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RA Podcast

electronica6

July 2024

Peryl is the alias of the Berlin-based techno producer Dennis Strobel. For eight years now, he has been producing in various directions of electronic music. Specializing in techno live performances, Peryl is constantly on the lookout for new sounds. Besides different frequencies, cables and transitions, he tries to express himself through his live improvisation in the clubs. Often this leads to completely new soundscapes and offers the listener an unpredictable vibe.

Follow #Peryl:

@peryl_music
https://www.instagram.com/peryl_/
https://www.facebook.com/peryl.music
https://ra.co/dj/peryl

Follow #SUBLUNAR:
www.instagram.com/sublunar_records/
www.facebook.com/sublunarrecords/

Sublunar Podcast Series 004 - Peryl [Live]

EMC is glad to have Hue onboard!

Co-founder of @itsdelayed and @never-late, Hue is a dedicated artist and selector wisely merging experimental, ambient, deep techno sounds. Here some of his words about this mix: "The original idea started as part of an extended set that I play every year at our Delayed Barn getaways. There’s always a joy in having the opportunity to play long hours with no pressure to ‘get’ somewhere in a time frame. For this mix, I recorded it at home in my apartment with a few friends on a Friday night. I tried to capture that moment where things shift into gear as the energy starts to rise and excitement builds for what is to come".


Enjoy!

Tracklist
1. @blndfld - Flow
2. @lowendactivist - Strings Of Sorrow
3. Terrain - Corners [ @vargmalrecords ]
4. @kouslin - More Human
5. @dino-sabatini - Lewa [ @delsinrecords ]
6. @danieli_whs - Osmosis [ @kizenrecords ]
7. VC-118A @mohlao - Ufonic [Delsin]
8. @morphamusic - Rattle [ @indefinite-pitch ]
9. @polito-music - Chuggalug
10. @german_fed - Mountain Sunset ( @radiobadjay Remix ) [ @piranha-siberia ]
11. @morphingterritories - Irregular Energy
12. BLNDFLD - Misty Morning ( @doltzdeep Remix )
13. @arkajo - Mostly Harmless [ @aniara-recordings ]
14. @forestonstasys - Nueva Forma [ @harmony-rec ]
15. @lapalacemusic - Ephemera (Extended 12" Mix)

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/huedj
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__hue._/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Huedj

Delayed
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsdelayed
Website: https://www.itsdelayed.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_____delayed/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsdelayed/
Bandcamp: https://never-late.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@_____delayed

E.M.C. atmospheres - Hue

Cirkle - Sonic Surge

A1 Sonic Surge
A2 Echoes Of Eternity
B1 Subsonic
B2 In The End There Is Hope
Digi Pulse Accellerator

Cat. SUBL015
Format: Vinyl & Digital
https://sublunarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-surge


Cirkle makes a striking debut with the EP "Sonic Surge" on Sublunar, curated by Sciahri, delivering a truly memorable release. 
Hailing from Greece and affiliated with labels such asSk11, Cirkle unveils his interpretation of timeless techno in this EP, characterized by a distinctive and deeply personal sound. Opening with the sharp and compelling "Sonic Surge," the record quickly captivates listeners before transitioning into "Echoes Of Eternity," a hypnotic journey driven by an unstoppable groove. On the B-side, "Subsonic" commands attention with its irresistible and powerful rhythm, leading up to the EP's epic conclusion, "In The End There Is a Hope." This minimal yet profound track leaves an indelible mark with its unforgettable sonic textures.
Additionally, in the digital-only version, you'll find "Pulse Accelerator," a minimal track with a repetitive groove designed to linger in your mind.

releases July 5, 2024

w & p by CIrkle
Master by Enisslab in Rome
Photo by Emanuele Porcinai

Cirkle - Sonic Surge - SUBL015

Created in 2011 by Psyk, Non Series has consistently been releasing some of the finest hypnotic techno, with over 70 exceptional releases between the main label and the sub-label Non Series White. With the main label featuring releases from artists like: Luigi Tozzi, Architectural, Valentino Mora, Neel, DJ Nobu and many more. Recent releases from Non Series White include: Troy, Sciahri & Conceptual, Tauceti, Yogg & more. 

