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 (GMT 61)

Nak’s sound is immersive, otherworldly, psychedelic; all grounded in a love for storytelling through music.

Originally (and always) a fan of Melbourne's underground scene, Isabel is drawn to DJ sets that take the listener on a journey - whether that be through mood, genre or tempo - to create something beautiful and entirely anew. This is a quality she explores in her own sets, weaving together intricate, spiraling blends of IDM, techno and bass to create a dreamy, glistening tapestry of sound.

@isabel-nak

Mirrors 019 - Nak

Prochaine édition la Culottée le samedi 16 novembre à Petit Bain avec JOE DELON, BENEDIKT FREY, CEYDA YAGIZ & TRUSSPE

Rinse France Podcast

BENEDIKT FREY : LA CULOTTÉE - 15 Novembre 2024

Command D summons the gods of the deep to have us completely submerged in a world of interdimensional dub techno, traversing us through an hour and a half of infinitely looped reflections and subaquatic soundscapes. 

@commandd

Q. This certainly feels like one of your most immersive mixes to date, deeply contemplative and full of dreamy dub techno atmospherics. What inspiration did you draw upon, and what type of setting or situation could you imagine it being enjoyed in? 

A. I started to get into this sound when I was putting together my mix for the Moonshoe mix series. I didn’t know what to call it at the time but I found all of those tunes and tied them together with a certain feeling that was really inspiring me then, it was very organic and that is still one of my favourite mixes. You can hear dub elements scattered throughout that whole mix.

As I started incorporating more dub elements into my productions I discovered artists like Stephen Hitchell and Rhythm & Sound that had created a kind of music that was really extremely satisfying for me to listen to, especially considering my developing love for hi-fi and larger sound systems. I incorporated those artists into my FHUO mix which was a much more considered exploration of the style. Looking back on the process of making the mixes and how much I enjoyed them really assures me that the deep and contemplative sound is a big part of who I am.

For this mix I’ve taken inspiration from the MDC series itself which I’ve been listening to for years. I wanted to add little hints of deep house sounds as a nod to the mixes of the past. I personally think mixes like this are the best to listen to when you’re travelling and looking out a window, otherwise maybe sitting at a desk on a rainy day doing some work. I’d like people to listen to this in a time where they won't be distracted by something else or feel the need to skip forward, I’d want people to just throw it on and let it play, drifting in and out of the tracks and their own thoughts.

Q. Are there any songs in the mix that are especially close to your heart, and what is it about these tracks that resonate with you so much?

A. My favourite tracks in the mix are Saftig Komposition by Rasmus Hedlund and Sedlec Ossuary by Persuasion. At a base level I love these tracks because they take a more modern approach to a dub techno track with tight production. Going deeper, the thing that really resonates with me is hard to put into words and best left unsaid. I think this kind of music (along with many other kinds) allows the listener to feel emotions that aren't able to be put into words, part of why I love it so much. I find that dub techno specifically can feel sad and happy at the same time like lots of jazz ballads. That to me is a really beautiful sound that kind of encapsulates life in general.

Q. Tell us about the development of your live set, and where things are currently at with it? Do you feel like you’re able to explore different shades of your sound when playing in a live setting?

A. Putting together my first live set was an awesome experience. I got to play it all around Australia from clubs to rainforests. I’ve put the current live set to bed for now and am starting to work on a new one with a slightly different setup. Although it was a challenging experience, I loved making a live set because often when I would dig for tunes to play out I’d think ‘I wish I had a song like this’ and writing a live set meant that I could bring those ideas to life and curate a set exactly how I wanted. I think I’m really starting to settle into ‘my sound’ in production and DJing, but there are creative limitations in both like finding new music or learning new skills. Overcoming technical barriers in production allows me to get closer to my most true form of expression when it comes to what’s coming out the speakers so I’ve been really working on that recently. Hoping the next live set will be bigger and better : )

MDC.302 Command D

An episode that feels well overdue yet thoroughly worth the wait! A titan of the Naarm underground music scene, Pjenné has been a kindred spirit and longtime pal since the early days of MDC, and it's no surprise that her contribution is packed full of gloriously deep and immersive feels, bassy and driving in parts and light as a feather in others, speaking to a palette that has been meticulously explored and continues to evolve along with her incredible weekly radio show on PBS, Passing Notes. 

@pjenne

Q. What sounds of feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this mix, and what listening environments could you imagine it being best enjoyed in?

