isolatedmix 100 - Tom Middleton

Since the first isolatedmix by Ulrich Schnauss in 2009, we’ve been lucky enough to explore many of the artists, DJ’s, producers and inspirations behind this site’s inception. It started as a way for me to dig into what makes some of my musical heroes tick and to this day is a way for me to unearth some insights behind my favorite musicians, both new and old. Isolatedmixes over the years have been themed; full showcases; focused on a specific concept, or simply tracks from the heart. They’ve provided a unique angle on a musician or DJ through the lens of ASIP and each recalls a specific moment in time for me as ASIP has evolved, and I’m sure many others too, who have been along for the ride since the beginning.

The invite sent to this particular contributor has been a dream since before the series even existed. One half of Global Communication; remixer of the finest order; Jedi Knight, Sleep Science Coach; multi-genre DJ, plus a personal memory of a hands-in-the-air-festival-moment-circa-2001 with Take Me With You; we welcome Tom Middleton, and our #100th isolatedmix.

As the man behind some of the most magical ambient music from the past 20+ years and perhaps my #1 ambient record with 76:14, Tom has spent the last few years studying, and educating on the topic of music and sleep. His experience ultimately led him to use his wisdom to good effect, trying to better our musical and mental livelihoods and you’ll struggle to find anyone more suited. Passionate about music in its purest form across multiple genres and disciplines, it was clear after speaking to Tom on the phone recently that he lives and breathes his work, and is dedicated to making a positive change in the world through music.

Pioneering research around the effects of music helping with sleep, culminated in Tom designing an album fit for that very purpose titled ‘Sleep Better’. Backed by science and years of studies, he now counts millions of subscribers who use his music for mental and emotional wellness through his productions in the Calm app, and speaks at conferences around the world as an expert on the topic.

We were lucky enough to (nearly!) have Tom to play at our first ASIP London show back in March as a special surprise guest, but due to Covid-19, those plans were unfortunately put on pause. But, there’s one thing that dastardly thing can’t ruin - the creation of a mix to enjoy anywhere - lockdown or not. Tom’s mix, clocking in at over 3.5hrs long is a true journey into gentle moments; reaching into outer-space; and combining classic-sounding ASIP inspirations; weaving in and out of the many worlds of Tom Middleton over the years. Featuring several tracks from his own back-catalog alongside many personal touches; an exclusive premiere of a new collaboration with Ulrich Schnauss (we’ve gone full circle!) and even a track by Tom’s Jazz Guitarist Grandfather, taken from an old 78. We’ve got a full track-by-track breakdown by Tom below…

Given my admiration for Tom goes back many LP’s and many decades, I sent a few questions his way to accompany the mix. So hit play and get reading below, as we dive into his many projects, inspirations, some niggling personal wonders surrounding Global Communication and of course new music (and that repress!)

This has been pure fan-boy territory - but what else would you expect? Thank you Tom, for so much time and effort that went into the mix; the accompanying questions and the detailed notes, all completed within some very surreal and challenging circumstances for all.

I present to you, the Jedi himself.

~

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 100 - Tom Middleton

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

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Track notes & mix introduction from Tom

“Creating the ASIP 100th episode has been a delight, an honour and a privilege. Thank you for this opportunity Ryan. 🙏🏻

I wanted to integrate sounds and music that illustrates my journey to this point. With notable works that emotionally resonate deeply with me (and I hope with the listeners.)

My manifesto and philosophy hasn’t changed much, I still seek to feel that human unique expression of sincere feeling, pure emotional integrity, that an artist can embed within a plethora of frequencies.

From sparse abstract textural pieces that simply evoke colours, temperatures, feelings, to more complex arrangements and compositions that are more detailed and figurative in how they describe the artists vision. Inspirations are clear; Sci-Fi to Sci-Fact, Classical, Soundtracks, Electronic and Ambient to experimental and organic human performances juxtaposed with the sounds of machines.

Highlights include the sonification of the oldest known sound in the cosmos, to moments from my childhood. The voice of Carl Sagan and Vangelis’s soundtrack to The Cosmos, JMJ’s joyful, majestic and uplifting Equinoxe Pt 1 (I recommend playing this if you would like an energy and mood boost). Then my first profound musical memory of my Dad placing me in the stereo sweet spot to listen to Tomita’s Snowflakes Are Dancing vinyl LP at the age of 7. An unforgettable moment hearing Tomita’s peerless synthesised arrangements of Debussy. And the back of the sleeve piques my curiosity into the world of analogue synthesisers. Vangelis, Tomita and Eno are the clearest inspirations in all of my work.

A snapshot of the indelible scene in Bladerunner when Rachael makes her first entrance. Followed by a selection of tracks that all have these profound qualities for musical story telling.

The delicate subtlety of Sigur Ros, the warm harmonies of Underworld.

Eno’s 3M5; a few moments of exquisite beauty that for me describe a place I could happily go and live.

GC 4:14 is one of my personal favourites from 76:14 - without realising I had performed the lead synthesised melody as if it was a ‘Cello - my second instrument.

bvdub - this is so hypnotic and enchanting - I can listen to this on loop for hours without fatigue.

Steve Roach, for me is one of those underrated geniuses that to my mind deserves more recognition. His ambient music in many ways is more refined, better produced and more sophisticated than some of his contemporaries.

I’ve segued in a moment from the new GCOM exoplanet exploration project. I loved imagining the sensation of experiencing a refreshing new atmosphere for the first time.

Another Eno classic for me - a track to lose yourself in.

Had to include a more structurally recognisable work from the late sound design genius Thomas Denis Qebrµs. For those unfamiliar with his work. I implore you to dip in and experience a level of unprecedented audio-sensory immersion. At points, it can be uncomfortable and challenging, but there is something so compelling about hearing a musical form that has never really been heard. He achieved his goal of creating alien music.

We leave the first hour with an optimistic crescendo cue from the Prometheus Soundtrack.

A flashback to the untouchably epic theme from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, which is right up there as one of my all time favourites.

And this direct reference to Vangelis’s production and orchestration style which provided the reverential inspiration for the opening track Sunset from Sleep Better.

I made a special ambient edit of Reload ‘Event Horizon’ that blends the intro and outro sections without the intense rhythmic central workout.

A nod to contemporary 90’s pioneers, educators and inspirations include BOC, The Orb and Spooky (goodness Orange Coloured Liquid is sublime isn’t it?!)

Richard’s effortlessly sublime Lichen transports me straight back to Cornwall every time.

This mix gave me the opportunity to showcase the extraordinary talents of Jeff Taylor Cross - (Apple’s mastermind behind the evolution of Logic / Pro X) who’s career trajectory though music, design and beyond into app engineering and development is unparalleled. An unsung hero in our world of music production! Please extend an applause for Jeff and his team, without whom most of the current wave of ambient music might actually have never been produced without this incredible, limitless creative music production platform.

I’m a huge fan of Albuquerque’s guitar virtuoso and inspiring educator Andy Othling aka Lowercase Noises - and I highly recommend checking his Youtube channel for the most enchanting live ambient performances. Simple Sounds in Simple Places and also informative ‘how to’ videos.

I had to include the joyful electric autoharp ambience of Laraaji - head to the full 20 minute version, sit or lay back, eyes closed, and deploy some conscious breath-work for a truly transcendental experience my friends!

