Tokyo Balearic #1
11 May 2007 by tokyorob
I`ve been listening to a lot of old records lately. Prompted by two things really. The first was a visit to a bar in Kohinata called Café Round. The owner is a genuine music nut - trying to update and keep the old jazz café (or Kissa) tradition alive. Classic LP covers adorn the walls and a quality blue note soundtrack accompanied my red curry, but when I mentioned the Café Del Mar, he rushed to show me a load of obscure Innovative Communications releases. Round is tiny and so packed between tower blocks you`d be lucky to see the sky, let alone a sunset. Nonetheless, the broken but friendly conversation – there was a lot of smiling and bowing going on both sides – ended with me offering to put together a series of compilations together for the bar. I`m gonna call them“Tokyo-To Kissa†(To=city, Kissa=café). As a consequence, I`ve spent the last two months digging through the Café Del Mar archives, with the much needed assistance of the right honorable Moonboots (results can be found at www.jellycast.com, search “one40fivestoreâ€).
Next up I was asked by my friends at www.keyboardmasher.com to put together a “Balearic Top 7†– as part of their celebration of twenty years of Ibizian-influenced dance culture. Balearic? There seems to be a lot of nostalgia knocking about at the moment. I`ve got a feeling there`s going to be a big twenty years on revival. Reckon there`s a book and documentary on the way. The revival will no doubt last five minutes but this could well be my chance to establish a niche.
I`ve obsessively collected the tunes from Alfredo`s box for around eighteen years now. I often wonder why. At first I thought it was something to do with trying to hold on to memories. For me tunes are like photographs – they all bring back stories. Stories or secrets. A large record collection doesn’t cause offence them same way an album of old lovers does. I also reckon it`s got something thing to do with credibility. As if by owning all the original records it would prove that I was there. I know that`s sad but I can`t help it. Often I`ve collected two copies – in case one gets damaged and those memories get lost. Maybe I`ve got some kind of OCD.
No one in Tokyo is going to have those records. Listening to them all again it`s easy to understand why. I mean I think it is true that Alfredo was mixing up the records he did – indie rock with pop with emerging house – largely because these were the only records he could get his hands on. If he could have played a House-only set he probably would have. Like the DJs in a dodgy Corfu 180-30s disco, he would have to keep chucking “Rock The Casbah†on simply because he`d run out of records. Often these records are only redeemed by memory. Memories that recently have only made me miss both my friends and my youth – 6000 miles away and a good fifteen years ago, respectively. <
And while I can honestly say that I love this music – and would die defending it - there is also something worrying about hanging on to the 80s. There should be no rose tinted spectacles. The 80s in the UK were dire. Personally, the Balearic scene provided an escape - and for me - a sense of community - family even - that the government were doing their best to destroy. It gave me a feeling that I belonged, that I couldn’t find anywhere else. We were all experiencing something for the first time. Together. There was a feeling that we could change things. Together. Then the coke came in and it became just another night out. The world changed. The way the optimism caved in and disappeared left me with a feeling of disappointment that still remains. Something a diet of Marmite and bananas can`t cure.
It could well be that I`m tired – and maybe my circumstances (different country, different language, different (no) job) don’t help - but I can`t keep looking backwards – life after all is “just a fever†and not to be wasted continually reflecting. I might be “pop-tatted†out – for now. I gonna take a break from old music for a while – “Got no time for memories†– “Keep on moving†- Do some selling on ebay instead.
That said, if I ever make a record I`d like it to be as good as this one.
11 May 2007, on 12:21 pm
Jibaro - what a tune, what memories…
11 May 2007, on 12:52 pm
Nice article - and if you ever make a record as good as that, I want a promo copy!
Lovely tune, and I have to confess that’s the first time I’ve heard it… That said, I agree with you about not living in the past musically. It’s impossible to recapture special moments like that. There’s good new music coming out all the time and, for me at least, that’s every bit as exciting as finding an old classic in a 2nd hand shop. “Keep on moving” indeed 
11 May 2007, on 1:05 pm
Welcome to HL Plaza. Great first post!! And great track too.
Thanks.
11 May 2007, on 2:26 pm
Nice words. I totally agree with the coke comments…I find it a uncanney that the drugs finally caught up with the Thatcheryte Zeitgeist…uncanny.
11 May 2007, on 6:57 pm
Ain’t nothing wrong with memories. helps you keep in touch with today, bit of a partnership if you ask me. it’s so true that music evokes the feeling of the time, triggers an avalanche of emotion, better than photos which only release anecdotes of the moment.
Sterling work!
