The first mixtape released on Best Effort is by Naarm (Melbourne) based DJ/ writer, Sophie McAlister. A Sooky La La at heart, this mix is comprised of Sophie’s most sentimental songs which seem to exude the palpable feeling of Saudade, a Portuguese word that can be described as ‘a pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy.’ The tracks weave through 110 minutes of unrequited love and melancholic sounds that range from MPB, Psych, Folk, Middle Eastern Jazz and Soul, evoking a deep sense of nostalgia and longing.

Crafted with heartbreak from reel to reel, these feelings on tap(e) hope to offer tender respite to the listener’s jaunt down memory lane. With a nod to the past and anticipation for what’s to come, this tape invites you to welcome new spirits from the unwelcomed lull of recent despondency. Sometimes revelling in our most forsaken experiences can spark new life into what used to consume us with grief.

@sophiemcalisterr

Sophie McAlister - Sooky La La

‘For home use only’ is an anti-club social, a chance to get to know someone/something. A series of transmissions purely dedicated to exploring the other side.

Eighty six comes fresh from the murky depths of Eora, from none other than Command D aka Charles Fester, born of royal blood, professor of mad dubs, and a 4 wheeled aficionado. Saturate your speakers in fat for the next 70 minutes and then fry until crisp. Stone-cold static rhythms, deep-ended depth charges, and echoes beyond space.

his sounds >>> https://soundcloud.com/commandd

FHUO # 86 // Command D

We welcome Tornado Wallace (@tornadowallace), long time friend of the label and whose record 'Falling Sun' we released through Second Circle back in 2016.  Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Lewie, how have you been lately?

TW: I dipped out to East Asia and Australia for the infamous Berlin winter and now I’m back ready for the euro warmth. Though it’s in no hurry to arrive here just yet.

MFM: There's a new record coming on Basic Spirit, the label you run with Jamie Tiller, and it all looks rather secretive... Can you tell us more about it Lew E? :) 

TW: I made these tracks when I was holed up sick for a week. Not being able to go to the studio I relied strictly on samples and software, which was fun to change the workflow up a little bit. I wanted to make some very club ready tracks, without any intention for a release. They (rather obviously) sample two well known tracks, but there’s a lot of new ideas too. I use a different name as it felt like a different style and approach to how I usually go about things. I think there will be more Lew E things on the horizon though :D.

MFM: Previous releases on Basic Spirit also had this '90s touch to it. What is it that you like about (music from) that era?

TW: I grew up in the 90s so a lot of the music coming out then really hits the nostalgic feels. But also, really interesting things were happening with technology, and it became a lot more affordable to put together a record. So there were a lot of - for lack of a better term - laymen releasing electronic music. Some of which had very new and out-there approaches to processes like sampling, mixing and arranging. But trends and technology all moved along so quickly that some of these sounds and ideas never had a chance to get fully fleshed out. Which is why it’s nice to pick up where some left off. People are currently very responsive to this late 90s/early 2000s sound, which is great for me because that’s a time when I really fell in love with electronic music. As a DJ, I’m playing these really personal tracks that I discovered as a teenager, and for the first time since I began playing parties/clubs 18 years ago, people seem to really understand them. It’s a very cool feeling.

MFM: You've also started a new more pop oriented project called a.s.o. together with vocalist Alia Seror O’Neill. Has it always been a dream or goal of yours to start a more band kind of project? Does it require a different writing/recording approach compared to when making dance music for the clubs?

TW: I like making music that I like listening to. And with the pandemic in full swing in 2020, I was having a little break from club music, and diving deeper into other styles of music I enjoy. Both from a listening and producing perspective. I found it to be a very different approach. It’s more melody/hook driven and focuses on getting ideas down quickly as they’re forming. A lot of the time I would use a basic keyboard and guitar to record, and Alia would add vocal melodies and harmonies on the fly. Sometimes it could get difficult when we would both want to put our fleeting ideas down at the same time! On that note, collaboration is never easy for me as I like to have full creative control of whatever it is I’m working on, and sometimes the creative paths divide and compromises have to be made. Sometimes the compromised path is thick and thorny, and sometimes it is paved gold and smells of roses.

MFM: How did you go through the selecting and recording process, any specific record or mood you had planned?

TW: I came across a bunch of really nice tracks all in a relatively similar downtempo/shoegaze style, and wanted to make a mix of music like that. For moody home/car/train etc listening. I also included a forthcoming Cousin remix of an a.s.o. single which I love and wanted to share early!

