hillltopvibrations

Deep In Hypnosis (ii)

For the first time in more than a decade, Paul St. Hilaire (AKA Tikiman) presents a solo album – 100% Tiki. 

Over his 30-plus year career, St. Hilaire has become one of dance music’s quietly legendary figures. Born and raised in the Caribbean island Dominica, he moved to Berlin in 1994 and has lent both his voice and his musicianship to some of the most iconic electronic music from the German capital – and beyond. Renowned for his collaborations with Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus (AKA Rhythm & Sound), he has also appeared on records with Deadbeat, Rhauder, Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers and Stereotyp (G-Stone Recordings), amongst others. 

However, few know the extent of St. Hilaire’s compositional and technical mastery. From his home studio in Kreuzberg, which includes an extensive collection of vintage hardware, self-built instruments and notebooks scribbled with endless lyrics, he has created a vast archive of material spanning ambient dub, avant-jazz, lush techno and lovers rock. 

Tikiman Vol. 1 is a heady, downtempo tour de force of patois metaphors on education, displacement and personal vs. global histories, as is evident on slippy album opener “Bedroom in My Bag”: Mister, mister / Where are you going? / I’m heading for a faraway land / What are you having in the bag in your hand? / Help us to understand / He said, I’ve got my bedroom in my bag. 

Overall, the album’s lyrics reflect on life between Berlin and Dominica, specifically St. Hilaire’s hometown of Grand Bay, where he has worked with various musicians famous for the island’s different genres of carnival music. St. Hilaire himself always favoured the island’s more “discrete” music, developing a sonic synergy between two different geographical strains of groove and minimalism, and combining them with foundational Caribbean mixing techniques, which provide the basis for his songwriting and distinct baritone. 

Tikiman Vol.1 offers a rare insight into St. Hilaire’s complex artistry, from the eyes-down grooves of “Little Way” and the guitar-heavy digi dancehall experiment “Keep Safe,” to the subtle hypnosis of “Ten to One” and the softly crashing synth waves of closer “Three and a Half”, evoking not only beaches but also coasts and borders. It’s a fitting expression of both the breadth of St. Hilaire’s work, as well as his history as one of the few black, Berlin-based artists who, despite remaining largely overlooked, has influenced the city’s electronic music culture since its beginnings. 

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Kynant Records was founded in 2015 by Richard Akingbehin, a British-Nigerian radio programmer (Refuge Worldwide), music writer and DJ. Originally specialising in deep techno and featuring artists such as Cio D’Or, Terrence Dixon and Donato Dozzy, Kynant has since launched a sub-label Kynant EX which focuses on ambient, dub and experimental electronics. 

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Distributed by N.E.W.S 
Mastered by Stefan Betke 
Artwork by Grant Gibson 

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Supported by Initiative Musik gGmbH with project funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media.

A1 Paul St. Hilaire - Bed Room In My Bag

Twenty years after its original release, Paul St. Hilaire (AKA Tikiman) & René Löwe’s eternal classic Faith is being reissued for the first time, giving new life and the first digital release to one of the most beloved dub techno 12”s of all time.

Available on 12” vinyl and digital from May 10, 2024.

A Faith (Vox Mix) 8:56
B Faith (No Vox Mix) 8:35

Written & produced by Paul St. Hilaire & René Löwe.
Mastered by Moritz von Oswald. Distributed by N.E.W.S.
Artwork by Grant Gibson.
Originally released by False Tuned (2003).

A Paul St. Hilaire & René Löwe - Faith (Vox Mix)

I am thrilled to premiere a track from the ''Wadada'' EP, the debut vinyl release by Noah Lyas on Profundo Collective. This milestone is more than just a record—it's a deeply personal project reflecting Malii’s roots, artistic evolution, and love for music. With dub-inspired textures, halftime grooves, and hypnotic depth, Wadada showcases a new side of his sound while staying true to his organic approach.

Read more here: https://www.nachtblumen.com/premieres/noahlyas-yashim-profundocollective

‘‘Wadada’’ EP by Noah Lyas 

Release date: 28.02.2025, A limited 12’’ vinyl available for pre-order now.

