isolatedmix 129 - Rosillon

You could say ASIP has brought me closer to ‘my people’ over the years—those with a deep, almost obsessive appreciation for all things ambient and electronic. The ones who love this music, who show up at the same gigs, who get so inspired by the sounds and stories that they start paving their own.

Based in Rotterdam, Rosillon is one of those people. Co-founder of the electronic music platform Embodiment, he’s been a long-time listener and supporter of ASIP. At his core, he’s just another music obsessive, choosing to share his passion through mixes and curated events—the kind of person who keeps music culture moving forward, regardless of genre or scale. Last November Rosillon had the pleasure to play for the first edition of ZERØBPM, a 18 hour non-stop ambient/meditation experience in a church in the Netherlands. And his previous mixes have cropped up for the brilliant Deep Breakfast series, as well as the Korean collective, Vurt.

I don’t typically accept submissions for the isolatedmix series, but his vinyl-only mix landed in a way that many don’t. And when he shared the story behind it, it perfectly captured how music like this isn’t just heard—it’s experienced, absorbed, and ultimately, passed on. Listening back and reading his inspiration, it reminded me of the exact mindset I experienced when picking a name for this endeavor, A Strangely Isolated Place.

Places of inspiration for Rosillon’s mix

~

“ Last summer, during my travels through Bulgaria, I found myself deeply inspired by the landscapes, and the sense of remoteness that each place evoked. As soon as I returned home, I aimed to translate these experiences into sound.

This mix is the result of that, a sonic exploration of isolation, both physical and emotional. The concept behind this set revolves around the idea of ‘isolated places’, not just in the geographical sense, but also within the mind. These are the places that trigger emotions, memories, and introspection. Places shaped by sound aesthetics that speak directly to the imagination. With this in mind, I carefully selected tracks that embody these feelings, crafting a mix that serves as both an escape and a reflection.

The mix unfolds as a metaphor for the experiences we gather during our journeys. It begins at an airport, a symbolic starting point that sends the listener on their way. From there, the music takes you through a collage of progressively more obscure destinations, each transition serving as a portal to another isolated place.

Places of inspiration for Rosillon’s mix

Some transitions are smooth and fluid, while others are abrupt and disorienting, mirroring the unpredictability of travel itself. As the mix progresses, it immerses the listener in various emotional landscapes, reflecting the highs and lows that come with discovering unfamiliar territory.

Near the end, a vocal announcement signals that the gate is closing, marking the inevitable conclusion of the journey. The bittersweet nostalgia of leaving behind an enriching experience is captured in a track featuring glitching sounds layered over a field recording of an airport.

However, just as in real life, the end of a trip brings with it a renewed appreciation for the lessons learned and the memories made. In the closing section of the mix I wanted to embrace this sentiment, offering a positive and empowering conclusion.

It reminds us that every journey, whether to distant lands or within ourselves, leaves a lasting impact, shaping our perspective in ways we may not fully grasp until we return home. I hope this mix transports you to your own isolated places, allowing you to lose yourself in the journey and find meaning in the sounds along the way.”

- Rosillon

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 129 - Rosillon

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Tracklist (vinyl only)
01. The Black Dog – M1 [Dust Science Recordings]
02. Rod Modell - Ghost Lights B-side [Astral Industries]
03. Inhmost – In The Bay [re:st]
04. 3.11 – Dissolve in Patience [PRS]
05. Box5ive – Rough Sleeper [co:clear]
06. 3.11 – Hard Copy [PRS]
07. Alva Noto - Confidential Information 1 [Noton]
08. Off The Sky – Ahurani [re:discovery records]
09. Xenia Reaper – 23724 [INDEX:Records]
10. William Selman - Farther Off Among The Foaming Black Rocks [Mysteries Of The Deep]
11. Pontiac Streator & Mister Water Wet - Angelus Spit [Motion Ward]
12. TIBSLC – Hypertranslucent [Sferic]
13. Quiet Places – Side B [A Strangely Isolated Place]
14. The Black Dog - Lounge [Dust Science Recordings]
15. Alva Noto - HYbr:ID Ectopia Field 1 [Noton]

