isolatedmix 108 - Sentre

Our relationship with Quiet Places began last year and their debut album as a trio is slowly but surely becoming a favorite for anyone who likes to dive into intriguing new worlds and wide-screen ambient rabbit holes., or watch epic hour-long expanses.

The three chaps behind the Quiet Places alias: Charlie May, Dennis White and Dave Gardner are all respectable producers in their own right, and with Charlie already providing us with a marathon isolatedmix, it was only a matter of time before we got into the minds of Dennis and Dave, who also produce music as Sentre.

When they’re not making massive anthems like U&ME, or Sleep Acid, Dennis and Dave are finding inspiration from the more chilled side of electronic music and pulling from a wide spectrum of influences to inform one of their many productions - be it as Quiet Places, Sentre or putting together epic live shows for Sasha alongside Charlie (seen here on stage at The Barbican).

Sentre / Bird Up! Records · Sentre - U&ME (Radio Edit)

Stepping up as Sentre behind the controls for isolatedmix 108, we’re treated to a journey that reflects the classic multi-faceted downtempo DJ. Drawing influences from more electronic/dancefloor-oriented producers, and combining more relaxed sensibilities with an overall craft for track selection and vibe, you’ll find a selection of respected electronic music pioneers in Daniel Avery, Nicolas Jaar, Rival Consoles, DJ Healer and Leon Vynehall, spliced with a couple of diggers and their very own edits as Sentre.

Scroll below for a short interview with them both and more insight on the project and mix.

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 108 - Sentre

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Tracklist:

01. Lord Of The Isles - Inheritance (feat. Ellen Renton)
02. Leon Vynehall - It Breaks (Chapter IX)
03. John Beltran - Lose You
04. Hania Rani - Buka
05. Map.ache - Ukiu
06. Maarja Nuut & Ruum - Kuud kuulama 
07. Sentre - Waiting for the Sun
08. Rival Consoles - Still Here
09. Daniel Avery - Into the Arms of Stillness
10. Nicolas Jaar - Cenizas
11. The Durutti Column - Opera II
12. Adolf Noise - Last Night of the Year
13. Sebastian Tellier - L’amour et la Violence (Simple Mind Version )
14. DJ Healer - The Interview
15. Claude Speed - R U Sorry
16. Sevendeaths - SH4A
17. The Tourist - Together at the Centre of Creation
18. Sentre - Sleep Acid ( Ambient )
19. Johannes Schmoelling - Perpetual Motion

~

Hello to two-thirds of Quiet Places. Can you tell us a bit in your own words on how you feel about the reception of the record so far? 

We're super happy with how it's been received and very impressed with the listenership loyalty at ASIP. We launched that album into the ether with no great expectations, so to see people buying the lovely package you put together for us is really satisfying. 

How would you describe your Sentre project to anyone new and how did it come about? 

Sentre is predominantly electronic music, mostly aimed at dancefloors but drawing on our different tastes and influences. There's some atonal clubby noise and also some dreamy atmospheric stuff that borders on synth-pop. I met Dave on Gumtree selling sample CDs.

Charlie May (the final third of Quiet Places) said that Dave is an encyclopedia when it comes to production…

Well I don't know anyone else who can play you Afghan funk from the 70s one moment and elusive BOC remixes the next. 

It was also mentioned that two rules of Quiet Places production included no beats and no grid and that Dennis as an amazing drummer. The first is probably handy for an ambient record, but how did Dennis adapt?

It's nice to work within limitations, it'll force you to do things you wouldn't normally. That's actually a principle we've started applying to Sentre as well, we're currently working with a palette of drum sounds and seeing how far we can push it. 

There's actually loads of rhythm in Quiet Places but it's hiding in arpeggios or edits we've done by hand and extrapolated out. It's really interesting that samples have a rhythm of their own when you don't force them to sit on a grid. (Doing drugs helps as well).

Some nice samples make an appearance in this isolatedmix too . Can you help shed some light on any of the samples in the QP record?

Dave and Charlie are the sample kings. We've sampled underwater creatures, ASMR videos, old interviews, UFO enthusiasts.... Our publisher had a job on his hands clearing all those!

Your isolatedmix runs the gauntlet in terms of styles but has a clear overall vibe. How would you describe it? Was that your original intent?