A label synonymous with high quality releases and home to many timeless classics & certified dancefloor heaters. Tune in now to hear the cutting edge, singular sound of Non Series mixed by label creator & programmer Psyk. 

Follow:

https://soundcloud.com/nonseries
https://nonseries.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/nonseries

https://soundcloud.com/psyk
https://www.instagram.com/psyk____/
https://www.facebook.com/psykmusic

MNMT Label Showcase : Non Series

"Like" My Facebook Page for More Exclusive Music! http://facebook.com/djspiveyradio

Eleven years ago in the early days of my YouTube channel, I curated a super Soulful House Set and titled it "Summer Soulstice" with a play on words for that year's upcoming Summer Solstice. I did a "Part 2" a couple of years later and then totally forgot about the series. Fast forward to tonight the eve of this year's Summer Solstice (June 20th, around 4:50pm) and here we are. This mix is packed with jams totally fit for the summer of '24. So you already know the drill by now: Grab something cold to drink, make yourself some room and let's get ready to dance like nobody is watching... Enjoy!!! 

Thanks so much for the continued Support: https://cash.app/$djayspivey

Summer Solstice 24:

00:00 See You When I Get There (CJ Giovanni Edit) by Lou Rawls
05:42 Rockin' You Eternally (Souldynamic Boot Mix) by Leon Ware
10:20 Here I Stand (Capital Soul Remix) by Usher 
16:30 A Blackbyrds Summer (Baby Powder Afro Drums Mix) by The Blackbyrds
22:09 Heaven Can Wait (Lazeness Edit) by Michael Jackson 
27:21 Request (Capital Soul Remix) by Teyana Taylor 
33:51 Thick of It (Thicker Than That Thang Remix) by Mary J. Blidge
38:24 I Love You (Phreak Edit) by Husky 
43:39 I'm Every Woman (Conway's Afro-Latin Funk Mix) by Chaka Kahn 
49:16 Amana by Maz (BR), Vxsion 
54:50 Say Yes (Jimpster Extended Remix) by Beatsbyhand, Rona Ray 

100 (Free) Limited Downloads Available Here! (Click The "More" Tab)

As Always, Thanks for Tuning In! Please Comment, "Like" and Share this amazing music we love so much called House!!! \o/ Also don't forget to Subscribe to this channel and never miss a beat...

Follow on IG: http://instagram.com/dj_spivey_radio

Peace&Love,
djs

Summer Soulstice 24

Emily Nicoll joins us for our latest session direct from Canada.  

The mind behind Aquaregia here she showcases her talent at selecting and building thought provoking sets expect a near 2 hour trip with hypnotic rhythms and pulsating acid stabs.

Follow :

https://soundcloud.com/emnicoll
https://www.instagram.com/emnicoll/
https://soundcloud.com/AquaregiaRec

MNMT 423 : Emily Nicoll

Pure energy from one of electronic music's brightest lights: Sofia Kourtesis. Clamour had built around the Peruvian artist's poignant brand of house music following a string of EPs and 12"s, culminating in last year's Madres—a passionate, vulnerable and excellent album that resonated widely.

Madres packed in rare specificity for a dancefloor record, combining paeans to the power of sound with direct tributes to the neurosurgeon who saved the life of Kourtesis' mother. (Kourtesis even took him clubbing in Berlin as an additional thank you.) The album's earworm melodies and approachable aura helped launch Kourtesis from bubbling to breakthrough on the global stage. In both sound and impact, it mirrors another record: Swim, the 2010 classic made by Kourtesis' friend and mentor, Dan Snaith.

Speaking of @caribouband: RA.943 kicks off with a brand new Sofia Kourtesis & Daphni collaboration, before powering through summer-ready cuts from LUXE, Floating Points, IceMorph, DJ ADHD and an old Oliver Lieb classic. Even as her reputation as a recording artist swells, this power-hour mix is a sharp reminder of Kourtesis' DJing chops, teeing up a victory-lap summer ahead.

