Hell Yeah

Following a CD-only release in Japan in 2021, legendary downtempo producer Calm finally releases his Before album on vinyl and digital courtesy of Hell Yeah. The 10-track record is a slow-burning Balearic beauty.

Calm aka Kiyotaka Fukagawa has never been to the White Isle, but he sure knows how to capture its musical essence. He has done so over a long and storied career that has taken in 17 albums and some 35 EPs on many labels including this one over the last 20-plus years. His unique blend of ambient, jazz and leftfield was last showcased on this label in 2018 with his By Your Side album, and now he does it again with another timeless and escapist offering.

The record was written, arranged, mixed and produced by Calm, but with gorgeous musical embellishments, trumpets, flutes, saxophones, violins, bass and keys played by friends and guests like Shiba, Sinsuke Fujieda, Fumiko Takeshita, Tomokazu Sugimoto, Yuichiro Kato and Toshitaka Shibata. Tracks from it have already had support from Cosmo Coleen Murphy on Worldwide FM, while Phil Mison says it is "100% reminiscent of an old Café Del Mar or José Padilla record." He is not wrong.

As soon as the opening chords of 'Beauty on Earth' wash over you there is no escaping the naturalistic charm and beauty of this record. 'Long Summer Dream' layers mystic wind sounds and gentle percussive patterns into suspensory bliss, 'Blue in Void - 限りなく透明に近い青' is a plaintive moment of sombre sax and pensive piano, then 'Liminal Moment - 目を閉じて見えるもの' awakens the soul with its gorgeous flute lines and looping arps.

There is perfect horizontal sunset house on 'I Love You - 月がきれいですね,' 'Feel It' picks up the pace with seductive saxophone motifs and psychedelic synth loops and 'Before Sunrise Blue - あたたかい青' is crushing downtempo melancholia. 'Kunpoo - 薫風' reawakens you with leggy bass and expansive synths that reach for the heavens, while 'Freedom Sunset' is an epic 10-minute journey out to sea. Lastly, 'Let's Make Harmony' is super slow motion jazz-funk that swells the heart.

Before is a superb album that is well-deserving of this double vinyl pressing and is sure to become a Balearic classic.

download / vinyl

Calm - Blue In Void

Phonica mix 124 is a truly special edition from not just one of London's finest collectors and selectors but one of our long time regulars; Nick The Record. 
Not only has Nick been a loyal friend of our shop in the years we have been open, he has also been one of the driving forces behind the London scene for nearly 30 years. Dealing records professionally to some of the biggest DJs in the world over the years as well as running several labels including his most recent outing Natural House - his knowledge in disco and house is impecible. He has displayed this in his vast deeply thought out sets over the years be it performing the closing set at some of Japan's best underground festivals or at his long running night Tangent with friend John Gomez, he is a definition of a digger. We had a chat with Nick about the mix and what he has coming up, even if we had to hold his flight to Japan for a couple of minutes!

Hell Yeah

Marc Theuss