Hello there. This past two weeks we’ve lost three stalwarts of different scenes: Peter Rehberg, who was behind Editions Mego and Recollection GRM; Kelli Hand, aka K-HAND, the First Lady of Detroit techno; and Paul Johnson, the Chicago producer who achieved global fame with ‘Get Get Down’ but was also responsible for countless records on labels like Dance Mania, Peacefrog and Relief. All three were in their 50s, which is tragically young. It makes one think of how people can go without receiving their due credit, praise or plaudits in their lifetime, as we simply take their existence for granted. If you see something in this mail that you like, or anywhere else for that matter, please let the artist know! It’s the very least you can do.

In more mundane news, it’s another Bandcamp Friday. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, Bandcamp is waiving its revenue share (15% for digital sales, 10% for physical), allowing artists and labels to hold on to a larger chunk of their sales. Do with that information what you will.

Greg Nieuwsma - In C: Flea Market

Terry Riley’s In C performed entirely by instruments acquired at a flea market in Krakow. It sounds great, fascinating and humorous but ultimately successful in its execution.

Francesco Cavaliere & Tomoko Sauvage - Viridescens

This is one of those releases I’ve listened to so many times that Bandcamp is asking me to open my wallet. I’ll be buying it today for sure. Beautiful and other-worldly, it combines wondrous sounds conjured by an array of green instruments. Water, glass, clay, bamboo xylophones, metallophones and synthesisers all went into the making of this beautiful release, that was originally recorded back in 2017! A different world. I listened to this while trying to take down a door and then hang another one (unsuccessfully, ultimately), and it was a real antidote for my senses.

Mucha - Correspondence 2: 4 Impulses

This is a four-track release from London-based Mücha. Differing tones and moods, offering gentle, exploratory pulses, deep house vibes in a crystalline environment, delicate skittering percussive patterns and even some hushed, breathy vocals that evoke thoughts of Harry’s Game in a digital world. (PS 20pc off with the code goats.)

FAR AWAY Guest Mix: Icarus Redux

Our friend Icarus Redux shared this mix that’s really something special. Almost three hours in length, it opens with a clip from Strange Days, with Ralph Fiennes offering an unknown mark some kind of VR trip. This mix is our way into IR’s world, as seen from his vantage point of Minneapolis. That city’s communities, artistic and political, and how they have navigated the past 20 months. There are songs from the departed DOOM and DMX. There’s Pev’s perennially relevant and iconic ‘Dance Til The Police Come’. Burial and Spaceape (also RIP) pop up in between mutant house and techno. Sounds from different scenes clash and collide, Shazam rendered obsolete. Aaliyah floats above it all, as she does. Trump makes an appearance, the nadir of the American dream. There’s a lot to take in, not just in its length but its deeply woven fabrics.

Stephanie Merchak - Broken Spectrum

Colours sing through boxes and computers in this suite from Oslo-based Stephanie Merchak.

VA - Out of Season (Theory Therapy)

Different flavours of ambient sound come together on this compilation raising money for headspace, an Australian mental health foundation providing supports for those between the ages of 12 and 25. Rich soundscapes, chillout beats, shrill post-classical sounds, beautiful field recordings and more.

Dan Hayhurst - Expandable Habitats

Three lovely pieces of increasing length from Dan Hayhurst. Drifting, cosmic, generative music that is at turns calming and disorienting. Jump into the swirling eddies and see where you end up.

#PHANTASYMIX 39: Ambient Babestation Meltdown

Ambient Babestation Meltdown loves a good concept. Her mixes are generally drawn together with a single theme, and this one taps into one of my own interests. Slasher movies! It’s a soundtrack to an imagined 80s camp slasher movie, with dialogue culled from different films and various classics sitting alongside contemporary tracks with similar energy. ABM even went so far as to get drenched in fake blood and trek into the forest for the accompanying artwork. That’s dedication. Chuggy italo, dank goth sounds and movie samples render this whole experience a nightmarish delight.

Sam Karam - Sorrow Carves

Sam Karam recently released this album yet I’ve seen very little chat about it! So righting that wrong here. It’s a wonderful set of tracks that marries deep and bassy UK sounds with Lebanese music. I don’t want to go into too much detail as some of the samples are pretty flagrant (as the producer will no doubt admit), but it’s a great merging of sonic worlds. Even across tracks there are different pitches and moods of electronic music, and it’s really exciting to hear such a breadth of approaches while enjoying a singular vision.

Collision Objects - Pool Adjacent

Summer sounds for an unclear summer. Adjacent to a pool of water on the side of the road, if this week is anything to go by. Digital sonic experimentation that gives the impression of endless sunlight inside the body of your computer.

Zvrra, Reverend Dollars - Exercise 001

Brand new, a collaboration between Zvrra and Reverend Dollars, two brilliant US artists. It’s a great mix of house sounds and acidic flourishes, showing the nuanced abilities of each party. Let’s hope there are more exercises in store.