Moody cacophonies, sonic dispatches from Japan, crystalline breakbeats that are more environment than rhythm: Jake Muir’s 𝒆𝒏𝒎𝒊𝒙𝒆𝒅, described by Muir as a “(re)mixtape,” is a mind-bending deep dive into the enmossed archive. Besides reflecting the history of the label, Muir’s mix is a production in its own right. A Los Angeles native based in Berlin, Muir is a DJ and field recordist who “sees mixes as a vehicle to explore narratives outside of the album format.”

In 𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 (2023), where Muir sampled various sources to explore gay cruising culture and sensuality, his more expansive, conceptual approach to the form is illuminated. Mixes are not just a linear succession of tracks with transitions—they’re excavations that also result in the creation of new audio artifacts. Inspired by the psychedelic impulses of illbient, Muir uses DJ and sound engineering techniques to melt down genre distinctions and create alien atmospheres.

From the enmossed community, Muir pulls from artists like bad lsd trips, Angelo Harmsworth, Nick Klein, Tetsuya Nakayama, and Patrick Gallagher to coalesce a super-compendium of the global sonic underground, all viewed through his own unique lens. Muir takes major liberties with processing and effects automation to carve new worlds from the soil of these preexisting works. Some of the tracks and material on 𝒆𝒏𝒎𝒊𝒙𝒆𝒅 are heavily edited, emphasizing specific harmonics or bass frequencies, and some portions contain three or four layers, putting artists in direct conversation with each other.

This heady approach—using the tools of both mixtape and remix—results in a super textual and dense palimpsest of the enmossed catalog. “Because mixes are more open- source,” Muir says, “it’s easier to express some ideas since there is more material to pull from.”

- Rob Goyanes

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Berlin based sound artist, DJ and field recordist Jake Muir was infatuated with sound from an early age, surrounded by California's buzzing, whirring sonic landscape and his father's collection of beachfront rock LPs. So it wasn't surprising when, as he developed his ear, Muir was drawn to work that dexterously manipulated these elements, particularly musique concrète, field recording and experimental turntablism. He approaches his practice as a listener first, carefully choosing, layering and processing sounds that help him deconstruct and contextualize his lived experiences and influences. Using investigative software methodologies, DJ techniques and the engineering skills he acquired while studying, Muir makes deeply personal sonic art that fluidly traverses genre membranes, encouraging reflection and sometimes prompting psychedelic states.

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Artwork source photo by Jake Muir

Design by Glyn Maier

All proceeds to Cadus (Berlin, DE): https://www.cadus.org