Blog - A STRANGELY ISOLATED PLACE

 

After Sa Pa’s isolatedmix contribution last month, we continue in an unintentional alphabetical spectrum of brilliant producers, with Saphileaum.

There comes a time after listening to some musicians for many years that certain instruments and musical approaches begin to stand out. Sure, most of the time you probably know what album you’re sticking on the turntable, but when you have those days you put on shuffle (or when you’re listening to 9128.live, cough cough), some producers start to stand out and trigger the music-geek in you from the first few seconds. It can take many years or decades to find and hone a unique style, but I think Georgian producer Andro Gogibedashvili is well on his way to carving out a unique style of organic, new-age ambient and tribal-infused techno.

Saphileaum’s isolatedmix is a perfect example of his style as a whole, with elements you might hear in his productions stylistically coming to the fore throughout the 25 tracks, despite not including a single track of his own in the mix.

I sent Andro a few questions to complement this wonderfully energizing trip. Check out his latest release on the revered Mule Musiq label, and expect more music from him soon.

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I first came across your work in 2019 with Silent Season, how have things changed for you since?

My first release on Silent Season called "The Traveler" was a sort of a turning point for me and my sound. It was music that I'd created after a pretty long break recording-wise. Since the release was out, a sort of a new journey began for me. I started making more tribalistic and electro-acoustic musical pieces and was also trying to balance them out with downtempo and half-beat grooves, sometimes a bit techno-like maybe too. I also dived a lot into Percussions and eventually ended up learning and playing on real Congas, Bongos, and Georgian Dhol. I'm still in the process of learning and hopefully, it will never end!

I can start to recognize your style over the years which is often a sign of a great unique producer. But how would you describe your sound to someone new?

Thank you very much! I appreciate it. I would describe my music as "Background Music", "Music which you play at gatherings", "Music for Meditation", "Music for looking at the night sky". I would describe the sound as Tribal, Ambient, Cosmic, Joyful and Relaxing. 

Your Discogs profile states "Saphileaum is highly inspired by esoteric, mystic, new age, cosmic and visionary art and teachings". Do you think New Age music is becoming more prevalent today? Is this something you aspire to? 

Yeah, I think New Age music is slowly starting to get more and more recognized. It is quite a young genre still, compared with the other ones. Plus, there are some musicians and producers who are pushing the boundaries of what New Age music can sound like and it's really amazing to see it grow. First thing that I immediately fell in love with, before listening to the actual music, was the name itself, New Age Music...

You’ve been on several labels over the years including Oslated, Constellation Tapes, Mysteries of the Deep, Mule Musique and Good Morning Tapes (the GMT released in 2021 was one of my favorites of yours). What is the goal of releasing on different labels?

I look at labels as traveling to another country that I've never been to. Meeting new people, exploring its culture and heritage, and contributing to it. There are always new possibilities, new inspirations, and new crowds in every label. It's very important for me that a label where I release music has a sort of a musical or ideological vision that I share and like and that it's represented well visually. I should feel inspired by and connected to it.

Can you tell us about the mix you have prepared?

The mix was mainly inspired by the music I've been enjoying recently. It's ambient, but it’s rhythmical and diverse. There are a few ethnic tracks that might sound similar, but they have elements that differ them culturally. I like the thin multicultural line it has, which might be tricky to notice, maybe. To be honest, there was no particular vibe I was after, I just wanted to create an interesting musical journey to enjoy.

There are quite a few artists in here I’m unaware of, are there any you’d like to call out in particular? 

I would like to thank all the artists, whose music I've included in this mix, for creating these pieces and putting them out in the world. I recommend checking them all out, there's much more to explore!

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 126 - Saphileaum

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Tracklist:

1. DJ Sports - Akrasia (Subsidiary Mix)
2. William Arist - Black and White
3. Andrew Pekler - Hy Brasil
4. Don't DJ - Southeast Subteranne
5. Another Fine Day - Esperanto
6. Greville - Marbles
7. Forest on Stasys - Atlantico Sur
8. Eyot Tapes - Jungle Tapes
9. Robert Rich - Rainforest Suite Drumsong
10. Jeans - Ganglia
11. Om Buschman - Prima Kalimba
12. Guem et Zaka - Mouvements
13. Sara Berts - Nova
14. Mo Boma - Jijimuge Two
15. Yves Tumor - Role In Creation
16. Posm - Bamboo
17. Steve Roach - The Reflecting Chamber
18. Jorge Reyes & Antonio Zepeda - Wawaki
19. Auragraph - Downcast
20. Nicolas Gaunin - Marama
21. Matthewdavid - Unfolding Atlantis
22. Sage - Mind BodyAlgorythm
23. Gigi Masin - Panama Girl
24. Asa Tone - Perpetual Motion Via Jungle Transport
25. Alex Kassian - Chopstick Romance

~

Saphileaum Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud | Facebook

 

I’m excited to announce a new signing to the label and a new dimension to our roster of music, with Lihla’s upcoming album ‘Socha’.

“Music gives us a place to be lost. Washing away thought, place, time and identity. It’s in the falling into the river, the dream, that we find just who we could be”. 

Classically trained cellist, composer and storyteller Lihla (Lih-Qun Wong) presents her debut album, ‘Socha’ for A Strangely Isolated Place. Combining a vast instrumental skillset of piano, cello, electronics, and spoken word, she crafts intensely immersive aural-hallucinatory worlds of intricately shifting landscapes. 

A deeply personal work, Socha explores the ‘diaspora of time and space, and why we all feel so displaced.' Piano chapters capture the meeting place between memory and longing, while explorational vocal and cello textures invoke and echo the ancient, the feminine, and the otherworldly. 

Lihla’s voice guides us, weaving through electronics and field recordings of the ‘real world' to set the path for a poetic and deeply haunting journey through the internal psyche that is truly transportive and escapist. 

‘Socha’ is available on transparent smoke 12” and digital. Mixed by Sebastian Lee Philipp and mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri, featuring artwork by Lihla and Visions of Akira.

View the release page for all details and links to buy.

  

 

I remember our 5th vinyl release way back. Just our second artist album at the time, but an artist who is still with us today.

I’d been a fan of Chymera for a long time prior, but I first heard Brendan’s alias, Merrin Karras on a John Beltran compilation - ‘Music for Machines’. ‘The Veldt’ went on to appear on Brendan’s first ASIP album, Apex (our 5th vinyl release - no wait, technically our 6th after the ASIPV003R) and to this day it remains a firm favorite of mine for many reasons. The biggest reason -and like most deluded label owners I’m sure -is that I can imagine that album being looked back at in many years to come as a true understated gem. It will never be big enough in my opinion. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who has given Brendan’s albums a listen and not been blown away. Truly transportive and timeless music just waiting to be found.

With each new Merrin Karras album, the bar has been raised. But hearing Brendan’s music in one long-form set is always a special and unique perspective to take. Much of his influences stem from early Berlin School producers like Klaus Schulze and Steve Roach- evident in most of his releases so far. But Merrin Karras’ truest proof point so far has been the release of his last long player, Silent Planet, where Brendan took the opportunity to expand his music to a full 40+ minutes, similar to many of the early long-form compositions that established the style. The hooks, chord changes, evolving atmospheres, and instrumental elements added a certain dynamism to his sleek, fluid sound and proved to be a true pinnacle in his catalog so far.

