Gunnar Jónsson Collider / S.W.I.M. (ASIPV041)

Icelandic musician Gunnar Jónsson Collider debuts on A Strangely Isolated Place with an expansive trip through six fictional environments, brought further to life through an accompanying video by artist Arna Beth.

Inviting escapism through detailed, glacial textures, S.W.I.M. elevates a traditional beatless spectrum into a first-person narrative, moving across burning wastelands, miles-high sundown, a dizzying night sky, subterranean exploration, and more beautiful, natural phenomena. Subtle changes in tone and texture across each of the six environments provide a signal of the destination’s energy and the intended perception of the traveler. At times, elated and dwarfed by nature’s surrounding grandeur. Other times, bestowing a sense of apprehension and unknowing.

Best absorbed through the accompanying visual album by fellow Icelandic digital artist Arna Beth, S.W.I.M. is an immersive jump into a majestic sci-fi world, placing you front and center in both sound and visual. After appearing on numerous well-respected electronic labels in recent years such as Móatún, Moller and Vertex, S.W.I.M represents Gunnar’s most horizontal output to date.

Mastered by Franceso Fabris, and featuring artwork by Noah M / Keep Adding, based on Arna Beth's visuals, S.W.I.M., will be available on limited edition Blue Smoke 12” and digital.

View the release page for full links to listen and buy

Join us for a full album AV experience on Bandcamp, May 21st.

Announcement: Our new physical distributor - Spacecadets

**Important announcement for our vinyl buyers and shops stocking our records**

We’ve made an important decision to join a new distributor who will handle our stock (outside of our Bandcamp sales). Going forward, our physical releases will be distributed and sold directly by https://www.spacecadets.world/

Recently setup by Ario from Astral Industries, Space Cadets allows us the chance to work and build something with a trusted friend in a similar world, and some of our favourite labels are already onboard, such as Mysteries of The Deep and Affin.

TLDR; if you previously purchased our records in the UK, EU, ROW (or basically any non-US sales) Space Cadets will now have the majority of our stock to buy on their site direct and be handling sales into local shops. Anyone who purchases our records on Bandcamp, nothing has changed and we will still also sell direct on our Bandcamp store.

I wanted to thank Juno and Milo for the immense unwavering support they’ve shown since our very first release. We wouldn’t be where we are now without their support. And more recently, One Eye Witness for taking us on and supporting as part of their amazingly curated venture

Any stores looking to stock our upcoming records (including backstock) get in touch with us here or direct with Spacecadets.

Check out the Space Cadets site and get ready for our next release to be announced very soon with Space Cadets leading the charge!

ASIP @ Liminal Dreams, Tokyo

Recording of my DJ set for the Liminal Dreams 1st-anniversary series in Tokyo, March 11th, 2023 alongside @lynne-tokyo, @yolabmi (Live), @yutotakei, and @yutaroy at Spread, Shimokitazawa. Thank you to all who made this evening happen, those who came, listened attentively, shut their eyes and let the music fill the room on an amazing system that Saturday evening.

It really was a special, memorable moment for me.

The set includes lots of unreleased/forthcoming ASIP music, alongside releases from Quiet Places (plenty of their new stuff in here ;-), Max Würden and Merrin Karras, plus some of my fave moments from Field Lines Cartographer, Echospace, qebrµs, Sindh, Jo Johnson, Acronym, Endurance and Wndfrm.

Cover photo on the night by Toby Barnes.

Read more about the event here.

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP - Live DJ set @ Liminal Dreams, Tokyo

ASIP @ Muzan Editions + Bar Wols, Osaka

I’m delighted to announce a second night of ambient-ish shenanigans in Japan this month, this time alongside the lovey Muzan Editions crew, where Endurance (Muzan founder) will play live and I will be accompanied by Saki and Dérive on the decks at Wols bar in Osaka.

This follows the show a week earlier in Tokyo - more info on that show here.

Head over to Muzan Editions to hear more from their great catalog and a taster of what to expect from Endurance and Dérive. Saki, I hear is normally more in the techno realm and we will be treated to a very special, rare ambient set!

Hope to see you there.

Mikkel Rev / The Art of Levitation (ASIPV039)

Many of you may know I am a big fan of trance music. The Portals feature alongside todos is probably a big giveaway, but I grew up on the stuff. So it’s a very proud moment to have a record on ASIP that definitely… goes there. Amongst the variety of approaches and styles on this record, Mikkel has truly conjured up some magical moments, and whilst it may not all be high-energy euphoria, it’s definitely all euphoria.

~

Norwegian producer Mikkel Rev debuts on A Strangely Isolated Place with his most accomplished album to date; traversing nostalgic chillout, slow-burning downtempo, and euphoric trance, in a similar approach to the diverse styles found within the early pioneering electronic ambient albums of the ‘90s. 

As part of the growing label collective Ute Records, Mikkel Rev can often be found entertaining uninhibited ravers amongst the forests of Norway, where he and his label mates are spearheading one of the many so-called Trance revivals. Just as comfortable releasing high-energy 140bpm electronic music alongside Filip Storsveen as Omformer, or creating expansive space-ambient pieces on the flip for the Sinensis label, The Art of Levitation is the perfect gateway into the diverse array of electronic music to emerge from the world of Mikkel Rev. 

Moving through various energies and BPMs, The Art of Levitation is clearly vivid in approach and concept, based on track titles and art alone. In a similar parallel to the main room and the chillout room often found at raves, the album invites you to take a journey through both over time. Touching on moments of early electronic ambient, to begin with, it soon evolves into a blissful beat-driven progressive chapter, culminating in a nostalgic nod to the very best moments Trance music has to offer. The ending can be found in the back room, as the journey finally tails in to a more emotional point of reflection. 

The Art of Levitation is a mirror to the feelings created, the friends made, the dance floor antics witnessed, and nostalgic moments earned, by everyone who experienced the spectrum of energy and euphoria electronic music can offer during those special times.

The Art of Levitation is available on March 20th, on Gatefold orange 2LP, plus digital. Featuring artwork photography by Wendy Carroll and mastered by Andreas Lupo Lubich.

See the release page to listen and for links to buy.