Joe Davolaz – Piña Colada

Exotica is a genre that evokes a pseudo-tropical experience, with artists affiliated to the scene usually coming from anywhere but the regions to which they pay tribute. An elaborate homage to the regions of Oceania, the South Pacific and Amazonia, the musical aesthetic may include anything from ethnic percussion, obscure instrumentation and jungle ululations to airy strings, space age electronics, and surf guitars. The result tends to come out as a laid-back, sunny latin-tinged relation of jazz, with space-age inclinations and a magical realist outtake on island life. As genre pioneer Martin Denny put it, exotica started as "what a lot of people imagined the islands to be like... it's pure fantasy though". As clear examples, the exotica I've included on this blog and the Dig That Treasure radio show has been from the likes of Poland, France and Japan; outsiders to tropical lifestyle. And, sure enough, Joe Davolaz follow suit. Calling from Stockholm, Sweden, the ensemble make dreamy easy-listening from another planet, combining surf guitars, woodwind and breathy vocal hums. It's a totally refreshing sound for 2014; a joyful slap round the face from an unexpected source.

Label: Tonaserenad
Year: 2014
Genre: Exotica, Easy-Listening, Experimental, Pop