I love the 528Hz Love Frequency drone sequence from Travis (Machine Drum). And here’s a full hour of 528Hz bliss. Feels good to me!

A special mention to the inspiring Yoko Sen. I’ve included this graceful and sensitive sleep-scape as a tribute to the incredible work she is doing in rescoring the sound of hospitals and creating music for palliative care.

I’ve sequenced some introspective and achingly beautiful modern electro-classical cues and electronic masterpieces. Sienna - recommend exploring his harmonically empathetic catalogue. Ilya Malyuev - another lesser known but extremely accomplished artist that truly needs to be discovered.

Interwoven with Jon Hopkins remix of Sea Of Glass, and a few artists that may not be so familiar to the ambient community. The aim is to increase awareness of the extraordinary and abundant musicality to still be discovered. Which synergistically aligns with Ryan’s visionary imprint and radio station.

I’ve included the debut GC release Incidental Harmony which marked the start of the exploration of pure emotions in sound. And an exclusive debut for a collaboration between myself and Ulrich Schnauss we created more than 15 years ago..have to work out exactly when!

Mmoths - this chord progression is so powerful it stops you in your tracks.

John Beltran - Clouds Pull - the most exquisite and uplifting strings and in my opinion on a par with Sebastien Tellier’s La Ritournelle.

Universal Solution - Liquid Love is so potent, has such positive energy, Gavin is so talented and really knows how to channel emotions into sound. I would recommend anytime you need your spirits uplifting.

Ralf and Florian - Tanzmusik - had to include a tribute to one of Kraftwerks founding members Florian Schneider-Esleben, who we lost in April. This group has had more impact on our world than any other. And this is one of those naively beautiful pioneering works that I return to regularly for that simple and playful charm of melody, harmony and rhythm. Think about it. We might not even be doing what we do without their contribution to electronic music.

Brian Eno’s 1:1 sits in the rotating top of my all time favourites, along with An Ending (Ascent) and Ikebukuro. Unparalleled minimalism and effortless execution. Ambient perfection.

Closing the episode we rewind through time to the 1950’s. And a dusty and crackly 78rpm my Grandmother had kept of a recording my Grandfather (whom I never met) Tommy Middleton performed Jazz Guitar on. The track is entitled ‘Always and Always’. In those moments between verses I can hear Tommy’s chords strums and am reminded where some of my musical DNA comes from.

Couldn’t leave you all without a few poignant words from our friend Ben Kenobi (will never forget watching SW at the age of 7 and the profound impact it has had on my imagination and sonic trajectory).

The Force Will Be With You Always.

Huge thanks to Ryan and the important work he is doing in expanding the voice of this subtle musical form around the world.

Hope you enjoy the music, the feelings and the stories.”

- Tom M 01/07/2020 | Instagram: @tommiddletonmusic

Full Tracklist

01. Tom Middleton - ASIP + 9128 intro
02. Global Communication - 0:54
03. The oldest sound in the cosmos - cosmic microwave background radiation from the Big Bang Tuning out Saturn radio waves
04. Carl Sagan - Voyager Gold Disc interview
05. Ganymede and Whistlers
06. Jean-Michel Jarre - Equinoxe Pt.1
07. Tomita - Suite Bergamasque / Clair de Lune
08. Vangelis - Dr. Tyrells Owl
09. Chihei Hatakeyama + Federico Durand - Luisa
10. Sigur Rós - Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do
11. Underworld - Sunshine
12. Brian Eno - 3M5
13. Julianna Barwick - The Harbinger (Alex Somers Remix)
14. Lowercase Noises - The Last Stages of Consumption
15. Global Communication - 4:14
16. Kara Lisa Coverdale - Grafts (edit)
17. bvdub - Make The Pain Go Away
18. Steve Roach - This Moment Is Memory
19. GCOM - Atmosphere Test
20. Brian Eno - Signals
21. Qebrµs - ۩ ִ ְ ֲ ֳ ֲ ۩ - 05 ฌฎ๒๓๔ญ°°°°°
22. Marc Streitenfeld - Earth
23. Vangelis - Heaven and Hell (Theme from 'The Cosmos')
24. Tom Middleton - Sunset
25. Reload (+E621) - Event Horizon (TM edit)
26. Boards of Canada - Olson
27. The Orb - O.O.B.E.
28. Shur-i-kan (Tom Szirtes) - Ebb and Flow
29. Jeff Taylor Cross - Ambient 02
30. Spooky - Orange Coloured Liquid
31. Marcomé - Memoria
32. Aphex Twin - Lichen
33. Lowercase Noises - Ambient Songs 06
34. Laraaji - Being Here
35. Machine Drum - 528Hz Love Frequency
36. Yoko Sen - Sleepscape 6
37. Tom Middleton - St Ives Bay
38. Dustin O’Halloran - Memories (Lion)
39. August Wilhelmsson - Somewhere in Between
40. Sienna - Seven Bays for Seven Days
41. Lights & Motion - Glaciers
42. Rone - Human
43. Tom Middleton - Sea Of Glass (Jon Hopkins mix)
44. One Divided Soul - Of
45. Jakob Ahlbom - Ether
46. LA Synthesis - Zyllvakrynn
47. The Presets - Promises (Nils Frahm Version)
48. Ilya Malyuev - Universe
49. Global Communication - Incidental Harmony
50. Tom Middleton and Ulrich Schnauss - Midaus 1
51. Tom Middleton - WYV AUW CHU (Ambient mix)
52. Mmoths - Deu
53. John Beltran - Clouds Pull
54. Universal Solution - Liquid Love
55. Ralf and Florian - Tanzmusik
56. Brian Eno 1:1 (excerpt)
57. Felix Mendelssohn's Hawaiian Serenaders (featuring Tommy Middleton) - Always and Always
58. Ben Kenobi - The Force Will Be With You Always

~

Interview with Tom Middleton

Let’s set the scene. Where are you right now and what was the last thing you listened to? 

Italy - Vangelis - Création Du Monde

I’m going to start with the obvious… 76.14 is often held up as one of the greatest ambient albums of all time. Did you know you were on to something special when it was released? Do you look back and see it in a similar light?

Very proud of it, and felt like it was an enlightening, evolutionary and educational work. Whilst I’m happy to listen to it, but there are some tracks I prefer to others now.  4:14 and 9:25 are my personal favourites, and I never tire of them. The progression in terms of where it began, the elements that formed it, and where we could take it forward. Exciting project for me. 

The album (76:14) was a chance for me to contribute more to the whole process whereas before Mark was mostly in the driving seat with tracks as Reload. I came in as E621 to add those trademark melodic and harmonic elements. It was a logical and natural artistic evolution from the initial concept I had on my birthday in ‘92 for pure emotions in sound that may use rhythmic and textural foundations from sounds of life and nature that bore Incidental Harmony and Sublime Creation on Evolution. And subsequently Ob-selon Mi-nos ‘happening’ after I lost my Uncle and randomly being in the studio for a session that initially started as a remix project but ultimately it was so different from the original it was essentially a new track. Including the sounds of passing time and movement through space with the Grandfather Clock, trains and planes as sonic metaphors for the passing of a loved one.