Yes, it was actually. We’re both big Weatherall fans and loved how he used to play a crazy mixture of music but somehow it all worked together. Jose Padilla was excellent at this too. We thought it would be interesting to try and do something similar as a little tribute to both Andrew and Jose. Hopefully, it works and people will enjoy it. 

‘The Interview’ is featured in your mix - a personal fave of mine. Is that your favorite track from the mysterioso?

The whole album deserves a listen in sequence to become properly immersed! My other favorites are 'Planet Lonely' and 'Protectionspell'

We generally like to pick obscure samples so that they can be chopped up to imply slightly odd things or they just completely lose any context. A lot of work went into that for the QP record.

Given the extensive use of samples throughout your productions, people on the street are going to be asking… ARE YOU DJ HEALER?

Sadly not. :(

~

Sentre | Soundcloud | Facebook

isolatedmix 107 - Illuvia

It’s not often that we get ASIP artists to contribute with isolatedmixes, but Ludvig’s journey with his Illuvia alias revives a love for the Drum and Bass genre in all of us electronic music fans, triggering the emotion, highs, and nostalgia that so often comes hand-in-hand with the atmospheric side of DnB.

Ludvig’s upcoming LP as Illuvia (Iridescence Of Clouds) sits at the apex of both ambient and Drum and Bass - somehow quenching the thirst of both sides whilst inciting something new and exciting. After being a part of this journey with Ludvig over the past few years, we got talking about the many inspirations behind the album and I urged him to put together this mix for us all by way of further insight into the album. I will leave the rest of the introduction to Ludvig, as he has taken the time to pen an intro to the mix; the inspiration behind it, and how it connects to his upcoming release.

What I will say, however, is the exact same as the comment I left on the original Illuvia album on Bandcamp back in 2017… “LTJ Bukem, eat your heart out”!

“

I’m not too big on genre definitions per se – I prefer to describe music in terms of its emotion and energy, its flavors and colors. But when talking about music it is also helpful if we use these definitions to simplify the description process. If I say atmospheric drum & bass (or ambient jungle if you like), everyone who has an interest in electronic music knows what I’m talking about. Genres are funny though – they seem to gather their own momentum and become these overarching stylistic markers that many artists (myself included) then allow to color or even define their own unique expression, making it fit within these imaginary boundaries defined by the ones that came before – the ones who broke new ground. I’m all for staying true to one’s inner vision, and I’m also particularly fond of the aesthetics of atmospheric drum & bass, which have influenced my work from a young age. There are probably many reasons why.

During my teenage years, I was experiencing perpetual anxiety and slipping deeper and deeper into depressive states of mind. Few things had the power to reach me and lift me out of such states (at the time; being alone in nature, getting lost in music, or complete physical exhaustion basically). I remember one time in particular when I was experiencing deep anxiety, staying in an apartment with friends who lived in the city. We had been drinking and getting high, and this only exacerbated my anxiety. I always carried my portable CD-player and had brought with me a couple of newly purchased Good Looking Records compilations. I went to lie down on the floor somewhere, put my headphones on, and slipped into another world.

Gently I was lifted out of the panic that was gripping my heart and into a world full of wonder. The contrast to my previous state was extreme. The body was relaxing while I was traveling in astral realms defined by emotion and color. The senses merged, the music became visual. Of course, this experience was enabled in part by a chemically induced altered state, but I have later traveled in similar ways without that component, and I would definitely say that the experience is even more profound when you learn to just use the focus of your mind. The music becomes a bridge, letting you cross over from your present, often very limited state (such as believing that you are a person in a body), into greater awareness of the limitless nature of existence. Why do people love these experiences? Because they are natural.

Back to atmospheric drum & bass in particular, and those qualities embodied within it that my heart will always stay warm to (and, by the way, all of this is naturally my subjective interpretation and rather fluid as such).

Primarily, it is the lightness, playfulness and childlike wonder that I gravitate to so deeply. There are drum & bass tracks that are nothing but pure, distilled joy and wonderment (a few by Artemis come to mind). It’s quite rare to find artistic expressions of pure happiness among all the (man-made) troubles of the modern world. When artists “in” this genre are exploring other states in their expression, such as sadness, loneliness, longing, desolation etc., these are approached in a refreshingly non-personal way and instead interpreted more cinematically. It seems to be all about taking on a grander view of life, of existence, and the personal drama is simply not that significant in the cosmic scheme of things (thankfully). Along the same lines, there seems to be a near-total absence of “coolness” or attitude to this particular style of music, which makes me think that the intent is more about sharing a positive experience rather than that of impressing someone. Of course, not always true and definitely not exclusive to this genre (!), but it just seems peculiarly prevalent in my view. Less “look at me!” and more “look at this amazing view!”.

