More Music Less Words #100
Guest Selections: Breixo Martínez
Hi friends!
Post number #100 🥳🥳
Next week, I have a surprise lined up for all of you. We’ve been enjoying great music together every Friday for two years now, and that calls for a celebration. But today, the spotlight is on our dear March Guest Selector!
I'm talking about a true musicologist—a guy who lives and breathes music in every facet of his life. He's a DJ, radio host, party promoter, label owner, and almost resides at a record shop. Enjoy the magic!
This month’s Guest Selector is:
Breixo Martínez
Breixo Martínez is a Galician-born DJ who has called Barcelona home since 2007. A key member of the Discos Paradiso DJ crew, he also runs the renowned record label and radio show Canela En Surco. Alongside his friend Pau Roca, he co-founded Escola Records, a label dedicated to soulful house music and broken beat.
Breixo has made a name for himself by throwing unforgettable parties under the Canela En Surco banner, hosting revered artists such as DJ Nature, Volcov, Lakuti, Floating Points, Dream 2 Science, Kai Alcé, and Ron Trent. Though he spends much of his time digging for records, when it’s time to hit the decks, his true passion for house music shines through.
Follow Breixo on Instagram - Soundcloud
Breixo: When someone asks me for a mix or a selection of songs/records, I never know how to do it until a common thread suddenly appears in my head. After turning it over countless times for this new episode of More Music Less Words, I decided to put together a selection of the music that has saved me the most at work these past few months.
Enjoy his curated picks for the week:
The Almighty - Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few (Division 81 Records, 2024)
#Spiritual Jazz #Modal #Soul-jazz
Breixo: Not long ago I was at Discos Paradiso with one of the best DJs and producers in the game, the Madrid native Deenamic, and the moment I walked into the shop he recommended this record to me. I want to thank him here because it’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made—I saved myself the therapy I was planning to attend, and it restored my faith in humanity; oh, and every time I listen to it, I feel like it lifts me all the way to heaven, an emotion that’s impossible to measure in terms of appreciation. Spiritual Jazz executed so impeccably that it’s hard to imagine four human beings could reach such heights. The world feels a little less grim with Isaiah Collier and his colleagues making music.
Avenida Atlântica - Martin Müller, Michael Höfler & Hakim Ludin (Musikverlag H. Burger & M. Müller, 1989)
#Bossa Nova #Latin Jazz
Breixo: If there’s one thing we’ve championed at Canela En Surco since our very first release (that Universo da Ilha de Vasco Martins, which we called “not balearic but an atlantic odyssey”), it’s the existence of a certain Atlantic sound—music with the same nostalgia as Balearic, but with a lower degree of hedonism and, yes, a much more complex quest for spirituality. This "Avenida Atlántica" by Martin Müller, Michael Höfler & Hakim Ludin is one of the best examples of that "sound" I’ve come across in a long time; German musicians creating a sort of Latin jazz, folk fusion inspired by Brazil, yet uniquely marked by living under an eternal gray sky that imbues the entire record with an uncanny melancholy. Plenty of original compositions and a version of Canto de Ossanha that could easily be spun in a jazz club or as an opener for Joe Clausell.
Elegía - Miriam Ramos (Movieplay, 1977)
#Nueva Troba Cubana
Breixo: A few Sundays ago I was walking my dog when I came across a flea market with several record stalls; it was the end of the month and I was broke, but when I looked into the first bin, I found this self-titled record by Miriam Ramos at an almost laughable price. In Spain it was released under the title Los Caminos, and it contained within it a version of "Los Caminos" I had never heard before—one of my favorite Pablo Milanés songs. I was so surprised when I got home that, despite the version being excellent, this "Elegía"—a guaguancó tribute to the men of Moncada, those early revolutionaries who paved the way for the Cuban revolution—has become one of my favorite anthems of struggle and resistance. Someday I’ll do an edit or something and extend it to infinity…
I Will Suffer - Samizdat (Blood, 2023)
#IDM
Breixo: There are few artists in my life whose every new record I feel compelled to own, but without a doubt, the latest addition to this little list is Mr. Michael J. Blood—a crazy guy from Mancurian who has no interest whatsoever in being part of the circus that never stops releasing music on his Bandcamp. This record is produced by his colleague Samizdat, and while it’s more experimental in parts, it features this “I Will Suffer” track that I can’t stop listening to at work. It reminds me of how insignificant we are and the meaninglessness of life, and to me, it’s the perfect song to let play for hours at a funeral or even to hand in your resignation letter to your boss…
Lady Bliss x Femme Kollektive Experiment - Lady Bliss (2021)
#Deep House
Breixo: And finally, the mix I’ve listened to the most in recent years in my car: the South African Lady Bliss mixing Deep House from the 2000s in a podcast for Uzuri—the label and booking agency of fellow South African and one of my favorite DJs, Lakuti. Everything is so slow and arranged with an order and taste that is very rare these days… A masterclass in elegance and skills!! I wish many of the South African DJs I admire would come to Europe!!
That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed the selections.
Have a great weekend!
Stay groovy,
Dudier