It was at times cathartic but deeply rewarding to create. We weren’t considering a niche dance-floor style, simply flowing intuitively, just making what we felt after the educational and exploratory experience of re-translating Chapterhouse’s Blood Music album into the Pentamerous Metamorphosis. This really helped us focus the process and refine our sound ready for 76:14. But Mark and I were oblivious to it being part of any scene or genre. We were pretty isolated from the Ambient Techno hub in London down there in Crewkerne/Somerset!

Ah the infamous Southwest England 90’s crew! Are you still in contact with Richard (Aphex Twin)? Have you guys ever discussed a new collaboration? If not, how can we make it happen?!

Yes, as it happens. I saw him a while back and we chat by email. We did bounce around various ideas. Basically I’d need to go up to his place as he tends to stay local.

Talking of Aphex, 1994 was (in electronic/ambient music at the very least) one of the most defining and greatest years for ambient music (Aphex Twin, Biosphere, Autechre etc). Who or what was inspiring you at the time of producing 76.14?

Music culture was the biggest influence and what we were listening to. Eno and all his ambient collaborators! Lanois, Hassell, Budd, Brook, Laraaji, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Tomita, Kraftwerk, Peter Gabriel (particularly Passion - soundtrack to The Last Temptation Of Christ - still peerless and one of the most atmospheric albums), Jarre, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, John Barry, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Vaughn Williams, Mahler, Grieg, Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Chopin, Glass, Reich, The Smiths, The Cure and for me : Prince, Metheny, U2, Human League, OMD, Depeche Mode. 

And our peers… Aphex - of course! (pre Plaid) Black Dog Productions, Carl Craig (as BFC and Psyche.) Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, B12, some of the R&S, Apollo and Eevolute artists.

Plus films and scores..most of the usual Sci-Fi suspects plus more arthouse and natural world inspired works such as Koyaanisqatsi, Attenborough. Personal relationships, family life, social life all had an inevitable impact on the music too.

Have you ever wanted to soundtrack a film?

Totally… and it’s on the agenda. Would love to score an epic Sci-fi / Sci-fact story. Yes, obvious, but I’m a Sci-fi nut.

What are your thoughts on the output of electronic ambient music today? Do you see us having another defining period or year similar to that infamous year of ‘94? 

Actually I’m discovering some wonderful ‘neo-ambient’ or whatever it’s called now!

Although not always new-new, but new to my ears. The joys of Bandcamp, Soundcloud and Spotify. Clearly a new wave coming through. And in some cases with a really authentic, well-considered and produced sound - the legacy of Boards of Canada and washed out cassette and reel-to-reel tape premastering!

Do you have a favorite style of ambient music? Anyone you’re excited about today?

Steve Roach’s vast library always delivers. Eno, naturally. Alien drone, dark drone, frozen soundscapes, not sure if these are actual sub-genres? I actually listen to a lot of sound designers sample packs on loop. Bandcamp and Soundcloud are great places for discovery, and I think the Spotify Artist Radio algorithm can yield surprising results.

Jon Hopkins, Synkro and Ulrich Schnauss have always been right up there for me. Mark Pritchard, goes without saying. Big big fan of Andy Othling’s Lowercase Noise work - epic, expansive, exquisite, delicate, intensely emotive. Love Jeff Taylor’s one hour ambient challenges… he and I definitely share some similar aesthetics. I trust and respect his taste! He switched me onto you (ASIP)!! Seem to have a fair bit of Stars Of The Lid. Guthrie and Budd, Sakamoto, Leandro Fresco, Astropilot, Clem Leek, Carbon Based Lifeforms. Love film soundtrack and neoclassical composers as well such as Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds. I may well be a fan of some Spotify Fake Artists(!)

But all of this feels known. My quest is to seek unknown and unimaginable sound sources these days. I get bored with the seemingly endless derivative forms of music. For certain projects I’m working on this is necessary. Sleep Better, for example requires the safety and comfort of ‘known’. But in my own audio quests, I crave the unknown. I want unpredictable and challenging, to feel intentional ‘alien’ discomfort as well as comfortable total bliss.

My favourite next level artist that literally stopped me in my tracks sonically when I first heard his work tragically passed away recently. And I was collaborating with him on a few tracks as well. He was called Thomas Denis aka Qebrus from Caen in Normandy. Mind blowing next level sound design. In my opinion he was ‘the next Aphex’, having been inspired by Richard as well. His legacy will live on. Not ambient, but certainly atmospheric, and very challenging post IDM/braindance/glitch/breakcore whatever you might call it. For me it was completely alien sounds from another dimension.

Speaking of slightly alien sounds, one thing I’ve always wondered when listening to 76:14 - the voices we hear on ‘0.54’ - how did these happen and who are these people!?

All friends, or people we recorded at various times whilst on tour. From the daughter of Pete Townshend (yes...The Who) who delivered it in Italian to our then managers Indian wife, a Russian promoter, Dutch distributor (?), our French PR agent, my English landlady! It’s the same message just translated into bunch of different languages including morse code!

76:14 is up there, but so is the Blood Music: Pentamerous Metamorphosis. How did this Chapterhouse remix album come about? Were the band happy with the result? 

I was working in Mighty Force Records and Andy Sheriff came in (I think he had recently moved down to Devon or was staying locally?) He’d picked up Ob-selon Mi-nos and was really feeling it. He mooted the idea of a remix for his band, which we then developed into a re-translation of the entire album. It was such a great experience, working with real musicians/singers. We had access to the all of the multi-tracks, had a critical listen through making notes, curating and cherry picking elements we thought we could use. Then a very natural exploratory creative and production process of highlighting key motifs, themes, passages, textures and parts that we could resample, sound design and craft into entirely new tracks. In some cases a vocal part would inform the entire track, or a melodic phrase or rhythmic part. We were really pleased with it, conceptually and from a sonically aesthetic and production view point. Mark and I headed up to London to meet with Andy and Stephen to play the entire album to them. It was quite a moving experience for all of us! Potent emotional content in the original tracks, amplified and expanded with a little GC mojo.

Were you a big fan of Shoegaze back then? I also admire your remix of Slowdive’s ‘In-Mind’ and it probably helped the cult status of Slowdive grow even bigger within the ambient community that we see today! How did this remix come about? 

I’m personally not really a Shoegaze fan. I liked a few tracks from a few bands, Mark was into MBV, I quite liked some of the textures in Spiritualized’s work, and personally was a big fan of Seefeel (are they considered Shoegaze?) The 147 take does seem to have gained quite a following. We remixed many groups during that time, but this came about via the connection with Slowdive’s label Creation via the sub label Infonet which we’d signed to as Reload.

‘Le Soleil Et La Mer’ is perhaps one of my favorite ‘non-Global Communication’ productions, but it has the hallmark of everything you did as GC. Can you tell us a bit more about your work with Mark as Reload, and what made a Reload production different to work as GC?

I agree, it’s one of my personal favourites in the catalogue and clearly a precursor to the eventual sound of GC. You can hear the evolution in the Reload tracks I began contributing to as E621.

Initially I was contributing melodic and harmonic elements, live synth parts, then production and effects and rhythmic elements from Mosh and Biosphere onwards. In addition I think I brought the idea of conceptual and creative narrative to the partnership.

Looking across your discography, it seems like you enjoy producing and also mixing to a strong narrative. What comes first for you; a concept, or the music? 

