Summertime serenades

Gracie Moore, Lifestyle Editor, prepares for the holidays with a spotlight on Cantoma

SUMMER is approaching and that means we can crack out the party anthems in preparation for festivals and lads’ holidays. However, the party bangers might not be for everyone, and there are other genres of music that are also reminiscent of summer. I am personally more of a fan of music that takes me back to summer holidays eating olives and drinking

Aperol Spritz on a balcony overlooking the sea in Spain.

Cantoma is the DJ name of Phil Mison, an artist origi nally from Chelmsford (of all places) whose genre of music probably best fits under the category of Balearic, ambient, electronica music. The relaxed, chillstep-esque beat in much of his music isn’t replicated in many other summer songs so it’s perfect to relax to when you’re soaking up the sun next to a pool or even in your own garden. This makes sense as Mison supposedly writes most of the music he produces “staring out to sea.”

His endeavours in this genre of music began because he used to produce more generic chill-hop music before he was inspired by José Padilla and the music that he selected at the Cafe Del Mar in Ibiza. There is a flamenco tone to most of his songs in the album Just Landed , along with backing vocals in French, Spanish and Portuguese, making it feel like classy European holiday music. Personally, my favourite songs of his are ‘Just Landed’, ‘Alive’, ‘Tabarin’, ‘North Shore’ and ‘Talva Lumi’. ‘Just Landed’ is exactly what it suggests it is. You genuinely feel warm and relaxed when listening to it, and it’s impossible not to bring to mind images of stepping off the aeroplane in a hot country, leaving the airport where the air is slightly sticky and the acknowledgement of not having to bring your problems with you is enough to put you at ease. Exactly what it feels like to have to have no problems! prived for so long, people wanted to soak up the European summer air as much as possible, and this music is the perfect accompaniment. recent album closes with an epic ten-minute piano-led space ballad, ‘Coloratura’, which may be the best thing the band have ever released. 'Everyday Life', meanwhile, features a jazzy collab with Nigerian saxophonist Femi Kuti and Belgian pop star Stromae on ‘Arabesque’, and look back even further and you’ll find hidden gems like ‘Lovers in Japan’, ‘Glass of Water’ and ‘Politik.’ After a career spanning over two decades, it seems Coldplay are finally getting the mass recognition and celebration they deserve. If they aren’t there already, put them at the top of your concert bucket list — it is truly an otherworldly experience.

Mison’s most recent album, Into Daylight , has a slightly similar feel to my favourite album Just Landed . However, with its slightly faster beat in many of its songs, this album may be better placed in the classier clubs of Ibiza, as these songs are much easier to dance to, rather than to just sit back and soak up the atmosphere.

Regardless, Mison makes music for the masses and the lack of profound or political lyrics never pushes a social agenda, allowing it to avoid the 'marmite' effect of either loving or hating it.

Quite simply, it’s feel-good music, allowing you to relax and unwind with some good nostalgia! For this reason, I’ll be playing this music on repeat after exams are finished when there isn’t a care in the world and I can take a well-deserved break from studying.

Like me (and many others), Mison says European holidays are a tale of two halves in that you have the crazy, party vibe in places like Ibiza but then you also have the relaxed, lazing by the pool, grabbing a drink in the local café vibe, the latter of which he prefers. It’s refreshing to have this type of music available to us. Post-COVID, when summer holidays were the main event of the year after being de -

New Release Radar Harry Craig, Music Editor

Mermaids (Florence + The Machine)

One year after the album's release, Florence Welch treated fans with one more song to add to the Dance Fever era. 'Mermaids' was released as a bonus single on the 21st April, as a dark pop track exploring Welch's sobriety and English weather.

The metaphor of mermaids is cleverly woven in to a cutting social commentary on British drinking culture — the line "you haven't seen nothing 'til you've seen an English girl drink" could have been written about a TP Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the instrumental builds from a muted start, allowing Florence's falsetto to take centre stage, before creating an ambiance of horror and dread. It is quintessentially Florence, and an excellent addition to the Dance Fever universe.

EDITORS: Harry Craig and Jake Avery