There was a long time I considered Raymond Richards the ultimate secret weapon. There were sounds he could make that other people just couldn’t. Pure, whole, yet complex sounds. The pedal steel is an extremely niche instrument outside of its Country confines, but its sheer and transcendent depth has never failed to floor me. Raymond’s ear for implementing the steel into literally 'anything' has always been uncanny. After decades of being savvy to his work ethic, multi-faceted studio skills and overall sense of musical honesty, it became a priority for me to channel some of this into narratives through the ESP Institute and get his stories told. Without further recounting the history and trajectory of our musical relationship (see the press release for 2020’s critically-acclaimed album 'The Lost Art Of Wandering'), I can whole-heartedly confirm this sophomore release, 'Sand Paintings', opens an even wider door into Raymond’s visceral, contemplative world. The cast of players has elaborated to include Calexico’s John Convertino on drums and percussion, a bevy of eccentric stringed instruments and even a hint of brass to collectively stratify context for the pedal steel. Through diversifying the timbral palette, we invite an increased soundstage acuity but also reveal untapped wells of emotion for the listener, perhaps even testing cultural literacies. One foot remains in our established ambient realm, while the other steps toward grand cinematic gestures, and despite the dense, insurmountable emotion in these songs, there is a stoic singularity, like a lonesome cowboy pulling up his boot straps to endure another day. 'Badwater Basin' opens with courage, an enormous chord evoking Raymond’s image of “hard dawn”, but in navigating through the dramatic depictions of 'Monument Valley', 'Saguaro' and 'Deer On Hwy 80', we grapple with a cloaked vulnerability—weathered by the elements, beaten down and alone, yet still madly in love with the world.  —Lovefingers

[ESP081] Sand Paintings - SNIPPETS

Buy from ESP

A3 - Monument Valley - SNIPPET

Running Hot is producer and DJ Mark Newman. He discovered rave when he was 13 via a tape from his mate at school which has led to a lifelong love affair. He is is orignally from South Wales and now resides in Berlin running with the Love On The Rocks crew... This mix is based on his love of Italo-house. It's a nice one... Enjoy.

"I recorded this one in the middle of another frosty and grey morning in Berlin so I wanted to try and conjure up some of the spirit of summer. I’d had the idea for a while to try and do a mix with a lot of very pitched down Italo-house stuff so that it almost starts to sound a bit like kwaito and has a nice laid back feel… So here it is! Hope you enjoy!"

TP537 Running Hot

ACTION SHADOW!

DJ Fett Burger and Jana Falcon B2B all night long
at A Night In The Basement Part 13 at Sameheads, Berlin 18.01.25

Best HOUSE party vibes ever! 
Thanks to all the dancers that made this party so so special!

HOUSE music and vibes from the top!

As note on sound: Recording is a bit rough, the right turntable picks up
noise from the needle, and there are some skips and bops in the mix. But it's 
live and direct! So hope you still enjoy! 

🍔🍔🍔🐦🐦🐦⚡️⚡️⚡️💥🔥✨👀👀🌟⭐️💫


DJ Fett Burger & Jana Falcon at Sameheads 18.01.25

New Sound Metaphors DJs promo mix 2025. 
Thanks for your support! ❤️

For bookings (Sound Metaphors DJs):
dominic@thepool-london.com

H.A.N.D. MIX 066 : Sound Metaphors DJs

Apiento, a.k.a Paul Byrne runs the invaluable Test Pressing blog and releases music on World Building, World Unknown and more. His show has that esoteric techno thing and whatever suits the mood…
 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/test-pressing/episodes/test-pressing-5th-april-2025

Test Pressing w/ Apiento 050425

A somewhat mysterious DJ from France, Adrien has been lugging around a back-breaking collection of records gathered over 15 years of questionable life choices and obsessive digging. Moving to Amsterdam helped him discover new sounds and obscure subgenres, and gave him a fresh set of eyes on DJing. Amid the chaos his soft spot for disco has always found its way in his selections, and his sets are a hopeful attempt to make sense of it all.

H.A.N.D. MIX 074 : Adrien

🌐 Refuge Worldwide is a radio station and community space based in Berlin-Neukölln.
➡️ More info, more music: www.refugeworldwide.com

Support us by becoming a member on Patreon for just 3€ a month: www.patreon.com/refugeworldwide

New Massage - Telephones & Raphaël Top-Secret - 04 Jun 2025

Sanctuary @ The Lot Radio 06-01-2025

Ty, the man behind the wonderful “Thought The Trees” show on 1BTN, graces us with a deep and hazy trip that navigates through Enigma-style vibes and dreamy rhythms all the way up to some uplifting house 🧭🛶✨

ID Requests -> @tayfighter
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 💖💖💖 www.buymeacoffee.com/balearicbanana

Ty [Through The Trees]

3 hours of me spinning 100% vinyl ~ some pop, some club, Italo, easy blends,

Captured on the 22.03.25 at Doka (Amstersdam), which has a very DJ comfortable booth. Play time was from around 3am-6ish.

This live recording is my first in at least 5 years - I’ve always struggled with the concept of DJing without a crowd/dance-floor so for my usual mix output I “record” in Ableton. I also enjoy “mixing” on the sofa as horizontal as possible so go figure.

H.A.N.D. MIX 073 : Bell Towers

"Over dinner, the promoter mentioned how hard it was to play disco at the club, which made me smile, given the party was called “Bye Bye Disco.” She asked if I could play something that would help people understand and appreciate disco in a fresh, modern way, so that’s exactly what I set out to do. "

Recorded live at Bye Bye Disco in Beijing.

H.A.N.D. MIX 075  - Trent

Welcome to the ESP Institute. Please remove your shoes at the door. Thank you.