A Strangely Isolated Place

 

I’ll always remember that opening underwater feeling of Joachim’s ‘You Don’t Fool Me’ and the bells of Markus’ ‘Regensburg’… Well, you know we love full circle moments here, especially when they involve artists and records that played such an important part in the inspiration behind ASIP.

Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth both appeared on the original Kompakt Pop Ambient compilation in 2001, a series that heavily influenced ASIP and remains a personal favorite to this day. So, 25 years later, it's rather special to welcome them both together as one for an isolatedmix.

Both artists have followed their own paths since those early Kompakt days, but their shared history eventually led to a series of collaborations, including Overlay, Conversion, and contributions to Markus’ own Kontrapunkt album here on ASIP. Both have also contributed to the isolatedmix series individually too, as despite all these years passing, it’s refreshing to hear such a consistent style and depth to their productions to this day - a signature sound that many artists would strive for.

For this isolatedmix, Markus and Joachim revisit their collaborative work, bringing together tracks and remixes that connect the different projects. It's a fitting opportunity to look back at where it all began, how their musical relationship has developed, and what might come next.

We caught up with them both to discuss their early Pop Ambient days, working together, and making music 25 years on.

~

It’s now been three years since your collaborative album Overlay was released. Looking back at that record from where you are today, what do you hear in it that perhaps wasn’t obvious to you when you were making it? 

J: I actually find *Overlay* to be relatively timeless; it could just as easily be released today. That may be partly because, for this project, we settled on a few cornerstones of our musical upbringing without making them a major topic of discussion during the actual creative process. After all, the starting point—or premise—of this collaboration was our shared passion for sound and the desire to finally try making music together after knowing each other for so long. And I think the results reflect that. 

M: Yes, right … somehow “Overlay” is kinda timeless … but on the other side, we talked a lot about what and how we can do things together, where do we wanna go when we make music together. And we had this idea really quickly of bringing our musical background together … what we always loved … but not making a copy of it, just translating that influences our way of making things. And I'd say that “plan” really worked. You can hear a lot of influences on that album. Now, after three years (or better, 4-5 years with all the conversations, composing, producing) it’s still something i’d do the same way. 

<a href="https://guentnerspieth.bandcamp.com/album/overlay">Overlay by Guentner Spieth</a>

Markus, you’ve been part of ASIP for a long time now. You both arrive at this collaboration with your own histories and approaches — where did you first recognize something in each other’s music that felt compatible? Was it always the Pop Ambient connection? As that feels a million miles away from where your music is now. 

Well, ok, of course the first touching-point is our shared history on Kompakt. But, in the beginning of Pop Ambient or “The early Kompakt Years” we didn’t know each other in person. Sure, I listened to Joachim’s stuff (and really loved it) … but it was never an obvious connection. And after a few years (when Joachim started AFFIN) we finally got in contact. So, Joachim asked me about an album (which i made … Crystal Castle) … and still (back then) it wasn’t a thing (or even an option) to do stuff together … but somehow we connected more and more over the years. We had some conversations on the phone, email etc … but a few years ago we made regular appointments with videocalls … and I think that changed a lot !!! Because we talked about so much stuff (not just music) for hours and hours. The connection became much more personal … and we realised during these chats, that our history, our taste in music, our understanding in certain things is very close. And then, everything became obvious !!! Of course we should work together, of course we should do some music together. And yes, it’s absolutely so far away from the early Pop Ambient stuff … but, we grew … we had our experiences … We've seen a lot of things. Not together, everyone had his own experience … but somehow it was the same experience … and that is what the collaboration and the work together makes it weirdly special. 

<a href="https://markusguentner.bandcamp.com/album/kontrapunkt-2">Kontrapunkt by Markus Guentner</a>

When you’re working together, are you conscious of who is bringing what to a piece, or is the aim to reach a point where that distinction disappears?

J:The exact percentage of input each person contributes to a given track—or what is actually audible in the finished piece—is really a secondary matter; the process itself is what’s truly compelling. Moreover, we’ve established a relationship built on trust; beyond the Guentner/Spieth project, we make a great many decisions together—not just musical ones, but also those regarding Affin’s visual identity. We constantly bounce ideas off each other—asking things like "What do you think? Does that sound good? Does it look good?" Since we’ve been holding regular video calls for several years now, there is a high level of ongoing dialogue across a wide range of topics, and through that, you naturally develop a feel for what works—for that shared vision and sense of cohesion. 

M: Exactly, most times we’re like: ok, let’s start with something … what’s your opinion on trying this and that … but hey, just try !!! and sometimes someone is sending an idea … and the other one is working with that out of nowhere. And it’s so wild to see and realise that most times (i’d say around 95%) we’re on the same level. Getting something from the other to work with just feels natural … not really thinking about: uhm, is that something Joachim could like? It’s way more: ok, nice, i can work with that, bring my “voice” into this. And in the end, there’s always an agreement on what we did with the material. 

How has the way you work together changed since Overlay? Has familiarity made the process easier, or does a good collaboration still need a certain amount of friction or uncertainty to produce something worthwhile? 

In recent years, we’ve also produced albums as a trio with artists like Pepo Galán and zakè; furthermore, we released the *Conversion* album last year as our second Guentner/Spieth collaboration. I’d say that, overall, the process has increasingly taken on a life of its own. 

We sometimes surprise each other when one of us shows up with something finished, but we’ve never reached a point where our ideas were completely at odds... It’s as if there’s a kind of antenna transmitting signals in both directions—and it transmits reliably. 

M: Nothing more to say about … absolutely right !!! 

Have you found yourselves taking anything from the collaboration back into your respective solo work? 

J: I think this happens subconsciously—almost certainly. With every collaboration, you learn something new and discover aspects you might not have found on your own; this expands the realm of possibilities, both musically and—surely—technically. Beyond that, we’re constantly exchanging ideas about solo projects and each other’s new remixes; things are always in flux, both within specific projects and on a broader level. From my perspective, a very productive connection has solidified over time—one whose foundation was originally laid with Kompakt and our first releases, as that was the path through which we learned about each other and eventually established direct contact.

M: Well, I absolutely think it happens … There is always something you hear and work in the back of your mind when you do a collaboration. But as Joachim said, it’s more subconscious. Not like: oh, i need to take that idea … or, he made it this or that way, i need to do the same. But something is always happening and you take that with you. 

What can this mix communicate about the relationship between two artists that an original collaboration perhaps can’t? 

J: The mix serves as a review of what has been achieved so far—an overview, a snapshot, a sort of bird's-eye view—that came together after a period of quiet. The project is currently on hiatus; we haven't been working on new material continuously for the past three years—rather, there are active phases and periods of rest. 

Furthermore, the mix broadens the scope to include our wider circle and other formats—such as the track we contributed to the *Kontrapunkt* album on ASIP, as well as remixes where friends interpreted the project from their own perspectives. This made the process of creating the mix an interesting one, and we feel the result flows beautifully. It’s a lovely way to wrap up this chapter. 

M: Exactly … At first, this mix shows our collaborative musical work (besides from remixes, the work for AFFIN, etc.). But it also shows the connection between the collabs and the different albums way better, than just listening to the one or the other album. You get a better understanding of all the connections that happen between these. 

<a href="https://markusguentner.bandcamp.com/album/in-moll-25th-anniversary-edition">In Moll (25th Anniversary Edition) by Markus Guentner</a>

Markus is celebrating 25 years since his debut album, In Moll, recently. You’ve both been making and releasing music for long enough to have watched ambient and deeper electronic music move through several different periods of attention and interpretation. Do you feel differently about making this kind of music now than you did ten or twenty years ago? 

M: In the end, not that much. The way I want to make music is still the same. I never chased any trend or thought that I should sound like something or someone else. Of course, over all this time you grow, get inspired by other things, learn something new, get rid of old stuff or behaviours. But the freedom to do what you want to do is stll present. 

J: I think the technical toolkit has changed fundamentally—which is, after all, a natural process or form of progress over such a long period. As for one's attitude toward music—or love for it—nothing has changed. However, the ways of making oneself heard in the market have changed radically, forcing you to constantly re-evaluate and find new paths to gain an audience. Not everything that has happened alongside the digitalization of the music industry has been positive. Yet, the drive to make emotions audible remains. 

Your two tracks on Pop Ambient "You Don't Fool Me" and "Regensburg" were so definitive for that compilation series, and similarly, it's 25 years since that compilation was released. Wolfgang had his own interpretation of Pop Ambient back then, but I’m

curious what it represented to you. Was it simply a home for these pieces at the time, or did being part of that series begin to shape how you thought about your own music? Do you think “Pop Ambient” exists in the same way today? 

