Monument Waves 002 : ASIP

A new mix for the brilliant Monument platform, and their new series ‘Waves’ which looks to feature more of the ambient side of things, rather than the deep techno world they are known for, if the first of the series by Chris SSG is any indication.

After our label showcase mix I did for them a few years back, I was extremely pleased to return to Monument again and decided on a new approach for #2.

Taking inspiration from the podcast series’ title, I aimed to create a mix that focused on repetition and layers, as if staring out to sea watching blankets of waves roll in from miles out; changing in intensity, but forever calming in their unbound repetition.

The result is reflective of the many adjacent styles I enjoy from ambient, to IDM and deeper techno and some of the seconds of tracks that stand out to me, or I forever wished to be looped in my head - be it a texture, vocal or beat pattern.

Thank you Monument for the support over the years, and for inviting me to what I am sure will become a very special series.

MONUMENT · Monument Waves 002 : ASIP

Listen on Soundcloud or the ASIP Podcast

Download MP3

Tracklist:

01. Mikkel Rev - Evocation  [Unreleased / A Strangely Isolated Place] (Loop/edit)
02. Chronovalve - Almost There [Home Normal] (Loop/edit)
03 . Yumi Iwaki - Nocturnal[Kankyō Records]  (Loop/edit)
04. DJ Healer - Great Escape [All Possible Worlds] (Loop/edit)
05. Susumu Yokota - No Kaori [Leaf Label] (Loop/edit)
06. The National Pool - Through The Beach [Infraction] (Loop/edit)
07. Bana Haffar - Lifter [Touch] (Loop/edit)
08. Pontiac Streator - Stuck In A Cave [Motion Ward] (Loop/edit)
09. TSR - 01 [Record Union] (Loop/edit)
10. Christina Chatfield - Sutro [Mysteries of the Deep] (Loop/edit)
11. Oneohtrix Point Never - Format & Journey North [Arbor] (Loop/edit)
12. Gi Gi - Montjuic Feat. Mi Mi [Quiet Time] (Loop/edit)
13. Jonny Nash - All I Ever Need [Melody As Truth] (Loop/edit)
14. Saphileaum - Elegant Voyage [Mysteries of The Deep] (Loop/edit)
15. RQ - Hounds (Sam KDC remix) [Auxiliary] (Loop/edit)
16. Michael Stearns - In The Beginning [Continuum Montage] (Loop/edit)
17. Solar Quest - Flying Spirals [Crammed Discs] (Loop/edit)
18. Zodiac Childs - Kepler Track Two (Zodiac Wax) (Loop/edit)
19. Central Industrial - After Image [Auxiliary] (Loop/edit)
20. Intrepid Soul - Under The Sun (The Gods Planet) (Loop/edit) 
21. Anatolian Weapons - Teachings In Stone [Self] (Loop/edit)
22. Theef - Sun & Smoke  (Unreleased / A Strangely Isolated Place) (Loop/edit)
23. Quiet Places - Side B (A Strangely Isolated Place) (Loop/edit)
24. Courtesy - You're Not Alone [Kulør] (feat. Erika de Casier & August Rosenbaum) (Loop/edit)
25. Maxime Denuc - Ouverture [Vlek] (Loop/edit)
26. µ-Ziq - Whale Soup [Self] (Loop/edit)
27. Adam Johnson - Version 02 [Merck] (Loop/edit)
28. Autechre - Bronchusevernmx24 + Aphex Twin - On + Aleksi Perala - UK74R1406070 (edit)
29. Pub - Summer [Vertical Form] (Loop/edit)
30. Loess - Sofar [Toytronic] (edit)
31. Biosphere - Monju 1 [Touch] (Loop/edit)
32. Salvatore Mercatante - Classical [Unreleased]
33. OKRAA - La Gran Corriente [Unreleased / A Strangely Isolated Place]
34. Lihla - Becoming Human [A Strangely Isolated Place] (Loop/edit)
35. Ylia - Drifting Off into The Waves  [Balmat] (Loop/edit)
36. The Eightsome Reel - A Stranger Landing  [Self] (Loop/edit)
37. Terre Thaemlitz - Music is Controllable Desire You Can Own [Self]
38. Echospace - Love Always Lives [Self] 
39. Bill Laswell & Pete Namlook - Telepathy II [FAX] (Loop/edit)

isolatedmix 103 - GiGi FM : Inner Mycelia Voyage (Full Hunter's Moon Ritual)

