In the midst of a global pandemic that has seen gigs, club nights and festivals cancelled, and tens of millions around the world in some kind of lockdown or quarantine, the need for musical escapism and aural daydreaming is greater than ever. It was this search for creativity and positivity that led to the recording of Sunday in June, the gorgeous and sun-kissed debut album from Hillside.

The outfit’s origins lie in the ongoing friendship and musical relationship of guitarist/bassist Alex Searle, percussionist Patrick Dawes and Claremont 56 founder Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy, a trio who have been playing on each other’s records since the dawn of the millennium. They began jamming and creating instrumental music together for what would become the Hillside project a few years back, but the pace of production increased during the pandemic year of 2020, with multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Michele Chiavarini (an experienced solo artist and long-term member of Dave Lee’s Sunburst Band) coming on board to help shape the sound of their eight-track debut album.

Built around warm, languid grooves, expansive musicality, simmering strings – arranged by Chiavarini and replayed live by Pete Whitfield – and seductive solos provided by a handful of guest musicians (most notably flutist Tamar Osborne and violinist Mike Piggott, who has previously worked with Ralph McTell, Pentangle and Bert Jansch), Sunday in June could be considered an imaginary soundtrack to a long, lazy drive down the U.S West Coast.

The collective’s intent is exemplified by stunning opener and title track ‘Sunday in June’, where soaring strings, eyes-closed guitar solos, expressive keys and subtle percussive touches seemingly dance atop a sun-soaked groove that sits somewhere between jazz-funk and vintage West Coast rock. It can be heard, too, on the low-down hustle of ‘Trinity Strut’ – think Steely Dan doing Blaxploitation movie funk and you’re close – and in the languid drift of ‘Aguila Negra’, with its heart-aching orchestration, jazzy guitars and sunset-ready synths.

Sunday in June has many subtle twists and turns. Check the swelling, flute-sporting, organ-rich breeze of ‘For Daniel’, a track written in tribute to an old friend of Murphy’s who passed away in 2020, and the kaleidoscopic, smile-inducing positivity of ‘1939 Grand Avenue’, whose title references the address of a favourite San Diego hang out. There’s also room for recent single ‘Walpole Days’, a gorgeous downtempo odyssey, and a new album mix of the combo’s most Steely Dan-esque cut, 2019 single ‘Hidden Port’.

Rounding things off is a rather impressive bonus cut: a previously unheard ‘Spiritual Healing Mix’ of ‘Walpole Days’ by the great Joaquin ‘Joe Claussell’. Whereas his previously released versions of the track were largely percussive and dancefloor-friendly, this interpretation takes us deep into the world of weightless new age ambient, with Hillside’s impeccable instrumentation slowly rising above immersive chords and pads.

As usual with Claremont 56, the album’s artwork is every bit as detailed and painstakingly crafted as the music, with the stunning cover illustration coming courtesy of regular label collaborator Mark Warrington. His vibrant vision is naturally a perfect fit with Hillside’s colourful and emotion-rich music.

Hillside - Walpole Days

Hillside - Sunday In June

It can take a while for an artist to find their musical voice. For Alex Andrikopoulos, it’s been a journey that’s taken the best part of two decades. Now he’s set to mark a major milestone in his transition from record store owner, label co-founder and DJ to producer with the release of his long-promised first solo album for Leng, Waving.

The Greek artist first joined the Leng Records roster in the autumn of 2020 
and has since gone in to release the acclaimed ‘Punta Allen’ EP for the imprint. Before that, he spent the first decade of the century running the popular Radical Sounds record shop in Athens, before refocusing on running Quantized Music with fellow DJ/producer Tolis Q and developing his DJ career, where his unique blends of disco, house and techno tracks earned him bookings at some of Europe’s most storied clubs.

Waving, which appears on the back of a handful of fine EPs for a variety of labels, is his boldest and strongest statement yet as a musician and producer. Created with a little help from guest musicians and collaborators including keyboardist Artis Boriss, bassist Brotha Gilla, percussionists Ilario Arnel and Harold Perez, pianist Luciano Ledesma and guitarist Alex Searle, the album brilliantly blurs the boundary between 21st century disco, afternoon-ready downtempo grooves, and the kind of dancefloor-minded Balearic fare that’s devilishly difficult to pigeonhole.

