|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CD
|
|
IFEEL 029CD
|
Mark Barrott's Sketches from an Island compresses this Balearic heartbeat into nine warm gems which paint a picture of the island, the people, and the magnetic beauty that pulses through it. Recorded in Ibiza's northern hills using "weird percussion, some slide guitars and a few borrowed synths," it's a melodic and mysterious representation of a place seeped in a rich and rebellious history. Opening track "Baby Come Home" radiates with carefree tropical sounds and upbeat harmonies. The blues-soaked melodies of "Essene" perfectly navigates the tension between heart-bursting happiness and melancholy and "Go Berri Be Happy" is like Prefab Sprout gone to Ghana. Its color-smudged, hazy emotions swirl between Brian Eno, Penguin Café Orchestra and Compass Point vibes into a free-flowing cascade of live playing and synthesized sound, perfectly epitomized on the future classic "Formentera Headspace Blues." Barrott himself is a man of serious musical pedigree. He founded the highly-respected International Feel label back in 2008, after moving to Uruguay, where his A&Ring tempted the elusive DJ Harvey out of studio retirement for his genre-defying Locussolus project and he followed it with new work from artists like Quiet Village, Gatto Fritto and the Italian cosmic disco-don Daniele Baldelli. Since moving to Ibiza, he's continued producing and releasing music anonymously on his label as Rocha, Bepu N'Gali, Flights Of Fancy, Boys From Patagonia and The Young Gentlemen's Adventure Society. The releases covered house, Afrobeat and proper downtempo Balearic and quickly sold out. "Sketches is inspired by those weird, unique little oddities that would turn up on early José Padilla mix tapes that he'd sell in the Las Dalias hippy market, before he even went to the Café Del Mar," says Barrott. "It's influenced by living in Ibiza year-round, and by the feeling of what I think Balearic sounds like." It's warm and widescreen music for the days when you need musical sunshine. Or as Café Del Mar's José Padilla, says: "This is what I call Balearic."
|