For this episode we welcome the extraordinary talents of Aaron J, Brooklyn's Sure Thing record label and podcast founder, known for hosting an immense list of explorative modern techno artists from around the globe. Altering our consciousness for the first time in 2023 with a particularly awe inspiring set at Sustain-Release, Aaron's deeply considered and intricate approach is something of sheer beauty, and coupled with masterful technical ability, his inspiring DJ sets allow for fully immersive dancefloor experiences. 

Here Aaron explores the softer edges of his expansive sound palette, meditative soundscapes and tranquil IDM converging in total harmony for what he describes as a 'recalibration of the senses'. 

@arn_j
@sure_thing

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

A. Of all the mixes I’ve put together over the years, this one definitely feels the most vulnerable. The months I spent thinking about and working on this mix accompanied an intensely busy time in my life, and the process helped me stay in touch with the simple joy of listening as a way of stepping back and letting things go. There is a direct connection here between the music within and the emotions that live inside me. At the same time, I’ve tried my best to mix this as transparently as possible, so that the act of DJing takes a back seat and allows the music to take center stage.

The inspiration behind the tracks I chose and the story of the mix is one of finding balance, so I hope listening to it feels like a casting off of the present day and a recalibration of the senses. I’d love for people to listen to the mix in a setting where they feel most protected from the changes and stressors of the outside world, whether that be sitting outside in nature or laying on a couch surrounded by the comforts of home.

Q. Are there any songs in the mix that you were especially excited to share, and what is it about these tracks that resonate with you so much?

A. There is a track in the mix by Autumn of Communion called “Goodbye PK” dedicated to the late Peter Kuhlmann, who many of your listeners will know as the legendary Pete Namlook of FAX +49-69/450464. It’s an immensely moving track that manages to convey both the tragedy of his loss and the depth of the beauty he left with the world, and I feel we’re so fortunate to have music and influences like this in our recent history. I included it early to set the tone of the rest of the mix, which is quite different than any I’ve done before, and to pay my respects to those who’ve inspired our scene from the very beginning.

Q. I was lucky enough to witness your set at Sustain-Release in 2023 and was in awe of your ability to practice restraint while steadily building up tension and energy in the set with such clinical and seamless execution. Is this part of the DJ craft something you spend a lot of time planning and refining?

A. That was such a life-changing moment for me, so I’m really glad you were there! You really nailed what I hoped to accomplish with that set, and I definitely spend a lot of time thinking about where my sets will begin, where I would like them to end up, and what sort of path I might take to get there. Understanding the minutiae of how a transition will affect someone’s state of mind and how to propel someone forward without jarring them back to reality is something I’m always working to improve on. That said, the upward trajectory is not always the most interesting one, and there are so many other ways of charting a course through a set that I hope to be able to explore. For the mix I’ve made for you, it’s not so much a set that builds energy as it is one that expands and contracts, hopefully in a gentle and purposeful way.

MDC.311 Aaron J

Delighted to welcome Utrecht’s Vand to The Observatory, one of our favorite artists <3

From falling in love with his collaborative EP Laren with Bas Dobbelaer, all the way through to his recently released Trialism EP on ISOTOOP (a collective now turned record label, which he’s at the helm of), Vand’s sound has truly captured our heart.

With lush ambient soundscapes coupled with driving grooves, this mix encapsulates everything we love about electronic music <3
~~
https://soundcloud.com/vandmusic
https://www.instagram.com/vandtor/
https://soundcloud.com/isotoop
https://isotoop.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/isotoop/

Artwork by Clayton Ciolac
https://claytonciolac.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cccccclaytonciolac/

The Observatory - Vand

Tracklist: https://bit.ly/polygoniacovermix
Read the cover feature: https://bit.ly/polygoniamixmag

@polygonia shares a mind-melting and expansive mix accompaniment to her new album 'Dream Horizons' on @dkmntl, on which she flexes full creative freedom.

"A reflection of shifting dreamscapes, this mix traces the arc of 'Dream Horizons', my new album on Dekmantel. It mirrors the album’s wide stylistic and tempo range — traversing pulses, textures, and energies, swelling into a feverish rush before breaking apart and exhaling into a halftime echo. Genres dissolve and reemerge not as contrasts, but as fragments of a shared vision."

The Cover Mix: Polygonia

Recorded live from our FOLD takeover with Transmissions, this one comes courtesy of softi who opened Room 2 with a two hour set we simply couldn’t keep to ourselves. Weaving through glitchy, swamp-soaked textures and deep, hypnotic rhythms, she laid down a trippy journey that set the perfect tone for the night ahead. Dial in and drift!

@jazz_brown

Harmony Rec. podcast | softi

There’s something profoundly healing in the music of French duo Javier Salazar, whose output embodies the true medicinal power of sound. 

This mix takes our mind’s eye into the sunshine - grass between our toes, spliff in hand - as we get intimate with the scoops, wrapped in a warm, enveloping blanket of sound.