@sofia-kourtesis

Read more at ra.co/podcast/943

RA.943 Sofia Kourtesis

Available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fEQ37lX6_3s

Label: Limousine Dream
Artist: Reflex Blue
Format: 12" Vinyl & Digital
Cat. Number: TSOL012
EP Title: Twisted System
Support it: https://limousinedream.bandcamp.com/album/twisted-system

Reflex Blue becomes the first artist to return to TSOL for a second EP, and he’s done it in under a year’s time. An extraterrestrial dancefloor ringer kicks things off, followed by a pair of stripped house traxxx. The icing on the cake is a potential b-boy anthem on the final digi-only cut. Nuggets galore!

Limousine Dream
https://soundcloud.com/limousine-dream
https://www.instagram.com/limousine_dream/

Reflex Blue
https://soundcloud.com/reflex-blue-x
https://www.instagram.com/reflex__blue/
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Houseum
https://houseum.fr
https://www.instagram.com/houseum_
https://www.instagram.com/houseum_records
https://soundcloud.com/houseum
https://www.facebook.com/houseum.yt

Listen On YouTube

PREMIERE: Reflex Blue - The D.C.S. [Limousine Dream]

@lg_t dishes up jacked up tech n' tribe on last month's edition of our show on @radio-relativa.

LT | May '24

STUDIO is proud to announce Massimiliano Pagliara as its first resident. The Italian artist's lithe, soaring sonics fuse lush, cosmic house with driving 4x4 cross pollinations, all sealed with a throbbing undercurrent. A set from Pagliara transports you to the heavens; his ear for truly beautiful melodies plays against wiggly acid, interwoven diva vocals and naughty tribal rhythms. This mix sees him in peak form. Not a moment is wasted, and Pagliara dives headfirst into crystalline waters of pure joy.
— @massimilianopagliara

BASEMENT 006 - Massimiliano Pagliara

Listen to the complete Livity Sound Mix Series at Apple Music :

https://music.apple.com/us/curator/livity-sound-mixes/1635606882

Willis Anne - Livity Sound Mix Series 018

Artist: Reflex Blue
Title: The Charming Dub EP
Label: Reflex Blue
Cat No: RBSELECT001
Format: 12” Vinyl

Tracklist: 

A1. Message (R.S.G Mix)
A2. The Charming Dub 
B1. Rocket Gauge
 B2. Step Off (Bass Mix)

Summer is in the air, and Reflex Blue introduces his new personal imprint with a 4-track EP of groove-laden house music. Originating from his ever-evolving live set, the label focuses on releasing Blue’s tried, tested, and favourite jams. The record opens with a garage-leaning house roller featuring a rocking sub-bass, catchy drum work, and a unique fusion of 90s rave elements. The A2 track continues in a similar vein, primed for the festival beach stage with chopped ragga vocals, a warbling bass, and a playful organ solo. On the flip side, Reflex Blue expands the EP’s sonic palette with tracks that showcase his signature acid riffs and 90s homage stylings, layered over energised and skippy drum work. The record closes with perhaps the sweetest fruit of all: a nod to UK bass enthusiasts with a heady, speedy garage number. A word of warning, you might drop your mojito. These four quality-assured tracks are a must-have for your bag this summer, as Blue warmly welcomes you to his new vinyl series.

Reflex Blue - The Charming Dub EP (RBSELECT001)

PRE-ORDER: https://smilingphases.bandcamp.com/album/smiling-comp-vol-1

While summer is already in full swing, we have compiled the perfect soundtrack for your sunset or sunrise parties. Here is Smiling Comp Vol.1, featuring 8 tracks that reflect our influences, ranging from Balearic and progressive to electro and trance vibes, created by local and international artists we've encountered on our travels.

The compilation opens with a progressive piano track by @breezysmusic, evoking a nostalgic vibe from years before we were even born. "Insomnia 92" is followed by "Some Magnetic Way" by @geo-taguchi, capturing the perfect Balearic summer mood. Next is @doubluremusic with "Looping Loop," a close friend who once again proves he’s a top-notch electro producer.

Some of our co-founders are also featured in the compilation, each showcasing their unique talents: "Call It a Day" by @arvemusic highlights his electro and rock inspirations, while @nairless-music makes a striking return with "Celestial Infinity," ideal for an afternoon in Tisno for those in the know.