A. For this mix, I wanted to channel the energy and sounds that I associate with Melbourne Deepcast rather than drawing on the darker side of my sound palette that has been at the fore of my radio and club sets of late. MDC means so many things to me, but there’s definitely an energetic, grooviness that comes to mind and this is what inspired the mix. Although the mix does showcase parts of me (heavily atmospheric, emotive and a few downtempo tracks for good measure), I’d say this is more of a mix for you. :) I imagine this mix being listened to outside, on a sunny day, but when you might also need a little extra pep in your step. 

Q. Are there any songs in the mix that are especially close to your heart, and what is it about these tracks that resonate with you so much?

A. The first that came to mind is a track by Sean Cusick and Medway (Jesse Skeens) - It is an incredibly beautiful and emotive breakbeat track from 2002 on Saw recordings, there’s just something about how the vocals and the pads wash over you - although its upbeat there's also a sombreness to it and I just think its the whole package. 

Towards the end of the mix there’s also a very very classic ambient trance number, Lazer Worshippers by Damon Wild & Tim Taylor from 1993 - Not the most deeply dug track but it's a classic for a reason.

Q. You have been lovingly broadcasting your weekly radio show Passing Notes on PBS for six years running, which is a serious achievement! Tell us what you did for your sixth anniversary on International Women's Day, and what keeps you inspired to broadcast the show week in week out?

A. It’s been a wild ride that’s for sure! I really appreciate that International Women’s Day marks each yearly anniversary of Passing Notes - it reminds me to stop and reflect on each year as an achievement that I would probably otherwise forget in the chaos of life. This year I enlisted the help of Syrian DJ and Harmony Rec affiliate Zeynep, who provided an excellent, playful and sassy celebratory guest mix. 

As for my inspiration to keep going, I’d say that I draw from the collective power of electronic artists locally as well as internationally. There’s just so much good music to share, and Passing Notes enables me to provide a crucial connection between ‘underground’ electronic music and the wider music community. I'm also inspired by live radio as a format - it provides a sanctuary for me from the highly curated nature of music today and allows me to be more playful in the way that I explore different sounds. To me it is a place free of judgement.

MDC.308 Pjenné

The 13th 'Virtual Utopia' program has completed its beta testing stage and is now available for download. This edition is designed by DJ Athome @dj-athome and offers a 68-minute transcendental voyage through the inner and outer realms of warping psychedelia. It spans every corner of his record collection, from spaced-out dub to ever-unfolding fractal trance, all laced with an inspiring optimism to remind you of all that is good in this world—providing you with a hopeful mindset for a positive future.

As you lay back in the soft grass of a never-ending glade of cheerful vibrance, feeling the gentle breeze brush against your skin, the pulsations of euphoric energy vibrate through your soul with a benevolent embrace and understanding. The sky above is a brilliant blue, scattered with clouds that drift and mutate slowly, shifting shapes as if they were sentient. As you stare into them, they begin to morph and merge, unfolding into intricate patterns, each cloud splitting into smaller and smaller fractals, repeating endlessly like a visible code of a hidden universe. It is as if nature herself has decided to reveal her secrets to you, a harmony between the world above and the world below. Time seems to slow, and for a moment, you lose yourself in the beauty of it all.

Thank you, Maurizio, for this beautiful piece—a ray of sunshine to brighten the next hour for everyone who listens.

Virtual Utopia 13: DJ Athome

Benedikt Frey for Honey Trap 4.4.2025 @ Sameheads

DJ Balduin from Leipzig is a seasoned selector with more than two decades of experience in tracking down musical treasures. As an avid believer that some songs shine only under the right circumstances he doesn’t shy away from weaving repetitive loops with patterns of ambience just to let some hands-up moments unfold every now and then. Since he doesn’t like to think in categories, his best guess to describe his vivid 4/4 sets would be “Hypnocelestial salsa-dub house”.

Small Steps w/ DJ Balduin @ Kiosk Radio 19.04.2025

And then you find yourself here. Not where you thought you’d end up, maybe not even where you meant to go — but somewhere. The signs aren’t clear, the feeling isn’t grand, but it’s enough to make you pause. Maybe it’s not arrival, but recognition. A vague sense that something has shifted, or that you’ve been standing still for a while. You tell yourself: This must be somewhere. Not quite lost, not quite found. Just... here.

Rev Lon is a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist and the co-founder and curator of the Slow Burn mix and event series. Renowned for her deep, dubby mixes, she seamlessly blends genres like ambient, minimal, microhouse, and dub techno, crafting introspective sonic journeys that dissolve boundaries and invite a kind of still, inward motion. Her selections don’t demand attention — they unfold slowly, pulling you deeper with each subtle shift. For the 30th entry in the Discos Movimiento mixtape series, Rev Lon delivers a mix that feels less like a destination and more like a quiet, extended moment of clarity.

