Ah, July. You beauty. Here’s a 34-track soundtrack for your mid-summer madness, selected exclusively and with love by me, Boat Floaters, for the Meet Bernard massive.
Exactly a decade ago, I attended my fifth and final Worldwide Festival in Sète. Among the headliners for the week-long fête on the coast in south France coast included Moodymann, Little Dragon, Nicolas Jaar, Machinedrum, Robert Glasper Experiment, David Rodigan, and many more (for only €179, BTW).
It’s hard to overestimate the influence Gilles Peterson, the man behind the festival, has had on my musical education. He is the gatekeeper, the feeder of audio vitamins, for so many people, and that handful of festivals – where, as a member of the press, I hung out with GP and his crew – will always be cherished.
I’d like to take this opportunity to raise a glass of rosé to Gilles. Thanks for the memories. This month’s selection certainly has a beach-party vibe. The opening track, Fantasy Island, rather sets the tone. There is plenty of soul-funk, disco, fun tunes, old and new. Rather than too much blurb, though, I’d encourage you to let this wash over you, enjoy it, and imagine you are boogying on the beach.
If you connect with this unmixed selection I think you’d enjoy exploring my Boat Floaters Mixcloud profile (see here), where there are both upbeat (“waterfall”) and more chilled (“slow flow”) mixes.
Thanks for your support.
Yours in music,
Ollie (Boat Floaters)