11 May 2007, on 11:37 pm
money changes everything - we say thatcher - chomski says neoliberalism - according to him all this change has been on the cards since WWII - but i have to say that i blame everything on - the thatcher era - destruction of any idea of community (get on your bike - c”#t) - the driving of people into the “black” market to make a buck - the idea of every one wanting to get rich above all else -the idea of everyone having to have an angle (business model!?!) - the idea of everything having to make money - the idea of everyone ripping everyone else off - i feel a bit like i`ve opted out - coming out here - Japan has done a very good job of resisting these changes - the idea of “lean and nimble” does not exist - everyone has a job - every job is valued - feels a lot like the England i grew up in - everywhere has that local corner shop friendly-ness - everyone has time to help - been a long time since i felt like an angry young man capable of doing something - i think there are quite a few of us - the damaged Balearic left wing barmy army - peace
12 May 2007, on 1:57 am
As I said privately to my brother Craig - money changes everything
- we say thatcher - chomski says neoliberalism - according to him all this change has been on the cards since WWII - but i have to say that i blame everything on the thatcher era - destruction of any idea of community (get on your bike - c”#t) - the driving of people into the “black” market to make a buck – the idea of every one wanting to get rich above all else -the idea of everyone having to have an angle (business model!?!) - the idea of everything having to make money - the idea of everyone ripping everyone else off – I do feel like i`ve opted out coming here – Japan has done a pretty good job of resisting these changes – everyone has a job – every job is valued – everywhere has that local corner shop friendly-ness – everyone has the time to help – its been a long time since I felt like an angry young man capable of doing something – I think there are quite a few of us – the damaged Balearic left wing barmy army - peace
12 May 2007, on 7:49 am
“While life has to be lived forwards, it can only be understood by looking backwards” -
or the less wistful, more dictatorial version “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.†Kierkegaard.
Good to see ‘tokyorob’ writing out and about, least you were there in the 80’s rather than watching bewildered from the sidelines.
12 May 2007, on 1:37 pm
Dr snowboard - i don`t believe you were on the side-lines for a minute - you`re just too smart : ) hope the arse-end of london bridge is treating you kindly : ) fancy the slopes out here next Jan?
12 May 2007, on 5:38 pm
Jibaro!! Hearing that again made the tiny hairs on my neck prickle.
I hope that life and Tokyo are treating you well Rob. The next time i’m out there I must remember to look you up. I have many llovely freinds there if you need a friendly gaijin to chat to.
Dean.
13 May 2007, on 12:10 pm
Dean - long long time no see. I`m good. Very good - but it`s fantastic to hear from you :). I hope that you and Darren - and the families you may have built - are all well. Are you still at Tomato? I`m assuming you are if you picked this up - that`s the only address I have for you. It would be really great to catch up. The last time, you were just about to make your first trip out here. Jibaro? And you know that
Love.Always. Rob
14 May 2007, on 7:58 am
To one side I can hear the sounds of the music and memories that defined our lives and so to the other is the future and the hope of what is possible. On the seesaw of life are we not forever precariously perched on the point of the pivot?
Pondering on either the past or the future can make us lose our balance and bring on intense feeling of vertigo and panic, but keeping both sides in the periphery somehow keeps us stable and sane.
So thank you for reminding us of the classics of yesteryear and for always finding something fresh to inspire the days ahead. The men in white coats seem further away now. Wibble
14 May 2007, on 11:22 am
Love that track.
You’re making your mark over there.
Smashing.
Jim
15 May 2007, on 1:32 am
Simmo - if you can play the joanna like they do on that track - and i know that you can - youre in the band for sure - what ever happend to “man zone” : )
Jim - when is Gaz coming out here?
21 May 2007, on 12:32 pm
Hussars, a cracking read Rob and I’m almost sure there are more intimate stories to come. I just want to point out that Liv Tyler is now a resident of Hyde Park and is regularly seen drinking pints of weak sake in the Original Oak. Like your good self Ms.Tyler never mixes her chocolate and alcohol.
21 May 2007, on 4:40 pm
Makkun - as you well know - weak sake should only ever be drunk by the pint - Ms. Tyler sounds like a bit of alright - does she know any football chants? : ) part 2 tomorrow - i hope
22 May 2007, on 7:02 pm
Battling top, bet you didn’t expect to see me here. Your tune brings a smile to my grisley face, although the days of leaping up for some ’stage dancing’ are probably gone, the memory is still there. Can I hear a tamborine being played? if so is it you?
24 May 2007, on 10:29 pm
havent you got a dissertation to write? tambourine - now theres an idea - i remember i would hit that f-er so hard my whole palm would be a bruise - couldnt bend my fingers for a week
whistles might be a safer option 
18 June 2007, on 11:21 am
Just stumbled across these words, good to know there’re people out there with similar outlooks. I’ve tried (in vain) to download the Tokyo Balearic 1 2 3 mixes, can anyone point me in the right direction please.
22 June 2007, on 11:30 am
tokyo balearic 3 doesnt exist as yet - but heres some quick links to 1 & 2
http://download.yousendit.com/FE728819491BF424
http://download.yousendit.com/07D28B404F8927AB
these will go up as podcasts on http://www.jellycast.com sometime late next week - you`ll need to search “ebisu” “kissa” or “tokyo balearic”
peace.