For our 9128.live guest takeovers that some of you may have experienced this past year, we invite other great labels to curate a lineup that is completely on their own terms. What I enjoy the most about this, is that I get to listen to new artists and DJ’s through it, many for the first time (in real time) and it becomes a discovery tool for me just as much as it does to all the listeners.

One of those artists who really jumped out (and was new to me at the time) was GiGi FM. An NTS radio regular DJ and event curator, GiGi was playing as part of the 9128.live Midgar Records takeover at the time. Her set was transcendent, flawless in execution and above all, completely original from anything we had during the multi-hour listening session (available here to listen back); taking us from deep mystical ambient, to tribal and spiritual rhythms all the way through to hypnotic techno. It had those special moments that make you turn to a friend in a club or a field and smile, knowing the journey is taking a new twist; that you’re all in this together on the same level; and it’s only just getting started. Of course, we were just sat at home listening in that example and not dancing under the stars, unfortunately, so I made a point to ask GiGi for an isolatedmix so that we could hear another side and take her storytelling with us whenever and wherever in the future here on ASIP.

GiGi was lovely enough to oblige, and even took the time to match the moment with the Full Moon (today, Thursday October 1st) for an extra special dimension, taking us once again, on another very special, spiritual journey under the stars.

Here’s what GiGi had to say about the mix:

~
Inner Mycelia Voyage is a ritual for the full Hunter's moon coming on October 1st.

Since the beginning of time humankind has always taken communal rituals in dancing as the best attempt to tune into the underlying essence of the universe, which was born out of sound and constant intense vibrating atoms.

Mycelia or mycelium literally means “more than one". Mycelium is one of the oldest living organisms and has helped shape lifeforms on earth. It is the guardian of the earth, the underground internet network of mother nature, making sure nutrients are redistributed to all.

The Full Hunter's Moon in Aries is the first of two Full Moons for the month with a Blue Moon at the month’s end. Having two Full Moons in the same month indicates a theme of clearing and purging.

The shadows are coming to the surface to be birthed into a new light.

Channeling the ancestral earth forces and holding the light of hope is key.

We must remember the wisdom of the numerology code of 2020 offered to us, like mycelia ~ Infinite potential when we work together - GiGi FM.
~

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 103 - GiGi FM ~ Inner Mycelia Voyage (Full Hunters Moon Ritual)

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

Download

Tracklist

01. GiGi Fm ~ Live Intro Full Hunters Moon Ritual
02. Susumu Yokota ~ Spectrum of Love
03. Azu Tiwaline ft Cinna Peyghamy ~ Violet Curves
04. Unknown Artist ~ Forgotten Constellation
05. Black Merlin ~ Totek and Tim
06. Dino Sabatini ~ Prophecy
07. Trevor Morris ~ Vikings Attack Paris Ntogns Bootleg Version
08. Cassegrain ~ Hexagon Fifteen
09. Eduardo De La Calle ~ Forthcoming
10. VC-118A ~ Forthcoming
11. Donato Dozzy, Lerosa ~ Neon Snake
12. The Martinez Brothers ~ Ibadan Tool
13. T5UMUT5UMU ~ Artificial Blossoms
14. Wata Igarashi ~ Spirits In The Rain
15. Unknown Artist ~ I Become Overwhelmed

Mix artwork photo by Giacomo Marinsalta

GiGi FM Soundcloud | Instagram | Facebook

ASIP - Reflection on 2019

We’ve given a recap of our label releases this year and now it’s time to reflect on some of the music I’ve enjoyed listening to in 2019.

