Pacific State - Coming home
Pacific State, the pitch-perfect combination of singer and songwriter Berri Farley and writer/producer Simon Marlin (one half of The Shapeshifters), will release their debut single ‘Coming Home’ on Monday 4 August.
“Amazing track… I can’t wait to play this at sunset on my return to Cafe Del Mar after 15 years on May 23rd, we need more music like this, very Balearic; respect!'' - Jose Padilla, the world’s most famous Chillout DJ, Cafe Del Mar Ibiza
‘Coming Home’ is the first blossoming of this brand new musical relationship, and has been instantly snapped up by London Records. The song received its exclusive first play on Rob Da Bank’s Radio 1 show on Saturday 21 June, “celebrating all things sunrise and sunset”, and is also featured on the 20th anniversary edition of Café Mambo’s influential, critically acclaimed compilations.
‘Coming Home’ is an irresistible collision of dusty soul, the horns from Glenn Campbell’s ever-classic Wichita Lineman, and powerful vocals. It’s one big, life-affirming record that’s odds-on favourite to soundtrack the summer, and which sounds like the closing minutes of the best day ever, or the opening moments of the best night on earth. The music has cemented a musical partnership full of Motown soul and Rudimental spark that channels the best of their individual musical and life experiences.
Berri Farley grew up in south-east London, listening to her parents’ Northern Soul records. A few eventful years later she took herself out of the rat-race to develop her music, living with her folks on a sleepy Balearic island. She began singing in local jazz and blues, performing classic songs by greats like Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald that gave her the confidence to flex her lush, multi-toned voice and to experiment, writing lyrics on the spot.
The one-time b-boy and man behind The Shapeshifters has spent the decade since their hit ‘Lola’s Theme’ making music that straddled the cult and the popular; recently producing for the likes of Wiley, DJing across the world playing influential Ibiza spots like Pacha and Café Mambo. This summer is the eighth consecutive year The Shapeshifters have returned to their residency at Pacha Ibiza.
Pacific State now have an album’s worth of material, spanning a range of tempos and styles but it’s all joined together by a love of classic songs, of soul and funk, and of music that moves you – in both senses of the word. As Marlin himself puts it, ‘the bastard child of Adele and Massive Attack’.
Welcome to Pacific State, here to take you through the summer and beyond.