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Music
Thirty Years On, Basic Channel’s “Radiance II” Sounds Like It Was Written Yesterday

Music

Thirty Years On, Basic Channel’s “Radiance II” Sounds Like It Was Written Yesterday

The chords sound as if they’re bouncing off the walls of a room. This sort of effect is now synonymous with dub techno; these fellas made it a thing 30 years ago. Atmosphere established immediately.
Friendship Fuels Denmark’s Underground: Digital Twin’s Hyperlink & Safe Distribution

Music

Friendship Fuels Denmark’s Underground: Digital Twin’s Hyperlink & Safe Distribution

Collectively, Hyperlink feels like speed skating through space. Zooming between constellations, gliding past meteor debris and the occasional unexplained lifeform. What I find most appealing is the jacked-up attitude it exudes, unrelenting yet super playful.
Party Series Turned Solo Project: The Evolution of Running Hot | TROVE 40

Music

Party Series Turned Solo Project: The Evolution of Running Hot | TROVE 40

Even six years on, those close to it all feel the DNA of those London parties still courses through Mark’s veins. Whether behind the decks or writing his own hammers, he refuses to be boxed in by genre, forever expressing the same sense of playfulness and exploration that defined Running Hot from the get-go.
Fables 012 (Mix) | Manmade Deejay

Music

Fables 012 (Mix) | Manmade Deejay

It can sometimes feel as if I’m slightly elsewhere. Not in a bad way, but a lot of my life revolves around arriving and departing. Every now and again, it’s as if I’m never quite arriving and never really leaving, just sort of right between places. 
AI Dominated Indie Week. Humanity Won the Conversation.

Music

AI Dominated Indie Week. Humanity Won the Conversation.

Somewhere between all the chatter about robots replacing musicians and the mountain of LinkedIn posts promising AI will save the music business. I realised Indie Week wasn’t obsessed with technology; it was actually obsessed with people – the passionate industry pros sitting in the same rooms as I.
Three Hours at Dawn: Amelia Holt on the Magic of Waking Life & her Honey Trap Imprint | TROVE 039

Music

Three Hours at Dawn: Amelia Holt on the Magic of Waking Life & her Honey Trap Imprint | TROVE 039

From 4–7 on Sunday morning, she took the Floresta stage on a quest, knitting together top-speed selections that carried a surprising delicacy. No records were mirror images of their predecessors, yet somehow they all stuck together like Velcro.
Midland’s “All Crews”: Born to Prolong the Party | Phelt Phinds 080

Music

Midland’s “All Crews”: Born to Prolong the Party | Phelt Phinds 080

What I love most is the sexy, sleazy energy coursing through it. It’s the kind of music that helps loosen the knots that life in the fast lane causes.
A Genre-Spanning Banquet: Born At Midnite on the Making of their Debut Album, Eternal BAM Nation

Music

A Genre-Spanning Banquet: Born At Midnite on the Making of their Debut Album, Eternal BAM Nation

For me, the album carries this romanticised college-town energy. Picture a neophyte band playing in the corner of a university bar; the longer their set rolls, the more ears and eyes gravitate towards them.
“Dawn”: The Tender Home Run You’ve Hopefully Never Heard | Emma Donovan & The Putbacks | Phelt Phinds 079

Music

“Dawn”: The Tender Home Run You’ve Hopefully Never Heard | Emma Donovan & The Putbacks | Phelt Phinds 079

Although the subject matter is heavy, it’s plated so gently. No crescendo, no grand declaration  – just an understanding that Emma is going through it, and that things will slowly shift.
Fables 011 (Mix) | Matt Hübner

Music

Fables 011 (Mix) | Matt Hübner

As the solstice approaches and the sunset lingers in the sky for hours, accented by plumes of candy floss clouds and the wispy contrails of planes gone by, it’s hard not to get swept up in the intoxicating energy of a city finally unshackled from its winter months.
S.A.M’s “Ripe Fields” Almost Lay on A Hard Drive Forever | Phelt Phinds 078