~

Rosillon Soundcloud | Instagram
Embodiment Soundcloud | Instagram

isolatedmix 128 - Will Oirson

Willem van der Ploeg, hailing from the Netherlands, is a DJ, producer, and co-founder of the label The Something Something, alongside Rutger Paulusse. Willem has been a long-time follower of ASIP, often supporting our mixes and asking for track IDs—something that always piques my curiosity and often leads to unexpected finds. So I was delighted to stumble across another amazing cave of DJ sets through The Something Something’s Red Light Radio show, offering up sessions from recognizable guests such as Alex Albrecht, Wanderwelle and Ario, and then going on to see the fruition of the label in recent years.

As part of The Something Something label, Willem has been gaining momentum with his own production work, leaning toward serene, textured ambient, enriched by found sounds and often shimmering, beautiful melodies. This is showcased perfectly by his 2020 EP, Inland / Tomorrow, of till the end of time, and his most recent single, Escapism.

Will’s DJ sets recently earned him a spot at the prestigious Draaimolen Festival, officiating his keen curatorial ear, which will no doubt lead us all to a world of new artists to explore - a perfect requirement for the isolatedmix series and the mix at hand for #128.

"Thank you for the opportunity to create a mix for ASIP, Ryan!

Many times in life, music helped me to overcome certain hurdles. It always gives me a feeling of escapism and on many occasions it shined a light on dark days. The same goes with this mix; I feel a sense of lightness after experiencing a big burnout a year and a half ago, in which time I’ve made a lot of music. It had no intention, it was just about frequencies and emotions. Now that I'm feeling better, I’ve started releasing tracks and even performed a dj set at Draaimolen Festival Festival featuring some of this music. This mix for A Strangely Isolated Place is about seeing light again, the overcoming of obstacles, and a rekindling of dreams.

It includes some of my favourite tracks from the past few years, such as ‘stasis__relief__’ by 𝚐𝚊𝚋_𝚒 and 'Pillow, Mantra and Trance’ by Li Yilei. And I’m also pleased that I could slip in some amazing music by friends like Bas Dobbelaer, Ramses3000 and Brian Omen. 

Please take a moment to explore the artists and labels included in this mix. They’ve created truly remarkable work, and many continue to do so.” - Will Oirson 

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 128 - Will Oirson

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Tracklist: 
01. The Humble Bee - Section V Light [Astral Industries]
02. Brian Omen - 430 [The Something Something…]
03. Leo Cunningham - Dreaming In Threads [Opal Tapes]
04. Azu Tiwaline & Al Wootton - Last Scene [Livity Sound]
05. 𝚐𝚊𝚋_𝚒 - stasis__relief__ [self released]
06. Li Yilei - Pillow, Mantra and Trance [Métron Records]
07. other joe - a cat can look at a king (ft. J) [ost]
08. Will Oirson - Doubting the Hardness of the Spider, I eat the Nest [The Something Something…]
09. John Beltran - You Internalise Them [Delsin]
10. Dettinger - Intershop (7) Remastered 2024 [Kompakt]
11. Bas Dobbelaer - Rest [Something Happening Somewhere] 
12. Jonny Nash & Lindsay Todd - The Gecko That Wore Its Skin Inside Out [Island Of The Gods]
13. Daniel.mp3 - 3 am walk (Slowed & Reverb Version) [self released]
14. Igor Dyachenko - Object (feat. Nikolay Kozlov) [self released]
15. Illuvia - Afterlife Prism [A Strangely Isolated Place] 
16. Zane Trow -haklne [Room40]
17. NEXCYIA - hydro [self released]
18. The Kyoto Connection - Memories From Japan [Temples Of Jura]
19. Luke Elliott - Refractory Cores [AKP Recordings]
20. shinetiac - Dodge Viper Lullaby [West Mineral Ltd.]
21. Jo Johnson - Orbit [Mysteries of the Deep]
21. Ramses3000 - Aphasia [Intercept]

~

The Something Something Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Instagram

isolatedmix 127 - David Douglas & Applescal

Two familiar names step up for our next isolated mix, with a highly conceptual approach that matches their new (and similarly conceptual) collaborative album, ‘Démarrage’.

