Golden Sails - Glider / Suspension (Honeywax Records)

Brooklyn’s Honeywax Records unveils the latest single from Golden Sails, the project of former Eighteenth Street Lounge resident Michael Hirst. Hirst’s background as guitarist for DC psyche-rock staples (The Sounds Of) Kaleidoscope ran alongside his DJ residency and explorations into electronic music production. Soon Hirst was producing on his own as Golden Sails, combining elements of boogie, deep house, and cosmic disco to build dance floor tunes with an emphasis on the psychedelic aspect he honed with his aforementioned band.

This ‘double A-side single’ is another warm weather trip into Balearic beats, deep house, and moody techno from Golden Sails. The lead track, “Glider,” has a slow, beach-side vibe with obvious New Wave overtones and a subtle, groovy Afro-beat foundation. “Suspension” heads into liquid house territory with a deep ambient core, subby kick, and a swinging hi-hat to keep things moving. It’s pleasingly reminiscent of a mid ’90s Guidance Records vibe. This one’s for the heads that aren’t afraid to take things deep.

Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “This is breathtaking. I love this. Amazing.”
Nick Warren - “Two great tracks … full support.”
Chris Coco (Melodica) - “Good music for the beach!”
Tensnake - “Summer is close and Balearic tunes like these could be important during the next four months.”
Sleazy McQueen - “These are lush and lovely.”
Pete Herbert - “Both tracks are brilliant.”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “‘Suspension’ is total dream fuel. Love the vibe and the slinky spaciness.”
Ant Plate (Rhythm Plate / YSE) - “Warm and grooving, disco electronica … very nice!”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Pretty spacey vibe!”
DJ Schwa (Shades of Gray) - “Wicked music! ‘Glider’ is nice.”
Makossa & Megablast - “Great cosmic vibes.”
OOFT! - “Nice vibes on ‘Suspension.’”
Erik Rug - “I’m loving the vibe in ‘Glider!’”
Leigh Morgan (Urban Torque) - “Lovely little EP … nice grooves on both tracks, good for the summer ahead.”
Will SumSuch (DeepWit / Etoka) - “What a stunning brace of tracks, just in time for the summer.”
Andy Wilson (Ibiza Sonica FM) - “Lush and lovely, perfect for summer beach sets in Ibiza.” Deadbeat Disco Radio Show - “Stunning. Both cuts are really outstanding; the atmospherics, the beats, the bass, the vibe … what else can we say? Superb.”
Russell Deeks (This Is Why We Dance) - “Cool mellow vibes … would be perfect for afternoon poolside sets n’ such.”
Milton Welch (Soul Reflector Blog) - “Some music is all about the atmosphere that it creates, and this is a perfect example. I love the cascading, icy synths synths of ‘Glider,’ but ‘Suspension’ has some serious groove and could be a brilliant dance floor opener.”

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.

Golden Sails - Iceland / Horizon Line (Honeywax Records)

Brooklyn’s Honeywax Records unveils the latest single from Golden Sails, the new project of former Eighteenth Street Lounge resident Michael Hirst. Hirst’s background as guitarist for DC psyche-rock staples (The Sounds Of) Kaleidoscope ran alongside his DJ residency and explorations into electronic music production. Soon Hirst was producing on his own as Golden Sails, combining elements of boogie and cosmic disco to build dance floor tunes with an emphasis on the psychedelic elements he honed with his aforementioned band.

The single opens with “Iceland,” a boogie infused nightclub track with nods to early new wave fueled by a tight eighties R&B-style bassline. The cut gets dreamy with choral pads, echoey blips, and swishing sounds but never loses its dance floor focus, recalling some of the slinkier moments in the Environ catalog. The flip side brings “Horizon Line,” a laid back disco affair displaying retro synth lines blended with a sassy four-on-the-floor rhythm, stuttering guitars, and an effectively pensive breakdown section. It’s a pontential soundtrack for riding an escalator to the awaiting Saturn-bound cruise ship, with a glimmering disco ball lighting the way.

Sleazy McQueen - “Yeah, I’ll play these. Nice!”
Pete Herbert - “Tasty stuff. I’m liking them both.”
Djuma Soundsystem - “‘Horizon Line’ … love this tune!”
Erik Rug - “I like ‘Iceland’ … cool tunes.”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “Really dig when the choir chords come in on ‘Iceland,’ and when the guitar plucks come in on ‘Horizon Line.’ Cool pair of tracks here.”
Nickodemus - “Very nice sounds.”
Mark Farina - “Nice!”
Stereo 77 - “I can’t wait to play ‘Horizon Line.’ The dubby bass line will sound so nice once played loud.”
Irregular Disco Workers - “‘Horizon Line’ for me … an obscure dark boogie trip.”
Stevie Kotey (Bear Funk) - “Looking forward to playing this out this weekend.”
Tomas Malo (Taikomochi / Outernational) - “Really lovely stuff. I like the loose feel of the playing / programming - adds some nice extra funk.”
Yuri Wuensch (Ibiza Voice) - “Love the simplicity of ‘Horizon Line.’ A versatile beauty.”
Bruce Tantum (TimeOut NY) - “Really nice combination of boogie beats and moody vibes; I’m enjoying both of these tracks.”
Jan Mikulin (Data Transmission) - “This is psychedelic, deep, cosmic nu-disco at its very best. You could just as easily be lost in some intergalactic world as be happily swaying along in the centre of the dance floor, with a beaming smile on your face and a warm, flowing feeling emanating from your core.”

Additional support from Inland Knights, Severino (Horse Meat Disco), Jose Padilla, Chrissy Murderbot, DJ Schwa (Shades Of Gray), Phunktastike, Space Ranger, Beg to Differ, and Murray Richardson.

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.