A true story. 

March 16th was the first day of lockdown in the United Kingdom. People across the country were being furloughed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We ran out of toilet rolls. Everyone decided to eat pasta. The world nearly fell off its axis. The only thing good was the weather. And of course, the downtime. A time to reflect. Which we did. We grew vegetables, we laughed, we clapped (remember that?). 

We’re pretty lucky where we live. Our little street is full of kindred folk. We can be pretty thirsty at times. But It’s always been a support network. This year we took it to new levels. Our houses back onto a huge field. Past that, sand dudes. Past those, the Atlantic ocean. As I say. We’re lucky. And we’re humble enough to realise it.

Now, I’m not a DJ. (Mic drop!)

Discgogs.com has me down as a producer of a genre they call house music. And let’s be honest, the internet never lies. And so, with that accolade comes the (massive) assumption that because you produce, you must also be a DJ. I mean yes, thanks to lockdown I have a monthly podcast, and (sometimes) I can put noise together in a sequential fashion. But standing in front of real humans, jogging the wheels of steel. Nah, mate. To introverted for any of that nonsense. 

And so it began. The community. Our neighbors held backyard bingo sessions, shouting the numbers across the gardens. Other folk joined in. All pertaining to the social distancing rules. There were quizzes. There were prizes. There were barbecues and of course, the partaking of the occasional drink. :)

Originally, we were all supposed to be in Ibiza during lockdown number one. Us and a few of the neighbors. So if we can’t go to Ibiza, let’s bring Ibiza here. So went the unwritten brief. And that’s what we did. What started with a request to play a few records in the afternoon turned into much, much more.

One afternoon, we stuck a PA system in the lane behind our house and the rest is (blurred) history. Folk would come past and say ‘hi’ as they walked their dogs around the fields. Others would whoop and cheer over the fences. We even had shout-outs on Facebook. The sun shone and for a while, time slowed down.

As already mentioned, there was no brief, but I always started and ended the sessions with the same tracks. The last track, ‘Light Through The Veins’ by Jon Hopkins, coupled with watching the sun dip on another day, just felt right somehow. The selected tracks contained in this mix are indicative of what was played during these lockdown sessions. I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed our summer.

Peace. X

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Support for musicians is really important right now, so if you hear something you like, go check out the artist(s) and make a purchase. :)

Lockdown Sessions 2020

BlueAzure is the pseudonym of musician and producer Jamie Bridle, based in the South West of the UK. His music blends sun-drenched melodics with electronica — somewhere between deep house, nu-disco, and chilled-out Balearica.

His tracks are made for daydreamers, early risers, night walkers and balcony drifters — music with heart, for moments that don’t need a name.

BlueAzure has released on labels including Nang and Real Balearic, and hosts the monthly show Smiling at Strangers on London’s Totally Wired Radio — a soft-focus trip through oddball grooves, happy accidents and lo-fi tenderness.

He is also one-third of the long-distance project Editoric, formed at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios alongside lifelong collaborator Tim James and Toronto-based artist Lavinia Maria.