You’re absolutely right. Mostly conceptual starting points, whether it’s a personal research project, a direct result of DJing in clubs or festivals, or simply imagining, planning, drafting a narrative or storyboard and then building. It’s quite classical in a sense. I might not always be scoring, but I hear the music in my head first and usually transcribe via whatever tools I need as audio sketches to finish. But some tracks, particularly the more 4/4 club tech/deep/bass/house tracks might have been jams that I built upon.

I can’t ask questions about all your productions as we’ll be here all day… but, Cosmos - ‘Take Me With You’... The white label / instrumental 12” was a massive summer tune for me at a time when I was going to festivals and I had no idea it was you for a while. I searched high and low for a pressing when it was on the radio every day. What inspired this track? Any more anthems on the horizon?

Thanks! It was a simple feeling, missing someone, and creating a tune that made me feel better. Also a bit of exploration into my love of 80’s synth music, Depeche Mode, Human League, OMD, Kraftwerk. And yes..hold tight..anthems galore coming soon. ; )

If they’re taking you with them, where are they going?

To Earth 2.0.

Let’s talk about your latest project ‘Sleep Better’. It’s no surprise to me to hear you release an album based on sleep given how transcendental your productions are, but it was a surprise for me to learn you’re so dedicated to the study and science behind it. How did that happen? What inspired it?

Literally a wake up call to social responsibility! I felt the need to use what I’d learned instinctively over nearly three decades of producing and performing to millions across 49 countries. Using all of that observational research and experience to make some really useful content that genuinely helps address fundamental human needs and problems. It’s still musical and emotional, but it’s mindful, meaningful and purposeful. 

I picked up a phrase that nails this concept - end user empathy. In this case, the need is more sleep, and it opened a huge can of worms. Sleep deprivation is a massive global problem - in fact it’s a modern day epidemic.

The aim was to explore what was out there in this area that claimed to assist with sleep. To discover the most popular tracks and songs globally. Are you ready for a shocker? #1 global Spotify sleep playlists song: Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud. Probably due to his overall popularity…In other studies luckily Mr Eno gets a look in alongside Classical favourites. But all the music that makes anecdotal claims is pretty dreadful in terms of production and sonic aesthetics. I feel I’m at least bringing some of the GC mojo to the proceedings with Sleep Better, and it’s using real scientific research to ‘ethically and responsibly’ trigger the relaxation mechanism.

Can you describe the process for your research and how it impacted the music you produced? 

Deep research means reading as many articles, research papers, white papers, academic publications, meta-analysis and Cochrane reviews as possible to find truth and meaningful data and results to inform my psychoacoustic sound designing. To interview experts and dig through podcasts for the latest insights and developments. I then explore and develop ‘sonic strategies’ that elicit specifically designed positive outcomes. This is the psychoacoustic process. I decide on the outcome, and use a kind of reverse ‘emotional engineering’ to fathom out how to make that response happen. It could be through entrainment, neuromodulation, psychological priming...and other ‘tricks’ that make up the secret sauce recipe that I’m sure even AI will struggle to replicate in absence of a human soul!

Did you ever find yourself scientifically being told to do one thing, but artistically wanting to do another when it came to producing the Sleep Better album? What would you say the balance is between science and art within the music? 

Yes, very much so, you have to be prepared to deliver a best compromise, whereby if the soundscapes are designed to switch you off for a deliberately passive listening experience, that process actually happens, and yet if you decide to actively listen to the soundscapes, you are still rewarded with a pleasant sonic journey. True to Mr Eno’s ambient manifesto!

Ambient music can get a bad rap for people that aren’t familiar with it, often due to its connotations with meditation, yoga, wellness etc. So what’s the feedback been for your Sleep Better album so far? Has it opened up new people to ambient music, helping them seek more? 

The feedback has been incredibly warm and positive. It’s part of a wider campaign around sleep hygiene, which can sometimes get lost within a streaming format like Apple Music or Spotify. We’re trying to help communicate the best way to listen to it as part of better sleep hygiene practice. Simply listening to it without being mindful of your own bad sleep habits or possibly inadequate or ill-considered bedroom environment will always make it a challenge to get a good night’s sleep. Hence the social media campaign and website @sleepbettersounds to provide ongoing dialogue and information on sleep facts, health, science and hygiene.

I hope it will inspire non ambient fans to explore the genre a little deeper.

I’ve always gone to sleep listening to a certain style of music, but it hasn’t always been ambient. Sometimes it can be deep techno just as long as I’m familiar with it and it’s not overly stimulating - it seems to do the trick. Can you describe the correlation between ambient music and sleep?

Interesting, and yes, I fully understand and can relate. There are various modalities that can can influence sleep onset with music.

If the obvious or subliminally implied tempo is slower than your resting heart rate it may start a rhythmic entrainment process triggering the parasympathetic nervous system to respond by switching on the bodies ‘relaxation mode’. If the sounds are hypnotic and organic that helps this process of slowing brain wave frequency, and if the information being processed isn’t too complex, disrupting or arousing this also helps prepare for relaxation. Comforting and familiar sounds illicit positive associations and experiences. This increases the listeners sense of peace, warmth, safety and security which turns off the fight or flight mechanism.

In the case you describe it is exactly that sense of familiarity that aids the switching off mechanism.

Is there anything really surprising that you’ve found in your studies? 

Much of the research is a constant surprise and some clearly confirms what I’ve felt intuitively over the 28 years of producing, touring and performing. The connection between music, body and mind is so fascinating. How certain sounds and patterns trigger certain emotional, physiological and behavioral responses. One of the delights was discovering how the sound of ocean waves can be almost identical in tempo to respiration during sleep. Coupled with the broad, complex frequency spectrum it’s one of the most potent sleep inducing natural sounds. As you listen, you naturally start to breathe in time with the waves.

Does a ticking clock (a-la ‘14.31’) not send people to sleep? (It does me, every time!)

It is very relaxing to listen to, I find the strong, relentless transients can be disruptive and personally would prefer nature sounds that don’t repeat.

So what’s your go to sleep track?

Over the years Eno’s 1:1 was the first go to sleep track, then I enjoyed Ikebukuro more for the sensation of floating. 

I like ever evolving drone based ethereal textures. I want to be transported somewhere. I enjoy the sensation of floating in space that can be achieved with certain sounds.

I designed the latter half of the tracks in Sleep Better like this. So actually tracks 4 - 8 or sometimes 2 - 8 are sufficient.

There are a number of unreleased 90 minute (complete sleep cycle) versions of sleep induction tracks I’ve made. (Hope to share very soon!) I use 4 x 4 box breathing as well. In slow count to 4, hold for 4, out with an ocean woosh sound, wait 4 repeat for a few minutes. It WILL slow heart rate and relax you, preparing you for sleep. I like to wear a sleep mask. And I’ll use 36dB custom fit ear plugs most of the time. Even if I have a soundscape playing to suppress any external noise.

There’s an official repress of 76:14 just announce and a boxset featuring Pentamerous Metamorphosis PLUS unreleased music. THANK YOU. But, seriously, do you have any idea how happy this will make people?

