Beneath the surface - Open Lab Radio

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From Oakland with love comes the 50th submission in the mix series comes by the hand of prolific producer and deejay Space Ghost (@space-ghost-1). Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com 

MFM: Hey Sudi. How's life in California, what's been keeping you busy?

SG: Hey, not much! Just trying to enjoy the summer with friends and get in the studio when I can.

MFM: Looking at your discography it seems that you favor the LP over the EP format, having released well over a dozen albums. How come?

SG: I can’t say that I favor one over the other, just seems that as a musician you strive to write full length LPs. I enjoy LPs for home listening and it feels good to create a nice body of work that flows through a journey. Writing dance singles and eps are trickier for me. It feels harder to write 1-4 really good stand alone songs.

MFM: With such a prolific output, does writing music come easily to you? Can you tell us a bit about how you go about writing and recording, is there a certain flow or method?

SG: Hmm I wouldn’t necessarily say it comes comes easy but I’ve definitely gotten a lot better at getting ideas in my head out into my recordings. It’s still a process of getting into the studio and spending time on it. Sometimes I can spend a whole day or two just spinning my wheels and not being able to get my ideas out. But once I get that perfect dose of creativity and I’m in the right mood, then things can definitely start flowing out. When writing music I often need to start with a very specific idea based on a song I’m listening to at the time. It’s helpful for me to start out with that initial inspiration, whether some chords, style of drums, bassline or a tempo or something. Once I get a few elements working around that idea the song can start to morph and move in any direction, but I really need that specific direction to start. I find that I can often make a rudimentary idea fairly quickly this way and then if it’s inspiring me, I’ll start to try a little bit harder and flush out more of the idea.

MFM: How do you cope with not being inspired or motivated when in the studio?

SG: Honestly it can be a bummer to be in the studio and the ideas aren’t flowing. I’ll just have to step away and do something totally unrelated for a few days.

MFM: Your sound overall has a very soft and melodic touch. The mellow part may be from living close to the Pacific and nature, but where does the melodic part come from? Did you ever learn how to read and play notes?

SG: You know I’m really not sure if I can pinpoint my melodies and where they came from but ya I grew up taking music lessons of all sorts. Piano, drums, guitar, band class, all that stuff. I wasn’t the best at reading music, I learned basic stuff but eventually didn’t progress much farther. Now everything I do is by feel.

MFM: Is there some kind of masterplan for Space Ghost? Like, do you have certain goals to achieve or dreams to chase?

SG: I think my master plan would involve me getting to focus on writing music full time. Honestly I’m not really sure how to get there specifically, seems like everyone gets there on their own path so hopefully mine will end up there as well.

MFM: Tell us about the mix. How did you go about selecting and recording it? Does it have a certain theme or idea to it?

SG: I’ve been wanting to put out a nice lil ambient sort of electronic mix for awhile. Really soft deep introspective vibes. I’ve been holding on to a lot of these tunes for awhile and just listening to my playlist of ambient tunes while traveling or relaxing with friends. After coming back from my NZ/Australian tour, I was ready to play some non dance music for a sec and listen to some other stuff. This mix is just a nice break from DJing a party. I also really want to make an ambient album soon if I have the time, so there are a lot inspirations in this mix.

MFM Mix 050: Space Ghost

Juanita's Mix 100 with Ciel @ciel_dj

Q. How would you describe yourself?
A. a music maker with too much sincerity and a passion for sampling, film, and leftist politics

Q. What drew you to the music scene in the beginning and where do you hope to see it in the future?
A. Looking back at my life, I think everything from my birth led me on this path towards music. It was my first love. But as an only child, my experience with music growing up was always very solitary. I yearned to be part of a community radio station with Iikeminded music nerds, and it was working for a radio station eventually during my undergraduate that brought me toward DJing and rave culture. Back then I never thought I could do this full time, but once I got the chance to make a living doing this, I realized the scene was far from perfect, in fact it's very exploitative. I hope in the future we can find a way to fairly compensate music makers for the incredible gift of music they bestow upon the world, without becoming beholden to corrupt corporate & military interests. Artists can be hyper individualistic and self-interested, and I hope we can get better at looking out for each other instead of just our own paycheques.

