Ransom Note

There has been a tonne of excitement surrounding the release of the latest compilation from Compassion Crew. First things first though, Compassion Crew is actually one guy, a one man crew from Dublin to be precise. The latest release has been described as a crate diggers dream: featuring music from the likes of Arthur Russell, Walter Gibbons, Plustwo, Big City Orchestra and many many more. It sits on the eclectic realms of electronic music and offers an inspired approach to the reissue of music which had been presumably lost to the depths of extortionate Discogs sellers. A great release all round and a real accomplishment. In celebration of the record's release we asked for a chat and a mix with Compassion Crew.

It's almost ludacris to think that Slam, the Glaswegian techno duo from the North have been producing and releasing records for almost thirty years now. Throughout that time they have been involved in the formation of the Soma label, the imprint which released the earliest Daft Punk records, music from Surgeon, Funk D'Void and many many more. Slam's influence as a duo has been prolific and they are appreciated and respected across the world as much as they are in their hometown. Stepping up to the table with something a little outside the norm, we put the pair through their paces as they contribute an all ambient mix to our Monday series which sees them delve deep through the relams of Global Communication and beyond. This one is pretty special.

There is a distinctive blend evolving from the Turkish underground at present. Electronic music at a crossover with folk, funk and disco is the flavour of the day with artists such as Khidja, Mehmet Aslan, Red Axes and more finding themselves inspired by something which sits somewhere in between a range of inspirations and sounds. Ave Astra lives in Istanbul and finds himself an active member amongst this genre crushing scene. He has recorded a Turkish inspired mixtape ahead of his release on his own Roit Recordings.

Stepping up, stepping in, we have the one and only Italian man living in Spain who makes music. I mean, that's probably a lie, there's probably a few, but none of them do it quite like Ransom Note family member Bawrut. 'Ciquita' has gone down rather well having been supported by the likes of Optimo, Jackmaster and beyond... We caught up with our friend for a dear chat and a mix in contribution to the Ransom Note mix series.

Recent London upstarts 'Let's Go Swimming' have been causing quite a stir as of late, not just for their polite reference to the great Arthur Russell but for their interesting line ups and intriguing party booking policy. On the 21st of May they will return to The Waiting Room in Stoke Newington, East London where they will be joined by Bell Towers and Ozel AB. The coming months will also see the crew release their debut record which will act as the foundation of a record label of the same name. The debut release is produced by a newcomer, Mackness, who offers up three tracks which look as though they will fit well alongside the musical policy of the party itself. More of that later, we caught up with 'Let's Go Swimming' for an introduction...

This mix was originally sent to us titled 'Hello Darkness'. It runs a course along such a theme. Dj TLR is a bit of an enigma behind the scenes as far as the world of Creme Organization goes. In recent months we have had the pleasure of chatting to Jeroen who offered us an insight into the early days the hague and beyond which you can read HERE. In all honesty we were thrilled when he offered to deliver us a mix, the result is pretty special too as he delves through depths of early jungle and hardcore, with a twist.

Carcassonne, France, September 2015. In the surreal and beautiful setting of the Château Comtal (Count’s Castle) a couple of us here at R$N saw Vox Low perform one of their very first live sets, bathed in blue and red wash lights. We and most others came away saying it was aptly monumental and a highlight of what was an outstanding line up at Convenanza, the Andrew Weatherall Festival. The band are shortly to make their UK live debut at the Alfresco Festival in Tunbridge Wells, so we are delighted they have done an exclusive mix for us, and Jean-Christophe and Benoit told us a little of their story...

Carcassonne, France, September 2015. In the surreal and beautiful setting of the Château Comtal (Count’s Castle) a couple of us here at R$N saw Vox Low perform one of their very first live sets, bathed in blue and red wash lights. We and most others came away saying it was aptly monumental and a highlight of what was an outstanding line up at Convenanza, the Andrew Weatherall Festival. The band are shortly to make their UK live debut at the Alfresco Festival in Tunbridge Wells, so we are delighted they have done an exclusive mix for us, and Jean-Christophe and Benoit told us a little of their story...

Late March saw the arrival of a very intriguing release on the below radar record label, Art Of Memory, founded by Nico Purman. Since 2013 the label has acted as a platform for the Argentinian born, Berlin based artist to capture ears with his experimental take on electronics and avant garde soundscapes. His latest release AOM002.2 is his third outing on his own imprint and the record sees him explore the spaces between techno, electro and ambient works. We caught up with Nico Purman to talk Argentinian roots and asked him to contribute to our Monday mix series.

Although Gabriel Berlanga has done the rounds, with records & mixes out on labels such as Correspondant, Nein and Melomana, undoubtedly here his Aeromuerto EP on Beachcoma brought this to us. A wonderful homage to analogue synths and the 16 step sequenced journeys they created brought aching joy to this R$N fella. Familiar at Razzmatazz, The Loft and Moog, Barcelona loves Undo.

With his own Factor City Records label (which has featured Club Bizarre, Offset and Morgan Hammer) to look after too, we asked the salt & pepper haired Catalonian to do a mix for us. And give us a little about his favourite food and stuff.