We then enter peak dancefloor euphoria with the progressive "Spellbound," the debut release from @eclectic_elektra! @aidenfrancis needs no introduction; his energetic "Pomona Beach" definitely sets the tone for an endless summer. Finally, our dear friend @shader_dj perfectly closes this compilation with "Nighcrawler," leading us into a trancey and nostalgic atmosphere until the end of the night.

Mastering: Analogcut Mastering
Artwork: Maelshake

PRE-ORDER

[SMPHVA001] Smiling Comp Vol.1

ＥＸＡＭＩＮＩＮＧ ＴＨＥ ＧＯＤ ＨＥＡＤ ｡ Bil-Sol °

Above us emerges a mix that was destined in our skies since time in memorial. A true trance purveyor who lives and drinks the clear blue essence, @bil-sol presents a slice of his soul in this unendingly joyful mix of piano house, trance, acid house and vocal elevators.

Bil’s energy has been a constant gift and inspiration to us since the urthly birth of Goddezz and we honoured to receive a sample of his spirit here with this mix of the most uplifting movers.

Elevate, resonate & perforate into paradise…

Examination by @bil-sol
World Build by @dariuszoltan

EXAMINING THE GOD HEAD ｡ Bil-Sol °

As a producer and DJ, TSVI is in the form of his life—which you can't always say for an artist a decade in. He's been an enduring presence through several underground cycles for a reason: the man knows how to flow.

TSVI's RA Podcast features a solid number of new and forthcoming cuts from the current vanguard pushing club music forward, amongst them Verraco, Surusinghe, DJ Plead, Doctor Jeep, DJ JM, WOST and Dj Babatr—who just dropped a split 12" with TSVI on TraTraTrax last month.

Alongside the names you might expect, TSVI also leans into a streak of personal history. On RA.944 you'll hear fast, deep and percussive '90s and '00s cuts from Spain, Latin America and his native Italy, with a particular focus on the kind of playful progressive trance minted by the late, great Franchino. It makes for a truly dynamite mix.

@tsvisions @nervoushorizon

Read more at https://ra.co/podcast/944

RA.944 TSVI

A real pleasure to host one of my favourite djs in the Animix series, the ever-charming and immensely talented @playvlada, with her distinctly recognisable signature sound.

With a style deep, but somehow oozing with equal parts crunch and groove, Vlada is a master of blending her wide and eclectic old-school record collection into undulating journeys of bassy, hypnotic grooves, telling of her longstanding passion to the craft. 

The Russian born, but Berlin based mainstay balances touring with running mix series/party collective speLL in Berlin & beyond, with @vaahzer. One of my favourite parties in town :) 

Thanks again for the mix Vlada <33

Downloads enabled

Animix One Hundred & Sixty One: Vlada

~ Deep Breakfast 267 by ASIP aka Ryan Griffin, founder of the wonderful A Strangely Isolated Place label https://soundcloud.com/astrangelyisolatedplace ~

Tracklist:
1. swanasa - AHO (A Strangely Isolated Place, Forthcoming)
2. Hiemal - Pays D'en Haut I (Self)
3. Thomas Koner - Nuut (Night) (Force Inc)
4. Markus Guentner & Abul Mogard - While Hunting Nightmares And Dreaming For Peace (A Strangely Isolated Place, Forthcoming)
5. Ayaavaaki & Purl - Einstein-Rosen Bridge (Passage II) (LILA)
6. LF58 - Utopia  (Northern Electronics)
7. Avsluta - It's Always Lonely Being Free (Self)
8. Pete Namlook & Bill Laswell - Angel Tech (Subharmonic)
9. STBL - Carousel Of Light (Self)
10. Mikkel Rev - Lauryl (A Strangely Isolated Place, Forthcoming)
11. James Murray - Grace (Home Normal)
12. Robert Rich - Summer Thunder (Self)
13. OKRAA - Canto Luminoso a la Luna (A Strangely Isolated Place, Forthcoming)

ASIP
Website: https://www.astrangelyisolatedplace.com/
Bandcamp: https://astrangelyisolatedplace.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrangelyisolatedplace
X: https://x.com/asip
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astrangelyisolatedplace