Music

S.A.M’s “Ripe Fields” Almost Lay on A Hard Drive Forever | Phelt Phinds 078

Each element comes with intention — a representation of the sights and sounds of days past. A spelling-out of lying in a field of dirt, soaking in the fragrance and birdsong of a summer’s day.
The Many-Headed Monster ZDBT | TROVE 038

Music

The Many-Headed Monster ZDBT | TROVE 038

In addition to blending tracks together, Zach is also an accomplished producer and mixing engineer. Most recently, he released an EP as DOSIS (alongside Daniel Rincon/NAP) via Amela Holt’s label, Honey Trap, while also contributing the dubby “Rorrim” (with Syd Woz) to Short Span’s latest compilation, aptly titled Short Tracks.
A Song For Before Life Gets Serious: “Flawless” | other joe | Phelt Phinds 077

Music

A Song For Before Life Gets Serious: “Flawless” | other joe | Phelt Phinds 077

The final version stands out. If it were a criminal in a lineup, even a witness who’d only caught a glimpse of the perpetrator would pick them out instantly.

Hannah Cohen’s “Earthstar” is A Soundtrack for Your Sixth Sense | Phelt Phinds 076

Music

Hannah Cohen’s “Earthstar” is A Soundtrack for Your Sixth Sense | Phelt Phinds 076

Heard together, they take me somewhere specific – sitting beside my grandfather on his patio as the sun sets, our old family dog Gypsy chewing on a stick out on the lawn . A quiet warmth hangs over everything.
Fables 010 (Mix) | Brent Burns

Music

Fables 010 (Mix) | Brent Burns

I stopped pretending I knew. Instead, I listened. To rooms filling and emptying. To the generational gaps. To my own resistance. Programming became less about taste and more about tension; how far you can stretch a room before it snaps, how to seduce without surrendering.
Experience The Sleazy Pulse of flirty800’s “Smoke” | Phelt Phinds 075

Music

Experience The Sleazy Pulse of flirty800’s “Smoke” | Phelt Phinds 075

Ever-present is this sense of silliness and play – you know that feeling where your body suddenly wants to try dance moves it’s never attempted before. Inhibitions fall away, and shame has long since left the building.
Toxic Love Through A Comic Book Lens | “batman” | Fia James | Phelt Phinds 074

Music

Toxic Love Through A Comic Book Lens | “batman” | Fia James | Phelt Phinds 074

Playfully, the relationship is framed by the timeless comic-book duel between Batman and the Joker. But instead of high-speed chases and explosions, it plays out through masquerading and psychological sleight of hand.
Carving A Low-Key Lane From Berlin to Brussels | roadkill | TROVE 037

Music

Carving A Low-Key Lane From Berlin to Brussels | roadkill | TROVE 037

You can practically hear the preparation at work. Jack’s recordings bloom steadily, each track giving the next a gentle lift, and then another, and another. It builds like standing in an open stretch of farmland, watching a tornado gather itself on the horizon.
Club Pop Matrimony: Jump Source’s “Endlessly” ft. BEA1991 Ties The Knot | Phelt Phinds 073

Music

Club Pop Matrimony: Jump Source’s “Endlessly” ft. BEA1991 Ties The Knot | Phelt Phinds 073

The album is doused with features, each one doing wonders for its respective track. My pick of the bunch is with Dutch singer-songwriter BEA1991 on “Endlessly.” From the opening note, there’s buzz and bounce – BEA’s cantations falling in line with rubbery synths, words seeping through circuitry.
From Detroit to Tisno: The Enduring “Knights of the Jaguar” | DJ Rolando A.K.A The Aztec Mystic | Phelt Phinds 072

Music

From Detroit to Tisno: The Enduring “Knights of the Jaguar” | DJ Rolando A.K.A The Aztec Mystic | Phelt Phinds 072

Like it was yesterday, I remember that triumphant synth melody cutting through. It sounded like people scrambling over each other to reach something priceless, a surge of urgency. Picture a wave of bodies storming Walmart to get their hands on a new batch of Pokémon cards.
The Joy In Transmission: Yibing’s Path from Mexico City to New York | TROVE 036

Music

The Joy In Transmission: Yibing’s Path from Mexico City to New York | TROVE 036

Excursions in this melting pot involved cumbias and salsa blasting in a pesero (microbus) or at the tianguis (open-air market), screaming at the top of her lungs to old-school Latin Rock like Soda Stereo, listening to local indie bands on Ibero 90.9, and going to festivals like Vive Latino.

