Note 5] Soulstice's 'Wind' features the brother and sister duo of Gabriel and Gina Rene, along with Andy Caldwell and turntablist Mei-Lwun Yee. [Note 6] The very talented, yet very complex, late Rick James with 'Summer Love' from his fourth album, Garden of Love on Gordy Records, a subsidiary of Motown. And that was the label that enthralled the young Rick James who idolized Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye. It was James's following album, 1981's Street Songs, that brought him his greatest success with the massive Top 40 hit Super Freak. But Rick James' career and life were to spiral out of control in the following years. Still, he was a great musician, a great, great producer, and also a colleague and mentor to Teena Marie. [Note 7] 'New York, New York' by Starship Orchestra, featuring vocals by Joe Salter, produced by Norman Connors. In fact, some of the band members were frequent collaborators of Connors, playing on his albums. And also another group that Norman Connors put together called Aquarian Dream. [Note 8] London producer and DJ Toby Tobias wears many hats, including that of Breaks producer Alphonse. He also goes as Casinoboy with a more mellow, shall we say, Balearic style. 'Searos' is his first release as Casino Boy on the Rimini, Italy-based label Duca Bianco in over a decade. [Note 9] 'Guardian of Sleep' is the title track from the latest EP by Belgian duo Charlotte and Reinhard, now out on Music for Dreams. It's a taster from their forthcoming album. And these two are also members of one of my favorite modern European disco house collectives, Reinsand, also on Music for Dreams. [Note 10] 'Peace and Love' by Canadian-born Berlin-based producer, sound artist, and music technology educator Deadbeat, born Scott Monteith, with the vocals of Paul Saint-Hilaire. The Caribbean singer-songwriter also goes by the name Tiki Man but had to stop using that name about 20 years ago after doing a great album with Rhythm and Sound, which is basically the guys from Basic Channel. [Note 11] Copanema's 'Se Voce Disse Que Vem' was just sent over to me by the label head, Kenneth Bayer, and I'm really feeling it. It's one of his own projects, Copanema, fusing Danish artists like Trolls Hammer, along with Brazilian artists. So, Copa is for Copenhagen, and Nema is for Ipanema. Now, this outfit released one album in 2019, the double album Deixa A Música Tocar, and this one will be featured on their forthcoming album. [Note 12] The inimitable Teena Marie with 'Portuguese Love' from her fourth LP, 'It Must Be Magic', fully written and produced by Marie herself, who was nominated for Best Female R&B Performance at the 1982 Grammys for that one. [Note 13] Southern Exposure, a one-off Canadian disco project led by Willie Morrison and Ian Dunter, who are also behind THP Orchestra, or Three Hats Productions. You may remember THP's 'Two for Love'. They did four albums, actually. But this project, Southern Exposure, was a one-off, and they released one EP called Headin' South, and we just heard the lead single remixed by Boston native John Luongo. Grooveline Records put out a great double CD of his remixes called 'Can You Feel the Force', which is named after Luongo's remix for A Real Thing. There's also remixes for Dan Hartman, Jacksons, Patti LaBelle, Johnny Mathis, Marlena Shaw, Melba Moore, Santana. Truly a stellar catalogue of remixes. [Note 14] Bryony Jarman Pinto is a gifted singer, songwriter, and musician who was born in London and raised in Lancaster. Five years ago, she released her first album, Cage and Avery, on the Future Soul label, True Thoughts, a really great label. She has a gorgeous sound that seamlessly blends folk, jazz, and soul. So I was absolutely delighted when I was asked to remix a single from her latest and second album, 'Below Dawn'. It's an album that's a poignant reflection on pregnancy and motherhood. It's a really intimate album. I've remixed her forthcoming single, which will be released on the 11th of July. [Note 15] Alfredo Linares with 'La Musica Por Dentro', originally from his 1974 'Mi Nuevo Ritmo' studio album. The remix is by José Parlá and Phenomenal Handclap Band's Daniel Colas. Jose Parla is a Brooklyn-based painter who has a platform called Re-Latin. Alfredo Linares is a Peruvian-born Columbia-residing pianist and a bit of a cult figure in South America, who's also played with the Quantic Soul Orchestra. 'La Musica Por Dentro' came out on 7-inch on the Spanish label Mushroom Pillow last year. [Note 16] This is Balearic Jukebox, who are based in Brighton on the southern Riviera of England, with 'Feel the Magic', a very non-Balearic shingle beach. Balearic Jukebox just released this on Bandcamp, which has three different very good remixes. [Note 17] The multi-talented drummer, composer, songwriter, and producer Norman Connors grew up in Philly and once sat in for drummer Elvin Jones at a John Coltrane performance while he was still in middle school. He worked with Michael Henderson, Gene Karn, Phyllis Hyman, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and had so many projects of his own, as I mentioned earlier in the show. 'Once I've Been There' is a cut from his 1977 album 'Romantic Journey'. [Note 18] 'Alright (Club Mix)' is a 1991 single from Urban Soul, who is Roland Clark. Such a great catalog of music. He has soulful house sounds. The club mix was remixed by two guys I used to see all the time when I worked at the New York record shop 'Dance Tracks' back in the 90s. Freddie Sanon from Shelter Records and Manny Diaz from Polar Records. Had a lot of great stuff like 'The Black Rascals' and 'Casio Air'. [Note 19] The late French singer, songwriter, actress, and icon Françoise Hardy rose to fame early on with her song Tous les Garçons et les Filles, and then her career spanned for over half a century, during which she released 30 albums. She was also a muse to fashion designers like Yves Saint-Laurent and Paco Rabanne and not only that, but she developed a career as an astrologer, and she wrote both fiction and non-fiction books. She is a multi-talented woman who'll be very missed but who made the most out of her 80 years. Sadly, she succumbed to lymphatic cancer, which she'd struggled with for the last two decades of her life, and she recently passed away just a few days ago. 'Partir Quand Même', composed by Jacques Dutronc, is taken from her 1988 studio album 'Décalages'.

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 183rd episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on July 9th 2024. About this episode. – Among the themes the Balearic Breakfast Familly loves the most, musically speaking, is the one of Change! We love it when Colleen offers us the opportunity to request songs dealing with change; there are so many possibilities and so many great songs to choose from! Lately, the winds of change have been blowing through Europe, with several Parliamentary elections happening in a close time frame. With these changing times, Colleen asked us on Saturday, June 6th, 2024, to request songs reflecting the era we're all going through: "Even the pillar boxes are getting in on the action The cuppa is a quintessential British rite and this morning as we drink our tea some of us are celebrating the end of 14 years of Tory rule. What the future has in store for us - who knows - we can only hope but at least there is change And yesterday was a new moon and that signifies new beginnings. So for this coming Tuesday’s Balearic Breakfast let’s spotlight songs about new beginnings and transformation. You always rise to the occasion when there is a musical theme and I look forward to your requests as always." Following our exchanges on Colleen's request line, today's show was unique. We're going to see together how this episode translates the changing times! "This morning’s Balearic Breakfast is now up on my Mixcloud at https://shorturl.at/ESTT1 and the theme is change, new beginnings and transformation as thankfully here in the UK many of us are celebrating the end of 14 years of Tory rule. Change is coming and fingers crossed. Today’s show spotlights some of our old favourites – songs that have been played on the show before but hey – Balearic Breakfast has been going for nearly 4 years now so there is a repeat license in play even if I seldom do it. In any case, it’s good to hear some of these songs sitting next to each other as they take on a different meaning. And of course, there are other tunes that have never been played as well. So for now, sit back and enjoy a hopefully transformative selection of songs." Listen back to the 183rd episode of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST (2017) Phil France – Transition (2008) Low Motion Disco – Things Are Gonna Get Easier (1971) Nina Simone – New World Coming (1971) Gil Scott-Heron – I Think I'll Call It Morning (2022) Jasmine Myra – New Beginnings (1975) Lonnie Liston Smith – Visions of a New World (1992) Incognito – Change (1975) Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – Wake Up Everybody (2020) Buju Banton – The World is Changing (2006) Dennis Bovell – Pickin’ Up The Pieces (1969) Chicago – Beginnings (1995) Vanessa Daou – Autumn Perspective (1987) Pet Shop Boys – A New Life (1983) Imagination – Changes (Larry Levan Remix) (1988) INXS – New Sensation (Nick's 12-inch Mix) (1992) Love Tempo – Change for the Better (Yvonne Turner Freestyle Mix) (1999) Groove Collective – Everything is Changing (2024) House of Spirits – Times are Changing (2018) Underground Resistance – Transition THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE (coming soon) Change is in the air, Politically but, more importantly... Musically. When you listen back to this very episode, take the time to listen to the structure of the songs, to the effects used, to their inner freedom. It's all crystal clear, and this structural unity is one of the strongest we ever had on the show. Even Colleen's mixes and the order she chose for the songs denote a never-felt originality; the show taking much more time to enter is transcendental atmosphere, shall I say. And it all starts with the opening song, which is Phil France's "Transition"! Sound effects, electronic sounds melting into a beautiful string section, waving dynamics, impeccable mixing and mastering... A mesmerising track to start the show, indeed! As Low Motion Disco's "Things Are Gonna Get Easier" starts, we clearly hear how well these two first songs go together! They're both very original, with a very close rhythm, and they have a close relationship sound-effect-wise! If you take the time to watch the waveform on SoundCloud, you'll also notice how they both gain Volume as time goes by! Clearly, there is an extension to higher grounds here, and despite Mixcloud's compressed audio spectrum, you can hear that rhythmic guitar's realism on the right! Colleen keeps the interesting flow intact by playing Nina Simone's "New World Coming", another song with an impeccable strange, unexpected evolving sonic and rhythmic structure! I love how Nina Simone's song "ends" Low Motion Disco's number... Being a DJ is not always about beatmatching, but also about making the song discuss to one another. Colleen really does that so perfectly, I never get tired of listening to her mixes when she lets her originality fly, it's always refreshing! Since we're flying high on the winds of change, there's no better moment than to play Gil Scott-Heron's "I Think I'll Call It Morning", one of the Wow moments of the show without a shadow of a doubt because we keep the freed musical structure the previous tracks all have but also I feel this track does a nice intellectual dialogue with Nina Simone's one. Yes, There's a nice conversation here, a leading conversation! Manchester-based composer, bassist, and producer Phil France was a key collaborator in the Cinematic Orchestra. Transition is taken from his album The Swimmer, first released on 26.2 Records and then reissued on Guantanamo Records in 2013. Five years later, he released the album Circle and, since then, he's done some film scoring. Transition, sonically captures the feeling of new birth and change. – Speaking of his album, Phil explained: "I’ve always been fascinated by water but had never been confident in it so I took some time and taught myself how to swim properly. It was at this point that I started to think what my album could be about, and I wrote the title track, The Swimmer. I was thinking about big blocks of sound, minimal and electronically influenced, that I could develop and shift through each of the compositions. So the reality of swimming - the focusing on breathing, the repetitive physical motion and the sense of improved well-being - were qualities I tried to capture in the music." The cover of the song 'Ooh Child' was made a hit in 1970 by the Five Stairsteps, known at the time as the first family of soul before passing that title on to the Jackson Five. Keni Burke of rising to the top fame was one of the siblings in the Five Stairsteps. So there's your trivia for the day. Things Are Gonna Get Easier is a cover version released on Eskimo Recordings back in 2008 by Swiss chill-out duo Low Motion Disco. And it was on their debut album, Keep It Low. – The band's name has a nice stoty to it: "...we have developed a way to dance while not moving. We do it standing at a bar, or sitting on a sofa, in a car, wherever. While doing this, we groove and shake like hell, it just doesn't show on the outside. This technique is the basis of all we do. We call it 'low motion disco.'" New World Coming is a song that expressed hope when there was despair, when it was written by husband and wife songwriting duo, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil (sadly, she passed away in june 2023), who originally penned it for Mama Cass of the Mamas and Papas. It was a hit for her in 1970. Nina Simone recorded it for her covers album, Here Comes the Sun, released in 1971. Gil Scott Heron's "I think I'll call it Morning" is taken from his 1971 debut album, Pieces of a Man (more about his studio recordings here and a Biography there), with the wonderful Brian Jackson accompanying him on keys (Brian Jackson will be performing again at We Out Here this year). It's an optimistic song, one that asks us to be more self-aware. Why should we subscribe to the world's madness? Instead, let's take that piece of sunshine and paint it all over our skies. – “You can’t just start screaming at everybody. Everybody knows there are things wrong with this planet. But in order to make it through all the things that are going to happen to you in your life, you need to maintain humor. It’s the most important aspect of yourself.” – Gil Scott-Heron in an interview with Wax Poetics, Pieces of a Man, p. 76 Jasmine Myra's "New Beginnings" perfectly follows Scott-Heron's song. The rhythm is also very close yet less "direct". There's more groove on this side. In French, we'd say "c'est plus chaloupé" (it's more "choppy" if that makes any sense in English, laughs!). We still have these tiny rhythmic variations in how the instruments interact; what a beautiful sense of freedom Jasmine Myra's track has! Colleen perfectly respects that freedom by playing the very open-minded, "erected" Lonnie Liston Smith's "Visions of a New World"! This track is an ode to freedom and originality in all of their forms. Listen to the groovy part, how it starts building and see how the main theme slowly and indirectly reappears... Mesmerising... From London-based saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Jasmine Meara on Matthew Halsall's forward-thinking Gondwana label. Jasmine released her second album, Rising (written and composed in the midst of personnal rather sad times), in May, a follow-up to her 2022 debut, Horizons (written and composed during lockdown). And it has firmly placed her as one of the rising stars of the UK jazz scene. The title track to keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith's album and his working band, The Cosmic Echoes. 