Continuing the series is Mancunian producer, dj and music teacher Tom Burford who just released his LP 'Elevations' with us as Contours (@contoursmusic). Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Tom. You just returned from a big hike, how was it?

TC: Hey! Yeah, we were able to get out on some beautiful hikes around the Anaga national park in the north of Tenerife. It’s a stunning landscape and a nice change from the overbearing grey we get in Manchester for half the year. 

MFM: Does nature play an important role in your life and music?

JC: Definitely in life, and then I guess that just seeps into my music. I grew up in a pretty rural part of Cumbria. It was very beautiful landscape but with very little to do from an entertainment perspective, so getting out in the landscape or jamming with friends always felt like the two most freeing things to do. 

MFM: About jamming with friends... Your new album Elevations includes a lot of collaborations with other musicians, of which you did the recordings yourself. Can you highlight one special moment from those recording sessions?

TC: When recording Pots, I had initially written and recorded the percussion and synth parts at home and hit up Abraham to see if he wanted to add some Trumpet parts. He is based in London and so he recorded initial takes remotely and sent them through. They sounded great, but I really wanted to transform and process his parts for the track to manipulate them into sounding more synth like at points. Doing, that without him in the space felt like there was dialogue missing. In the end I went down to London and we recorded and dubbed them out in the same space at the Rhythm Section studio (shouts to Mali on engineering duties). Being able to respond to his playing and him in turn being able to respond to the dubbing of his parts felt like it was able to capture some really special elements.  

MFM: The A side of your new LP has Elevations 1, 2 and 3. Was it intentional for these tracks to end up separately or did they used to be one larger piece?

TC: When I started writing Elevations 1, 2 and 3 it just began as a series of jams and recording sessions in my flat bouncing ideas back and forth between myself, Beka, Abel and Simmy. These sessions were always just me and one other collaborator at a time, partly down to schedules, the size of the flat, but also the chance to not have to rush the process and to really dig into how we worked together. I continued building out the same project over multiple sessions so that I could have access to all the material collated in one place. Specific sections and ideas started to come together, but I liked the idea of them forging part of a wider piece. I’d previously worked in a largely self-contained track basis but had been listening to a lot of pieces like Six Marimbas, Music for 18 musicians and Tehillim by Steve Reich that build over a long period and loved the scope this gave to get completely lost in the music. I love the hypnotic nature created when polyrhythms morph over each other for a long enough period, shifting emphasis and eventually melting away.  

MFM: What can you tell about the mix you've made?

TC: I wanted to create a mix that was able to showcase the variety of sounds that influence me, both as a DJ and Producer. I love listening to mixes and radio at home and the best club experiences I’ve had have always been when a DJ is able to surprise you and really take you on a journey. The album makes heavy use of strings through the violin and cello, but also the Guzheng, a Chinese Zither and the Clàrsach a Celtic Harp. The initial three tracks of the mix focus on these sounds before skirting into more percussive and jazz focused influences and then into some deeper acid-tinged downtempo tracks and sub heavy club sounds. Hopefully this mix takes people on a journey and is something for people to get lost in.

MFM Mix 051: Contours

Long time friend and inspiration Sacha Mambo brought a crew to Sameheads for an early December '24 event, and it went a little like this.......

"This little beauty has been in the pipeline for a while....

Always absolutely honoured to host @sachamambo & his @macadam_mambo label at @sameheads .

We go back a while let's say, and he's s assembled a swat team of wonky dance music peddlers for your amusement....

@tutu___ta
@pietervertigo
@amin_diamin
And Sacha himself link arms and dance round the ever crumbling Maypole...

See you there x"

Basement Parties

Sacha Mambo (warm up set) - Macadam Mambo @ Sameheads 07.12.24

Nathan Dawidowicz's path has been one of contrast and exploration. Born to a Polish-Lithuanian mother and Cameroonian father, they moved from Milan to Jerusalem at the age of six, growing up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. While pursuing an academic path in design, music remained a constant companion, deeply rooted in childhood experiences playing the piano within religious ceremonies.

