Apiento pays tribute to late Balearic master José Padilla

Here’s a break from what looks like an extended election cycle… Test Pressing‘s Apiento has recorded a tribute mix to the late Ibiza DJ and Balearic music legend José Padilla, who passed away a few weeks ago.

If you haven’t heard of Padilla, Café del Mar, or the term “balearic” before, we had actually originally planned to write a simple piece breaking down the elusive genre – what it means, how it began, some classic tracks, etc. However, after some consideration, we’ve decided this mix from Apiento would be a much better representation of the balearic sound than a few words from us…

Listen to the mix here: https://www.nts.live/shows/test-pressing/episodes/test-pressing-24th-october-2020

Here’s a quote from Padilla himself:

“Balearic is not a kind of music, it’s a way of life. It’s the freedom to play whatever you want, so long as you play it proficiently. People listen to a track with guitar on it and say ‘this is Balearic’ when it’s not. Balearic is just the spirit of Ibiza. DJ’s used to play here seven or eight hours a night and have the freedom to play anything they wanted, from rock to house.”

Listen to a classic Café del Mar mix: https://www.testpressing.org/mix/333jose-padillacafe-del-mar-4

R.I.P. Maestro <3