1975's Visions of a New World is a gorgeous album in the meditative soul jazz vein. Lonnie Liston Smith released a record on the Jazz Is Dead label co-founded by a tribe called Quest Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Entering another section of the show, Colleen then plays the directly groovy number that Incognito's "Change" is, followed by our beloved Classic, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes' "Wake Up Everybody", both tracks sharing a close tonality/rhythm, it's all in the groove 😉. The next song, Buju Banton's "The World is Changing" keeps that rhythmic unity (although its sonic structure is different, of course). Yet, the main ingredient, "the reaching out" if I can put it that way, is still present! Of course, the track's sonic and rhythmic structure is very original! Surprisingly, Colleen ends the first hour of the show with Dennis Bovell's "Pickin’ Up The Pieces", a rather classical reggae number that suits the show for obvious musical reasons... Change, a single from British soul-funk jazz band Incognito, from their third LP, 1992's Tribes, Vibes and Scribes. A great song from Bluey and Crew that still resonates today. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes with Wake Up Everybody, the title track to their 1975 album, featuring lead vocals by none other than the late Teddy Pendergrass (it was composed by John Whitehead, Gene McFadden and Victor Carstarphen (!!)). And if you haven't seen the documentary about Pendergrass, if you don't know me, it is a must. It explores the rise of Pendergrass, who rose to fame in the 1970s and early 80s, until he had a life-changing accident, and then an incredible comeback against All Odds. – A new version has been recently recorded and issued with somewhat changed lyrics, listen to it here. Dancehall artist Buju Banton, a Grammy award winner, was unable to attend the ceremony to collect his award as he had just been convicted of drug smuggling and spent several years in a US prison before returning to his homeland of Jamaica and embarking upon his long walk to freedom tour in 2018. Two years later, he released his first album since his Grammy winning 2010 LP. It's called Upside Down 2020 and was released during the pandemic to critical acclaim. Picking Up the Pieces by British dub master Dennis Bovell originally came out on Bovell's album All Over the World, but it's also featured on the double vinyl retrospective compilation, The Dub Master. Bovell has more feathers to his cap than just dub, having produced punk group The Slits first LP, and he was a founding member of UK kingpin Matumbi, UK reggae kingpin band, I should say Matumbi. He's also the architect behind the uniquely British Jamaican genre of lovers rock as well. He has an incredible story. The second hour of the show starts with an upbeat number, nicely contrasting with the previous cool cat, Chicago's "Beginnings" (and a Happy Birthday to Carmen Estrada!), ending in a beautiful Balearic sonic bombamaganza, nicely followed by the strange kaleidoscope that is Vanessa Daou's Autumn Perspective perfectly blended into Pet Shop Boys's "A New Life", Colleen keeping this wonderful mini mix together with Larry Levan's "incredible Changes remix", ending it with the Rocky/Poppy bombamaganza number that is INXS' "New Sensation"! I Mean... W O W ! ! ! Wow, because of the rhythmic unity of the last five tracks but also because the Happy Bouncing moment took longer to arrive than it usually does in the show! Changes indeed!! Chicago's Beginnings from the Chicago Transit Authorities, eponymously titled debut album released in 1969. At first the single failed to chart, but then it became a hit like the album itself, which was a sleeper and didn't really make an impact until two years later when it reached the Billboard charts and then stayed on there for 171 weeks over three years. Chicago songwriter Robert Lamb said he was inspired to write Beginnings because of a Richie Havens performance. Vanessa Daou, the American singer, songwriter, dancer and visual artist whose solo debut album Ziplist released 30 years ago, put the words of Erika Jong to music. Jong wrote the feminist female sexuality novel Fear of Flying in 1973. Zipless was produced by Vanessa's former husband, Peter Daou, who many of you know as a keyboard player, who often collaborate with Danny Tanaglia. And the couple had collaborated as The Daou. Vanessa Daou's Zipless is set to be reissued. A New Life from the Pet Shop Boys, 1987 LP, Actually, which critiqued Martin Thatcher's government. Imagination with Changes, some British soul reimagined by a New Yorker. The original version is a single from their second album, In the Heat of the Night, which features another one of my favorites, Just an Illusion. Changes was given the Paradise Garage treatment and was then featured on their incredible remix album, Nightdubbing, which kind of followed in the footsteps of albums like Black Uhuru's Dub Factor, which featured remixes of past songs. The late Michael Hutchence and INXS with New Sensation, the hit single from the Australian band's sixth album Kick, was produced by Chris Thomas, a producer for the Beatles, Roxy Music, Pretenders, Sex Pistols and more. Kick was INXS' most commercially successful album, released a decade before Hutchence's tragic suicide. Today's second mini mix starts on the slower side with the very Balearic and clubby number Love Tempo's "Change for the Better" (The Yvonne Turner Freestyle Mix), followed by Groove Collective's "Everything is Changing", Colleen ending this simple yet effective mini mix by perfectly mixing in House of Spirits' "Times are Changing"! Ending the show with the speedy Transition by Underground Resistance, it seems obvious that Colleen took a speed train for Change, allowing her to have Visions of a New World... The 1992 single from Love Tempo, Change for the Better. Love Tempo was a duo of two friends of mine, Tommy Musto from Suburban Records who gave me my first production opportunity. He said he wanted to release my first record when I was working at Dance Tracks. And I actually sat beside him in the studio learning how to produce and produced my first song I ever wrote, actually, Ch'i, Mistaken, featuring Alison Crockett. The other part of this duo is another friend of mine, Yvonne Turner, another one of the originators of the house sound, who really never got her due at the time and is just now getting some recognition. I did an interview with her for the Love Injection fanzine. And also my friend Andy Beda wrote a great article about her for Pitchfork if you want to find out more. Another great live collective, Groove Collective with Everything Is Changing (the original album version) came out on Naked Music's 12 inch, but also some remixes by Swag and Jay Dennis. Groove Collective released some great records, including their debut album, which had What You Got with the Louis Vega remix. Out on Razor and Tape Reserve, Times Are Changing is a new one from Tom Noble, who is the owner of Superior Elevation Records in Brooklyn. He has a project called House of Spirits and has a new album coming out that collects the work of nearly 15 years of this modern retro soul that throws a nod to the Mizell brothers and Patrick Adams and bringing that into the future and recorded with all live instrumentation. Straight from Detroit, The Underground Resistance are put into light in Roland's Miny-Documentary. The Collective, which website is down but which Facebook is active with more than 1000 active members, remains a key figure of the Techno scene (click here to discover more).

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 185th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on July 23rd 2024. About this episode. – This 184th episode of Balearic Breakfast takes us to much higher ground than usual. The first part is very homogeneous, with many of the songs dealing directly or indirectly (musically and philosophically) with departure... The second half of the show sees the whole Family flying up there... Colleen posted the request line on her socials last Saturday morning, writing us: "Whenever I discovered a lady slipper in the forest as a child, it was a magical event. We were told to never touch these rarely spotted endangered orchids, so I was delighted to see so many on my last walk in the Middlesex Fells near Boston. And I’m looking forward to your musical contributions to the magical event we create together this coming Tuesday. Please let me know what you would like to hear on Balearic Breakfast on Tuesday from 10am to 12pm on my Mixcloud Live and Twitch TV." Some of the family members logically requested songs linked to flowers and nature, and we even laughed, as I didn't see that theme coming at all! But we eventually succeeded, as always, in proposing songs with a common theme: leaving Earth to experience new adventures! Listen back to the 185th episode of Balearic Breakfast: "This morning’s Balearic Breakfast is now up on my Mixcloud. Today's show features your requests along with new records and some old finds. The show also pays tribute to the late kora master Toumani Diabaté and celebrates the legacy of Larry Levan who would have turned 70 this past weekend. Thanks to all who joined on my Mixcloud Live for the stream and apologies to the Twitch TV users. As that platform didn’t sort out copyright clearances they are redirecting everyone over to Mixcloud and thanks to those that migrated over to join the family all in one happy place." PLAYLIST (1999) Toumani Diabate & Ballake Sissoko – Salaman (1963) Cal Tjader – Black Orchid (2024) Soul Revivers (ft Ash Walker) – Holding it Down (2006) The Black Seeds – The Answer (2011) Brian Protheroe – Pinball (Ashley Beedle Heavy Disco Edit) (1978) Townes Van Zandt – Brother Flower (2024) James Alexander Bright – Fall for You (NOL) Abba – Eagle (Pete Blaker Edit) (1986) Gwen Guthrie – 7th Heaven (Larry Levan Remix) (2024) Magic Words – Wabi Soba (2023) AC Symphony – Windy City Theme (2024) Odair José – Nunca Mais (Siree Re-Edit) (1975) CoalKitchen – Chained to the Train of Love (2020) Mogwaa – Dancing with the Herons (2024) Flamingo Pier – Mazunte (2024) Bernardo Pinheiro – Expresso Amor (2018) Di Melo – A.E.I.O.U. (1999) Armand Van Helden ft. Roland Clark – Flowerz (2022) Real Lies – Boss Trick THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE The first two tracks (Salaman and Black Orchid) are real "openers"; they invite to a new voyage, new discoveries, and foreign landscapes through the use of specific instruments, tonalities, and unorthodox soundstage depths and sonic colours. Two Malian Cora masters, Tumani Diabate and Ballaké Sissoko with Salaman from their 1998 LP New Ancient Strings, which was a tribute to the album that their fathers had recorded together in 1970, as both musicians came from a familial line of griots. Tumani Diabate passed to the next realm after a short illness on Friday at the age of 58. He was the undisputed master of the Kora, the stringed harp that is the most important classical musical instrument in West Africa. He came from a cast of traditional musicians and griots that he could trace back 71 generations. He was also known for mixing ancient traditions with the modern sounds of artists like Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Pink Floyd. Diabate's 1989 debut album released on Joe Boyd's Hannibal label was the first ever solo Kora album. It also introduced him to an international audience and he collaborated with many musicians, including American banjo players to Iranian fiddle players. He did for the Kora what Ravi Shankar did for the Sitar. May Tumani Diabate rest in paradise. – The album (remastered in 2024) was recorded in one night session at the 'Palais des congrès' on September 22nd, 1997 - Mali's Independence Day - (more details here). Vibraphonist, percussionist, and pianist, Cal Tjader (who played along other greats such as pianist Dave Brubeck) had more of a Latin sound for the most part. But on his 1964 LP, Breeze from the East, he dipped into more quasi-Asian sounds. – The album "Brezze from the east" (with its cover presenting 'The Great Wave of Kanagawa', a woodblock print by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai, created in late 1831 during the Edo period of Japanese history) was recorded only 3 days following the assasination of John F. Kennedy (November 25th, 1963) and all of its tracks were arranged with bossa, go-go beats ornamented by Asian scales and percussion. Fun fact, this very album is one Tjader disliked as he shared in an interview with Harvey Siders which appeared in the September 8, 1966 edition of Downbeat: "Musically I'd have to say I've done some dumb albums. Like Breeze from the East. Creed would be the first to admit it didn't make it. He tried for a sound, and when I heard it, I went outside and vomited — figuratively, not literally." I love how Colleen "breaks" the relaxed vibe by playing the solid-sounding Holding it Down just before Black Orchid ends, then followed by The Answer in a tense rhythmic unity... Surprise is a critical element in a mix, and if you know how to use it, as Colleen said, you'll keep your listeners on their toes. These two raggae numbers are slow but open vibers! The Soul Revivers (which are Nick Manasseh, a DJ and also a record dealer as well and producer, and David Hill, who's also a producer, one of the owners of New Phonic Records), here evoking the spirit of Jackie Meitu with Holding it Down, featuring London keyboard maestro Ash Walker and singer Lynn Gerald. It's their latest 7-inch on the Acid Jazz label and follows their debut album, On the Grove. The Black Seeds have been releasing records for over two decades and had a hit with their Rocksteady song, One by One, when it was played on the TV series, Breaking Bad. Brett McKenzie from the Kiwi comedy duo, Flight of the Conchords, also used to be a band member of The Black Seeds. So there's another reason to listen to them. The very cosmic Pinball (Ashley Beedle Heavy Disco Edit) keeps the unexpected in front of our eyes, and though sonically we changed lands a bit, we still have a kinda reggae vibe in there, swiped by the next number in a gentle mix, allowing Brother Flower to really shine! Colleen, in today's show, is all about changing directions, emphasising the show's soul, bringing with Fall for You, a soulful element to the musical kaleidoscope, still keeping a somehow reggae presence. It's all about funkiness and openness, ending this incredible flying moment with an unexpected