ASIP - Reflection on 2023

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.

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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)

isolatedmix 97 - Jane Fitz: We Fall Into The Sun

There’s many ways I thought about introducing Jane Fitz, and no-matter which way I went, I couldn’t do her accolades justice. A DJ’s DJ, a producer, a respected digger, event curator, and doing it all for years now… the list goes on. I came back to something very simple. Jane is the first DJ I thought of when we organized our upcoming London Label night. Someone who could spin records in an intimate setting; on an amazing system; have the trainspotters out in force; transition between ambient and [insert pretty much any genre] and ensure everyone has a good time.

My request to Jane to complete a mix for us actually came before the event was on the horizon, but it was serendipitous to say the least and mean’t I would hunt her down every day until she got this one out into the world to give you all a preview of her infamous sets. Those who follow her already know, her live mixes and podcasts are often a deep and winding journey between techno, acid, abstract experimental, straight-up electronica, psychedelia, ambient and more. As a result, they often stretch for multiple hours at a time. Jane likes to take people on a journey - a DJ in the truest sense of the word honing her craft and with a smile to boot. Jane is also a vinyl enthusiast, and I regularly see her name supporting ASIP releases and many other likeminded labels so it’s a true honor to have her a part of the isolatedmix series.

Thank you, Jane, for the considered effort and time that went into all of this. Of course, in true Jane Fitz style, we’ve been treated to a bit of an extended session at 1hr 44mins. We look forward to seeing Jane spin next week. To accompany the mix, I sent Jane a few quick questions, below.

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How did you approach your isolatedmix? Is there a concept in mind?

JF - Less of a concept and more of a mood - I wanted to create a moment in time with this mix and it's definitely reflective of how I feel currently - a little winter-weary and hungry for sunshine and longer days. I have been playing a lot of long and all-night sets recently and the beginnings generally sound like this, atmospheric, thoughtful, but heady and trippy too, which I set out to capture. It's something I'm enjoying more and more - and I guess this mix takes that long slow build from the set, and just stays in that space, rather than kicking it up a notch. Now it's finished I see it as part of a bigger whole, I have a part two in mind but for something and somewhere totally different.

Where and how was the mix recorded?

JF -At home in my studio in the garden, in one take. Everything is off records. I had been thinking about it for quite some time, trying to describe what I thought makes an ASIP mix and suffering a bit of DJs block. But in the end, once I'd whittled down to about 50 possibles, the records told me what to play and in what order, like they always do.

You're known as a brilliant selector and vinyl enthusiast, how did it all come about?

JF - Thank you! Pure love for music that grew to an obsession and became a longterm relationship. I started collecting records aged 10 and I've had some very full and some very lean periods doing so. But I guess obsessively from my late 20s (so the past 20 years or so) I've compulsively bought as much as my pocket and my space will allow. I just love records, I love the sound of music played on a record and I love storing and filing and rediscovering the music I already own on record. 

What are a few of your secret weapons on vinyl?

JF - Now if I told you the secrets would they still be weapons??

In keeping with the spirit of ASIP I give you this. It didn't make it onto this mix but it features on a tape released by Nachtdigital of my ambient set there a few years ago. And this one, a really lovely record with a dark heart I picked up in New York for very cheap two tracks from this make the mix. 

What are some of your favorite record shops?

JF - Round And Round - Melbourne; Low Company and the Little Record Shop - London; Redhill - Helsinki; Staalplaat - Berlin. Yugovinyl - Belgrade; Clique and Living Inc - Seoul; A1 - NYC; Seance Centre and Invisible City - Toronto; Snickers - Stockholm; EAD and Los Apson in Tokyo. And I have some really secret ones I won't reveal...

What's your digging process? Looking for something in particular? Browsing by art? By genre? Portable turntable?!

JF - I actually just bought a portable turntable recently so I think this might alter my digging habits. I have different ways - if I'm digging in store I just try and work my way through everything and wait ‘til something speaks to me - whether it's label info or cover art. In more modern stores its straight to the bargain bins. Discogs I have a number of ways - I like to obsessively stalk producers and labels. But I also love to set myself weird parameters using the 'explore' function. I always bump into something brilliant that way.

You're set to play our first ASIP label night in London at Hidden Sounds (I can't wait!) what can everyone expect from your set?

JF - Transcendental brain music that fully intends to kidnap you. I'm a sucker for all things psychedelic and druggy and deep and for a night like this (I can't wait either!) I think I need to take people places in their minds but also do my best to create the horizontal-listening rave. Dancing without decibels. Heat without beats. Something special...for you. 

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Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud or the ASIP Podcast.

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Tracklist:

01. Legion Of Green Men - Noise Floor /External Opascule #55 (Plus 8)
02. Jay Glass Dubs - Urged To Be Cleansed While Bathed In More Blood (Berceuse Heroique)
03. Aiwa - Etamorph (Banlieue)
04. Sixtyone - Tregnanton (Verdant)
05. Lyterian - What We Left Behind Will Be Lost Forever (Space Cadets)
06. O Yuki Conjugate - Steppe Land (Emotional Rescue) (Wrong speed)
07. Annawooh - Dust From WIthin (Stoscha)
08. Hugo R A Paris - Heliophagis (Jackstone)
09. Andrea Belfi - Plateau (Float)
10. Frazer Campbell - Araline (Elliot Project)
11. Annawooh - Stellar Explosion (Stoscha)
12. Evolution - B-S-W-P-S-S (Chill-Core-Mix) (Gaia Tontrager)
13. O Yuki Conjugate - Rite Of Passage (Emotional Rescue)
14. Fabio Orsi - Moon (Oltrarno)
15. TM404 - Trico (Kontra)
16. KNR - Zabran (Diskant)
17. M//R - Among The Methods (Great Circles)
18. Covert Dub - Spectre Overseas (Orbjects, Overseas And Oceans) (BMG)

Jane Fitz | Soundcloud | RA | Instagram