Possible Worlds a track by Moonchild (aka Nu-Moon) expresses some of this in the title, nicely depicted by this YT video:

Look how small we are. Look how grand this whole thing is. But contemplating this doesn’t make you feel small – perhaps only momentarily while you shift out of your familiar world and assume a more expansive outlook. Keep going and you will begin to feel cosmic. You will become an empty space full of wonder (or realize that this is what you were all along).

Back to little me. As I was already producing music at the time of the ‘atmospheric out-of-body-experience & bass’ described before, I naturally began to make my own attempts of creating these types of tracks. My musical journey started as a drummer so I was innately in love with intricate fast-paced breaks – and who on earth doesn’t love a massive sub? (Probably some, however difficult that is to fathom...). My own earliest adventures in the genre worthy of release eventually saw the light of day via this compilation released by Omni Music UK:

Chris ‘Eschaton’ Wright has been a big supporter of this side of my work, so I’m happy that this compilation remains in archives of his prolific label. And yes, Ziyal is named after a character in Star Trek: Deep Space 9 (not that you asked, but in case you would ever wonder about it!). She’s a beautiful though sadly short-lived character that bridges two opposing worlds with her childlike, open heart, and so I felt it fitting that she would be commemorated in my atmospheric drum & bass explorations. After creating a double album of epic proportions together with my brother-in-sound Bass’Flo (aka Sinius), the climax of Ziyal consolidated as the album No World But You released by another brother-in-sound and longtime supporter of my work – Kian Asamoah, operating Noisy Meditation:

A few solar cycles later, it was time for renewal. Letting two long time monikers go to rest (Alveol and Ziyal), I had no name for the new music that was coming through full-force, as the later on titled Illuvia (Exaltation) materialized during an all-night session. Somewhat lost in the dark at the time, I wasn’t very happy with it afterward and pretty much left it aside. The new music kept flowing and eventually the entire Illuvia debut album had arrived, along with this name that for me personally carried the meaning “path of illumination” or “path of light” (I have later found other meanings within it).

Years passed, and after a couple of fruitless attempts at getting this debut album pressed to vinyl, I finally decided to release it digitally on my own. At the very final stages of that process, I happened to uncover that initial version of the Illuvia track and decided to throw it on as the finale with the epithet (Exaltation). But this is turning into quite the novel, so let me conclude by taking a breath, and re-center in the present moment.

Why am I writing this? Ah yes, the mix and the new album. So, I wanted to compile a mix consisting mainly of tracks I listened to during those early years of discovering and exploring this style of music through buying CDs in local record shops. First off, there are so many gems that I couldn’t fit into this mix unless it would have been 8 hours long. It was emotionally painful to make some of these decisions – a testament to the love I feel for these pieces of sonic art that have accompanied me through life. The main inspiration behind the mix is the desire to share the experience of stepping back and taking in a grander view of life and existence, as is so emotionally articulated by Ellie Arroway in the intro (a fictional character in one of my all-time favorite movies).

And the ‘Iridescence of Clouds’ album… what is it about?

So many things. So many points connecting there (though I feel like maybe I didn’t quite manage to tie them together). Mainly, I think I’m still chasing those grand visions I had in my youth, and have had ever since… those feelings that are too vast to fit within any known definitions or boundaries, but still can only be expressed through a process of limitation. The decision to explore a certain stylistic direction is one such limitation, and it seems to be one that ignites my inspiration. It feels like there is more depth and new vistas to explore in those atmospheric worlds of big harmonic waves, deep subs and rapidly flowing beats. Sometimes I feel that my tools have gotten blunt over the years – that I’ve lost some quality of clarity that I long to recover. But I don't know that for sure. What I do know is that this album is a small part of something so much greater (endlessly greater if we continue zooming out)... and as with every other aspect of creation, it is important. It is possibly a step towards the unveiling of some even greater vision that couldn’t happen without it. Nothing we create will ever be a destination, something complete in and of itself. It will always and ever only be a step.

“ - Ludvig Cimbrelius.

