Optimo live from The Beach Stage at Love International 2023. 

First 3 hours of their 6 hour set on the Beach.

Live from the Adriatic 2023: Optimo

ESP Institute artist Bartellow, one third of the project Tambien and otherwise known in the Contemporary Classical sphere as Beni Brachtel, returns to the label with his second full-length release, 'Noosphere'. While currently heading the SVS label and residency series out of Munich, Beni’s resume expands well beyond electronic music to include immersive sound installations such as 'The Adventure Of The Empty House' (solo live performance across seven floors of Walter Henn’s Deckelbau building), a slew of compositions for the Bavarian State Opera (for which he doubled as conductor), and a prolific career of over twenty-five theater scores for institutions such as the Münchner Kammerspiele, Schauspiel Basel, Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, Berliner Ensemble, Schauspiel Köln, Schauspiel Graz and with directors Ersan Mondtag, Alexander Eisenach, Jessica Glause and Tobias Staab among others.
	'Noosphere' is a compendium excerpting from theatrical scores 'WUT' (Elfriede Jelinek, at Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2020), 'Ödipus and Antigone' (Maxim Gorki Theatre Berlin, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2017), 'Der Zauberberg' (Thomas Mann, Schauspiel Graz, directed by Alexander Eisenach, 2017), 'Hass Tryptichon' (Sybille Berg, Wiener Festwochen / Maxim Gorki Theatre, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2019), 'Wonderland Ave.' (Sibylle Berg, Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2018), 'Die Verdammten' (after Visconti´s film, Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2019) and 'Roi Ubu' (Alfred Jarry, Theater Neumarkt, Zurich, directed by Alexander Eisenach, 2018). 
	The work traverses homages, infusing everything from Baroque to Impressionism, and while these types of references are certainly built into the canon of Theatre as a discipline, here we gather historic layers in an even wider net. Under the self-referential thumb of Contemporary Classical music, this sort of "hindsight" approach has been largely avoided, however, in today’s all-access arena, the constant stream of historic causal-chained events has opened a delta where anything is possible. This defines Bartellow’s stance among his colleagues as well as his cultural position as a composer.
	Beni considers beauty a fleeting objective in the arts, that expression is often expected to follow notions of Destructivism or the unfulfilled. Art will pore over wounds, collective angst, mourning a loss of natural habitat or a fear of technological invasion, yet there is a bitter irreverence for the friction or salvation in beauty itself. Acknowledging this subjectivity — what one audience considers superficial pleasure may be deeply profound to another — he leans into musical instinct as if composing via divine conduit.
	'Noosphere' conjures a array of suspense, ecstasy, melancholy, and dread, but in isolating the work from its theatrical component, Brachtel directs our focus toward formal qualities, clearing unimpeded space to conceive fresh narratives and examine dynamism and interconnectivity. In sympathy with often difficult theatre pieces, the passages can be dark and transgressive, but more importantly they remain relative to Brachtel’s circumstances at their time of creation. The title 'Noosphere' speaks to the evolution of human thought and knowledge, opening a door to subjective points-of-view. For example, 'Nexus II On The Beach' refers to both Roberto Musci’s 'Water Messages On Desert Sand' as well as the film 'Bladerunner', invoking the image of a android enjoying the sunset, but whether or not this abstraction may be considered beautiful depends the listener’s cumulative life experience and perspective.
	This is hybrid chamber music, augmented by electro-acoustic layers, juxtaposing various periods and successively processing their residual themes into a trans-generational rendering of “now.”

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A1 Grana - SNIPPET

Live From We Out Here 2024 - Sassy J at the Roller Rink

John has lovely taste in music which often incorporates more of a world sound. He has a killer show on NTS and throws the Tangent parties alongside Nick The Record. John played a wide ranging set going round the houses in perfect fashion and it was great to hear more of a world sound in those trees at 9am in the morning. A lovely lovely time.

TP534 John Gomez (Love International Sunrise Sessions)

MLiR riding through 4 and a half hours of nuggets. 
ID requests ~ @/m-l-i-r

1800 triiip - Mix077 - MLiR

Nick The Record — Forbidden Fruit — Wonderfruit 2024

Episode 79 of Silicon Radio with special guest Gee Dee @gregdroggitis on Samewave Radio 📡 Wednesday, June, 18, 2025 @ 7:00 PM PDT. #electronic #techno #house

x Gee Dee - E79: June 18, 2025

The first half of RA.996 is Ron Trent's take on luxurious house.

As part of our countdown to RA.1000, a milestone in the 24-year history of RA's weekly mix series, we're switching up the usual format. The next few editions will pair two acts who complement each other's strengths, offering a fresh take on a particular community, scene or style. 

This week, we're zeroing in on Ron Trent and Ash Lauryn, two names who fly the flag high for old-school US house—a foundational pillar of the electronic underground. 

Trent takes the A-side. Hailing from Chicago, the birthplace of house, the pioneer is a master of finding the sweet spot where machine music meets organic instrumentation.  Listen to any DJ set or record in his extensive back catalogue and you'll find a wealth of exquisitely expressive melodies and deep, spiritual frequencies, making him the ideal narrator for any survey on house. (If you've only got a moment, sink into "Morning Factory," nine minutes of perfection.) 

Trent's return to the RA Podcast, 19 years after his debut in 2006, represents his many decades of expertise in fusing funk with gorgeous musicianship under the umbrella of heart-stirring house. Some may call it a masterclass but to us, it's just Trent doing what he does best.

Listened to as a whole, RA.996 is a powerful snapshot of house's elegance, class and most importantly, understated yet innately euphoric joy.

Find the interview and tracklist at ra.co/podcast/997

RA.996 Ron Trent

Vio PRG @ Sauna Radio 09.08.2025

Slip into your dancing sandals and dive into 66 minutes of the most succulent & sun-kissed gems, brought to you by the captain of Smoothin Grooving – our dear Larisa TRU:L 🩴🌞🌵

ID Requests -> @trularisa

To keep our project going and growing, please support us with a donation on BuyMeACoffee. It's quick, easy, and you don't even need to create an account. Your contribution, whether one-time or recurring, helps us thrive. Thank you for your consideration 💖💖💖
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Larisa TRU:L

The power of music to unite us in joy is unparalleled. That was particularly evident during Optimo's closing set at last year's festival. Every face in the crowd was grinning from ear to ear as they slung out two hours of belters from across the musical spectrum as only they can.

It feels like we need a bit of that joy right now, so @Twitch & Wilkes have been kind enough to let us share the recording for you to listen at your socially-distancing leisure.

Look after yourselves and those around you, we'll get through this if we all stick together. Love to you all, from everyone at Skye Live.

Photo: Tim Craig — instagram.com/_scot.sman_

Optimo (Espacio) | Skye Live 2019

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