Ibizan institute La Torre marks its decade long love affair with Balearic music with ‘Volume Cinco’ compiled by Pete Gooding and Mark Barrott.
Opening its doors in 2015, Hostal La Torre is a jewel in the soundscape of Ibiza. Situated on the west coast of the island in Cap Negret, a short drive from Sant Antoni, this secluded, unfettered building is one of the last bastions of the real ‘Balearic’ movement on the island. Originally constructed in 1965, it underwent a significant transformation when Grupo Mambo took over its management in 2015, revitalising the property while preserving its authentic charm.
In 2019, Hostal La Torre faced a setback due to a fire that damaged parts of the kitchen and surrounding areas. However, it reopened later that year with improvements, including a new cocktail terrace and an enhanced music program . The hotel continues to operate year-round, offering guests a unique blend of natural beauty, culinary delights, and musical ambiance.
But it’s the music and sunset we all come for. Known for one of the most beautiful sunsets on the island, it of course had to be anchored with a perfect soundtrack. Each of the five compilations have been curated by long-standing residents Pete Gooding and Mark Barrott. Each bringing their unique flavour of downtempo rarities, curated to the rhythm of a typical evening, from pre sunset to the golden moment to the deep, cosmic touching afterglow.
Glancing through the tracklisitng of ‘Volume Cinco’, familiar names like Talk Talk, Boards of Canada & Nina Simone all shoot of the page, but the addition of Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You’ which is one of our ‘darling’ anthems, had us eager to hear how this would play out.
Highlights of the LP come from the “come down” beat of ‘Where Were U In 92?’ by Burns & Tubbs, Brazilian songwriter Arthur Verocai’s delicate ‘Caboclo’ with it’s charming wispy tones and Peter Mergener and Michael Weisser aka Software’s 1987 dreamy ambient track ‘Present Voice’ which had us dreaming of Bladerunner utopian landscapes. ‘Come Ye’ by Nina Simone, needs no introduction, a constant force in the jazz/blues and this 1967 released number is a testament to her effortless class.
The two standout moments of the LP for us come from Eric Serra and Mark Barrott. Serra’s ‘Protect Life’ comes from ‘The Fifth Element’ soundtrack and manages to capture the perfect amount of emotional melancholy to blow the listener away. Mark gifts a brand-new exclusive, ‘When Devils Become Gods’. The International Feel label head delivers a rousing, optimistic piece that soars with beautiful strings and piano laments, making it a gorgeous piece of real sunset magnificence.
Overall this has to be one of our favourite electronica/ambient compilations we’ve heard for quite some time. Mentally invigorated after listening through, we have to doff our cap to La Torre, we mean with names like José Padilla, Alfredo, Jon Sa Trinxa, DJ Harvey, David Holmes, Lovefingers, Heidi Lawden, Wolf Müller, Don Carlos, and Phil Mison all tied to the venue either past or present, it has to have something special to offer, right?
‘La Torre Ibiza – Volumen Cinco’ will be out on June 27th, 2025. Pre order here.
