VA - The Sound Of Love International #002 - Beautiful Swimmers (2019)

After signing on with Gatto Fritto’s mind-melting Sound of Love International Volume 1, we’re back, we can smell summer and we’re putting you in the capable hands of festival favourites, Washington DC’s Beautiful Swimmers. A beautiful swimmer is a small blue crab.

The Beautiful Swimmers are Ari Goldman and Andrew Field-Pickering (AKA Max D). And you, my friend, are about to get high on the happy. They’re here to take you on a gleeful joyride around their collective musical imagination.

The Swimmers are full bore record enthusiasts you see, but whereas you might associate this with squirrelly, exclusive and crabby sorts, they are inclusive, human and warm. It’s a wide-eyed ebullient romp and the joy of discovery is one to share. And to see them DJ IS a joy - they’re having at least as much fun as anyone else in the room, locked together tight, riding the same wave.

So even when shit gets somewhat darker, the tempos higher and sounds gnarlier (Analogous Doom) the world is never grey. When we’re stone cold balearic in the Adriatic (Plunky) the vibe is up, young and fun. Banging them b’more house beats? Well, you’re probably going to be recognising a welcoming RnB sample (KW Griff).

We’ve also been blessed with some Swimmer’s specials in the shape of ‘Blow Up Girl’ and ‘Living in a Zone’. Exclusive. Ari and Andrew have previously worked in dog and childcare respectively. If this compilation was a dog it’d be a “rascal”, if it were a kid it’d be “spirited”.

We can’t think of anyone better to be your guides, as they themselves might say, “it’s a vibe”.

This is the sound of Love International. Part two.