J: That’s an interesting question. It’s clear that we were pleasantly surprised back then by the wave of momentum that built up after the first *Pop Ambient* release came out. You could sense a real spirit of new beginnings on many levels. At the same time, we were very young, and everything had a fresh, exciting dynamic—we had no prior experience, nothing to compare it to... we simply approached our favorite label, they liked our music, and then it all just happened... 

It certainly wasn’t just a matter of having our music released by a particular label. Looking back at that time, comparing it to the present doesn't really make sense. The reason is simple: a quarter of a century lies between then and now, and just as we have evolved as artists during that period, the environment surrounding Kompakt has also developed and changed... 

If you think about ASIP, a direct comparison from the label’s inception to the present day would be hard to imagine. The same applies to Affin… 

M: I remember sitting in Wolfgang’s office when he mentioned the idea of doing the Pop Ambient series because of our (and of course, dettinger, lohmann, etc.) tracks. So it was not just a home, it was the beginning of something … something we’ve been actively a part of. So that was very very special at that time. I’m not that sure, if Pop Ambient still exists in the same way, well, thb, i can’t just because of the long time … music changed, people changed. And for me (because i’m not an “active member” anymore) i can’t really tell if it’s still the same. But in the end i think it’s not better or worse … it’s just different. 

<a href="https://kompakt.bandcamp.com/album/pop-ambient-2001">Pop Ambient 2001 by Various Artists</a>

If Overlay documented the beginning of something between you, where do you feel that collaboration sits now? Is there a sense of a continuing body of work taking shape, or is it more interesting to leave each encounter open-ended and see what happens next? 

M: A lot of chats and talkings happen about the collab. But we try not to put any pressure on ourselves. The fun thing is, that we somehow always know in which direction we’re heading. So in the end we’re completing each other unspokenly. 

J: In principle, the outcome is still open, but I think the parameters—the coordinate system, so to speak—have already been defined to a certain extent... We’ll see where the next phase of work takes us, and see when that happens :-)

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 136 - Guentner & Spieth

Download

Listen on Soundcloud, the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app.

Tracklist: 

1. Vanish
2. Prologue
3. Nukleus
4. Morphia
5. Mutuus
6. Apastron
7. Kari
8. Scope (Abul Mogard Rework)
9. Valenz (Galán / Vogt Rework)
10. Veil
11. Cipher
12. Overlay Variation 1
13. Genesis
14. Chrysalis
15. Nukleus (Rafael Anton Irisarri Rework edit)
16. Vortex
17. Overlay Variation 2
18. Praeludium

https://affinmusic.de/booking-guennter-spieth/
https://guentnerspieth.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/guentnerspieth

 

 

It's been four years since the last Portals feature (what kind of Portal is that?!). As a quick reminder, this series serves as my way to highlight a specific concept or deep dive into an aspect of music I enjoy, no matter the style. We've had Power Ambient, New New Age, Music For Sleeping, a reinterpretation of the KLF's Chill Out, and Classic Trance Loops amongst others.

For this next episode, we're going back into the world of Trance music again. Maybe our latest Trance-infused release with Mikkel Rev was the inspiration to get another Portals going after that 4-year absence...

Throughout the 1990s, the Trancemaster compilation series documented that evolution of the genre in real time. Across sprawling multi-disc releases, it brought together records from the emerging edges of trance, techno and progressive music (even some random nu-wave track I found), tracks that were often difficult to find outside specialist record shops and European clubs at the time, placing them into a shared world.

Before trance became a global industry, it was a sound still figuring out what it wanted to be. For many listeners, Trancemaster was a map of an evolving landscape that despite being called Trance, still shifted through variations of ambient, chill downtempo and techno, through its early themed compilations such as 'The Goa Gap, 'Tribal Chill Out' and 'Aural Brainfood' to name just a few. which soon dissolved into general Trancemaster compilations as the genre continued to find its sound.

Follow the names buried in these compilations and you could disappear into entire labels, scenes, cities and new strains of electronic music. Across the decades, the series captured Trance as it moved from something darker, stranger and more experimental into the soaring melodies and enormous emotional architecture that would eventually fill clubs around the world in the early 00's, with the label behind the compilation "Vision Soundcarriers" eventually calling it a day on the series in 2012 (citing piracy no less).

The result of this series is a catalog of hundreds of tracks, that became a definitive blueprint of the genre. Unknown gems and deep digs feature alongside many of the biggest classic hits you can think of (BBE, Three Drives, Lustral, Gouryella , Tiesto, etc all sit alongside the many unknowns).

For this edition of Portals, I've dug through the entire Trancemaster compilations through the early years of 1992–1999 (numbers 01 to 23 to be exact - the best years, dare I say?). Seven years of records that helped define a genre, and a reminder of just how wide, weird, and beautiful Trance once was. This true excavation led me into many different places, and it was interesting to see how the sound evolved over the years (especially when compared to the compilations post year 2000).

The Chill Out Room vibe was still apparent, and tracks were being spun by José Padilla (I remember the Max 404 track appearing after an ad break in José’s 1993 Essential Mix). Acid house was still a massive influence, with Choice, Josh Wink and many more creating head-buzzing anthems of the time. And the Goa Trance sound was still gloriously shifting BPMs to keep everyone guessing as to what went down in those far-away hedonistic times.

Dolphins, didgeridoos, that distinct bird sound from FSOL (!), chanted mantras and German spoken-word — Trancemaster has all the wonderful excess of a scene discovering just how far it could go, with little sense of the impact it would have. Beneath those unmistakable fingerprints of the era lies an extraordinary run of music: strange, euphoric, hypnotic and, at its best, remarkably timeless. Here are a few gems and personal favorites that capture just how broad Trance could be at the time, from ambient and downtempo, to techno, acid, progressive and the more euphoric sound that would eventually come to define it.

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP - Portals Episode 13: Trancemaster 1992-1999

Download MP3, listen on Soundcloud, the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app.

Tracklist:

01. Gaia – Primitive (Intro) – Trancemaster 04
02. TM 02 – Intro (Whales In Space) – Trancemaster 02
03. (Outro) – Conditions Of Mental Abstraction – Trancemaster 09
04. Max 404 – Quiddity (Last Visit) – Trancemaster 11
05. Komakino – Frogs In Space (Trance Mix) – Trancemaster 01
06. Sleepwalker – The Pink Zone – Trancemaster 10
07. Bas Molendyk – Just Married – Trancemaster 09
08. Frank De Wulf – Afrika's Rhyme – Trancemaster 01
09. Pentaura – Ulma Gets To Linger (Pentatonik Mix) – Trancemaster 11
10. Ravebusters – Rave Bangin' (Atmos' Mix) – Trancemaster 10
11. The Irresistible Force – Space Is The Place (Intergalactic Ambient Mix) – Trancemaster 01
12. Space Cube – Dolphins – Trancemaster 01
13. Gary D. – E-Mojonal: Make E Move – Trancemaster 02
14. E-Mojonal – Silence Of Water – Trancemaster 03
15. FUSE – UVA – Trancemaster 10
16. Redeye – Acid Etch – Trancemaster 07
17. Traumatic – Tribal Symphony – Trancemaster 08
18. Delegate – Crying Over Faith (98 Remix) – Trancemaster 17
19. Microwave Prince – Eternal Light – Trancemaster 11
20. Loophole – Fakeland – Trancemaster 13
21. Sterac – Asphyx – Trancemaster 11
22. Choice – Acid Eiffel – Trancemaster 04
23. Keyload – Unknown Quantities – Trancemaster 13
24. Yum Yum – 3 Minute Warning (Scope Mix) – Trancemaster 08
25. Me & Jack – Viva House (Secret Cinema Mix) – Trancemaster 12
26. Station Rose – Public Brain Session – Trancemaster 01
27. Perry & Rhodan – The Beat Goes Straight On And On (Intro) – Trancemaster 06

Trancemaster on Discogs
Trancemaster on Bandcamp
Trancemaster.de

     

 

Griff opened our label showcase at Public Records in 2024, and at the time, our relationship had only just got started. His album, Immersion, released last month, was only just in mastering stages with Sven Weisemann, and would take nearly another 1.5 years to see the light of day due to some troublesome test presses. But while his release date was touch and go, an isolatedmix was always written in the stars.

