Out today: : Mark Barrott (Future Loop Foundation/International Feel/Sketches From An Island) ‘The Exit Diaries

Constant innovator and master of chillout music, Mark Barrott is set to release new album ‘The Exit Diaries’ on the 18^th June via Anjunachill. A gorgeous, deluxe affair, the album consists of two long multi-part instrumental pieces: ‘Light Variations’ and ‘The Stone Tape,’ and takes in soul, jazz, orchestral composition, electronica, and more. The album features Leo Taylor (The Invisible, Floating Points, Hot Chip).

Barrott released music under the Future Loop Foundation alias in the early 90s and became the first live act to play on Fabio & Grooverider’s 1 in the Jungle BBC radio show. He set up the highly respected International Feel label that spearheaded the bespoke vinyl movement of the 2010s, and persuaded the elusive DJ Harvey to come out of studio retirement for his own mix of Rocha’s ‘Hands of Love.’ Further releases included José Padilla, Quiet Village, Gatto Fritto and remixes from artists including Andrew Weatherall, Legowelt, Theo Parrish and cosmic disco dons Daniele Baldelli and Todd Terje.

A move back to Ibiza in 2012 inspired Barrott to begin releasing music under his own name which included the ‘Sketches From An Island’ series; a collection of sun-drenched Balearic records that became genre touchstones and which are credited as playing a significant role in the revival of the Balearic music scene. He’s collaborated with creatives Virgil Abloh, Richard Norris, and more, and has remixed artists including Tears for Fears. Last summer, he remixed The Grid’s all-time classic Ibiza anthem ‘Flotation’ which received heavy radio play and led him onto working with half the duo (Richard Norris) on ‘Nocturnes,’ following the untimely death of Dave Ball. From the same sessions, ‘I Am The Sun, You Are The Moon’ emerged with renowned jazz singer Norma Winstone and her son, Leo Taylor.

Creating music under numerous aliases and projects for over three decades, Barrott has carved out an influential space in everything from early breakbeat futurism to Balearic folk, orchestral ambient to global electronica. Over the years, Barrott has made drum’n’bass for hippies, turned 80s stars Tears For Fearsambient, put Uruguay on the electronic music map, lived off-grid in bandit country, soundtracked deluxe hotels worldwide, single handedly revived the Balearic music scene, and made his DJ residency in one of the most unique and stunning spots in the world a bucket-list destination – all powered by his endless creative ambition, but without ever once having had any semblance of an underlying plan.

Barrott released his most personal record to date ‘Everything Changes, Nothing Ends’ in 2024, written in the wake of his wife Sara’s passing with whom he shared 25 years between Berlin and rural Ibiza. The album received widespread critical acclaim, including Pitchfork, Mojo, Uncut, RA and more, alongside BBC radio support from Mary Anne Hobbs, Elizabeth Alker and Hannah Peel.

Now back living in his spiritual home, Ibiza, he’s lived a colourful life. “I’ve been around, and I’ve basically realised there’s five things that make me happy. There’s cats, there’s test match cricket, there’s Ibiza, there’s reading… and the fifth is making music.”

Determined to show that happiness, he based the first side of ‘The Exit Diaries’ – titled ‘Light Variations’ – on the concept of “Sunday tunes”, which followed his desire to try and make the perfect Sunday morning soundtrack. The soul, the Alice Coltrane, the gentle synth tunes; songs to let the morning sun slide across the wall as food smells fill the house. A series of musical meditations that slowly unfold with quiet elegance and lushly powered by the liquid drumming of Leo Taylor (The Invisible, Floating Points, Hot Chip), Barrott establishes himself as a maestro of melody and atmosphere.

The opulent grandeur of ‘When Devils Become Gods’ awakens side two, ‘The Stone Tape,’ resplendent in rich orchestral strings and poignant piano hook, while the ambient manifestations of ‘Quarries’ slowly unfolds like a new dawn day. Barrott has a natural mastery in transporting listeners to ethereal realms, crafting an atmosphere of calm and deep emotion. An air of anticipation and hope can be felt in the immersive soundscapes of ‘The Stone Cutter’s Dilemma’ and ‘Land (iii),’ while the gentle rumblings of ‘Closer’ whisper new beginnings. This is cinematic music for sophisticated moods.

From his working class upbringing in Sheffield to the sun-soaked beaches of Ibiza, Barrott has spent over three decades shaping his sound. Inspired by electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk and The Human League, he was releasing music under the Future Loop Foundation alias in the early 90s, and became the first live act to play on Fabio & Grooverider’s 1 in the Jungle BBC radio show – a landmark moment for the genre. Commissioned to write for the first MTV Europe Music Awards, a career composing for film, television, and global brands followed, working with Sky and major hotel chains like W, Park Hyatt, and Radisson, where he served as a global music consultant, providing music services to the luxury hospitality industry.

Barrott’s luxurious, tropical ‘Bush Society’ single followed in 2015 – now steaming in the millions – and famously opened Bicep’s 2017 BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. Follow-up single, the near-beatless ‘Cascades’ was equally as impressive, described by François K as “one of the most important records I’d ever heard” and asked to remix it, for free.

In 2023, his album ‘Jōhatsu (蒸発)’ arrived via Anjunachill. Inspired by Japanese aesthetics and the phenomenon of silent disappearances, it examined themes of presence, memory, and impermanence. The deeply personal ‘Everything Changes, Nothing Ends’ followed in 2024.