Mix: Phil South / Live At Electric Elephant
May 21, 2011
Phil South, as many of you know, is the head honcho of Golf Channel records, purveyors of modern twisted disco and balearic beats. Actually, talking of balearic beats and Golf Channel they are about to release a new record which is one of the best things I have heard in ages. Must be an old record but the people with the knowledge that I have asked don’t have a clue what it is. Anyway, if you see a new Golf Channel in the shops in the next week or so check it as it’s a killer. So here’s a mix from Phil live at Electric Elephant last year. Enjoy.
[Apiento]
This is an exhibition starting this Thursday (well the private view is then) at The Printspace on Kingsland Road in London’s Shoreditch showcasing the work of photographer Dave Swindells, Nightlife Editor at Time Out Magazine for over 22 years, and someone we have (er) borrowed heavily from over the last few years of Test Pressing (hence feeling obliged to tell anyone within five square miles of the gallery to go take a look). We love what he did and everything he captured. The reason these pictures, and the articles and videos we post, are so invaluable in our opinion is that they capture exactly what was happening rather than someones dusty memories so this one comes recommended. Go check.
Here’s what the website says….
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In this exhibition, Swindells presents a series of images giving us a once in a lifetime view into the Second Summer of Love (a period in 1988-89 when electronic dance music exploded in Britain’s club scene). His images focus on how ‘Balearic Beats’ – a multifaceted and unique fusion of rock, funky reggae, Eurodisco and Chicago house – as well as the ecstasy-fuelled clubbing style of life experienced in Ibiza, gave DJs the inspiration to create a freer and unrestricted club scene in London.
These images show the nightlife of Ibiza in the late ‘80s, with its open-air dance floors for those hot Mediterranean nights, drawing an all-ages, polysexual crowd in an easy-going hippie-inspired atmosphere. This atmosphere was nonetheless self-consciously stylish (unlike many of the dressed-down Brits). The clubbing culture to this time was very different too. ‘In these photos you won’t see people texting or tweeting, videoing their mates or posting on Facebook,’ explains Swindells. ‘Nobody had mobile phones, and the only person likely to be taking pictures was the club’s own photographer. So there was nothing else to do but live in the moment, enjoy the parties or watch other people having fun while dancing the whole night’.
If you are interested in more of what club culture in Ibiza and London was like at this time you should visit ‘Spirit of Ibiza 89′ at theprintspace Gallery from Friday 29 April to Wednesday 18 May 2011. The opening times are from Monday to Friday 9am –7pm at theprintspace Gallery on 74 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London E2 8DL.
The opening night will be on Thursday 28 April from 7pm to 9.30pm. Admission is free and theprintspace hopes to see everyone there.
Afterward the exhibition will continue at the International Music Summit in Ibiza.
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So there you have it, get along if you are in the area.
[Apiento]
i-D Magazine: Rocky & Diesel DJ’s Of The Month
April 4, 2011
This one comes from i-D magazine November 1990. Good chart from the boys.
[Apiento]
Mix: Cyril – Make A Bubble
April 1, 2011
Always nice to welcome a new (to us) face to Test Pressing and here’s a good one. Cyril is part of the Beauty and the Beat crew, who alongside our friend Cedric Woo, organises regular parties in London. They are all about lovely sound, great music from across the world (and the board) and good people getting into it. Cyril likes music with a psychedelic soul and I hope this one triggers a few daydreams…
[Apiento]
Radio: The Balearicist’s Guide To The Revolution (What Is Balearic?)
January 30, 2011
This seemed to be the perfect post to follow the Amnesia videos. We spoke to Alasdair McGregor, one of the producers behind the documentary, who along with Mark Jackson (ex-Eastern Bloc) made this around ten years ago with various people discussing this history of balearic, what it means and what it’s all about.
The voices you hear in no particular order are Fred Deakin, Alfredo, Sally & Steve from A Man Called Adam, Chris Coco, Martin Brew, Pino from Madrid, Nancy Noise, Lenny Ibizarre, Morgan Geist, Lucinda Mason Brown, Rob Da Bank, Moonboots, Txema from Ses Salines, Phil Mison, Pathaan, Hugh Bryder, Balearic Mike, Justin Robertson, Oscar from Trax, Trevor Fung, Emily Nightingale and Nicky Holloway. Quite an extensive list.
49 CDR copies were made which, laid out together, made up one big hand drawn picture by the artist Gill Rocca. They started it in 2001 and it was finished sometime in 2004. Alasdair tells us it has never been broadcast anywhere, and was just made for the hell of it really with the goal to find out the answer to that elusive question – What is Balearic?
The guys are currently working on a part 2, a sort of ‘What’s Not Balearic?’, of which they’ve already recorded interviews with David Mancuso, Cosmo, Soft Rocks, Leo Elstob, Jolyon Green, Sean P, Jeremy Gilbert, The Idjut Boys, Euan Pearson, Rune Linbaek, Lindstrom, Prins Thomas, Greg Wilson and Kenneth Bager with another 10 or so to get, so it may be a while coming.
Thanks to Alasdair and Mark. And Mike for the previous information.
[Apiento]
Video: Amnesia Closing Party, Ibiza 1989
January 27, 2011
This is special. It’s a film from the closing party of Amnesia in Ibiza, 3rd of October ’89. It’s probably the best thing I’ve seen for summing up what it was like. The club looks truly amazing, and Alfredo is the DJ (of course). There’s an Adamski live PA in the first clip and then on from there with Alfredo playing anything from Inner City to Bob Marley, Pink Floyd and Enya in the final clip. Classic.
[Apiento]
Mix: Rune Lindbæk: Rune Lindbæk Flytog Mix
September 29, 2010
Rune Lindbæk – where to start? He seems like a modest man so we’re not going to blow the trumpet too much but check the discography. He’s a long time maker (and supporter) of mind-bending Nordic electronic disco years before the word ‘balearic’ got pulled back out of the sea at Salinas. Sometimes disco doesn’t cover it and it’s all just straight up good.
On the new release front Diskoism are about to release a compilation of his remix work in collaboration with Kåre Frisvold, Smalltown Supersound are releasing an ambient project, Pechenga (another collaboration – this time with Astralnaut), then there’s a new project coming early in the new year by the name of Metamorfózy together with Øyvind Blikstad (their album ‘Decasia’ will be out in January). Finally, we should give a quick mention to a few 12’s – an edit 12 on Black Disco and his ESP Insititute, Barking Dogs remixes and a 12″ on Fascinating Rhythms that’s worth picking up while you can. That’s a right pickle of a paragraph so excuse that.
Anyway, enjoy this mix. It’s a tight 21 minutes long and all the better for it.
[Apiento]
Mix: Balearic Beats Volume 2
March 27, 2010
We did this one back in the mid to late 90s (I think) at the JBO label. We all sort of felt it was time for a follow up to the original Balearic Beats compilation so one summer we recorded a load of records, gave (Terry) Farley a pen and here we go.
[Apiento]
i-D: Club Listings November ’89
September 6, 2009
London and surrounding still going strong…
[Apiento]
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