We hope this beautiful contribution brings you an hour of peace, just as it has for us many times over the past month. Thanks, Leo & Simon <3
~~
https://soundcloud.com/javrsalazar
https://soundcloud.com/klapenunsen
https://www.klapenunsen.com/
https://klapenunsen.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/javrsalazar/
https://www.instagram.com/klapenunsen/

Artwork by Clayton Ciolac
https://claytonciolac.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cccccclaytonciolac/

The Observatory - Javier Salazar

For the 30th Herbarium we are proud to present two special guests - @bambi__dj and @beatricem._bait. They brought a trippy dubby journey to the table, loaded with unique sound design and spacious grooves. We love the feeling when every detail sits in the right place as in their selection of tracks and elements. This creates an insanely immersive effect and hunger for more. Bambi and Beatrice M. chose the plant Mint (mentha) for their mix. 🌿

Here’s some insight about why they chose their plant: 
Bambi and Beatrice M.’s musical palettes intersect in a very specific zone, with some key words like psychedelia and dub. This can apply to the club interface, but as the summer surfs by, their need for freshness and a soothing soundtrack for the season translates in this mix’s selections. Therefore the choice of plant felt pretty intuitive : mint. A plant that stimulates several senses at once : its vivid green evokes lushness and renewal, its scent is sharp, almost cleansing, and its taste - cool, tingling, slightly sweet - lingers like an echo… Just like their selections, mint stands at a sensory crossroads - refreshing the body, teasing the mind, and awakening something just beneath the surface. 𖧧

--

About Bambi & Beatrice M.

Beatrice M. and Bambi are two french DJs who met through intersecting music circles, which is what their duo is all about. Take a venn diagram with on one side, Bambi’s library ranging from deep techno to trance to house to triphop, and on the other side Beatrice M. with mainly dub and dubstep. The crossing point of the two circles is always somewhat a little dubby, a little psychedelic, sprinkled with friendship and fun.

--

Follow Bambi & Beatrice M. 

https://www.instagram.com/bambi___dj/
https://www.instagram.com/beatricem._bait/
https://soundcloud.com/bambi-dj
https://soundcloud.com/beatricemasters

--

Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 030 - Bambi & Beatrice M. - Mentha

Messengers of sound from ancient rituals, Space Drum Meditation (@spacedrummeditation) harness primal tribal drums and rhythms to channel mysterious and uncharted electronic energy, opening gateways to unknown realms. Over the past five years, the Germany-based duo has cultivated a unique sonic signature, fusing traditional percussion and esoteric instruments with cutting-edge electronic elements to create music that is both untamed and deeply spiritual.

Their genre-defying approach seamlessly merges tribal, electronic, ambient, and abstract techno, crafting immersive experiences that feel like shamanic voyages through deep sonic landscapes. Whether performing live or delivering hypnotic DJ sets, Space Drum Meditation guides listeners on journeys of power, illusion, and transcendence.

Alongside their performances, the duo runs their own record label under the same name, championing boundary-pushing sounds and primarily releasing their own work — ensuring their sonic energy continues to resonate and expand across the globe.

Tracklist:
Esgeom – Eastern Warships
Space Drum Meditation – Temple Of Dusk
Marco Shuttle – Bella di Giorno
Đ.K. – Vela Pulsar
Atoloi – Lenti Sistemi
Absis – Black Dog
Vardae – Ondes Mécaniques
Reeko – Urmah 1
Susumu Yokota – Floating G
Sciama – Phasing Out
Last Life – Loculus
Indigenous Resistance – Revolution Dub Feat. Sankara Future
F&E – Amen Track (Atonal 2016 Version)
Bi Polar – Night Air
Taxa – Loco Guy from Delft
nlbs – Game
Sciahri & CONCEPTUAL – Ritmo Oscuro 2 (LDS Remix)
Woody McBride – Blackout
Ultraworld – Rain Drops
D.M.A. – Ethnic
Buttechno – Rostokino Acid
Konduku – Inci
Homemade Weapons – Svalsat (Donato Dozzy Remix)
Sebastian Russell – Paralyzed Movement
Lemna – Where Faith and Fear Intersect
Rapoon – We Danced Like Water

PURE Guest.090 Space Drum Meditation

a cherished friend conveying a common interest in misty soundscapes

"I'm deeply honored to contribute to the nunsen·tape series. From the beginning, I've admired this project and the dedicated souls who work in devotion to sustain and evolve this sonic sanctuary.

Through this mix, I sought to honor what I see as the project's core philosophy: the commitment to mindful creation, and those carefully curated aesthetics that breathe through ambient, minimal, dub and dub techno realms."

recorded in Lyon, France
12.08.2025

@axymt
@monochromeasso
@ouroboros-festival

nunsen·tape 24 - Axymt

Indefinite Pitch PREMIERES. Edition 814

Mitra - Second Skin

Vivarium
[IO:034 | IO]

Production | Theodora Hergheligiu & Lukas Weinlein aka Mitra
Mastering | Niklas Bühler at Klangstellwerk
Artwork | Lukas Weinlein

Released by IO from Munich, Germany
Release Date: September 17, 2025

Mitra

https://soundcloud.com/mitra_sound
https://www.instagram.com/_mi.tra__

IO

https://soundcloud.com/iorecs
https://www.instagram.com/io.records
https://www.facebook.com/iorecords10
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgaP2GqcTkRoAZmRaLY-47w

Indefinite Pitch. Yantai

https://www.indefinitepitch.com

Vivarium

Second Skin

Buy & Support

Indefinite Pitch PREMIERES. Mitra - Second Skin [IO]

Onderstroom is a deep and hypnotic techno track, built around driving rhythms and subtle layers that flow like an invisible current beneath the surface. 

Sink into the flow, and ride the undercurrent.

Onderstroom

ZIEHEN/DRÜCKEN

Record label + event series 

Since 2014, we organise site-specific, audiovisual events that are morphed by our hand into zones of sparkling joy and sonic enchantment.

We are passionately distributing vibration both on the dance floor and while pressing music on records, however, what we appreciate the most is the community that gathered around us over time. Without our friends and cooperating artists, it would be rather difficult to identify any spirit of the organisation.

Distributed by @oneyewitness

For collabs and showcases: tomas@harmonyrec.com

Harmony Rec. podcast | softi

Harmony Rec.

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