Q. Tell us a little bit about this mix.
A. I wanted to present a different side of myself to international audiences on such a wonderful mix platform. Perhaps people outside of my home city of Toronto are less familiar with my downtempo sets, but it's been a significant part of my wheelhouse for years, and have gained even wider affection from me since I started doing a downtempo party in Toronto last year. Like I always say, 80-100bpm is the most natural tempo for extended human body movements. I also liked the idea of doing a mix that doesn't build in a predictable way, instead it waxes and wanes like the natural rhythm of life. So many of my favourite mixes build and release tension in a way that's very satisfying to listen to, the sounds intensify to a frenzy before disintegrating into nothingness. I wanted to play with that rise and fall and mix downtempo and dub with double time d&b in a non-linear way that is evocative of our most precious memories and tells stories we've only seen in dreams. Downtempo and dub also seemed like the perfect genres to play in the 100th mix for Juanita's, and in the lead up to my fav April holiday. :) I hope the listeners enjoy it.

Juanita's Mix 100: Ciel

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

www.openlab.fm | 106.4FM in Ibiza & Formentera
Check the full tracklist on our website:  https://openlab.fm/news/curiosities-044-cici

“In the 44th episode of Cici’s ‘Curiosities’ series she takes us on a slightly darker odyssey into the deep with her selection of emotive and experimental beats.

Featuring all fresh music from the likes of Malwen, Pedestrian, DJ Guy, Steel Trax and more !

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Curiosities 044 - Cici

Wow, what a journey it's been...pulling this set together was a real exploration of self and nudged me to delve into parts of my music collection that are a big part of me and my musical identity, but that I've somehow pocketed away... a softer, perhaps more fragile side of me, which is very much a part of who I am. Thank you for the invitation, for putting me on this journey and for inspiring me to explore myself more deeply and truthfully.

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/vitka_sounds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/vitka_sounds

Link to interview on Flow Music: bit.ly/3VolVnh

Check out Flow Music Suggests on Spotify, all tracks are chosen by Flow and 333 Sessions artists: https://shorturl.at/6iNMq

333 Sessions  079 - Vitka

100% vinyl mix recorded live at Peckham’s new restaurant and hi-fi listening bar Hausu, 4 hours of esoteric ambient, deep house, dub techno and leftfield electronica. Comment for ID's. Catch me perform next on Friday 13th December at Starlane Pizza Bar for Orbital Rotations fifth event in East London with Kyle Toole and DJ Antepop. https://ra.co/events/2026102

DJ Antepop All Night Long At Hausu

www.openlab.fm | 106.4FM in Ibiza & Formentera
Check the full tracklist on our website: https://openlab.fm/news/snare-force-one-18-jon-kennedy

Jon Kennedy is back on OpenLab with a brand new episode of Snare Force One, This month Jon is exploring the realms of Trip Hop dating back to the late 90's, all the way through to 2024, featuring music from the likes of Tricky, New Kingdom, Special Branch, Suff Daddy and many
more.

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Snare Force One 18 - Jon Kennedy

www.openlab.fm | 106.4FM in Ibiza & Formentera
Check the full tracklist on our website: https://openlab.fm/news/star-creature-vibes-radio-01-tim-zawada

New Show Alert! Tune in every last Thursday of the month at 1 PM CET for a special transmission from the Star Creature Vibes HQ in Chicago, selected and mixed by founder Tim Zawada. Each month prepare for a Windy City blast off batch of catalog highlights and upcoming release previews alongside contemporary digs from releases we are loving and the occasional intrepid crate excavation.

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Star Creature Vibes Radio 01 - Tim Zawada

www.openlab.fm | 106.4FM in Ibiza & Formentera
Check the full tracklist on our website: https://openlab.fm/news/beneath-the-surface-45-mick-wilson-august-artier

Summer has fully arrived, and with things heating up on the island, Beneath the Surface returns with Mick Wilson and August Artier bringing another carefully selected batch of underground music.
This month’s show opens with the trademark swing of Mr. G’s “Let’s Do It…” before moving into the hazy, emotional depths of Dan Piu’s “Whispers of Goodbye.” There’s weight and grit from Soft Clip’s “SOFT BLIP” and the twisted electro energy of Hooverian Blur’s “Wacky Robot”, balanced by the stripped, percussive flow of “Ritmo (Trans Mix)” from Thomas Von Party & Mera De La Rosa.
Todd Modes’ “I Can’t Stop” adds a soulful vocal moment, while Deefo’s “Yo Mama” and Dave N.A.’s “Nexor” bring a tougher, club-ready edge. Elsewhere, Big Hands’ “Bacchanalia I” and Konerytmi’s “Vainio” provide more off-centre, textural moments, and Glenn Underground & GUakaCVO close things out with a deep, jazz-inflected groove that stays locked in the pocket.
A varied and upfront selection bringing in the summer heat—relax and enjoy as we divebeneath the surface.