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 107 - Illuvia

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Tracklist:

01. Photek - Aura
02. Blu Mar Ten - Cumulus
03. The Architex - Escape
04. Photek - Rings Around Saturn
05. Seba & Lotek - So Long
06. Boymerang - The River (VIP)
07. J Majik - Repertoire
08. 154 - Apricot
09. Teebee & K - Cherokee
10. Flytronix - Vertical Plains
11. Photek - T'Raenon
12. Hidden Agenda - The Sun
13. Tunduska - Blush Response
14. Goldie - Sea of Tears
15. ASC - The Machinery of Night
16. Goldie - Letter of Fate
17. Alaska & Paradox - Etherous
18. Boymerang - Lazarus
19. Lamb - Just Is

The mix also contains parts of these tracks:

Jonny L - Tychonic Cycle
Alaska - Ultramundane
Hidden Agenda - Dispatches #2
Nu-Moon - Sea Town
Override - PAC 3
Nebula - Escapism
Artemis - Inner Worlds
Henrik B - Mirrors
Motive One - Loop Progression

Illuvia | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | ASIP artist page

isolatedmix 106 - Secede

Ever since Lennard van der Last’s defining album on the infamous Sending Orbs in 2005 - Tryshasla; output as Secede has been rare.

You’re probably (like me) very happy to see Lennard is still active. Our last treat within the interesting and vivid worlds that Secede creates was alongside Kettel, in 2012, with another brilliant outing on Sending Orbs, and enough to keep his cult fanbase ticking over with a glimmer of hope that an album may arrive say… every five, six, or even seven years. For some artists, sure that’s normal, and it’s often noted on his releases that he prefers to remain elusive and focused in the studio. A renewed, ‘deluxe’ vinyl edition of the Tryshasla came around in early 2019, but alas, no new material came with it.

It’s been roughly nine years since Lennard’s last album now, and despite some small signs appearing in compositions on Soundcloud alongside Kettel once again, it has been very quiet on the Secede front. It goes without saying, as a fan for years and one of those above hoping for new material one day, this mix is a lovely way to end the year.

The obvious omission of a tracklist for this mix should give us all hope…

It’s clear Lennard is a storyteller and a pioneer at blending the weird and wonderful. A magician of world-building; this mix is no different. Try and define or categorize his music, or this mix, if you dare, but to any Secede fan, it’s screamingly obvious who is behind it.

I have it on good faith that new Secede music is being made but I have no idea just yet if some of it is included in this mix. It’s up to us to do the digging. However, if you’re a Secede hopeful needing that fix then this will definitely get you by.

If mixes were unique fingerprints, there would be no escaping for Secede and we hope to see him back again soon.

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

Download.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 106 - Secede

(No tracklist provided)

Secede | Bandcamp | Discogs |

isolatedmix 105 - SaffronKeira

After a string of powerful albums with the Denovali label, Eugenio Caria is quickly becoming synonymous with the more epic and intense side of ambient music. Often introducing beats or IDM influences, amongst classical elements and big swells of atmospheric textures, with albums normally built upon strong, vivid concepts, SaffronKeira’s music draws you in for the full, immersive, storytelling experience.

Eugenio’s 2019 album ‘Automatism’, sat with many of my faves of the year, and with the new album ‘In Origine: The Field Of Repentance’ released just a few months ago, it’s clear that SaffronKeira has a lot to give. We sat down with Eugenio to ask a few questions to accompany his suitably powerful isolatedmix.

~

Hi Eugenio, thank you for the isolatedmix and for the brilliant new album.
Hi Ryan! Thanks to you!

Many will undoubtedly know you as a producer in your own right, but some keen eyes may have spotted you on the credits of our recent Blinkar från Norr record. Can you tell us about that experience?

Yes, working with Andrea it was a really good experience, also because here in Sardinia we are very few who produce this kind of music ... when I meet Andrea he showed me his knowledge and passion of “that kind of music” and I see again myself at his age…

Andrea in the beginning, was a student of mine, studying production and some skills started to appear from his mind pretty soon… he’s shy but with a lot of intelligence and musical culture from such a young age. In the few years he has been producing music I have seen him embark on a beautiful musical journey. I think ‘Metaphors For Things’ is a great album! Working in my studio at ‘Suvitas’ was a pleasure with lots of good times and shared comparisons and choices together with him.

What do you try and bring to a new production relationship like this? Can you describe the process with Andrea?

