Café Del Mar musical director Ken Fan joins fellow Hong Kong producer Milam for a deeply atmospheric journey through dub, ambient and Balearic downtempo.
Our love of sunsets, Ibiza and downtempo Balearica was always going to see us cross paths with Café Del Mar musical director Ken Fan.
Part Hong Kong, part Brummie, part Ibizan stalwart, Ken is one of those characters tirelessly working not only for himself, but for the wider downtempo community around the island. From Pikes to Café Del Mar and international travels beyond Ibiza, Ken has become something of a safekeeper of the island’s musical spirit.
His roots began with a love of hip-hop and DMC-style battling, before progressing into electronic music as he began playing events himself, eventually leading to work with legendary Birmingham party Miss Moneypenny’s.
Arriving in Ibiza for the first time in 1998, the pull of the island that so many of us know eventually led Fan to make it home in 2009. House music gradually gave way to the shimmering sounds of downtempo, ambient and Balearic grooves.
Looking through Fan’s back catalogue, we’re familiar with much of it. Labels including NuNorthern Soul, Music For Dreams and M-Sol Deep have all released material from the sunset guru.
This time our attention turns to Ken’s fifth LP, “Transitions”, released through Kenneth Bager’s Music For Dreams and produced alongside Hong Kong producer Milam, whose own music explores dreamy, deep house and techno sounds influenced by East Asian culture, Buddhism and anime.
Opening with “Chinois Dub”, the juxtaposition of dub reggae and Eastern flavours is immediately apparent. Beautiful piano lines drape themselves across percussion-led rhythms, backed by achingly tender string washes and handpan strikes heavily soaked in ghostly reverb.
“Theories” is a loosely swung downtempo number built around ethereal synth chords, evolving high strings and rich, tense pads.
“Transitions” moves into cinematic broken beat territory, carrying tension and a touch of darkness. It’s music for those cloudy sunset moments, when the horizon offers something altogether moodier.
“Hakkadub” is a solemn, piano-led piece punctuated by striking dub hits and bubbling atmospheric pads. Its East Asian influence is carefully woven through the production, opening the track into something approaching a spiritual journey.
“Inti Tayta”, meaning Father Sun, is a standout for us. This is classic Café Del Mar territory. Otherworldly pipes, hissing percussion and soul-stirring drums take you somewhere else entirely, to that place where the mind begins to wander and everything slows down.
“Merkaba” carries echoes of Massive Attack in its atmosphere. Stirring and solemn, it’s a beautifully brooding piece of downtempo.
“Origins” feels almost like a celebration of the journey travelled. The tempo lifts, low-slung basslines carry the rhythm and flute melodies float across a rich, textured backdrop.
“Solitaire” closes the LP in true Fan fashion. Sonically stunning, this ambient mood board takes us on an intergalactic trip through breathy vocal snippets and distant chanting before opening into a skeletal broken beat, kinetically charged yet somehow laced with hope and ambition.
And then it’s over.
“Transitions” feels appropriately titled. Across the album, Fan and Milam continually move between places, moods and influences: Birmingham, Hong Kong and Ibiza; dub, ambient and broken beat; moments of darkness giving way to light.
Well played, Ken and Milam. This is a journey of an LP.
True to our love of this sound, this is real downtempo music for the mind, spirit and soul.
“Transitions” is available now through Music For Dreams.
Release Date: Out Now, buy it here.
Label: Music For Dreams
Format: Digital / LP