I’m unsure where I would start if I were to create an album based on a love of cycling. Weirdly enough, it wouldn’t be the first electronic album to do so (See Kraftwerk’s, Tour De France, of course), but it’s obviously a big enough inspiration to spur electronic producers David Douglas and Applescal. After listening to t‘Démarrage’, it makes total sense, in more ways than one. The energy, euphoria, drive - even the pop of color and variation in approach - an effervescent continual movement throughout its 10 tracks.

Applescal contributed an isolatedmix some twelve (!) years ago now, and it remains one of our most popular in the series. Combining multiple styles across an addictive hour of listening, the session proved Pascal is a master at developing a conceptual narrative in mix form, and now evidently in album form. David Douglas, who has made numerous appearances on Pascal’s Atmonation label, with one highlight for me being 2014’s, Moon Observation’s, is similarly a man of conceptual understanding and many undercurrents, spending time scoring music for films and commercials, while also releasing under a new alias HATY HATY, which combines electronic and indie music tendencies.

I imagined a hybrid of styles to appear on their mix submission, and I wasn’t disappointed. But for it to also match the concept of their new album, takes it up a notch. The mix, goes as slow as Chihei, with the euphoric highs of The Paradise, sudden bursts of pace in Eversines, the anguish in Bersarin Quartett, and the comforting (I can see the finish line-vibes) of Ulrich Schnauss, in an unexpecting manner that’s on par with the unexpectedness of Fourtet’s not-so-secret secret side project.

“Just like our album "Démarrage," which is essentially a long mix of interconnected tracks, we aimed to tell a broad story with this mix. We love to approach music as a continuous mix, as you can set a certain different vibe and have tracks complement each other. Our mix for ASIP begins gently, like a warm bath, with the calming sounds of Chihei Hatakeyama's "Calm Sea." Later on, we bring up the pace with the remix from Roman Flugel. We end with a return to tranquility and introspection with work from Bersarin Quartett and Skúli Sverrisson. Just like on our new album, we added a bunch of samples of cyclists to capture the emotion of the race” - David & Pascal

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 127 - David Dougls & Applescal

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Tracklist:

01. Chihei Hatakeyama - Calm Sea
02. Tomaga - Intimate Immensity
03. Kyle Hall, Kero - 19FT
04. Unit Moebius - Dolfinarium
05. Tambo’s House - Jhe Gu Jye
06. Dusky - Metropolis
07. C.A.R - Idle eyes. (Roman Fluegel Remix) Applescal body Edit
08. The Paradise - In Love With You (Alan Braxe Remix)
09. Fasme - Sweet Flux
10. David Douglas & Applescal - Galibier
11. David Douglas & Applescal - Galibier (Gruppetto)
12. ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ - ʅ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡(ƟӨ)ʃ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡ ꐑ(ཀ ඊູ ఠీੂ೧ູ࿃ूੂ✧✧✧✧✧✧ළඕั࿃ूੂ࿃ूੂ
13. Eversines - Vlaag
14. Eversines - Vlaag (Beatless Version)
15. Ulrich Schnauss - A Letter from Home
16. Bersarin Quartett - Verflossen ist das Gold der Tage
17. Skúli Sverrisson - Instants

Applescal | Bandcamp
David Douglas | Website

isolatedmix 126 - Saphileaum

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.

~
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

isolatedmix 125 - Sa Pa (Sleep In)

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)

The start of the event, as attendees bring in mattresses ready for the night and Sa Pa’ set.

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