mixes part II

This month, fitting the great grey cloud passing through this side of Germany, we are super happy to present a very intimate look into the balearic side of the record collection from the master mind behind the legendary growing bin. Prepare for an emotional balearic journey by one of the best, Basso🌀🌥🥂

ID Requests -> @growingbinrecords

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Basso

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

the joy of cooking from december 2011:
in winter i stay next to the stove where it's warm and cozy and i live from cookies only...

The Joy Of Cooking #16 Baking Cookies

The second podcast in the K-30 REC. series is an exemplary warm up set by El (@untitledel) at the Roots United resident event with Ellen Allien. Tune into the vibe of big parties that are just around the corner.

K-30 REC. #2 EL

"I actually made this mix as a way to compile all the music that I'd been running to lately. Over the summer I signed up for the New York Marathon and while most might train to more aggressive music I found that a mellow mix suits me a lot better. I wanted to make a mix that reflected those runs by focusing more on flow than having the rarest tunes. I had a blast making it and was even able to listen to it during the big race this past weekend. And while the mix couldn't save me from paralyzing leg cramps around the halfway point it was a great soundtrack to my 15 minute stay in the medical tent.  I hope you enjoy this mix as much as I had making and running to it." - @enterthelloyd

B.P.T. Radio 041: Lloyd

Mix of the Week #517 is by DJ Lloyd
Follow and include @enterthelloyd in your track ID requests
https://www.instagram.com/enterthelloyd

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Mix of the Week #517: DJ Lloyd

A very special recording from our 10 years of MFM event at Fairfield Amphitheatre last September between Jamie and Lauren. It was beautiful to see two close friends throwing down tracks, lost in the music and the thing that they love. You know things are going well when an hour into their set, Jamie and Lauren both asked if we were recording the set. Yesterday was Jamie's birthday and we and Lauren felt it was the right time to release this mix, as a celebration of Jamie and his music. Jamie Tiller b2b Lauren Hansom, live from Fairfield Amphitheatre ~ 4 hours of bliss ~ Jamie Tiller forever.

Jamie Tiller b2b Lauren Hansom (10 Years of MFM)

75 mins of heat from the don Brent Burns repping the Transport massive out of BKK, one of the best parties we have experienced anyone on planet earth, also very high qual DJs, if you're ever passing through look em up. 

ID requests ~ @brentburnsbabyburns

1800 triiip - Brent Burns - Mix 70

FRIENDLY MIXTAPE - SANCTUARY

Piña Podcast 7 - Danny Bodega

Recorded live on a cosy Sunday night at Brilliant Corners.
Hope you enjoy x

Daniel Pisano at Brilliant Corners (2 March 2025)

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

1800 triiip - Mix077 - MLiR

Live recording of B.P.T. resident Jeremy Castillo on 100% vinyl at the wine hole April 2025

Jeremy Castillo Live @ B.P.T. April 2025

Welcoming Toronto based @user-318591180 Kirk aboard! Easing in with some hip hop, ragga and rnb  before going full speed on a wave of soca, Bhangra and hip-house! As always Kirk has packed this one with a boat load of edits for another smooth cruise ❤️Enjoy x

Cruisin' with... Niall Kirk

Back by popular demand: Tako's wonderful Holiday Mix!
Here's what I wrote 7 years ago:

I was about to post this beautiful summer mix of Tako with the following words:

"What do you expect from a mix when it's done by a supernice guy with an excellent taste in music and a wonderful record collection? Yeah and that's exactly what you get here. Also make sure to get a copy of the first 12" of the Sombrero Galaxy, released on Lovefingers long awaited ESP Institute. Sombrero Galaxy is the collabo between Tako and Jonny Nash and their "Journey to the center of the sun" is one of my favourite releases of the last years, cheers!"

That was yesterday. In the meantime something terrible happened. Tako's friend Petros Malevis from Athens passed away without a warning. This mix is dedicated to Petros! He will be missed. Rest in peace, Petros.

FRIENDLY MIXTAPE - SANCTUARY

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