I try to take the production to a higher level - trying to fill some gaps and give a continuous mood/color. But I always respect the philosophy and the will of the artist and look for a compromise through a comparison between us, trying to establish a long-term relationship and trust. It is very difficult to get your hands on work of others without compromising their vision sometimes, as it is still something intimate and personal. From my point of view the additional production is a different example from mastering (for example). Mastering is an art undoubtedly, and in many cases it gives high value to potentially dull work, but a mix for example, can drastically change a piece of music. 

Regarding the process with Andrea, we worked on the original material to create new drone layering through the use of echo tapes such as Roland Space echo, Chorus Echo and different vintage outboards. We also used different delay and reverbs trying to better understand the spaces by finding the right balance and also trying to remove - in some cases - that digital touch, trying to make it warmer and more alive. Then we moved on to the arrangement.

Your new album, ‘In Origine: The Field Of Repentence’ incorporates Jazz artist Paolo Fresu - what was the idea behind this collaboration?

I already released an album - ‘Cause and effect’ in 2013 with another Sardinia Trumpeter and I was astonished of the power and soul of this instrument. Paolo Fresu is one of the best trumpet players in the world, and he has worked with other heroes such Jon Hassell, Nils Petter Molvaer and many others. Here in Sardinia he’s an institution and a legend and I’ve know him as an artist since when I was kid… It was one of my goals to make a record with him, so I started some years ago to write draft/landscape sounds thinking about his projection with his great instruments on top of my music, even before I knew he would accept this collaboration.

It may have also came about from the relationship we have with our magic island ‘Sardinia’…

Tell us about that… Sardinia seems to have a lot of great music exports - why do you think that is? How does the music scene differ from the mainland at all?

Yes it's true, the Sardinian scene really has a lot of talented artists who are making their way and exporting their sound all over the world. See for example artists like: Claudio PRC, Dusty Kid, Perry Frank, Paolo Angeli, Paolo Fresu, Stefano Guzzetti (and Blinkar från Norr) just to name a few. All different from each other but each with their own identity which I believe is also transmitted by the power and magic of this land.

I believe that being partially isolated, we withdraw into ourselves by isolating ourselves and allowing ourselves to be contaminated by the scents and climate of this land, sometimes even by the desolation that occurs in the winter months... in the end I think this answer has a connection with ASIP :) a strangely isolated place = that's what Sardinia is!

You’ve been releasing on Denovali since 2012 as your only label home. Can you tell us a about your relationship with them?\

Well, like you said it’s like my home now. They were the first to believe in my art…and I feel super comfortable without any kind of pressure. The first love is never forgotten

Where do you take your inspiration from musically?

I try to find inspiration continuously, traveling, knowing and confronting myself with new and different cultures. This has given me so much in terms of inspiration. Unfortunately for problems that we all know, we cannot travel and I miss this so much. But all of this is also a time for reflection and inspiration; when you are hungry for culture, traveling is like a drug!

It allows me to escape and paint new ideas in my head that I can turn into music, so now that all of this is missing it makes me think a lot…

Other sources of inspiration include the music itself, movies, books, and nature is obviously always in the foreground. But also a man in his actions of the past and present is a primary factor that leads me to be inspired to make music… In fact the concept of my new album ‘In Origine: The Field of Repentance’ came from here.

I see you play live and recently played the notorious Funkhaus in Germany. What elements do you incorporate into your live sets?

Yes, such a great experience, with a great audience; lineup; soundsystem and a magical place… If you have never been there you can’t imagine. The acoustics are fabulous.

Funkhaus is a temple of music, a journey through time. In this specific live set, I incorporated some draft and unfinished material from the new album and I used some trumpet loops that I had from Paolo Fresu’s recordings, processed live with a granular fx + some improvisation on a Eurorack system. Plus some unreleased material - I used a lot of beat, idm, ambient stuff.

Can you tell us about your isolatedmix and the idea behind it?

When I choose the music my main idea it was to have a continuous mood/status/path of thinking that would fit the ASIP world, but without using all music from the ASIP catalog. I hope that I reached this goal and the listener will have a good feeling… I’m huge fan of the isolated mix series!