So, when Merrin Karras plays an hour’s worth of material in one set, it’s time to take it all in.

We’ve been sat on this set for a while and there’s never been a right time to release it. It’s been up on YouTube with some great visuals for a few years already.

But on Thursday afternoon - mere hours before Bandcamp Friday - I happened to be on an email thread with Brendan, and it reminded me this gem was sitting rusting away when it could be channeled as HQ into the eardrums of everyone here.

In the space of ~3 hours, we had everything ready to go (a testament to Peter Skwiot Smith having some superb artwork handy).

It’s simply an unmissable set of music in my opinion, and I think it’s hard to say that about most live sets in this world nowadays. (Talking of great live sets, don’t sleep on this one btw)

Merrin Karras was built for this type of approach and is holding the torch for the nu-Berlin School era.

~

It’s been nearly two years since Brendan Gregoriy’s (Chymera) Merrin Karras alias graced us with a new release, but since his magnificent Berlin School opus, Silent Planet (following 2020’s ‘Northwest Passage’, and 2016’s ‘Apex’), Brendan has been quietly musing on the next evolution of his beloved synthesizer-laden sound.

Until that day arrives, we’re being treated to a recording from one of his rare live appearances, capturing special moments from across his catalog in one expanded set. In a similar style to the extended long-players of early Berlin School masters, Brendan’s live performance follows a similar narrative, traversing an expanse of intensity, pace, and atmosphere with subtle edits and transitions making familiar tracks seem like entirely new passages of time and sound.

Name Your Price on Bandcamp

Featuring artwork by Peter Skwiot Smith
Originally performed and recorded for Reworks festival, Greece, 2021. reworks.gr
Watch the full A/V set featuring custom visuals from MinimalicQuantum below.

 

 

As someone who enjoys the process of putting together mixes- specifically more conceptual ambient leaning mixes- I often think about how I would approach playing an event designed for sleep. I’m yet to play a set like this live, but I did tackle something similar in the Portals series by roughly mixing styles that aligned to specific sleep stages (eg, REM, deep etc). But in person, sleep is never as predictable as hypothetical sleep stages in a recorded mix, let alone the idea of a room full of people mirroring these stages at the same time. To approach an in-person set designed for sleep would be a daunting undertaking, but an extremely rewarding experience for both DJ and listener - the career highlight for an ambient DJ, maybe... They say the warm-up set is the hardest test for a DJ and I would tend to agree. But I’d love to see some of the world’s best DJs execute 3.5 hours of music for a room full of people looking to do the exact opposite of dancing, or even listening, for the entire duration…

Sa Pa has executed this concept flawlessly.

No stranger to the minutia and atmosphere needed to transport someone from a horizontal state into an elevated lucid dream, I can hardly think of anyone better to take control of such a situation than Berlin-based artist, Sa Pa. His latest release for Astral Industries (the undisputed label kings of lucid states, no doubt) is the perfect example of transportive and psychedelic ambient music down to the finest grain of sound, sample and texture.

If Sa Pa’s productions weren’t enough to demonstrate his transportive power and worldbuilding tendencies, then his recent captures from his own Absurd Lustre events, or his mix for one of our 9128.live takeovers, may have provided an additional glimpse of what to expect when he was given the reigns for an all-night sleep in event recently, in Leipzig.

“For years I've kept a mental cache of what music would I'd love to play at a sleep in, but was never really sure if there'd be a chance, so small some dreams came true that night for me too - it was a pretty rare experience I'd say especially with everyone there really taking part in the concept”.

It’s not often we get the chance to host a set from an event that by its very nature, is designed to be experienced in person, but after several trials of this mix (on a plane, going to sleep, and waking up from sleep, then all states in between), the concept translates to an outstanding headphone session and the perfect concept for a defining moment in the isolatedmix series of concepts and sounds.

“I think it was one of the deepest and most solitary DJing experiences I have ever been part of, and driving a three and half hour cloud through the pitch darkness was a beautifully liminal journey, caring for the dreams of those in the room, some 100-200 people or so”.

A 3.5hr liminal state available for your own time and place, in the gentle hands and ears of Sa Pa, displaying the very essence of horizontal ambient music designed to immerse, weave and transport. Featuring tracks from, Luc Ferrari, Zenxen, Pinkcourtesyphone, cv313, Jason Lescalleet, Yann Novak, BJ Nilsen, Robert Henke, Rod Modell, Ryoji Ikeda, Steve Roach and Sa Pa, himself.

Introduction and words from Sa Pa - ‘Diary of a Lonely DJ’:

There’s something about gazing out of a train window or being 30-thousand feet high up in the troposphere, that evokes a feeling of what we try best to describe as liminality. With this in mind, Deutsche Bahn had me scuttling toward Leipzig from Berlin on a typically stark and windy day that could of been taken right out of a Wim Wenders classic; the treetops lining Urbanstraße on the way to Hauptbahnhof looking as stripped and brittle as burnt skeletons in the snow.

Some 8-to-10 degrees warmer in Saxony, I arrived at a city shrouded in mist, with the darkness of the early afternoon somehow made a touch warmer by that first Friday-feeling of the year. Onwards to Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei - a converted cotton mill where this evening’s ‘Sleep In’ would take place - the 14 tram would rumble past the pink and lilac glow of the city’s opera house. Sleep Ins are no new thing, and to be in the arms of the proverbial morpheus with some 200 people in an industrial estate does have its abstract appeal, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a fan of the concept.

Around 6PM, dragging their mattresses in with them, it was encouraging to see people arrive some eight-hours before the witching hour. Tuning in to the event myself, and finding a little respite backstage, I drifted in and out of consciousness, occasionally breaking REM sleep to acknowledge the sounds of “Simple Headphone Mind” and Zoviet France’s remix of Panasonic, reverberating in the hall.

With a medley of lullabies soundtracking the evening so far, preparing selections too deep even for my own Absurd Lustre event, provided a much needed boost of waking life before taking to the couch in the DJ booth. Over the course of the next three-and-a-half hours, in near pitch-darkness, I was able to draw from a rare cache of non-music and atmosphere, embraced at large by a small flotilla of sleeping souls, leaving port to navigate the inner landscapes of a technicolour head trip.

With only the dimmed lights of my equipment and an exit sign illuminating the room, safe to say, it was a resolutely profound DJing experience and deep journey into the estranged fields of time and space. There were moments at the helm where I felt like a small craft adrift in a sea of voluminous black, while simultaneously part of a delicate collective sub-consciousness, sailing through a dream-like abyss. As if bridging a void between the physical world and something beyond the imagination, it was truly a strangely isolated place.

~

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astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 125 - Sa Pa (Sleep In)

Sa Pa | Web | Instagram | Soundcloud | Absurd Lustre | Soundcloud (Absurd Lustre) | Instagram (Absurd Lustre)

 

 

Our first release of 2024 welcomes New York musician Salvatore Mercatante and his new album 'Ø', a stunning suite of electronic music born from the idea of starting from nothing, again and again.