It’s taken a while and has been hampered by challenges but we are finally there! It sounds incredible, thanks to Mark’s meticulous DAT transferring process and Jason at Loud’s characteristic ‘emotional mastering’ approach. And we are excited to collect it all together into a beautifully designed box set.We’re very relieved and proud that we’ve managed to make this happen and happy that fans will be able to own and enjoy this album physically.

The artwork looks great. What was your brief to Mark (Gowing)? Or did you just let him do his thing?

We asked him to acquaint himself with Ben Drury and Will Bankhead’s original artwork. Then a discussion/alignment on aesthetic values and key concepts, but ultimately gave him free rein to interpret.

The preorder for ‘Transmissions’ on Bleep comes with a rare demo edit of ‘7.39’ - what’s the story behind the edit?

Each track we produced would have to pass the car-test. We would record a live pass to cassette tape, then go and listen to it in Mark’s car and take notes. This critical listening process would inform mix balancing and live effect deployment decisions for premastering the track to DAT. This is one of those versions which we felt had a better Juno 106 patch. For some reason we lost it and had to make it again and something was different. So this is the first version we preferred but couldn't recreate.

I’ve seen the ‘unofficial represses’ of your GC albums out there too, and I know many die-hard fans who have snapped these copies up already not knowing any different. It all got a bit confusing for a while but now it’s clear where people should be putting their money. What was the deal with those?! 

Deeply upsetting that clearly there is no communication between major labels and legacy artists. Had we been asked about the repress license we would obviously have declined.

They claim to have used original masters to remaster. This is a blatant lie. And so we feel sorry for any fans who invested in a substandard product that wasn’t endorsed by us, the band.

Word is there’s also new Global Communication music on the horizon and you’ve been playing some new live shows (pre-Covid of course). What can people expect from your new music? How has your style changed over the years?

Yes, I can confirm a new GCOM album (my new solo incarnation of Global Communication) will be released later this year via !K7 Records

Upon reflection, the style is clearly a direct and natural evolution from the industrial techno collaborations with Mark in the Reload years, through the layered emotional sound-scaping of GC and beyond the concept of Lifetracks - soundtracks to life -  into the realms of soundtracks to preserve life and where next for mankind. I’m addressing a number of themes from Anthropocene man’s challenges with climate change, catastrophic natural events such as the Tohoku tsunami, bush fires, floods and storms. How we’re polluting the air, lands and ocean, depleting natural resources and getting perilously close to a point of no return, maybe there is no going back? And so what are the plans for man to move off world, colonize the Moon and Mars and eventually become an interstellar species. My curiosity spans many scientific disciplines, from biology, physiology, anthropology, ecology, into human behaviour, neuroscience and beyond into astrophysics, rocket science, astronomy and cosmology. So the album fuses all these areas of personal interest and ongoing research. There’s an educational element and inspiration element too. Here’s a link to a short explainer and backstory created for 10-18 year olds for NASA’s SciArt Exchange program.

Where you aware of the current Breakthrough Starshot project to send a fleet of tiny Starchip probes to Alpha Centauri 4.73 light years away?

My current favourite exoplanet is the enigmatically named Teegarden b with a favourable Earth Similarity Index of 0.95, a mere 12 light years away (which would take 208,430 years at Voyager 1 velocity) But the nearest exoplanet that might be life sustaining is Proxima B at 4.24 light years (20 years by Starchip). Which for Star Wars fans like me has a bonus twin sunset (like Tatooine!) from binary stars Alpha Centauri A and B.

How will this approach translate to your live shows? 

The live show is a flexible line up, with myself and guest players, including the genius arranger and multi-instrumentalist Ross Sampson, hybrid drum legend Andy Gangadeen (Chase & Status) and a string quartet. It could scale larger and integrate more string players.

Will have a visual element too that follows the narrative of the album.

I’ve been invited to perform music from the new album and join a panel entitled Sensing Space at the The Humans to Mars Summit in Washington at the end of the summer. Check for updates as it may become a virtual experience. 

~

Tom’s Sleep Hygiene Tips

Be prepared to adapt and try different combinations to suit your lifestyle and preferences. Once you’ve decided what combination of sleep hygiene tips suit your preferences and lifestyle, it’s important to be consistent with your sleep ritual.

Even if you don’t sleep well one night following trying sleep hygiene tips, don’t give up! Persevere and eventually you will condition your mind and body to adapt to a new sleep routine.

1. Daylight and Exercise

Try to exposure yourself to daylight as early as possible after waking.
Get a walk in or exercise during the day. New research suggests 3 brisk ‘Active 10’ minute walks are as beneficial as the fabled 10,000 steps.

2. Food and drink

Eat a light non-spicy dinner 2-3 hours before bed.
Limit caffeine from coffee, tea or chocolate after 2pm.
Alcohol can actually stimulate waking a few hours after drinking.
Try drinking warm milk, Chamomile or Passion Flower tea.
Eat 2 antioxidant rich kiwi fruit an hour before bed! (Taiwan Taipei Medical University study still can’t explain exactly why - possible serotonin booster?)

3. Environment

Make your bedroom as a comfortable as possible, invest in a quality mattress and pillows.
Keep the room (cave!) cool and as dark as possible for sleeping.
Black-out blinds or an eye mask if you prefer. Oxygen producing houseplants are a plus.
A red/orange-coloured night light is better than a disrupting and stimulating bright white light.

4. Temperature

Before bed, open the window to ventilate the bedroom for 5 minutes.Cooler room temperatures between 16C and 18C (60F - 65F) aids sleep onset. Try taking a warm bath (not hot) with magnesium-rich Epsom salts to relax the central nervous system. A - 1°C drop in body temperature after bathing aids sleep onset.

5. Timing

Melatonin (darkness hormone), which regulates sleep - wake circadian timing, is naturally secreted from 9pm, peaks between 2am and 4am, then falls to daytime levels by 9am. So training your body when it’s time to sleep and wake up everyday is crucial. Use the app to set a reminder to go to bed so you get into a regular habit.

6. Stress & Anxiety

Limit decision-making and try to not end the day in a negative mind state. Write a to-do list and think positively about the future, think of three good things that happened during the day. Sleep performance anxiety can also be counterproductive so try not to worry or ruminate.

7. Breathing

Whilst sitting in bed, try some deep and slow breathing exercises. Try 4x4 box breathing. Slowly inhale through the nose to the count of four. Be aware of filling your lungs. Hold for four (or as long as is comfortable.) Breath out through the mouth to the count of four whilst focusing on emptying your lungs. Repeat for a few minutes.

8. Bedroom

Limit daytime naps to 20 minutes and don’t nap after 5pm.
Lower your exposure to any bright light during the hour or two before bedtime.
Keep the bedroom for sleep (and sex!) The hormone cocktail of dopamine (happiness), oxytocin (love) and prolactin (gratification) all help with mood enhancement and post-coital drowsiness.

9. Technology

Consider removing technology (TVs, laptops etc) from the bedroom. Limit exposure to blue light-emitting screens, as blue light suppresses the production of melatonin. Although your phone is of course needed to listen to the Sleep Better sounds and emit the warm orange sunset glow, try to avoid looking at your phone screen (scrolling through social media etc.) before sleep.
Keep an alarm clock facing the wall to avoid worrying about the time.
Use a gentle natural sound like birdsong to wake up to.

