There are only a few podcasts and mix series that stand the test of time over the years and become regular go-to’s. Unrush, for example, began 8 years ago and has since hosted classic mixes from Wanderwelle, Jamie Mccue (Silent Season), Kamikaze Space Program, Sven Weisemann, and the host herself, Mareena. If you’re not familiar with the series, you have some digging to do.
As many may know, my DJ mixes are often conceptual and ladder to a bigger idea. For example, my most recent mix for Monument was made entirely of loops, and I’d often spend weeks perfecting the output.
I often try and do more with recorded sets because you have more time to obsess and create something different than what someone would hear playing live. However, for this mix, given it was over the holiday period and life is pretty hectic right now, I chose to adopt a more “don’t overthink it” approach, and just did what hit me...
I was also more optimistic about kicking off the year, and I didn’t want to go down a dark or ambient route (as might be the initial reaction given the mix series title). In hindsight, I very rarely do straight-up ambient sets.
The result:
We are delighted to begin the year with a mix from ASIP (Ryan Griffin), the founder of A Strangely Isolated Place - a label and mix series that has become a cornerstone for contemporary ambient music. Inviting him felt long overdue, and we couldn’t be happier to share this contribution from someone whose work continually inspires us. For this mix, Ryan delved into musical memories, crafting a journey filled with nostalgia and influences. As he beautifully puts it:
"Thank you, Mareen, for the invite to your series. This mix is full of nostalgia, some Balearic undertones, and classic approaches to ambient electronic music, without an agenda. It starts to speak to some major influences on me over the years. Growing up on 90's electronic music, influential summers in Europe, and the formative years of early 00's IDM and electronica. If Unrush is self-described as 'a serene space within the mind that is free from the encumbering stresses of daily life,' then this is music that always helps me get there."
Ryan’s contribution is a heartfelt journey through time, marked by the sounds that have shaped him and continue to inspire, perfectly embodying the unrushed ethos. Let yourself drift and enjoy... ❤️
The set features 3 unreleased tracks that may or may not be forthcoming on the label. Well… Aspetuck’s is locked and loaded at least, and the Mikkel Rev and Alvar are in the early discussion and sequencing stages (the fun part!)
Listen to the mix below or on Soundcloud. Bandcamp links in the tracklist wherever possible.
Tracklist:
01. Ishq - And Awake (2011, Interchill Records)
02. Aspetuck - Hit Me With Your Pet Shark (Forthcoming, A Strangely Isolated Place)
03. Wilson Tanner - Further Than Your Headlights (2016, Growing Bin Records)
04. TSR - gtchi3 (2012, Record Union)
05. MPU101 - Sunset Memories (2024, Ilian Tape)
06. Dream Dolphin - L.E.A (Mirror Coordinate Mix) (2023, Music From Memory)
07. C-thru - Awake In A Dream (2023, Pacific Rhythm)
08. Norman Feller - Melting From The Inside (2003, Electrolux)
09. Gallo - That Moment (2023, Hell Yeah)
10. Spooky - Let Go (1993, Guerilla)
11. Neutron 9000 - Empire (1994, Rising High)
12. Alvar - Our Peach Sky (Unreleased)
13. Mikkel Rev - Unknown (Unreleased)
14. Ebi - Kaze (1996, Space Teddy)
15. Jochem Paap - Dx-Snth (1999, Fax)