With previous releases on Castles in Space, Werrafoxma, and Subexotic along with his own label Nocimiste, Salvatore’s output can bridge many styles, and here, we’re treated to a crowning mixture of ambient, IDM, downtempo, and techno influences, all underlined by his mastery of soundtracks.

~

The concept of naught (Ø) has challenged Salvatore Mercatante throughout his musical career, specifically, trying to understand how the idea of ‘nothing’ fits into the realm of sound, and at the same time, exist in a world of influence at every turn. In the absence of everything, are we able to create something truly free?

As a lifelong New York-based musician, Mercatante’s influences and productions run a wide spectrum. Just as happy producing 80s-inspired horror soundtracks as he is refining acute drum patterns over and over again, Salvatore is the first to ask himself, where next? When a musician’s output can be influenced today by so much, and there is no self-defined or perceived artistic goal in mind, how do you start from a place of nothingness, again and again?

This approach has born many minimal and experimental albums of note in the past, but with Ø, Salvatore ended up with an almost controlled maximalist approach. Beginning with open spaces and allowing sonic textures to live and evolve past where you may expect, Ø allows the space between notes to become equally as important as the notes themselves. Walls of noise, soaring soundtracks, dense techno, glittering IDM, and minimal glitch, sit side-by-side to present an all-encompassing palette of sonic possibility.

Often, even without any intent, what can be born from nothing will somehow transpire back into something more recognizable. It’s human nature after all. A subtle fingerprint, as a sequence, melody, pattern, or drum kick. Whether Salvatore intended for this record to represent his defining sound or not, only time will tell.

Visit the release page for more info and links to buy

Written and produced by Salvatore Mercatante
Mastered by Giuseppe Tillieci @ Enisslab, Rome, Italy. 
Artwork by Brandon Locher

 

 

As with all past ‘Reflection’ year-end mixes, I start with a collection of albums, EPs, and compilations I have enjoyed over the past year. Through the process of compiling a mix, tracks are selected from this extensive collection. This ultimately means many of my favorite tracks and albums are often omitted in this process, due to the organic process of compiling a mix, things don’t fit, or fall by the wayside. There are many albums I had on high rotation missing from this mix, but I have to stop somewhere. As I say every year, this isn’t a definitive ‘best-of’ list, but a selection of *some* of my favorite music from the year in one listenable format. It’s the most enjoyable way for me to boil down the music I’ve loved from the year using these self-imposed restrictions, for you to enjoy and hopefully discover more, and for me to reflect on time and time again - like a photograph that captures the year in music.

I encourage you to use the mix to explore each artist, listen to the album in full, and explore each label (and check the Buy Music Club list at the bottom). If you want to see the majority of music I’ve been supporting this year, head over to my Bandcamp collection. For the ASIP year-end label compilation, see the feature and mix here.

~

Yikes, I crossed the 3-hour mark! Well, that speaks volumes to the amount of great music that was released this year, and I’m already feeling guilty about omissions from this mix. But alas, it needs to stop somewhere, the Holiday’s are coming…

This edition marks the tenth year in succession (2010 was the first mix but I skipped doing this for two years for some reason) and it is an extremely enjoyable exercise I look forward to every year. Revisiting many of the albums I’ve purchased throughout the year, and records from my shelf, then taking the time to absorb more recent releases - the process is cathartic (after the slight anxiety that builds knowing I have a beast of a mix to tackle, and hard decisions to be made).

Looking back at previous Reflection mixes, I am evidently a creature of habit and seem to gravitate to certain artists more than most over the years (we all have our faves), but I also take a lot of time to dig for new artists and approaches to music in this realm, and this year’s edition is probably the most varied in music styles since the Reflection series began. Ambient, field recordings, drone (Power-ambient, even), big saxophones (the flute revival didn’t make it ;-), Japanese left-field pop, deep techno, chugging techno, modern classical, experimental, jungle, breaks, dub and more… as you might imagine, this is a 3hr mix that feels more like a showcase than a DJ mix in the traditional sense, as I’m focusing on creating chapters of different styles, but I hope makes for an attentive listen if you’ve got 3hrs to spare.

Am I going to write about all 42 tracks? Not this time, as I don’t think there’s much I can illustrate other than ‘go listen to that entire album!’ but I will make a few observations on themes that emerged as I was going through this process.

Firstly, the far corners of Bandcamp are very much alive, so for anyone looking for alternatives given all the talk with Bandcamp this year, please don’t hit the escape button and continue to support us- I continued to find so many new labels and artists, some of which are included here such as Liis Ring, Etüüd, ǝɯǝɐ, Azu Tiwaline and not to forget a kick-ass Jungle community throwing out some lovely 90’s infused comps. Bandcamp keeps small labels and artists alive right now (only two of these tracks were physical releases and not on Bandcamp - #19 & #42).

I spent a lot of time listening to music that would work for the two shows I played in Japan earlier this year, and for those who listened back to one of the sets I posted, you may notice a few similar tracks/artists appearing here again which I’ve held in high regard since their release, such as Jo Johnson, Field Lines Cartographer and Endurance. On reflection, there was a lot of deepness for me this year that came from preparing for and inspired by those sets, sitting on the edges of techno with lots of synthesizer/Berlin school projects (as well as a couple of artists I got to see in person whilst over there such as Yolabmi and Endurance).

There were a couple of glaring omissions from this mix (*checks Bandcamp app most played*) which I had on rotation so much this year that I still wanted to mention, such as Imaginary Softwoods, who was behind one of my favorite tracks of the year, ‘Diagrams of the Universe’. Along with Johnny Nash’s Point of Entry - a tranquil guitar-laden affair, both of which never left my turntable for long.

The ever-expanding ASIP roster of artists, both alumni and current, had an extremely busy year evidently (I try to restrict their inclusions in this mix where I can otherwise it could be an entire ASIP promo show… hey that’s an idea…). bvdub released about ~10 masterpieces, as only he can, flaunting all possible peripherals in his deep arsenal (along with rounding out the Earth House Hold project with us of course). ASC was crazy busy with his quality retro Spatial DnB releases (one of them made it in here). For those who enjoyed Alex Albrecht’s debut with us, don’t miss his earlier 2023 release. Deepchild released another great textured follow-up to his ASIP debut for those wanting more. 36 continued some rave-esque ambient no doubt inspired by his 9128 recording a few years back. Markus Guentner began an exciting collab project with Joachim Spieth (and also appeared in several other collaborations). RAI kept things relatively reflective with a few Bandcamp specials and recordings from his live tour. Benoit Pîoulard made a beautiful return to Morr Music, and Christian Kleine rounded out the year with a limited vinyl press. Those needing more from our 2023 new signing Mikkel Rev, can check out his earlier album released in January this year. James Bernard had a busy year alongside his wife as Awakened Souls, and found more 90’s DAT goodness among many other projects. Mick Chillage released a superb sleeper IDM album in the form of Initial Programs. Dr Atmo’s throwback to his early sounds saw a rebirth of one of his most enjoyed albums alongside new remixes. Wanderwelle made their second full-length odyssey for Important Records and Yagya continued to explore uncharted new takes on his sound through his new label imprint. Scanner’s innovative repertoire continued to expand and one of my faves of his came in the form of this collab. Hior Chronik published a couple of unreleased gems. And lastly, Ludvig Cimbrelius aka Purl/Illuvia and Arovane managed to sneak onto this mix with a couple of their releases…

Two labels who hit home runs for me this year with the majority of their releases. Illian Tape had some extremely great (and varied) electronic releases. And while Mysteries of the Deep’s output was relatively choice (quality over quantity), 3 out of the 4 releases made it onto the mix!