10. Still can’t sleep after 20 minutes?!

Don’t worry - get up, go to another room, read a book, write down your thoughts, continue listening to Sleep Better, try some more 4 x 4 breathing and wait for the next sleep onset phase to occur.

isolatedmix 99 - James Place

Artists with a style hard to pin can often get overlooked in many respects. I struggle to write about music that just needs to be ‘heard’, especially. It takes a certain talent to translate music into words that hasn’t really been referenced or penned before without resorting to poor comparisons at least.

That’s not to say that Phil Tortoroli aka James Place is under the radar by any respect, given his releases on the admired Umor Rex Recordings, but his releases from the past few years include some of my favorite and most surprising discoveries. Phil’s albums are a unique blend of electronic music, and after chatting with him quickly and asking a few questions, I (and you) can read why.

This is where I believe an isolatedmix can help to unearth and discover a specific angle on an artist. Seeing how they approach a mix, the inspiration and styles they pick, and in this instance, isolatedmix 99 really captures the “ghost” of James Place.

~

Are you still in NY? How are you coping with the lockdown?
Yes, still here ~ born and raised in NYC so no way a pandemic will force me out. I’m lucky to have a nice apartment with a wonderful partner and a fat cat and no shortage of food, for now, so i’m coping with a lot of love and a lot of cooking. I’m coping less well with the concept of video chats. I’m more of a traditional phone to the ear kind of conversationalist.

What role has music played in it for you so far? Have you been more productive because of it?
Productivity and creativity fluctuates in this new lockdown / static mode. I experimented with new compositional styles and approaches way more than before now that I finally have the time.

Can you tell us how it all started, and how you got into making music?|
Age old tale, I s’pose – started to write horrible rock music in high school with my close friends, then discovered electronic music through the back alleys of post-rock and Kazaa searches. going to university in the UK planted me firmly in an electronic / club scene that i’ve yet to leave (emotionally)

Your productions often vary in style and approach, blending ambient, techno, house +more - how would you describe your style?
I tend to focus on the atmosphere more than genre / style. I like to think of my music as songs heard in rooms adjacent to the listener; barely-there, or non-distinct, or haunted, yet the core emotion understood through the gentle vibrations shaking through. Anything I write oriented towards movement sounds more like an ambient dj performing while a techno dj plays in the venue next door. the sounds within that shared wall is James Place.

I notice a lot of samples in your music, and often vocals, how would you describe your process making music?
Predominantly sample based. A lot of my vocal samples come from a British singer-songwriter named Sam Sally, who graciously sent me a bunch of vocal takes in the early 10’s. her voice has abstractly guided my composition process for the past decade, and I’m happy to put them to rest and explore new textures for the future.

Umor Rex has been a home for your past 4 albums, what is it you look for in a label for your own music?
Discerning ears that understand my references and predecessors without having to spell them out. A shared listening history.

What's your favorite release on the label outside of your own?
Siavash Amini’s Till Human Voices Wake Us was the first entry to UR I heard, and loved. I wrote to Daniel immediately after my first listen. LXV and Kara-Lis’ collaborative record is another top choice.

You run your own label too, (Styles upon Styles) and are a part of RVNG International. (Funny I just bought the Pauline Anna Strom repress last week). What's your role across these two?
I founded Styles upon Styles in 2011 with my friend, Cam Curran. We’ve been “exec producing” / “a&r’ing” records together since then. I am the label manager at RVNG intl, and have been with the label for seven (!) years now.

What role do you see labels playing in today's age when anybody can release music on Bandcamp?
Labels will be less of a curator and more of a mentor / support network for artists at various points in their careers. That’s how I try to run my imprints – let’s strategize together on how to make your work heard and appreciated by the right people, and let’s talk through what that process is like – practically, emotionally.

The mix is a live vinyl mix - why did you decide to create it this way?
Vinyl is a great way to learn how to mix and I stuck with the format for many years. I love LPs for radio-style mixes or straight house sets, but digital lets me share the amazing new music from around the world available (only!) on Bandcamp. I picked vinyl for this mix because I wanted to lean into the slower, quieter corners of my collection. It was recorded in the winter of 2019 during a very stressful time and I needed to envelop myself in calm sounds.

What else can you tell us about the mix? Any standout tracks for you we should keep an ear out for?
I recorded this mix at the end of 2019. I pulled some of my crucial winter listens – Daniel Lentz, Ian William Craig, Actress, Roly Porter – and cast a glance towards what my home sounds like in December.

And lastly, what do you have on the horizon release-wise?
I am working on the last James Place release concurrently with compositions that, i hope, will finally feel *right* to share under my given name. But who knows. This is the time to write for the sake of it and share only when the message is clear. Otherwise, silence.

~
Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

Download

Tracklist (as good as could be remembered!)

1. Best Available Technology - Flourescent Sap
2. James Place - Vanishing (Dylan Henner Remix)
3. Actress - Grey Over Blue
4. Ihor Tsymbrovsky - Roses for the poet
5. Roly Porter - ?
6. Ian William Craig - Idea for Contradiction 1
7. James Place - Vanishing (Homeward Mix)
8. Donnacha Costello - That Way
9. Jurgen Muller - ?
10. Alex Twomey - Velvet On Foam
11. Daniel Lentz - Missa Umbrarum
12. Jay Glass Dubs - ?
13. Jonine - You're Wanting To Go This Way
14. Best Available Technology - ?
15. Best Available Technology - ?

James Place on Discogs | Twitter | Soundcloud

isolatedmix 98 - Windy & Carl

It’s hard to talk about the evolution or history of Ambient music without mentioning American duo Windy & Carl, or indeed their long-time supporting label Kranky.

With releases dating back to the early 1990’s, Windy Weber and Carl Hultgren’s sound can be the purest of textured ambient music, layered with reverb, delay and effects. And then as albums progress, you may find yourself pushed into the Space Rock/Experimental spectrum with their instrumental and guitar-heavy approach coming to the fore instead of the background. At times, oven the course of their ~30 year career, the dreamier (Pop) side of music can even be heard, citing massive 80’s punk and rock influences, and the rare vocal additions that float in and out of their discography.

With such a history, and only so much an intro can do, I took the time to send over a few questions to the duo, with the hope of shedding some light on their inspirations, sound and thoughts on Ambient music in general. Read below for an insightful interview with them both.

This mix comes as a perfect soundtrack for our time, in both this moment and indeed today’s world, where we’re treated to a simple, yet blissful curation of textured music, much akin to the infamous Windy & Carl approach. From the duo’s heavy influences in Durutti Column, to label-mates Labradford, and legendary compositions from Aphex and Suzanne Ciani. Float away with some gentle tones that have inspired Windy & Carl.

The new album by Windy & Carl titled Allegiance and Conviction is out now on Kranky.

Download

Tracklist:

1- Durutti Column - Sleep Will Come
2- Stars Of The Lid - Porch (edit #28)
3- Suzanne Ciani - Paris 1971
4- Aphex Twin - Rhubarb
5- Thomas Koner - Kanon (Part 1: Brohuk)
6- James Leyland Kirby - So Pale It Shone In The Night
7- Aphex Twin - Blue Calx
8- Labradford - Air Lubricated Free Axis Trainer
9- Bark Psychosis - Pendulum Man
10- Fennesz - Liminality
11- Arthur Russell - Sketch For "Face Of Helen"

~

Interview with Windy & Carl Feb/March 2020

ASIP - As a band that traversed many years and ‘fashions', I’m interested to know what you think of ambient music today and it’s apparent big media ‘revival’ we see year-on-year. You guys must get bored seeing that pop-up again and again over the years given how long you’ve been a part of it?