“What an amazing year for music”. I feel like I could say that every year, but really, every year has great music if you dig deep enough. But this year especially, music seems to have taken on a new lease of life and ramped up a notch in terms of output and velocity - in my world at least. If I had to guess as to why, it might be because Bandcamp is becoming more and more ubiquitous for independent artists and subsequently a daily visit for listeners like me. This ubiquity has meant a) more people getting their music out into the world, b) easier ways for people like me (who want to) to support the music we enjoy and c) new labels capitalizing on a distribution process that until a few years ago, was very hard to stand up.

2019 even played host to the mighty Radiohead embracing the Bandcamp platform with ~18,000 (last time I counted before it was removed) purchasers of their unreleased OK Computer Outtakes album at a minimum of ~$23-a-pop. That’s a crazy sum for purchased music. There’s also Buy Music Club, launched by Avalon Emerson, which (technically launched at the end of 2018 but was fully embraced this year) seems to have been used by many notable DJs using it to link to music played in their sets (you can find this Reflection on 2019 mix in a list below). And lastly, Bandcamp themselves, through their Bandcamp Daily platform, have done an almighty job of stepping up their editorial game spotlighting music on the platform through a constant stream of style/genre specific breakdowns. The clichéd music industry in-depth ‘album review’ seems to have been flipped to keep up with this increased output too, turning into an equivalent wade through micro-genres, bringing people a choice of obscure styled albums in the same vein. It’s hard to find the extended narratives on one album nowadays it seems… All this to say that it’s encouraging to see a model that goes some way to working for independent artists, labels and listeners, getting more out into the world.

Now, to wade through some (some) of it.

As with all of my ‘Reflection’ year-end mixes, I start with a long list of albums I have enjoyed over the year. Often hundreds. Through the process of putting a mix together that flows well, the songs are whittled down and selected from each album. This means many of my favorite tracks are often omitted in the process (even favorite tracks from a favorite album). But as I say every year, this isn’t a definitive ‘best-of’ list, but an organic selection of some of my favorite music from the year in a listenable format - it’s the most enjoyable way for me to boil down music I’ve loved from the year using these self-imposed restrictions. Use the mix to jump off and explore more from each artist and album.

This year’s mix ended up being primarily ambient, but with an unexpected ending. The last few yearly Reflection mixes have tended to switch-up gears throughout the mix and cover some of my other musical loves like; electronica, IDM, techno etc. But this time around, I found myself with a (roughly) two-hour ambient-leaning mix before I even came up for air. I debated stopping there (and have provided an MP3 version below to download just the ambient portion should you prefer your music more horizontal), but the full mix went on…

The initial two-hour ambient chapter of the mix is followed by a series of tracks that you could say are a nod to the early years of rave and the chill-out rooms; an alternative ‘retro-feeling suite’. This 90’s sound seems to have made a big impact on 2019 across many genres, from rave-inspired breaks in House and Techno, to Jungle and Balearic back in the game- the 90’s sound seems to be having its moment (or does it every year?!). I wanted to capture a snapshot of it here as I noticed a trend in what I was listening to. On hindsight, the mix ended up like a backwards 90’s album format - with ambient at the front instead of the usual album-ender.

Titled, ‘The Jilted Suite’, this ending chapter is a small dive into some of the non-ambient music I’ve enjoyed this year and is titled so in honor of ‘The Narcotic Suite’ from The Prodigy’s album (RIP Keith Flint - 2019).

So as a final warning, if you’re drifting off at that two-hour mark to the lulls and swells, you have been warned, things switch up after that.

I would normally do a quick written run-down of the music featured at this point, but I feel like I’ve done enough talking already to give an additional 37 track commentary.

All of these albums have been purchased (where possible) through Bandcamp also viewable via my Bandcamp collection page, and I’ve compiled them all into a Buy Music Club list here. Label names below hyperlink to each Bandcamp release (again, where possible - I think all but one release does). Please support and buy this music!

Thanks for listening and for a great year.

Listen on Soundcloud, below or head over to Mixcloud. You might also catch it on 9128.live and you can also get it in Podcasts/iTunes/RSS etc.

