This morning the pleasure is ours as we welcome 88 Palms to MailTape for a selection of Sunday morning grooves.
Morgan Wiley (Midnight Magic, Love Affair, and ex Hercules) joins vocalist and DJ Ria Bouttier to create 88 Palms. A cherished disco duo in the clubs of NYC, 88 Palms describes feeling committed to making their listeners feel sexy, free, and open to the dancefloor around them. 88 palms frequently breaks the fourth wall and brings audience members to the stage, and as 88 Palms lead Ria tells us, these personal interactions mean the group never plays the same show twice.
Even as the clubs are closed, the music of 88 Palms still opens up this free space to breathe in our moment of being alive. We therefore invite you to step into the easy arriving nostalgia of nightclubs with us: of sweaty bodies all around, of music laying a trance over everyone, and of the beautiful romantics of dancing with perfect strangers.
88 Palms’s selection
Daft Punk – Something About Us
88 Palms: ” I think this is one of the most perfect songs of all time. I’ve probably heard it hundreds of times and each time it gets me in all the right places. The analogue warmth of the keys, the warped funky bass line with the synthetic longing of the vocals to me sounds exactly what a robot in love might sound like. This is it for me. If I could ever write a song that makes me feel the way this song does I can die happy. Daft Punk’s Discovery was the first new album I bought when I started collecting records, and I bought it mainly to hear this song as God aka Daft Punk intended. “
Spandau Ballet – True
88 Palms: ” Another one for the perfection vault. It’s a beautiful 80s homage to Motown. The silky smooth vocals and the evocative lyrics like “With a thrill in my head and a pill on my tongue…listening to Marvin [Gaye] all night long” brings me straight to that 80s cocaine Miami yacht aesthetic that I feel very much at home in. Not to mention the sax solos. I mean come on. I unironically find this song very sexy, especially if you’ve seen the iconic image of the band inside the record sleeve of the original album. What a bunch of hunks. I often wake up on Sunday morning and put on this record. “
Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved a Man (The Way That I Love You)
88 Palms: ” This one gets me right in the feels. I think it’s a song that’s highly relatable to just about everyone who’s experienced heartbreak and unrequited love. The way she wails from the depths of her soul you know it’s true, and every time I sing this song it makes me feel the same way. I end up exploring my various relationships through the songs I write, and I’m always surprised that certain people never seem to leave my mind, because songs like this bring those feelings rushing back. Songs are valuable little time capsules in that way. “
MailTape’s selection
88 Palms – Hello
Sarah: ” The number of fantastic tracks from 88 Palms’ debut album, Love Safari, made this choice a bit difficult to make. But this one made me miss club dancefloors the most. There’s such an easy groove throughout this track, I love the magic the synths add to this killer bassline and to Ria’s timeless vocals; the glamourous atmosphere of Studio 54 is recreated. Everything added melts together in the most luscious way - the piano flourishes, the vocal echoes that step over and into each other; all of this along the constant edging of the bassline into the forefront. “
The Main Ingredient – Summer Breeze
Sarah: ” This track is my favorite version of Summer Breeze, and I’ll take any excuse to play it. The harp and brass accents set this song into a certain ominous tone before a fantastic vocal opening by Cuba Gooding :) Released in 1974 on the Euphrates River album, Cuba Gooding’s vocals have the most soothing and powerful presence, stirring up a summer breeze you can really feel. Maybe it plants some jasmine in your mind, too :) Guiding the song’s movement, Gooding adds so much richness to the already flourishing accents of harp, violin, and xylophone. Seamless and so magical. “
TRKRNR – No Summer Days (feat. Trailer Limon)
Sarah: ” A smooth neofunk release by TRKRNR to balance out our Sunday morning :) Love how the silkiness of the vocals and bassline draw us into this track from its beginning. The sax riffs bring the track to another level. A lot to love :) “
Kuzich – Rinjani Nights
Sarah: ” Off of Kuzich’s 2018 album, Dawn Chorus, this track runs through so many motions, each building into the next. The opening beat and rhythm caught my ear first. Very early on, with soft vocals and sax accents, my heart was won over. The funk bassline and comping adds so much movement to an already dynamic track. “
That’s it for this morning. As always, thank you so much for joining us. Our love to 88 Palms for their wonderful Sunday selections and to Anthony Dujardin for this episode’s inspiring illustration.