edit of Abba's Eeagles (the first WOW effect of today's episode!). Can you understand the musical core here while reading these lines? Brian Protheroe is currently known for narrating the Channel 4 reality show, First Dates. But in 1974, he had a hit single. Starting his career as both an actor and as a member of the early 60s folk group, Folk Blues Incorporated, otherwise known as FBI, he was, in 1973, playing the part of a pop singer in a play called Death On Demand, when a record exec heard that song that Prothero had penned for the show, Pinball. It became a summer hit, and Ashley Beedle did a great heavy disco edit. Brother Flower, from the late American singer-songwriter-guitarist Townes Van Zandt. Van Zandt had a troubled life, afflicted by mental health difficulties and addiction issues, but he was a renowned songwriter penning the song Poncho and Lefty that Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard made into a 1980s country hit. And the years between 1968 and 1973 were Townes Van Zandt's most prolific and impactful. He released six albums during that time, so it was his true classic era. James Alexander Bright has a new album coming out called Cool Cool (ed. he was on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Basement on Juy 25th), on the Athens of the North record label, his third solo album, following Float. He's hosting a listening party, an audience chat tomorrow, and you can find out more on their Bandcamp. – Speaking about his song, "Fall for you", James shared: "You know when you've loved, to love is a magical thing. Whether it's an experience, an object, or a person; we've all loved and lost. The senses, vibration and elements have a wondrous strength and power. Love is the most powerful of all." Eagle by ABBA opens their 1977 self-titled album. Colleen wrote about it for the magazine, Crack, when they asked her and people like Jarvis Cocker, John Grant, and Smothers for their favorite tune by the Swedish Quartet. This song has a connection with Richard Bach's book, Jonathan Livingston's Seagull – speaking about the song, Björn said: "I was trying to capture the sense of freedom that I got from reading that book" – very, very 70s, and its soaring melodies. Pete Blaker saw Ask Goosh's request and promptly sent over a very special edit. The next section of the show keeps the unexpected funkiness alive with four songs like no other, beautifully blended by our Captain (although the first one is what I call "a risky mix"): 7th Heaven (Larry Levan Remix)/ Wabi Soba/Windy City Theme/Nunca Mais (Siree Re-Edit)). It still amazes me to hear and experience how Colleen is able to let the show's soul fly freely and reveal itself as it unwinds before our eyes! We're still flying high, aren't we?! And, today, she started the second part of the show earlier as this is the first mini mix of the show, of flying fun times indeed!! 🐦 This past Saturday would have been the 70th birthday of one of the most celebrated DJs of all time, Larry Levan of the Paradise Garage. He was born and raised in New York City and began making dresses for Harlem's long-standing LGBTQ ballroom scene. It was during this time that he met his future best friend, Frankie Knuckles. Levan was introduced to the downtown dance music scene through Colleen's friend and mentor, David Mancuso, and his weekly loft parties. Then both Levan and Knuckles were invited to replace gallery DJ Nicky Siano at the Continental Baths. But it was Levan's run as a resident DJ at the Paradise Garage, from its opening in 1977 to its closing a decade later, that would put Levan into the history books with his DJ technique, his attention to the sound system as mentored himself by David Mancuso, and also his tripped out and dubby remixes. LeVan had a golden ear, and influential radio DJ Frankie Crocker would pick up records that Levan was playing at the Garage, and he would make them into hits on WBLS. When Levan passed away in November 1992, the New York dance community was distraught, and I was hosting a radio show called Soul School at that time, and I had people phoning up with their requests and sharing their memories of the Paradise Garage, and I remember that it just brought tears to my eyes. It was really, really deep. And then David had a mammoth party at the loft, which lasted at least a day and a half. It went into Monday, and Francois K. brought down some reels, and it was just incredibly sentimental, but also very joyous. From the Brooklyn-based record label Razor and Tape, the new Wabi Soba by Magic Words (producer duo Eli Cohen and Peter Hargarten) already sounds like a Balearic classic with its Spanish guitar. Dave Lee's AC Orchestra proposing here a very true and respectful cover of the Windy City theme. The 1976 original was by Carl Davis and the Chi Sound Orchestra. Lee released the album Metamorphosis as AC Symphony last year on his own Zed Records imprint. He did a fine job. You can hear his love of the string-heavy disco-funk acts like MFSB, Love Unlimited Orchestra, South Soul Orchestra. – A member of the family (davstod) shared with us on the chat "Huge tune Colleen, totally iconic for every londoner who grew uo listening to Norman Jay's original Rare Groove show on Kiss when it was a pirate station. Dave Lee has done an incredible job on taking the best from Carl Davis and Rodney Franklin tunes - sounded amazing at BBE when he did the LP Launch..." A rework of Brazilian singer and musician Odair José's 1977 single Nunca Mais. The original was featured in his rock opera O Filho de José Maria, for which he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Colleen invites us to a free-flying party for the last 50 minutes of the show. Starting with a solid musical part, including Chained to the Train of Love, followed by Dancing with the Herons! CoalKitchen formed when the San Francisco-based band Devil's Kitchen broke up in the summer of 1970, and at just about the same time, the Carbondale, Illinois-based band Coal Dust was reforming after falling apart, so they got together to jam one day, and without much real planning, just merged the two groups into 'CoalKitchen'. They released one album in 1977 with the very snappy title Thirsty or Not, Choose Your Flavor, which features "Change the Train of Love" that was also released as a single. Mogwaa, a musician from Seoul, South Korea, has been releasing albums since 2018, including his latest, Translucent, which was released last year. Dancing with the Herons is taken from their 2020 album Turquoise. The party keeps on grooving with Flamingo PIer's Mazunte, Colleen perfectly mixing the following track, which is the infamous Expresso Amor, followed by the Balearic and slower A.E.I.O.U. What a splendid mix Colleen proposes here! Closing this long mini mix with Flowerz, it seems evident that Colleen plays it risky today!!! And it's fun!! New Zealand group Flamingo Pier have just touched down in the United States, embarking upon their summer tour, and they will be hitting British shores in August, here with their brand new single, Mazunte. Brazilian producer Bernardo Pinheiro with Expresso Amor, taken from Barefoot Beats 14, came out last month. Pinheiro is renowned for his great edits of Brazilian obscurities, and he really has great musical arrangements there. – Soundwise, this track is an absolute killer... A.E.I.O.U., the 2019 single by the legendary Brazilian singer Di Melo was released 40 years after his classic self-titled Samba Soul LP. It was produced by French production combo Cartonet, who were on tour in Brazil and had a few days off in Sao Paulo, so they made that collaboration, and it was released on the French label Favorite Recordings. Flowerz was released in April 1999 by Armand Van Helden and Roland Clark (on vocals). You can hear that Donald Bird Think Twice sample, and I love how Roland Clark just sounds like Romanthony, a really prince, on that breakdown. Closing the show with the also open Boss Trick, our Capitain leaves us breathless but absolutely happy and contemplative! Boss Trick is the 2020 single by the London Duo Real Lies who released two albums, 2015's Real Life and 2022's Lad Ash.

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 186th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on July 30th 2024. About this episode. – Right after playing at the BBE store on Thursday, July 25th, Colleen launched the request line for the next Balearic Breakfast on Saturday, July 26th, sharing with us: "After a great party at BBE with @handsonfam on Thursday, I’m blessed with a full weekend off. Thanks to all who came down for a boogie - that was truly special. Music is always on my mind and i’m wondering what requests you have up your sleeve for this coming Tuesday’s Balearic Breakfast? I’m streaming Tuesday 10am to 12 noon BST on my Mixcloud Live. A note to Twitch users: as that platform didn’t comply with music copyright Twitch is redirecting participants on dj streams to the mixcloud live platform anyways do@you may as well join us over there!" Today's show, despite some technical difficulties (that manifest themselves at two moments in the recorded stream), was as eclectic as it can be, and it also had a beautiful rhythmic and tonal unity, as we shall see in the listening session. But before delving into these specificities, let's hand the mic to our captain, as usual: "A big thank you to Mixcloud for salvaging yesterday’s Balearic Breakfast, which is now archived on my Mixcloud (and please give me a follow while you’re over there). On this week’s show I look back to my indie roots with a tribute to the late Martin Phillips of The Chills and also to Tadashi Yabe of United Future Organization – may they both rest in paradise. And in addition to your requests there’s a lot of new music. I gotta go as I’m in the studio working on a new remix – shouldn’t be multitasking. So for now please enjoy yesterday’s show with music from…. @warriors_of_the_dystotheque @thechillsnz @united_future_organisation @claremont56 @quinnlamontluke @isitbalearic @alicemcrussell @tru_thoughts @jamiefinlaymusic @wahwah45s @natbirchallmusic @kennethbagerofficial @findlaybrownofficial @musicfordreams @emperormachine @gracejonesofficial @farout_recordings and more…" Listen back to Balearic Breakfast's 186th episode: THE PLAYLIST (2024) Warriors of the Dystotheque – Smile While You're Sleeping (2014) The Chills – Pink Frost 13 (1992) The Cure – A Letter to Elise (Blue Mix) (1992) United Future Organization – Nemurenai Insomnie (Instrumental) (1993) United Future Organization ft. Galliano – The Sixth Sense (2024) Hillside (ft. Quinn Lamont Luke) – Crossing (1973) Aretha Franklin – Mister Spain (2024) Lono Ritmo (ft. Leo Power & Pablo Dominguez) – Luz de Luna (2024) Alice Russell – Gravity (1978) Toto – Georgy Porgy (2024) Jamie Finlay – Rain Will Come (2024) Nat Birchall – Lalibela (2024) Kenneth Bager & Findlay Brown – Love From Outer Space (2024) The Emperor Machine – La Cassette (1991) Pale Saints – Porpoise (1981) Grace Jones – Pull Up To the Bumper (Party Version) (2024) Marcos Valle – Life ls What It Is (2017) Allan Harris – Mother's Love (Nobody’s Gonna Love You Betta Soulfeast Mix) THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE Blending jazz-infused musical moments with delicate yet solid pop/rock songs, Colleen takes us on a relaxed sonic trip for the first 25 minutes of today’s show. And, from the start, when listening, we feel there is a strong sonic connection between the songs chosen by Colleen (doesn't Pink Frost 13 and A Letter to Elise remind you of another track from the paylist?)... Warriors of the Dystotheque – Smile While You're Sleeping. – A transatlantic outfit with members from Ireland, France and New York. This very song is taken from WOTD second album It's a Beautiful Thing, which came out on Chris Coco's label Disappear earlier this month. This is how they describe their synthesis and their music: "Growing up in the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the 90s rave days, life in the sunshine in Florida, a mash-up of live and electronic music, friendship and loss, Ibiza sunlight and dark cloudy nights, despair and enlightenment and the power of music to lift us up and create joy and harmony, which we hope you can agree really is a beautiful thing". The Chills – Pink Frost 13. – The band was founded in 1980 by the then 17-year-old singer songwriter and guitarist Martin Phillips (ed. see also this interview), after the demise of one of the early Kiwi punk bands The Same. Martin was the driving force behind The Chills throughout various formations, propelling singles into the charts in New Zealand, the UK, and also the college radio charts in the US. Sadly, he passed to the next realm this past Sunday, and is mourned by many. A true genius, his influence on so many that followed in his wake is enormous. – The song was dedicated to the band's drummer, Martyn Bull, who died at the age of 22, just after leaving the band following unproductive rehearsing sessions (read more about this here). The Cure – A Letter to Elise (Blue Mix). – This track is The Cure's single from their most commercially successful album 1992's Wish, which debuted at number one in their native UK, and surprisingly number two in the USA. Not only a testament to Robert Smith's great songs, the song also embodies the impact of college radio in the 1980s when the young generation championed bands like The Cure (Colleen playing The Cure for her high school radio days) with college radio launching the careers of R.E.M., Nirvana, U2, Depeche Mode, The Chills, and The Cure, who had an incredible run in the mid to late 80s with The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and then the gargantuan Disintegration. Smith never forgot the dance floor, producing deft remixes like the one we just heard. – A love song inspired by Robert Smith's love for literature, here finding roots in some of Kafla's works but also some of Jean Cocteau's writings, A Letter to Elise has the power to speak to everyone who listens to it, although it has been composed in times of sadness by The Cure's frontman... Slowly stepping up the tempo, the second half-hour lets us enjoy some Balearic Melodies, allowing the sun to sink in on our musical skins and Colleen's mixing delicacy to touch our souls (the first Wow Moment of the show happens when our beloved captain oh so perfectly blends “Crossing” with “Mister Spain” followed by the mesmerizing “Luz de Luna”). United Future Organization – Nemurenai Insomnie (Instrumental). – Tadashi Yabe, one of the three founding members of Japanese new jazz project United Future Organization, along with Toshio Matsuura and Raphael Sebag. They were one of the pioneering acts of the nascent acid jazz scene and signed to Gilles Peterson's Brownswood and Talkin' Loud labels, and they also hosted a residency called Jazzen at Tokyo's legendary Club Yellow. One of their guests was the UK's Patrick Forge, who wrote this of the late Tadashi Yabe: "He was the quietest in many ways, the deepest of the three UFO members, and it was always inspiring to talk to him about music. He had very eclectic and left-field tastes." United Future Organization ft. Galliano – The Sixth Sense. – This track is taken from United Future Organization's eponymously titled debut