Projections are the longstanding California duo and torch-bearers of West Coast Balearic. Their sound combines a dizzying array of influences spanning disco-funk, '70s soft rock, synth-pop, and the leftfield eclecticism of early Ibiza and Daniele Baldelli's Cosmic Club. The duo, also recorded as Woolfy vs. Projections, are UK-born Simon “Woolfy” James and LA native Dan Hastie. The pair met around the turn of the 2000s and soon became inseparable. After a sample-driven first release by James under the Projections moniker, Hastie joined and drafted in players from his newly formed funk outfit Orgone. Their globally-inflected sound attracted the attention of Guidance, the Chicago deep house and downtempo stable. A couple of EPs preceded the band's 2002 full-length debut, Between Here And Now. A couple more 12”s followed before a Split EP with James' other alias, Woolfy, on NYC's Rong, inspired them to have the two continue to spar. They signed to Munich's Permanent Vacation and settled into a stargazing, pop-tinged disco groove for four acclaimed albums, singles, and remixes. The first was The Astral Projections Of Starlight in 2008, The Return Of Love in 2012, Stations in 2015, and, most recently, 2019's Destinations. Multiple international tours established them as a modern-day live disco band just as liable to tear the roof off the club as to soundtrack an unforgettable sunset. The duo's more laid-back outings have them heavily associated with the so-called Balearic revival, featuring on compilations including Jose Padilla’s Café Mambo and Buddha Bar. The cult Woolfy song “Odyssey,” co-written by the duo, is just one of theirs considered a perennial classic of the genre. For forthcoming output on their new label, the !K7-distributed Ritual Release, they return to recording under "Projections" and continue to shape their ever-explorative and distinguished sound.
