Meditative journeys into a Balearic Headspace

Midnight Riot return with the fifth episode of their ultra-refined 'Balearic Headspace' series

A label probably best known for its floor-filling club jams, this series represents an opportunity for the Midnight Riot team to explore the sonic terrain where cerebral meets soul, and while the tempo may be a little more on the Andante than their regular output, the good-time feeling remains firmly in place.

Featuring here are deep-disco luminaries such as Ron Basejam and Ilija Rudman, alongside a proud selection of equally formidable artists. Highlights from the wide-ranging sunset collage are in abundant supply, including the introspective 'Last Breath Of Sunshine' from Andres Y Xavi, Sophie Lloyd’s delicate edit of a lesser-known Dire Straits gem, 'Follow Me', Ron Basejams's soulful remix of Alena's 'Learn To Get By', the ambient hypno-arpeggios of 'No Goal' by The Temple, and the enormous bass hook of Robot 84's 'Can't You See Dub'. With each listen new sounds come to light, so this list is merely a snapshot, and all 21 tracks deserve attention.

We've chosen to play four of our favourites to give a taste of what to expect. Responsible for some of our favourite edits in recent times, Sirs brings us 'Turkish Folk', a heavy dose of freak-funk with an addictive hook and outrageous lead line sliced to perfection. Ilija Rudman summons the essence of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with his bass-popping '80's soul flavoured chugger 'Let This Dream Be Real', and Claremont 56 alumnus B.J. Smith’s version of Soul 2 Soul's 'Keep On Moving' takes the song into enchanting new territory. Finally, Cosmic Tiger's very own Rocco Universal contributes some star-gazing synth explorations with the super-mellow and psychedelic tinged 'Water Flows'.

There's precious little dancing going on in the world right now, and heaven knows the collective unconscious is in need of some soothing, so there's never been a better time to fill the world with blissed-out sounds. For all of us looking to take the edge off these troubling times, this album is a sure-fire mode of psychic transportation to the calming shores of the mother ocean.

Balearic Headspace volume 5 is out May 29, you can buy it here