Ransom Note

Now, here's a treat - a rare mix from the founder, legend and pioneer behind a special label. You know and love him, we do too... It's Zaltan!

Antinote Records is an imprint which has released a huge assortment of music from some of our favourite artists here at Ransom Note. Zaltan has acted as a pivotal curator behind the label and has achieved enormous success having released music by the likes of DK, Raphael Top Secret, Domenique Dumont, Tolouse Low Trax, Geena, Alek Lee, Iueke and many more.

The vision behind the label has always been to release music that is not aligned to style or genre, not restricted by preconceptions and stereotypes. As such it has been a crucial outlet for many who have chosen not to conform. Every release is varied and offers an insight into the wild and wonderful musical personality of Zaltan himself - who as you can imagine has excellent taste.

Antinote is presently celebrating its 50th release in the form of Yarra River's "Frogmania" EP. However, they have more recently announced a new LP from OMMA. One you won't want to miss.

We invited Zaltan to show us around his musical realm, he kindly obliged.

Yr Lovely Dead Moon is the project of Rachel Margetts, an experimental musician and poet who makes up part of multi-facted collective FITH, the minds behind the most recent release for our R$N cassette sub-label Outer Reaches. In her solo productions, narratives drift atop cosmic lounge and post-punk influences; a synthesis of processed sounds and live electro acoustic.

Here she teams up with her great friend and collaborator, Berlin-based DJ Jamuel for this week's Wednesday Alternative mix entitled 'Rotting Pines, Shiny Apples'. They go back to back blending experimental, electronica, jazz and soundtracks...

Establishing a collage of influence and musical intuition is no simple feat, it can take time for an artist to establish and forge an identity which is unique and representative of their own character. Adriaan De Roover is a Belgian experimental musician who has just released a new album called 'Leaves'. The album is a freeform piece of work which layers instrumentation and soundscapes in an abstract and yet enchanting manner. It's described as being a piece of work which balances both "peace and restlessness".

Perhaps better known under the guise of Oaktree his music has previously been championed and supported by the likes of Bonobo, Mary Anne Hobbs and Lefto. His sound is diverse and draws upon elements of the fourth world, establishing comparisons with new age musicians and the likes of Jon Hassell and Brian Eno.

Adriaan describes his new album as follows:

“‘Leaves’ was written between 2016 and 2018, mainly in a cabanage in the Ardennes, in solitude and around nature. Although there are some outward moments, I tried to make music that finds as much beauty in small gestures, in doubt and in honesty (above all). I hope you can get lost in it, just like I did, and maybe then, some moments of beauty might reveal themselves.”

We invited him to record a mix which showcases the diversity of his own musical personality, his take on sound and sculpture. He picks tracks by the likes of Bloc Party, Rosalia, Photek, Nicolas Jaar, Alice Coltrane and Anenon.

London-based Estelle Birch is a writer, sound artist and radio producer who's work explores memory and identity through short stories and sound works. Recently her work in sound has taken her to Somerset House, where she presented an installation in the show 'Dreaming / Diasporas' as part of the 'Get Up, Stand Up Now' event series, while her musical activities have seen her play live at the Tate for Uniqlo's Tate Lates.

This year she joined NTS for a monthly residency where she considers the common thread between jazz, dub and experimental music. Perfectly placed to get us over that mid week hump, Estelle treds a similar path to her radio show, weaving together atmospheric soundscapes and experimental electronics...

Over the past few years electro has made it's way back into hearts and record bags; finding a new generation of discerning fans and spotlighting a shed load of young talented producers.

One of the labels at the forefront of this revival is Mechatronica, a Berlin-based imprint who seek to explore the relationship between man and machine. Danish-born Casper Mejlholm, who moonlights under the guise of Mejle, makes up part of the quartet of DJs, producers, designers and all-round music lovers that founded the label, and now party series, in the German capital. Having released music from the likes of Jensen Interceptor, Innershades, The Exaltics and Sync 24, it's evident that Mejle's ear for interesting, emotive and powerful electro is more refined than most.

