Welcome back Cosmonaut!

For this month’s radio show we’re excited to present you with São Paolo’s mystic master of drops: EXZ. As a person rather quiet, his sound speaks volumes of a wild and beautiful mind.

His profound and psychedelic productions have their origin about ten years ago, when Alexandre first started to grapple with the piano and different synthesizers. From there he developed his very distinct style, fusing energetically pumping basslines with emotional and touching melodies by creating moving drum patterns that transport Ale’s unique groove onto the dancefloor.

Instead of composing one rigid live set at a time and touring with it, EXZ likes to stay flexible and so he comes up with a new selection, new narratives and new transitions tailored to occasions, places, or feelings he tries to express.

In contrast to the darker mixes Ale plays in his hometown São Paolo, he wanted to share a lighter and happier themed selection with us, perfect for the rising temperatures and longer days.

So open up your ears, and let EXZ transport you into his fantasies with this warm summer breeze of a live set.

Find EXZ on:

soundcloud.com/e_xz

facebook.com/EXZ-219077151550832/

Our next urban cosmic-cast was mixed by an artist who needs no introduction.

Mimi Love has played herself into the hearts of countless people all over the globe with her signature sound and unforgettable gigs. Her sets are diverse and distinct, and have been known to move people’s hearts and feet in equal measure wherever she plays.

Although she can often be found discovering unknown territories, Berlin is the place where she loves to take off and land. As a member of the infamous Bachstelzen crew and resident DJ at Katerblau, she is deeply rooted in the German capital, where she has been playing many different roles in “this theatre called underground” for the past 10 years.

Her heartwarming style encompasses both slow and fast vibes, spanning a mixture of electronica-ethno, soft rock - downtempo hiphop all the way to what she calls pop-techno. This podcast is peek into her colourful collection, a mix that showcases the different kinds of music she has collected over the past months. It shows us a side of Mimi Love that we don’t always get to see in clubs - one that we’ve very happy to be able to experience for ourselves with her specially curated mix for Urban Cosmonaut Radio. Let’s spread the love for Mimi

We are delighted to present the live premiere of Russian producers Geju, who composed a 100-minute live set that will send you free-falling through the Cosmic universe.

George Topuridze and Denis Kurchenko are a creative duo based in Moscow. When they aren’t hosting the Levelvda events in their hometown, the pair can be found pushing their creative forces as art directors of several projects such as Pinch, Ugolek, Severyane and Sempre.

Their music has mesmerised us from the start: 4/4 beats and free floating melodies, monotony vs. polyphony, synthesized textures and ethnic motifs all beautifully intertwined with vocals. We are taken on an emotional journey through delight and darkness, through space and time of what must be a dream or ritual. It seduces you, enchants you, and sets you free - in a whirl of smoke and spices.

Find Geju on:

https://soundcloud.com/g-e-j-u

https://facebook.com/GEJUOFFICIAL

In Vedic philosophy, So’ham (सो ऽहम्) means identifying oneself with the universe or with ultimate reality. This says a lot about our very own Urban Cosmonaut artist, whose incredible music collection is wildly diverse and full of treasures, yet consistent in that each track has an inherent notion of truth that is intangible and gentle and also powerful and driving.

His music library is a treasure chest of diamonds in the rough - we can catch a glimpse of it during his long, evolving live performances or in his b2b project “Popov Marconi”, when he plays with his partner in crime; UCR label founder Burntale.

So’ham’s sets are obsessively curated and expertly mixed on 4 decks, with samples and loops weaving in and out of each other, effortlessly blending together into a textured journey full of ethnic influences and shamanic soundscapes. As a DJ, he imagines his mixtapes being heard on a dance floor, where people are moving with closed eyes and naked skin, falling in love collectively while the music builds and climaxes. And as a producer, he pictures his organic, psychedelic productions being heard in cosy rooms and natural environments, after having consumed what needs to be consumed to open the doors of perception as he would say. And in essence, what’s it’s all about - being one with your environment, and letting music transport you to where you want to go internally, externally and eternally.

So’ham means “I am that” - and if you breathe in and out, chanting So’ham as a mantra, you will experience That: nothing but your true self.

Find So'ham on:

https://soundcloud.com/soham_max

https://www.facebook.com/sohamUCR

When listening to Dandara’s tunes, it’s easy to hear where he gets his inspiration from. Although he’s originally based in Basel, Switzerland, you can currently find him exploring beaches and jungles in South America - where he is touring and travelling the continent, spreading his positive musical vibes as he goes.

His sound reflects his interests and philosophy in life: he collects sounds and inspiration from his travels, using them to fuse electronic dance music with ancient and traditional sounds, blurring the boundaries different eras while never losing sight of the omnipotent groove. At times his music is driven and bouncy, sometimes it’s ethnic and deep. But at all times, it’s the creative result of the environments he is exploring and the experiences that are shaping him.

This is an evolving set, taking the listener on a journey through different styles and productions, some of which we have never heard before. In the words of the man himself: “Listen, dance, enjoy”. Yes sir!

Find Dandara on:

https://soundcloud.com/dandaramusic

www.facebook.com/dandaramusic

In a place called Arkhangelsk, on the shore of the White Sea, a musician watches the water flow into the Arctic Ocean. The stars are much brighter, and more twinkly there than here, lighting up the sky in northwestern Russia. Lush forests, harsh climate and a seemingly endless Milky Way are the only – and constant – source of inspiration for our next Urban Cosmonaut Radio artist Donev.