Download (Full mix including the Jilted Suite)
Download (Ambient mix only)

Tracklist:

01. Hollie Kenniff - Home Will Follow [n5MD]
02. r beny - Echoes Verse [Dauw]
03. Nils Frahm - Talisman [Erased Tapes]
04. Malibu - One Life [Uno NYC]
05. 36 & Black Swan - Part 2 [Past Inside The Present]
06. Ohio - Rows, Barns, Fields [12K]
07. ASC - Echo Location [Silent Season]
08. Celer - Rains Lit By Neon [Self] READ
09. nthng - Shine [Transatlantic Records]
10. Olan Mill - Metatrons Cube [Dronarivm]
11. Caught In The Wake Forever - NV Drowning [Archives]
12. Simone Giudice - Momento [Delirio]
13. Nathaniel Young - May I Speak Candidly [Mysteries of The Deep]
14. Caterina Barbieri - Fantas [Editions Mego]
15. Violeta Vicci - Violet Light [Painted World] READ
16. Susumu Yokota - Ama and the Mountain [Lo Recordings]
17. Jogging House - Traverse [Dauw]
18. Dots - Tonic Edge [Astral Industries]
19. Coppice Halifax - Slow Earth Ritual [Milieu Music]
20. Sound Awakener - Ammil [Facture]
21. Hotel Neon - Sunfire [Archives]
22. Rafael Anton Irisarri - Decay Waves [Room 40]
23. Hammock - Adnasjur [Facture]
24. Arovane & Mike Lazarev - Us, Inside [Eilean]
25. 扎克 - 000820001 [Past Inside The Present]
26. Bersarin Quartett - Siehst du das auch [Denovali]
[27 - Ambient mix version only]. Aardvarck - U Are, Not What U Think [Crowd]
The Jilted Suite
27. Desolate - Ode To Sines [Fauxpas]
28. RX-101 - Rendezvous Beacon [Suction Records]
29. Priori - 6thematic [NAFF]
30. Phillipe Cam - Manga [Traum Schallplatten]
31. Perishing Thirst - OK - [NAFF]
32. Boreal Massif - Low Forties [Pessimist Productions]
33. Homemade Weapons - Svalsat (Donato Dozzy Remix) [Samurai]
34. ASC - Nimbus [Auxiliary]
35. Nathan Micay - LeafCutAngelicDepths [Lucky Me]
36. CFCF - Closed Space (Single Edit) [BGM Solutions]
37. Coil - Alternative Theme From Gay Man’s Guide To Safer Sex [Mental Groove]

isolatedmix 94 - Brambles

Back in 2012 we were introduced to the work of Brambles. It came through a debut release on Welsh label Serein. From the very first track on ‘Charcoal’, as those beautiful strings hit, we knew we were in for something spectacular. It seems like millions agreed too, with 2.1m people streaming the track on Soundcloud since its upload - a testament to the beauty at hand. The album only got better as it progressed too, with the second track ‘Such Owls As You’ ending up as my favorite.

It wasn’t until 2015 that we were treated with a follow-up arriving as a single, more experimental track in ‘Half Gramme Holiday’, featuring another beautiful composition but this time underpinned by slow heart-beating drums. It was a subtle progression, perhaps enough of a progression after a three-year hiatus. But since then, we’ve been waiting to see where Brambles would land next. A full four years later (and three years after I emailed inviting Brambles to contribute an isolatedmix ha!) we have a new album coming soon, and an accompanying journey in the form of isolatedmix 94.

The lead single from the (yet untitled) album, Spirits may come as a surprise to listeners expecting another Charcoal. But Brambles’ respect for texture, composure and melody is clearly evident throughout this new approach.

… the sound palette has shifted dramatically but the moody and melancholic qualities that made their previous release so resonant remain deeply embedded.

One notable addition is the added manipulation of vocals. In Spirits, this evangelical, alien language is used as an instrument, never quite overpowering, holding enough back to add depth and mysteriousness.

