Between Two Islands

The home of Between Two Islands DJ mixes.

Summer mix 2022

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TRACK LIST HERE.

This one begins with a solo voice to draw you in. And what a voice, Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak, who also makes music on her own as Flock of Dimes.

Sault is a fascinating and enigmatic British collective who have released six albums in the last three years. At first their identities were a secret. Eventually we learned that the leader was Inflo, a successful producer, along with a variety of collaborators. The songs are rooted in Black music of many styles; the lyrics are rooted in Black experience. If you are a white person, the title and lyrics of “Uncomfortable” are about you.

Although I was a fan of Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass from a young age, I didn’t pay much attention to Herb’s disco-ish solo work in the late 70s and early 80s other than the smash hit “Rise”. I’ve since learned that the albums from that period contain a lot of gems, including this one.

Fado is a Portuguese music style that originated in the 19th Century, or maybe even earlier. Many great singers have come from the Fado tradition, but to my knowledge, not many have attempted to incorporate more contemporary sounds. Ana Moura, a “fadista” with many successful albums, is beginning to explore electronic and other non-traditional sounds, as you’ll hear in “Jacarandá”.

Amapiano is a sound that was first heard in South Africa and has since spread around the world. I knew nothing about it until I heard a track from the artists behind track #15. Their music seems made for Between Two Islands – medium tempo, deep percussion, atmospheric electronics, and a soaring vocal. I hope you agree!

  1. Wye Oak – Fear of Heights
  2. D’Angelo and The Vanguard – Another Life
  3. Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny – Exotic Isles
  4. Ryuichi Sakamoto with David Sylvian and Ingrid Chavez – Cloud #9
  5. Sault – Uncomfortable
  6. Herb Alpert – Magic Man
  7. Cheo Feliciano – Huellas de Ti
  8. Prefab Sprout – I Remember That
  9. Georgia Anne Muldrow – Brokenfolks
  10. Ana Moura – Jacarandá
  11. Donald Fagen – Weather in My Head
  12. Daniel Avery – Hazel and Gold
  13. Men I Trust – Sugar
  14. UMAN – Atmosphère
  15. Scorpion Kings & Tresor – Limbisa Nga
  16. Grant Green, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson – Django
  17. Soshi Takeda – Flower
  18. Chaka Khan – Papillon (Hot Butterfly)
  19. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabeté – Simbo