Ransom Note

It had been ever so lonely out there, deep in the darkness of outer space. There were tall tales which he might be able to one day relive and reconcile but those were not to be told now. Those were to be kept firmly secret, locked away in the confines of his mind. For he had returned but what was out there must not.

Down here everything was normal. Life was normal. The people were normal.

Every day was just the same. Not like out there...

Occasionally he'd see flickers and flashes of the wild, alien like faces he'd left behind amidst the stars. Had they ever been real?

Returning was bittersweet.

Innate Editions are set to breathe life into a rare gem, a lost classic if you will. They are set to revive Connective Zone's 'Palm Palm', a millennium-era cult classic and Ben UFO favourite. Intelligent dance music, at its very very best.

The city was quiet in the warmth of the morning sun. It was the height of summer and soon the cafes on every street corner would be crowded with onlookers and tourists taking in the sights and sounds of this great, dense place. It was hot and dusty.

As he wandered from block to block, corner to corner, he could not help but think how about how grateful for his freedom he was. It had been long coming and well fought.

That was all that anyone ever wanted really, freedom. A place in which to be truly free.

Nesa Azadikhah is set to release an EP via tape on Kulture Galerie. The music is progressive in the sense that it channels futuristic elements of dance and club music culture. However, the message it promotes and the cause it rallies behind is equally so, with proceeds from the release going to support women prisoners in Iran.

She was all that he'd ever dreamed of, a perfect picture in his mind, a vision in red dancing amongst the skies. You never quite knew when one day you might stumble upon her, for she might be lurking just around the next corner or in the glimpse of a window passing quickly by. 

Things come and go so quickly in this life. You could be anyone, perhaps.

Yet still, the same face continued to dance up there, smiling down, enticing him onwards through the weight of the morning fog.

Dj Balduin is set to release a new EP on Lola Haro's record label Small Steps. The record is a dreamy, ethereal affair which sits within the realms of melodic House and Breaks. Perfect for those cold January mornings.

Inhabiting the delicate space between immersive ambient soundscapes and experimental fieldwork.

For this week’s Monday Is OK mixtape we welcome Zurich-based artist Philipp Stolberg, whose new album “The Dog Under the Lantern” (released his month), us a multimedia project exploring ambient, liminal spaces with cyanotype prints. The album focuses on themes of light and darkness, solitude and movement, wilderness and domestication through minimal, textured compositions.

While Stolberg’s roots lie in house music, this work concentrates on recycled church music and field recordings, influenced by artists like Nicolas Jaar, Fennesz, and Tim Hecker. The project represents “a deliberate exercise in minimalism, where each element serves a specific purpose.”

Full interview: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/philipp-stolberg-the-monday-is-ok-mix/

Our friends Kiara Scuro, the London-based duo made up of Rosie Ama and Nadia Harris, have built up a repertoire of spooky tracks over the last few years for the likes of fabric Originals, Ritmo Fatale and Accidental Meetings.

After hunkering down in the studio last year, they're now joining the Faux Poly family for their debut EP, Night Crush. Layering their own vocals with samples, the pair deliver three percussive, rolling club tools that draw inspiration from late, hazy nights spent together in the club; the place where their friendship blossomed.

A haunting reimagining of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” in honour of the late David Lynch recorded for the Beta Biennial of Architecture.

The release arrives as a tribute to David Lynch, featuring visuals from his recreation of the Trinity nuclear test as seen in Twin Peaks: The Return.

“The Biennial originally commissioned the track, and I closed my show with it there, but it felt like the right time to finally share it with the world. David was a big influence on a lot that underpins Fantastic Twins and this is my swan song to an amazing person.”

Following her acclaimed 2023 album, “Two Is Not A Number,” the great Julienne Dessagne’s Fantastic Twins project continues to surprise; in this instance, transforming the original into something entirely new.

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://fantastictwins.bandcamp.com/track/wicked-game-fantastic-twins-trinity-version

@fantastictwins

Zeynep Erbay is a Turkish producer and dj who has released music on the likes of Soul Clap Records, Fool’s Gold, Nu Northern Soul and Exploited. She tends to blur the lines between traditional house music and that steeped in a more italo lead, cosmic influence.

As a DJ she is commanding, her taste informs sets which tend to weave and wander, telling a broader story rather which soundtracks long nights on the dancefloor.

They are often highly energetic, yet packed with feel good influence.

Now based in London, she has worked tirelessly, cementing herself as a key figure in the eclectic underground.

Watching from his penthouse he gazed out over the city, taking in the view and wondering whether those down below ever thought much of him up high amongst the clouds. He could see it all, the city in all its abject disarray and chaos. The clouds as they came and went overhead might affect the mood or the tone, yet the underlying themes remained all the same. 

This was his empire. His kingdom. 

Up here he was safe and free. 

Perhaps one day he would retreat down to the streets, take in the sights and sounds, the people below. Perhaps one day he would be one of them.

Goose Down releases a wicked assortment of dusty, groove focussed house and downtempo. A splendid assortment of mood music which will soundtrack many a pensive, peaceful moment.

On the 20th September 2024, we hosted a joint party with Spezialmaterial at Zukunft in Zurich.

True to form, the night brought together Tia Cousins, Matt Cowell, and Princess P for a session that lived up to the Spezial ethos.

For a taste of what went down, check out this 2-hour snippet from Tia Cousins and Matt Cowell’s b2b, capturing the essence of the evening in full swing.

Stormy waves for January, direct from Donegal courtesy of Harri Pepper’s brother.

Raised amid the rhythms and canvases of his family’s jazz bar and art gallery on the wild Welsh coast, Jac Pepper’s journey began in the creative crucible of Peppers in Abergwaun. Brother to DJ Harri Pepper, featured on these very pages for time, Jac has spent over a decade crafting vinyl-only residencies from Ireland to Australia.

Now settled in the surf town of Bundoran, Donegal, where the raw beauty of the Dartry Mountains meets the Atlantic waves, you’ll find him holding court at George’s Bar and Treehouse Live events. What started as a few months chasing swells turned into finding his spiritual home – a place where music and the ocean merge.

Spanning continents and decades with the raw energy of post-punk to ‘global rhythms’, meditative downtempo and euphoric disco, and from classic house to sideways acid this mix is a deep slice of his musical cake (yup I made that all up on my own) and reflects the ethos of his upbringing: creating spaces where people feel “comfortable and free to dance” – or music “checking some stormy waves.”

Nice curveball for January, let’s go…