The new balance of ambient and more colorful pop-infused productions comes to life within Brambles’ isolatedmix, showing where the inspiration has arisen from over the past few years.

This mix is a little trip around my current influences. Starting with experimental ambient, to left-field pop and ending with dreamy folky shoegaze. Some tracks are recent discoveries and others are tracks I keep returning to. I love how the internet has spawned so many micro-genres and niches. It's overwhelming at times but also exciting to find a new style and follow that path through the various artists, collaborations and offshoots. I have also included an unreleased Brambles track which will be on my forthcoming album - M.

Download.

Tracklist:

01. Kara-Lis Coverdale - Touch me & die
02. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Fullmoon (Motion Graphics Remix)
03. Natureboy Flako - Gelis
04. Brambles - Out Of Bounds
05. Amnesia Scanner - AS Daemon
06. Aisha Devi - Two Serpents
07. Susumu Yokota - GEKKOH
08. Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima, Satsuki Shibano - Anata
09. Zora Jones - Oh Boy
10. Lorn - UNDEAD DOGS
11. SOPHIE - Is It Cold In The Water?
12. Charli XCX - Cross You Out (feat. Sky Ferreira)
13. Nosaj Thing - How We Do (feat. KAZU)
14. M83 - Corridor
15. Florist - The Fear of Losing This
16. Slowdive - So Tired
17. Julia Holter - How Long?
18. Grouper - I’m Clean Now
19. John Maus - Cop Killer

Brambles | Soundcloud | Discogs | Bandcamp

isolatedmix 72 - Wanderwelle

It's hard to break through with a distinct sound where dub-techno is concerned. From its Detroit roots, we've seen many artists adapt the style into deeper into ambient territory; adaptations into more 'dub' than techno; the addition of vocals; or dub-techno based entirely on rain recordings. And now, with Wanderwelle's full-length debut on Silent Season, we have another innovative take...

Those that have listened to 'Lost In A Sea Of Trees', will know that the album, despite being rooted in deep, dubby kicks, adds a new creative dimension to the sound we're used to.  Inspired by the mysterious pagan tribes that once roamed across the European woodlands, you find yourself transported back in time to a place you can only dream of exploring. Balancing wistful, floating atmospheres that depict an often hopeful journey, combined with apprehensive shades of darkness, mysterious whistles of wind, and slowly unfurling melodies, the album is a journey into itself - a new mystical expression of the often functional side of dub-techno. This is the Yin, to Yagya's Yang; as the rain clears and you make your way out into the dense forest. 

As if creating a part II for their Mysteries of the Deep mix a few months back, Wanderwelle's isolatedmix captures this mysterious pagan spirit perfectly, blending dense ambient and subtle churns of melodic dub-techno, all featuring a sense of exploration, mystery and unknowing:

"This mix contains sounds and moods that will transfer the listener to a mystic realm where foggy atmospheres and moonlit melodies will haunt its travellers. A world that consists of deep electronics where at times subtle ivory keys will rise like autumn winds that sweep through ruins of past days. A strangely isolated place where like-minded souls will cross each other's paths".

Wanderwelle's debut album on Silent Season is now available. 

Download.

Tracklist:

01. Gigi Masin - Talk to the Sea
02. Earthen Sea - Our Bloods
03. Susumu Yokota - Secret Garden
04. Varg - Öhn
05. Mkwaju Ensemble - Hot Air
06. Fjäder - Shades of Light
07. Milena Kriegs - Svadisthana
08. Varg & Abdulla Rashim - Metro Entrance II
09. Wanderwelle - Unreleased
10. Function - Ember (Field)
11. Sky H1 - Huit
12. Huerco S. - A Sea of Love
13. Isorinne - Composite City
14. Periskop - Immerse (Component IX)
15. Isorinne - Los Angeles 2017
16. Yko - Shiro (Max Loderbauer Remix)
17. Leandro Fresco & Rafael Anton Irisarri - Un Horizonte En Llamas
18. Woodkid & Nils Frahm - Winter Morning I
19. Anthony Linell - Royal Island

Wanderwelle | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Twitter | Facebook