Fables 009 (Mix) | Evie & Danny Bodega

Music

Fables 009 (Mix) | Evie & Danny Bodega

We hit it off from our first beer under the statue of The David at the Moreland Hotel in Brunswick, in the summer of 2023. Soon, both of us transplanted to East London, a fast, creative simpatico was forged through digging, dancing, and sharing the booth countless times since.
Long-Form Minimal Mastery: Loidis Flips james K’s “Peel” | Phelt Phinds 071

Music

Long-Form Minimal Mastery: Loidis Flips james K’s “Peel” | Phelt Phinds 071

Across 14 minutes and 16 seconds, Loidis drizzles the original with a tasty minimal syrup. Sub-bass notes and shimmering synths move in lockstep, while the songstress’s vocals find gaps to peak through the rich ooze.
“Carsick” | snuggle | Phelt Phinds 070

Music

“Carsick” | snuggle | Phelt Phinds 070

“Carsick” is my favourite of the bunch. A tune that presses on this very nerve – hurtling towards something you have little control over, and things changing around you faster than you can process them.
Enter the Fog: The Life & Times of Kyoto’s Stones Taro

Music

Enter the Fog: The Life & Times of Kyoto’s Stones Taro

In many ways, Foglore feels like a fitting frame for where Taro is right now: somewhere between visibility and obscurity. Not that the ledger really means anything to him. After chatting, what rises to the top is his dedication to the cause and a hunger to be challenged and keep exploring.
“Ohh” | Mood II Swing ft. John Ciafone | Phelt Phinds 069

Music

“Ohh” | Mood II Swing ft. John Ciafone | Phelt Phinds 069

A strange connection, but Billie Eilish’s last album is called Hit Me Hard and Soft. “Ohh”, and really, all of Mood II Swing’s catalogue does exactly that and will keep folks in motion long after I’m gone.
Fables 008 (Mix) | Flowerdrum

Music

Fables 008 (Mix) | Flowerdrum

More than anything, this mix is about the beauty of connection and the invisible thread that ties us through music, even when we’re oceans apart.
Premiere: Making Sense Of Things | “Fifty” | Eamon Harkin | The Place Where We Live LP

Music

Premiere: Making Sense Of Things | “Fifty” | Eamon Harkin | The Place Where We Live LP

Soon, drum machines and sounds that remind me of Star Wars blaster shots join the mix. The result is entrancing, lending the track a real sense of scale. I can picture Eamon using this as kindling for a peak-time inferno during his extended sets.
“PLAYA” | A$AP Rocky | Phelt Phinds 068

Music

“PLAYA” | A$AP Rocky | Phelt Phinds 068

Discussing high fashion, hoops, and the act of being a stand-up guy is refreshing. A clear sign the Harlem product is fully embracing the responsibilities of fatherhood, and is proud to be Rihanna’s man til death do them part.
TROVE 035 | Charles Moon

Music

TROVE 035 | Charles Moon

Belonging is important to us all, but for a fellow who’s lived in eight different regions, it’s paramount. Growing up with parents in the military, Charles has hopped, skipped and jumped from Las Vegas to Florida to Colorado to Oklahoma to Japan to New Mexico to Texas to California, and now Mexico.
TROVE 034 | noodle

Music

TROVE 034 | noodle

Milli likes the fluid and transient nature of scenes and sonic pockets. The idea that they seemingly spring up out of nowhere, pop off for a bit before something else takes their place. “You have to make the absolute most out of each scene when that happens.” 
“Sometimes” | Meg Mac | Phelt Phinds 067