W - Ambient music - that’s funny. I can't tell you how many people went gaga for those Numero and Light In The Attic comps, and then decided they too had to make ambient music, especially with keyboards. And no - we don't fit into that scene nor have we ever really been invited into that scene. We seem to somehow be eternally our own floating orb in this world, and that is fine.

C - I have been enjoying that there have been a lot of re-issues and collections of Ambient artists who were doing this long before the big media revival which has been taking place during the last handful of years. I'm not bored with it at all, but I do find it very curious that people we know who were once in rock bands (Indie Rock, Garage Rock, etc) that are now 'Ambient artists' all of the sudden.

W - When we started, we listened to a lot of sub pop bands - Codeine, Dinosaur Jr, Mudhoney - and groups like Sonic Youth, Neil Young, My Bloody Valentine, Teenage Filmstars and Opera and Country and a million other things. We started recording songs and they were songs - short and rather formulaic, and one of our very first reviews said we sounded like the Durutti Column.

As we started making longer form pieces, we had reviews that mentioned Brian Eno. so 1) we have not done a thing that is even close to being Brian Eno worthy as a reference, and 2) the only Eno we had EVER listened to was Roxy Music and the Baby's on Fire album. so we were just plain confused. How the hell was what we were doing in long form pieces like Antarctica any relation to Baby's on Fire? We did not get it at all, until a handful of years later we heard Eno’s Ambient albums. I still don't really feel that what we do is in that realm - we certainly don't use a million effects or computers or processors. What you hear on our records is what we played to begin with, and we don't use a computer to change anything. We have some pedals and a few rack delays, but it's not anything like the set up I see others using. Our music is far more about the technique of playing it - of making it happen - not some kind of studio wizardry.

Sometimes I feel as if our purism (meaning lack of wizardry) in creation sets us apart from so many others, and keeps us from being a part of any scene or movement. Our music comes from inside us, and from this incredible channeling that happens when we play - music that comes through us from somewhere else. I guess I often do not feel as if we are a part of a scene, but I do love being part of the Kranky family of creators, even though even in that world we are unknown in my eyes. Part of my feeling of being left out of everything else is how many years we have run our own record store, and how many people have come in and talked about Ambient music and wanted Tim Hecker or Grouper or Sigur Ros but not had any clue who we are or what we have done. In our eyes, no one knows us. It's weird, its a weird place to be.

So yeah - these pop ups of "new age" or "ambient" cycles come and go and pass us by while we are just doing our own thing.

“We make music because we cannot help ourselves. It has to happen.”

20+ years is a hell of a run for musicians still releasing great records. You had a break in-between and now eight years after your last full length album. I don’t like talking about what’s long or short periods of time as it’s subjective, but are you a band that likes to take your time with music?

W - Well, we have not had an album on Kranky in 8 years, but we released a handful of seven inch singles, 2 different cassette tapes, an almost hour-long piece to help raise funds for our friends who own the UFO factory [BELOW] (their bar was damaged and we made music to help them pay bills while they had to reconstruct the building), so we have not been unproductive at all. Our output has simply been in different forms. We have also been recording that whole time, and we currently have 3 or 4 other full length projects that need to be finished up and then released, including a Jazz album, a tape that will feature 2 tracks of 30 minutes or more each, an album of very dark harsh guitar work, plus more. we have been busy recording and releasing, but not a full length "proper" album on a label.

C: I would rather be able to have albums ready to go much more often that it has been taking us. Since the last W&C album 8 years ago, we have been recording a lot of material during that time. As far as the new W&C album goes, we eventually decided which pieces of music worked well together. Once we had the instrumental songs sorted out, Windy worked on the vocals & concept for the project. We spent a lot of time together mixing the album. We put a lot of time and effort into it, much more than we ever have. The songs we chose were recorded over a period of 6+ years. There is a lot of material we still have to work with. A lot of it does not sound like our typical style. There are some strange jazz-like experiments, some fun synth based songs, some really heavy loud dark stuff too. It was just a matter of time until we assembled the songs for the new album. We have had a lot of fun recording during these past handful of years.

It’s easy to reference you as one of the pioneers of ambient music and on the surface the absence of drums in your music would mean many people automatically put you in this genre, but your sound is much more than that. Do you set out to make “Ambient”? How do your records normally come about?

W- There is no normal with us. There’s a series of events that can happen for us to be making new music. One of us writes, the other listens and offers a layer. Sometimes we play and it just happens.

Antarctica just happened. I hooked up the keyboard to a pedal and pressed a key. I heard Carl running through the house and down into the basement where he hooked up the cassette 4 track we used at that time; then he plugged in his guitar and started to play. I taped down the key I was holding with electrical tape, and picked up my Bass and we simply played. It was spontaneous. Sometimes our music simply happens - it is channeled from somewhere outside of us and is then there coming out of us. Other times, we each have parts that we combine. And sometimes, like in the case of Carl's solo album; I had no ideas; I had nothing to add; because the tracks seemed perfect on their own. (Do you know that Carl has a solo LP? it came out in 2014, and has one of the most beautiful pieces of music on it I have ever heard, and it was so perfect on it's own there was literally nothing I could add to enhance it or to not ruin it.

C- I've always felt that we've never quite been in the Ambient scene or the Dream-Pop scene. There are elements of ambient music in our sound, but we are not just simply ambient. We have much more of a song structure to what we do. Way back in the early years of W&C we thought we needed a drummer to be able to create music. Before we put out our first single in 1993, we auditioned a drummer I knew from a previous band in the late 1980's. We got together one afternoon and improvised together for a couple of hours. We thought it sounded really good & that it might be our way forward. The guy left his drum kit at our house & we didn't hear back from him for about 6 months. It was really disappointing that we never worked again - maybe this is the reason we went ahead without a drummer for the majority of time since then. Sometimes our music comes about from a couple of ideas from either one of us. Sometimes they happen by accident. I think the harder we specifically try to do something, the more time it takes & the feeling of the initial ideas become less interesting. On ‘Depths’, Windy plays most of the main guitar lines and obviously she writes and sings the words. On our new album, I wrote and recorded all of the music myself. There is no formula for each album, we just work with how we feel it should be.

What keeps you going all these years?

W - The same thing that made us start in the first place - an insatiable need to create music. We love music. We hate music. We are huge critics and lovers at the same time.

Before we ever met, we had these intense relationships with music that gave us the longing to be able to create music ourselves, and when we ended up together, it all came to fruition. We were the catalyst we each needed to let out this lifetime of day dreams and emotions and waves of sound. somehow, we seem to only be able to do this together. Yes, we each have solo albums, but we have found that the only way we really feel connected creation wise is when we play together, even if that means one of us starts a piece and the other joins later.

It's too hard to work with anyone else. It's too soul-baring. Making music is hard, and it's really hard if you are shy or nervous or have apprehensions about whether or not what you are doing is any good. We work well together and can actually work on things and find ways to make them better or as good as we can hear in our heads, but need time to figure out. We play and record a lot, and only sometimes do not have the drive to be making music. It's like our own personal illness or demon or addiction or love affair - we make music because we cannot help ourselves. It has to happen.

