R$N Premieres: August 2017

Telepathic Fish co-founder DJ Food, aka one part of Openmind, takes us on a trip into the world of 90s chill out.

Strictly Kev likes the company of plants whilst working on music so that's handy for us isn't it?! We're assuming he's talking about a beautiful Calathea sitting in the corner for inspiration, tho his dream plant setup - a conservatory packed with Romanesco broccoli, trippy Caladiums, and Persian Shields - is something we'd be well on board with too.

Enough of the plant talk for a second and back to the music, ambient music to be clear. For those that weren't squatting in South London back in the early 90s, Openmind were the four-piece behind the mighty Telepathic Fish - the legendary ambient afterparty that transformed chill-out rooms from dub-playing afterthoughts into proper destinations.

Kev, along with Chantal Passamonte (Mira Calix, RIP), David Vallade, and Mario Aguera, started in a shared house above a shop with no neighbours to complain/bash the door down. What began as art school parties quickly grew into Sunday afternoon sessions in squatted venues - a former dole office in Brixton and even the derelict Roundhouse on New Year's Day. They hosted everyone from Aphex Twin to Mixmaster Morris among wall-to-wall mattresses, UV installations, and  Coldcut's Matt Black with his boundary pushing video projections.

The idea was simple: recreate that post-clubbing comedown vibe but on a massive scale, as an "aural and visual blanket" for club-rattled minds. They even published a fanzine called Mindfood and worked at the scene's hub, Ambient Soho record shop, helping shape what Simon Reynolds called a "wombeldelic sound-and-light bath" in contrast to the current trend of hardcore and it's relentless assault.

Thirty years on, that spirit's having a comeback. Events like London's A Loose Ting are bringing back the bedding and the hushed reverence, while Berlin's Overflow is going full sensory overload with vibrating mattresses, fountains, and harpists. New York's Planetarium gatherings have people mostly horizontal, inspired by psychedelic therapy sessions. There's even and ambient sauna in South London you might have come across via the wonder of Music To Watch Seeds Grow By's recent takeover.  Our very own Watching Trees dabbled in said chill out space this year, pairing the abstract and the ambient with projected dappled sunlight visuals from the mighty Jamie House. Turns out people still need those little havens away from the madness, especially in this day and age!

Also handily 30 years on the Openmind crew have just compiled the first-ever Telepathic Fish retrospective for Fundamental Frequencies - a double vinyl love letter to those hazy early-90s mornings when the music finally slowed down.

For this Seeds Mix, Kev has leaned into his love of minimalism and systems music - repetition built from layers of loops offset against each other to form subtle polyrhythms. There's a deliberate avoidance of drum machines here in favour of organic percussion, and around the eight-minute mark, a section from Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia that captures the feeling of being deep in the forest, phone abandoned, discovering that paradise was just a forage away.

Full interview here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/seeds-mix-005-openminds-leave-your-phone-at-home-discover-paradise-after-a-forage-in-the-forest/

@strictly

INTERVIEW

Seeds Mix 005: Openmind's Leave your phone at home & discover paradise after a forage in the forest

For the fifth edition of Earthcast, I proudly present Tomas Bexton who has curated a 90-minute dub techno excursion — a deep dive into spacious atmospheres, warm grooves, and timeless house and techno cuts. A carefully crafted mix that unfolds like a celestial journey through sound.

EARTHCAST005 with Tomas Bexton

Coco María visits the Lot Radio to play one hour of her recent finds during her US tour. 

https://www.instagram.com/cocomaria___



Coco María en Nueva York @ The Lot Radio 10-13-2025

Kasra V touches down at Lot during his first American tour. 

https://www.instagram.com/kasrav
https://www.soundcloud.com/kasra-v



Kasra V @ The Lot Radio 10-17-2025

A fortnightly journey into H.O.U.S.E. hosted by Dan Beaumont & Nadia Ksaiba featuring interviews & mixes from super special guests. Expect two hours of old bangers and upfront pumpers. 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/rhythmconnection/episodes/rhythmconnection-23rd-october-2025

Rhythm Connection 231025

Every week, as they’ve done since February 2016, Barbie Bertisch and Paul Raffaele host the Love Injection radio show on NYC’s beloved online radio institution, The Lot Radio. Airing Saturday mornings, this sonic extension of Love Injection the print fanzine provides the duo, and their occasional esteemed guest hosts, the latitude to explore sounds unrestricted by the demands of the nocturnal dance floor. Listen in, or listen back to the more than 300 aired and archived episodes, as Barbie and Paul interweave selections past and present with equal amounts attention and affection.  Love Injection on The Lot Radio airs Saturdays, 10am-12pm EST, thelotradio.com
 
https://www.instagram.com/loveinjection.nyc
https://www.instagram.com/barbiebertisch 
https://www.instagram.com/paulraffaele 
https://www.instagram.com/loveinjection.records

https://loveinjection.nyc

Love Injection @ The Lot Radio 10-25-2025

For over a decade Daniel Avery has shone as a singular artist and one of the electronic underground’s most forward-thinking voices. This year sees the release of Tremor, his most expansive album to date.
 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/daniel-avery/episodes/daniel-avery-30th-october-2025