Full Tracklist: 
A1. Yashim
A2. The Shepherd
B1. Mother & Dub
B2. Wadada

Follow Noah Lyas and Profundo Collective: 

SoundCloud: @noahlyas I @profundocollective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malii_noahlyas/ I https://www.instagram.com/profundocollective/

Bandcamp: https://profundo.bandcamp.com/music

Nachtblumen Premiere: Noah Lyas - Yashim [Profundo Collective]

Aura Sonora returns with a second release, bringing together two meticulous studio craftsmen, DYL & Tammo Hesselink, with their Moiré Patterns EP, out on August 4th.

Pre-order: https://aurasonorarecords.bandcamp.com/album/moir-patterns
More: www.orbmag.com/music

@aurasonorarecords
@tammohesselink
@dyl170 

Listen more

Premiere: DYL & Tammo Hesselink - Pattern 1

For more than a decade, Yard One have played the long game, releasing smart, often under-the-radar records that quietly land in the bags of selectors who value depth over hype. With Neuroglow EP, the duo circle back to their home base, Tact Recordings, not with nostalgia but with the same grounded confidence that’s defined their output since the beginning. “Synapse,” our premiere for today, captures that ethos in full: precise, atmospheric, and unafraid to sit in its own mood without forcing a payoff.

“Synapse” feels like a mood caught mid-transition, weightless but restless, like something unfolding in slow motion under strobe lights. There’s a glassy clarity to the pads, stretched just wide enough to pull the track into dream territory, but underneath it all, that modular sequence keeps things twitching, alert. And then come the strings, not ornamental, but emotional, like a voice without words. In “Synapse” Yard One are sketching atmosphere with intent. The track lingers in your memory because it hits that strange, rare note between melancholy and movement.

‘Neuroglow’ EP has already gotten great feedback from DJs worldwide and will be available for purchase on July 23.


@yard-one-music
@tact-recordings

www.instagram.com/yardonemusic/ 

Write up by: @gilleswasserman


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PREMIERE: Yard One - Synapse [Tact Recordings]

Each August, something unusual happens on the quiet Åland Islands: a geodesic dome in the middle of the forest becomes a portal. For two days, the Kokong Festival transforms the Dome at Stallhagen into a living instrument, home to ambient drift, off-grid techno, experimental electronics, and the kind of late-night moments that only occur when sound, light, and space align perfectly. Now in its fourth edition, Kokong has outgrown its status as a local curiosity. It’s a full-bodied experience, complete with live sets, spatial sound design, visual installations, movement performances, and workshops, crafted by Kulturföreningen Ström, the nonprofit organization that has built Åland’s most refined sound system and a wider platform for electronic and electroacoustic arts. This year’s edition (August 1 to 2) will feature around thirty acts in total, mixing top-tier Nordic talent with handpicked international guests, all performing just a few feet from the crowd.

“This summer’s edition will be the biggest yet,” says Johan Grönlund, Chair of Kulturföreningen Ström. “With more international acts, a handcrafted high-end sound system, and greater investments in the visual experience.” Among the headliners are Icelandic dub techno veteran Exos, Swedish modular explorer Andreas Tilliander, and Norwegian legend Mental Overdrive, joined by artists from Austria, the Nordics, and a strong showing of Åland’s own community of producers, DJs, and tinkerers. But Kokong’s ethos extends well beyond the stage. Free hands-on workshops with synth makers give festival-goers and local youth a chance to build, tweak, and discover. A performance by the Urgrund collective will blend movement, sound, and storytelling into a cohesive experience that defies easy categorization. Kokong moves at its own pace, quietly growing into one of the Nordic region’s most thoughtfully curated electronic festivals.

