Balearic
Downtempo · 1983 · 100 to 120 BPM · also known as Balearic Beat, Ibiza Sound, Balearic House
Balearic is less a genre than a DJ doctrine: at Amnesia in Ibiza between 1985 and 1988, Alfredo played everything, languid rock, dub, italo, strange pop, as long as the sunset agreed with it. Balearic is the art of eclecticism set to the tempo of the sea, reactivated by every generation of diggers since. It is the anti genealogy of this map: proof that a state of mind can itself become a genre. It resists being pinned to any single sound or era, defined instead by mood, pacing and a DJ's instinct for what belongs together, which is why later generations keep reinventing it on their own terms.
11 reference tracks
- Quando Quango: Love Tempo (1983)
- Penguin Cafe Orchestra: Music for a Found Harmonium (1984)
- Chris Rea: Josephine (1985)
- Sueno Latino: Sueno Latino (1989)
- A Man Called Adam: Barefoot in the Head (1990)
- A Man Called Adam: Estelle (1991)
- Khruangbin: So We Won't Forget (2020)
- Danilo Braca: Piano Piano (2022)
- Partenope: Boulevard EP (2022)
- Saint Etienne: Glad (2025)
- Cantoma: Light Before (2025)
At a glance
- Tempo: 100 to 120 BPM
- First appeared: around 1983
- Machines: Guitare électrique, Roland Juno-106, Platines vinyle, Écho à bande
- The sound: Guitares en delay, Percussions latines, Tout disque à 98 BPM qui regarde la mer, Édits patients
- Labels: Café del Mar Music, Music For Dreams, Balearic, International Feel, Höga Nord
- Key artists: Alfredo, José Padilla, A Man Called Adam, Chris Rea (Josephine, malgré lui), DJ Harvey (frange)
Producing Balearic
Balearic sits at sea tempo, 95 to 115 BPM, with a light, straight 4/4 groove and only mild swing, around 52 to 55 percent, treating tempo as a DJ's doctrine more than a rule: almost anything, a slowed rock record, a stretched italo track, works if it lands near 100. A soft, low mixed 808 or LinnDrum kick and open eighth note hats sit under hand played latin percussion, congas in tumbao, bongos, shaker and a bell on the offbeat, humanized in velocity. Bass is round and played, an electric bass or a chorused Juno 106 square wave filtered near 400 Hz, moving through root, octave and fifth with chromatic passing tones, sharing the low end with the soft kick. On top, tape delayed guitar carries the sound, joined by piano, saxophone or flute, and soft reverbed vocals.
The full production course, in French: tempo, drums, bass, sounds, arrangement, mix, plugins and machines, and a step by step start.
Frequently asked
What is Balearic?
Balearic is less a genre than a DJ doctrine: at Amnesia in Ibiza between 1985 and 1988, Alfredo played everything, languid rock, dub, italo, strange pop, as long as the sunset agreed with it. Balearic is the art of eclecticism set to the tempo of the sea, reactivated by every generation of diggers…
What tempo is Balearic played at?
Between 100 and 120 BPM.
Who are the key Balearic artists?
Alfredo, José Padilla, A Man Called Adam, Chris Rea (Josephine, malgré lui), DJ Harvey (frange).