album, released in 1993. The song also features Galliano (they have a new album, Halfway Somewhere, coming out on Brownswood). Hillside (ft. Quinn Lamont Luke) – Crossing. – Last week, Colleen met Quinn Lamont Luke in person (from the Phenomenal Handclap days). They have many mutual friends and crossing of paths as Quinn worked with Count Thomas Phil Mison, Ron Basejam, Flying Mojito Brothers, and skateboard legend Tommy Guerrero. Quinn also runs a studio (ed. El Triángulo) in Oaxaca, Mexico, which is where Flamingo Pier recorded their latest single, Mazunte, which Colleen played last week. The latest Claremont Editions compilation, now on its fourth volume, opens with a track from Hillside, which is Murphy along with Alex Searle and Patrick Doers, and it features some blue-eyed soul vocals from Lamont. Aretha Franklin – Mister Spain. – From Aretha Franklin's 19th studio album, Hey Now Hey, The Other Side of the Sky, released in 1973. Aretha released 38 studio albums and six live albums in her nearly six decade career. The album was produced by Franklin along with Quincy Jones, and they originally planned to make it a straightforward jazz album, but they took a little detour with the title cut and Mr. Spain. – The album was not something people, and medias, were expecting from Aretha Franklin back in the day (see the Rolling Stone review linked above), at all, and both the album's cover and the adventurous musical paths Franklin chose lost the listeners: "The brooding “Mister Spain” finds an introspective Franklin atypically tackling the subject of drug abuse, singing on a prideful black man’s plight with heroin addiction and pleading for him to end it." Lono Ritmo (ft. Leo Power & Pablo Dominguez) – Luz de Luna. – Beautiful flamenco sounds from Leno Ritmo featuring Leo Power and Pablo Dominguez. It also has Ibiza's DJ Pippi and Willie Graf remixes on the flip side. Acting as a pivotal point, ending the first hour of this blissful musical show and starting the second, Alice Russel’s "Gravity" and Toto’s "Georgy Porgy" (a song already featured in the show in the past) both do enhance today’s episode tonal unity. And I would love to take this opportunity here to salute every member of the Balearic Breakfast Family, as it is thanks to you that we’re all able to enjoy the Best Show of the 21st century! To all of Us, Eternal Hugs from the Lioncub… Alice Russell – Gravity. – British soul singer Alice Russell recently performed the Love Supreme Festival in the UK, and she played some songs from her most recent album, I Am, released on True Thoughts, co-written and co-produced with Russell's longtime collaborator, T.M. Juke. This is her most personal album to date, dealing with generational trauma, healing and life's darker side through her glorious vocals. Gravity is the most recent single from the LP. – On June 6th, Alice Russell shared Gravity's Club-ready remix. Toto – Georgy Porgy. – By the American rock band Toto, Georgy Porgy was written by band member David Paich and included on their self-titled debut album in 1978. Released as the album's third single in 1979, the lead vocals are performed by guitarist Steve Lukather. Cheryl Lynn provided the female backing vocal, singing an adaptation from the nursery rhyme "Georgie Porgie." Colleen takes us to higher grounds with Jamie Finlay’s “Rain Will Come”, which, to me, acts as the real second-hour starter! It is strange, but I can’t help hearing in this episode both a sonic and rhythmic unity (pay attention and listen again to songs like "Rain Will Come", "Lalibela", or "Pull up to the Bumper", there’s like a musical pattern there, can you hear it too?! Jamie Finlay – Rain Will Come. – Another Manchester act, Rain will come is from composer, songwriter and producer Jamie Finlay debut album Sun dogs out now on Dom Cervini's label, Wawa 45s. And it's a great album featuring some of his fellow Mancunian musicians from Secret Night Gang and A Certain Ratio. – “Rain Will Come is a musical representation of a storm, and is about finding stillness in turbulent times. The phrase ‘Rain Will Come’ repeats like a mantra while the music becomes more chaotic until eventually returning to calmness. It’s about standing still and stoic, and letting storms pass over you.” Nat Birchall – Lalibela. – Mancunian bandleader, composer, arranger and saxophonist Nat Birchall has a new album out called Dimension of the Drums, Roots Reggae Instrumentals. He's a real prolific artist as he's been releasing albums since 1999. And in fact, his first album was called The Sixth Sense, just like the song by UFO, played earlier in the show. Kenneth Bager & Findlay Brown – Love From Outer Space. – The latest single from Danish Balearic maestro Kenneth Bager and British singer-songwriter Findlay Brown new collaborative album that's coming out on Bager's Music for Dreams label, set for release in early 2025. The Emperor Machine – La Cassette. – Andy Meacham, who was also in Bizarre Inc. and Chicken Lips, has been releasing albums as The Emperor Machine for 20 years now. His new double album is called Island Boogie and came out on Lange (Paul Murphy and Simon Pernell's label) a coupe of weeks ago. Pale Saints – Porpoise. – Leeds band Pale Saints with the song that came out on 4AD, another huge label for Colleen and also for college radio in the 1980s. Porpoise, can be found on the 1991 Flesh Balloon EP. It has a lot of kind of indie rock, college rock requested for this show. One really cannot underestimate the force of college radio in America in the 1980s. – There is an astounding review of Pale Saint's 1990 "The comfort of Madness" on 4AD's website (in french). Use google translation on your web browser and read it, it will take you back, or allow you to discover, what it was like to be a teenager in these years. A must read. Grace Jones – Pull Up To the Bumper (Party Version). – The 1981 party version of Pull Up to the Bumper by the amazing Grace, Grace Jones. The original version can be found on her Nightclubbing album, one of my favorite Grace Jones albums, although it's really hard to pick a favorite. Grace Jones still going strong at the ripe age of 76. If you haven't read her autobiography, I'll never write my memoirs. Please do. It's great summer reading and it will really give you a newfound respect for this amazing artist. – „Pull up to the bumper” always had some kind of controversy going on as to its supposed, alleged (shall we say imposed?) sexual meaning. We can't help but think here about other songs having these dual readings by the listeners, one of the most famous of them being "Ring My Bell" by the great Anita Ward. Grace Jones consistently refuted this sexual interpretation of the song: “So, we have a car, and it’s long, because it’s a limousine, speeding down a Manhattan avenue… and you want to keep it clean, so you wax it and rub it, giving it a shine, and it’s hard to park, because we’re in the city, and it’s so big, so you have to squeeze it into tight spaces… You make it fit, and it is such a great feeling… If you wanted, you could imagine that I’m not singing about a car at all. But that’s up to you,” she concludes. “If you think the song is not about parking a car, shame on you.” Yet, for those of us being kinky enough, when you know, well, you know... When you listen carefully, you notice that today’s show doesn’t get "excited to the max", it keeps a cool groove, getting stronger with time which also explains why I chose this title for today’s post! The relaxed vibe of this 185th episode is real, with one exception being Marcos Valle's "Life ls What It Is". Sadly, and for obvious reasons, the second Wow Moment of the show hapenned when Colleen played the beautiful "Mother's Love". A stunning but heart-wrenching tribute closing another unforgettable episode. Marcos Valle – Life ls What It Is. – Celebrating 80 years of life and a 60 year career, Brazilian legend Marcos Valle has a new album coming out called Tunel Acoustico to be released on Far Out Recordings in September. This song is the latest single, composed in the late 70s in LA alongside Lodir de Oliveira from the band Chicago, and it was first released on Chicago's Chicago 13 album with lyrics by Robert Lamb. Over four decades later Marcos Valle looks back upon his good times on the West Coast, recording his own version of this song for his new album Deepening the Groove for a Blast of Irresistible Summer Soul. Allan Harris – Mother's Love (Nobody’s Gonna Love You Betta Soulfeast Mix). – Colleen dedicated this song to to the spirit and to the memory of Giancarlo Bianchi's mother, who sadly passed away recently. – The song, which can be found on the 2016 "Nobody's Gonna Love Your Better" studio album, was composed by Allan Harris and was dedicated to his own Mother, a classical pianist who encouraged him to become a musician.

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 190th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud on August 27th 2024. About this episode. – This episode of Balearic Breakfast is a Musical Celebration. After posting the request line on her socials on her birthday, the 24th of August, Colleen was ready to surrender to Music again with no less than 3 DJ sets (@easternelectrics @anotherlovestoryfest & @hangdaichinese)! With other birthdays celebrated on the 25th (A happy Birthday to Ana, Rick and all the Virgos in the Balearic House!), the request line was effectively very festive! And this happy feeling revealed itself in this show, as we shall see later! As always, let's hang the mic to our dear Captain before indulging in the musical adventures of today's show: "This week’s Balearic Breakfast is now up on my Mixcloud and features vintage soul, some new house jams and a Nottinghill Carnival Good Times classic along with your requests. And don’t forget, next week is Balearic Breakfast’s 4 year anniversary (yes BB is a Virgo, too ;). I’ll be hosting a marathon special of your requests and please think of a song that you discovered on the show. You can put in your request in the post comments of the request line when it is posted on my socials on Saturday (please do not DM me with your requests – need to keep them all in one place). Thanks for your continued support and for being part of the Balearic Breakfast family. Also, please sign the Cosmic Slop / MAP charity petition on Action Network dot org. Cosmic Slop is a party in Leeds called Cosmic Slop that is a fundraiser for their MAP Charity which supports young people at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream education by offering empowering music and arts qualifications. Cosmic Slop is under threat as developers are applying for permission to build over 300 flats right next does to Cosmic Slop’s home of 18 years, the grade 2 listed Hope Foundry. We all know what will happen next. @c0smicsl0p and the @mapcharity have some very reasonable requests and you can help by signing their petition. Until next week, please sit back and enjoy this week’s show" Listen back to the 190th episode of Balearic Breakfast: PLAYLIST (1986) Jun Fukamachi – Morning Glow (1966) Ennio Morricone – The Ecstasy of Gold (1985) Roy Ayers – Virgo (1980) Cast – Sweetness (1973) Funkadelic – Cosmic Slop (1983) Masayoshi Takanaka – Sail on Fire (2024) My Friend Dario – Senza Estate (2022) Arthur Ponder – If You Want My Love (1978) LeRoy Hutson – Closer to the Source (2001) Koop (ft Yukimi Nagano) – Summer Sun (1999) A Guy Called Gerald – Emotions Electric (John Peel Session) (2016) Bobby Womack – Trust Your Heart (Serge Gamesbourg Remix) (2024) Felipe Quiroz – El Tiempo (1992) The Neville Brothers – Fly Like an Eagle (MAW Slippin’ Dub) (2024) House of Spirits – Please Take Me There (NOL) Arno Mathieu – L’Amoragie (2024) Nonna Fab – We Still Out Here (NOL) Philippa & Jimpster (ft. MON) – All I Wanted (2004) The Salsoul Orchestra (ft Loleatta Holloway) – Runaway (Danny Krivit Edit) (1984) General Public – Tenderness THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE Each Balearic Breakfast episode brings its own flavour, its own pictures, its own sensitivity, its own message, and neither is a show similar to another one. It's like a constantly evolving sun or a brand new firework, always offering you new landscapes, beginnings, adventures, and promises. And you're never alone while you're there, closing your eyes, indulging in music's spirit, the beautiful boat being conducted by a captain like no other. Today's opening track perfectly represents this image (Jun Fukamachi's Morning Glow) – a record previously played during the show – which perfectly introduces new arrivals without expectations. Although this track has a slow rhythm, it is an invitation with the synth's high-pitched notes opening up a darker sky, an evening sky, maybe? All in all, it allows you to picture a beautiful Firework, and, strangely enough, all of the following tracks, and the way today's show is structured, take that direction, one tracing a path somewhere, unexpectedly but beautifully, with grace and determination (Ennio Morricone's The Ecstasy of Gold). (1986) Jun Fukamachi – Morning Glow By the late Japanese jazz fusion composer and synth pioneer Jun Fukamachi who worked with LA studio musicians like Steve Gadd and the Brecker Brothers, and also with the Japanese fusion band Prism. Morning Glow is from the album Nicole, 86 Spring and Summer Collection, released on the gloriously titled Swiss record label We Release Whatever the F We Want back in 2017. (1966) Ennio Morricone – The Ecstasy of Gold The late Italian conductor, trumpet and piano player Ennio Morricone was a versatile composer who had more than 400 scores for film and television and more than 100 classical works under his belt before his sad passing in 2020. Most of the films he scored were award-winning, including all of the films of spaghetti western filmmaker Sergio Leone. And when I say determination, I mean it as we get right down to the groove from the thirf track on, which is quite unusual here at Balearic Breakfast (Roy Ayers' Virgo Vibes), can you see "the opening" while the xylophone plays its high pitched notes? There you go, you got the idea! You see, we're only on the third track, yet there is a musical and sonic unity! Do you understand why I don't take things lightly here on the blog? And it's just the beginning... Colleen chose to break the rhythm with the next song (Cast's Sweetness), and she'll do it again a few times in this first hour, thus putting on the forefront the dynamics of the songs, letting them breathe. There is a sense of urgency in the horn section in this song (the Balearic Family enjoyed it a lot on the chat!), and the "opening" feeling is very much present, too. Let your mind run wild... We're experiencing another exploding vision when the next song starts (Funkadelic's Cosmic Slop); thanks both to the drums and the vocals, there is a profusion there without a shadow of a doubt! Keeping the rhythm steady, Colleen then plays another very open song (Masayoshi Takanaka's Sail on Fire), and you really should take the time to read the lyrics – the connection with today's theme is quite strong here. Then, the next musical piece (My Friend Dario's Senza Estate), takes us to another pictural element, keeping the fireworks very present in our mental journey, the whole vibe