As part of this feature, we’re thrilled to share an exclusive preview from the upcoming KOKONG Festival Vol.1 Sampler, a compilation capturing the spirit of the festival through sound. The track is a collaboration between Swedish electronic mainstay Andreas Tilliander and Croatian-Swedish jazz innovator Goran Kajfeš. Built on a steady, hypnotic groove, the piece lets Tilliander’s textured synth work stretch out like smoke, while Kajfeš’s trumpet drifts in and out like a distant signal. It’s deep, psychedelic, and quietly ecstatic, exactly the kind of alchemy that feels right at home under the Dome’s glimmering ceiling.

https://www.kokong.ax
https://www.instagram.com/kokongfestival/

https://soundcloud.com/tilliander
https://www.instagram.com/tilliander/

Write up by @gilleswasseraman

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KOKONG Festival Vol.1 Sampler

kokong website

PREMIERE: Andreas Tilliander & Goran Kajfes - More Than Worlds (Kokong Remix)

Twisting and turning, like a live animal dancing through the air, Helium (Live Extract) gives a sense of movement and looseness that only a live performance can give. The flexing of voices and the undulating elements drifting and snapping back into form keep the ears attention locked in. Initially the track starts off fairly simple with a few textures and drum patterns, drawing listeners in, before adding in a spiraling melody and marching kick drums that ratchet the energy up. As the track progresses, various melodic synths are sprinkled throughout that add a sense of unpredictability.

Forthcoming on the Dutch imprint, Wabi Sabi Audio, Elisa Batti & Jorge Fons have come together for the next release, titled Yugen (幽玄). Focusing on creating a variety of rhythms, the two artists have finished off a 5 track release, that ranges from Ambient, to disjointed club time stompers.

Expect to see the Yugen released on August 22nd, via Bandcamp.

@elisa-batti
www.instagram.com/elisa_batti_/

@jorgefons
www.instagram.com/jorgefons_music/

@wabisabi_ai
www.instagram.com/wabisabi__ai

Write up by @huedj

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PREMIERE: Elisa Batti & Jorge Fons - Helium (Live Extract) [Wabi Sabi Audio]

Lost In Ether | P R E M I E R E | Tarantula Nebula - Beyond the Ice [Ucker]

Release name & cut number: [UCKER 037] - 8 IV
Release date: 08/08/25
Selected Track :P3. Tarantula Nebula - Beyond the Ice
Shop Links: https://uckerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/8-4

Ucker Records.
https://www.facebook.com/Ucker.Records
https://soundcloud.com/ucker_records
https://www.instagram.com/ucker.records/
https://uckerrecords.bandcamp.com/

Lost In Ether | P R E M I E R E | Tarantula Nebula - Beyond the Ice [Ucker]

Taken from On Board Music's forthcoming compilation, Point A, out October 28.

More: https://www.orbmag.com/music/premiere

@on-board-music
@lovebas

Point A

Orb Premieres

Premiere: Estrato Aurora - Icnita

Laura BCR’s On Board Music delivers its third release, following two mini-LP projects from Healing Force Project and Mesak. The ‘Point A’ project marks the beginning of a series of VA’s coming on the imprint focusing on both established and up and coming talents from different origins, stylistically ranging from ambient to techno and all meeting together on the dance floor. French painter Natacha Mankowski provided the artwork once again.

Today we are thrilled to premiere ‘Love Fall’ by Lanoche, an incredibly talented artist based in Madrid. ‘Love Fall’ is an ethereal opener fueled by hypnotic pads, wandering bass tones and heavily reverberated, shuffled percussion. 

The rest of ‘Point A’ compilation is equally impressive with tracks by Serena Butler, Estrato Aurora, Eugene and Vera Logdanini. 

Point A is coming out on October 28 via On Board Music.

Lanoche on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/so_unreal
On Board Music on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/on-board-music


http://www.itsdelayed.com

pre order

PREMIERE: Lanoche - Love Fall [On Board Music]

contact: michaljablonski@lostinether.pl
_
"Ether, or æther, was the mysterious substance once thought to suffuse the universe and be the medium that propagated light (and radio waves once they were discovered). Before that, it was the material that suffused the realm of the Gods. So, to say that something is in the ether means that it is something being communicated from place to place; it has no precise location, just as a radio broadcast can be heard from many different places. "

* Lost In Ether 
Here you can find personal visions and expressions of alternative electronic music represented by artists invited to show their own ways to explore sounds which are embraced into one wave of sound - podcast recorded for "Lost in Ether".
--
Running by Dorota Smyk and @MichalJablonski