Cadaquez

Named after Salvador Dalí’s Catalonian retreat — in itself, a very él Records thing to do — Marden Hill’s debut album whisks you away to a world of jet setting European sophistication. Initially called Sixty Minute Man before label boss Mike Alway objected the name was “too butch,” Marden Hill curated an impeccable blend of lounge, film soundtracks, baroque 60s pop, cool jazz, surf and easy listening that was both in thrall to the past and way ahead of its time. Cadaquez’s collage of retro grooves and textures would have a huge influence on the sound later explored on the group’s future homes Mo’ Wax and Acid Jazz, and the record was a cult smash in Japan, becoming a key influence on the Shibuya-kei scene in the 1990s.