There are a couple of tracks in the mix from albums that align with what seems to be, the common consensus on some of the ‘best’ electronic releases from the year (one of the advantages of my waiting until mid-December to finish this mix is I see what other people are rating highly or what I might’ve missed) such as James Holden’s psychedelic return, and Purelink’s amphibious dub LP. But other than those two, I think everyone should find something new among the twists and turns across the 3 hours and 42 tracks.

For the mix artwork this year, and after last year’s terribly basic AI take (it’s come a long way in a year!), I toyed with creating another AI attempt on a “A Strangely Isolated Place” prompt, but you have to spend time to get quality back out of these lil’ work gnomes. Every image I created from that prompt ended up being a stereotypical lonely hiker (with 4 fingers I’m sure) strolling through a highly conceptual colorful future universe. Either that or a decrepit shed…

So instead, I opted for an image that means much more to me… a wall. Not just any wall though, it’s the wall outside of Spread nightclub in Tokyo where I had the pleasure of playing an ambient set this year, meeting new friends, and making some amazing memories.

Thanks to all of the artists and labels included here who have soundtracked my year in more ways than one, and the many more I didn’t manage to include this time around. Be sure to check the previous year’s Reflection mixes for more of the same.

Hope you enjoy the listen back at a great year of music.

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP - Reflection on 2023

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Tracklist:

01. Sleep D - Hector (Dreaming) (Butter Sessions)
02. Liis Ring - after-image IV: abborresjön (Breton Cassette)
03. William Selman - Leaky Paradise (Mysteries of the Deep)
04. Etüüd - Õhtute kollane tolm (Self released)
05. TU M' - Monochrome #26 (Line Imprint)
06. Arovane - ypaal (Quiet Details)
07. Field Lines Cartographer - Mountain Icicles (Castles in Space)
08. Dream Dolphin - Gaia (Ethereal Fantasy) (Music from Memory)
09. Salamanda - Nostalgia (Wisdom Teeth)
10. Endurance - Crest v2 (Muzan Editions)
11. Suzanne Ciani & Jonathan Fitoussi - Coral Reef (Transversales)
12. Alex Israel - Vacua (Somnambulant Drift)
13. The Black Dog - The Mundane (Dust Science)
14. Locust - Miriam (Mysteries of the Deep)
15. Niko Tzoukmanis - Way Home (Libreville Records)
16. Jo Johnson - Transience (Mysteries of the Deep)
17. Dasha Rush - Dubby Doo (Raster Noton)
18. ǝɯǝɐ - Andrei Rublev (Secuencias Temporales)
19. Gigi Masin & Rod Modell - Red Hair Girl At The Boat Shop (13)
20. Toki Fuko - Part Two (Astral Industries)
21. shedir - Deer Fluent in the Wind (n5MD)
22. Ayaavaaki & Purl - Distant Lights (Ovum III) (LILA)
23. Bana Haffar - Sit Still (Touch)
24. Mike Lazarev - Tonality Number Two (PITP)
25. Claire Deak - In Defiance of Time (Lost Tribe Sound)
26. Lord of the Isles feat. Ellen Renton - Don't You Ache (AD93)
27. nthng - Unlimited (I) (Self released)
28. Donato Dozzy & Sabla - Flusso III (Gang of Ducks)
29. Sindh - Spyres (Sindh)
30. James Holden - In The End You'll Know (Border Community)
31. Andrea - Audieze (Ilian Tape)
32. ASC & Aural Imbalance - Overcast Skies (Auxiliary)
33. Accelio - The Garden (Sawteeth)
34. Yolabmi - Liquidity (29 Speedway)
35. MPU101 - nurMKS30 (Ilian Tape)
36. Ylia - Ame Agari (Balmat)
37. Azu Tiwaline - Antenna Opening (I.O.T Records)
38. Purelink - We Should Keep Going (Peak Oil)
39. Priori - Top Soil (Rhythm Büro)
40. Hysterical Love Project - Ionian Sea (Motion Ward)
41. Om Unit + TM404 - Microdose Mondays (Acid Test)
42. David - Daybreak (Simpler Times)

Buy Music Club List (all tracks available digitally on Bandcamp other than #19 (here) + # 42 (here)

 

 

A showcase of individual tracks from our 2023 label releases and a special continuous mix of select tracks from todos.

It’s become somewhat of a tradition since our first annual compilation release in 2019, and each year I find it tough to separate tracks from their album releases in this way. We pride ourselves on delivering an album format, and more often than not, specifically a conceptual album format that works best as a whole. So I appreciate the artists who allow us to separate their musical children for this worthy annual exercise. It’s so easy to skip over releases nowadays - at no fault of anyone but the pace of life and technology today - and so this compilation not only helps us reflect on the year gone by, but also ensures anyone new to the label, or dipping in and out over time, can get a taste of what we have proudly spent our time and passion presenting this year. Please take the time to visit each respective artist's release to realize its full form. 

Not only is separating tracks from an album format a formidable task, but finding a way to combine them in one seamless mix is even more so. Once again, we’ve asked our esteemed todos to provide the continuous mixed version. Creating a flow using a limited predetermined set of music across a variety of styles, moods, and tones is an almighty feat. But no-one does it better than todos. Here, he is left to his own devices as we have grown to admire time and time again, using snippets and samples from many of the releases, but focusing on delivering a long-form mix that stands on its own, using nothing but the ASIP 2023 library of music. 

It was a year that introduced new faces to the label with Iceland’s Gunnar Jónsson Collider providing a spectacular audio-visual experience in S.W.I.M, and welcoming Germany’s Mary Yalex who explored imaginary worlds of fascinating texture and melody. We fulfilled a long-awaited foray into more classic trance styles through the exciting Mikkel Rev, and finally presented the magical drums of Alex Albrecht’s heart-warming soundscapes. Max Würden continued his foray into expansive sonics with Landmark, and Quiet Places returned with their second Volume of psychedelic long-form trips into the unknown. One Million Eyes returned with more compelling genre-defiant magic, and OKRAA brought his live edits of his debut album 1994 to life once more. 2023 will also be remembered as the year Brock Van Wey’s Earth House Hold project came both full circle, and full stop. The last track title on this compilation coincidentally represents the perfect swan song for a project that has found a home on ASIP for the past five years. 

Thanks for all your support, comments and encouragement this year. We have an exciting 2024 lined up.

Available as Name Your Price on Bandcamp

Play the mix on Soundcloud

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP Label Compilation 2023 (mixed by todos)

Continuous mix by todos: soundcloud.com/djtodos. Full mix tracklist differs from the digital compilation tracklist featuring additional edits and samples.

Art and photography by ASIP featuring a photograph of ‘The Landmark’ sculpture by Enrique Martínez Celaya.