His live set is a reflection of the world in which he lives in. You can hear the sound of vast lands in his intro as he looks far into space, onto water, upon trees. And you can feel his love for starry skies, and how he interprets them in his productions.

Donev produced this piece of music with a message in mind: to preserve the Earth we live in, and all its beauty and diversity, and to know that this is our unique journey. We wish you a peaceful dive, Urban Cosmonauts.

Find Donev on:

https://soundcloud.com/do_nev

We’re kicking off 2017 with the always vibrant, always spirited Martha van Straaten.

She’s given us a special podcast to remind us all of our diversity, but also our interconnectedness as human beings on Earth. Voilá her curated selection of tracks that are universally relatable, inspired by our collective’s cosmic theme. Her set will send you on spacey inner travels, free-wheeling through your own cosmos to discover the beauty of diversity, nature and multiculturalism in an epic 1,5 hours of damn good music.

A self-described collector, her love for combining and putting things together is audible. This mixtape features uniquely different tracks that are entwined so effortlessly, it’s like they were meant to be woven together to create something bigger and cohesive. And that’s her message to us: that *if we learn to enjoy the differences, oneness will follow*

Yes, few of us will ever have the chance to look down from space on to the face of the earth. We probably won’t ever witness the Aurora lights from above, or see thunderstorms explode from a bird’s eye view, or watch millions of lights of cities and civilizations switch on as the shadow of night chases the daylight away.

Yet we’ve all wondered about how tiny we humans are in this infinite universe.

And infinite though it may be, our world is unified; a place without borders, with a lot of colours, animals and happiness.

So before you press play, Martha left us instructions to watch this short video about the “Overview Effect” first, which affects astronauts when they look down on planet earth: https://youtu.be/CHMIfOecrlo

….and last but not least, some words that came from her

Some say music is a matter of the heart. Others say it’s mathematics. But our next Urban Cosmonaut Radio artist thinks about music in his own way: he imagines the architecture in which he creates soundscapes, and then conjures up a narrative for melodies and rhythms.

Kurup’s music is unexpected. It catches you off guard, constantly fusing themes in unusual musical trips on the dance floor. His sound journeys are colourful, full of character, different elements and little surprises. They are possibly somewhat a mirror of himself: a multi-platform digital artist, collector of stories and lover of carneval hailing from Brazil. Kurup’s roots lie in Cerrado, one of the most lush tropical savannas in the world and home to thousands of colourful species, bizarre tree formations and what he calls mosaic habitats. Perhaps this is where he draws inspiration for his producing, an endeavour he started 2 years ago after DJing for years on CDJs before moving on to vinyl, until finally crossing the digital frontier with his live sets. Influenced by the tropicalia movement in Brazil that has brought life to a new way of experimenting with local as well as global music, what you’re about to hear in this next Urban Cosmonaut Radio podcast is something we at UCR are constantly searching for: something fresh, unique, and with a beautiful story. We advise you to do as he does, and try to preserve that special ability we have as children: to listen and transform anything we hear with our imagination.

Let’s see where it takes us ❤

Find Kurup on:

https://soundcloud.com/ku_rup

https://www.facebook.com/kurup.sounds

Somewhere, way up there in a galaxy far, far away, there was a boy floating around in space.

This boy’s head was filled with sounds so trippy, so unique and so melancholic – that when an idea came, it was unlike anything you’d ever heard before. The boy’s ears were filled with endless amounts of recycled stardust – so that whenever he put on his headphones to make music, everything he created sounded like heaven. And the boy’s mind was constantly buzzing with impulses – so that whenever he expressed himself, they came pouring out of him in the form of sublime music. To us, he is known as Ninze.

Ninze is multi-faceted, yet utterly recognisable in his style. Having first taken the music scene by storm with unique productions and famously slo-ow DJ sets alongside his 2nd half Okaxy, he has since evolved as a solo artist as well as a member of the production- and live performance trio Wide Awake.

No matter what he does, you can always hear it: that distinct sound that makes your knees feel like jelly and your thoughts like cloudy shadows. It’s a vibe that transports you to a place in your mind, something in between diving into trippy underwater melancholia and shooting up into deep cosmic space.

It’s only fitting then that our next podcast is a live set recorded specially for the Urban Cosmic Universe. If you listen closely, you’ll notice the little shooting stars, pulling you deeper and deeper into a world you can lose yourself in with ease.

So finally, to quote the man himself: “roll it up, light it up, press play”*

Discover and explore more:

Ninze on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ninze/

Ninze on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ninze-172325572871844/

Arutani - an almost extinct language spoken by native inhabitants in Roraima, Venezuela.

Arutani - a young and especially talented producer hailing from Caracas, Venezuela.

Arutani - our next Urban Cosmonaut Radio artist, taking us on a trip through the cosmic universe.

For those amongst you cosmonauts who are drawn to melancholy, enchanted by spherical sounds and driven by all things deep; we’ve got something special in store for you. This next podcast is a voyage through the mind and soul of a young artist who has tickled our ears ever since his first forays into music production. Consisting exclusively of his own tracks, Arutani has given us a podcast that showcases his distinct sound: minimal, dark, organic and slow. With his creative percussions, soulful melodies and deep atmospheres, he has created music that is inspired by his roots but also goes beyond any existing genre. His productions are unmistakeable in vibe and moving in emotion, gently urging us to reflect on ourselves in the process.

Find Arutani on:

https://soundcloud.com/arutani

https://www.facebook.com/arutanimusic