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

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* Pre-order: https://soundwayrecords.bandcamp.com/

If you were to think say that Flamingo Pier have become stalwarts of Soundway Records as of late, then you would be absolutely correct. The New Zealand based collective of Dominic, Brad and Luke have developed a blossoming relationship with the label  since the release of their self titled ‘Flamingo EP’ back in 2019. Fast-forward 2 years; having navigated through the midst of a global pandemic, the trio are now set to release their debut album ‘Flamingo Pier LP’. This long-play encapsulates the unique sound that the trio have established over the past few years that has come to incorporate elements of funk, disco, and jazz, all built around Afro-centric percussive elements.



Deeper Soul is somewhat of a departure from the upfront, cut-loose dancefloor vibe that harnesses the majority of this album. Staying true to its name; ‘Deeper Soul’ has its foundations in a substantially more downtempo, stripped back approach. It’s psychedelic influence hides in plain sight, organic afro-inspired percussion underpinning the calming synth top-lines that gently meander throughout courtesy of an abundance of reverb, delay, and modulation; whilst the hypnotic, funk-laden baseline injects a feeling of nostalgia that supplements the overall groove in beautiful fashion. It’s hard to pull yourself out of the time-warp of yesteryear after listening to this one!

Flamingo Pier

PREMIERE: Flamingo Pier - Deeper Soul

Idjut Boys - Freebird Instrumental

A remix using the original stems from Sketches From An Island. Shared with kind permission from Mark Barrott 

Support Mark & International Feel here:
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Mark Barrott - Island Life (Joe Morris Remix) FREE DL

A meditative journey of spiritual jazz and balearic from Australian producer and label - Good Company Records. 

Read more: http://www.stampthewax.com/2015/11/25/premiere-phil-stroud-yemaja/
Listen on Youtube: http://bit.ly/phil-stroud-yemaja
Buy: https://goodcoperth.bandcamp.com/album/gcr002-the-forest-yemaja

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@goodcoperth

Listen on Youtube

Phil Stroud feat. Jack Doepel - Yemaja (STW Premiere)

Shadows From Nowhere 7" By Blue Gas - Night Records - France, 1984

06 Invisible College

From our PST 1 EP. visit our Bandcamp page to listen and purchase. Mastered by Erick Labson.

All songs by Project Sandro (Rollmottle and Tony Yzarnotegui) 
Recorded and mixed at SENTRALL Sound in Los Angeles, CA. 
Mastered by Erick Labson at United Recording Studios.

“Mental Mother” can sound like the title to a gothic themed short story or Black Mirror episode, but the song itself has utopian strains, the synth progressions are uplifting, there is a feeling of assurance and warmth, the minds work prodvucing a nurturing mother, a better day, a sustaining world.

With every track on the EP, Project Sandro articulates cinematic and lush environs. With restraint and elegance the songs build soundscapes that give the listener room to engage with a range of emotions from the dark and foreboding to the light of some resolved clarity. Project Sandro does this at their own pace, nothing feels forced or contrived, there are no sleight of hands or overt manipulations, like all good art the songs have faith in their intent. The listener is offered a sense of place that they can inhabit, the specifics provided by our subjectivity, the songs rhythms carrying us to our destinations. Project Sandro’s first Ep is an assured offering and sets the standard for what hopefully will be a prolific oeuvre.

Project Sandro "Mental Mother"

DAY HAPPENS by BEGIN

Quiet Force - Listen To The Music (For Love And Emotions)

Mikki - (Coyote Waves & Waves & Waves Edit)

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

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Hillside - Walpole Days

Claremont 56

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