I'm feeling a lot of love for the Brighton-based Higher Love Recordings label, whose half dozen releases so far this year have been varied but beautiful gems.
Memories is a radio-friendly slice of pure pop from Polish pair Jazxing aka Jakub Sautycz and Mateusz Filipiuk, featuring Jakub Zwolan and Przemysław Bartoś on vocals. The Full Disco Purrefection Mix starts with synths, chords then congas, building and stretching out over nearly eight minutes. Lighter on vocals but heavier on groove, a perfect (purrefect, if you will) companion to the single version.
And We'd Be So Happy by Puerto Montt City Orchestra (Angus Murray and Tim Salter to their friends and family) is a heartwarming spoken word remembrance - by Tim's daughter Kitty - of family trips to the seaside, stuck in the car, eating homemade sarnies whilst the elements rage outside, but finding a simple pleasure and joy in the experience. As someone who spent many summers on the sea front in South West England and Wales, I can relate!
Four mixes to choose from, all highly recommended, but I've plumped here for the Feelings Mix by Balearic Ultras aka Mike Bradbury and Ian Upfold, which strips everything back, eight minutes after the rain.
We've spoilt with not one but two releases so far this year from Hugo Nicolson. Field Of Dreams came in February, with superb remixes from David Holmes, Rude Audio and Hardway Bros. In June, Hugo followed up with the Black Stick EP, with three brand new tracks, plus a radio edit of lead track Little Kind.
Again, having to select just one to showcase here, I've gone for Zombie, lighter than than the other two tracks, Little Kind and Spanner, but don't mistake light for slight. Zombie has heft and a mesmerising melody, paired with an attitude that shouts 1985 as much as it does 2025, which is a very good thing. Hugo's on a real creative rip at present and I am very happy to see it continue.
Andres Y Xavi returned in September with the 4-track Cities EP. Joining Lagos, initially released as a standalone EP last October with new remixes of Bibbles, are New York, Chicago and than a transatlantic hop to Spain for the closing track.
Sant Antoni is a neighbourhood in Barcelona but this epic ten minutes and forty four seconds inevitably gives a wave to Sant Antoni De Portmany in Ibiza and feels at home in either setting...and your headphones, for that matter.
A new Andres Y Xavi release from Glenn Fallows and Steve Ellis is always something to look forward and the Cities EP will give even the armchair tourist the trip of a lifetime.
Spooky. Puerto Montt City Orchestra have presumably named themselves after the city in Chile of that name. A song about the same city will be appearing at my place on Friday. I know that because I prepared the post yesterday. Had I known I would have brought it forward to today for maximum synchronicity.
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