being enhanced by Colleen's delicate touch... I can't help but feel a nighty vision in today's show; it's a beautiful and warm night that surrounds us as the next gently exploding track takes us to the dancefloor (Arthur Ponder's If You Want My Love) – the Balearic Family really enjoyed that one on the chat, and just when we all thought we'd be swaying to the same rhythm for the next song, Colleen gently changed the pace for the following two numbers (LeRoy Hutson's Closer to the Source & Koop's Summer Sun), confirming my intellectual feeling about today's episode! (1985) Roy Ayers – Virgo The vibraphonist, producer, and composer Roy Ayers (ed. Everybody loves the sunshine) had a 1967 album called Virgo Vibes, but Virgo is taken from his 1985 LP, You Might Be Surprised, which he co-produced with James M. Toomey. – The album has been reissued in 2023. (1980) Cast – Sweetness The Italian disco group put out only one album, their 1980 self-titled LP, and this song is also featured on Munich Jazz and Soul Man Reiner Truby's Soul Gliding compilation, which was released on BBE in 2020. (1973) Funkadelic – Cosmic Slop The title track of George Clinton's Funkadelic's 1973 fith studio album Cosmic Slop (ed. who turned 50 in 2023). (1983) Masayoshi Takanaka – Sail on Fire Japanese guitarist, producer, and composer Masayoshi Takanaka, got his start as a high school student back in 1971 playing in bands, and has since become one of the leading guitarists on the Japanese rock and fusion scenes. (2024) My Friend Dario – Senza Estate DJ and producer from Catania, at the foot of Mount Etna in Sicily, released the album Cosmic Sailing on New Northern Soul back in 2020, and this year he has a new LP out on Hell Yeah Recordings called Senza Estate which translates to Without Summer. Dario says it's inspired by the dreamy Italian soundtrack composers Piero Piccioni and Umiliani. – In an interview, the composer shared: “For five years, I worked in a shop six days a week so despite living on a Mediterranean island I could never enjoy these things. Instead, I locked myself in the studio and jotted down the ideas, sensations, melodies and rhythms I had about another lost summer." The track was written in 2022 "just as we were coming out of lockdown. The feeling this track gives me, describes the melancholy but also the hope of a summer to be lived intensely. I played the percussion with a Moog DFAM, the melody theme with a Moog Mother 32, and the bass line with a Novation Bass Station. These are instruments I often use in my productions. The vocals are a special by Daren Obika, which I found in my library among many forgotten vocal tracks.”" (2022) Arthur Ponder – If You Want My Love Arthur Ponder's If you want my love is taken from the studio album The Prince of Georgia Soul, released a couple of years ago on the label Athens of the North, and it's a compilation retrospective of the Georgia singer who started in the 1960s when he replaced Otis Redding in the Southern group Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers. Arthur Ponder later released some 45 singles, both as a solo artist and with the group Sideshow, and Athens of the North has lovingly compiled his work. (1978) LeRoy Hutson – Closer to the Source Leroy Hutson, the American singer, keyboard player, songwriter, and producer, was Donny Hathaway's roommate, and he co-wrote the hit The Ghetto. Hudson also replaced Curtis Mayfield as the Impressions' lead singer until he launched his own solo career in the 70s recording for Mayfield's label Curtom, and that was from his sixth LP, the 1978 album of the same name, closer to the source (ed. reissued in 2018). (2001) Koop (ft Yukimi Nagano) – Summer Sun Swedish electronic jazz duo Koop with Summer Sun featuring the gorgeous vocals of Yukimi Nagano from their second album, Waltz for Coop, which also features tracks featuring singers Earl Zinger and Terry Collier. The album won them a Swedish Grammy Award. The second hour of today's show will take us to the heart of the musical Firework Colleen prepared for us! Our dear Captain is offering us here mindboggling mixes starting with A Guy Called Gerald's Emotions Electric / Bobby Womack's Trust Your Heart (Serge Gamesbourg Remix / Felipe Quiroz' El Tiempo and ending it with The Neville Brothers' Fly Like an Eagle (MAW Slippin’ Dub) ! Listen to what happens here on the rhythmic and musical side... If that's not perfection, nothing will ever be... (1999) A Guy Called Gerald – Emotions Electric (John Peel Session) An early house classic from Gerald Simpson, otherwise known as A Guy Called Gerald. He released the groundbreaking Voodoo Ray in 1988, and then followed up with a Peel session recorded for John Peel on BBC Radio 1, and this one is from that recording. – Our dear Ana Sancho requested the John Peel Session version which blew the whole Family away (click here and here to find out more about these sessions. If you want to listen to almost all of them – a few are missing as explained here – head over to Dave Strickson blog!). (2016) Bobby Womack – Trust Your Heart (Serge Gamesbourg Remix) The inimitable voice of Bobby Womack, the song Trust Your Heart from Womack's 1978 LP, Pieces, and the song was co-written by Womack, Don Davis, and Leon Ware. The rework was made by a producer from Boston, Massachusetts, by the name of Serge Gamesbourg, who is also a hip-hop DJ by the name of Supreme One. But under Serge Gamebourg, he also did a compilation for BBE called Boston Goes Disco a few years ago. (2024) Felipe Quiroz – El Tiempo From a new Latin-flavored EP recorded between Brooklyn and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, now out on razor and tape, by Felipe Quiroz, a Colombian-born New York-raised producer and instrumentalist who also goes under the name Prince of Queens. Quiroz is also known for his releases on Names You Can Trust and his band Combo Chimbita. (1992) The Neville Brothers – Fly Like an Eagle (MAW Slippin’ Dub) The early sounds of masses at work. That's from 1992. It's their slip and dub of Fly Like an Eagle by the Neville Brothers, and the original is from the Neville Brothers 1992 LP, Family Groove. – Of course the song has been famously covered by Seal but it was originally the 1976 single from The Steve Miller Band album of the same name and was of course already featured during Balearic Breakfast. Keeping the explosion spirit perfectly in shape, Colleen then does another great mix, including House of Spirits' Please Take Me There / Arno Mathieu's L’Amoragie beautifully mixed with Nonna Fab's We Still Out Here (leaving the Balearic Family speechless, winning hands down today's episode WOW Effect) and ending the set with Phillipa & Jimpster's All I Wanted, can you see the Fireworks now? (2024) House of Spirits – Please Take Me There The latest single from Tom Noble's House of Spirits project, a follow-up to the last Spirits 12-inch. This one is more of a Brit funk-inspired up-tempo heater called Please Take Me There, and it's out now on Razor and Tape. (NOL) Arno Mathieu – L’Amoragie French producer Arno Mathieu with L'Amoragie just sent Colleen a bunch of new releases. This one is not even out yet. (2024) Nonna Fab – We Still Out Here Nonna Fab is the co-founder of the Apricot Ballroom and the Sweet Apricots Party up in Sheffield. Colleen met him at We Out Here and played on the Sweet Apricots' lovely sound system in the artist area. (NOL) Philippa & Jimpster (ft. MON) – All I Wanted Philippa, the New Zealand-born Berlin-based DJ and producer, along with Jimpster, the Free Range label boss and the keyboard player extraordinaire, featuring Mon with All I Wanted coming out soon. Colleen then ends the show with two classics, leaving us all with Stars in our Eyes; what a way to celebrate a few birthdays! (2004) The Salsoul Orchestra (ft Loleatta Holloway) – Runaway (Danny Krivit Edit) Salsoul Orchestra featuring Lolita Holloway with Runaway, Danny Krivets' special edit. – Back in the day, the album "Magic Journey" didn't sell well, maybe because of its musical inconsistency. (1984) General Public – Tenderness By General Public, who is Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger of the Beat, or the English Beat as they were known in the U.S., along with Dexi Midnight Runners, Mickey Billingham and Stoker, and the specials bassist Horace Panter and Clash guitarist Mick Jones. It was a ska supergroup, and this was their big hit (ed. taken from the 1984 "All the rage" studio album).

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 191th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud on September 03rd 2024. INTRODUCTION As we all know, Balearic Breakfast is Colleen's Flagship radio show. Each week, for the last four years, the Balearic Breakfast Family – composed of music lovers, DJs, musicians, composers, vinyl lovers, bloggers, and artists – joins Colleen (and Adam 🤠 ) in a musical celebration like no other. Of course, this blog was born because of Colleen's ability to surrender to music and let it speak to our souls. But there would be no Balearic Breakfast show without All of Us. As Colleen said it so well on her website: "The community aspect is hugely significant. It is not a pre-recording of a DJ mix with a bit of announcing. Rather the show is hosted live on my Mixcloud Live and Twitch TV. The Balearic Breakfast family join me on the chat group, and they greet each other and talk to each other and form relationships on their own. I just pop in every now and then. It’s wonderful." Born amid the Covid pandemic (we all stayed together, created friendships, and formed loving bonds that started growing out of our favourite show and that are still going strong to this day, four years later) Balearic Breakfast – thanks to its "request-nature" – was, is, and will stay our safe harbour through the tough times we all face in our respective lives: "I have had so many people… hundreds and hundreds of emails, people coming up to me at gigs crying saying the show got them through the pandemic. I tell them the show got me through the pandemic, too. It was the community. I’m proud and humbled by it. But it’s not all about me. It’s very similar to David. David knew that The Loft wasn’t just him. He owned it. He was the nexus. But it wouldn’t be there without everyone else’s contributions. It wouldn’t be Balearic Breakfast without ‘the Family’. It’s beyond me. It’s something bigger." "This Tuesday marks the 4th Anniversary of my Balearic Breakfast radio show. It started in the midst of the pandemic, at a time when we were collectively trying to cope with severe illness caused by a mysterious virus, the passing of loved ones, loss of work and income, and compounded with profound mental health issues. People throughout the world were stuck inside their homes, cut off from family and friends. We were isolated and unsure of what the future held. At the time, I was hosting shows on Worldwide FM and when their studio had to close, rather then send in pre-recorded mixes (and with the encouragement and support of my husband), I began to broadcast live from my record room. It was important because I am a radio broadcaster through and through - a lifer as they say. I first became a radio host at the age of 14 when I was hosting programs on my high school radio station WHHB. For over 40 years, I have regularly hosted radio shows, mostly on community radio stations without any financial compensation. Broadcasting live from my home throughout the pandemic reminded me once again why I do this: to make connections with people and to build community through the power of music. When WWFM took a pause, I wanted to keep the show going and took a punt hosting Balearic Breakfast live on my own Mixcloud platform. But I wasn’t sure if my listeners would follow me. But to my surprise, you did and since that time the Balearic Breakfast has continued to grow. Thank you dear listener for being part of the community." 🏖️ This post is dedicated to every one of you, wherever you are 🏖️ Listen back to the 190th episode of Balearic Breakfast: THE PLAYLIST (2010) Ashley Beedle & Darren Morris (ft. Danielle Moore) – Let Your Love Shine (1986) Marianne Faithfull – The Hawk (El Galivan) (1972) Lani Hall – Love Song (1979) The BeeGees – Spirits Having Flown The Neville Brothers – Yellow Moon (live version) (1975) Walter Hawkins – Goin’ Up Yonder (NOL) Paul Young – Every Dub (Pete Blaker Balearic Dub Edit) (2024) Quiet Village – Reunion (2007) The The – Giant (Pilooski Edit) (2018) Parcels – Everyroad (2001) Soulstice – Wind (Fila Brazilia Mix) (1973) Deodato – Prelude to Afternoon of a Fawn (1993) United Future Organization ft Rob Gallagher – The Sixth Sense (1996) Camelle Hinds – Sausalito Calling (2017) Codek – Tam Tam (2023) Tom Tom Club – Won't Give You Up (Random House Project Remake) (1991) Saint Etienne – Spring (2023) Asha Puthli – Lies (Kraak & Smaak) (2019) Smith & Mudd ft Quinn Lamont Luke – The Distance (2023) LT Xperience & Papik ft. Anduze – Best Life (1978) King Errisson – Space Queen (1986) Fragile – We Got Tonight Boy (1978) Bonnie Pointer – Free Me from My Freedom (2007) Vangelis – Let It Happen (BeatFanatic Mix) (2022) Kid Simius & Bonaparte – Astrid & Manolo (1982) Mike Anthony – Why Can’t We Live Together (1983) High Resolution – Sweepin’ Off (Extended Mix) (1981) Teena Marie – Square Biz (1977) Evelyn Champagne King – I Don’t Know If It's Right (2010) Pacific Horizons – Jack Parsons Laboratory (1979) Skatt Brothers – Walk the Night (2023) Living in Ghosts ft. Woolfy – Stay On Top (1983) My Mine – Hypnotic Tango (1983) Raw Silk – Just In Time & Space (Dub) (2017) Mama – Unmask Me (Ashley Beedle Vocal) (1991) Soichi Terada & Nami Shimada – Sun Shower (Larry Levan Mix) (1993) Daphne – When You Love Someone (Club Mix) (2024) Calm presents K.F. – Shining of Life Flutemental (Unreleased Version) () Chris Rea – Tennis (SIRS Edit) (2022) Joan Bibiloni – The Boogie (Ray Mang Edit) (2023) Django Django ft Yuuko Sings – Don’t Touch That Dial (1979) Mascara – See you In LA / Jet Plane Ride) (1985) Supertramp – Cannonball (NOL) Steve Winwood – Night Train (Danny Krivit Edit) (NOL) Phillipa and Jimpster – All I Want (2000) The Boyz from Brazil – The Land of Make-Believe (2003) Reel People ft Dyanna Fearon – Butterflies (Restless Soul Soul Heaven Mix) (2000) Snowboy & The Latin Section – Casa Forte (Joe Claussell Remix) (2020) Lady Blackbird – Beware the Stranger (Ashley Beedle Remix) (2024) Bill Withers & Studio Rio – Lovely Day (1983) Lionel Richie – Love Will Find a Way (2023) Elkie Brooks – Fool If You Think It's Over (Pete Blaker Edit) THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE Today's episode has to be the longest one Colleen has done since the show started in 2020. Quite quickly, I felt this episode was going to be an "out-of-this-world" experience. Once again, Colleen's musical soul spoke to me! When you listen to this 6-hour Marathon, you'll first be taken aback by its fluidity. Then, you should be able to notice very dynamic moments, musical outbursts, I call them, where we shift from one musical style to another while keeping the rhythm steady (the mix between Soulstice's Wind (Fila Brazilia Mix) and Deodato's Prelude to Afternoon of a Fawn was the first Wow moment of the show). This episode's length (52 songs!) and tonality also