Deep Breakfast Series
Instagram: www.instagram.com/deepbreakfastseries/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DeepBreakfastSeries/

Deep Breakfast 267 ~ ASIP

Hailing from Brooklyn's electronic music scene, Moon Patrol stands out as a compelling collaboration between Irina Kotik and Gilles Wasserman. As the visionary co-founders of the Brooklyn-based webzine Delayed, the duo brings a wealth of influences to their joint venture, Moon Patrol.
Their style fuses soft, delicate melodies and evolving ambiances with rumbling grooves and intricate percussion, taking listeners on unique journeys through their DJ sets and original productions.
Moon Patrol has released music on labels like Oslated, Huinali Records, On Board Music, Lost In Translation, Lossless, and Accents Records. Their mixes have found homes on platforms like Deep Breakfast Series, Orb Magazine, Oslated, Deep Space Series, Pregnant Void, Mirror Tapes, Cellar Door, and Delayed.

LINKS:
https://soundcloud.com/irina-kotik https://soundcloud.com/gilleswasserman
www.instagram.com/kotikplus/ www.instagram.com/gilleswasserman/
linktr.ee/irinakotik linktr.ee/gilleswasserman

Phonons Podcast 099 Moon Patrol

Read the cover feature: bit.ly/twoshellmixmag

To accompany their debut magazine cover, @twoshell share a playful 90 minute mix packed with bassweight, pop deconstructions and unknown bangers.

Read the cover feature

The Cover Mix: Two Shell

Cachet is a Los Angeles-based, multidisciplinary artist and DJ from Chicago. Known for their genre-bending style, they mix house, soul, funk, disco, afro, Latin, and breakbeat music. Cachet held a long residency at Smart Bar Chicago and performed at Charivari Detroit Music Festival. They have radio residencies with Djoon Paris, Playasol Ibiza Radio, House Nation Music Bari Italy, and 313.FM Planet Funk Detroit. In Los Angeles, they have DJed at Ysabel, Margot, The Proper, and Bar Funke. Cachet founded Sashay Records, a queer Chicago-based label celebrating warehouse music and supporting independent artists.

Deep South Podcast 159 Cachet

What does great techno sound like in 2024? Enter LYDO. This week's RA Podcast captures @lydole in full flow, combining the old-school vernacular of European and North American techno—reduced rhythms, hi-hats and punchy 909s—with tracks from the new guard (Sev Dah, GiGi FM, D.Dan) sprinkled throughout.

After moving to New York in 2015, the Vietnamese-American sound artist and X-XTRA.SERVICES founder became one of BASEMENT's first residents; the scene built around the revered Queens club has helped nurture their adventurous sound. Lately they've been making waves beyond North America, playing with the MARICAS crew in Barcelona and locking down slots at De School, Bassiani and Draaimolen.

RA.947 is the sound of artful hypnosis: it's techno with elegance, depth and just the right amount of thump. Rig this up on a proper system, turn off the lights and any worries—about the genre's direction of travel, or otherwise—might melt away. 

Read more at https://ra.co/podcast/947

RA.947 LYDO

Ask Berlin's network of revered deep diggers who their favourite "DJ's DJ" is, and there's a strong chance you'll hear one name immediately pop up: KRN.

Phil Kearney, AKA KRN, is one of those rare types who has built a reputation away from the limelight. Formerly a resident at The Ghost's Hoppetosse party as well as a Get Perlonized devotee (plus, full disclosure, reviewing events and working at RA in the mid-2010s), he's well-versed in both wiggle and waft. The hubbub around KRN can be put down to the fastidiousness of his approach: he unearths rare gems from the roots of the underground, before mixing it up with a deft hand.

Kearney's RA Podcast, sweetly subtitled "Dadhouse," is an ode to his partner and newborn, as well as a window into his personal palette. He starts in serene IDM territory, before shifting into playful grooves and tactile house oddities. Good lucking ID'ing many of the tunes—we asked for a tracklist but, deep down, already knew the answer. We know this, too: one listen and you'll be hooked.

@k_rn @theghost

Read more at ra.co/podcast/951

RA podcast

RA.951 KRN

The producer best known as Huerco S. accompanies One Day, our record of the year, with two hours of minimal and dub introspections.