I technically heard Griff DJ at Brooklyn’s The Lot radio station just a few hours before our label showcase - sharing the booth with him as a temporary groupie while I plastered ASIP stickers all over the walls - and had been deep in his guest mixes prior to us even meeting in person. His journey as a DJ regularly takes him to festivals worldwide, and as part of his connection with Delayed, some intimate sets in the Pocono’s have come to fruition and are a worthy bookmark if you end up liking this one.

As someone who can traverse a multitude of styles, from ambient and downtempo to deeper house and techno, Griff’s one of those artists that shows up in different ways - every time. Likely because, his music, and the stories around his reasons for his music, are often very personal. Whether it’s a concept, or a vibe, I get the feeling Griff is a master of sense and construct - a pretty special skill for an artist and DJ to have, where stories told come from the heart and have a pure reason. Not performance for performance sake, but a narrative traveling from the mind, told through a meticulous track selection.

The concept was my attempt to portray various stages of consciousness throughout the morning, from dark into light / sleep to awake, as I get up & start the day & eventually get outside, into the woods for a morning - deep sleep into REM, vivid dreams, waking up from a dream & it's still dark outside but there's a faint glow of light, immersed in nature feeling the warmth of the sun in your face. It starts out cold, dark, alien, otherworldly then shifts towards something more mysterious & inviting but still a bit strange, then moves into warm & fuzzy. Analogous to frost on the ground slowly being melted, warmed & evaporated by the sun. - Aspetuck 

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 135 - Aspetuck

Download

Listen on Soundcloud, the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app.

Tracklist: 

01. Altjira - Atvelope
02. Solma - Skaub
03. JEMAPUR - WSIF.rg
04. Corell - Under The Surface
05. Dan Bean - Chum
06. Jeremiah Chiu - Static Stone Railway
07. Talaboman - Midnattssol
08. Skee Mask - Reminiscrmx
09. In Transit - A.2829
10. Innerst Inne - Nils Påls
11. Doltz - Ibuki
12. Michael Rother - Klangkörper
13. Aspetuck - Synth Named Sukie
14. Aspetuck - Hit Me With Your Pet Shark
15. Arovane - Sunter
16. OK EG - Open Sky
17. Luke Abbott - 2nd 5th Heavy
18. Tunnel Dancers - Central Radiance
19. Anushka Chkheidze + Robert Lippok - Rainbow Road
20. Innerst Inne - Hemma Hemma

Aspetuck | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Instagram

Listen and support Griff’s latest record here

 

 

As with all my previous ‘Reflection’ year-end mixes, I begin with a collection of albums, EPs, and compilations that resonated with me over the past year. From there, I curate tracks to build the mix - a process that’s as much about omission as inclusion. Inevitably, many of my favorite tracks and albums don’t make the final cut, simply because they don’t fit the flow of the mix or get lost along the way. There are plenty of albums I played on repeat that aren’t included here, but I enjoy this process much more than creating lists.

As I remind myself each year, this isn’t meant to be a definitive “best-of” list. Instead, it’s a snapshot of some of my favorite music from the year, distilled into one cohesive and listenable format. Compiling these mixes under self-imposed restrictions is my way of revisiting and celebrating the music I’ve loved critically, while sharing it with you in a way that’s both meaningful and accessible. For me, listening back to these mixes is like flipping through an audio photograph, capturing the essence of my year in music and invoking memories from special moments.

I encourage you to use this mix as a jumping-off point—dive into each artist, explore their albums in full, and check out the labels behind the music. You can find a Buy Music Club list linked below to help you dig deeper. If you’re curious about the broader scope of music I’ve supported this year, my Bandcamp collection is always up to date. And for the ASIP year-end label compilation, that’s coming very soon…

~

2025 was nearly the year of breaking point with my time and effort spent on the label. A new job, a third child, and… well that’s enough to do it I guess. So as the year-end drew closer, the idea of completing this mix became laughable in its scope and I thought it might be the first year in over a decade I haven’t completed one.

It’s helped that I haven’t done many mixes this year, so approaching it pulled on some much needed creativity, but even when looking back at what music I had supported on Bandcamp and the records on my shelves, it took me a long time to organize, make sure I had it downloaded, and even pull the trigger on items in my wishlist (my wishlist often revolves around vinyl I’ve picked up with no BC download code offered - gripe). Those who go through this obsessive process know how much time it can take up.

Looking back at the mix now it’s complete, I’ve managed to include around 80% of what was in high rotation for me this year (there’s always some that don’t make it into mix form) and the styles are on point as usual in reflecting my taste over the year. We’re starting with the deep ambient cuts, moving into more IDM and techno, and moving through a lot more energetic tracks towards the end - from Jungle to Trance…

One of the only live gigs I got to emerge from my family life to see was WNDFRM and Patricia Wolf in Seattle, so of course, Patricia’s newest installment on Balmat (who also had another epic year as a label) is included. Related to that event, organizer Raica (Chloe Harris) made a return with two albums this year I believe - both worthy of praise, but her piece for (another relentless outpost) Quiet Details was the stand out. A regular on these reflection mixes, MPU101 on Ilian Tape gets another nod- a BoC-vibe regular who always manages to tickle the right part of my ears. Alex Kassian had about three tracks or remixes in my original shortlist (including the lush remix of Spooky) so I had to do my best to not over-indulge - his remix of a classic Pianoman melody will bring back the Global Communication / Tangerine Dream vibes. Skee Mask is still releasing archive material that defies expectations. In one of the most welcome moves of the year, finding All Possible Worlds on Bandcamp made many people ecstatic, not least because of the full release of Irini’s odyssey, or the random track found on their profile. Light of Cacti got my Schnauss tastebuds tingling. Anushka Chkheidze has been on my radar for a long time now, so it was a treat to see her collabing with the much respected Robert Lippok across a very interesting record. OPN landed late in 2025, but arguably released one of his more welcomed albums by die-hard fans, hooking me right back into his unique worlds. Simon Littaeur came into my feed through his Instagram videos (normally something that doesn’t always result in a quality album) but his production lived up to the visual hype. The album by jp on emerging label Theory Therapy was full of big tracks, and I did my best to make sure one was included on here. Talking of big, Djrum’s latest didnt dissapoint, and he’ll continue to be classed as an innovator with output like this years. I nearly stopped at the Barker track, as it doesn’t get much bigger than that euphoric high, but something told me to bring it back down a little bit more, so into a slight trance we went with a superb debut by Alvar (Teo Bachs) and of course, the masters of hypnotizing techno, Voices from The Lake making a much needed return. The ending comes from vinyl selector Chee Shimizu, a unique piece of music that would bring the sun down on any horizon and one of two great tracks included in the mix from the ESP LA fundraiser.

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP - Reflection on 2025

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app

Download

Tracklist (Artist - Title - Album - Label)