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Beneath The Surface 45 - Mick Wilson & August Artier

www.openlab.fm | 106.4FM in Ibiza & Formentera
Check the full tracklist on our website: https://openlab.fm/news/beneath-the-surface-047-mick-wilson-august-artier

It’s peak season on the island—hot days, late nights, and the kind of chaos only August in Ibiza can bring. But while the heatwave rolls on, Mick Wilson and August Artier are here to cool things down the only way they know how: with a weird and wonderful selection of underground music selected deep from the crates.
This month’s show leans into the unexpected. Twisted rhythms, hazy textures, leftfield grooves and deep club cuts—all stitched together with this crazy month in mind. Whether it’s something broken and beautiful or just straight-up strange, every track has its place.
An off-kilter ride through the sounds of the underground keeping us steady while everything else hots up. Sit back and listen as we dive beneath the surface.

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Beneath The Surface 047 – Mick Wilson & August Artier

www.openlab.fm | 106.4FM in Ibiza & Formentera
Check the full tracklist on our website: https://openlab.fm/news/beneath-the-surface-48-mick-wilson-august-artier

The finish line is in sight. As Ibiza’s season begins to wind down, Beneath the Surface returns with Mick Wilson and August Artier easing into the final stretch with a selection that mirrors the shifting mood of the island. The energy is still there—but it’s softer around the edges, with long summer nights giving way to cooler evenings and a slower pace.

This month’s show takes a more relaxed approach but still stays true to the underground ethos that defines every episode—fresh selections, deeper cuts, and tracks that quietly push things forward.

Think late-night rollers, dusty grooves, and sun-faded melodies—all chosen to reflect that in-between moment: summer not quite over, but autumn just starting to make itself known.

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Beneath The Surface 48 - Mick Wilson & August Artier

www.openlab.fm | 106.4FM in Ibiza & Formentera
Check the full tracklist on our website: https://openlab.fm/news/beneath-the-surface-48-mick-wilson-august-artier-2

The season is over, the last parties have played out, and the island has started to exhale. As Ibiza slips into a quieter rhythm, Beneath the Surface returns with Mick Wilson and August Artier easing into the softer pace of October.
This month’s show reflects that shift—more space, more subtlety, but still guided by the same underground spirit. The energy hasn’t disappeared; it’s just found a different form. Slower tempos, deeper textures, and warm, reflective tones carry the mix, built for moments of seasonal reflection, off-season sunsets, and ventures into the campo
As always, the selection pulls from across the spectrum—broken beats, low-slung house, ambient-laced grooves—chosen not for the dancefloor, but for the moments after it.
A fitting close to the season, and a gentle entry into the months ahead. Step back, take a breath, and come with us as we dive beneath the surface.

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Beneath The Surface 48 – Mick Wilson & August Artier

www.openlab.fm | 106.4FM in Ibiza & Formentera
Check the full tracklist on our website: https://openlab.fm/news/beneath-the-surface-49-mick-wilson-august-artier

Winter has arrived. The island has quietened, the days are shorter, and the nights stretch out long and dark. For this month’s edition of Beneath the Surface, Mick Wilson and August Artier lean into the shift in mood with a selection that captures the weight and warmth of the season.
The pace dips, the textures thicken, and the edges get darker. From grooved-out house to tripped psychedelic tones, rolling drum & bass rhythms and off-centre electronica, the mix drifts across sounds built for introspective moments and late-night listening.
It’s a show that feels in tune with the season—headier, slower, and more immersive—but still rooted in the same underground approach that keeps each episode moving forward.

Wrap up, tune in, as we dive beneath the surface.

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Beneath The Surface 49 – Mick Wilson & August Artier

Proche de Midori, qui nous l'avait ramené sur la péniche en juin 2014 et beatmaker pour le talentueux rappeur Juju Rogers, le berlinois Bluestaeb revient au Mellotron pour nous présenter son prochain album. "Rodalquilar" sortira le 6 novembre chez les copains de Jakarta records et en voici l'exclusivité enregistrée en direct du 6 rue beaurepaire.

Video replay › http://www.lemellotron.com/show/bluestaeb-jakarta-records-apc40-live-set
Tracklist › http://www.lemellotron.com/show/bluestaeb-jakarta-records-apc40-live-set

Bluestaeb
› https://www.facebook.com/bluestaeb
› https://soundcloud.com/bluestaeb
› http://bluestaeb.bandcamp.com
› https://www.youtube.com/user/Bluestaeb

Bluestaeb (Jakarta records) • APC40 Live set • LeMellotron.com

Trouble in Wackyland

Tomorrow’s world...today. 
Playing forward thinking music via www.openlab.fm and 106.4 FM in Ibiza and Formentera.

Beneath The Surface 48 – Mick Wilson & August Artier

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