For album credit and production details, please see each release page.

 

 

ASIP is going on fifteen years of existence now (as a website and blog at least), and a few things have remained a constant over the years helping keep us going. One of them has been the support of Juno and in particular, Milo Bragg, who was the first distributor to take us on as a label back in 2013.

As many labels and musicians will know, it’s pretty hard to get your start in this world, and Juno can be held up as one of only a few who have kept an open ear to our style of music and given it a home (and subsequently many other labels like us). Over these past ten years or so, Milo and I have gotten to know each other relatively well, and more recently Milo has stepped into the label game with Future Primitive Records and can be found putting together some sublime vinyl-forward mixes.

I’m excited to find our worlds overlap here in the isolatedmix series, as Milo recorded a vinyl-only set a few months back and sent it my way, (after a long delay - sorry Milo - Good things come… etc etc.). Featuring several tracks and albums that have been on high rotation for me, it’s a superb trip that I think many of you will enjoy.

~

You’ve worked at Juno for many years now, how has this shaped you musically? For example, I imagine getting exposed to a great amount of music over the years... 

It’s definitely helped me find what I do and don’t like for myself. When I first started in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s I’d sit and listen through a massive pile of records at the end of each day and didn’t have to pay attention to press or DJs like most people back then, I could find the good shit for myself! Listening to the new releases in an office environment shaped my taste to be more chilled too. It just suits the environment, when I first started I was predominantly into hard club bangers :)

I’m interested to know a bit about your view on record labels within your role and what you think it takes to succeed as a label nowadays. Everyone knows pressing vinyl is hard, and securing a great distributor like Juno is just as hard and critical for further exposure. How have you seen things change for labels since you started at Juno all those years ago? 

It’s so tough for vinyl labels now especially the new smaller ones doing really interesting stuff sadly. The visual side of things has become so important with stores using Instagram so much they need the record to look good. I think the “anti-marketing” days of just putting some clips up on Soundcloud are over sadly, I’m always so stoked on DJs/artists/labels that aren’t on Instagram but I don’t think you can escape it anymore, especially if you’re just starting out.

Silent Season · Campfire Stories 79 (A New Dawn) by Milo Bragg

Juno has always been a great supporter of ambient music in general, giving a platform to many small labels such as ourselves over the years. What does it take in your opinion to secure a distributor like Juno?

Yeah, my boss Richard (one of Juno’s founders) loves his ambient :) If you’re not going to get a well-known artist involved at the early stages to help bring attention and get the label off the ground, the music (and artwork) had better be bloody good! 

You’ve got your own projects going on too, with the Club Rooted mix series and the Future Primitive label, can you give us a brief intro into these?

 Club Rooted was a product of listening to records in the Juno office with Matthew Kent (Blowing Up The Workshop/Mana) and suddenly realising they weren’t dance music anymore but still very much rooted in club culture. I got really excited about that zone and thread that runs through electronic music’s history. There are so many good labels pushing stuff that rides this line, and events too like Absurde Lustre (& more recently A New Wave) in Berlin run by Sa Pa & Blume.

How or why did you decide to start Future Primitive? (Did seeing labels at Juno all those years make you want to do something similar?!) 

I’ve always been obsessed with vinyl labels so of course I’d want my own and it was a way of contributing to the scene without being a producer + I came across a lot of music through work by artists like Murcof & DJ Guy that was CD or tape only the label was a way of me getting those tracks onto wax! The original of The Leo Anibaldi track “Aeon Fusion I” from FPR001 was super fast too and the label enabled me to work with the artist to slow it down and to get it DJ-friendly for the vinyl heads :)

This mix came out of nowhere and (for everyone here) took a while for me to actually publish it since you sent it last year! What was the inspiration behind it?

I got excited about recording an ambient mix. It felt challenging, I wanted to capture something in between the old chill-out room sets and a modern-sounding warm-up. It only takes a couple of good records to inspire me to start piecing a mix together, it’s often their juxtaposition I get a real kick out of. I love beat-matching records that shouldn’t work together on paper and have always found DJs that make a new sound by mixing old records very inspiring, it’s not a million miles from producing really. Konduku is definitely someone I think finds a new thread in old records that inspires me a lot.

Club Rooted · Club Rooted #3 / Konduku

Given you get the pick of the bunch at Juno and get to listen to so many records in advance, who are some musicians or labels that might be relatively new or unheard of that excite you when landing on your desk? 

PVAS, Kosmogonik (check their ambient stuff!), Purelink, Cousin, Yushh, Mu Tate, Sindh, X Or Size, Rat Heart + love the Luck Of Access and Doo labels.

I’ve followed your mixes for years now, but see you’re also DJing out quite a bit more now. What are some records that never leave your bag?

Money Morning - Corporate Karma, Drux – Transe Deep Version, 3 Chairs - 3 Chairs, Alka Rex - Shapes to Phases, Bluetrain - Babylon Paralysis.

~

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 124 - Milo Bragg

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app

Download MP3

Tracklist:

01. Dwig - Keep Us outro (Dwig)
02. Leo Anibaldi - Evocation Part II (Future Primitive)
03. Benjamin Brunn - Life Cycle (Black Wall)
04. Deadbeat - Right As Rain (~scape)
05. UD - Adapter (Kimochi)
06. Alexx A-Game - Braver (Swing Ting Smooth Version)(Swing Ting)
07. CN - Adrift (Future Primitive)
08. Satoshi & Makoto - Crepescule Leger (Safe Trip)
09. Bauri - Have No Fear (Expanding Records)
10. Sindh - Ayaka System (Sindh)
11. Being - I Can't Look At It Though (Firecracker Recordings)
12. The Detroit Escalator Co. - Float (Peacefrog Records)
13. Leo James - Lonely (Mind Dance)
14. Money Morning - Therah (Acting Press)
15. Mike Paradinas - Hi-Q (Interdimensional Transmissions)
16. John Heckle - Where The Wild Ones Go (Mathematics Recordings)
17. Tongues Of Light - Awakening outro (Pre-Cert Home Entertainment)
18. Design A Wave - Weird F (No 'Label')
~
Artwork photo by Jethro

Future Primitive | Web | Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Discogs

   

 

We are in full release mode as we close down the second half of the year and get caught up on some releases after a big switch in Plants and Distro early on in ‘23. Next up is a beautifully pointed and succinct portrait of the wonderful work to come from Australian producer Alex Albrecht. Alex has been slowly winning over every ear his music seems to touch and this record will undoubtedly do the very same if you’re new to his lush mixture of Jazz-infused deep house and field recordings.

We’re leading the announcement with the mesmerizing, perfectly matched video for the last track of the album, ‘June’, created by Jessica Grilli.

~

Australian artist Alex Albrecht debuts on A Strangely Isolated Place with Violet Visionary, a perfectly honed evolution of picturesque downtempo and hazy, percussive Deep House. 

Alex Albrecht has refined his unique triangulation of ambient, house, and instrumental influences over the years, either as one-half of Albrecht La’Brooy (Apollo) or under his Melquíades alias (Analogue Attic). Combining rich field recordings and hypnotic instrumentation, Alex’s productions are often recognizable thanks to this instantly warm and welcoming combination. Percussive elements and powerful drum patterns sit amongst perfectly executed melodies and dusky atmospheres; Alex’s music is just as suited for the orange hues of dawn as the purple tints of sundown. 