1 - HARZ - 0647 - (polychromatic) [Empty Space]
2 - Roméo Poirier - Picobello - (Off the Record) [Faitiche]
3 - Florian TM Zeisig - Earth Loop - (A New Life) [Stroom]
4 - Patricia Wolf - I'll Take Care of You - (Hrafnamynd) [Balmat]
5 - Saapato - Active Decay (feat. Patricia Wolf) - (Decomposition: Fox on a Highway) [Constellation Tatsu]
6 - Pianeti Sintetici - Part One - (Space Opera) [Astral Industries]
7 - Heavenchord, Infinity Dots - Entering Landscapes - (Landscapes Of The Soul) [Secret Domain]
8 - placa - cityzen - (in trance it) [Non-transparent]
9 - Area 3 - Grass Turns To Sponge - (View) [Khotin Industries]
10 - Cahl Sel - Leaf - (Traces) [Reflective Records]
11 - Raica - Not There Though, Dive - (The Absence of Being) [Quiet Details]
12 - MPU101 - 3100beta2 - (MPU106) [Ilian Tape]
13 - Jo Johnson - Variance Remnants 3 (field recording) - (Variance - Remnants (Alterations)) [Self]
14 - Pentagrams Of Discordia - < - (Triskaidekaphobia Extd.) [Self]
15 - Alex Kassian - Lost in Hanoi - (ESP Institute XV) [ESP]
16 - all possible worlds - untitled - [all possible worlds]
17 - Skee Mask - 32Crescent - (E) [Self]
18 - Rod Modell - Snowstorm in Naubinway - (Northern Michigan Snowstorms) [Silentes]
19 - Strategy - Earthling - (A Cooler World) [Constellation Tatsu]
20 - µ-Ziq - Peppermint Aero - (Manzana) [Balmat]
21 - Lord Of The Isles - Opalescent - (Signals Aligned) [Self]
22 - Plant43 - Skyway Shadow - (Luminous Machines) [Self]
23 - Xenia Reaper - Drift__ - (Nept Polarisation) [Delsin]
24 - Lord Of The Isles - United Wire - (Signals Aligned) [Self]
25 - Martinou - The Last Hour - (The Glow That Lingers) [FauxPas]
26 - Coatshek - Eternal Lovers - (Sound Bath) [Dark Entries]
27 - Light of Cacti - Washed Away In Pink Skies On Brighton Shores - (Neverland is a State of Mind) [Tonights Dream]
28 - Pianoman - Pasion (Alex Kassian's Mandarine Dream Mix) - (Pasion) [Planet Strange Love]
29 - Anushka Chkheidze + Robert Lippok - Uncontrollable Thoughts - (Uncontrollable Thoughts) [Morr Music]
30 - Oneohtrix Point Never - Measuring Ruins - (Tranquilizer) [Warp]
31 - Simon Littauer - Phicet - (Modular) [Katharsis]
32 - arcologies - asleep and dreaming - (PARTICLE SHIFT) [Rabbithole Club]
33 - E.L Heath and Karen Vogt - This Is Spirit - (This Is Spirit) [Plenty Wenlock]
34 - Aural Imbalance - Thermal Isolation - (Edge Of Space) [Auxiliary]
35 - jp - planes - (we're here all the time) [Theory Therapy]
36 - Vivian Koch - September (Gold) - (Colors of September) [Self]
37 - Courtney Bailey - Under The Water - (In Dream) [Music From Memory]
38 - Djrum - Waxcap - (Under Tangled Silence) [Houndstooth]
39 - Roméo Poirier - 12 - Steve A. - (Off the Record) [Faitiche]
40 - Barker - Reframing - (Stochastic Drift) [Smalltown Supersound]
41 - Alvar - Meg og sola - (The Mist LP) [Peak Experience]
42 - irini - The Higher (Lost In Dreams) [all possible worlds]
43 - Voices From The Lake - Aquateo (II) [Spazio Disponibile]
44 - Chee Shimizu - Zeze (ESP Institute XV) [ESP]

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The Dutch duo of Robin Koek and Nick Lapien, known together as Artefakt, have long been shaping their own atmospheric corner of techno. Bridging the meticulousness of academic sound design with an ever-present emotive pulse, their work has resonated deeply across releases for labels such as Delsin, Semantica, Field Records, and their own De Stijl imprint.

They've always struck a balance between abstraction and function, a rare knack for making club-appropriate music that still rewards deeper, solitary listening. That tension surfaced memorably in tracks like "The Fifth Planet" or "Somatic Dreams," but perhaps most personally, in "Entering The City", a track that found its way into my Reflection on 2017 mix and still holds that special late-night gravity for me, many years on.

<a href="https://artefakt.bandcamp.com/album/kinship">Kinship by Artefakt</a>

Their contribution to the isolatedmix series lands as an expansive meditation on contrast and communion. As the duo describe it:

"This recording came together for us imagining being in spaces of sonic isolation - conversing with each other and through this act of exchange, unfolding a dynamic landscape. This emerges as an auditory refuge where we become the waves. As we navigate this appearing structure, we re-anchor ourselves as listeners, embracing the ephemeral and reconciling with strangeness to find solace in deviation.

The mix also draws from a lifelong inspiration that runs as a thread through our own music - the contrasts between natural textures, organic decay and fractal blooming sounds set against the quantization, designed function and electric qualities of the built city and the futures they represent, captured in musical imagination. The mix invites listeners to dwell in this synthesis of spaces, discovering connection within isolation."

This is Artefakt working in longform and dictating progression, where subtle shifts feel tectonic and sequences unravel like a conversation across timezones. There's techno here, but blurred through the lens of wide-angle composition - a unique trance-like state that mimics their unique dance-floor rituals.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 134 - Artefakt

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Listen on Soundcloud, the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app.

Tracklist:
01. Arovane & Hior Chronik - A Day, November 2013
02. Multicast Dynamics - Field of Dreams
03. Jake Muir - Twilight Transmissions
04. 2030 - Key to the Universe
05. Neel - Alchemy
06. Stenny - Dew
07. 1991 - High-Tech Love-Life
08. Imaginary Softwoods - Globe IV
09. Emika Elena - Reflection (Multicast Dynamics Remix)
10. BFTT - Enin
11. queniv - Viba
12. Hiver - Inner Motion
13. Sven Weisemann - Cascading Lights
14. Imprea - In a Landscape
15. Purelink - Stadium Drive
16. The 7th Plain - Chords Are Dirty
17. Marianna Maruyama & Hessel Veldman - Softly, at first

~

Artefakt Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Instagram

 

 

Somewhere between tape hiss and transmission error, Pentagrams Of Discordia have been quietly assembling fragments of forgotten broadcasts, reel-to-reel experiments, and dusty rhythm boxes into something that might resemble a memory.

The elusive trio work collectively, in analog shadows, and their fingerprints are embedded deep within this mix. Much of the material you’ll hear is unreleased- looped, spliced, and sequenced exclusively for this set. It's both a showcase of their sound, and an enigma; a nodding towards certain iconic duos and chill-room auteurs without ever tipping fully into homage.

<a href="https://pentagramsofdiscordia.bandcamp.com/album/triskaidekaphobia-extd">Triskaidekaphobia Extd. by Pentagrams Of Discordia</a>

Their isolatedmix is the kind of journey that begins with no particular destination, meandering across shortwave frequencies, roadside daydreams, and the occasional flickering motel sign. A collage of found melodies, distorted lullabies, and cracked-lens nostalgia - less a DJ set and more a shared hallucination.

“Expect unreleased gems, spectral edits, and glitchy whispers from forgotten projects: each track chosen not just for sound, but for how it haunts. A guided descent into the vaults, stitched with care, mischief, and just enough distortion” - PoD.

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astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 133 - Pentagrams Of Discordia

Listen on Soundcloud, the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app.

 

 

Matt Xavier has been a friend of mine for many years now. A fellow music obsessive and trusted voice when it comes to all things ambient, techno, and beyond, we finally managed to meet in person while I lived in Los Angeles, and we stayed connected over music ever since.

We’ve swapped stories about pressing vinyl and running labels, and he was the reason I first crossed paths with Joel Mull (Damm) at one of his gatherings held at a beautiful Topanga home. It was a serendipitous moment that still echoes today.

A proponent for the deeper layers found in music, Matt has since become a practician, ambassador, and pioneer for psychedelic soundtracking. Along the way, he shared tracks from ASIP and other labels that were influencing and guiding his private sessions, shaping the grand masterpiece we present to you today. As his practice deepened, we exchanged many texts discussing his ambition to publish a book about his unique experience and include an accompanying mix on ASIP.

Matt’s new book, ‘The Psychedelic DJ: A Practical Guide to Therapeutic Music Curation and Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy’, is a groundbreaking manual for anyone looking to bridge sound and healing. Whether you're a clinician, a DJ, or just someone who knows the power of a well-placed track, Matt’s work will likely reframe how you think about music’s role in inner journeys.

His isolatedmix is a fully formed and accompanying ‘Protocol’, which is an example of one of his many guided sessions, referred to as “therapeutic DJing.” Psilocybin Therapy Protocol v1.22a, distills his craft and evolution in this practice for us all to dip into at a surface level, providing a peek into what are very personal worlds prepared for his clients.

Alongside the mix, Matt joins us for a deep-dive interview, discussing his new book, his transition from rave culture to guided sessions, his real-time curatorial method and how music, when chosen with care, can become a tool for transformation.

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 132 - Matt Xavier: Psilocybin Therapy Protocol v1.22a

Listen on Soundcloud, the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app.

