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 You know summer has finally arrived good and proper when a new Roger Shah album gets released, especially when it bears the Sunlounger name on the front. The balearic genius may well have brought his best Sunlounger material yet with chilled and club versions of each record spread over two discs...
Now perhaps considered the consummate master of Balearically-inclined music, this August sees the return of electronic music composer Roger Shah’s best-known sobriquet. Three years on from his last Sunlounger excursion, Shah is ready with a new wave of captivating sun-tipped audio, all primed to take the world’s lounges, chillout areas and more cultured dancefloors subtly by storm.
‘Balearic Beauty’ brings to life 14 new Sunlounger recordings. Through them Roger has involved the vocal talents of many, including ‘A Beach Side of Life’ album alumni Inger Hansen, Yoav (of ‘Beautiful Lie’ fame) and EDM singer/songwriter/hit-maker JES. Also on board are an ensemble of newly discovered male and female vox talent, including Sason Bishope Parry, Chase, Alexandra Badoi, Kingseyes and Suzie Del Vecchio. Arriving in its now customary Album and Chillout versions, ‘Balearic Beauty’ picks up exactly where ‘Beach Side’ left off… So bring your pulse rate to resting, find your spot in the sun, hit recline and prepare for the Lounger.
CHill At Will
Arriving at the apex of the 2013 Ibiza season, Roger’s fourth Sunlounging collection once again equalises White Isle rush with downtime chillseeking. The album cruises out with a quartet of instrumentals. Threading together hazily strummed guitars, echoing pianoforte evocation, live percussive loops and aquiline melodies, tracks like ‘Sunkissed’, ‘Coconuts & Pineapples’ and the album’s title piece chart a course to sundown.
"While having a couple of trademark instrumental guitar tracks on ‘Balearic Beauty’, I also tried to find some new voices again to give this album a special note." Roger Shah
Both tempo and tone-wise the album progresses at indolent speed, as Roger starts to bring forth its vocal pieces. From the female side, Alexandra Badoi advances an achingly fragile pathos to the verses, and endearing resilience to the chorus of ‘I’ll Be Fine’. On ‘If You Were Here’, Suzie Del Vecchio laments lost friendships and loves, while JES stirs the river deep n moody on ‘Glitter & Gold’.
Comparably, Roger has plenty of Y chromosome vocally intensifying ‘Balearic Beauty’s range. Having previously collaborated with Shah on several track projects, Inger Hansen returns once again, rocking up a storm on ‘Come As You Are’. Ever the musical explorer, Roger sightsees new ground, drawing on Yoav’s Caribbean inflections for ‘Today Tonight’. ‘I Just Want To Dance With You’ meanwhile presents the hazy, languorous tones of singer Kingseyes, who brings the track a discernable dubby/reggae-ish sway. With its indie folk vibe, Chase lyrical and vocally channels baroque pop on ‘Surrender’, while Sason Bishope Parry brings an irrepressible effervesce and spirited uplift to ‘Find My Way’.
Relaxing Trax
Collaborations prove equally expansive on the album. ‘Relaxation’ is all but commanded on Roger’s co-production with Jörg Stenzel (part of famed trance act York). Having worked extensively on Sunlounger’s ‘Another Day on the Terrace’ album, he and Roger reteam to compose an epic, heterogeneous piece of music that draws on progressive rock era guitars and gently modulating trance synths. ‘Mojito’ meanwhile (recorded alongside South African producer Andre Frauenstein) synthesizes coolly syncopated drums and percussion loops with smoothly oscillating, modulating synths to create 360° summer surround-sound.
"People who follow my studio work will know by now that I’m a fan of many different types of music, both electronic and un-synthesised. There are few I love more than ambient and chillout though. Through Sunlounger I’m able to travel deeper into this area - the ‘ying’ to my club ‘yang’. It’s something that will always be fundamental to Sunlounger’s musical identity.” Roger Shah
Dropping the lounger back another couple of notches, on it’s second disc, ‘Balearic Beauty’ fluently glides into 4/4-free, drum-less terrain. Casting its net wide, by turns Roger brings it washing seaside atmosphere and rainforest vistas, before further transposing the tracks into other beatific, drift-away sound environments. Allowing its live instrumentation greater realm and placing the vocals yet closer to the centre of focus, he brilliantly recasts the music to the after hours, post-club play.
TRACKLIST
DISC ONE
01. Sunlounger featuring Kingseyes - I Just Wanna Dance With You (Chillout Mix)
02.Sunlounger - Coconuts & Pineapples (Chillout Mix)
03. Sunlounger featuring Alexandra Baboi - I’ll Be Fine (Chillout Mix)
04. Sunlounger - Sunkissed (Chillout Mix)
05. Sunlounger featuring Suzie Del Vecchio - If You Where Here (Chillout Mix)
06. Sunlounger - Balearic Romance (Chillout Mix)
07. Sunlounger featuring Yoav - Today Tonight (Chillout Mix)
08. Sunlounger featuring Andre Frauenstein – Mojito (Chillout Mix)
09. Sunlounger featuring JES - Glitter And Gold (Chillout Mix)
10. Sunlounger featuring Chase – Surrender (Chillout Mix)
11. Sunlounger featuring Jörg Stenzel - Relaxation (Chillout Mix)
12. Sunlounger with Rocking J featuring Sason Bishope Parry - Find My Way (Chillout Mix)
DISC TWO
01. Sunlounger featuring Kingseyes - I Just Wanna Dance With You (Album Mix)
02.Sunlounger - Coconuts & Pineapples (Album Mix)
03. Sunlounger featuring Alexandra Baboi - I’ll Be Fine (Album Mix)
04. Sunlounger - Sunkissed (Album Mix)
05. Sunlounger featuring Suzie Del Vecchio - If You Where Here (Album Mix)
06. Sunlounger - Balearic Romance (Album Mix)
07. Sunlounger featuring Yoav - Today Tonight (Album Mix)
08. Sunlounger featuring Andre Frauenstein – Mojito (Album Mix)
09. Sunlounger featuring JES - Glitter And Gold (Album Mix)
10. Sunlounger featuring Chase – Surrender (Album Mix)
11. Sunlounger featuring Jörg Stenzel - Relaxation (Album Mix)
12. Sunlounger with Rocking J featuring Sason Bishope Parry - Find My Way (Album Mix)
RELEASE DATE: Out Now! (Order right here!)
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