A notably shorter album than we may hope, but sequenced as one complete experience, Alex is purposeful and precise in his approach, with every element completely additive to the last. Violet Visionary echoes a moment of organic evolution that disappears as quickly as it came into existence; peaking to a glowing embrace that will undoubtedly leave an impression. 

Featuring original artwork by Evie Cahir and mastered by Corey Kikos, Violet Visionary is available on Transparent Orange Smoke 12” and digital, from September 29th 2023.

Visit the release page for more info and links to buy

 

 

The Observatory is a new mix series curated by Jay Keegan and has already featured a few of my favorite artists and DJs since its recent inception. I can tell that Jay has an ear for great sound and curators, so I’m excited to see where the series goes in the future and was honored to play a part in its path forward.

I took the opportunity to spotlight a few unreleased gems in this mix, as well as two very exciting ASIP releases in the works…

Recent contributions have come from the likes of, Jo Johnson, Toner (Liminal Dreams), Gentle Force and Patricia Wolf. Listen to the full series on Soundcloud.

Here’s what I had to say about the mix when sending it over to Jay.

This mix came together over a 2/3 month period, as I've spent a large part of the summer between Oregon and California with family and haven't had much dedicated time to focus on a mix. Normally I approach mixes more conceptually, but this one came to life organically in pieces, over time. In hindsight, the mix reflects a specific period in time for me and a lot of my life musically over the past few months. From the unfortunate passing of Brian McBride (Stars of The Lid) and revisiting those brilliant albums nearly every evening; anticipating the new Lord of The Isles album after his standout isolatedmix this year; our latest label addition from Mary Yalex; music being sent to my inbox from new artists; and of course, a couple of upcoming ASIP releases that are keeping me busy lately. Thank you for having me as part of the series.  

The Observatory · The Observatory - ASIP

Listen on The Observatory Soundcloud or the ASIP Podcast

Download MP3

Tracklist:

01. Mary Yalex - Snowy Avenue (Excerpt) (Yalex Recordings) [Forthcoming]
02. Stars of The Lid - Down (Kranky) [2001] 
03. Monolake - Mass Transit Railway (Field Records) [2023]
04. nthng - Unlimited () (Excerpt) (Transatlantic) [2023]
05. Liai - A-A (Quiet Time) [2022]
06. Terre Thaemlitz - Liebesmachine (Comatonse) [2019]
07. Biosphere - Antennaria (Alternative Version) (Biophon) [2022]
08. Vernal Equinox - Six Figures In A Landscape (Clover Recordings) [1997]
09. hoyah חיה - BB walk [10129] (Mellia) [2022]
10. Andy Aquarius - Kyrie (Constellation Tatsu) [2022]
11. Romance & Dean Hurley - Still Lives (Ecstatic) [2022]
12. Chihei Hatakeyama - Insects Chirping (Field Records) [2023]
13. Lord of The Isles - Last Day (AD93) [Forthcoming]
14. Alex Israel - Octonions (Somnambulant Drift) [2023]
15. Shīdo - Denial (Unreleased)
16. Owl - Moonshine Haze (Silent Season) [2021]
17. Not Glass - Fallite Fallentes (Ecstatic) [2019]
18. Carl Stone - Lim 1974 (Unseen Worlds) [2016]
19. Stars of The Lid - Preludes (In C Sharp Major) (Kranky) [2001]
20. Arovane - Yord (Quiet Details) [2023]
21. Markus Guentner & Arovane - Utopian Fragment (A Strangely Isolated Place) [Forthcoming]
22. Salvatore Mercatante - Open, Open (A Strangely Isolated Place) [Forthcoming]

Mix artwork by Clayton Ciolac

 

 

We’re entering a busy half of the year for the label, and while we don’t always use the isolatedmix series to help tee up what’s in store, Alex Albrecht also happens to be a brilliant selector and curator of many great mixes over the years.

Yes, you did read that right, Alex will soon be gracing ASIP with a new release, to be announced in full very shortly and available at the end of September. We had hoped to get this mix out a little earlier in the year but life got in the way for us both, and after a small trip to Japan recently, Alex was able to get some answers down to a few of my questions in anticipation for his awaited release here on ASIP.

~

It's been interesting to see how you've created a very unique style and approach between your own project, with Sean as Albrecht La'Brooy and under the Melquíades guise. How would you describe the differences between them all?

I originally created the Melquiades alias as a way to separate club/dancefloor music from more downtempo/ambient productions under my own name. The music I now produce under Alex Albrecht incorporates all sorts of sounds and influences and in my development, I don’t now see a reason to differentiate.

 Campfire Stories was quite the debut album, and received such a great reception it seems. It combined lovely atmospheres and house elements, with downtempo and instrumental (even jazz). How are your albums born usually?

 My albums are usually created through my field recordings and recent experiences. I generally take recordings and loop/manipulate them to create a canvas and use that as the inspiration for each new track. When I see a larger album coming together I try to identify gaps in the concept and fill it with new productions.

 Your own label imprint, Analogue Attic was home to much of your early work and continues to host some of your music alongside others. How did the label aspect come about?

 The label was definitely created as a way to release our own music but very quickly became a medium to put out music from our friends and influences. The ambition has always been to showcase ambient music specifically made in Australia. We also hope to showcase music that does not generally conform to current trends in the global electronic scene. 

As mentioned already, your music is rich with field recordings and vivid instrumentation. What does your studio setup consist of usually? And what elements have remained a constant?

 My studio has been very consistent throughout the last 6 or 7 years. It has a Nord A1R, A Blofeld, a few Yamaha digital pianos, and some eventide effect pedals. Of course, there is also the Sony PCM A10 recorder which is really an incredible piece of tech.

 If your label (Analogue Attic) is any indication, the output and potential of producers in Australia seem very rich and fertile - is this true? How would you describe the "scene" for this type of music where you are?

 I’d have to agree – it is certainly a fertile scene in Aus with amazing music being produced around the country. There are many artists blending strong musical themes and elements with electronic elements and many gigs/shows aim to push boundaries and do something out of the ordinary.   

Your isolated mix captures your sound very well and includes a variety of styles and influences, what was your approach?

 I am often commuting to work by bike and love an interesting, hypnotic mix to push me along. I have been listening to ASIP mixes for years and was compelled to dive deep into my old libraries to capture some of the nostalgia that I feel with the earliest memories of ASIP. I brought a few of these into the picture with Dousk, John Beltran, BOC and Jesse Somfay  (among others) and was also really happy with how well they’ve stood the test of time.

Other than ahem, a pretty special record dropping here on ASIP soon, what can we expect from you for the remainder of 2023?

It’s unclear for now but I’m always making music and searching for inspiration. I have a huge collection of field recordings from Japan so will be surely using these in the short term to see what it inspires. 