enhance the "out-of-this-world experience," especially during the spooky part when Colleen played songs from our last Halloween Party (listen to the mix consisting of Pacific Horizons – Jack Parsons Laboratory / Skatt Brothers – Walk the Night / Living in Ghosts ft. Woolfy – Stay On Top / My Mine – Hypnotic Tango)! Faithful to her free yet precise mixing style, Colleen also takes us to a very Balearic section culminating with songs like The Boyz from Brazil – The Land of Make-Believe / Reel People ft Dyanna Fearon – Butterflies (Restless Soul Soul Heaven Mix) and Snowboy & The Latin Section – Casa Forte (Joe Claussell Remix)! Yes, everything in this episode is taking you away from our world (Colleen's multi-tasking moment was also out of this world, mixing Calm presents K.F.'s Shining of Life Flutemental (Unreleased Version) with Chris Rea's Tennis (SIRS Edit)), and you don't want to return! Also, and finally, the "surreal" experience is put on a pedestal because of the sad events that hapenned a few days before the show, namely the launch of the GoFundMe campaign dedicated to Ashley Beedle and the unexpected passing of Danielle Moore (it's the first time I heard our dear Captain being so moved, a heartwrenching moment I can tell you, everyone was tearing up, and VinylHeartsClub wrote: "Very Powerful music today - so poignant. Ackowledged and appreciated"...). From the start, the Family felt both the happiness of the celebration and the lingering sadness following these news. All in all, it was a crazy musical trip that brought emotions to a level never before reached, especially when Colleen presented the Balearic Breakfast Family! Of Course, David was with us... Danielle Moore We have been left in complete shock by the news of your early departure. At first it doesn’t seem real at all, then it starts to hit home once you see how many people who loved you from close and afar are so deeply affected by the huge hole that has been left. This is a testament to how uniquely amazing and irreplaceable you are. You are a true rockstar, an icon and inspiration to so many. One of the most talented artists we’ve had the honour to work with for so long and someone that felt truly like part of the family. Your performances on stage were next level, nobody did it better than you. That showmanship, the charisma, those dance moves, that sense of humour. For the term “fuuuck off you bastards” shouted down the mic to always come across affectionate, that is special! From seeing you always so confident on stage, we would also see how nervous you were before you went on. You put everything into every performance and you were so very humble. You were incredibly strong, amazingly quick witted, armed with an arsenal of bad language and one liners that had us in stitches over the years. Never once were you unkind and you always had the time to see the best in people. You stood up for what you believed in and wore your heart on your sleeve. Your political messages and your passion for world affairs and the pain you felt seeing the world in such a state, resonated with many. I hope you know how much change in thought and action you are responsible for. You gave so much to this world and it is clear for everyone to see how much love there is for you. Rest up Dani ❤️❤️❤️ (from gotwood Instagram) MEMORIES FROM THE LIVE STREAM As always, the Family gathered around Colleen on her Mixcloud (reaching 1.2k viewers towards the end of the show) and all I can say is that we had a blast! We cried in the beginning, then we laughed, we spoke about music, about records, about gear and made some jokes (I didn’t know my dear Ana loved to stay naked under the sun and I really would love to know Everything about Colleen’s audio setup, without bragging of course, laughs!). We also shared some knowledge with links and musical information (for instance, if you want to listen to The The interview on BBC – from 14:10 on – head over here) and even had a weather report from a few family members! Of course, there were a lot of messages addressed to Colleen (the best one going out to Matt Raistrick, who wrote: "Balearic Breakfast - a place where you can hear the Bee Gees, Abba and The Osmonds and still keep it Balearic") and we greeted ourselves too for being part of such an amazing musical show (openly saying that next year’s celebrations should be done during a proper in-person party)! We enjoyed this 191st episode on the chat group to the fullest. These were memorable six fun hours for sure! We even made the chat group collapse from time to time, losing the connection or seeing other stream's pictures on Mixcloud! Told you, everything was Out Of This World! LISTEN TO THE PREVIOUS ANNIVERSARY EPISODES! The first Anniversary The Third Anniversary Note: Strangely enough, we did not celebrate Balearic Breakfast's second Birthday! 😅 COLLEEN NEWS Wednesday, 18th September: Classic Album Sundays presents ‘Hard Candy’ with Ned Doheny (click here to buy the tickets) ; Tuesday, 24th September at 8pm GMT Colleen will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Portishead's debut album 'Dummy' (click here to join Classic Album Sundays) ; Monday, 14th October: Classic Album Sundays presents Saint Etienne at The British Library with National Album Day, celebrating the 'Foxbase Alpha' album with Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs (click here to join the live stream).

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 192nd episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud on September 10th 2024. About this episode. – Before embarking on a new series of events, Colleen took a short break and visited North Devon in the South West of England. She didn't forget about us, though, as she prepared a wonderful episode streamed live on Mixcloud this Tuesday morning! Despite some technical issues during the stream, the Balearic Breakfast Family was delighted to join Colleen for a fresh musical Balearic journey! The episode started with an amazing mix by "Find Our Balearic Spirit," which I'll delve into further in the listening section of this post. The second part of today's show was devoted to the interview Smokin Jo gave Colleen about her new book "You don't need a dick to DJ", coming back to some events of her life which led her to become the respected musical host she is today! "As I was away in beautiful and remote North Devon (where the weather has been particularly un-Balearic) this show features a guest mix from our community member Bradley Circles of Find Our Balearic Spirit and a mix from and an interview with Smokin Jo who has recently written her memoir. Men have traditionally been the reconstructors of musical histories and in many cases women’s participation, perspectives and stories have been written out. In the pages of her book, ‘You Don’t Need a Dick to DJ’, Jo reveals her unique herstory - how music & DJing became her superpower (she was voted the Number One DJ by DJ Mag in 1992) along with the particular challenges and obstructions she faced as a Black/Brown woman. It’s intense, it’s fun, it’s traumatic and it is a story that deserves to be heard. Other books I have recently devoured include Emma Warren 's ‘Dance Your Way Home’ - a celebratory dive into the collective activity on the other side of the DJ booth - the dance. Through exemplary research and personal account, she explores how dancing helps us to connect with our emotions, our bodies and each other. Her curiosity is infectious and leads us down various rabbit holes - I especially loved her portrayals of intimate community led dance floors (like that of the beloved Plastic People) that led to global cultural movements. She encourages us to “Dance your own story.” ‘This Woman’s Work’ is an array of essays about women and music curated by Sinead Gleeson and Kim Gordon. There are many different stories and angles but favourites include Juliana Huxtable’s Praise Poem for Lucinda Williams , Gleeson’s tribute to Wendy Carlos, and an inspirational interview by Gordon with Yoshimi P-We, the drummer of Japanoise band The Boredoms (and a muse to The Flaming Lips). These are important herstories written by ‘the other’ 50% of the world’s population showcasing women’s cultural contributions and vantage points. I encourage you to have a read of one or all of these books and of course, to have a listen to today’s show. Thanks for listening." Listen to the 192nd episode of Balearic Breakfast: THE PLAYLIST Bradley Circles' Find Our Balearic Spirit Guest Mix (2022) Primal Scream – Shine Like Stars (Andrew Weatherall Vocal Mix) (2022) TGH Collective – High-Level Bends (2024) Original Rockers – Push Push (The Underwater World of Jah Cousteau mix) (2019) Andres Y Xavi – Estrella (2018) Morrison Kincannon – I'll Be OK Tomorrow (1983) The System – Almost Grown (2015) Mars and Jupiter – Amnesia Open Air Dub (2023) Anthony Teasdale – Tango De La Boca (1984) Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasure Dome Smokin Jo Guest Mix (1977) Barry White – Ecstasy (2017) The Wanda (ft. Chaka Khan & Beres Hammond) – Baby Don't You Go (Dr. Packer Remix) (1983) Fatback Band – I Found Lovin' (1988) Sugar Bear – Don't Scandalize Mine (2004) Groove Collective – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (1992) Liberty City – Some Lovin' (1992) Black Traxx – Doctor's Housecall (1995) 2 Makes 1 – No One Loves You Like I Do (2016) Mutiny UK (ft Lorraine Cato) – Secrets (Mutiny's 2015 Re-Edit) (1994) Danell Dixon – Dance Dance (DJ Pierre's Wild Pitch Mix) (2014) Roger S – Shake-Shake (Studio 54 Mix) (2024) YOURS – Donde Esta (Masters at Work Rowdy Remix) (2015) Paul Johnson – I Like to Get Down THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE We could easily give this blog a new name. We could call it the "Listen to music differently" blog (laughs)! And this is precisely what I'm trying to bring you here: sharing visions and feelings music conveys to my Soul! So when I heard Colleen was about to share a mix crafted by Bradley Circles from 'Find Our Balearic Spirit', I was over my head! I remember discovering Bradley's (my interview here) and Anslow's (my interview there) mixes, thanks to their presence in the Balearic Breakfast Family, and I remember absolutely and wholeheartedly falling in love with their musical visions. But Why, will you ask me... Let's find out! 'Find Our Balearic Spirit' is a Musical and a Sonic Trip. Both Bradley and Anslow are from another planet. Their Musical Knowledge is plainly and simply crazy. To me, they are the closest to what Colleen proposes to us each and every week here on Balearic Breakfast. But what differentiates them from our Captain is their ability to share the Balearic Freedom attached to the musical style we love so much. When Colleen creates Stories, sharing a visible Narrative that can be interpreted and transcribed, 'Find Our Balearic Spirit' are able, on their part, to share the open spaces, the big pictures, the cinematic and almost "drug-like" experiences that can be found inside the Balearic tunes we all love so much. Keeping Colleen's ability to create a musical flow, FOBS propose the big jump into the unknown. And today's mix perfectly represents that. To me, sharing music is all about sharing what lies in our Souls. From the start, we feel that something will happen... and it takes only 2 songs to See The Big Picture on the Screen... Starting the mix with Primal Scream's Shine Like Stars, followed by TGH Collective's High-Level Bends, Bradley then plays Original Rockers' Push Push. And there you are... This third track acts as an Overture. Yes, it is an Overture. The first two tracks have a direct approach, and this dynamic feeling is enhanced by the quicker rhythm of the third and majestic track. Can you see the giant doors opening in front of your eyes? This, Right there, this very moment, is something I did on my Balearic Breakfast mix, and I genuinely believe it is a trick every DJ can use while doing a set. Let's say you want to take your listeners into a bigger sonic and musical experience. To achieve the big opening doors effect, all you have to do is start your set with 2 songs (no more than two) which go well together. They can be slow and cool numbers (like I did) or have that more direct approach (like Bradley did). Then, when the second track ends, all you have to do is play a song that has a "bigger Aura" (maybe from a different musical style?), something with a majestic feel (you can play it louder, too, just like I did 😉). By broadening the musical spectrum unexpectedly, you create a Wow Moment in your listener's brain that allows their mind to get instantly lost and freed from tension. And voilà. That's what Bradley did here. It's crazy. Also, don't forget to precisely select the following track that is only here to enhance your Wow musical moment... Bradley showcases that here by playing Andres Y Xavi's Estrella, perfectly followed by Morrison Kincannon's I'll Be OK Tomorrow... A work of art. Pure and simple. And this is why I love Bradley's and Anslow's mixes so much. They create a universe, a sonic and musical universe. Some of their mixes share a Lounge Vibe, some others share a 'Night-like' Vibe, but all of them are an invitation to Relaxation, allowing the listener to reconnect with his deepest emotions by setting him Free. Yes, 'Find Our Balearic Spirit' are not to be Missed. I'm in love... Will you follow us?... SMOKIN JO INTERVIEW [Colleen] This is Colleen Cosmo Murphy on Balearic Breakfast, and I'm so excited as I now have Smokin Jo in the studio with me. And she has a new book called 'You Don't Need a Dick to DJ'. Hi, Jo, how are you doing? [Smokin Jo] I'm very well. Thank you so much for having me. [Colleen] It's a pleasure. It's a real pleasure. And I can't believe that we're neighbors! [Smokin Jo] I know. Who thought that?! [Colleen] Now, this is a brilliant book. I mean, I interviewed Paulette for her book, which was brilliant as well. And yours is brilliant. And it's just it's amazing to hear these women's stories, because traditionally history has been written by men. And now we have women's voices coming out and sharing their stories. And they're all very different as well. Although we do share being a women DJ for over 30 years. Of course, we have some shared experiences, but we all have very, very different trajectories. And this book. Wow. It's intense! [Smokin Jo] Thank you. Yeah, I kind of wanted to write that book for that very reason, as in we always seem to get written out of history. Women don't seem to matter. And I always say that big story about the four guys that went to Ibiza and came back and brought house music. There were two women on that trip as well who never get mentioned, you know. So Nancy and Lisa were there. And so for me, I'm like, right, I want to make sure I am in history that if I write this book, they can't deny that I wasn't there. And obviously there's loads of other reasons to write it. But I just felt like it's good to have that story out there. [Colleen] Oh, it was great. And your story is very different than Paulette's and very different to mine. And as we said, it's different to other women. And I don't want to give away too many parts of the book because I want people to buy it. But I just want to say you had a very challenging upbringing, very challenging