#leo mas

My first encounter with Blank & Jones was rather late, coming via “Summer Trip” off 2015′s Relax: The Sunset Sessions. In the style of Cantoma and the Kenneth Bager remix of Coyote’s “Eve,” this hypnotic piece of guitar-led balearica is pure magic and led me on a deep dive into Piet’s and Jaspa’s extensive back catalogue, with a heavy focus on the Relax series and the Milchbar compilations. There is so much amazing music in this body of work, and the Relax: The Sunset Sessions series of 12”’s highlights the (recent) cream of the crop, giving selected tracks a spacious vinyl release and often times presenting them in alternate or remixed form. Out this year on Soundcolours, Relax: The Sunset Sessions 2 pulls from Milchbar // Seaside Season 9 and especially Relax Edition Ten, serving up six slices of white isle perfection, including essential sundown rerubs by Coyote and Leo Mas & Fabrice.

Blank & Jones - Relax: The Sunset Sessions 2 (Soundcolours, 2018) For me, the standout of this year’s Milchbar // Seaside Season 10 was the Leo Mas & Fabrice remix of “Good.” The duo take the track and add one of their deliciously dubwise house beats…slow and low, with huge claps ringing out over rolling hand percussion. The main sunshine melody is introduced by physical sub bass as mournful pads rain down over smooth pianos dropping those classic Blank & Jones chill out vibes. The guitar hook from the original is held back for a while, as the drums pull out at times for beatless stretches of piano-led beauty, all timeless and slathered in gooey sentimentality. And finally, the aquatic riffing emerges under hazy fx only to fade away, as the pianos overtake the mix for a gorgeous sunset climax. Elsewhere on the A-side, Pete Herbet presents an edit of Cassara’s remix of “Give It to Me,” one dominated by looping disco rhythmics and watery e-pianos. Impressive funk bass drops erotic magic with notes sliding up and down the fretboard, and housey snare work gives the beat further momentum. The flowing jazz pianos are supported by bright Chic guitars and swirling disco strings, with sultry vocals chanting “I can feel it” alongside spaced out fx, making me think of Discovery-era Daft Punk. We end the side with RunSQ’s mix of “Pelican Bay”, one of the ambient standouts from Relax Edition Ten now given the hammock house treatment. The swaying summer breeze guitars are chained to a laidback four-four and a deep grooving bassline, while the soft e-pianos of the original are now transported to smooth tropical synths. The vibe is perfect for a sunny day at the beach...cocktail in hand and toes in the sand.

Nothing from Relax Edition Ten gets me quite like “Pure Shores” and the euphoric dreamtime vocal magic of Zoe Dee. Here we get a “Special Version”, with pianos swathed in the reverb of eternity, subtle guitars laying down subdued funk riffs, and a hypnotic breakbeat groove. Zoe’s vocals evoke feelings of intense longing and sadness…as if separated from a lover across vast distances, and their power is only magnified by the wonderful waves of piano bliss, the intergalactic percussive effects, and the hypnotic spoken word snippets floating around the stereo field. Next is Finland and Aaskoven’s “Archipelago Mix” of “Rising to the Top”. Zoe appears again singing a hushed and melancholic lullaby over dramatic piano arpeggios and swelling strings. Eventually a soft jazz break fades in and the whole track sways narcotically in this downer pop haze, the mix colored by spritely flute runs and breathy vocal effects. And standing toe-to-toe with that stellar remix of “Good” is Coyote’s take on “My Island.” The original was undoubtedly a high point of Relax Edition Ten, so much so that it appeared on Moonboots’ Moments in Time compilation. Timm and Ampo employ a lighter touch than usual with their take, preserving the dreamy balearic interplay of guitar and piano over gliding drums and equatorial hand percussion. But the euphoric new age vocal pads and dubwise fx hint at the duo’s presence, as do the chunky disco pianos and the slightly psychedelic editing. And at some point, pure Coyote magic emerges as the beat gravitates towards a dubfunk swagger while jazzy keys and guitars dance around, but refuse to lock into, the original track’s blissful island melodies. The percussion moves in and out in delirious waves, slappy funk bass zoning things out even further…like instrumental hip-hop for an Ibizan sunset.

Another one from the collection of Leo Mas that was given to him by Paul Oakenfold in 1988. A live recording of Spectrum where you can hear how good Oakenfold is at putting it together and too many (now) classic records to mention. Join in the chant.

This is the first in what will be a multi-weekly series of posts highlighting some records I have been digging on recently. Sometimes it will be a random assortment of titles and other times I will focus on particular artists, record labels, or scenes. It is more or less a way for me to catalog what I’ve been listening to and to serve as a personal reference. But maybe a few similar souls out there will discover some cool new tunes :)

Los Porcos - Jesus Luvs U Baby (Über, 2014) Los Porcos original is a pleasant enough slab of beachy pop, with nice vocal harmonies and guitar interplay. The loungey guitar riffs that back the track are tailor made for the Mudd treatment, and indeed he helps focus the balearic soul of the original. His “Tribute to Aly” mix is spacey, with the guitar given plenty of room. Things are ever so slightly dubbed out, and the entire progression of the vocals and how they are layered is altered to tremendous effect, now held back until a chilled climax, all silky smooth and sultry. The B-side sees Coyote tripping out the track even further with their “Lazy Hammock Dub”, and the whole review is right there in the name. The drums are now huge, driven by hand percussion and tambourines, with the swing of the acoustic brought out even further. The vocals and remaining guitars are echoed and effected in that hazy Coyote way, the whole thing looped into a glorious toes in the sand, cocktail in hand banger.

Onyricon - Sweet Dream (Aficionado Recordings, 2014) A personal favorite of both Aficionado and Leo & Fabrice’s wonderful collaborations. The A-side starts with their “On Air” mix, all drifting angelic vocals and beauteous pads, with a supremely horizontal feel. Their “Balearic Militant” mix adds a nice dubby bassline and a slo-mo four-to-the floor with echoing percussion and effects, forming a nice backbone for the sunset vocals and synths. On the B-side, Andras Fox toughens things up slightly with a heavier beat (killer congas!) and a grooving early 90s bassline, all while dancing around the vocal loops with jazzy keys and cosmic synths. Finally, the “Sun Mix” dubs things out further, with the pads working like shimmering waves breaking on the shore, overlaying echoing bongos and bass pulses.

Tiago - The Source (Leng, 2011) Tiago is responsible for so much amazing music and is one of my favorite remixers. The A-side here starts with the original cut “The Source”. This has a nice stoned ravey feel to it, with a super squelchy acid line and addictive bassline driving underneath trancey synths and some huge organs. The thunderstorm samples are a nice touch. Speaking of great remixers, we have Mudd’s “Slow Rave Mix” on the B-side doubling down on the drama and psychedelic vibes. The bassline and acid squelches get even more tripped out and the track subtly morphs and evolves, putting most of the focus on delayed synth and percussive effects.