~

Stay tuned for news of Alex’s album on ASIP set to be announced very soon, and available at the end of the month.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 123 - Alex Albrecht

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the (new!) 9128.live app

Download MP3

Tracklist:

01. IMPS - Heaven and Bagpipes
02. O.S.S - Bianga
03. Sense - Rain 5
04. Marow - Tsih
05. Jesse Somfay - Tomorrow's Yesterday is Today
06. Cyan341 - Pattern4
07. Alex Albrecht - Forest Dance
08. Castel - Estrel
09. Remote - Public Service
10. John Beltran - Gutaris Breeze
11. HOLOVR - Outer Time
12. The Phantasy - Love Will See Us Through
13. Ariet - Shaman's Heart (Polygonia Remix)
14. Boards of Canada - Amo Bishop Roden
15. Dousk - Sidewalk Lovin 

Alex Albrecht | Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud

 

 

Viul & Benoît Pioulard’s ‘Konec’ turns one year old today, and to celebrate we have a small set of LPs featuring a limited edition 12x12” art print by Liz Harris and a 1x1 original Polaroid from Benoît.

Now available on Bandcamp and shipping from label HQ.

These are the same record from the original run, but without the original 2LP gatefold sleeve (due to damage) and limited to just 33 copies with the additional print and Polaroid. Artwork printed on heavyweight Canson Arches BFK Rives white.

 

 

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German musician Mary Yalex debuts here on A Strangely Isolated Place depicting a storied transition from our recognizable surroundings, into a vision of the future. 

With releases and music styles across a variety of labels over the years, it has been Yalex’s more experimental ambient work that has stood out amongst her catalog, and in Fantasy Zone, we find Mary fine-tuning this sound to reflect the work of a true architect of storytelling, mood and atmosphere. 

Drawing influences from her day-to-day surroundings, Fantasy Zone begins with more vivid pieces; softer melodies and clearer instrumentation, represented as much in song titles such as Air, After Rain Comes Sun, and Half Light of Dawn. The second half of the album transitions into a future state, as Yalex draws on darker manifestations - perhaps intrinsically influenced by the state of the world, and in particular her love of nature, we play witness to more storied, haunting atmospheres, distant voices and slowly shifting gravitational chord movements. Dystopian-bound or pure fantasy, Yalex depicts a future that mirrors some of the more poignant, thought-provoking work of great synthesizer soundtracks of the past. 

Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri, and featuring artwork by Noah M / Keep Adding, Fantasy Zone will be available on Purple Smoke 12” and digital.

Preorder now available with full release following on August 28th 2023.

Listen and links to buy via the release page

 

 

Our radio station (and sub-label) 9128.live has been up and running for over three years now. Born out of the lockdown period, it went on to host many great takeovers at a time when everybody was locked inside, and the station has grown slowly with music from a collective of amazing labels now in rotation, for always-on, 24/7 ad-free listening.

While the website is still a great place to listen and hosts the important chat, our Apps have not changed since day one and so we were excited to update them with a new look and functionality.

We were restricted as to what we could do with these, so while I know there is probably a wishlist of great things we could do if we had a clean slate, that was not the case. However, we think they’re a great improvement and will allow for a much better experience.

Here’s what you can expect from the new 9128 apps.

- Submit a song request - choose from a specific set of tracks that will evolve and change over time to include upcoming and unreleased music and other themed options. Requested tracks are entered into a queue and depending on queue length, will normally play after 2-3 tracks. Think of this like advanced previews on demand!

- View the radio schedule/calendar, including upcoming takeovers, showcases and regular radio shows such as the Espacio Perpendicular weekly radio show.

- View the latest news and updates from within the app.

- Listen to the ASIP/9128.live Podcast, which will include all the mixes from ASIP as well as 9128 exclusives, with more to come soon.

- Light and Dark modes (Default is Dark mode)

- Dynamic stream option (request a lower quality signal to save on mobile data)

- Push notifications! Never miss out on new and important updates (don’t worry we will use these very sparingly)

Download / update on the Apple App store

Download / update on Google Play store.

https://9128.live/

For the time being, the apps remain free of charge and ad free. We endeavor to keep them this way but they are not cheap to build and maintain, so grab them before we put a $ sign in front of them one day.

Don’t forget to leave us some glowing reviews and rate us 5* on each respective store!!

Thank you.

 

 

We are very excited to welcome Mary Yalex to the label soon, and her upcoming release set to be announced in August. Mary’s work has appeared on respected labels such as Muzan Editions, map.ache’s ‘Kann’’, Carsten Jost’s ‘Dial’, Sound as Language, and her own label, Yalex Recordings. Her productions have spanned various ambient and experimental styles, and I am very excited to present a new album distilling her years of hard work into her sharpest vision yet.

There’s no better way to get to know an artist than stepping up to the isolatedmix series to illustrate your music style and background, and the mix is a great reflection of what to expect from her new record.

Mary Yalex’s album on ASIP is set to be announced in August, so in the meantime, please enjoy a short interview and perfectly curated mix (including a track from the upcoming album to preview).

~

Hi Mary, what has influenced you to produce music today?

As a child, I was attracted to music not played with acoustic instruments.  My mother had a Vermona Piano Strings in the DDR. It was 1989 when my mother bought them and I was 5 years old. I liked to play Rum on the piano and tried to play melodies (and the scratching of the sliders, when you wanted to switch to strings, was really terrible as I remember it).

Music has always played a big role in my childhood. I would look and listen excitedly to my mother's record collection, from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin to Bronski Beat. I think the music you hear as a child is a much greater influence than what you hear today, and my interest in electronic music works was there from the beginning.

Over the years, you acquire techniques and repetition, and processes for how to make music. But today's influence is much more based on what happens around you, as in the world; how you perceive things and the people you are surrounded by, more than the music you hear. A melody always comes out of a mood and feeling.

I’m interested to learn about this production process; how you approach making music conceptually - do you have ideas & concepts or improvise? 

When I make music, I sit down at my synthesizer or electric piano and play a melody first - the main core. It has to feel great, if not then I'll throw it away. I never force myself to make music, for me it is important, there must be a feeling and it must flow. I like to use the same techniques that have been acquired over the years - it is a familiar process of editing.

So what motivates you to sit down and make music? Is it a personal outlet? How easy does it come to you? 

For me, it is a passion to make music, a feeling that has to come out. I get in a bad mood when I can't make music so it also helps me cope with moods, discovering new sounds and possibilities again.

What instruments/gear do you tend to focus on or always work with?

I mainly produce with Elektron Octatrack, Clavia Nord Rack 2 and Elektron Digitone.

You normally accompany your releases with your own paintings - how would you describe this relationship? Were you a visual artist or a musician first?

I used to paint in my childhood when I lived in Austria. I only really started producing electronic music more recently. I want to give the whole thing a picture - something that is more than just a photograph.

How does your home city and local history impact your music?

I have been living in Erfurt now for a year and a half. I'm getting older and I'm also looking for a quiet life. I don't need the hustle and bustle of a big city anymore. Here in Erfurt I also have my studio. During the Corona period, I decided to go back to my home country. It hasn't really changed much for me as I live very withdrawn. For me and my music, the place has never played a big role. Back when I went to Leipzig in 2008, there were more opportunities in my learned profession. 

Your isolatedmix is a mixture of different styles of artists, many of whom are on regular rotation for me. Can you tell us how you approached the mix?