He takes the reigns for this week's 'Shine A Light On' mix, an hour of machine-driven electro with a few upcoming Mechatronica releases thrown in for good measure...

Next up, a familiar face to some and a fresh introduction for those uninitiated.

Lorca has been a presence amidst underground house and electronic music in the UK for quite some time now having released music on the likes of Church, Naked Naked, 2020 and more over a number of years. He has drawn upon a deep rooted love of house music which has been a staple element of his own sound which has been widely championed and supported by a broad spectrum of djs.

Despite having amassed a reputation as a talented producer he hasn't perhaps received the level of acclaim which he should be entitled to. In the past few years he has reignited his musical presence through the rebirth of Live Ones, a record label which is now moving from strength to strength having recently released music by Dj Windows XP and Sune.

As a Dj he is eclectic and forward thinking. His ability to read a room is impressive and this is best shown at the party which he runs alongside Kieran A at Tola in Peckham. The next edition will take place this Saturday. We invited him to showcase his sound in a carefully crafted mix.

DJ, radio host, label boss and music journalist Anna Wall is a master of all trades. From her home of East London, she runs her record label, The Bricks; the philosophy behind it built on communicating a musical narrative. Since 2016 she's welcomed artists like Sunrom, Module One and Corbi to the imprint, working closely with each artist to effectively tell their stories.

Alongside helming The Bricks, her radio show of the same name is a regular feature on Leeds' KMAH radio, acting as an avenue for Anna to share ambient sounds and forgotten gems from her record collection. In recent years she's added even more feats to her growing list of accolades, including warming up for Jamie Jones at his East London Boiler Room last year, landing a residency on Rinse FM and becoming named as one of fabric's residents, alongside Pleasure Club's bobby.

We're happy to have her locked her in to provide this week's Ransom Note mix, a two hour long drift through Anna Wall's dreamland...

From his home of Vilnius in Lithuania, Paulius Austrevičius operates under the moniker Clicklounge. As booking assistant at one of the capitals best venues, Opium Club, he has a hand in bringing some of the most exciting and interesting DJs and artists over to play in the space. It's here that he also holds a residency and runs his own club night, Juoduomenė, alongside friends Tadas Quazar and Tumosa, that has seen them invite the likes of Tolouse Low Trax, Interstellar Funk, Elena Colombi and Zozo over to play with them.

For this week's alternative mix we handed over the reigns to Paulius to see us through hump day and he didn't disappoint... Lock in for an hour of hypnotic drum workouts, leftfield oddities and sludgy acid cuts.

London-based DJ MLE has an intiuitive and inquisitive nature that's well beyond her years. Through her DJ sets and radio shows, formerly on Balamii and now on Worldwide FM and Noods, she has been navigating the darker experimental corners of dance music, from coldwave and electro to deconstructed club music and experimental pop edits.

By day you can find her behind the counter at one of Soho's leading record shops, Sounds Of The Universe, and as a longtime member of the Rhythm Section team she helps to steer their sister label International Black.

We invited her on board for a mix that sees her connects the dots between broken club rhythms, acid, electro and bass...

What else is there left to say? We've said it all...

Bawrut is a hero of ours, a brother and a friend - he was the first man to feature on the label and has since gone on to roaring success with his music having been championed by everyone from Avalon Emerson to Skream, Andrew Weatherall to Patrick Topping, Optimo to Roman Flugel and beyond. His sound seems to find wide appeal across a spectrum of genres and sits firmly atop the niche - universally danceable and endlessly fun. He's made many friends along the way and his energetic, warm hearted approach to dance music is exactly what is needed in the current climate of seriousness and fabrication.

His new EP is set for release on Ransom Note Records and 'Pronto Arpeggio' has already been a roaring success across the clubs and festivals this summer - he smashed it. The release is rounded off with remixes from KiNK and Ruf Dug and it's about as big as they come.

Those who have watched Bawrut dj will know what to expect here - fun, fast paced and lively music built for the party. Lock in and get ready for the launch...