This summer, Kansas-raised DJ and producer Brian Leeds released One Day under his revived Loidis alias. Enamoured with the restrained, loopy sounds of early '00s dance music, the album’s eight tracks linger in the air, luxuriating in dubbed-out chords, swung beats and sub vibrations. It's our favourite record of 2024 for a reason. 

It's a sound he's coined, in his typically teasing fashion, "dub mnml emo tech." All winks aside, it’s no wonder One Day became the soothing balm we all needed. In a scene overwhelmed by hard and fast trends, the softer—and Leeds might argue, more sincere—stylings of minimal and dub techno enjoyed a welcome second wind. 

Not only was One Day one of our favourites of the year (more on that this week), but it also inspired us to break our usual no-repeats rule, inviting Leeds back to the RA Podcast under a different alias after his 2019 turn as Huerco S. 

"The prevailing trends in dance music are more and more maximalist," Leeds noted. "I missed restraint, subtlety, and sensuality." Clocking in at just under two hours, RA.965 embodies that ethos in spades.

@huerco_s

Read more at ra.co/podcast/965

RA.965 Loidis

A wintry collage from one of 2024's breakout stars.

As far as crossover electronic success goes, Barry Can't Swim's 2024 scorecard would take some beating. His singles have racked up hundreds of millions of streams, he bagged a Mercury Prize nomination and has the range to both pack out festivals as a DJ and sell out tours worldwide with a string-accented live show. 

Barely 12 months on from the release of debut album "When Will We Land?", it's fair to say Josh Mannie is one of the most in-demand artists working in dance and electronic music right now, with a follow-up LP nearly done, he says.

For RA.968, he pulls in the complete opposite direction from any of that. Sure, there are nods to Mark Leckey and late-night jazz haunts throughout his catalogue, and the ruminative clouds drifting across his signature golden-hour glow do suggest an artist with a sharp grasp on meteorological melancholy. But a beatless collage featuring Suso Sáiz, Slow Attack Ensemble and Lorenzo Senni? It's a surprise, and a welcome one at that.

Speckled with exclusive airings of brand-new ambient material, Barry Can't Swim's RA Podcast charts a path from This Mortal Coil to Ryuichi Sakamoto, with a detour through some Linkwood and Anthony Naples deep cuts we've not heard for a good while. (He even includes a Stars of the Lid favourite which namechecks Fulham's home ground, an act of mid-table grace for the diehard Everton fan).

RA.968 has the crackle of a frosty night walk set to tape—a holiday gift from one of the most popular acts in the game. 'Tis the season.

@barrycantswim

Read more at ra.co/podcast/968

RA.968 Barry Can't Swim

Another Barker masterclass.

Sam Barker asks more from techno. The artist known simply as Barker is one of electronic music's most consistently conscientious and curious producers, challenging listeners to question the norms we accept about our shared culture—whether it's the music that fills the room, the process behind it, or the purpose of the space itself.

British-born yet based in Berlin since 2007, Barker forged a connection to many of the city's leading institutions, including Ostgut Ton, and over the course of a long and fruitful relationship, he carved out one of the more singular paths on the club and label's roster.

Not one for orthodoxy, Barker challenged four-to-the-floor techno framework in favor of melodic experimentation. By decentering or completely stripping away the typical trappings of kick drums and claps, his productions are both light and immersive, buoyant in low-end presence and shimmering in weightless space.

Six years after Utility, his sophomore album Stochastic Drift arrives this month. Shaped by pandemic-driven reinvention, it burrows deeper into harmonic twists and freeform drift. "At some point I became conscious of the process," he wrote of his latest album. "The only thing you can do is embrace the uncertainty and see every change as a potential positive.”

Consider his RA Podcast another sequel. Like his much-beloved 2019 mix for FACT, it's a collage of live recordings and a fitting expression of the artist's own internal spring. RA.982 radiates wide-eyed optimism: percussion cloaked in foggy, swirling pads and trance-like chords, neatly synched in synthetic glimmers. 

All in all, it's an hour of music crafted for contemplation, collective euphoria, or heads-down epiphany—or for that matter, any moment, really, its emotive depth seemingly endless.

