DJ Pippi & Willie Graff - Follow Your Dreams

Format: 2 x LP
Catalogue No.: ZZZV22001
Barcode: 0616576256217
Release Date: 08 Jul 2022
Genre: Balearic/Downtempo

TRACKLIST:
A1 Follow Your Dreams (Feat. Chilani)
A2 Stimulation Dub (feat. Paul Powell)
A3 Piel Piel (Feat. Charlotte Caluwarts & Jacob Gurevitsch)
B1 Bridge to Oran (Feat. Reinhard Vanbergen)
B2 Twilight (Feat, Clarita De Quiroz)
B3 Sueños (Padilla's Tribute)
C1 Art of Sax (Feat. Bruno Soares)
C2 Jaleo (Feat. Rodrigo Sha)
C3 Space Cruiser (Feat. Roberto Lodola)
D1 Mudo (Feat. Rodrigo Sha)
D2 Turn The Tide (Into Love) (Feat. Chilani)
D3 Volver (Feat. Paco Fernandez)

Music For Dreams signal the summer with the debut LP from Ibizan royalty DJ Pippi & Willie Graff, released digitally on May 27th with the physical version following on the 8th July. The latest bounty from the Danish label’s long and fruitful relationship with the White Isle, Follow Your Dreams is a twelve plate tapas packed with the assorted styles and flavours of the Balearic sound - a complex blend delivered with a warmth, feeling and tone which bring it all together as a whole.

Collaborating on and off over the past fifteen years, with resulting singles gracing the likes of Compost, Leng and Archipelago, DJ Pippi and Willie Graff posses a unique combination of Balearic heritage; one an Italian export who helped originate the sound and style of the genre through his legendary DJ sets at the likes of Pacha and KU in the eighties, the other a trailblazing talent born on the island, who started his residency at Pacha in summer 2000 at the tender age of 17. Their intergenerational entente speaks to Pippi’s unyielding passion for sonic progression and the musical maturity of Graff, as well as a shared love of the soulful side of the musical spectrum. Now, along with a host of friends, collaborators and fellow members of the Music For Dreams family, the Ibizan duo deliver their finest work to date.

Their debut LP kicks off with the titular “Follow Your Dreams”, which hits the road with no jack, moving to a mellow Mediterranean swing as lithe flute and warm brass dance around the arch vocal. The effortlessly funky “Stimulation Dub” follows, the duo working with Paul Powell to establish an unhurried Compass Point groove before spacious keys send the track soaring skywards towards el cielo. The collaborations continue with MFD All Stars Charlotte Caluwaerts (Rheinzand) and Jacob Gurevitsch lending their talents to the sensual single “Piel A Piel”, while Reinhard Vanbergen (Rheinzand) brings a psychedelic touch to the arabesque “Bridge To Oran”, a beautiful journey from Es Canar to Algeria. Spaced out from the hash of the hippie market, the duo enter the astral plane on “Twilight”, reconnecting with Scottish singer Clarita De Quiroz, whose wordless vocals sit perfectly beside cosmic chord progressions and tender guitar to create a mystic mood.

At the heart of the LP, “Sueños” provides a fitting tribute to the dearly departed José Padilla and the inimitable sound he pioneered at the Café Del Mar. Sustained pads wash over you like the waves, while an irresistible bassline works its way into every muscle, warming your body like the afternoon sun. The loungey, louche and library-esque breakbeat of “Art Of Sax” leads on to the jazzy, fourth world fusion of “Jaleo”, the first of two collaborations with Brazil’s Rodrigo Sha, before “Space Cruiser” sends us skywards once again. A collaboration with Afro-Cosmic hero Roberto Lodola, this relaxed diversion into disco house sees a bleeping motif and lofty Rhodes solo ride a bubbling bassline, all delivered with enough percussive punch to start a poolside party. Moving back down through the gears, the duo dip into dubby territories on “Mudo”, a melancholic melange of sombre pads, snaking sax and soulful vocals (courtesy of Rodrigo Sha), then offer an exercise in optimistic pop via “Turn The Tide (Into Love)”, which simultaneously sounds like Loose Ends, Toyin Agbetu and Nellee Hooper without ever stepping a foot outside the White Isle. Topped off with a message of self acceptance and celebration of humanity from vocalist Chilani, this is exactly what the world needs now. To close, DJ Pippi and Willie Graff give us “Volver” featuring ibicencan guitarist Paco Fernandez., a laid back beauty based around expressive acoustic guitar and a Brazilian flavoured breakbeat, which gradually evolves into an emotive nocturne as wordless, almost operatic, vocals soar out the speakers.

Playful, soulful and groove-laden from start to finish, Follow Your Dreams sees DJ Pippi and Willie Graff celebrate everything they love about music, as well as their shared outlook on life. Press play and you’ll start to see things the same way.

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