The air in the city was thick with smoke and ash, and the buildings were grey and towering. The streets were filled with people, all walking with their heads down and their faces covered. It was a dystopian world, where hope was rare and joy was even rarer. But on this foggy night, there was a glimmer of something different. The people had heard whispers of a firework display, something that hadn't been seen in the city for years. The display would be a celebration of hope, a chance to consign the bleakness of their lives to oblivion and momentarily revel in something beautiful.

As the sun set and the fog rolled in, people started to gather in the streets. They were cautious at first, not sure if the rumours were true. But then, they saw the first burst of colour in the sky, and they knew it was real. The fireworks were breathtaking. They exploded in the sky, sending showers of sparks raining down on the city. The colours were bright and bold, and for a moment, the people forgot about the darkness that surrounded them.

Edinburgh experimental composer Jordan Russell-Hall, aka Jordan Stanley, makes his debut on Bytes with his exceptional second album, A Cry For The Moon. There are shades of his Scottish contemporaries Hudson Mohawke and Rustie in these colourful experiments in microsampling. Like a magpie snaffling shiny objects for its nest, Jordan has procured samples from all corners of the electronic and pop music realm - from Charli XCX and Mr Mitch to Ariana Grande and Jimmy Edgar - to help form a vivid sound palette of vibrant synths, frenetic Jersey Club-influenced rhythms and lush ambience.

PREMIERE: Jordan Stanley - Impossible [Bytes]

Melodies made with LOVE ❤️
original music, from one human heart to another...
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Born in Maputo in 1981, son of the first black director of the Mozambican National Radio after the independence, Nandele Maguni travels with his family to Zimbabwe, where he lives until he is 7 years old. He grows up in a family from the Makonde tribe, being exposed early on to the music of Fela Kuti, Kanda Bongo Man, Hugh Masekela, Steven Kakana, Miriam Makeba, amongst others. Through his father comes also the music of Michael Jackson, Kool And The Gang, Bob Marley and Toots And The Maytals. All these great musical references helped to shape Nandele´s taste and in the 90s he was already freestyling to hip-hop beats, on sundays, on the National Union Of Journalists. Also in the 90s a friend of his dares him to play on a grunge band, inspiring him to learn to play the drums. This project had a short life and in 2004 Nandele takes up the drums on the hip-hop group Projecto Kamuflado, playing in many venues and drawing the attention of some producers. After a short residency on the historic bar Gil Vicente, with the Boom Bap Crew, Nandele is invited to stay in Gil Vicente´s resident band as a presenter and singer. At the same time he is spreading his good taste in several DJ sets throughout Maputo. His growing interest in electronic music and the possibilities that this style brings to a live show, leads him to start producing his own beats and form a new audiovisual project called Awesomakossa. In 2013 he was invited to be the DJ of the band Azagaia & Os Cortadores de Lenha, accompanying one of the most important rappers from the lusophone world.

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.