Though design became their formal study, it was music that provided a way to navigate life. Inspired by their father’s time as a DJ in Milan throughout the '80s and '90s, Nathan’s relationship with sound evolved, eventually leading them to Berlin, where they continued to explore expression through music.
In Berlin, they joined forces with Luspoderosa, a label based between Zurich and Berlin, known for its unconventional approach. This collaboration became the foundation for Nathan’s debut solo album, Sanctuary of Ideas—a deeply personal, cosmic exploration of memory, heritage, and the emotional landscapes of sound.

This mix is the recording of Nathan's set at Horrorscope's night at Sameheads on 10.01.25

@nathan-dawidowicz

LIO Press mix #29 ~ by Nathan Dawidowicz · 'Live at Horrorscope'

Balearic Disorder Nr. 60 (04/04/25)

For the first official episode after reaching three digits Denise Ross aka Din Daa Daa (@dindaadaa) joined us in the studio for a quick chat about upcoming projects and a deep dive into her huge collection of spaced out oddballs.

Hosted by @hendrik_stein

Artwork by @kryptic_dj

The Past Forward radio show is hosted and aired on Cashmere Radio. Find more info and other episodes on the Cashmere Radio website - cashmereradio.com/shows/past-forward/

Past Forward 101 with Din Daa Daa

Room 303 ・三○三号室 
https://instagram.com/room303radio

14:30-16:00 JST
2025年5月13日

温泉入浴のためのホットなミックス。深いテクスチャー、繊細なリズム、穏やかなエネルギー。

A hot mix for Onsen bathing — deep textures, subtle rhythms, and serene energy.

Alex Albrecht 
https://instagram.com/alex_albrecht_music

@ WPÜ HOTEL SHINJUKU 
https://www.instagram.com/wpu_shinjuku

Alex Albrecht｜2025年5月13日

Broadcasted on Radio Relativa in Madrid on May 20th, 2025. 

For complete tracklist visit: 
https://individualactiviti.es 
Follow Vladimir Ivkovic here: 
https://soundcloud.com/vladimir

IA Radio Show #266 with Vladimir Ivkovic

Recorded live on Saturday 31st May 2025 at Optimo and Ransom Note's brilliant Watching Trees festival, Watching Morning 2 is a heady ambient excursion inspired by the natural sights and sounds of the event's site in North Wiltshire. It features a mix of ambient, horizontal electronics, field recordings, spoken word snippets and countless 'watching morning versions' created especially for the performance. For full tracklisting, as well as a review of Watching Trees 2025, head to www.jointhefuture.net.

Featured artwork: 'Summer' by textile artist Marion Anniss (2024). Prints available via https://www.marionanniss.com/

Watching Morning 2 (recorded live at Watching Trees 2025)

For our 103rd episode we were happy to finally welcome Eleonora K (@elnrkstd) and DJ Aficionado (@aficionado_dj) for a summery guest-selection. The two make up two thirds of the Orbita party series here in Berlin and share a sweet spot for Dub, Roots and Lovers Rock remedies which work perfectly with ice-cold drinks on hot summerdays.

More info on our guests and their party series can be found here:

https://www.instagram.com/eleonora.k.is.real/
https://www.instagram.com/aficionadodj_/
https://www.instagram.com/orbita__berlin/

Hosted by @hendrik_stein

Artwork by @hendrik_stein & @kryptic_dj

The Past Forward radio show is hosted and aired on Cashmere Radio. Find more info and other episodes on the Cashmere Radio website - cashmereradio.com/shows/past-forward/

Past Forward #103 with Eleonora K & DJ Aficionado

Space Surfing

Myles Mac - liquid lifeforms

LíO Press is an independent platform and record label run by Alicia Carrera.

LIO Press mix #29 ~ by Nathan Dawidowicz · 'Live at Horrorscope'

LÍO Press

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