Music

“Sometimes” | Meg Mac | Phelt Phinds 067

If It’s My Party represents the fallout of love lost, “Sometimes” is the moment Meg decides to forgive herself for surviving it. When asked how performing it feels now, she reflects, “Now it makes me smile, but when I was writing it, it made me cry.”
Premiere: Absence as Catalyst – Loure Finds His Way Back With “Always”

Music

Premiere: Absence as Catalyst – Loure Finds His Way Back With “Always”

“It’s always you!” the singer cries again and again, which hits hard. The you here isn’t a person—it’s Loure’s enduring love for music. Even after a long absence, that passion, that adoration for the craft was always quietly waiting to return.
The Unpredictable Architect: David Castellani’s Modular Synthesis

Music

The Unpredictable Architect: David Castellani’s Modular Synthesis

Unlike what we hear from digital synthesizers, modular synths break sound down to its smallest components and manipulate it electronically in real time. The artist controls everything live, from volume to waves, to voltage and reverb; literally generating sound from sparks of electricity.
“look” | moktar | Phelt Phinds 066

Music

“look” | moktar | Phelt Phinds 066

“look” announces itself in a big way — chopped cries meet darbuka hits and human barks that lock you into a head-nod. I’m immediately reminded of Hamdi’s beast “Swing King”, a track that is similarly pure hype.
Carriages, Catharsis & The Colour Red: Inside Telenova’s “In The Name Of Your Love”

Film

Carriages, Catharsis & The Colour Red: Inside Telenova’s “In The Name Of Your Love”

In contrast to the realism of the train carriage, which naturally fed into Ange’s performance, the red room scenes were a lot trickier to pull off. “I’m basically in this tiny red box, and the whole crew is huddled in front of me with a big camera. Everyone’s just staring while I try to tap into all these intense emotions…”
Fables 007 (Mix) | Jeyrototo

Music

Fables 007 (Mix) | Jeyrototo

I’ve been sent to prison for two years. It’s actually not that bad, you’re allowed to use your phone, there’s a nice kitchen and a park. My parents come to visit. They’re quite pleased with the facility.
“Kellen” | Owelu Dreamhouse | Phelt Phinds 065

Music

“Kellen” | Owelu Dreamhouse | Phelt Phinds 065

From go to woe, not a single lyric is uttered, but that only gives each instrument more time in the centre stage. Close your eyes as the strings and mellow snares drift along; it borders on a religious experience, if you ask me.
TROVE 033 | adobeprincess

Music

TROVE 033 | adobeprincess

A set from adobeprincess has substance. By that, I mean it’s a sum of many parts, and interesting ones at that. The tracks she blends are thick and impactful, and more often than not, ones I can’t quite place, which I love.
“New High” | dust | Phelt Phinds 064

Music

“New High” | dust | Phelt Phinds 064

The lyricism on “New High” reeks of Justin’s thought bubbles. It feels like we’re rattling around inside his skull, watching neurons collide, synapses fire, and half-formed ideas wrestle for control. The wording plays out like a tug-of-war — one moment dreading isolation, the next revelling in it.
“My Love Turns To Liquid” | Dream 2 Science | Phelt Phinds 063

Music

“My Love Turns To Liquid” | Dream 2 Science | Phelt Phinds 063

The track’s design makes it feel as though Dream 2 Science have cast a spell, dissolving the emotion into sound and rhythm. I feel like the tempo of this record should be studied; it’s in the pocket, unrelenting, calm yet also party.
Doing It Their Way | “put it on hearts” | WHATMORE

Music

Doing It Their Way | “put it on hearts” | WHATMORE

Beyond the uplifting violin and niche-reference lyricism, the group carry an irresistibly loose energy. The moment the beat kicks in, the five New York natives, thick as thieves, are spellbound, floating around the sparse set with glee.
Fables 006 (Mix) | Jomni