@voltek

Find the tracklist and Q&A at ra.co/podcast/982

RA.982 Barker

A rare club mix from the ever-evolving artist, with 90 minutes of shadowy, atmospheric pressure.

Music's therapeutic value is often linked to relaxation—gongs, singing bowls and the like. Dense passages of foggy droning and eerie static aren't traditionally considered restorative, but Laurel Halo makes a pretty good case for it.

The Detroit-born, Los Angeles-based musician's abstract, often improvised productions are heavy on sound design and emotional climax. Driven by atmosphere rather than rhythm, they push listeners to grapple with their innermost insecurities, fears and dreams. "I'm lucky my music has helped people through crises," Halo once told Discwoman. It's easy to see why.

Since her 2010 debut King Felix, Halo has built a stunningly diverse catalogue of classically-informed records. A multi-instrumentalist—piano, violin, guitar, keys—her sharpest instrument is arrangement. Inspired by the surrealism of Italo Calvino and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, her releases, from Atlas to Behind The Green Door, unfold with slow-burning narrative and dense emotional weight. Her soundworlds are layered and labyrinthine—an architectonic space where self-reflection happens almost by force.

Even in the club, the sought-after composer excels in immersion. Her sets extend the expressionist palette of her records, trading traditional rhythm for tension, space and surprise. It’s no wonder she takes a genre-agnostic approach to the dance floor—her deep roots in freeform radio began at WCBN-FM in Michigan, followed by Berlin Community Radio, Rinse FM, and now a regular show on NTS.

RA.992 stitches foggy ambient loops, propulsive techno, mutant percussion and heady left turns with care. Tracks from DJ Rush, Octave One and Eddie Fowlkes nod to her Midwestern heritage, balanced out by deeper, psychedelic fare from the likes of Polygonia and Cousin. It's the mark of an artist revealing both deep curiosity and a precise hand as a selector. Rare, indeed.

@laurelhalo

Find the full interview at ra.co/podcast/992

RA.992 Laurel Halo

A new studio set from one of the foundational icons of drum & bass.

Few names in drum & bass carry as much history as Peshay. Paul Pesce came up in the crucible of early rave and left fingerprints on labels like Mo' Wax, Good Looking and, most obviously, Metalheadz. By the time drum & bass was surging in the mid-'90s, he was bolted as one of the scene's most distinctive voices. 

Where others were pushing clinical austerity or waves of dark pressure, Pesce's ear drew him to featherlight, jazzy chords instead. The atmospheric drum & bass movement—or intelligent, as it's sometimes known today—cohered in his hands with timeless staples like "The Piano Tune" and "Miles From Home."

To a contemporary generation, he may now be best known for Studio Set, which caught alight as a prime slice of algorithm fodder on YouTube in the late 2010s, racking up millions of plays. Alongside Bailey’s Intelligent Drum & Bass, the mix has taken on a second life as a seminal document of a genre in flux. All of which made its removal from the internet, based around a spurious copyright strike, a hot concern.

Although a little tad reserved than some of the scene's most dominant names, Pesce has remained a loyal custodian and historian of the sound. While Studio Set was down, we offered him a crack at making something fresh, and though it's thankfully back up, the Kafkian nightmare galvanised his commitment to preserve recorded history.

Known as a DJ for his dynamic way with a groove, extended blends have long been Pesce's signature. You’ll hear plenty of those on his RA Podcast, as golden-age rollers and contemporary vocal cuts push in and out for up to four minutes, painting a portrait of the genre’s vitality from someone who helped define its terms. True to form, RA.993 carries the touch of a jazz conductor and the assured cool of a veteran who's been deep in the culture for over 30 years.

@peshay-official

Find the interview and tracklist at ra.co/podcast/993

RA.993 Peshay

Waves of pulsing, layered techno from the revered Mala Junta resident.

If the electronic music industry is caught in the crosshairs of a battle over what makes for true techno, then D.Dan is one of the underground's great modern emissaries.

A figurehead from the new guard of DJs to arise in the '20s, the Berlin-based artist and Mala Junta resident is an ambassador for a sound that is strongly anchored in the classic roots of techno. His productions, like his mixes, are revved-up takes on the hypnotic wormholes that defined dance floors last decade, but with a fresh (and high BPM) millennial twist. 

