Ransom Note

Because we wondered if he was OK, we had a look at what Ant Rothmans was up to at the moment. With a fully comprehensive bio that simply states ‘Rothmans - limited edition, musical collectible, 180g vinyl, no digital’, we thought it was time to find out a bit more. The label has released some class records that include quality artists such as Tusk, Timothy J Fairplay, Scott Fraser, Coyote, Naduve and many more, and are about to get to the 15th EP. Ant got his pal and co- producer Dawn Again do provide a mix, while he banged on about all sorts of shite. They are both well worth a listen and a read.

Hailing from the burgeoning Mexican electronic and slo-mo acid scene, Bufi is the solo project of Mateo Gonzalez. With releases on Duro, Electrique Music and Sicario, his debut LP 'Revelación' is released next week. With a classical music background mixed with a love for synths and drum machines, his sets mix up disco, techno and the slow chunky acid that the region is becoming home too. Here's a mix he's recorded for us, and he answers a few questions, just so you can get to know him a little better.

Many of us have reached a stage in life in which we look back upon our younger years and question where on earth the time went. I'm not sure if this is the ultimate message of the Days Of Being Wild guys or whether i'm off the money, however, their music is certainly still a relevant soundtrack to those spending a night on the tiles.

The label have long been good friends of The Ransom Note and it's of little wonder. This year they have been busy continuing to release driven club music from the likes of Middle Sky Boom, Eliezer and Languages. They also lovingly contributed to the Ransom Note "Ciquita" remix series alongside the likes of Moscoman and appeared at our curated stage at Alfresco Festival. This mix is packed full of exclusive material and hence cannot be downloaded, one for the heads.

From time to time something pleasant lands in our inbox, something out of the ordinary.

They often say that the best disc jockeys and record collectors are not the ones who play out every week, tour the world or who are spoken of the most. Rob Warner sent us a mix all the way from New Zealand and by George were we surprised with the result. House music can become a little stale, a hell of a lot of people play house records, a hell of a lot of people have also heard a hell of a lot of people play house records, and so on. Hence when someone steps up and absolutely knocks it out of the park it is right to recognise their accomplishment. Introducing Rob Warner, a disc jockey you might just love...

Experience is everything and there are few who can claim to rival the knowledge of Andy Whittaker.

As the man behind R&S Records UK office he has been involved in some of the most culturally relevant and groundbreaking releases in recent times. The label continues to remain as consistent as it first was back in the late eighties/ early nineties as it continues to break new musicians: James Blake, Lone, Nonkeen and Aphex Twin are amongst several names to release on the label in the last twenty years. As a selector his tastes have evolved with age, not conforming to trends he simply digs good music, a sometimes forgotten rule. We caught up with Andy for a chat as he delivers us a mix recorded live from Obonjan earlier this year.

There must be something in the water up North.

Glasgow continues to punch above its weight in terms of musical output, although in this case it's cheating slightly, Hammer is actually from Belfast. For many years Hammer has been honing his craft behind the DJ booth of a number of clubs around Glasgow, Thunder Disco Club has become an institution of sorts, one of the few parties not to be washed up or swallowed by the city's vast and sprawling nightlife culture. More recently he has found himself working with the likes of Bicep and a string of dates this past summer has seen him take the jump to the next level in regard to reputation. It seemed fitting to invite Hammer to talk a little bit about his musical background, that city up north and what the future holds...

Tracklisting:

Dj Khalab & Baba Sissoko - Kumu

Christopher Rau - Sound Shake

Abacus - Untitled (B2)

Sittin Here (Atjazz Remix)

Dave DK - Palmaille

The Binary Starsystem - Kom! (Come)

Lord Of The Isles - XIT

Boof - Solar Eclipse On A Friday Morning

L.B. Dub Corp - Native Dub

Roberto Rodriguez feat. Max C - Lies (Arttu Remix)

T-Bone - Respect

TGF - Heavy

Helium Robots - Delve (Wrong Island Somnambulist Mix)

Body Jack - Cobra Effect

Baikal - Why Don't Ya? (Ripperton Remix, Dixon Edit)

Agoria - Speechless (feat. Carl Craig & La Scalars) (Carl Craig Remix)

Hammer - Stripes

Radio Slave - N.I.N.A. (Ame Remix)

Residing in Lisbon, Violet is the moniker of Inês Coutinho. In recent years the city has undergone a cultural evolution if you will as musicians and new talent rise from the undergrowth of Portugal's capital. Radio Quantica is one such aspect of this evolution, a local music station which was founded by Inês Coutinho and Marco Rodrigues in November of last year. In a short space of time the radio station has formed itself as a hub for a blossoming electronic community full of promise and aspiration. Inês Coutinho has been absolutely essential in the formation of such a platform, however, this has not prevented her from pursuing her own musical ventures. In recent years she has released music for the likes of Comeme and Snuff Trax. Her interests also see her play an important role in the push for gender equality within music, a keenly political character she also featured on a remake of Underground Resistance's widely loved "Transition" in honour of International Women's Day. Violet is an artist we can get on board with,

They say that certain individuals are born with music in their DNA. Few can argue with such a statement when looking back upon the career and continued commitment of Dele Sosimi to his art.

Between 1979 and 1986 he performed and recorded with Fela Kuti, afrobeat pioneer and legend. Following that he went on to form The Positive Force alongside Femi Kuti Many years later he now resides in London and works with his own Afrobeat Orchestra. London based record label the Wah Wah 45s spotted an opportunity within the music of Dele Sosimi and as a result recently unleashed a collection of dub edits on the label. Reimagined by Prince Fatty and Nostalgia 77 the pair revisited six of Dele Sosimi's tracks and skewed them with a sound built for soundsystems the world over. Following this release it seemed a fitting opportunity to explore the musical career of Dele Sosimi in full, by no means is this mix a reflection of that, however Dom Servini of Wah Wah 45s offers an insight into one of afrobeats most valuable players.

From the murky depths of Berlin comes a new beam of light complete with an emotional party orientated edge. DJ SCM first appeared on our radar back in 2015, since then he has formed his own record label under the name of Warm Tapes Adjustment which has released music from the likes of Gari Romalis and Jordan Fields. His music is playful, much like his persona and the labels visual aesthetic. When it comes to selection in the clubs his tastes are versatile and far reaching, this is certainly made clear through the diverse array of music present in this mix. There is a lot to be said about those who simply do it for the love, get on board.

There is beauty amidst the spaces in between. Phaeleh has been releasing music since 2008 and throughout this time has produced three albums. On the eve of his latest release it seems somewhat fitting to reflect on his contributions to electronic music. The discourse of his music has seen him veer right and left between uk bass culture and somewhat cinematic soundscapes. Never standing still Phaeleh has taken influence from a range of genres and continues to explore the realm of possibilities within sound. Titled "Illusion Of The Tale" he speaks bluntly about the roots and origins of the release.

“The album title is my polite way of saying we live in a world of bullshit and bullshitters. Essentially I feel we all live in a constant lie, whether it be our Facebook profile pictures, the need to present our lives as perfect, with good looking partners, intelligent children, the perfect job etc."

Ahead of the release of the record on the 14th of October we asked him to contribute to our Monday mix series as he delves deep through the depths of his record collection.