I’ve been caught up in a lot of nostalgia recently for the late ’00s “nu Balearic” movement that centered around (but wasn’t limited to) Sweden. It’s partially because tropical house music is having its big crossover moment via Biebs, and every time I try explaining the sound ofhis new songs to people they inevitably say “like The Tough Alliance?” Which…yes, but also…no? A song like “Sorry” sounds vaguely like TTA or Air France or Studio, but I’m not sure it comes close to actually touching on what made all of those groups so special (at least to me…ask me about the year where I wanted to move to Gothenburg).
Beipana’s “Cave Effect 2015” does, however, give me the same windswept vibe without any of this weird personal taste probing. The artist hovers around the same world as Videotapemusic and Cero, and their debut album comes out next week. “Cave Effect 2015” doesn’t appear on that, though, but certainly deserves attention, as it is a nearly ten minute gust of a song recalling the slow-burning sounds of Studio and A Mountain Of One. Critically, it isn’t a pure tropical breezer, as Beipana adds tension via distorted guitar lines throughout. Listen above.