Khotin has been a key figure in the developing Electronic music scene emerging from Canada - for over ten years he has been producing and releasing music.

His sound has evolved exponentially, weaving between sounds and styles with cohesive ease of which others might only dream of. His records have found a home somewhere between the heady 90's ambient and trip hop era, deep house and has drawn upon abstract influences from balearic roots, trance and a whirlwind of other other cultural guises.

All of this makes his music remarkably interesting and hard to pin down.

His forthcoming album "Release Spirit" is forthcoming on acclaimed label Ghostly International. It features a collection of ambient soundscapes, tape recordings and off piste samples as Khotin draws inspiration from far reaching influences such as World of Warcraft, train journeys through Europe and Japan, family vacations and beyond.

We asked Khotin to record a mix which reflects a similar nature of the new album - the result is a delicate assortment of textures which lend themselves to a brooding optimism for the year ahead. At least we hope..

Khotin: The Ransom Note Mix

NO WEAPON IS ABSOLUTE - DJ Sundae - 11-02-2025 - NTS 2

https://soundcloud.com/lukemele
more at mitaminelab.org

Art by Jinhee Kim/ 김 진희

ML796: Luke Mele

Tracklist:

https://skylab-radio.com/shows/the-true-room-e19

| THE TRUE ROOM E19 | Chico G

The breezy sound of the Canadian Riviera, from Mood Hut's Pender Street Steppers.  
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/pender-street-steppers/episodes/pender-street-steppers-29th-april-2025

Pender Street Steppers 290425

Hashman Deejay stands out as one of those DJ's and producers where he lets the music do the talking. Like fellow collaborators PLO Man & C3D-E you won't see many interviews, let alone photos - they show up to the party and do their thing. 
With a vast range of alias' and collaborative projects Hashman has been responsible for some of the rawest sounds in experimental, breaks, house and techno. As well as a DJ his vast taste can expand anywhere from shoegaze and punk, disco and raw chicago sounds, to dubbed acid and techno. 
For this mix the selector has dug deep into the tape hiss sounding crates covering oldschool beats that could be mistaken for an OG Ras G tape, dub flowing onwards into some select acid house and more synth focused club sounds all working together with the most seamless touch. We had a very brief chat with Hashman about his mix but this one is all about the sounds and he lets that do the talking.

Off The Record Mix Series 56: Hashman Deejay

‘For home use only’ is an anti-club social, a chance to get to know someone/something. A series of transmissions purely dedicated to exploring the other side.

Alas! We’re still alive (whatever that means) and still here (wherever you are). Returning from the far edges of the cosmos-via the duty-free shop-we bring an audible delicacy to share. People of Earth, Fefe has arrived, and you should be both honoured and excited.

An introduction stitched with the very fabric of time and space, Fefe offers a love letter that strikes straight at the heart-lifting happiness by at least 50-60%. A radiant testament to the kinder side of human nature (the part we sometimes forget), and a gentle reminder of music’s true power when made with pure intent.

Switch to airplane mode, take the long way home, and enjoy this in full.

Love from us. 

His new ep >>>> https://danzanativa.bandcamp.com/album/body-weather

FHUO # 97 // Fefe

Letter to the kid

An Empty Safe

R E L A X E R goes leather 2005

For home use only’ is an anti-club social, a chance to get to know someone/something. A series of transmissions purely dedicated to exploring the other side

I honestly can’t believe we’ve made it to number 20, obviously, you’re all still listening for some weird reason, I hope its the same reason I’m still putting out the mixes. 

it fills me with immense joy to bring you number twenty by way of DJ Regret aka Unfettered aka captain jack sparrow aka the dreadlocked dreidel aka Scott Levy not reddy. This bloke has been one of the driving forces in my musical life, especially in the birth of the concept of this whole series. He has delivered a beautiful journey just shy of 4 hours. As mentioned before Scott has been a musical compass for me for last 15 years, consistently being ahead of curve, actually he creates the curves every year his set from Inner Varnika will be echoed throughout the year through every other Melbourne DJ and spotify enthusiast. Mimicked but never reproduced. Consistently adding his beautiful compositions to the ‘Trushmix’ series by our burger brethren.

I've also been throwing parties with him for the past 10 years, we started the now-defunct Out of Focus (rip) together, he started Sound of Thought (rip) and then we went on to start Inner Varnika, I’m very happy to of shared my journey with Scott and I’m not actually sure I’d be here without him, he has and always will keep me grounded. So after months of hassling he finally shot me something, a recording from a house party some weeks ago, basic setup, a huge vibe that builds into the evening/morning recording on a shitty mixer the peaks on a few songs so please bare with it. 

On that note, turn your brightness all the way down and grab a cold beverage from the fridge and enjoy the trip! 

שלום ובהצלחה

FHUO # 20 // DJ Regret

Ransom Note is an online music, arts and culture magazine. We provide a home for readers and writers with boundless enthusiasm, esoteric knowledge, fierce opinions and impeccable taste.

With our core team immersed in all aspects of dance music, we publish news, articles, and interviews covering the greatest in innovative, underground culture from across the globe. We offer regular, exclusive music and mixtapes from our favourite artists, and publish features shining a light on everything from the freshest new artists to the untold tales from rave history.

Alongside this we offer musings on film, books, life, and art, generating some context and controversy as an antidote to the reheated PR that clogs up the internet. Our office is fuelled by Tunnock’s Bars, cat memes, hangovers and a ridiculous, never ending love for our culture.

We're always interested in getting new writers on board – feel free to get in touch if you’ve got a story to tell.

With love until the grave.