Hostal La Torre Vinyl & CDs

Review: Given how busy he's been with International Feel this year, you have to wonder where Mark Barrott finds the time to get involved with this new compilation series from the equally-fresh Hostel La Torre label. Of course, Hostel La Torre Ibiza: Volumen Uno came about after Barrott spent the last summer DJing at the hotel venue of the same name based on the West Coast of Ibiza; you can imagine the experience left Barrot with plenty of inspiration when it came to pulling together tracks for the series. Presuming there will be several more editions, this is a fine start and will satisfy anyone missing a finely-curated compilation in the digital playlist age. Barrott canvasses a wide spectrum of Balearically-minded sounds with the psychedelic sanza of Francis Bebey, reissue favourites Finis Africae and Penguin Cafe Orchestra rubbing shoulders with more contemporary fare from Antinote artist Domenique Dumont, Hatchback and Andras Fox.

Review: Throughout the summer, International Feel boss Mark Barrott spent his Thursday evenings entertaining poolside punters at Ibiza's Hostal La Torre. Here, he teams up with fellow Balearic DJ Pete Gooding to gather together 15 tracks inspired by these weekly "sunset sessions". Predictably, it's a fine collection, with the experienced duo variously touching on classic, World Music-inspired chill-out fare (Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Amed Fakroun, Finis Africae), dreamy '90s ambient (Spooky's spine-tingling "Orange Coloured Liquid"), killer contemporary cuts (Domenique Dumont's brilliant "Comme Ca", Cantoma's shuffling "Tabarin"), and overlooked gems (Hatchback's wondrous "White Diamond" and Harvey's lesser-known "Ibiza Sleep" remix of Planet Funk's "Inside All The People").

Review: Following the runaway success of their first La Torre Ibiza compilation last year, long-serving Balearic selectors Pete Gooding and Mark Barrott have once again joined forces to select another double-album's worth of atmospheric, sunset-friendly gems. As you'd expect, their selections are not only superb, but also reflect the wide range of sounds and styles that come under the Balearic umbrella. So, while there's little surprising about the inclusion of killer cuts from Tornado Wallace, Lord of the Isles, Vangelis, the Durutti Column and Barrott himself, many may not have expected to hear the traditional Malian sounds of Oumou Sangare, the thrillingly loose and percussive acoustic soul of Marvin Franklin's "Kona Winds" or the sweeping orchestration and harmonica solos of John Barry's classic theme from "Midnight Cowboy".

Review: Following the runaway success of their first La Torre Ibiza compilation last year, long-serving Balearic selectors Pete Gooding and Mark Barrott have once again joined forces to select another disc's worth of atmospheric, sunset-friendly gems. As you'd expect, their selections are not only superb, but also reflect the wide range of sounds and styles that come under the Balearic umbrella. So, while there's little surprising about the inclusion of killer cuts from Tornado Wallace, Lord of the Isles, Vangelis, the Duratti Column and Barrott himself, many may not have expected to hear the traditional Malian sounds of Oumou Sangare, the thrillingly loose and percussive acoustic soul of Marvin Franklin's "Kona Winds" or the sweeping orchestration and harmonica solos of John Barry's classic theme from "Midnight Cowboy".

Review: Given their insanely strong Balearic credentials, you'd expect any album compiled by Pete Gooding and Mark Barrott to be stacked to the rafters with drowsy, sun-kissed gems. That's certainly the case with the latest volume of the La Torre Ibiza series, which is the third in total. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the exotic dub shuffle of Jah Wobble and Bill Laswell's "Alseema Dub" and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra-esque "Mornings At Made's" by Pacific Coliseum, to the new age ambient warmth of Satoshi & Makoto's "Crepuscule Leger" and the glassy-eyed blue-eyed soul brilliance of Richard Torrance's "Anything's Possible". Barrott's production and remix contributions are naturally stunning, with his epic Sketches From An Island remix of Tears For Fears' "Head Over Heels" being particularly worthy of mention.

Review: With long-serving Balearic DJs Mark Barrott (he of International Feel fame) and Pete Gooding at the controls, you'd expect the latest volume in White Isle venue Hostal La Torre's ongoing compilation series to be on-point. It is of course, with the pair variously offering up a lesser-known (and stunning) David Morley ambient remix of Golden Girls' rave classic 'Kinetic', the tribal-meets-jazz-funk headiness of No Zu, the humid, boogie-era stripped-back soul of Raw Silk (the brilliant 'Storm'), soft focus beach-side exotica (Margaret Wakely's 'Hard To Leave The Island'), pitched-down Italian dream house revivalism (Timmy Stewart remixing the Vendetta Suite), spiritually minded piano jazz (Lola Perrin), picturesque synth-scapes (Suzanne Ciani) and Barrott's own Balearic bliss ('Travelling Music').

Review: Keeping the true Balearic dream alive, Hostal La Torre channels the energy of their hotel-restaurant in North West Ibiza with a series of compilations which tastefully bridge the gap between the classic idea of 80s Balearic and relevant contemporary sounds, via decades of electronic music culture. On this fourth volume, Mark Barrott and Pete Gooding take you on a trip which starts with the classic David Morley remix of Golden Girls and takes in Rare Silk, Paulina Anna Strom, Suzanne Ciani and so much more. This is sundown music of the highest order, perfect whether you're in Eivissa or chilling in a suntrap anywhere on this Earth.