Rev Lon – This Must Be Somewhere / Mixtape Discos Movimiento #30

A mix from extended naff family members Command D and Peanut

In the words of Command D :

Carrying on from some legendary parties before it, the next generation of ravers held 'plur' true to it's og meaning. Young Harry (Peanut) and I had been mixing together and talking about tunes we loved for months leading up to the event. We played in the side room while the morning light slowly poured in, all the homies in the front and gun fingers to the back. Big party mode with some blissy ones, freedom while it lasted, and a fun one to listen back to. Big thanks to everyone who hosted and the dancers!

Recorded on Wangal land.

@commandd @harrisonross

Art by Jesse Osborne-Lanthier as always

naffcast006 ⦾ Command D and Peanut at plur ⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ⋆｡˚ ☽ ˚｡⋆｡˚☁︎˚｡⋆

recording of my opening set at insolar, before Miran N and Trancesetters of Westphalia

12:00 - 15:00 ☼
31.05.25 Fitzroy, Berlin

Sean H ☼ opening set Insolar at Fitzroy [31.05.25]

+ @riolabel @initinit

Benedikt Frey is many. Or just one? He is a composer. An arranger. A DJ. A ghost producer. A fan. He plays in bands like INIT, or Dolphins or KEYS +++ produced the last two albums for Chris Imler. Downbeat in experimental dub zones. The goat for Edits and remixes. When house was his nation, he used to listen to pen names like Suedmilch or Venedikt Reyf. He still likes the music formed under their umbrella, but today his tomorrow is not echoed in yesterday. His sound signature moved on. Into the open. He founded labels like R.i.O. or Serious Trouble. 

He lives in Berlin. Physically. In mind Benedikt Frey is at many places. Traveling far thru his home studio that is a flat a studio a flat an instrument a record collection a flat a studio. Everywhere gear, vinyl, tapes, instruments, rooms for spontaneous sonic notions, these moments, when a sudden strike of stimulation falls. He is inspired a lot. For music to dance. Music for films. Music for live shows. Music for dancing glows. Techno, house, downbeat, ambient, jungle, electronics outside the norms. Those transportive ones. Jamming with others. Jamming with his mind. In Berlin Wedding, North of the town, where the lights dimmed low, neighbors share the flow, and a small river runs slow.  As a DJ he plays here, there, everywhere. Big clubs, small shacks, festivals, gatherings. From fast to 90 BPM - as he feels. 

For himself. For the crowd. In the spur. He still remembers his club kid days. Going to dance with friends. Down there in Offenbach. Doing the Robert Johnson. Collective emotions for a better tomorrow. These he still seeks. In his music. His shows. His collaborations. You can book him for a party. For enlightenment. For ecstasy or introspective perspectives. Dancing slow, whilst pirouetting a high-pitched show. 

Since more than a decade. His own music is out there, too. Bringing his spirits in sound. On his own labels. On international imprints like ESP Institute, Hivern Discs, Craigie Knowes, or Emotional Response. Solo works. Driving ones. Slow drills. Teased during his DJ dates around the planet. 

The music plays day and night. Inspiration comes. From a simple kick drum. A movie sequence. A bird on the sill. A picture, totally still. Can’t kick that feeling when it hits. Benedikt Frey. In dreams. In streams. In music. Emotions. Situations. At night. In those flashy lights, when it bites.

24.5. b2b with NVST, Kauz Zürich
10.05. Säälchen, Berlin
26.04. Zentralwäscherei, Zürich
25.04. b2b Philipp Otterbach, Arkaoda, Berlin
04.04. Sameheads, Berlin
13.03. Säule, Berlin
22.02. Kegelbahn, Luzern
21.02. Fribourg, CH

---- BYE24

17.12. Kiosk Radio,  Bxl
15.12. Curly Teeth b2b w. NVST, Bxl
30.11. Panorama Bar, Berlin
16.11. La Culottee, Paris
19.10. LAF, Pforzhyme
05.10. Sameheads, Berlin
28.09. Buka, Milan
21.09. Chemiefabrik, Zürich
14.09. Ausland, Berlin
16.08. Salon Des Amateurs, Düsseldorf
21.07. Am Bach Festival, Lucerne
05.07. Kappa Futur Festival, Turin
14.06. Masters, Zagreb
18.05. Outracena, Lisbon
27.04. Arkaoda, Berlin
24.02. Macadam, Nantes
26.01. Sameheads, Berlin

Benedikt Frey for Honey Trap 4.4.2025 @ Sameheads

benedikt frey