HQ Download (4gb)

~

Tracklist | Bandcamp Playlist to support the featured artists

1. Jon Hopkins – 1/1 Singing Bowl (Ascension)
2. Marconi Union – Weightless Part 1
3. Neel, Voices From The Lake – Planatia
4. Helios – Penumbra
5. 36 & awakened souls – Take Me By The Hand (awakened souls - Acid Dream Version)
6. poemme – awning ~ under the willow tree
7. zakè (扎克) – 000607053 OTS3 [Solar]
8. awakened souls & From Overseas – Migration
9. awakened souls & From Overseas – Certainty Of Tides
10. 36 & awakened souls – Passing Dreams
11. Desert Dwellers – Lotus Garden Spaces
12. Disneynature Soundscapes – Jellyfish Atmosphere (BATHROOM BREAK)
13. Endless Melancholy – When I'm With You
14. Archivist – Photosensitive
15. Jens Buchert – Milano
16. Endless Melancholy & Black Swan – Forever In A Moment
17. Gelka – Ambient Impressions Vol 2 Mashup feat. FredAgain/NilsFrahm/Fejká
18. Lav – Collaborative Survival
19. Unknown – SMD_60_Bb_Oceanic_FX_Long_Surf EDITED
20. Lisa Bella Donna – Crystal Mountains (Matt Xavier EDIT)
21. Alucidnation – Skygazer
22. Wagogo Treeboga – Dream on
23. Poemme (Ed Harrison) – Out (Poemme remix)
24. John Beltran – Lose You
25. John Beltran – I Can Chase You Forever
26. Bluetech – Resonating Heart
27. Chicane – Early
28. Synkro – Midnight Sun (Helios remix)
29. Synkro – Movement
30. Carbon Based Lifeforms – Clouds
31. LF58 – Evocazione/Contatto/Risveglio
32. Liquid Bloom & TRIBONE - Interbeing (Telepathy Remix)
33. Federico Durand – El pequeño zorro colorado
34. alucidnation – All at Sea
35. Slow Meadow – Upstream Dream
36. Endless Melancholy – Expand
37. Orbital – Belfast (ANNA Ambient Remix)
38. Slow Meadow – Fake Magic Is Real
39. Helios – Halving The Compass (Rhian Sheehan Remix)
40. Lusine Icl – Stones throw
41. Slow Meadow – Pareidolia
42. Jon Hopkins – Immunity

~

Interview with Matt Xavier, Integrated Psychedelics
Author of The Psychedelic DJ: A Practical Guide to Therapeutic Music Curation and Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy [Buy Paperback] [Buy hardcover]

ASIP: You come from a place of passion, DJing, and running labels. What impacted or influenced the shift into the psychedelic space with music?

Matt: I’ve been passionate about pairing music with life since I was very young, but I especially remember the very first time I ever stepped onto a dancefloor in 1993 at NASA, the legendary rave club in downtown New York City. From that point on, I knew I just had to be involved. I started throwing raves, and eventually became a psychedelic DJ during what I still believe was the most influential time in dance music history. The 90s were a hedonistic blast, especially our groundbreaking psychedelic trance events at the Shelter, but such debauchery also came with some downsides.

I ended up burning out at the turn of the millennium and went sober from 2000 to 2003. That time helped me fall back in love with myself, but I also fell out of love with New York. I moved to LA to be near my friends in Moontribe, who I’d gotten close with in the late 90s. That chapter in LA led to years of nightclub events, DJ sets, and running our techno label, Railyard Recordings. They were wildly fun times, but honestly, LA’s backstage rat race wore me out. Financially, it didn’t really hold up either, so I knew I had to make a change and find something that could carry me, and possibly a family, into the next chapters of my life.

In 2009, I decided to go back to school to become a counselor. I’d had a ton of personal experience with therapy by then, mostly from working through childhood trauma and recreational or problematic drug use during my teenage years. I worked full time as an addiction counselor during the oxycontin and heroin epidemic of the 2010s, and by 2015 the burnout was getting hard to manage. That’s when I decided to revisit psychedelics but this time intentionally, and with a more therapeutic approach.

A few years later, the burnout finally caught up with me. I reached out to a friend who was a therapist working on the MDMA studies at a local university, and they pointed me toward the growing psychedelic integration community. The first time I walked into that space, it felt like home. Not just because it reminded me of my work as a group therapist, but also because of my deep history with psychedelics from the 90s rave and psy-trance scenes. It was a perfect match.

I immediately started seeking training and built out a private practice focused on integration work. That quickly evolved into guiding with psychedelics and music. And at some point, my wife pointed out that I hadn’t actually quit DJing like I thought I had back in 2017. I was just doing it differently. I wasn’t playing to or seeking crowds anymore. I was DJing for one person at a time, what I’ve always called an “audience of one.” And the sets I’ve played in that context have, in many ways, offered more meaning and healing than anything I ever experienced on a dancefloor.

Caught catching up in the garden with Matt’s new book

ASIP: I’m aware this type of practice can come across as very “hippy-dippy shit”, but you approach it through a serious music background. Can you explain, for anyone new to this how your approach differs from the stereotypical approach?

Matt: Oh wow, I totally get that. It’s understandable. Psychedelics still get looked at through the lens of “hippy-dippy shit,” especially because of everything that happened in the 60s and 70s, and how effectively the government programmed society to see psychedelics as ridiculous or unserious. And to be fair, some of that reputation was well earned, and that goes for the ridiculous fashion and antics of ecstasy-rolling ravers of the 90s too.

The way psychedelics were presented during both counterculture movements didn’t exactly help make them look medicinal or appealing to the average person. Hopefully the intentional, therapeutic, research-based approaches being taken these days are starting to change that narrative across the board.

As for the stereotypical approach... I’m honestly not even sure what that means anymore, because my colleagues and I all work in such different ways, sometimes radically different. But if we’re talking about my approach, and what I lay out in the book, I’d say it’s more intentional, more clinical, and more therapeutic, with aspects of spirituality mixed in. It’s not recreational, though there’s nothing wrong with recreating oneself, and it’s definitely not counterculture or political.

The focus of my practice is helping clients safely explore psychedelics to address whatever they’re working through when they arrive. That means looking at both conscious and unconscious drives, in a space that’s safe and clinically informed. I do a full screening and assessment before we begin to make sure someone’s a good fit. Then we do two or three 90-minute prep counseling sessions, and eventually a full journey day, which usually includes a nine-hour arc with a four-hour live DJ set to support their experience.

It’s a serious, detailed, and thorough process that also leaves space for enjoyment, if that’s what the client needs.

ASIP: As you mentioned, you’re approaching it differently from a lot of other psychedelic guides. You’re actively DJ’ing, curating music live during these journeys. Can you talk about your process more?

Matt: Yeah, one of the things I kept seeing in this field were guides who would just pull playlists off Spotify and hit play, hoping the client would be okay with it... and then being shocked when neither the client nor the guide were satisfied. I was never interested or willing to take that chance. And thanks to my background as a DJ, I didn’t have to.

That’s where I started developing something I now call Therapeutic Music Curation. It’s a practice where music is treated like medicine, just like any other consciousness-altering substance. I think of each track as a sonic compound. I collect them, listen to them in different states, get to know their traits, and figure out how they might support a particular client’s intention.

Then I build a rough arc based on what we’ve uncovered during screening and preparation, and align the music to the qualities of the first four stages of the psilocybin experience — the hike, the climb, the summit, and the descent. It’s kind of like an internal therapeutic mountain-climbing expedition, with mushrooms and music doing their magic..

If you want to compare it to DJing, it’s a lot like prepping your record box before you head to the club. You have a general idea of what might work based on the space, the sound system, the time slot, and the vibe. But as any DJ knows, once you walk in and feel the room, all your plans can go out the window. That’s where the magic, and the real skill, comes in.

That moment of adaptation is what I call Psychedelic Soundtracking, the real-time adjustment of the “set” based on what’s actually happening in the room, emotionally and energetically. I’m watching how the client is presenting. Are they crying? Laughing? Silent? Restless? I’m also tracking my own reactions in the field, and using all that information to shape both the sound and the music in response. That’s the head and the heart of it.

Therapeutic Music Curation is the prep. Psychedelic Soundtracking is the execution. And together, that’s what I call Therapeutic DJing, the intentional use of music before, during, and after the session to support the client’s inner process and healing.

ASIP: What does the onboarding process you mention look like?

Matt: Psychedelics are incredibly powerful tools that should be used safely and wisely, preferably by trained professionals, shamans, or experienced psychonauts. To prevent unwanted harm, it’s essential to screen all prospective clients before welcoming them into my practice. That process helps both the client and me figure out if we have rapport, and whether we’re a good fit to work together in such a vulnerable capacity.

Equally important, and maybe even more so, is assessing who isn’t a good candidate for this work. That includes people with certain mental health conditions like bipolar I, schizophrenia, psychosis, borderline personality disorder, or active substance use disorder. I also screen for physical issues that could complicate things, like heart conditions, stroke history, seizures, asthma, and so on. Ruling out those risks is essential, both ethically and for the client’s safety, and mine.

The screening usually happens weeks before the first prep session. Once we begin, we work closely for a few weeks leading up to the journey, and then again afterward for integration. The client isn’t the only one stepping into a vulnerable space, we’re both doing that. Trust and safety are non-negotiable.

