George Solar teams up with Café Del Mar stalwart Ken Fan and love poet JEN for the EP ‘Moonbeams’ on NuNorthern Soul.
Ibiza-based downtempo guru and purveyor of sun-kissed dreaminess George Solar, released Moon Beams the EP in late June. We’ve had it a few weeks now and has been a constant on the office stereo, finally we feel ready to write a review. With downtempo/balearic/ambient or whatever you want to call it, we feel compelled to take our time with it. Our rich entanglement with the ‘sound’ stems back to early Café del Mar CD’s and icons like José Padilla and Alfredo.
We actually listened to ‘Moonbeams’ on the way over to Ibiza last week, seemingly apt as we were there to pay a visit to CDM resident and friend Ken Fan. We’ve been fans of both George Solar and Phil Cooper’s NuNorthern Soul for some time now. George is revered on the island alongside names like Chris Coco, DJ Gripper, Willie Graff, Kiko Navarro, Ken Fan as previously mentioned and many more.
Solar has appeared many times on DSPPR (Disappear) a label run by his friend DJ/producer Chris Coco and now finds his way onto another Ibiza-based label NuNothern Soul. The closeness of this genre and its community is something that always stands out for us. Unlike the cut throat House scene on the island, the real musicians, the real artists are there helping each other out and building a real family base whether it be at Café Del Mar, Pikes, AMA, Kumharas or Las Dalias.
Onto the EP, enough rambling! Opening with ‘Media Luna’ that features Ken Fan (Ken features on the first four tracks), the EP is softy pushed into a dubby, spaced out vibe with laid back hand drum strikes and ethereal synths juxtaposed by clanging percussion. Translated into ‘Half Moon’, a perfect opener. ‘Moonbeams’ features the tender vocals of JEN who adds a rich texture to this tripped out, spacious journey that lets the mind wander free of directions. ‘Countermoon’ is a classic Balearic dare we say early Cafe Del Mar sound. Rich, enticing synths, low slung bass tones and playful leads all combine to create a real sunset moment. The dramatic soundscape is to die for. ‘Lunaticotina’ is a global beat that finds authentic sounds from both east and west, whilst keeping its roots firmly set in Ibizan landscapes. Somewhat of a ritual explosion of sound, when the drawling of the monks begin, we were captivated. ‘O Luar’ is a sensual beat-led groove with touches of dub, reggae and classic downtempo sounds. The use of multiple delayed sounds gives som much width to the track all along underpinned by the rhythmic drum line. Rounding of the EP is ‘Moonbeam Reprise’. We read a dedication to Klaus Schulze, a secret Solar Moon band member.
So there we have it, ‘Moonbeams’ is a class act. Another true master class from George Solar on creating authentic, rich downtempo that takes you on endless journeys, wherever your mind sees fit.
You can buy/stream ‘Moonbeams’ by George Solar here.
