Scissor & Thread

www.linktr..ee/scissorandthread

Will Long is an American artist. He curates and manages the label Two Acorns, as well as producing music since 2005, in various forms under his own name for Terre Thaemiltz's Comatonse Recordings, and as Celer for his own label and many others. 

Here he joins the perfectly aligned Scissor and Thread label of Francis Harris and Anthony Collins for the Too Much EP. 

"Too Much" is a deep cut from the same grooves as the Long Trax series," says Will Long, "a further entry for the downtrodden, the overwhelmed, and those that think change has come. A midnight meditation of intentional simplicity, strained, and on that night train."

The title track is lush, loose deep jam that combines wistful, warm pads with an insistent groove and choice samples.  

Francis Harris steps up to provide one of his signature reforms, adding a little more percussion and drive to the track, while DJ Aakmael (Greg Stewart) offers up another version that takes the track somehow even deeper, adding some additional instrumentation and raw sounds.

Too Much (DJ Akmael Remix)

Will Long - Too Much (DJ Aakmael R/)

www.linktr.ee/frankandtony
www.linktr.ee/scissorandthread

Frank and Tony’s long history together has produced many seminal moments, and the release of the Ethos album this year on their own Scissor & Thread imprint marked yet another high point. 

The album saw the friends and long term collaborators produce a body of work that was both joyous, thoughtful and politically charged. Adding to that is this five track remix EP which enlists artists of a distinct pedigree to reimagine some of the tracks, and to stunning effect. 

First up is Cecile featuring Eliana Glass, the pianist and singer who graces a pair of tracks on the album and this EP. Charles Webster is responsible for the flip - a typically moody and atmospheric vibe brings out new layers in the original. 

Eliana Glass also features on Timmy Regisford’s remix of Olympia, which exhibits some of the New York legends greatest attributes - a hypnotic, uplifting masterclass ensues. Regisford’s instrumental version of Olympia is also shared here. 
Elsewhere C.K brings the heat with a rework of By The End They Will, creating a bumping, raw cut. 

The same track is flipped by Octo Octa, who takes the vibe fathoms deep and produces an idiosyncratic ravey version while honouring the spirit of the original.

Ethos Remixes

Cecile (with Eliana Glass) (Charles Webster Remix)

Frank & Tony - Cecile (with Eliana Glass) (Charles Webster R/)

Alex Albrecht returns with Aurora - a pristine followup to his Blue Caves transmission via Scissor and Thread in 2018. 

The Melbourne based composer and sound designer Albrecht has leans into his predilection for woozy, affecting melodies intertwined with skittering drums and snaking grooves, and Aurora brings that to the fore with six tracks of shimmering beauty. 

Spring Orchard opens the record, effortlessly merging deeply buried keys with washes of dreamlike synths, and dubby effects. 
Wildflower Walk is a melancholic affair, underpinned with a restless groove. 
The title track Aurora treads a similar path, but with a more driving approach, while an interplay between piano, guitar, and synths drenched in reverb offer a warm, enveloping atmosphere. 


Aurora is also shared here as a remix by Roza Terenzi, who entirely reworks the track with her signature club ready grooves . 

Kennett River exhibits a kind of smudged, cinematic hip hop feel, while closing track Morning Piazza showcases Albrecht’s sense of drama and pacing, producing a sublime ending to this deeply affecting collection.

Aurora

Kennett River

Alex Albrecht - Kennett River

Stream/Vinyl: www.linktr.ee/scissorandthread

DaRand Land, who hails from the post industrial confines of Buffalo, NY was one of the leading figures of Deep4Life, a cult label known for submersible oriented, yet dancefloor-friendly productions. With ambient synth-driven tones and heavy funk basslines being at the center of his sound, DaRand Land’s music often evokes an introspective quality, without losing its groove fundamental.

Following on from a number of releases on Pulp, Downbeat, Urban Imagery and the “Discover You” EP on Scissor & Thread, here is Nature Of Reality, the single taken from DaRand Land’s second album Wander Being, released on Scissor & Thread in late November 2024. 





“In particular, the single, The Nature of Reality”, says DaRand, “was written to convey a sense of what it feels like to be in a state of suspended animation. There is a natural tension introduced via the organic, swirling pad progression juxtaposed against endless vocal echoes and the low-end groove of the bassline. Thematically, I wanted to carry this forward through the entirety of the album.”

