Bleep

Ibiza’s escapist atmosphere is written all over this debut of International Feel founder Mark Barrott. After previous releases as Rocha, Bepu N’Gali, Flights of Fancy, Boys from Patagonia and The Young Gentlemen’s Adventure Society, he now steps out of the darkness of his many aliases. Barrott recorded the instrumental album in the island’s northern hills using percussion, slide guitars and analogue synthesizers. Sketches From An Island strips the contested chill out genre of any bad reputation it has gained over the years. A playful flute melody sets the tone for the Balearic feel of carefreeness in the opener ‘Baby Come Home’. The slide guitar’s vibrato tells the island’s stories over the soothing sound of breaking waves and singing seagulls in ‘Back to the Sea’. With his dominating reverb effects, imaginative guitar arpeggios and dreamy synth harmonies, Mark Barrott effectively creates the perfect sonic idyll.