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

Mix of the Week #563 is "Get Up And Go" by DJ Sanza
Follow and include @dj-sanza-lrdv in your track ID requests

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—— ⭐ More Dream Chimney: https://www.dreamchimney.com ⭐

Dream Chimney 'Mix of the Week'

Mix of the Week #563: DJ Sanza - Get Up And Go

Piña Podcast 7 - Danny Bodega

Crown Ruler Mix #34 - Kejeblos

Here at CR HQ we’ve been long time listeners and admirers of Zurich based, Kejeblos and we’re gassed to have him join our ongoing mix series. 

Kejeblos is a man of big taste and big ears that leaps through sounds from all around the globe.

A protegé of Lexx and Alex Dallas from Club Zukunft and Drumpoet Community, Kejeblos belongs to that invincible circle of friends, whose members CCO, Wavetest and Late Invitation are doing the wickedest Chicago House in Liechtenstein, sorry, Switzerland.

Some little treats await you as you press play, with two newbie tunes… one from Palace Pasador’s forthcoming release on Phantom Island and the other from Lexx’s new LP about to drop on the label. 

Enjoy the dive!

@kejeblos

Crown Ruler Mix #33 - Kejeblos

Hey friends. Summer is still in full swing (in Germany it’s a bit of a rainy swing so far) and that calls for a fitting Messy Mix. And for the 27th episode I got a true expert on board when it comes to laidback sunny tunes - Christian Beetz from Hamburg, better known in the Soundcloud-verse as @frwctrl (“frequency without control”). He’s been around the scene since the 90s, working as DJ, music blogger and passionate record collector. Right now he’s regularly throwing a “Baleraric Disco Yachtride” boat party in Hamburg and that definitely sounds like an event I should catch whenever I’m in town the next time.

Since Christian’s Soundcloud is loaded with hundreds of delightful mixes for various moods, his involvement in the MESSY MIX series has been a longtime wish of mine. Of course, his hour of selected sounds comes with a summer theme and became a musical tribute to the special lighting conditions on Fuerteventura throughout the day from sunrise to sunset. “I have spent my summer holidays on this island over the last 10 years in a row and I was there for the first time back in the early 80’s,” Christian explains. “The special lighting conditions on the island fascinate me since the first time, so I tried to capture the individual light situations throughout the day in a mix.” 

The result is a selection that starts smooth and relaxing but gains a bit speed throughout its run. Truly a great after hour soundtrack or one for hot summer days. Let me just say, it also works extremely well if you don’t happen to stay onFuerteventura. The set is now up and running on the Messy Mix Soundcloud page. And don’t forget to dive into the FRWCTRL cosmos afterwards as well.

Download

Messy Mix 27 | Feelin' For The Light (by frwctrl)

Perfectly fitting the hot days of the year (over here) @PlasticFantastic 's John provided a mix of balearic beauties for us. Get a cold drink and enjoy the chilled ride! Thanks a lot John!! 
soundcloud.com/plasticfantasticofficial
soundcloud.com/thesunrisemixtapes
www.plasticfantasticofficial.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/plasticfantasticofficial

The Possible Dream (2025, Guest Mix)

Joe Morris, never afraid to scorch the listeners with another cosmic excursion into downtempo, balearic and deep dance.

SHADES OF SOUND W/ JOE MORRIS - 19 JUL 25

Frukt & Tobakk welcomes Pavlo Plastikk!

Kyiv’s LOW Party founder and Closer resident has, since arriving in Oslo as a refugee from the war in Ukraine, filled our community with warmth, love, and happiness, and we’re in awe of his spirit!

This mix is Pavlo with his heart on his sleeve: an all-vinyl journey through  experimental and heartfelt pop, recorded live at Quakfestivalen, Gressholmen Island, 2025 – mastered by the great @runelindbaek

Follow @pavloplastikk


Snuggle up!

Frukt & Tobakk vol. 9: PÁVLO PLASTIKK

Cosmic Chant of the Forgotten Tribe

After two short years both in and out of booths, and on/off floors... Nicewon resurfaces with a smattering of phreshwons that feel like finding a beat 12' in the back of the bag that still rips the system. Who's up on thiswon? Last Nubian, Joint4Nine, JR From Dallas, Jeff Swiff, Donnie Moustaki, Ugly Frankie, Christian James, and J. Fenix. Eight heaters built for the heads and anyone chasing something deeper. 

APPAREL PREMIERE: Donnie Moustaki - You Ever Gonna Change Or What [Nicewon]

My latest mix for my friends over at Test Pressing. Put together with love on the Siargao Island.

Walter Barr - Free Spirit
Ayizan – Tribilasyon
Keith Robinson - Never Let Go 
4AM – Passion
Dazion - Eu Ñao Sei
Prince – Digital Garden (Lexx Edit)
Mickey Hart – Umayeyo
Amina - Neila
N.M Band - She Wants
Makoto Matsushita - Love Was Really Gone
Toshifumi Hinata - Atarashii Yuhbokumin
Lexx – Farewell/Sayonara
Prefab Sprout - Wigs

Flight Mode

Flight Mode [Mix/Oct. 2019]

Alex Storrer / Lexx / LX72 

Artist, Producer, Dj, Label from Zürich,
Switzerland.  

contact: info@lexxmusic.com

Nah Follow Nuh Fashion

Flight Mode [Mix/Oct. 2019]

Lexx Music