The Nature Of Reality

Stream/Vinyl

DaRand Land - The Nature Of Reality

Stream/Vinyl www.linktr.ee/scissorandthread

DaRand Land, who hails from the post industrial confines of Buffalo, NY was one of the leading figures of Deep4Life, a cult label known for submersible oriented, yet dancefloor-friendly productions. With ambient synth-driven tones and heavy funk basslines being at the center of his sound, DaRand Land’s music often evokes an introspective quality, without losing its groove fundamental. DaRand’s works, which span decades on deep house labels such as Downbeat, Confluence and Pulp have been described as “uncompromising” and has afforded him a passionate following of listeners who seek a more emotive, thought-provoking brand of underground music.

Teaming up once again with Scissors and Thread - the perfect fit for his sound - DaRand Land drops an album full of crafty, trippy house for the heads. Wander Being contains 10 tracks on the double vinyl release with a pair of additional tracks for the digital release. The vibe is deep and sleek, with a rough, bumping edge. The title track sets the tone, a smattering of percussion accompanying a thick, round kick drum and Rhodes chords, giving off a classic Detroit feel. Tracks like Turn to The Music ramp up the energy somewhat, but overall the tracks sit in the sweet spot between dancefloor burners and soulful, jazzy, deep cuts. 

Noticeable is the space given to each element across the tracks - the hi-hats sparkle, the snare snaps, and the basslines roll and rumble. Add to this the magic melodic flourishes provided by the pads and synths, reminiscent of the late Mike Huckaby in places, made this whole album a thoughtful, joyful experience.

„The genesis for the Wander Being LP”, says DaRand “was a desire to return to the essence of some of my original Deep4Life productions. How was this accomplished? Principally, through the exclusive use of hardware components, minimalist arrangement, and a minds-eye approach to source the musical elements. In particular, the single, The Nature of Reality was written to convey a sense of what it feels like to be in a state of suspended animation. There is a natural tension introduced via the organic, swirling pad progression juxtaposed against endless vocal echoes and the low-end groove of the bassline. Thematically, I wanted to carry this forward through the entirety of the album.

Wander Being

DaRand Land - Wander Being

Stream/Vinyl: www.linktr.ee/scissorandthread

DaRand Land, who hails from the post industrial confines of Buffalo, NY was one of the leading figures of Deep4Life, a cult label known for submersible oriented, yet dancefloor-friendly productions. With ambient synth-driven tones and heavy funk basslines being at the center of his sound, DaRand Land’s music often evokes an introspective quality, without losing its groove fundamental. DaRand’s works, which span decades on deep house labels such as Downbeat, Confluence and Pulp have been described as “uncompromising” and has afforded him a passionate following of listeners who seek a more emotive, thought-provoking brand of underground music.

Teaming up once again with Scissors and Thread - the perfect fit for his sound - DaRand Land drops an album full of crafty, trippy house for the heads. Wander Being contains 10 tracks on the double vinyl release with a pair of additional tracks for the digital release. The vibe is deep and sleek, with a rough, bumping edge. The title track sets the tone, a smattering of percussion accompanying a thick, round kick drum and Rhodes chords, giving off a classic Detroit feel. Tracks like Turn to The Music ramp up the energy somewhat, but overall the tracks sit in the sweet spot between dancefloor burners and soulful, jazzy, deep cuts. 

Noticeable is the space given to each element across the tracks - the hi-hats sparkle, the snare snaps, and the basslines roll and rumble. Add to this the magic melodic flourishes provided by the pads and synths, reminiscent of the late Mike Huckaby in places, made this whole album a thoughtful, joyful experience.

„The genesis for the Wander Being LP”, says DaRand “was a desire to return to the essence of some of my original Deep4Life productions. How was this accomplished? Principally, through the exclusive use of hardware components, minimalist arrangement, and a minds-eye approach to source the musical elements. In particular, the single, The Nature of Reality was written to convey a sense of what it feels like to be in a state of suspended animation. There is a natural tension introduced via the organic, swirling pad progression juxtaposed against endless vocal echoes and the low-end groove of the bassline. Thematically, I wanted to carry this forward through the entirety of the album.

Wade Away

DaRand Land - Wade Away

Turn To The Music

DaRand Land - Turn To The Music

Thematicism

DaRand Land - Thematicism

See Urchin

DaRand Land - See Urchin

www.linktr.ee/scissorandthread

DaRand Land, who hails from the post industrial confines of Buffalo, NY was one of the leading figures of Deep4Life, a cult label known for submersible oriented, yet dancefloor-friendly productions. With ambient synth-driven tones and heavy funk basslines being at the center of his sound, DaRand Land’s music often evokes an introspective quality, without losing its groove fundamental. DaRand’s works, which span decades on deep house labels such as Downbeat, Confluence and Pulp have been described as “uncompromising” and has afforded him a passionate following of listeners who seek a more emotive, thought-provoking brand of underground music.