ASIP: How do you react as a “DJ” during the session? How are you reading the client in the moment?

Matt: Like I said earlier, I call that part Psychedelic Soundtracking. It’s the live, real-time response to what’s unfolding in the room. It’s how I adjust the music and the energy of the setting based on how the client is showing up, through their words, their silence, or their emotional state.

I might sketch out a rough plan beforehand similar to filling my record box, but as we learned in traditional counseling, I try not to arrive with a fixed agenda. That kind of rigidity can pull you out of attunement. You might miss what’s actually happening in the moment. So I see it more like a choose-your-own-adventure book. The client’s experience shows us what page to turn to next, and I meet them there musically, just like we do on the dance floor.

ASIP: What are the emotional or energetic markers from beginning to end of your sessions, and how do you approach curating for those?

Matt: At the beginning, during what I call the “Hike”, or what others might call the onset, things are usually quiet and restful. The client is often meditating or simply lying still, waiting for the effects to come on. The music is subtle and grounding, the kind of sound that helps you settle in and feel safe, like you're approaching basecamp.

Then comes the “Climb,” which is where the medicine starts ramping up. This is when emotions begin bubbling up such as crying, laughing, yawning, trembling, shifting around. That’s when I start slowly increasing the energy, emotionality, or psychedelic quality of the music. But it’s not about pushing, it’s about supporting the rising effects and helping them make the climb toward the peak.

Next is the “Summit,” the peak. This is when the medicine is at full strength, and ego dissolution can happen. For some clients, it’s a storm of emotion. For others, it’s total stillness. Either way, I usually pull the music way back during this time. There’s a kind of reverence in that moment that I try to honor. The music becomes very spacious. I leave room for the imagination to soar.

After the peak, we enter the “Return,” or descent. This is when the medicine begins to lose strength and agency starts coming back online. Clients might begin to move again, process what just happened, or begin noticing what’s unfolding as they slowly return to their senses. The music reflects that with something melodic and comforting, often with a feeling of homecoming. This is a great phase for what I call “music for remembering.” It helps the client begin to make sense of what they just experienced.

ASIP: Can you explain the different types of music you use, and what mixtures or styles usually work best and what doesn’t?

Matt: Ah, the notorious genre question. Well, I’ve got a soft spot for the classics such as trippy electronic ambient from the ’90s chillout universe, modern neoclassical with lush synths, psychedelic downtempo, and a lot of expansive, cinematic soundscapes. But for me, it’s less about genre and more about emotion and visual enhancement. I lean into music that has emotional depth and visual texture. I need to feel it in my body and see it in my mind. It has to stir something, whether that’s ache, awe, release, or some associated memory.

One thing I’ve noticed — and this might surprise some of the more minor-chord–leaning dancefloor DJs out there — is that I often use major chords and melancholic sublimation in sessions. You can hear this approach in Psilocybin Therapy Protocol 1, which I describe more as “The Light.” This protocol is typically used in early sessions, especially with new clients. The music holds a tone of beauty, grace, and uplift, not in a naive or saccharine way, but in a way that gently invites the heart to open. It’s music that’s both sad and beautiful. Sublimative. It doesn’t deny pain, it transforms and resolves it.

This kind of music resonates with the core human paradox: the struggle and the gratitude of being alive at the same time. For many clients, especially early on, that emotional tone helps them soften into the experience. It creates a container where the nervous system can feel safe enough to let go. It’s the sound of surrender, not force.

On the other hand, Psilocybin Therapy Protocol 2, which I call “The Shadow,” leans into darker, heavier, more introspective psychedelic material with minor chords, tension, and the kind of raw emotionality that meets people deep in their grief, anger, regret, or trauma. These tracks are often used with experienced journeyers or when a client is ready to confront deeper material. It’s still intentional, it’s not “dark for the sake of dark”, but it meets the psyche where it’s at, and it creates a necessary counterbalance to the more major-leaning, sublimative compositions that I’ve found effective for therapeutic work.

What doesn’t work for me is dry “psy-muzak” that lacks energy or sizzle. Music should ignite the senses, spark curiosity, and take you somewhere unexpected. I avoid tracks that feel too safe or lack depth, intensity, or psychedelic flavor. I’m especially mindful of overly dark, twisted, or unnecessarily heavy beat-driven material (unless specifically requested), as it can easily overwhelm or distract in such an intimate, emotionally open therapeutic space. Keep in mind, this is all highly subjective.

At the end of the day, I’m not choosing music to impress a crowd, I’m choosing it to support the transformation of that audience of one that I previously mentioned. That inspires very different selections than what you’d hear in more underground circles. And that means trusting the emotion more than the genre.

ASIP: Can you share a track or a moment in a set that continues to resonate with you, something you’ve returned to again and again?

Matt: Yeah, a few come to mind from Audio Protocol 001. For the onset stage, “Take Me By The Hand (Awakened Souls – Acid Dream Version)” by 36 & Awakened Souls. Cynthia’s vocals and James’s 303 lines are just... divine! It hits that emotional place where people often start crying, not out of sadness, but from that deep inner shift that happens when the medicine starts to open the heart.

Then around the two-hour mark, often when a booster might be kicking in, I’ll bring in something like “Out (Poemme Remix)” by Ed Harrison or “Iliad” by Malibu. Those tracks are pure sublimation: sad but beautiful. They hold sorrow and hope in the same breath, and that kind of emotional container really helps people process what’s surfacing.

During the descent phase of Protocol 1, I mix “Expand” by Endless Melancholy with the ANNA remix of “Belfast” by Orbital. That pairing was originally inspired by a live session with a client years ago, and the reaction was incredibly powerful, it even brought me to tears. It still gives me chills to this day whenever a session calls for it. Together, those two tracks feel like a triumphant return, a kind of emotional homecoming. And that ANNA remix of Orbital’s classic Belfast really hits those “music for remembering” nostalgia buttons.

And that’s the goal, not just to bring someone back, but to bring them back home, with self-reflection, meaning, and celebration.

ASIP: There’s a lot of talk about “set and setting.” What do people often overlook when preparing for, or recovering from, a journey? What are people most surprised about?

Matt: The number one surprise is always how different the journey ends up being from what they expected. People say they have no expectations but of course they do. We all do. And then the medicine shows them something totally unexpected. Sometimes they’re shocked by how powerful it is. Other times, they’re amazed at how safe or courageous they feel when they assume they’d be terrified.

That’s always my favorite moment: when someone realizes they’ve reconnected with a part of themselves they forgot was even there. That’s the real magic.

In terms of preparation, a lot of people forget to start living the life they want on the other side. They wait for the journey to fix them. But I encourage clients to start having conversations with their future selves to ask, “What should I be doing now to get ready for who I’m becoming?” It’s like tending the garden before the rains come. You clear the weeds, loosen the soil, and plant the seeds of intention. Then the medicine knows where to land.

And then there’s the basic stuff: avoiding alcohol, stepping back from news and social media, doing breathwork, staying mindful. These small choices really do help the nervous system prepare to navigate the psychedelic space.

Post-journey, people often think the afterglow will last forever. It won’t. The high wears off. Life gets lifey again. That’s why integration is crucial. Psychedelics aren’t a fix. They plant seeds, but you still have to water them.

We go over all of this in the screening and prep sessions. The journey is just one part of the process, but it’s everything around it that makes it sustainable.

Matt Xavier (center), Joel (2nd from left) and I with friends at one of Matts parties in Topanga. Photo by Jill Sutherland.

ASIP: We’ve previously talked in depth about how the practice of curating music as a guide is hard to protect, people can copy your sets or your tracklists, for example. So what makes a guide special beyond musical choice?

Matt: It’s true that in this day and age, you can’t really guard your IP like we did back in the day such as covering our records to fend off curious trainspotters. Everyone has access to the same tracks now, and artists are getting paid less and less as streaming takes over. So spreading the word is essential to the growth of the artists who make the music we use in sessions. That’s part of the reason I’m so vocal about giving credit to the artists I use and directly supporting them whenever possible. 

But what really makes a guide special isn’t just the music. It’s how you show up. It’s your ability to attune. To sense what’s needed. To recognize that music, like a psychedelic, is a medicine. And that your presence, your pacing, your sensitivity, all of that becomes part of the treatment.

A guide needs to know how to work with both the music, the moment and the psyche. They need to understand trauma. To regulate their own nervous system. To hold space for whatever shows up, whether it’s grief, rage, laughter, silence, or pure cosmic awe.

