"We hadn’t really seen each other in a while so we got together and caught up over some of the music that’s stuck with us through the thick and the thin over the years. A bunch of boogie, lots of last songs, some sloppy mixing and a plenty of Vera. Classic PSS!" - @pender-street-steppers

B.P.T. Radio 023: Pender Street Steppers

Long time pal and driving force behind Invisible City it's Gary Abugan (@invisible-city) from Canada serving up the 29th mix in the series. Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Gary. How's life in Toronto today? Did you manage to do some more gardening? :)

IC: We have a really nice garden in front of the shop and also at home in my backyard, both get some nice sun and shade and are where I spend all my time. So yes, gardening everyday ;)

MFM: (Before the pandemic hit) You've seen quite a few bits of the world by now while touring. How would you describe Toronto as a city if you had to promote it to the readers who haven't been there yet? 

IC: It’s summer here now in Toronto and we’re in the middle of a heatwave. We’re lucky to have an island with nice beaches as a nearby getaway via ferry. Toronto is a very large sprawling city compared to most European cities. Our multiculturalism definitely sets us apart. We have heaps of reggae and island music here along with lots of record shops, and the variety of food here can’t really be beat. I miss giving guided Invisible City tours of the city to any traveling DJs passing through.

MFM: Would you say it's a good place for an artist to be, whether being a young upcoming talent or professional and all in between?  

IC: Sure you can make it here if you’re skilled/talented and not overbearing, the problem is that there isn’t that many music venues to play. Between the crazy expensive visa you need to play the USA and the costs of flights to Europe, we are kind of isolated musically. Rent is crazy expensive here and most artists have another job, but I’m not sure if Toronto makes it specifically harder or easier compared to other cities. 

MFM: People may know you as the driving force behind Invisible City, the record store and label. How much time do you spend with the one compared to the other? 

IC: I would say pre-Covid more focus was on the shop and getting that to a sustainable level and stocking the store. We didn’t even have a sign for years until recently. During Covid, when the shop was closed for about a year and a half, a lot of focus was on development and signing artists paying advances and getting back into production. I learned alot about Music Publishing too… Laura helps me a lot with organizing everything, label and shop, I would be lost without her.

MFM: Looking back on running a record store and label for over 10 years now, what would you say are some key changes that took place over time?

Back then there were not that many reissue labels and it wasn’t as competitive or extensive, now everyone has a reissue label. I only wanted to put out records that I was strongly connected to or somehow found on a whim. If someone showed me a record, I would ask them if they were planning on reissuing it, now people just go ahead. It’s crazy how many reissues there are so it’s challenging now as a label to dig even deeper. The record shop also was really niche and specialized in the past and now there’s just more in each genre. It’s still pretty curated, but I am finding that I didn’t know a lot of good common records, so we like having “high end cheapos”. I like that most people can just come off the street and buy records now, although we still have some niche stuff too. It feels overall more balanced and varied and for the people.

MFM: The label seems to run at a nice and slow pace. Is it on purpose to not have a heavy and steady output? 

IC: I like to only do a couple records a year, it’s only me and Laura who do it all and it takes me ages to figure out artwork, I’m very picky. The shop, DJing, and occasionally throwing parties also takes up a lot of our time. We always have a lot on the go. I also like to focus on one or two artists at a time, but also it costs a lot of money to make a record! Now things are totally slowed down and our plant says I can’t get pressings out till next March!

MFM Mix 029: Invisible City

In February we were joined by Anya and Izaak of the mighty @loveshadowdjs on our Worldwide FM show. Having released one of our favourite records of 2021, their eponymously named debut LP on Music From Memory, it was a joy to have them pull out some gems from their collection in the second hour of the show.

Heels & Souls with Loveshadow (WWFM)

We're back with our second installation of our mix series with a very special contribution by In Sheeps Clothing very own, Phil Cho @pheelcho . Known for being the event programmer and editor in chief at ISC, Phil has been organizing amazing parties under "Third Place" with his friends in LA.  He also records monthly episodes out of a shed in Echo Park with DJ's Daniel T & Russell Alexander for their show "Tuff Shed" on NTS- highlighting warm, fun and cheeky dub, reggae, and dancehall music along with anything that falls in between. We were able to get a few words with Phil to learn about his influences, his role at In Sheeps Clothing, and the parties he's organized with his friends.

We're delighted to share this mix so hit the road, roll down the windows, take in the breeze and enjoy an hour of summer tunes.


Full interview here: https://www.homagebrewing.com/spring-summer-mix-series

Homage Mix Series: Pheels - 002

@mlle_elle

https://undertheapricottree.net/mademoiselle-linda/

Apricot 36: Mademoiselle Linda

Üllar Siir - Season For Surprise

Sanctuary doing it right for an hour and a bit of smooth as butter selects. For anyone that has followed their molto bene Life Classics mix series, high qual dancefloor focused edits under the same banner or lucky enough to roll through to an Altered Soul Experiment party over the years you already know, if you don't get familiar.  

ID Requests ~ @sanctuary3

1800 triiip - Sanctuary - Mix 048

061022 restaurant recording by norm (@bayetecontact & @memorabiliarecords)

cornerstore during service • #3 • NORM

Just in time for the season of lovers. LF28 brought to you by Oakland's @pqtrjck

"I put together a sappy one for all the love birds this Valentine’s season. Serving the tender side of street soul with bits of lover’s rock, and a helping of heartfelt slow jams. Set the lights on dim and let the love flow, casanova 💘"

*comment for tracklist id's

Late Feelings 28 (Mixed by DJ Patrick)

NTS - Doing Time w/ M August & R Laybaxxx "Reality Check"

Mix of the Week #351 is "Endless Summer at Pedro’s Bay" by Marwan Filali
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Artwork credit : G.Kero

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Mix of the Week #351: Marwan Filali - Endless Summer at Pedro’s Bay

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Homage Mix Series: Pheels - 002

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