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 105 - SaffronKeira

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Tracklist

01. Blinkar från Norr - Motionless
02. Biosphere - Birds Fly by Flapping Their Wings (v2)
03. Becoming Animal - The Sky Is Ever Falling (Abul Mogard Remix)
04. Emra Grid - Trace It Back
05. Lawrence English - Hapless Gatherer
06. Cristian Vogel - Signal Symbol
07. Emra Grid - Fifteen Day Trilogy
08. Rafael Anton Irisarri - Black Pitch
09. Siavash Amini and Saåad - Dragging the Harrow
10. LF58 - Metamorfosi
11. Alina Kalancea - Devil's Lullaby
12. Saffronkeira - Chthonian (w/Mia Zabelka)

SaffronKeira | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Denovali

isolatedmix 104 - Optic Echo

I feel a sense of nostalgia for this isolatedmix, for several reasons:

Firstly, Mike Jedlicka (Optic Echo) and I go back for some time now after initially meeting in Portland (Oregon) amongst the amazing ambient scene at the time. We would often find ourselves at the same shows in what is a small city, and both of us would make the trip up to Seattle for Rafael Anton Irisarri’s Substrata Festival (with one such memory being a field recording trip where I must’ve been the only one not knowing what the hell I was doing at the time).

Second, the artwork chosen by Mike for the captures the heart of Oregon, a place I still admire and go back to often. The shot of the Colombia River Gorge is synonymous with the good feelings of summer hikes amongst nature’s finest and ending the day at a brewery.

And lastly, the mix. Not only is Mike an avid-vinyl enthusiast, spinning vinyl-only for his Optic Echo Presents radio show mixes and applauded end of year lists, but his isolatedmix continues this theme with what I can only describe as some essential ASIP-loved vinyl. Many of the artists featured in the mix evoke memories of early ASIP blog days; such as Night Sequels, 36, Eluvium, and of course Wanderwelle all contributing isolatedmixes in the past at the very least - the tracklist strikes at the heart of the ASIP ethos.

Enough of my sentimental musings. To go into a bit more detail with Mike and his mix, I sent over a few questions:

Hi Mike, let’s start with how some people here may know you - making some great year-end mixes and hosting them with our friends at Headphone Commute - how do you go about choosing your favorite vinyl of the year?

Hi Ryan, we miss you here in Portland!

I have been trying to be mindful of new artists and non-mainstream records that I have enjoyed / been intrigued by over the year. I start by compiling a list of possible albums, usually 50+ records. It's helpful that I can look over my OEP playlists to see if I missed anything. In December I whittle it down a bit, pull all the records, and sort them into genres. I start experimenting with them, mapping out the mix around mid Dec. I'm usually receiving records till late December that I want to give a good listen, so I usually don't record the mix till the very end of the year or on NYD. I am thankful for Mike of Headphone Commute for giving me the opportunity every year!

Like me you now have a little one running (crawling?) about the house. How has having a child impacted your music life? Are you still buying as many records!?

It has been a monumental change in my life when he joined our family, and mostly positive. I had to restructure my priorities, as I haven't written my own music in a couple years. But I've kept up with my weekly 2-hour radio show on XRAY. I also attended way less live shows (pre-COVID-19) after he was born.

I had to slim down on buying physical records (my wife may disagree) by maybe 20%, which I really needed to do and probably should do more. I don't have nearly as much money to throw around.

As I mentioned above, I still miss the Portland ambient scene from a few years back. How has it changed over recent years?

I feel that I have not had my finger on the PDX ambient music pulse for the past 2-5 years as I used to, so I'd be better at telling my story. I was deep in it back when I threw the Aleatoric monthly starting ~2007. That merged into different monthlies with Coco Madrid and side shows with Tim Westcott (wndfrm) at Leaven and different churches around town. I've learned through experience to choose different venues (art studios, churches, community spots, outdoor events, etc.) instead of bars for ambient gigs, as people would listen more instead of talking while drinking.

My last show that I curated was Marcus Fischer, Simon Scott (of Slowdive), and Rafael Anton Irisarri. Tim had a contact that could get large venue speakers for a decent price, and we got a great deal for a nice Meyer system with a HUGE sub. That led to getting shut down by the police ... for an ambient gig. Perfect way to throw in the towel.

After that I chose to pull back and just do support work for different ambient events, and I'm pretty good at working the door. I really dropped off the map by ... I want to say 2017.

I know Beacon Sound was a staple Portland record store, and is unfortunately shutting down, but I’ve seen quite a few new shops pop-up since I left, do you still dig locally? What’s your go to now?

I loved BeaconSound so much, its closing was terrible news but understandable in this time. They had (in my opinion) the best selection in town and Andrew is a wonderful human. His store was the last show I attended, a few weeks before COVID hit the US. I have been taking the quarantine seriously, which means I get most of my vinyl currently from Bandcamp.