“This album is a departure in a lot of ways, and we wanted the first track to have an impact and atmosphere that were not our standard style.”

Your new record on Kranky ‘Allegiance and Conviction’- I’m intrigued by the opening track, it was very unnerving but ultimately made the rest of the album feel extremely soothing. Was that the intention?

W - Why do what you always do? Why repeat yourself?

On this record, Carl wrote all the music. I’ve managed to convince him to record more of his playing, because he sits and plays often but does not always record it. This means that in the past chunk of years, he has recorded more than he previously did. As he filtered through recordings, he collected the tracks we used for this record. They spanned about 4 or 5 years. He gave them to me to see what I had to add, and I ended up contributing some samples for track 5 and then vocals for the rest. I wrote song six first, and realized it felt like a story ending, so I wrote the previous tracks as a story and track one is the beginning of the story. The first mixes sounded very much like a typical W&C song, and that just did not feel right. This album is a departure in a lot of ways, and we wanted the first track to have an impact and atmosphere that were not our standard style.

The words and the singing, they took me two full years to do. Two years. I wanted these songs to be better than what I usually do and i was on a mission to sing in tune and in key and to have my voice heard. I know the vocals are a bit louder than on our other records, but I am proud of them and also wanted the story to come through, and you can't hear the story if you can't hear the vocals! While I am normally intensely nervous about my voice - I am very happy with my singing on this record.

It's all sort of a spy story and I wrote it in a way that you can see it from the point of view of either male or female - there are no mentions of gender identification really. I saw it as from a woman's point of view, but it can be from any point of view. Go somewhere foreign, meet your asset, do the job and watch your ass, but find that you have fallen in the old trap - you've fallen in love, and let your guard down, and then been abandoned and in danger.

The end? She gets away, she gets through the forest and to the designated place, but does she live or does she die? You decide. I left it wide open. So in reality - the beginning - it's a feeling of unease is really telling of the rest of the story.

I can hear your aesthetic strongly throughout the mix you provided. Gentle lulls, colors and a focus on some instrumental elements. What was the intention or inspiration with the mix?

W- The mix could have gone in 20 different ways. 1) Other than some old school Kranky cohorts, we stayed away from including friends. 2) We wanted to showcase pieces we enjoyed but that did not have too much movement, and found that most of the Biosphere and Arovane we have was a bit too busy. And so staying away from busy we also had to cut out Charlemange Palestine (whose work I love) and some shorter pieces by Tangerine Dream and Talk Talk. We went for cohesion, a smooth transition from song to song including the texture and tone and frequency of the sound, and then for something relaxing. It does get a bit dark at times, but it's great music for turning off the rest of the world and finding some peace, which we all need these days.

~

Support Windy & Carl on Bandcamp

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.

~

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. 

~

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

isolatedmix 96 - bvdub: Obelisks In Onyx

“In Ancient Chinese philosophy, yin and yang is a concept of dualism, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.”

If you know bvdub, then this statement rings true on many levels where his music is concerned, and it’s also a perfect metaphor for his latest mix.

Often recognized as a master of modern ambient music, we find ourselves in a different terrain exploring the sound of his roots and earlier influences. You’ll hear these influences amongst the (rare) occasions he inserts beats into his ambient music and even more so in his aliases as Earth House Hold and East Of Oceans. The raw, deep, emotional and unpolished forays are a signature sound that the biggest Brock fans can hear a mile off - whether it’s a twelve-minute classic bvdub monster, or 150-bpm breakbeat.

We find ourself in a polarizing world, with Brock currently (no doubt for many of us reading) on the other side of it. Whilst today we worry about an increasingly dangerous virus, Brock is literally on lock-down in the middle of it, unable to leave his apartment in China.

All of this has come together as one complete, timely mix. If Brock’s isolatedmix 50 was the yin, then this is the yang to follow it up. If you only know Brock for his ambient work, get ready for a taste of his other side. And if you thought for one second that this virus outbreak was bad, imagine being at the epicenter of it on the other side of the world amongst a truly dystopian lockdown.

And lastly, if our isolatedmix series ever needed a more defining moment to encapsulate its meaning and name, this might just be the one…

~

“Returning to China two days after the revelry of my birthday back in the US among lifetime friends and family, I entered a ghost town in every sense of the word – depending on your belief system, both figuratively and literally.

All freeway exits and entrances sealed. All roads closed. All business, schools, everything shuttered. Villages guarded by vigilante blockades keeping any outsiders out. Nothing but complete and utter silence. A town of one million reduced to me, my girl, our dog, and the one person I saw on the street in a four-day span. Two days later, our apartment complex would shut itself off from the world as well – no one in, no one out – police in biohazard suits adding emphasis to orders already now on loop 24 hours a day via loudspeakers throughout the city, and countless red banners warning that simply paying a visit to a friend could amount to “double homicide.”

With literally nowhere to go and nothing to do but watch the tallies climb along with the rest of the world, I had to get my mind to another place. A place in the now... a place for the living. And since I don't know how to live in the now, my mind of course returned to glories – and defeats – of times past. More specifically, for some reason, my well over ten years of DJing from 1989 to the beginnings of 2000, before I left it all behind.

Ever since I've begun making my own music, I have, for the most part, eschewed DJing in any form, from mix or podcast invitations to requests to do it live, mostly because I felt it would now be impossible to let the music of others speak for myself – to truly express what I wanted to say. But extreme times call for extreme measures... and new looks at life, and how I live it, bring new perspective. And with that new perspective came the realization that the beauty of others' music can bring beauty not only in and of itself, but also in its ability to say things I can't... a beauty that was literally my entire life for over a decade, but one I have, for the most part, resisted for some reason unclear to even myself other than being some kind of subconscious defense mechanism to protect myself from the pain of how it all ended.

But it doesn't have to be “one or the other.” Music is one, massive life we all share. And sharing it in more ways than one only makes that life even better.

So, under a forced isolation that stretches into the times I write this, I made a mix. A mix that celebrates my newfound lease on a part of my life I thought long left behind. A mix that speaks to the hope that it can remain and grow once again to even a fraction of its former self. A mix that is, more than anything, a story of darkness and light.

All tracks burned as MP3 to CD, and mixed on two Discman's recorded to the same tape player I used to record my mixes in the '90s, a rare find in a mystery closet at my friend's house while back home. Because that is literally the only method I used in the last couple years of my “career.” I don't have turntables anymore, and I refuse to use CDJ's or whatever their equivalent is. And at the end of the day, I always take the path of most resistance.

In coming back to this place, I've seen even clearer where I've come from. Where I've been. Where I long to return. And where I still want to go.

Everyone told me not to come back. Many questioned why I would return to such a place. To pure darkness. And the dark hearts of human nature that have, unsurprisingly, arisen from its depths. But you can't see darkness without light. And you can find either any day of the week if you're looking.

Why did I return? The answer is simple. This is my home. And you don't run away from your home.

Even when it's on fire.

- bvdub

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Listen on Mixcloud or Soundcloud or get this mix as a podcast.

bvdub | web | Bandcamp | Discogs