MFM Mix 049: Tornado Wallace

It's come to that time of the year again, well a bit later, but you know what they say... Time to unleash the beast once more yet a different one it is. Still following the same thread: moving forwards whilst looking backwards, continuing the explorations and the excavations to and from Knowhere. Unexpected blends and mash-ups which will hopefully give birth to new ideas for some, inspirations for others. Well, they have for us as we can now turn this page and move on... As you might've guessed by now, this message can be seen as an announcement: a new episode, airing soon on Good Morning Tapes. So, keep your eyes peeled and enjoy what you have whilst it is still here, who knows what will happen next!

Full Circle - Further Knowhere

One of the brains behind @mood-hut, NYC via Canada legend CZ Wang, at Sustain Release Year 9 (2023).

2pm-4pm
Opening the Planet Euphorique pool party

@czwang

ani/live Fifty: CZ Wang @ Sustain Release Year 9

I first met Pjenne in the Bookar Crater at the inaugural Inner Varnika festival in 2017. Only moments after our introduction we were hugging and swaying together, to an unforgettable set by my brother Ben. Little did I know she had already played at the festival before I’de arrived and would soon become one of my favourite disk jockeys. 

Pjenne’s sets all manage to have a unique and alluring atmosphere, a vibe that permeates itself no matter the style or genre she’s exploring. Each set brings a sonic embrace, a warmth similar to that which I felt when we first met. 

This mix is no different, a certified classic of dubbed jams mined from the depths of ’89 to ’03. Please Enjoy!

Moonshoe Selects 00029 - Pjenné

Ramzilla for Radio Alhara (09.20.2024)

happy birthday to moi :)
here are some songs i couldn't get out of my head this year
love you
iz

one dream is real

Sometimes you are on a roll and everything just flows perfectly. In and out, fast and slow, the rhythm weaves its own tapestry. Sounds overlay in harmony and it all falls into place naturally. This feels like one of those magical moments: you are in the zone and nothing can stop you. The story unfolds just how you want it to and when it has to come to an end you just wish it could keep on going forever…

More info and tracklist here: lyl.live/episode/the-other-side-71

The Other Side 89, Lyl Radio 18/02/2025

The first entry in this year’s Virtual Utopia program comes from the Australian-born, Berlin-based duo, Daisy Records (@daisyrecordsmelbourne). Mitch and Obelix have crafted an entrancing 2.5-hour journey that weaves through downtempo, house, ambient techno, and trance -all infused with a shimmering ambiance that radiates warmth and positivity. Each track carries an ethereal beauty, enveloping the listener in a calming softness that invites them to close their eyes and drift peacefully through the inner, and outer reaches of their minds. 

Daisy Records are true masters at capturing a sense of ethereal spaciousness, delivering a sonic palette that soothes the mind and cleanses the spirit. This mix offers listeners the space to let their thoughts flow gently downstream, while their atoms dissipate, floating aimlessly yet never lost, free from the need for a destination.

Every sense is blissfully engaged here—vibrant colors, cooling winds, the fresh scent of life, and the harmonious soundscape of a flourishing Earth. A temporary window into the unspoiled nature it once was.

Through the spectrum of euphonic sound, resonating souls merge and dissipate like distant murmurations. Although for some, however much their distance may change, through the phenomena of love, they will remain forever bound.

Thank you, Mitch and Obi, for this beauty <3

Virtual Utopia 11: Daisy Records

‘For home use only’ is an anti-club social, a chance to get to know someone/something. A series of transmissions purely dedicated to exploring the other side.

The train is well and truly back on the rails, so let’s keep the energy rolling and treat those ears to a dose of pure sonic liberation. This brain-bending, neck-snapping, foot-burning mix comes courtesy of local legend Walter Majik, aka Jimmy Pham.

A masterful curation of all things mystical, this is a downtempo odyssey and an electrifying ride for the listener. Spanning every known dimension and beyond, this three-hour voyage elevates you into a higher state of consciousness, weaving together deep cuts from across the ages. Expect the finest in street soul, visionary alt-pop gems, 8-bit psychedelia, couch-core oddities, and so much more. It’s all about the journey—where you’ll end up is anyone’s guess.

This is Cafe-del-MORE!

Tune in, Drop out.

his sounds >>>> https://soundcloud.com/waxflowerbar

FHUO # 96 // Walter Majik

𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.

Questions, comments, feedback, inquiries and all other communication will be received with gratitude at the following electronic mail address:
withbesteffort (at) gmail (dot) com