Teaming up once again with Scissors and Thread - the perfect fit for his sound - DaRand Land drops an album full of crafty, trippy house for the heads. Wander Being contains 10 tracks on the double vinyl release with a pair of additional tracks for the digital release. The vibe is deep and sleek, with a rough, bumping edge. The title track sets the tone, a smattering of percussion accompanying a thick, round kick drum and Rhodes chords, giving off a classic Detroit feel. Tracks like Turn to The Music ramp up the energy somewhat, but overall the tracks sit in the sweet spot between dancefloor burners and soulful, jazzy, deep cuts. 

Noticeable is the space given to each element across the tracks - the hi-hats sparkle, the snare snaps, and the basslines roll and rumble. Add to this the magic melodic flourishes provided by the pads and synths, reminiscent of the late Mike Huckaby in places, made this whole album a thoughtful, joyful experience.

„The genesis for the Wander Being LP”, says DaRand “was a desire to return to the essence of some of my original Deep4Life productions. How was this accomplished? Principally, through the exclusive use of hardware components, minimalist arrangement, and a minds-eye approach to source the musical elements. In particular, the single, The Nature of Reality was written to convey a sense of what it feels like to be in a state of suspended animation. There is a natural tension introduced via the organic, swirling pad progression juxtaposed against endless vocal echoes and the low-end groove of the bassline. Thematically, I wanted to carry this forward through the entirety of the album.

Passion Motion

DaRand Land - Passion Motion

Natural Causality

DaRand Land - Natural Causality

Lower Gnosis

DaRand Land - Lower Gnosis

Jazz Intend

DaRand Land - Jazz Intend

In The Meadow

DaRand Land - In The Meadow

At The Feeling Level

DaRand Land - At The Feeling Level

My remix of Portishead's Nylon Smile, made in 2008.

Portishead -Nylon Smile (Black Light Smoke Remix 2008) [DOWNLOAD]

Black Light Smoke’s Lovework EP, released on Scissor & Thread in 2012, channels raw emotion through dusted grooves and analog grit. Jordan Lieb fuses lo-fi house with post-punk attitude, letting tape hiss, saturated drums, and fractured rhythms guide the way. From the warped pulse of the title track to the dark energy of “Nasty Dirty Freaky Love,” each cut feels unpolished in the best way. It’s music with scars, intimate, distorted, and unforgettable.

Lovework EP

stream/vinyl/more

black light smoke -  Nasty Dirty Freaky Love (Original)

Black Light Smoke’s Lovework EP, released on Scissor & Thread in 2012, channels raw emotion through dusted grooves and analog grit. Jordan Lieb fuses lo-fi house with post punk attitude, letting tape hiss, saturated drums, and fractured rhythms guide the way. From the warped pulse of the title track to the dark energy of “Nasty Dirty Freaky Love,” each cut feels unpolished in the best way. It’s music with scars, intimate, distorted, and unforgettable.

Lovework (DJ T. Rемiх)

black light smoke - Lovework (DJ T. Rемiх)

No Cliché / Poppa’s Bag shows two sides of the Scissor & Thread aesthetic in its early days. Lightbluemover’s No Cliché stays spacious and controlled, leaning into tension and minimalism. On the flip, Black Light Smoke’s Poppa’s Bagis looser and rougher around the edges, built from dusty samples and a beat that sounds intentionally unstable.

Released in 2012 this EP still stands out as a snapshot of the label’s rawer beginnings.

No Cliché / Poppa's Bag

No Cliché w/ Jason Poranski (Original)

www.facebook.com/nadiakhanmusic/
www.facebook.com/scissor.and.thread.nyc/

Nadia Khan returns on Scissor and Thread for another sublime mini LP, Port Ana. Based in North Carolina, Khan first drew a lot of attention via a cassette release on Where To Now? Records in 2015. 
Her sophomore statement was the beautiful In Gleam released in 2018 on Francis Harris’ Brooklyn-based label, which set the tone for these five tracks of meditative music. 
The title track Port Ana opens the journey - a gentle, droning soundscape with effortlessly bewitching glints of melody. 
Conversation follows on, drawing on loops and textures to create the background for a deep, pulsing kick drum. The sounds shift and evolve, leaving a hazy sense of movement to drift away to. 
Next up is Objects In Form which presents a fragile chord progression that barely holds itself together, surrounded by shifting pads and swathes of reverb. 
Rain Again is presented here in two versions. The original combines ethereal sounds, weightless and adrift, while the Lawrence remix firmly grounds the track with a hypnotic, deep groove. The Dial boss provides another remix for the digital release that further plays with the textures of the original to create something that works both for an open minded dancefloor and as a home listening experience.

Scissor & Thread

elpezpiloto