I always look for pieces that match my mood. You start with quieter pieces, which are also a bit atmospheric. I like to combine emotional music with ambient drone pieces, the dreamy pieces at the end. For me, it always has to sound like a trip.

If you could make a mix of any type of music, what would it be and what might be the most surprising track inclusion?

Boy Harsher - Burn it down

You have a new album coming up on ASIP, what can people expect?

To describe it briefly, it is for me, one of my most profound and dynamic albums…

~

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 122 - Mary Yalex

Listen on Soundcloud or the ASIP Podcast.

Download MP3

Tracklist:

01. James Murray - Careful Now
02. CORBEN - The Zills
03. Ripperton - Ingénuité
04. The House In The Woods - Tone Intervals
05. Chestnut People, Priori, Ludwig A.F: - IV
06. Viul & Benoit Pioulard - Catalune
07. Mary Yalex - Endless Possibilities
08. Lauge, Alvaro Suarez, Fallen Metropolis - -FAM015- May 7 - Live 
09. Room 208 & Zuwe - Time Moved Like It Used To
10. DJ In A Dream - La Silhouette
11. Måla - E Is For Elegance (With Burning Pyre)
12. Martinou - ...in all it's splendor
13. Boliden - Pools
14. Malibu - Atlantic Diva
15. Boy is Fiction - Silversand
16. nthng - Looking Outside

Mary Yalex | Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud

 

 

You may remember in October 2021 we posted an addition to our Portals series that highlighted some of our favorite classic Trance music in the form of a series of beatless loops, put together as one mix. (Check it out here and below)

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP & todos - Portals Episode 10: Classic Trance Loops (Hypnotised)

It came at a time when the book, and compilation ‘Hypnotised A Journey Through Trance Music’ was released, evoking many memories for me personally, as someone who grew up with the genre and helping to inspire the Portals Trance Loops mix.

‘Hypnotised: A Journey Through Trance Music (1990-2005)’ - a deep dive/encyclopedia on the classic Trance sound, that covers “its proto to seminal periods, through to its ascendance and glory years”, across “500 essential records, 75 record labels and 25 albums, with in-depth interviews with 35 influential artists and label owners”. [buy]

Fast forward to today, and Black Hole Recordings (along with the compilation curator, and book author Arjan Rietveld) have returned with the second in the series, this time focused on the British side of Trance music (the Ying, to the Trance Music Yang IMO).

Where the first edition covered seminal artists such as Armin van Buuren, Kamaya Painters (that’s Tiesto before everyone knew it), Vincent de Moor, System F, and Sander Kleinenberg among many others, the new compilation hits home for me (being a Brit after all) with music from UK Trance legends such as Binary Finary, Salt Tank, Pete Lazonby, Tilt, Ascension and many more…

I am not here to just reminisce about my aged-old love for Trance music and post about two compilations… Instead, the label and curator have been nice enough to offer up some free Bandcamp download codes for ASIP readers, if you’re quick…. see below.

If you could be so kind as to comment below with codes you have redeemed already, this might help everyone reading…

Redeem the Bandcamp codes here.

A Journey Through Dutch Trance Music Bandcamp codes:

tp68-7r6n
xk5t-xmq7
jy6y-jtg5
72y3-kbnf
mlkm-6hvm

A Journey Through British Trance Music Bandcamp codes:

ygyy-bmmd
2kuy-xzyc
dz5z-jgnx
st6z-k3qq
x6gh-6v6z

 

Now available, in a short run of 60, the ‘ASLIP’ is a leather anti-slip turntable mat, featuring an embossed ‘RSS’ ASIP logo (inspired by our blogging days).

Available in 3 editions:

Matte black with Black logo emboss

Matte black with Silver logo emboss

Tan with Silver logo emboss

You can buy them here in our webstore (US orders) or visit Space Cadets to buy for UK/EU/ROW shipping.

SEND PICS!

Made of premium vegetable-tanned leather, this anti-slip mat boasts less static than other materials, along with added sound-dampening properties. The ASLIP improves sonic characteristics by reducing vibration transfer to the turntable playing surface and allows the cartridge a more stable performance. The leather sound impression is often described as tight, rich, and soft. Suitable for most turntables, but not for DJ’ing purposes due to its anti-slip nature.

  

 

Inspired by the greatest years. Tranquility of the highest order.

A mix of music taken from, and inspired by the most influential years of electronic and ambient music - the 90’s.

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP - Tranquility

Listen on Soundcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.
Download MP3

01. MLO - Shadows of Life and Thought (2021)
02. Merrin Karras - unreleased
03. Stryke - Introspection Part 1 (1994)
04. Glide - Space Van (1997)
05. Solar Quest - Save The Whale (1994)
06. Namlook & Montana - Path VII (2010)
07. Young American Primitive - Sunrise (1993)
08. Beaumont Hannant - Vague (1994)
09. B12 - Void/Comm (1996)
10. Perishing Thirst - Sacred Agency (2018)
11. Speedy J - Pepper (1994)
12. A Positive Life - The Calling (Loved'Ub Remix) (1993)
13. Global Communication - 8:07 (1994)
14. Moby - Myopia (1993)
15. Geir Jenssen & Pete Namlook - In Heaven (1993)
16. Mick Chillage - Hypersleep (2022 mix) (2022)
17. Niko Tzoukmanis - Fallen Angel (2023)
18. Spooky - Orange Colored Liquid (1993)
19. Omicron - Tranquility Base (1994)

 

You don’t get any trippier or spaced out than Quiet Places, so following their mind-bending debut, I’m very excited to announce Volume 2 is now available.
~
Dennis White, Charlie May, and Dave Gardner return with their second outing as Quiet Places, expanding upon their deep and suitably hypnotic long-form compositions across four continuous sides of wax.

Minimal in context and retaining the untitled track approach, the trio of producers, well versed in a variety of music styles between them, leave the music and the subliminal messages contained within as the descriptor.

Finding moments of melody amongst the wide landscape of abstract sounds and samples is the only glimpse of reality you’ll find down here. 

Quiet Places, Volume 2 is available on limited edition gatefold 2LP pressed on marbled vinyl, mastered and lacquer cut by Andreas Lupo Lubich and featuring artwork by Noah M / Keep Adding. 

Listen and links to buy via the release page

Stream the full Digital Bonus track in full over on Headphone Commute.

  

 

In 2014 I wrote the long-form feature ‘Neither Scene Nor Heard: A Journey Through Ambient Music’, detailing my own personal experience and evolution with the genre. I wanted to update the feature some 10 years later, but in the meantime, decided to continue and evolve the original playlist on Spotify, and keep it updated moving forward with new and inspirational discoveries.

The playlist includes ambient music in all its forms, pushing into other genres at times but covering what makes the genre so malleable and personal to many. Artists both old and new. But only one artist can be featured (excluding collaborations). This way, I hopefully avoid a playlist full of the hits, or the entire SAW or BoC albums.

Jump over to the playlist on Spotify, and follow to get updates on new additions. It currently stands at over 400 individual artists and I intend to keep it growing and swapping out music where possible.

Hope you find someone new to explore and continue to support them on platforms like Bandcamp.