Other record stores I enjoy in town (assuming they are still open due to the pandemic) are Exiled, Little Axe, and Clinton Street. I really miss record diving :(

Your isolatedmix sticks to your theme of vinyl only - what was the thinking behind the mix?

I did not have a theme per se, but I leaned more on the tempo / structured side of things, longer mixes, a few more classics, and less experimental music than my normal Optic Echo Presents mixes. I hold your isolatedmix series in high regard, so I took my time to get you something that I was happy with, while not playing it safe.

You've written some extensive mix notes detailing your transitions too - do you always do this? Why do you feel it’s important to highlight the technical aspect of a mix?

The notes were for you personally since I thought you might be interested, although I don't mind you sharing publicly. I preplan all of my OEP sets in this way, which takes way more time but will consistently give me the quality of mixes that I desire. It also makes it easier to live mix my FM broadcast (we are currently pre-recording shows due to COVID-19) or record at home, so the transitions come out to my expectations. I have an excel database that I've updated since my college downtempo DJ days 20 years ago of every (tempo driven) record that I own, so I am able to search for a specific BPM when I'm coming up with ideas to beat matching records.

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 104 - Optic Echo

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Tracklist:

01. The Orb- Orbvs Terrarvm  c1.1
02. Pinkcourtesyphone- Sentimental Something  b1
03. W Tang- Instrumentals  b1
04. Night Sequels- Children of the Night Make Music  c2
05. 36- Dream Tempest  b
06. Lucy Gooch- Rushing  a2
07. Eluvium- Life Through Bombardment vol2  f1.2
08. William S Burroughs- Break Through in Grey Room  b4
09. Wanderwelle- A State of Decrepitude  a3
10. Future Sound of London- Lifeforms  b3
11. Clickits- Moteer 001  b4
12. Orla Wren- Butterfly Wings Make  a4
13. Ceeys & Constant Presence- Thesis 17  a1
14. Hildur Gudnadóttir- Chernobyl  a1
15. Four Tet- Sixteen Oceans  a4
16. Tom Scott- Hilldrop  b1
17. Dakota Suite (Hauschka remix)- The Night Just Keeps Coming In  a4

Optic Echo’s Mix notes:
The Orb- Orbvs Terrarvm c 1.1

Pinkcourtesyphone- Sentimental Something b1 na // -low, start w/ O, O out bef beat

W Tang- Instrumentals b1 90 // in ½ through P, start v low vol slow up but keep lower, play slow w/ WT EQs (keep low)

Night Sequels- Children of the Night… c2 90 // -mid, mix (+1.9) in WT end 20-25s, WT – mids end 7s

36- Dream Tempest b2 90 // mix in NS end 45s, keep mix lower vol

Lucy Gooch- Rushing a2 63 // @45, in on beat 5-10s bef 36 end lull, in at lower vol, don’t play last ½ 36 end lull

Eluvium- LTB vol 2 f1.2 na // -mid, f1.2=mid static 45-60s bef 2nd ½ pads, in LG end 1/3rd–¼th, mids in slow LG end 10s

William S Burroughs- Break Through in…b4 na // in r after LG out (3TT 3-7s bef LG out), keep at lower vol

Wanderwelle- A State of Decrepitude a3 na // -mid, in E 1/3rd through, take out E mids 1/3rd through W (keep out till W end 20-30s)

FSOL- Lifeforms b3 na-120 // in E at end lull, start 20s b2 end at lower vol

Clickits- Moteer 001 b4 120 // @45, -mid, mix (+1) 4 beats in F end beat only part (end 40s), mids in F beat out, F -mids ½ end 15s + lower vol

Orla Wren- Butterfly Wings Make a4 60 // mix (+0.5) in C end 30s

Ceeys & Constant Presence- Thesis 17 a1 100 // in at OW beat out (end 15s)

Hildur Gudnadóttir- Chernobyl a1 100 // mix (+0.5) in CCP ½ through, play w/ eqs, H fluctuates a bit

Four Tet- Sixteen Oceans a4 98 // -mid, mix (+2) v low vol 10s through CCP end 60s lull, FT mids & vol in at beat only 2nd part

Tom Scott- Hilldrop b1 na // in FT end 30-40s

Dakota Suite- The Night Just… a4 na// in 1/3rd-½ through TS

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