childhood and adolescence. And it seemed that music was a thing that really helped lift you out of that situation and to have some belief in yourself. And you found your superpower through DJ. Can you tell us a little bit about how that happened? [Smokin Jo] Yeah, well, I was in a children's home from seven months old until I was nine. And, you know, the 70s were pretty awful. And it was a very old-fashioned children's home run by quite old people who were very racist, misogynistic. They were very abusive mentally, physically, sexually. So it was just nine years of hell, to be honest. Me and my sister were the only black kids in the home and in the area we lived in was lovely. It was a Richmond near Richmond. So I had this awful experience in the home, but then I used to love school. So I got a really good education. And I realized that, you know, being black brown, if you speak well and present well, it does help you get along in a way. And then I moved back to Notting Hill to live with my mom when I was nine. And up until then, I'd never, ever heard music because we didn't have it in the children's home. We had Christmas carols and Sunday school, that kind of stuff. So my mom had Motown playing. She had reggae. She had soul. She had everything. And I was just like, what is this?! And I guess I'd been very depressed because I was emotionally stunted. I didn't know how to express myself. And I kept everything in because in the home, if you're beaten every day, you don't want to show emotion. So you keep it in. And suddenly music unlocked all of this emotion. And I was crying and laughing. And it was just incredible. I just can't describe how much it changed me to have music in my life. Yeah. [Colleen] And then how did you find your superpower of DJing? [Smokin Jo] Just being obsessed with music and being very naughty. I used to sneak out at night and go to clubs from like 13 years old. My mom used to work at night. So luckily I was able to sneak out and I didn't live too far from Soho because I lived in Notting Hill. So I'd go to all these clubs in the West End, all the gay clubs as well. And I was like, OK, I feel like I'm at home. It was like I just wanted to dance, and I connected with the music. And just weirdly, I was already making, you can't call them mixtapes, but I was just cutting up sounds and vocals and beats that I liked and just chopping them together on this double tape deck. So I'd already had this thing that I liked playing music. And then when house music started, I just thought, oh, my God, this is it. I need to do this. This is this is me, you know? [Colleen] Now, my entry point was through radio. And there were women's some women's voices on the radio when I was growing up in the 1970s. So it was there. So it was a it was a possibility for me. It was available. And for me, like DJing came out of radio. But for you, you just got behind the decks. Now, how did that happen? Because did you see any other women? [Smokin Jo] No, I didn't see any women. And this is why I want to do it, because I was literally going out every single night of the week to all these underground illegal venues, massive warehouse parties, the big kind of M25 kind of illegal like daytime and nighttime raves. And I just looked up and I was like, hang on a minute! I've never seen a woman behind the decks. And I was just like, right, I'm doing it. And it wasn't even a serious thought. I just thought I want to do this. So I didn't have anyone to look up to. But there were female DJs. And there was Princess Julia, DJ RAP, Nancy Noize, Lisa is Loud. So there were, but I hadn't seen them. So I can't say I had anyone to look up to at that point. But I was so headstrong. And I just thought this is it. I can't even imagine myself doing anything else. I just got some decks. It took me a while to save up the headphones, all the stuff that you need. You know, it's really expensive, right? And I used to work in a shop very close to Black Market Records in Soho. So I used to go every day record shopping when I was working. So I kind of very quickly got myself together. And just luckily, I think luckily I got a few gigs here and there. And then Trade opened in 1990. And that was my big stepping stone into kind of being seen and getting noticed. [Colleen] And something very big happened not too long after you started DJing and you were named and voted the number one DJ in DJ magazine in 1992. What did that feel like when you found out it? [Smokin Jo] I'm so annoyed at myself because right now, if I won, obviously I would be like. But then I just didn't really get the gravity of it. It was amazing. But I was painfully shy then. I'm still quite shy now, but I just didn't get it. And they said to me, well, it's really expensive. So we can only get you a ticket. So you can't really bring anyone. So I went on my own, had no friends with me. I got my award and went home. I just was like, this is cool. [Colleen] I mean, it's such a it's the thing that's so amazing about that is that it was voted by the readers. This isn't a popularity contest with like who's schmoozing who. This is from the readers in 1992 voting you, and there's no social media campaign. No, for you to say, hey, vote for me. This was really heartfelt. This is true. [Smokin Jo] It was amazing. I think I realized I was eating so much every single weekend, probably four nights a week, traveling the whole of the country. And sometimes I do five gigs. I'd start way up north, Grimsby or Harlem, just work my way down. So hundreds of thousands of people were hearing me every weekend. So I think that, I guess, was the push for people to vote me. I think, you know, yeah, I'm so grateful. It's just a shock, and pretty disgusting that no woman has won it since then. [Colleen] But and also that other thing you mentioned in the book is that usually when somebody wins the number one spot and the DJs like, you know, list, they are published on the front cover. And were you the only one who wasn't? [Smokin Jo] As far as I know, I did not get on that cover and they put me inside probably eight or nine pages in and they bleached my face out. So you couldn't even see it was me. And they put this pink filter on top and it was just so, like, underwhelming. Yeah, I know. And I still complain to them about it. I need to get my cover. [Colleen] I need my cover now! But no one can take it away from you that it's the it's the people that voted for you and you were number one. Let's have a little bit more of a listen to the music and the mix you put together for us. And we'll be back with Smokin Jo on Balearic Breakfast. [Colleen] And we're back with Smokin Jo on Balearic Breakfast. Now, Jo, you were just telling us that many times you had up to five gigs in a night going up and down the country. And you were really one of the first international globetrotting DJs as well. I mean, you started in 1992 and here in the UK, the DJ scene was much more mainstream, I think, in the sense that wasn't so underground. You know, house music was so underground in America. There weren't a lot of opportunities to play a lot of places just because the audience wasn't as big. But here in Europe and in the UK in particular, with the whole acid house thing and rave culture, I mean, the DJ was really put on a pedestal and there was a lot of work. How did you deal with that? I mean, that's I just did three gigs this past weekend in 20 hours. I'm like, oh, my gosh, it's it's really intense. [Smokin Jo] It is intense. I mean, I was I was young. I started in 1990 and I was 23. So I had, you know, lots of energy and drive and I was passionate about it. Yeah, I was taking those drugs, if I'm honest, as well. So that drove me a lot, you know, to keep me awake. And as you say, the scene was just massive. It was huge. It was just burgeoning. It was so many clubs and events and a lot of them were pretty dodgy as well. There were a lot of unsavory promoters, but I just immersed myself in it. And I was so passionate about what I was doing. And it was so fun. I mean, why wouldn't I want to do three gigs and everyone's going bonkers and you can play anything that you like, really? I think I felt much freer then to experiment. And when you're buying vinyl, they only make so many copies. So not everyone's got the same record. So your set is quite precious to you. You know, and then when I did get the gigs abroad, it was really eye opening to see that how universal music is. You know, you go to Tokyo and everyone's still loving and dancing to the same music. And it's just like, oh, my God, this is really special. [Colleen] I feel very privileged to have a life where I can go out and share music and meet people who are similar and like minded. And it's interesting. It's almost like you realize how small the world is sometimes when you start traveling and you have connections through music with people. And I never forget how privileged I am to be able to do that. But it's also a very exciting time in the UK. And by the time I moved here in 1999, this is the era of the super club and the superstar DJs. And you you are one of them. I mean, you are, you know, really residencies. You played at Ministry of Sound. You played at Fabric. You played, you know, Trade before DTPM. I think that's where you were playing when I moved over. Manumission. You playing at Space. All these incredible clubs. Was it really exciting time or did you feel like it was becoming too commercial? I mean, what were what were your thoughts when it was really starting to peak when dance music was starting to peak at the end of the millennium? [Smokin Jo] I think because, again, being so shy, I didn't like the whole suddenly you're on this stage and all these lights when you're looking at you. I preferred it when it was in the dark club in the corner and you could just kind of do your thing. So I did struggle with that. But I did really enjoy doing those big gigs and somewhat like space. I mean, you can't not enjoy that. The sun's out and everyone's there for the music. And you're creating this energy. So I loved every minute. I can't complain, to be honest. You get the odd gig and you'd maybe go somewhere like Moscow and it'd be a bit odd because they didn't quite get it. And then you feel like you're just kind of in the club and you've got strippers pretty much on poles. And they're like, yeah, we kind of lost the point a little bit here. [Colleen] Now, you went through all these. You had all these great accolades, but you also had a lot of challenges as you got into further into your career. You moved to Ibiza. [Smokin Jo] Yeah. [Colleen] And, you know, I can understand why Ibiza would be such an attraction. I think people that listen to the show, Balearic Breakfast, they understand what the attraction to Ibiza is as well. But, what was what were the challenges that you started to face in the new millennium and as your career was starting to progress? [Smokin Jo] I think what I felt most was as a female DJ and as a black female DJ, I wasn't getting the same kind of promotion or the same energy behind certain things. Like I really wanted to do a radio show. We wanted to do one for years. And Radio One was just a closed shop. I actually was taken on by one of their producers to kind of train and all this. And they ended up giving it to another DJ who was way, way less known than me and not even, well, whatever, you know. I was like, I kind of thought that was the reason I didn't get it. It's like there just wasn't any black women on the radio then. I didn't get the same exposure as well. I mean, I got a lot. I can't complain. But I definitely feel that there was a little bit of a ceiling still over my head and just traveling alone as a black woman. You know, you go to Eastern Europe. It was pretty horrendous. You know, the racism you're experiencing in the airports, on the streets. I didn't feel as comfortable traveling on my, you know, as my colleagues were. The only time I realized this the most was when I went on tour with Heineken, and it was like Tiësto and a few other DJs. And I just saw how different it was for them, you know. It's like, and as a woman as well, not that I want to be given loads of girls, but you see women being, you know, brought into the DJ booth for the DJ to choose which one he fancies the most. And it's this little boys club. And, you know, you are on the outside of that, and it's navigating your way in and trying to stay amongst, you know, all these male promoters because 99% it's males that are promoting the clubs and booking the DJ. [Colleen] You know, I never even realized that until you stated that in your book. And you mentioned, I think you said Hannah Holland, who I just met this past weekend for the first time. Lovely woman. Michelle Minetti. And there was somebody else you mentioned. [Smokin Jo] It was Nicole Rudebaugh, who's obviously a DJ now, but before she was a promoter. [Colleen] And that just never occurred to me. It's so strange. It's because now that I think about it, all the big promoters, most of them, I think we had a few, in the US is a little different. I think of Carmen D'Alessio was like the big promoter who really started in Studio 54. She used to go to the loft. So it's a little bit different. But yeah, I would say in the majority is. And, I never it never even occurred to me. I thought that was such an interesting point to make. [Smokin Jo] And they all kind of. I didn't realize they were all hanging out and going for drinks. And I had no idea this was going on. I just thought everyone was like me. You rock up to the club, you play, you go home. [Colleen] Well, that's the same with me as a woman alone, too. I really didn't go to after parties. I was saying to Adam, my husband, I said, there's one after party I went to once back to someone's flat. And it's because I knew their brother. And it was the Gruber Marduk guys like early on. I was like, only time I've ever done that because it was more about concern for my safety was number one. But also, I didn't want to look like the party girl because I thought they wouldn't take me seriously. [Smokin Jo] Funnily enough, they probably would have taken you more seriously if you got absolutely shit faced. Yeah, no, yeah. I definitely made more friends when I was getting really high with them. When I was sober, it was like, oh, everyone stepped away a little bit. [Colleen] Yeah, OK, but maybe I should work on 56. [Smokin Jo] I don't know. [Colleen] No, but in any case, you did. You obviously had some challenges. [Smokin Jo] Yeah. [Colleen] With with drugs, which you go into. [Smokin Jo] Yeah. I think when you're brought up the way I was, you really kind of lost a little bit. And I just didn't love myself, hate myself. And the drugs took all those kind of feelings away. And, you know, I've been taking drugs since I was 11 years old. And I loved it, to be honest. And I never saw it as a negative. It's only when I got to the point I've been in the beat for seven years and it's kind of stopped working. And I was taking more and more and more. And I knew at that point I just wasn't happy. And with all these amazing gigs and this profile and the money I was getting, I should have been really happy, but I wasn't. So that's when I decided to go off to rehab. Not that I'm an