Originally from Seattle, D.Dan became enamoured with the spectral stylings of psych rock and shoegaze in adolescence. It's not difficult to see how the cosmic tapestry of bands like Cocteau Twins became a blueprint for the entrancing music he's gone on to make as an adult. His releases on Mutant Future and summerpup are latticeworks of loops and layered percussion, custom-tooled for lost hours on the dance floor and drawn-out mixes behind the decks. 

This approach directly extends into his DJ practice, where he pairs song selections from contemporaries that mirror his own reduced, controlled approach to techno. RA.994 is a Grade A display of contemporary four-to-the-floor from flagbearers like Roll Dann and Marcal.

And like D.Dan's standalone records, his RA Podcast finds room for sweetness—the intermittent peal of an open clap, the steady ripening of a chord—while ultimately emphasising the beauty of function and form over flair.

@ddan-sounds

Find the full interview and tracklist at ra.co/podcast/994

RA.994 D.Dan

Part A of a two-sided mix from two Nyege Nyege all-stars. 

Nyege Nyege is synonymous with radical sonic innovation. Since 2015, the boundary-pushing Ugandan festival and its associated label have become a vital hub for adventurous, experimental sounds emerging from East Africa and beyond. Its alumni roster includes some of the past decade’s most thrilling and forward-thinking artists—DJ Travella, Nihiloxica, MC Yallah, and even New York's newly-elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani. In the process, the collective has reimagined what club music can be.

Kampala-based Kampire has been a core member of the collective since the label's inception. Her mixes often feel like a lesson in musicology: weaving together narratives, tempos and genres while losing nothing in dance floor vitality. These talents are reflected in her contribution to RA.995. A typically kaleidoscopic blend of tough percussive workouts, infectious edits and raw, unreleased gems, the hour-long mix spans batida, singeli, bruxaria and countless more urgent sounds from the global underground.

Then there's the enigmatic DJ TOBZY. At the tender age of 23, he's at the forefront of the effervescent cruise scene in his adopted hometown of Lagos. Breakneck, unpolished and fiercely DIY, it's a sound Giulio Pecci described as "a delirious blur of vocals and drums, influenced by other African dance music styles but moving only to its own strange, internal logic." TOBZY's mix captures the frenetic energy of a scene evolving in real time.

Presented together, as the first edition of a new format marking the countdown to RA.1000, this mix offers a bracing snapshot of a label that has redefined electronic music over the last decade.

Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/995

RA.995 DJ TOBZY

Part B of a two-sided mix from two Nyege Nyege all-stars. 

Nyege Nyege is synonymous with radical sonic innovation. Since 2015, the boundary-pushing Ugandan festival and its associated label have become a vital hub for adventurous, experimental sounds emerging from East Africa and beyond. Its alumni roster includes some of the past decade’s most thrilling and forward-thinking artists—DJ Travella, Nihiloxica, MC Yallah, and even New York's newly-elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani. In the process, the collective has reimagined what club music can be.

Kampala-based Kampire has been a core member of the collective since the label's inception. Her mixes often feel like a lesson in musicology: weaving together narratives, tempos and genres while losing nothing in dance floor vitality. These talents are reflected in her contribution to RA.995. A typically kaleidoscopic blend of tough percussive workouts, infectious edits and raw, unreleased gems, the hour-long mix spans batida, singeli, bruxaria and countless more urgent sounds from the global underground.

Then there's the enigmatic DJ TOBZY. At the tender age of 23, he's at the forefront of the effervescent cruise scene in his adopted hometown of Lagos. Breakneck, unpolished and fiercely DIY, it's a sound Giulio Pecci described as "a delirious blur of vocals and drums, influenced by other African dance music styles but moving only to its own strange, internal logic." TOBZY's mix captures the frenetic energy of a scene evolving in real time.

Presented together, as the first edition of a new format marking the countdown to RA.1000, this mix offers a bracing snapshot of a label that has redefined electronic music over the last decade.

Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/995

RA.947 LYDO

Resident Advisor