There was a long time I considered Raymond Richards the ultimate secret weapon. There were sounds he could make that other people just couldn’t. Pure, whole, yet complex sounds. The pedal steel is an extremely niche instrument outside of its Country confines, but its sheer and transcendent depth has never failed to floor me. Raymond’s ear for implementing the steel into literally 'anything' has always been uncanny. After decades of being savvy to his work ethic, multi-faceted studio skills and overall sense of musical honesty, it became a priority for me to channel some of this into narratives through the ESP Institute and get his stories told. Without further recounting the history and trajectory of our musical relationship (see the press release for 2020’s critically-acclaimed album 'The Lost Art Of Wandering'), I can whole-heartedly confirm this sophomore release, 'Sand Paintings', opens an even wider door into Raymond’s visceral, contemplative world. The cast of players has elaborated to include Calexico’s John Convertino on drums and percussion, a bevy of eccentric stringed instruments and even a hint of brass to collectively stratify context for the pedal steel. Through diversifying the timbral palette, we invite an increased soundstage acuity but also reveal untapped wells of emotion for the listener, perhaps even testing cultural literacies. One foot remains in our established ambient realm, while the other steps toward grand cinematic gestures, and despite the dense, insurmountable emotion in these songs, there is a stoic singularity, like a lonesome cowboy pulling up his boot straps to endure another day. 'Badwater Basin' opens with courage, an enormous chord evoking Raymond’s image of “hard dawn”, but in navigating through the dramatic depictions of 'Monument Valley', 'Saguaro' and 'Deer On Hwy 80', we grapple with a cloaked vulnerability—weathered by the elements, beaten down and alone, yet still madly in love with the world.  —Lovefingers

[ESP081] Sand Paintings - SNIPPETS

Buy from ESP

B2 - Farrington Dome - SNIPPET

B1 - Zion Lodge - SNIPPET

A5 - Saguaro - SNIPPET

A4 - 2 Cent Mambo - SNIPPET

A3 - Monument Valley - SNIPPET

A2 - Rattlesnake Pass - SNIPPET

A1 - Badwater Basin - SNIPPET

Recorded live, no synchro
All tracklist just down below
THE SCUMFROG  --  Keep Your Bags Packed (original mix)
KZA  --  One Hundred Fifth Wave (Original Mix)
JAH WOBBLE & BILL LASWELL  --  Alsema Dub
REJOICER  --  I Think This is Reasonable
MR HO & HEAP  --  Veils of the Beloved
ROMAN FLUGEL  -–  Rules
THOMAS FEHLMANN  -–  Permanent Touch
PHANTOM GHOST  --  Nothing Is Written (Damascene Conversion by Coloma)
KASPER BJORKE  --  Cloud 9 (feat. Urdur) [Francis Harris Reform]
L.U.P.O.  --  Hell or Heaven (Extended Mix)
DUKES OF CHUTNEY  --  Jan’s Bellski (Pedrodollar Remix)
KOBANYA3000  --  Malt & Applesín
JONATHAN KUSUMA  --  Monyet Kota
STATION 17  --  Uh-Uh-Uh (RVDS Remix)
POLYGLOVE  --  Calf
DORISBURG & HENRIK BERGQVIST  --  Dimmiga Bergen
SU x OSAKO  --  By The Sun (Edit)
REAL VELOUR  --  Spaceship In Tokyo (Donald Dust remix)
COLOPHON  --  Pattern Formation
ENCHANTE  --  Pattern 3 (Gunman)
ZACKY FORCE FUNK  --  The Split (feat. Kutmah)
CZ WANG,NEO IMAGE  --  Just Off Wave (feat. Separated at Birth)
Please support these artist by buying, streaming, sharing their music

MOVEMENT 06  mixed by K.Rise. Brussels March 2024 - Studio32

LA is the ESP Institute’s hometown. The label’s captain, Lovefingers, is a native Angeleno who has lived in 15 of its neighborhoods spanning decades. While the ESP Institute was born in 00’s New York City with an international cast of artists, the DNA of the label has always been infused with the wild sense of freedom and space that is LA. It breaks our hearts to see the city and its residents in such a difficult position today. Our home and label’s office were damaged, the grounds incinerated and fire/smoke damage right up and onto it’s walls, and although it is still uninhabitable, we consider ourselves unbelievably fortunate that the structure was spared, surviving among our many neighbors whose homes are reduced to ash. Both the Palisades and Eaton fires have left so many of our friends and family with nothing – we collectively mourn not only for their physical space, much of which is generational, but for mementos of family history, their sense of security and ability to function from a safe sense of “home.” The grief and tasks of recovery are uncharted and ongoing, the rebuilding is daunting, arduous and overwhelming, and everyday brings new challenges in the fires wake. This will take time. If there is any light that we see in this, it is the prevalent sense of community we are witnessing in real time.

This is the 15th year of ESP Institute and we had an idea for a compilation planned, but, given the circumstances and the immense needs of our city and fellow Angelenos, we have decided to expand this release to 3x its initial scope and commit all of its efforts and income to wildfire relief organizations. We have initially selected the following vetted non-profit charities: CalFund, MusiCares, GiveDirectly, Global Empowerment Mission, Canine Rescue Club and plan to manually top up funds from circulating GoFundMe spreadsheets for under-represented families, commencing with those in Altadena. We anticipate a bi-weekly dispersal of funds, given the urgent and evolving nature of community needs, but will re-assess this consistently as time passes.

ESP’s artists have generously allowed us to present their music for this compilation and our gratitude starts with them. It is our hope the following 90 tracks will bring you something you need, whether it be joy, catharsis, wonder or meditation.

Thank you for your support from the bottom our hearts,
Andrew / Lovefingers & ESP Institute 

Ripperton - Moebius Loop Exclusive track on ESP Institute XV [L.A. WILDFIRE FUNDRAISER]

[MIX] Lovefingers - Live inna LA Warehouse (Forget The Future - February 9th, 2025)

Tamed Musiq // ESP Institute
bookings@ripperton.com
http://linktr.ee/ripperton

Bookings & Promo : ekhoesmusic@gmail.com
Brussels-based K.RISE is a true passionate and music addict who has spinning on turntables for 30 years.
Ceaseless curiosity and deep eclecticism are his key inspirational engines. Always eager to dig the best cuts, ranging from highly selected original gems to outstanding re-edits or covers, his skilled crafted journeys are colored by a broad range of both captivating and striking soundscapes.
Creativity has no limit and K.RISE likes to explore and share with the audience all its groovy flavors and emotional nuances.
Resident DJ at Le Belgica, Bar du Marché also Stamm bar, Mappa mundo, Bonnefooi ... he also runs as artistic booker and sound designer for several trendy shops, art galleries and bars of the European Capital.

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Welcome to the ESP Institute. Please remove your shoes at the door. Thank you.

New tracks tagged #ESP Institute