While the majority of Trance is focused on sweeping, euphoric melodies and powerful, quacking basslines, there is one facet of Trance that has always been a peculiar representation of the people of Ibiza, which is widely known as the clubbing capital of the world. The concept of Balearic Trance has existed ever since Trance began in the early 1990’s and its luscious, sun drenched sound has always been tailor made for Ibiza’s iconic summer vibes. The term Balearic refers to the Balearic Islands that are off the coast of Spain and its sound originated from English DJ’s taking residence within Ibiza for vacations and work in the 80’s, with hotspots such as Cafe del Mar and Amnesia providing a haven for this vibrant, diverse culture. Currently, Roger Shah keeps this special genre alive with his various works under his Sunlounger alias. However, I happened to stumble across another Balearic flavored track from quite an unusual DJ; one who is focused on creating unusually cryptic Progressive House in 2014. Back in the day, Leon Bolier was known as a legendary Trance producer who created smashing singles throughout his career such as Mea Culpa, Beyond and Ocean Drive Boulevard. While his main focus was on cultivating a beautifully crafted sound with Classical influences, his single of I Finally Found featured an interesting production experiment into the oceanic style with his unorthodox Ibiza Sunset Mix.
Even from the first downbeat, I Finally Found asserts its dominance with a vast, sweeping atmosphere that entrenches the entirety of its musical structure. It is almost baffling how much control Bolier commands when he only utilizes a scarce, bare bones sound structure and the clash between abstract minimalism and smooth, comforting vibes somehow clicks into a blissful, brilliant combination. With only a simple basskick and peppy, upbeat basslines, he gently strokes tiny hints of the Ibiza flavor through the use of gliding pads, underwater ostinatos, subtle Flamenco guitars and exotic percussion instrumentation. Of course, this simplistic design provides an amazing backdrop for the vocals of Simon Binkenborn to shine through and even exudes a different thematic tone that wonderfully connects within its breezy, beach side themes. Over time, the percussion increases in complexity, but he makes sure to leave enough wiggle room for the other voices to maintain their delicate balance of timbral richness. Even though the Original lyrics were about overcoming lost love to one’s dreams, lines such as, “The summer days, we touch in heaven/The coming of the deep blue sky” and “I finally know that peaceful, perfect day“, perfectly describe the vast, intangible energy of Ibiza and the magic that surrounds its people, its clubs and its beautiful, salt tinged skies.
The Ibiza Sunset Mix of Leon Bolier‘s I Finally Found is now available on 2 Play Records via Beatport, so make sure you grab this gorgeous summer track today. Also check out the fantastic Original Mix as well! Make sure you tune in next week on Sunrise Sessions for some warm, cozy Progressive vibes.
Keep the music alive. -Q
Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/release/i-finally-found/132473
On Sunrise Sessions, we find tracks that best exemplifies the chilled, low energy vibes of early Sundays to start your day off on the right foot. We want to show you what many are missing and help you discover an entire ecosystem of music that’s waiting to be explored. Not to be held down by genres, we look into music in a variety of styles, including Progressive, Deep House, Ambient and even tracks that aren’t a part of EDM! Singles, remixes, mashups, bootlegs, edits and collaborations will be featured as well as a wide variety of artists ranging from established, well known names to people who purely reside in the underground.