addict. And it's really weird saying that because I'm not. I know when to stop. It was just habitual. And I knew there was a reason behind it all. [Colleen] Yeah, that's really brave of you to do that as well. I mean, and also not even just your childhood, but also the lifestyle. Everybody around you is partying. And as you said, when you're doing three to four gigs in a night, it's like you have to stay awake and you have to be at your peak and you have to bring that energy to it. And it's a pitfall for everybody I think. [Smokin Jo] It is. And to be honest, it's just so normalized. And that's a problem for us in the music industry. It's not frowned upon really. Possibly now it's slightly different with social media, but it's like it's expected almost. If you say no to a line, it's like, oh, what's wrong with you? You know? [Colleen] I found that more in the UK. [Smokin Jo] Yes. Oh, I think the Americans are a little bit more professional than us. [Colleen] I mean, you look at the people who have lasted, you know, like like Louis Vega, Francois, I mean, they're like they're totally together people. And I think, yeah, I think it's a little bit different in the US than than the UK. I was quite surprised! [Smokin Jo] Yeah, when I when I went to play for Danny Vinyl, it was so funny because that was when New York was completely there was like no alcohol allowed in the clubs. [Colleen] That's right. [Smokin Jo] And I brought my whole crew with me. We were like, no drink! We were like, no way! We were so horrified! How's anyone doing this? [Colleen] I remember going on, I think it was a Virgin Atlantic flight from here to Miami for the Winter Music Conference from London for the first time, rather than New York. And they drank the plane dry. [Smokin Jo] Because we are the West. [Colleen] But you did pull yourself out of it. I mean, you really did. And it's why don't we talk a little bit more about that when we come back? You know, I want to talk about how you pulled yourself out of this and where you where you're at right now. You're listening to Smokin Jo on Balearic Breakfast. [Colleen] And I'm back here with Smokin Jo on Balearic Breakfast. And you've been listening to her exclusive mix for us, which is wonderful. Jo, you were talking about the trials and tribulations of being a DJ, a globetrotting DJ. And, you know, it happens to so many people, you know, drugs become an issue, maybe not. You weren't addicted, as you said, but it certainly became habitual, which is very, very easy for anyone to do in this in this business that we're in. But you managed to pull yourself out. How did you do that? [Smokin Jo] I just, you know, I had done loads of therapy in my 20s because of obviously being in the children's home and I was very depressed. So I'd already kind of looked in. And so I was very open to changing and knowing. I knew that was something wrong. So I just made the effort, went to rehab. You go for a month. So that's a whole month of no drug, no drink. And I'd never done that in my entire adulthood. So, you know, it was it was very eye opening. I felt warm and and real again. It was like I'd lost myself. So it was very difficult to go back on the decks completely sober. [Colleen] That's what I was going to ask you about. [Smokin Jo] I didn't like it. Like I didn't like it because again, when you're shy, you'll use alcohol and drugs to mask. So I just didn't want people looking at me. I didn't want... I just didn't know how to figure this whole. How was I going to do it? But it took me about three, four months and I started to feel good again. And I think I was probably playing a lot better because I wasn't trashed. But the pros didn't like it. They were like, oh... You know, you don't want any coat. You don't want it. And I was like, no. So I definitely wasn't getting booked for some of the same things anymore, which is kind of odd. [Colleen] Oh, that's interesting... [Smokin Jo] Some of the crazier nights. [Colleen] Well, you know, I found that one of the reasons I think I was attracted to DJing is I am, you know, extroverted in some ways. I love communicating, but I am on the radio and a mic and I don't see anybody. I think DJing was another part of being slightly introverted as well, because, as you said, I could go off, be in my own space and work and have something to do without making small talk. You know, I like yourself. I started on the dance floor dancing. I mean, that's every woman DJ I know. It was never like I just want to become a DJ right away. I was just a dancer and dancing. And it's... I think it was because I was slightly introverted that drew me to the decks. I'd be at a party. Everyone's talking and laughing. I'm like, oh, I feel like being on my own records. They put some of those on and that kind of a thing. And it's the same now with DJing. Let's talk about the difference too... So we both started DJing at the same time. You're DJing in parties. You're not really on a pedestal. It's in a dark club. And now we often find ourselves on stage. [Smokin Jo] I just don't get it because there's nothing to see. Yeah, just playing records. And then all the focus then goes on to you rather than music. And then obviously you've got all these superstar, whatever you call it, Instagram type people who are just not real real DJs, but, you know, they haven't learned their craft, but they're just got supporters and followers and their hands in the air. And I just think we're losing the real art form and the kind of point of it, which is the music. You know, you don't need bright lights. You know, the old days, it was one strobe. If you're lucky in the dark space and a really good sound system. So I do miss that. I really do. And I feel we're getting to a point now that people are realizing they need to kind of take a step back and maybe stop having phones on the dance floor, that kind of stuff, because that's ruined everything. Yeah. [Colleen] And there's been some great clubs that no longer have phones on the dance floor. I mean, I know that the Berghain does that, but I just played another club in Berlin that's very different to the Berghain that is called Heidegluhen. And again, no phones, and and and a lot of young people. And they're loving it because it's complete freedom to them. You know, I mean, for the first 30 years of my life, I didn't have a phone. [Smokin Jo] Exactly! I know we're so obsessed with phones, aren't we now? It's a shame. But I mean, social media is great for some things, but I think you need to know how to put it down. [Colleen] Exactly. Exactly. Now, one thing in your book is you regretted that you weren't making tracks and doing remixes as much in the 90s as your male counterpart DJs were doing. Is that because you weren't being asked? [Smokin Jo] There was yeah, there was a lot of not being asked. I didn't put myself forward for it, but also confidence thing. I just I was a DJ. Didn't mean I was going to be able to make the music. And obviously that's a whole different skill set. Luckily, Simon Dunmore from Defected had put me in the studio of Eric Koppel, which was which was fantastic. And he's one of my favorite producers at that time. So, you know, but I just knew I'd never going to be able to sit. I haven't got the patience to to do it myself. So I've always used the engineer. And I was very busy traveling. I didn't have time or I didn't make time. I didn't put it as a priority. I didn't actually realize because, you know, someone like Carl Cox never made any tracks. And he was huge. And I didn't really feel like I needed to. But I realized later down the line that, yeah, it's important to have music out. And now I'm I'm making more. I'm loving it, actually. [Colleen] Tell us about what you're doing now. [Smokin Jo] Yeah, I'm working with like Ted Patterson, actually. I'm doing something with him. [Colleen] Yeah, I know he is such a great person and a great producer and a great DJ. [Smokin Jo] So I don't keep I was pestering him for ages, like, right. OK, honey, let's do it. Let's do it. So we're doing that. And I've just done a track with Shadow Child, D Ramirez on Faith. And then, yeah, I've got a couple of other bits. Can I come over? But yeah, definitely working a bit harder about that. [Colleen] And how does that feel? [Smokin Jo] It feels good. And I think I'm just a different person now. I've got confidence. I can say what I think. I think when you're in the studio, it can be quite intimidating. And you're like, oh, you've got an idea, but whether you want to share it, you know, it's the creative processes is ups and downs, isn't it? So I'm more willing to share and use my gut kind of thing. [Colleen] So, yeah, I think it's also our age. I mean, I'm in my fifties. I believe you're in your fifties as well. And in your fifties, you kind of give less of a shit what other people think. [Smokin Jo] Does that mean that? Yeah, you do, yeah. [Colleen] And you also maybe have a bit more experience to draw upon. So you realize, gosh, you know, I can inhabit this space just like other people can. And I have the experience and I have the credentials and I'm able to do that. So you have some tracks coming out and that's that's wonderful. I'm really glad to hear that. You also started to do something that combines another passion that you have, which is yoga. So you're combining music and yoga. Can you tell us about that? [Smokin Jo] Yeah, well, I started doing yoga probably 18 years ago and it just really changed my life, as in it just kept me sane. And because I used to dance, I was trained as a dancer. I understood body movement and how it was really important for me. So being shy, I didn't want to teach yoga. But I had a boyfriend who was like, look, you should just why don't you give it a go? You've got a good voice. All this stuff I hated about myself. Suddenly it all kind of clicks into place. It's like, yeah, you've got really good voice for yoga because it's strong and it's clear. And, you know, yeah. [Colleen] You have a great voice. [Smokin Jo] Thank you. I always hated it. [Colleen] Oh, I love low voices. I love your voice. [Smokin Jo] Oh, I think they always say they like women with low voices and men with high voices as well. So, yeah, I just did the course and just realized that I found my voice. I enjoy teaching. And then I could make this wonderful playlist to go with the class. And people just love it. And it's a joy and a passion. But hard work, really hard work. [Colleen] I took one of your classes and it was hard work. I was like, oh, my God, I can't even do that. You know, I've been doing yoga for decades as well, but not on the level that you do it. One more thing about the book. You know, you are a shy person and you have written a very revealing book. I mean, you put it out there. How does it feel? [Smokin Jo] It feels great. I think which I've said to loads of people in skin, especially when she read it. She was like, God, I'm so jealous of you because you could write what you wanted. Because, you know, I don't have parents. My mom died 20 years ago and I don't have children. So I don't have a family that I'm in connection with. So I have no one to tell me, oh, my God, what have you done? So I just thought, you know what? Just put it out there. I'll probably never get a boyfriend again after this! [Colleen] Or you might get more! [Smokin Jo] But I felt I could be really honest. And I just thought it'd be interesting for people to see the other side. You know, I think a lot of people back in the day just thought I was a complete bitch because I didn't use to speak to them, but they didn't realize I was shy. And I think it's important to know there's two sides to people. You know, you see this person on stage and they look very glamorous and they all look like, you know, they've got the world at their feet. They have no idea what's going on behind that. And I just wanted to kind of pull that little curtain over and say, look, half the time I'm struggling, you know? [Colleen] Wow. Well, it's it's a very I really admire you for writing this book. And, you know, I had tears when I read it, and I was I was amazed at the things you've gone through as well. Some shared experiences, but a lot of experiences that are completely unique to you. And and just to have those insights shared. I mean, it's so deep and profound. And I really think you're a brave person for doing it. So just tell us about what's going on in the future for Smokin Jo. [Smokin Jo] Well, I mean, with the book, it's been going really well. I've had so much support. I've got a documentary being made about me in the book. So, yeah. And they're hoping to try and make that into a film. I'm kind of seeing Netflix series! So I studied film, funny enough, as well. And I absolutely love it. So this is like I'm so happy this is happening because I can really get my teeth stuck into it. And, yeah, continuing to DJ, DJ is going really well and producing. Yeah. Trying to get a holiday squeeze in there. [Colleen] Got to get a holiday. You know as well that you have to have that kind of downtime, especially when you're in front of people all the time. [Smokin Jo] Oh, my God. [Colleen] And just giving your energy. Yeah. [Smokin Jo] Yeah. [Colleen] And you're getting it back. [Smokin Jo] Yeah. Obviously, it's reciprocal. But yeah, I just saw Honey was Honey D. John took two weeks off a couple of weeks ago. And I'm like, you know what? That is amazing to do that in the height of summer when you probably had a million gigs. It's like you just took that time because I used to say yes to everything. I went to Tokyo for one night because I had to get back for another gig. And it's just like, this is ridiculous. [Colleen] I know. Well, the pandemic kind of showed us that, you know, when the events were first to close and the last to reopen, I am sort of in a mindset like take it while you can get it. Take it while you can get it. And it's very hard to say no. I think for a freelancer in general, but also, you know, dance music can be kind of fickle. You can be hot today, not hot tomorrow. And you just want to seize the opportunities when you have them. [Smokin Jo] I get that. But I think, you know. [Colleen] But there's self-care. [Smokin Jo] There is that too. [Colleen] You know, I remember I wanted to interview PJ Harvey and he said, no, she's taking a year off. Oh, she had worked for years without taking a week off. So, you know... Well, good luck with the book. It's a wonderful book. And again, it's called You Don't Need a Dick to DJ. And I can you know, I can definitely say that is a fact. It's a great title. And thank you so much. And the best of luck to you with all your future! [Smokin Jo] Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed that! COLLEEN'S NEWS Wednesday, 18th September: Classic Album Sundays presents ‘Hard Candy’ with Ned Doheny (click here to buy the tickets) ; Tuesday, 24th September at 8pm GMT Colleen will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Portishead's debut album 'Dummy' (click here to join Classic Album Sundays) ; Monday, 14th October: Classic Album Sundays presents Saint Etienne at The British Library with National Album Day, celebrating the 'Foxbase Alpha' album with Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs (click here to join the live stream).