Tremor w/ Daniel Avery - Pulse 301025

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Through The Trees w/ Ty - 02.11.25

Red Laser Records crew brings Manchester's own blend of Manctalo, Disco & Boogie. A high energy Sunday Buzz guaranteed. 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/red-laser-records/episodes/red-laser-records-2nd-november-2025

Red Laser Records w/ Pharaoh Brunson & Il Bosco 021125

The ghost of Shane's Brother graced The RH Basement with a 1 hour mashing of Wah Wah Wino past present and future..plus a bit of other nonsense. No Tracklisting for this one.

Shane's Brother (Wah Wah Wino)

The journey was awfully long. She watched the flickering lights pass by with a flash as the car moved purposefully along the motorway. In the distance she could see the towering presence of flats in the distance, they were nearing the city now. She had supposedly been taken here as a child but for the life of her she could not remember the visit. Now, some twenty years later she would return to the city to begin a new life. She leant into the warm leather interior of the car, sinking back and fell asleep.

Metropolitan Soul Museum feature as part of a new split EP in the Toy Tonics series. They deliver a smooth house cut alongside tracks from Black Loops and Jad & The...

PREMIERE: Metropolitan Soul Museum - Saaab [Toy Tonics]

Deep beneath the encrypted layers of security lay elusive material. These were the most restricted of folders under which only government access could allow entry. The state of the nation was left in a delicate balance based upon the content contained within. These were perilous times and the tension hung ominously in the air. 

Bauhaus is a newly formed record label from tel Aviv. The tracks have received early support from an array of big circuit dj's including Motor City Drum Ensemble who featured the following track back on his Worldwide FM show in June.

PREMIERE: PRZ Feat. Jerome C - XXX Files [Bauhaus]

The race started quickly on the sound of the gunshot. The orange polyurethane on which he ran had never looked so beautiful as his feet moved quickly back and forth. In the distance he observed his comrade readying himself to sprint off into the distance, for this was a relay and not for one man to win. The team had been training for years for this moment and the roar of the crowd was almost overwhelming. Never had they expected they would get this far. 

Factory Floor are remixed on the "2525+5" EP. Alongside two original tracks Charles Manier, Jlin and Klara Lewis have been recruited to provide alternate versions.

2525+5

PREMIERE: Factory Floor - Relay (Charles Manier Remix)[DFA]

She licked her lips provocatively as she stared him up and down. In the distance there was music playing but the pair cared not for such ambience beneath the glow of the moonlight. Before them the waves rolled gracefully upon the dusty sand, the palm trees blowing delicately in the warm air. The sky was a bitter shade of black, the stars faintly visible behind the gloomy clouds. This was not some sort of peaceful paradise but a stormy romance on an island lost. 

Smagghe & Cross return following recent releases on Offen Music and our own Ransom Note Records imprint. The pair deliver an intriguing EP for Glasgow based record label Huntleys & Palmers.

BLTRS06

PREMIERE: Smagghe & Cross - MMMMMMM [Huntleys & Palmers]

The gang were eager with anticipation. They hung in the car park behind the back of the shopping mall, sat perched upon trolleys and dirt. Cars stayed well clear of the patch, they knew that if they were to cross paths with 'la cosa nostra' then they may well live to regret it. The leader of the pack, a tall tanned gentleman stood several feet away chain smoking cigarettes whilst surveying what lay before. 

Aa3 have just released 'Eradicate Ex Machina' on USB. Starving Poet is the artistic project of New York-based Rose Knapp. Listen to a remix of "La Cosa Nostra" by RN500.

PREMIERE: Starving Poet - La Cosa Nostra (RN500's Waste Management Mix)[Aa3 Corp]

The airplane soared high between the dark and gloomy clouds, the white metallic shell housed a hundred passengers yet none were as important as him. Flying from place to place he was a celebrity of sorts, yet he still did not feel particularly comfortable in his own skin. People flocked in their thousands to see him speak to the masses yet he struggled to feel much attachment to any of them at all. His place was up in the sky, that was where he found silence and peace. 

Fingers Of God is set to release a new EP on LKR Records. The Vienna based producer draws for heavy hitting drums and a subtle assortment of musicality on a new five track release.

PREMIERE: Fingers Of God - Flying From Place To Place [LKR]

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.

PREMIERE: Fingers Of God - Flying From Place To Place [LKR]

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