¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U is an unsung talent - the Japanese dj remains arguably one of the best and most influential in Asia and has amassed a cult following from those in the know.

Next month will see his talents celebrated via the release of a specially curated mixtape for Midnight Shift as he showcases music from friends such as DJ Nobu, Ryo Murakami, Gabber Modus Operandi, Sapphire Slows and more.

When first approached about the release we knew it would be simply criminal not to ask him if he might be up for contributing a tape to our own ever growing series. Many a dj's favourite dj he does so in fine style selecting an assortment of wild off piste electronics which bend minds and challenge every pretence or stereotype you might ever have known of dance music.

Running through techno, ebm, wave and noisy cuts he delivers a set of wild fluid music which shouldn't fit together but somehow does.

This is a masterclass.

¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U: The 'Wednesday Alternative' Mix

We invited artists from the harder fringes of electronic music to the sun-kissed isle of Malta for another lively edition of Glitch Festival.

Helena Hauff | Glitch Festival

Live DJ set @Coda by Pax - Romana / Ratherlost @ Lofi Amstrdam ADE

Clarisa Kimskii @ Coda October 2024

LYDO

Regis and Function's first mix in over 10 years is a unique paean to Silent Servant, heavy on unreleased material.

When it came time for RA to compile our Albums of the 2010s, one record with a tauntingly limited availability of 500 copies was never in doubt: Sandwell District's era-defining 'Feed-Forward'. Encompassing Karl O'Connor (Regis), Peter Sutton (Female), David Sumner (Function) and Juan Mendez (Silent Servant), Sandwell District had the underground in a vice grip for over a decade.

The collective imploded in 2013, with Sumner and O'Connor's relationship appearing beyond repair. And yet, an unlikely second phase is here, featuring imminent comeback LP 'End Beginnings' and their return to the RA Podcast after 16 years. In 2023, the trio of Function, Regis and Silent Servant had been performing and laying down new material before the latter's shock death last January. It's in the shadow of loss that this unique mix was forged.

Founded in 2002 as a spiritual sister to seminal Downwards, Sandwell truly began to hit its straps in the late '00s, as shadow-stalking cuts sliced through clubland orthodoxy like a switchblade. In parallel, the label's artwork—a noir recombination of Burroughs cut-ups, DIY zines and arthouse amour that Silent Servant made his own—helped fortify a movement which placed an aesthetic premium on grit, grain and sadism.

By the early 2010s, this fixation on the dark arts had utterly permeated the mood inside techno's masonic temples. Labels like Blackest Ever Black, Stroboscopic Artefacts, Avian and Modern Love were in their pomp, razorwire legends like Severed Heads and Chris & Cosey benefited from second winds, and it was briefly a jailable offence to not have a press photo in black and white. 'Feed-Forward' was the exceptional coronating statement.

RA.978 features a stack of unheard recordings from each of the trio, as well as close allies Stefanie Parnow and Tropic of Cancer, while also gathering many of Silent Servant's all-time favourite songs, including Psychic TV, Grace Jones and Galaxie 500. It's a strikingly vulnerable listen, one without many parallels on the Podcast. We're glad to run it. – Gabriel Szatan

Read more and find the tracklist here: ra.co/podcast/978
Read our new feature with Sandwell District here: https://ra.co/features/4426

RA.978 Sandwell District

DJ TOOL - Organik Festival (Taiwan) 27.04.2024

TEN: The Archive Series, Pt. 6 concludes the journey through Ballroom Records’ history, bringing the series to a powerful close.

Focused on the techno-driven side of Melodic House & Techno, this chapter highlights tracks defined by hypnotic tension, driving energy, and emotive depth.

A final tribute to the sound that shaped Ballroom over the past 10 years.

Enjoy listening and have a beautiful day!

TEN: The Archive Series, Pt. 6

Dynan

dr house

R290 Club EDT

The low-key Giegling artist delivers 90 minutes of hypnotic bliss.

Download: https://www.xlr8r.com/news/2016/11/podcast-466-vril/

XLR8R Podcast

Download

XLR8R Podcast 466: Vril

Slithering techno and trance.

Read more here: https://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast-episode.aspx?id=655

@mamasnake

Resident Advisor podcast

RA.655 Mama Snake

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.