And honestly, I think anyone doing this work should have at least some training in counseling or psychology. It doesn’t have to be academic, but you need to understand how the human psyche works and how to guide and counsel someone who is trusting you with their most vulnerable states. Otherwise, you’ll be unprepared when the real material surfaces, and you can unintentionally do harm.

ASIP: What are some of the most enlightening, unexpected, or just fun outcomes of your sessions you’ve seen over the years?

Matt: I love that question. There are so many. The most enlightening thing, for me, is just the privilege of sitting with someone who’s opening themselves up that deeply. It’s sacred, and it never ceases to amaze me. To be trusted in that way, to be invited into that kind of vulnerability, it still humbles me every time.

There’ve been moments where people just erupt in tears, and five minutes later they’re laughing uncontrollably. I remember one session in particular, which I wrote about in the book, where the client went from deep sorrow and grief into a spontaneous outburst of joy. I followed him musically, moving from “Forever In A Moment” by Black Swan & Endless Melancholy, and then dropped a custom edit of Junkie XL’s “Intergalactic Space Travel.” The energy exploded with color, and that supported him into full catharsis. I followed that with a beatless track called “Lunar Landscape” by Sacred Seeds to help him land again and integrate that emotional purge. He said afterward it was one of the most cathartic experiences of his life.

Or a more recent session, where the client arrived saying they were excited and had prepared to go deep. From the start, they kept asking me to turn the volume up, and if you know the Adam Audio S3V monitors, you know they can get proper loud. I was stunned at how clearly the client knew what they needed, not just to enjoy the music and the experience, but to actually break through something. I remember giggling to myself as they kept yelling for more volume. It was wild, and totally inspiring! Not only did it help them push through their own blockages, it helped me realize I’d built up some of my own limitations around what’s “allowed” in a session.

Sure enough, the volume amplified the psychedelics and helped them access deeper levels of release. Like the client, I was deeply humbled.

And that’s the thing, to be allowed to witness these kinds of moments, to be part of it in any way, I don’t take it lightly.

ASIP: What advice or recommendations would you give to any DJ who wants to apply some principles of your practice to their own sets, maybe in more intimate or personal settings?

Matt: First and foremost, move slowly. Get properly trained, and do your own deep work before guiding others. Study psychology, counseling, trauma and, of course, psychedelics and psychedelic guiding. Understand what it truly means to hold space, and know your own limits. This will help you recognize who you can, and shouldn't, be working with.

Curate your therapeutic medicine bag. Go through your music library and pull out the tracks that have helped you in difficult moments, the ones that comforted you, inspired you, and made you feel more human. Find the intimate instrumental pieces you turn to when you're alone. These are the sounds that will serve as sonic tools in your practice.

This isn’t a dancefloor so don't get caught up in beatmatching; focus instead on emotion and vision. Learn every nuance of your tracks, their qualities, moods, and shifts. Know which ones calm, which ones activate, which ones expand, resolve, or which ones are trippy. Think about how each song might align with different phases of a psychedelic journey, and allow yourself to experiment with the fun of soundtracking the various moments of your life.

Above all, recognize the sacredness of this work. When someone enters a psychedelic state, they are profoundly open, and you hold responsibility for their safety. The music, medicine, and counsel you provide can either support their healing or add to their struggle. That weight should never be taken lightly.

As the saying goes, “Go slow and dose low. You can always take more, but you can't take less.” Stay humble. Don’t set out to save the world before you know what you’re doing. Listen deeply to your music, your medicines, and most importantly, your clients. Because in the end, they are trusting you with the most vulnerable parts of themselves, and that is truly an honor in this lifetime.

ASIP: Given this mix is named Protocol v1.22a, can we assume there is more to come?

Matt: Psilocybin Therapy Protocol 2, will be available via my website and SoundCloud. I like to call this, “The Shadow,” as it leans into darker, heavier, more introspective psychedelic material with minor chords, tension, and the kind of raw emotionality that meets people deep in their grief, anger, regret, or trauma. These tracks are often used with experienced journeyers or when a client is ready to confront deeper material. It’s still intentional, it’s not “dark for the sake of dark”, but it meets the psyche where it’s at, and it creates a necessary counterbalance to the more major-leaning, sublimative compositions that I’ve found effective for therapeutic work.

~

May/June 2025.

Matt Xavier | Website | Soundcloud | Instagram

 

 

Eighteen sessions in, and somehow, todos still manages to unearth mixes that astound.

Kilchurn Session XVIII arrives as a continuation of a conversation we’ve been having for over a decade, threading forgotten film cues, elusive ambient B-sides, and left-behind downtempo sketches into a two-hour séance.

If you’ve followed the Kilchurn Sessions from the beginning, or todos’ end of year ASIP label mixes, you’ll know they’re less about progression and more about excavation: digging through his deeply considered music memory, looping time in on itself, through careful and unexpected edits, seamless blends, and the most considered mix sequencing possible.

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app

todos · Kilchurn Session XVlll

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Tracklist:

Akira Rabelais - ‘Du côté de chez Swann - Il y a bien des années ... dans le silence du soir’ (edit)
Field Kit, Hannah Von Hubbenet & John Gurtler - ‘Downward Rising’
Sophia Loizou - ‘Anima’ (edit)
Junkie Digital - ‘In Transit’
Jani R - ‘Eyes Eluding’
Vivian Koch - ‘Lil Birdy Starts to Fly Again’
Mifune - ‘Many People’
Marc Spieler - ‘Selflove’
Before Tigers - ‘Look At Me’ (edit)
Marcibagoly - ‘We’re Flying’
SVLBRD - ‘Solstice’ (edit) 
D J 1 9 8 6 一 九 八 六 - ’N O S T A L G I A  '9 2’
Simone Giudice - ‘Ghiaccio’ / Patricia Wolf - ‘Distant Memory’
Sierra Romeo - ‘Promiza’
Savvas - ‘Elysian’ (ambient mix)
Savvas - ‘Elysian’ (original mix)
PJS - ‘Forest’
Cremallier - ‘Activity’
Bop - ‘Hiding’
Trudge - ‘Berserk’ / Suso Sáiz - ‘Inside The Egg’
Simone Giudice - ‘Passione’
Holy Other - ‘Lieve’
Marcibagoly - ‘Jet Stream’
MPU101 - ‘nurMKS30’ (edit) / Tim Exile - ‘A Little Bit More’ (edit)
HAAI - ‘Be Good’
James Holden - ‘In The End You’ll Know’

 

 

There’s a certain feeling that creeps in when listening to Illuvia. A delicate suspension between rhythm and atmosphere, where the weight of a breakbeat never overwhelms the stillness it moves through.

Since debuting as Illuvia on ASIP with Iridescence of Clouds back in 2021, Ludvig Cimbrelius has steadily carved out his own temporal rift in the world of ambient and jungle- a sound that sidesteps nostalgia and instead uncovers a forgotten future buried deep in the recesses of our collective memory.

With such a history on the label going back to our earliest of releases and our 7th vinyl press (as Purl, alongside Lav) this is the second time Ludvig has appeared on an isolatedmix, along with the close ties and inspiration of this Portals mix from God Is No Longer A DJ.

Both across his latest release, Earth Prism, and Iridescence of Clouds, he introduced a world of ambient lovers to weightless pads combined with chopped breaks, barely tethered to gravity, and melodies that seemed to shimmer. It was both an echo of something familiar and an entirely new dialect, not strictly jungle, not wholly ambient, not liquid in the traditional sense, but unmistakably Illuvia.

This new mix is a continuation of those worlds. Or maybe a glance sideways into a parallel one. Illuvia’s approach has always been about restraint and resonance: every snare hit is softened by reverb, every progression feels like it’s been carved out of silence.

For those who have followed his trajectory through ASIP and beyond, this is another precious window into Ludvig’s meticulous and emotive world. And for those new to it, welcome.

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Illuvia: Mauna Kea

When preparing to leave what has been my home for the past three years and setting sail towards a different continent, I knew some of the old hard-drives I have been carrying around would not make the trip with me. A move like this one marks a new beginning, and when it comes to my music I usually attempt to go through what I can easily access in my archives and feel out what calls for being salvaged and shared in some form. The rest will remain disconnected from the digital cloud, destined to slowly disintegrate (perhaps to be dug up by archeologists in some distant future).

In my search, I discovered the first demo tracks I had sent to Ryan back in 2019, as well as a track called ‘Where Clouds Dissolve Into Sky’ - the first idea I took down for Illuvia’s debut on ASIP. That title eventually morphed into the album name, while the track itself remained a beautiful idea that didn’t quite reach all the way. It had something special, just like the raw demo versions that were either refined or completely reimagined on their way to release.