Fittingly, the set begins with previous single ‘Punta Allen’, an eight-minute chunk of organic dancefloor goodness which slowly unfurls before rising towards and gorgeous and joyous conclusion, and ends with the squelchy, slo-mo cosmic funk of ‘Patrol Di Caribe’, where trippy synthesizer lines, layered percussion and more tuneful style pan style lead ins catch the ear.

In between, highlights are plentiful, from the driving, piano solo-laden dub disco brilliance of ‘Down My Soul’ and the languid, sun-kissed, beach-ready downtempo grooves of ‘The Jamail Pass’, to the rubbery, pitched-down electrofunk of ‘Window Spells’ (featuring a fine lead vocal from Max Giovara, the flash-friend, dubwise Balearic funk of ‘Waving’, and the throbbing brilliance of ‘La Di Da Di’, whose crunchy Clavinet lines, fluid electric piano solos, snappy drums and pulsating, arpeggio-style bass encapsulate all that is good about the album.

The digital edition of the album also comes bundled with eight more tracks not featured on the double-vinyl LP. Featuring the same blend of expansive musicality, organic drums and dancefloor nous, this octet effectively extends the album via a string of similarly playable, club-ready and sofa-friendly tracks. Standouts include the non-stop, nu-disco-meets-house excellence of ‘Large Stacks’, Hammond-laced head-nodder ‘Take The High Road’, horizontal Balearic funk shuffler ‘Prezend’ and hazy, vocal-sporting dub disco roller ‘Angels of Rhythm’, which previously appeared on the flipside of Lex’s ‘Punta Allen’ 12”.

Waving

LENG SHOP

Lex - Window Spells

AMPLITUDES invite Onibaku - Dimanche Café N°040

So here’s the final selection in the Magik series from Psychemagik. 

The search for these artists has again taken many months but we’re pleased to now be able to share a teaser of Magik Sunset Part Two.

We hope you like Part Two and the rest of the series as much as we have enjoyed bringing the albums to you.

Pre-order online - https://lengrecords.bandcamp.com/album/psychemagik-presents-magik-sunset-part-2


Leng Shop

Psychemagik present Magik Sunset Part Two - Mini Mix

https://www.juno.co.uk/products/a-vision-of-panorama-seaside-tune/572552-01/

After a killer vinyl debut on Piccadilly favourites Aficionado and a serious sophomore release on Music For Dreams, A Vision Of Panorama returns on his own Mellophonia imprint with six coastal grooves for summer moods. "Floral Rhythm" opens the set with blossoming keys, lilting rhythms and a bouyant bassline, overpowering your senses with the lush atmosphere of tropical horticulture. "Seaside Tune" sees the producer slow the tempo and indulge in a spot of diasporic downbeat, layering the yearning chord progression with a combination of Chinese and Caribbean melodies. Closing the A-side out with the dancefloor in mind, Mikhail delivers "Blues 909", a head nodding fusion of compass point instrumentation and pitched down proto house that'll loosen the early doors crowd up no problems before "Heartbeat" takes the night to its next level. A solid beat underpins layer after layer of killer melody played on xylophone, marimba, guitar and arp, while the irresistible Burrell-esque bassline moves those hips like an orthopaedic surgeon. "Message From Library" follows on with the leftfield funk and steady backbeat you'd expect of a KPM classic, marrying stargazing vocoder with cinematic strings, before the stunning "Mosaic Xylos" closes the set out. As beautiful as its name, this Balearic dream brings to mind "C'est La Oate" and "TV Scene" with its sunkissed groove and future primitive instrumentation. Classy, cool and refreshing, this EP is the perfect soundtrack for summer, and yet another essential release from A Vision Of Panorama.

Juno Download

Seaside Tune

Viajando (Kejeblos Dub) is taken from Pablo Color's EP Viajando 2017
For Vinyl or Digital Downlad, check:
https://checkmyish.bandcamp.com/album/pablo-color-viajando-ep

VIAJANDO EP

VIAJANDO EP / Viajando (Kejeblos Dub)

06 Invisible College

BEGIN Here Comes The Sun

DAY HAPPENS by BEGIN

The Mountain Remixes

The Mountain (Lexx Remix)

Claremont 56 is an independent label  dedicated to releasing beautiful music.

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Hillside - Sunday In June

Claremont 56

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