The Pop Corporation

Is it Nu Balearica? Is it Nu Age music? Whatever it is, there’s been a spurt in creativity in good vibe music that doesn’t make the demands off anyone as a listener, but is spiritually nourishing and washes over you with that good time feeling.

As young DJs and dancers have found a parallel lane to accompany the doof-doofs and K-Holes, now there seems to be a raft of tracks and artists who are imbued with good, tasteful amounts of drugs and dappled in Mediterranean sunshine. Younger listeners have found the joy in the soundscapes of Enya, via Vaporwave and Chillwave, and now, something more organic is spreading its leaves, where once it was all VHS grain and CD Rom artwork.

Super 8 sunsets and gentle chuggers have been creeping back into the scene for a while now, and daytime disco, New Age ambient, indie dreampop and more, are amalgamating into this lovely, sunny disposition music as a salve to the terrors of the world, as well as being a global groove that feels unifying rather than polarising.

Picking up, perhaps, where Nu Disco left off, the outward opulence of disco has moved to one side, replaced by a mellower, better tourist who actually enjoys the local scene vibe. Of course, the resurgence of house has made sure we’ve still got room for some degeneracy, but coupled with that, is some partying which won’t annoy the neighbours quite so much.

It’s a lovely thing to see. Let us look at some artists and you can make your own playlists, hunt down your own LPs, and let’s remember how nice it is to dance outside, whether that’s in reality or daydreaming on the commute.

Σtella

Σtella, if you’re wondering, is filed under ‘S’ in the record racks and pronounced ‘Stella’. From Greece, and Stella Chronopoulou on official documents, she’s got a brilliant new LP out called ‘Adagio’, which ties together global beat with analogue gorgeousness and dreamy vocals.

It’s gently psychedelic, great for the feet and soul, and released her record on indie legend Sub Pop. With Las Palabras, ‘Baby Brazil’ is a perfect showcase for this spiritually enriching music, on an album that’s been described as an ‘exaltation’, amongst other things.

Nu Genea

One of the leading lights in the luxury of Medditerrean music are Italians Nu Genea. Hailing from Napoli and comprised of Massimo Di Lena and Lucio Aquilina, with well-chosen guests, their delicately curated melding of disco, boogie, psychedelic folk, African music, Italo and soul is actively begging for a dance in some cute Portuguese linen shirts and loose fitting shorts.

Two albums and a tonne of exploratory DJ sets later, and Nu Genea are in danger of being one of the harbingers of summer, like Daft Punk used to be.

O & The Mo

Sounding like a found, hidden gem on a Paul Hillery ‘We Are The Children Of The Sun’ comp, O & The Mo are making psychedelic, danceable folk music that would sit beautifully in just about any Balearic set, as well as winning fans for people who predominantly listen to rock music.

Stella

Now based in Berlin as a great DJ, Stella made an all-timer of a Balearic, synthy chugger album and this is one such track from it. Absolutely essential.

A Mountain of One

A Mountain of One are more on the psychedelic rock end of Balearic, with more Cosmic sound, but absolutely fit snugly into the worldwide beat that makes sunshine pour into a DJ set and out of the speakers.

JIM

JIM hails from Crazy P, and released the solo work, ‘Love Makes Magic’, which was a perfect marriage of West Coast harmony folk, living room disco belters, and Balearic brilliance. Like some kind of modern-day Ned Doheny, JIM’s album made middle-aged ravers swoon indefinitely, and with ‘Still River Flow’, created an all-timer of a chugger that’ll be in DJ sets forever.

Channelling CSN in their ‘Dark Star’ period, ‘Love Makes Magic’ is almost certainly going to be one of those out-of-print classics that people wished they’d bought when they had the chance, but instead, are coughing up loads of money on Discogs – which is very Balearic, of course.

Loveshadow

If you’re after a slow-mo chugger that’ll make your get your neck down on the dancefloor, Loveshadow’s ‘No Control’ is the one for you. The ‘Music From Memory’ album is an absolute beaut from start-to-finish, but if you’re a single track kinda person before you’re convinced, then this is the one to start with.

Parbleu

Parbleu are another pair from Naples, and another pair – this time, they’re called Andres Balbucea and Andrea De Fazio. Multicultural music which teams up disco, funk, cinematic jazz, Tropicalia and Caribbean washes to make for essential afternoon island bangers.

Poolside

Maybe the band name is a bit on-the-nose, but we shouldn’t hold that against them. Poolside knowingly make music designed to soundtrack woozy sunsets and holiday hangs.

Gently rhythmic dance music, with easy synthesisers, and a barrowful of remixes, edits and covers to give new life into Laurel Canyon music and more. Poolside, when they’re on their A-game, are essential for some mid-afternoon key-bumps and shufflers.

Capinera

Imagine shuffling your feet, sockless, in some nice comfy shoes with a linen shirt on, with some orange wine, two key bumps, and vibing out to this. You can pretend you’d feel pretentious all you want, but it sounds blissful.

Souleance

Chuggy beats, low-lit grooves, Souleance have been getting shoulders moving like someone’s dancing in delicious molasses, and with their Kit Sebastian featuring ‘Out Of Touch’, we can imagine getting down with a good drink in some bar in Ibiza before the sun’s properly gone in.

Pellegrino & Zodyaco

On the more disco end of Balearic, but no less fun, is the music of Pelligrino & Zodyaco is further proof that there’s magic happening in Naples these days. Maybe it’s the olive oil, who knows? Either way, folk instruments with disco, jazz fusion, world beat and all that lovely atmosphere from Southern Italy. Magic!

Another Taste

Analogue synthesisers and jazz fusion thrown into the mix with dancefloor friendly drumbeats, Another Taste are too eclectic to be thrown in with the usual house crowd. Unusually, the hail from Rotterdam which you’d more associate with industrial strength techno, they’re more keen on making something more universal in their music.

Kaytranada

Whatever people have been calling Kaytranada’s music, he’s been pretty routinely lumped in with ‘house’. In the cracks, that’s where Balearic Beat lies and Kaytranda has some certified chuggers in his arsenal, including some delicious remixes.

From sampling Gal Costa, to working with some of the smoothest around, it’s his redo of ‘Be Your Girl’ with Teedra Moses that should turn the temperature up on any Nu Balearic set.

Here’s a playlist, focusing on Mediterranean music for chugging along with.