As some of what I found felt too radiant to fade, I began to feel for ways that these odd pieces could flow together into a continuous mix - and naturally an Isolatedmix as most of the tracks were directly or indirectly connected to my albums on ASIP. Slowly, a path emerged, leading deeper into the heart of Illuvia. It turned into quite a collage, with cut out pieces from the myriad of versions being processed and becoming background layers, adding dimension and depth to moments that seemed to call for it.

When listening to the mixed version of Mauna Kea, I was surprised by how alive the music felt to me and decided that I wanted to try to compile this work as an album too, sharing more of the near endless versions and including tracks that I had an attachment to that didn’t find their place in the mix. It turned out to be a lot harder to reach the finish line on the album, with the tracklist continuing to morph and me going deeper into the rabbit hole of mastering to make sure I gave these musical entities all the love I had to give. Letting them be the way they were created while also doing what I can for their message to translate with clarity. Now as I arrive at the moment of letting them go, it’s time for some other ears (and hopefully hearts) to continue the exploration.

– Ludvig (Peru, April 2025)

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 131 - Illuvia: 'Mauna Kea'

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app .

Tracklist:

1. Via I (Dream Fragment)

2. Where Clouds Dissolve Into Sky (Origin)

3. Nirmala Sundari

4. Abyssal Plains

5. Mauna Loa

6. A New Tomorrow (Origin)

7. Mauna Kea

8. Light Within Shadow

9. Snow Melt From My Heart

10. State of Emergence (Origin)

11. Blue Rays (Disintegration)

12. Chiara (Intro)

13. Beyond Skies

All tracks written and produced by Ludvig Cimbrelius
Artwork by Lena (moonspeace)

This mix is also available as a release on Illuvia’s Bandcamp page to enjoy in high quality download formats and individual tracks, including a limited CDr run.

<a href="https://illuvia.bandcamp.com/album/mauna-kea">Mauna Kea by Illuvia</a>

 

 

Whether under his Dream Weapons or Fantastikoi Hxoi aliases or more his more extensive output as Anatolian Weapons, Aggelos’ music is one to get lost in, where each project feels like a conversation between worlds that don’t usually meet. As Anatolian Weapons, that conversation comes into sharper focus: what began as an experiment in bridging the sharper edges of EBM and krautrock with the circular, percussive energy of Greek folk music has turned into a fully formed and consistent thread through his output of EPs and albums.

One of his first full-lengths as Anatolian Weapons arrived via the legendary Tim Sweeney’s Beats In Space label back in 2019 - a move that pulled ancient melodies into unfamiliar territory and a statement piece at the time. Since then, Aggelos has gone on to release on labels as varied as Emotional Response, Transmigration and Sound Metaphors along with more techno-oriented homes such as Dekmantel and Kalahari Oyster Cult.

Fast forward to 2024’s album, Beyond, and that sense of push and pull is still present, only now with more intent and confidence. It’s music that leans into repetition and rhythm without losing sight of where it came from. Aggelos also has an innate ability to find some really addictive hooks in his music, too (for example, I used this voice texture as a loop in my Monument mix, which I absolutely adore).

Aggelos’ isolatedmix feels like a natural continuation and culmination of his complex yet harmonious style. There’s no strict mood or genre at play, but rather a slow reveal, drawing on the same tensions and textures that have defined Baltas’ path so far. It’s a pleasure to have him contribute with such a dreamy trip through the many facets of his influences.

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I see you describe your sound as 'progressive folk and psych'. Can you expand on this a little?

'Progressive Folk And Psych From Greece' is a 3-part mix compilation showcasing my influences as Fantastikoi Hxoi. The Fantastikoi Hxoi albums brought me to the attention of selectors like Lena Willikens, who used to play tracks from that era (2009-2011). The sound is something between space rock, kraut, folk, and progressive with electronics. The Dream Weapons moniker is reserved for more techno-oriented sounds while Anatolian Weapons is moving towards world music influences with driving beats.

One of your first albums came about for Tim Sweeney's esteemed Beats In Space label - how did that happen?

There had been two Fantastikoi Hxoi releases before that, and I had just started the Anataloian Weapons project. Again, Lena Willikens played an unreleased track on her Beats In Space and I contacted Tim to let him know about the ID. He seemed interested, and my collaboration with local folk musician Seirios Savvaidis was born. I love his work, and I'm very lucky and humbled to have worked with him on the album, which did well.

Can you tell us a little about your approach to some of the many remixes and edits you create and why you enjoy producing them?

It is very fun to collaborate with people I admire, and re-editing is something that I enjoy immensely, even if it's just a good pitch-down of a track. I love re-contextualizing and juxtapositions of different genres. It all comes down to the inspiration I get from fellow artists or my musical heroes of the past. I have just released an edit compilation called 'The Whiteout Edits' a couple of days ago and I am working closely with Sound Metaphors on the remix front as well as on original material.

<a href="https://anatolianweapons.bandcamp.com/album/whiteout-edits">Whiteout Edits by Anatolian Weapons</a>

It seems you also enjoy experimenting more by releasing through EPs versus albums - is that intentional? Is that a way to create more regular approaches to your sound?

It all comes down to requests, really, and the dynamics of each label. I feel very lucky to have worked in album format with BIS as well as Subject To Restrictions, a label that feels like home nowadays. Dominik Andre has a flawless instinct for A&R and a great ear.

STR is surely a label worth checking out. Apart from the two brother albums 'Earth' and 'Beyond' I also did mixing and additional production on my good friend Anna Vs June in her album 'Ersi', the album and her musical world are extraordinary - also worth checking out. 

<a href="https://shop.kamehouserecords.com/album/mantili-ep">Mantili EP by Anatolian Weapons</a>

One of my favorite tracks of yours is 'Lets Talk' on the Mantil EP - and I think this does a great job of capturing your sound. For anyone new to you, which records would you point them to first? 

Thank you. I'm glad you like it; it's much appreciated.

I'd say 'A Strange Light From The East EP' or 'The Black Sea EP' on Lurid music would encapsulate the Anatolian Weapons sound, whether it is dubbed out excursion of African library music or druggy downtempo. My mix for Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space and Lena Willikens Lightning Conductor on NTS can show exactly how I like my music to sound when I play out, along maybe with the Sameheads mixed tape called 'Palace Of Imagination'. 

<a href="https://anatolianweapons.bandcamp.com/album/teachings-in-stone-lp">Teachings In Stone LP by Anatolian Weapons</a>

As a producer from Greece, what are the opportunities and challenges you face there? From my limited knowledge, it must be very hard to form a community, given how extensive the country is across islands, etc. Are you active in any local scene?

I have been playing in numerous spots in Athens throughout the years with many local and international acts, as well as keeping my 20-year residency at Astron Bar (now in a new building with a capacity of 300). 

The scene is getting stronger day by day, and there are a lot of talented people creating music and throwing parties. The friends whom I have shared decks with would be too many to mention, 

I enjoyed opening a gig for Polygonia / Kangding Ray / Wata Igarashi along with Nausicaa from Revolt! who also runs an excellent record shop. So yes, I think the scene here is at an all-time high with a knowledgeable and heady crowd supporting what truly deserves the support.

How has your sound impacted the tracks chosen in this mix? Was there a concept behind the mix? Can you list any tracks included in the mix?

The mix showcases my taste on the ambient/ downtempo side with a couple of tracks from Gus Till, whose output I love, some local stuff, plus the original mix of The Light At The End, a huge favorite of mine by Zen Paradox from his first CD-r release.

I also have the honor of remixing it with two new versions - the vinyl will be out on Transmigration very soon. If the music is deep, contemplative, melancholic, and melodic, with a touch of light for good measure, it will probably be up my street. Two tracks that almost made it in the mix are Kay Nakayama's  'Free Your Mind (Light Side Mix)' and 'Loading To Airport'.

What else can we expect to hear from you soon?

I just released 'The Whiteout Edits' on Bandcamp, there is a split on Dalmata Daniel with The Spy coming soon on 10'' lathe, the Zen Paradox remix EP on Transmigration, remixes for Arvin Fajar and Talking Machine (digital only) an album on Byrd out (digital only) plus original material on Sound Metaphors  Also a lot of new edits on Bandcamp so watch that space!

We rarely sleep around here.

~

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 130 - Anatolian Weapons

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app

Download MP3

(No tracklist on this one I’m afraid but quite a few tracks mentioned above)