In the ever-evolving world of music, some record labels manage to carve out a niche that feels timeless and refreshingly innovative. Ibiza-based NuNorthern Soul is one such label, capturing the essence of soulful sounds while embracing modern production.
Founded by DJ and producer Phil Cooper in 2012, NuNorthern Soul has become a label haven for Ibiza producers in the Balearic scene. It attracts a diverse roster of artists, each contributing their distinct style while staying true to the label’s core ethos.
We chose a selection of NuNorthern Soul’s releases to highlight at our weekly Vinyl & Fashion Night at the Atzaro Hotel over the last few weeks and here they are:
George Solar is an Ibiza-based music selector, DJ producer, and Island soul—a DJ’s DJ. He is a legend in Ibiza and Formentera, orchestrating endless soundtracks in chiringuitos and sunset terraces. But unless you live in Ibiza (or Formentera) or visit regularly, you most probably have never heard of him.
George Solar’s latest release, MOONBEAMS, is a testament to his artistic growth. He is a master of mood and texture. Each track unfolds like a story: a six-track EP about the moon from the perspective of a Solar dude living on a tiny rock in the med.
Second up is ‘Orbe Dotado, ‘ the debut full-length missive from Graham Newby, AKA DJ Gripper, a long-serving DJ/producer based not on one of the Balearic Islands but in Barrow-in-Furness, an industrial coastal town best known for submarine building and the rugged sport of Rugby League.
However, Orbe Dodato is a sun-soaked, musically expansive trademark sound that oozes vibrant aural colour and vivid melodic intent. Newby brilliantly sets the tone via the yearning, morning fresh wonder of ‘Camino A Cola Llonga’, where languid guitars, Pet Metheny-style vocalizations, and sparkling synth sounds cluster around a warming bassline before serving up a sequence of spellbinding soundscapes that offer a relaxing deep bath for the ears.
High points include the gorgeous title track, Orbe Dedato an emotive and atmospheric blend of sampled spoken word vocals, stirring synth strings, enveloping chords, tumbling guitars, and echo-laden percussion hits. The fittingly titled closing cut, ‘Es Perfecto’, is a bustling but laidback beatscape that offers a memorable conclusion to a genuinely brilliant album.
Orbe Dodato was released in September 2023 and is part of the NuNorthern Soul ‘Hints of Ibiza’ series.
The Hints of Ibiza sleeves artwork is by local artist Helen Sadler. Phil wanted to use iconic Ibiza landmarks for the Hint of Ibiza series so that people who knew Ibiza would recognise them. He asked Helen to combine her abstract art with sketches from Ibiza for NNS’s eight new artists. The illustrations were hand-drawn, scanned, and photoshopped onto digital photographs of Helen’s abstract art.
Tambores En Benirras – ‘Orbe Dotado’ has a picnic terrace on the rocks at the side of the beach at Benirras, with the famous rock at sea in the background. It looked strange to have just the rock, and having it in the foreground gave it a sense of proportion and identity. The painting used as the background evokes the feeling of sun, sand, and sunsets.
Prints of the Hints of Ibiza artwork by Helen Sadler are available from For The Record Ibiza. The original canvas is owned in a private collection in Ibiza.
A month after the release of ‘Orbe Dotodo’, Tambores de Benirras AKA Graham Newby’s life changed forever. After years of living with a visual impairment, his sight had deteriorated so much that he was declared “registered blind”. For a man who had spent decades dividing his time between travelling, DJing, running clubs and lengthy sessions in his studio, it was a genuinely life-changing moment.
However, it was against this backdrop and the need to alter his working methods that Ondas Horizontales, the second Tambores En Benirras album, took shape. Inspired by a mixture of daydreaming, visualisation, immersion in other people’s music (escapism that provided mood enhancement, rather than a specific set of ideas) and long periods spent soaking up the sun in Ibiza, the album is the most vividly detailed, sonically colourful, and sun-soaked collection that Newby has released to date and the results are undeniably stunning. Designed for horizontal listening, the set distils a range of musical and real-life inspirations—or, as he puts it, “ambient soundtracks, cosmic journeys, Balearic rhythms and poolside sessions”—into ten mesmerising and magical tracks.
‘Ondas Horizontales’ marks the start of a new musical and personal journey for its creator. In his words, it is not the end of an era but the start of a brand new one!
“Incredible. Stunningly beautiful Out-there, galaxian soul, spiritual shit. Fucking fabulous” – Luke Una
“A masterpiece” – Ruf Dug “This is beyond Balearic. Incredible work.” – Macca – One Glove, NTS Radio
“Hats off. A stunning piece of work” – Darren Rock – X-press 2, Ballistic Bros
