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 - Sunday In June

Bare Groove Part 1 Nude's Not Rude

Buy from Jansen Jardin

Natural Hugh - Bare Groove Part 1 - Nude's Not Rude

Tracklist. Please support the artists.

Aeroplane feat. Anita Cualega (Original Mix) - Auf Togo, Becker & Mukai, Anita Cualega
Mainacht_Acid Pauli_AVM Ayahuasca Visions Version - AVM
End Titles (Original Mix) - Sauco
He Wasn't Afraid... - Zillas on Acid
Flange Factory (feat. Thimo D.) (Original Mix) - Lucas Croon, Thimo D.
Out of Silence (Zuma Dionys Remix) - Saive, Kleiber
Luz y Dos (Original Mix) - Die Jungle
Alambic (Geju Remix)	- Acid Pauli & Nico Stojan
Frightened by Strangers (Original Mix) - Hiem
The Path (Marc Piñol Remix) - Hanzo & Yaman
Scenic Byway (Zillas on Acid Remix) - Kate Stein
Truth - Haules Baules
Left Behind (Original Mix) - Jepe
The Happiness Equation (Original Mix) - The Oddness
SX2 'Adventures On The W4' (MODXI & Chez de Milo Remix)	-	Disco Halal
Empty Flower Pots (AFFKT Dub Remix) -	Sutja Gutiérrez
Crystalline (In Flagranti Remix)	- Joyce Muniz
Under My Skin (Warehouse Preservation Society Instrumental Remix)	-	Mickey Van Seenus
My Home Plants Can Talk (Original Mix) - Pletnev
Instanbul (Sauco Remix) - Jason Core
W.T.F.N. (Original Mix) - Dionigi
ACID TIME (ORIGINAL MIX)- Ivan de la Rouch & Mike Sacchetti
Where is Nelson? (Original Mix) - Franck Roger
Sodio (Original Mix) -	Ricardo Ruben
Moonwitch and Tarot (Ami Moderne Remix) -	Hiem
Mecanikal (Original Mix) - Ulises Arrieta, Javier Martinez
Klin Yar Disco (Kolomensky Trance Disco Remix) -	A-Tweed
Форс-мажор (Simple Symmetry Remix)	- Директор Всего
I Don't Get It (Original Mix) - Strapontin, Zillas on Acid
The Populists - Air Rance - The Populists
Keine Angst (Dollkraut Remix) - L.F.T.
That Time of Night (Instrumental) -	GLOK

Factory

Jaye Ward - The Pitch Down 19.04.21

dance with me darling (demo)

@kaynethehermit kindly asked me to compile an hour of music for The Hermit Show on Noods radio and here it is - the sound of tropical rainforest 

http://noodsradio.com/


01 Peter Westheimer - Cadaghi Dreaming (Left Ear)
02 Lamusa II - Terapia - unreleased
03 Riccardo Schirò - Cashmere Complex (Gravity Graffiti)
04 Hector Plimmer - Kalimba (Albert's Favourites)
05 Joe Morris - Mangrove Dawn (Pleasure Unit)
06 Blair French - Inland Island (Claremont 56)
07 Fernando - Shining (Is It Balearic?)
08 A Vision of Panorama - Rain Theme (Chit Chat)
09 Androo - 2000 & Universe (Second Circle Holland)
10 Denis Mpunga & Paul K. - Intermezzo B (Dazion's Turtle Maraca Remix) (Music From Memory)
11 Hugh Mane - Live Drama (Running Back)

Vlado Markovic - The Hermit Show Guest Mix (05.09.2017)

Graham from Lockdown Radios adventure on BROTHER JOSEPH'S SONIC TREASURE NOVEMBER EXPIDITION

Graham Brand - Brother Josephs’ Sonic Treasures Mix

BANDCAMP - https://spacetalkmusic.bandcamp.com/album/too-late-kathy-incl-skyrager-jonny-rock-edits

For every musician who tastes significant success, there are countless others who fall through the cracks: artists whose dreams of carving a career out of their passion were dashed, despite the quality, inventiveness and imaginative nature of the music they made. Most never get to see the music they slaved over get released, or a new generation of listeners appreciate the demos they worked so hard on for an extended period of time.

Mila Anatoli is one such artist. Had it not been for Spacetalk’s Danny McLewin grabbing one of only 10 acetates pressed of her early 1980s demo recordings from a record dealer in New Jersey, her remarkable story and impressively off-kilter music would never have seen the light of day. 

Yet Anatoli deserves her moment in the spotlight and a chance to tell her tale. Despite the hand-written information on McLewin’s acetate being almost 40 years out of date, Spacetalk managed to find to find her – Mila had married and changed her name some years ago making the search significantly harder.

The small amount of information the acetate provided led the search to celebrated jazz producer and photographer Hank O’Neal who had hung out with Mila back in the early 80s New York. He regularly took her to events and used his contacts to offer introductions to a mixture of local heroes and global music stars. Through O’Neal, Anatoli met Arthur Russell, Astrid Gilberto, Michael Moriaty and photographers Bert Stern and Berenice Abbot. At one point, O’Neal even took Anatoli to a downtown studio to watch The Clash making a recording with Allen Ginsberg.

Amazingly Hank still had many photographs of Mila taken during their time as friends in NYC and the images used on this new release have all been taken from Hank’s archive.

Completing the reissue package alongside the original songs Danny McLewin in his Skyrager guise and Jonny Rock have added their editing skills to two of the tracks.

Mila Anatoli

SHOP

Kathy (Jonny Rock Edit)

1939 Grand Ave (Clip)

For Daniel (Clip)

Aguila Negra (Clip)

Walpole Days (Clip)

Trinity Strut (Clip)

Sunday In June (clip)

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

Please don't message me here as I don't read them, please get in touch via the website, thanks.

Trinity Strut (Clip)

Claremont 56

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