Music

Fables 006 (Mix) | Jomni

After spending the day jumping into the sea like kids while waiting for the ferry and wandering around Ærø, taking in its lovely little houses and beautiful beaches, I saw their live show. The show was simple, sweet, and beautiful.
Summertime Capsule 2025 | Harri Pepper

Music

Summertime Capsule 2025 | Harri Pepper

Between his unwavering search for far-fetched tracks. Harri is a sucker for savica tacos and divine swimming spots. On that note, let’s hop in the Pepper time capsule and drift back to warmer times.
TROVE 032 | Gi Gi

Music

TROVE 032 | Gi Gi

There’s no denying that in big, creatively charged cities, echo chambers open up. Everyone starts peeking at what the person next to them is doing and, without meaning to, ends up doing the same. Thankfully, Gi Gi managed to sidestep all of that, so when it came to releasing his own material in 2019, it sounded super unique.
Is This The Best Video On The Internet Right Now? | “A Couple Minutes” | Olivia Dean

Music

Is This The Best Video On The Internet Right Now? | “A Couple Minutes” | Olivia Dean

What I find so mind-boggling is the 26-year-old’s vocal control and projection. Sometimes Olivia seems to open her mouth only a fraction, yet somehow a swell of soul comes flooding out. I’m not one to believe in higher powers, but it’s undeniable that Olivia Dean has a god given gift.
Fables 005 (Mix) | LINA

Music

Fables 005 (Mix) | LINA

The bass pulses faintly from somewhere nearby. Laughter spills over from passing groups, then drifts away as clouds. We follow the same path from years ago, down side streets that were once shortcuts, now only a memory. Each corner a flicker of recognition.
TROVE 031 | Eulalie

Music

TROVE 031 | Eulalie

The extended play hops lillipads between left-field pop, techno, and experimental, driven by daring sound design, including whispery vocals, door-banging FX, and crackly syncopated beats. Fans of James K, Oklou, FKA Twigs and Grimes will feel right at home with this collection.
“New Life” | Daniel Avery ft. yuné pinku | Phelt Phinds 061

Music

“New Life” | Daniel Avery ft. yuné pinku | Phelt Phinds 061

“New Life” feels like a fork in the road. At first, it’s the choice to step back from the chaos — “Away, away for now”, a breath of distance. Then doubt creeps in, the fear that maybe you’ve let someone truly important slip away.
“Cobra” | Geese | Phelt Phinds 060

Music

“Cobra” | Geese | Phelt Phinds 060

“Cobra” by Brooklyn band Geese is a horse and cart tackling rough dirt roads—jangly, gritty and determined. I imagine a pioneer with reins in hand, trundling across frontier America, steely-willed for whatever life will throw at him next. 
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More Stories

Music

Thirty Years On, Basic Channel’s “Radiance II” Sounds Like It Was Written Yesterday

The chords sound as if they’re bouncing off the walls of a room. This sort of effect is now synonymous with dub techno; these fellas made it a thing 30 years ago. Atmosphere established immediately.
Read Story

Music

Friendship Fuels Denmark’s Underground: Digital Twin’s Hyperlink & Safe Distribution

Collectively, Hyperlink feels like speed skating through space. Zooming between constellations, gliding past meteor debris and the occasional unexplained lifeform. What I find most appealing is the jacked-up attitude it exudes, unrelenting yet super playful.
Read Story

Music

Party Series Turned Solo Project: The Evolution of Running Hot | TROVE 40

Even six years on, those close to it all feel the DNA of those London parties still courses through Mark's veins. Whether behind the decks or writing his own hammers, he refuses to be boxed in by genre, forever expressing the same sense of playfulness and exploration that defined Running Hot from the get-go.
Read Story

Photography

Heat, Dust, Water, Sound: Waking Life | Scott Petterson | Photo Study

I shot fewer frames this year and let faces drift or blur out of them entirely. The edges of the party turned out to be more interesting than what was happening in the thick of things – dust hanging in the afternoon light, countless bodies wading in the water between sets. 
Read Story
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