via soundofdusk.co.uk
words: Gavin Kendrick

I got back to Liverpool on Wednesday and I’ve still got butterflies thinking about last weekend. Sarah Favouritzm got it right when she said that what happened in Croatia used to only happen in Southport! It was a weekend of sunshine, smiles and musical bliss. The Weekender family was joined by hundreds of first-time Southport faces from over thirty countries, all with one thing in common: a glowing love of the soulful sounds that made the first SuncéBeat an event that will be remembered for years to come.

I’ve picked out a few of my highlights from this unforgettable trip.

Pre-festival drinks with Alex and Dave at the Hotel Pinja beach hut
I love to wax lyrical about my passion for soulful music, about the DJs and live acts who take us to that special place, and about the smiling people who together become the world’s friendliest crowd at every Southport event. But before all of that, I’d like to say a special thank you to Alex Lowes and Dave Gardner, the two people who have worked tirelessly for all these years to create the parties where our treasured moments are shared. Their contribution to the music we love is great, and I’m sure these sentiments are shared by every member of the worldwide Southport family.

Theo Parrish’s set at the Beach Bar
I don’t know another DJ who can move so effortlessly across genre, time and tempo. With no musical stone left unturned, Theo’s two hour set was a thrilling trip from the wildest jazz to the darkest techno. The standout track for me was Charles Earland’s soaring jazz workout, Leaving This Planet.

Larry Heard’s set on the boat party
A scorching, mid-tempo deep house journey. Hearing Larry’s live vocals over the seminal Can You Feel It as the boat party erupted was a priceless moment. It was great to hear Joey Beltram’s Energy Flash too; the first time I heard this in a club was when Marc Rowlands came to Liverpool for a memorable set at The Magnet.

José James performing Detroit Loveletter
Produced by Moodymann and performed live with the mesmerising Jordana de Lovely, José took this Blackmagic highlight to another level with adlibs from Marvin Gaye’s longing classic, I Want You.

Kev Beadle’s Beach Bar set
Holding court over the terrace with every set he played, Kev’s diverse selections and impeccable programming peaked with the beautiful Osunlade rework of Erykah Badu’s Twenty Feet Tall.

Closing my Beach Bar set with the Yam Who? rework of Frontin’
The first Southport Weekender event I went to was the 2003 To The Manor Born Garden Party in Sedgefield. It was Sunday 24th August and Phil Asher was opening up for DJ Spinna in Hardwick Hall’s back room. The last tune Phil played was Yam Who?’s rework of Frontin’, Pharrell’s finest moment. My hairs stood on end as that slo-mo groove kicked, and the flute solo took me to another place. I’ll never forget it. I picked up the bootleg 12” some months later and it’s never left my DJ bag since. (This was also the first time I’d heard Spinna’s remix of the Southport anthem Days Like This that was met then with the same rapturous response it received with every play this weekend.)

Imagine my surprise when I dropped this track to close my Beach Bar set on Sunday and Phil Asher stepped up into the booth. It was a real full circle experience that was made even more memorable by Phil’s enthusiasm and humbleness when I thanked him for turning me on to the track seven years ago.

Dean Smith’s terrace sets on Monday and Tuesday
It was a pleasure and a privilege to spend a couple of days in the company of Dean Smith and his lovely girlfriend Selina after the festival wound up. His ten-hour sets were the perfect way to float back down to earth after the hedonism of the SuncéBeat weekend. A resident at Café Del Mar from 1991 to 1993, Dean’s passion and mastery of his craft shone through every sun-kissed selection. (This piece took much longer to write than I excepted, thanks to the musical distractions provided by Dean’s brilliant Soul Share Radio site.)

Sunday Boat Party with Marc Rowlands, Rub & Tug and Larry Heard
If memory serves me correctly, this is the set I played on Sunday. I know a lot of the music was recorded last weekend, so I’ll make any corrections and post the mix when I get to listen back. For now, I’ve added Youtube links to the tracks I could find, and Discogs links to the ones I couldn’t.

1. DBX – And There Ain’t (Troopa’s Deep Mix)
2. Steve Spacek – Dollar (Remix)
3. The Revenge – Looking Up To You
4. Floating Points – Shark Chase
5. Somore – I Refuse (Salvadore’s Groove)
6. Somore – I Refuse (Soft Ambient Vocal)
7. Kerri Chandler – Atmosphere (Track 1)
8. Kenny Bobien – Rise Above The Storm
9. Pal Joey – New Breed EP
10. Kerri Chandler – A Demo by 6:23
11. Big Moses feat. Ambrosia – That’s How Much I Love You (Shelter Vox)
12. Try To Find Me – Get To My Baby (TBD Remix)
13. Kenny Dope – Inside

If you want to relive those sunshine memories, I’ve made a compilation of some of the songs I played at the Beach Bar over the weekend. Enjoy!

SuncéBeat Terrace Mix by soundofdusk

Track List
1. Seu Jorge – Everybody Loves The Sunshine
2. José Feliciano – Sunny
3. Moe Koffman – Egyptology (Days Gone By)
4. Bonobo feat. Andreya Triana – The Keeper
5. The Mole – Dreamer
6. Blackpocket – Ur A Sta
7. Flying Lotus – Tea Leaf Dancers
8. José James – Detroit Loveletter
9. Shafiq Husayn – Lil’ Girl
10. Viktor Duplaix – Galaxy
11. Pangaea – Memories
12. Stacey Epps – Floatin’ (Live Remix)
13. Onra – Don’t Stop
14. Only Child feat. Amp Fiddler – U Bring Me Vibes
15. Only Child feat. Amp Fiddler – Find A Way (Yam Who? Rework)