Blanco White - Tarifa (2023) [Hi-Res]

Blanco White is the guise of guitarist, singer and songwriter Josh Edwards, a Brit whose heart belongs in southern Spain and the Andean mountains. In the former, Josh fell for flamenco. In the latter, he learnt charango. Both are pivotal to Blanco White’s otherworldly tunes.

A trio of increasingly accomplished EPs released between 2016 and 2018 saw him become a streaming sensation, a staple of thousands of Spotify playlists, now with fans all over the world. With every release Blanco White has gone up a gear, from the haunting acoustic sound of 2016’s The Wind Rose EP to the meatier, more expansive tracks off his debut album ‘On the Other Side’ which was released in June 2020.

Blanco White has already crafted a sound of his own with his off-world explorations of Latin American and Andalusian folk music. On Tarifa, Josh Edwards’ second solo album, he mines new depth within his colourful fusions of folk with indie and electronics, while embracing the thrill of collaboration, discovery and cultural exchange. The album was self-produced in collaboration with Nubiyan Twist's Pilo Adami, with additional production from Nathan Jenkins aka Bullion (Nilüfer Yanya, Orlando Weeks, Hayden Thorpe), alongside contributions from percussionist Seb Rochford (Polar Bear, Sons Of Kemet).

Edwards’ collaboration with percussionist and co-producer Adami places a strong focus on rhythm, syncopation and swing throughout the album, with newly released dream-folk odyssey "Silver Beaches" providing the initial catalyst for the album's sonic identity, specifically noting the impact of Assouf / desert blues pioneers; Mali-based music collective Tinariwen on the creation of "Silver Beaches".