Review: Linda Mirada - Qué largo es el verano (Lovemonk)

Fans of Linda Mirada's last album "Con Mi Tiempo Y El Progreso" with its Lovemonk Latin disco synth-pop must have been wondering if there was ever going to be a new one: lucky 13 years on, it's here as 'Qué largo es el verano'.

Lovemonk Records, the Madrid based label, most well known for being the home of Gecko Turner and Chip Wickham together with the more recent Commonsur and Keita Sano & Sauce81, have gone the extra mile to catch the current wave of 80s pop in southern Europe with flashes of Italo disco" with Linda's support of North Satellite on production, mixing by Metro Area’s Bart Davenport and Daniel Collás of The Phenomenal Handclap Band who recently released 'We Are Worlds Away' (see review HERE) and you hear more than a faint echo with 'Qué largo es el verano' (which is a good thing).

It's a collections of songs (7 in all plus a remix) which pay to listen to chronologically as it starts of a bit 80s synth pop ('Bajo un mismo techo') and building up to a bit of Wham horn section ('Si la brisa es buena) as it "moves between intimate hedonism and gentle melancholy".  I'll have to take the label's work for it as my Spanish is more than limited but if you were digging for an album/period that was at the sohphisted Euro-pop of 80s with early electropop and "splashes of disco" at the poolparty that isn't old hat, 'Qué largo es el verano' is it.

And to a large part of this 'fresh/current' sound is due to the input of the Brooklyn ears of The Phenomenal Handclap Band members and the reason I was a little coy about the remix earlier is tha if you know there's a PHB Dub remix (Si la brisa es buena), you'd head for it in all it's magnificence.

Kind of hope they do some more as disco dub if ready for the beach if the breeze is nice and we know how good they are on the remix buttons as they popped up on Peter Matson's 'Hotel PM' album on Bastard Jazz (see review HERE).

The spirit of Kid Creole & Chic Cocconuts lives on - where's me Hawaiian shirt and pina colada? 

BUY LINK: Qué largo es el verano | Linda Mirada

Artist: Linda Mirada
Title:   Qué largo es el verano (w/The Phenomenal Handclap Band Remix)
Release date: 19th September, 2025
Label : Lovemonk Records
Catalog Number : TBC
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: The Phenomenal Handclap Band - We Are Worlds Away (Nublu Records)

"The uplifting and anthemic title track from their upcoming EP on New York’s legendary Nublu Records".

The Phenomenal Handclap Band is Daniel Collás, Juliet Swango,and Monika Heidemann. Since 2017, the Brooklyn based trio has released numerous critically acclaimed singles on labels such as Daptone, Toy Tonics, and Glitterbox that have garnered attention and praise from such luminaries including Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry,  Elton John, Don Letts and Gilles Peterson (this is going to make Peterson's soon coming 'We Out Here' festival very sweaty).

In 2023 the band released the 'Burning Bridges' EP on New York dance label Razor-N-Tape (they of 'Family Affair' etc) followed by the vinyl only 12” Like a Constellation on Lone Limited at the end of 2024 before popping up on Peter Matson's 'Hotel PM' album on Bastard Jazz (see review HERE).

‘We Are Worlds Away’, was written and recorded in Stockholm, Sweden’s Pansarmarängen Studio with the help of longtime collaborators Fredrik Swahn (Dungen, Melody’s Echo Chamber) and Morgan Phalen (Justice, Drakkar Nowhere).  Once you hear Linda Mirada's 'Qué largo es el verano' (review coming soon) that's got a big PHB imprint on it, 'We Are Worlds Away' and 'Free Time' sounds even better!

This is miles away from Zé Nigro's 'Silêncio' (also Nublu, see review HERE) but the YATM office thinks that's a good thing for a label as it shows that they are going places, even worlds away?

BUY LINK: https://ffm.to/worldsawaysingle

Artist: The Phenomenal Handclap Band 
Title:   We Are Worlds Away
Release date: 29th July, 2025
Label : Nublu Records
Catalog Number : SI-NUB-069
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp