Ransom Note

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

A collision of rave outsiders: Morris’s unlikely pop mystique meets Gramrcy and Loveless on the FWD dancefloor… lnk.to/GJLPH149 In Berlin where the bassweight bubbles bright, Lived Gramrcy and John Loveless, deviant and polite, They stirred a pressure-cooker full of electroclash stew, With ISDN-line scramble and a hint of something new. “Oh!” cried Tony Morris (former teacher, taxi man), “I’ll hypnotize with repetitions, catch me if you can! I’m Scotland’s most unlikely pop sensation, don’t you see? A cult figure cabaret, as deviant as can be!” They mixed it up on Phantasy Sound with textural delight, The earworming anchor bobbed and bounced all through the night, From FWD-era gumption to the disco esoteric, They created ‘Lucid’ madness, quite atmospheric! The festival-rupturing Highdive had ruptured long before, Now ‘Feel So’ tipped the scales toward the ecstatic dance floor, With post-punk percussion prancing, hi-NRG in tow, From Chicago down to Rimini, watch the bassline grow! Said Peggy Gou and Daniel Avery, “What a splendid sound!” While 2ManyDJs spun it ’round and ’round and ’round, And Moschino’s models strutted to the supreme release, As rave outsiders intersected in their bubbling masterpiece! So if you seek the throbbing beat of something deeply odd, Find Gramrcy and John Loveless – that peculiar duo’s squad With Tony Morris chanting in his late-sixties prime, Making lucid nonsense music, one earworm at a time! Three years after their all conquering ‘Highdive’, Gramrcy and John Loveless return to Phantasy with ‘Lucid’, a pressure-cooker of FWD-era bassweight and electroclash scramble anchored by the hypnotic vocals of Tony Morris. Listen below, pre order here: https://lnk.to/GJLPH149

Recorded in a small village on the Costa Brava – surrounded by seagulls, tramontana winds, and sea urchin-covered rocks – this mix comes from the laid-back Barcelona neighbourhood of Gràcia, where Parisian-born Antoine Harispuru, better known as Golden Bug, has made his home. With a career spanning over fifteen years, Golden Bug has become known for his unique signature: drum machines in a haze of smoke, chopped-up sounds with a machete edge, drenched in delay – a raw, kaleidoscopic patchwork of electronica, dub, and psychedelia. His work has graced labels including La Belle Records (his own imprint), Les Disques de la Mort, Höga Nord, Gomma, Multi Culti, and Kompakt. This mix hits as the anniversary edition of Piscolabis II, where Golden Bug teams up once again with artists from around the world to craft a new series of aural excursions. From digital reggae to cinematic electronica with Londoner Simone Butler (of Primal Scream) and Brazilian artist Max Blum, to mutant disco with Franco-Italian musician Kim Giani, via slow-burning, incandescent techno led by the captivating voice of Greek singer Scarlett O’Hanna, and krautrock infused with dub in collaboration with London-based Phoebe Coco. These six tracks offer a bold and refreshing reinterpretation of the original album: a rich, textured sonic journey shaped by diverse and unexpected influences. Among the selections, you’ll find current favouites like SAVE’s Rainy Monday — a digital dub gem from Marc Nguyen’s project on Ivan Smagghe’s Les Disques de la Mort, alongside recent discoveries like Blotter Trax’s Superconductor on Optimo. Get into that comfy chair with a good glass of wine and a proper sound system…. and press play. Interview here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/golden-bug-the-ransom-note-mixtape/

Braiden is a London-based DJ and producer known for his genre-blurring sets and finely tuned ear for sound design. During the 2000’s he was a pivotal figure in underground club culture, helping to push and champion a new style of bass music which would go on to become synonymous with dance music in the UK and globally. Braiden gained early recognition through his diverse and dynamic DJ sets, which fluidly blend elements of house, techno, grime, UK garage, and experimental electronics. He first made waves as a presenter on Rinse FM, where his forward-thinking selections and deep knowledge of club music cultures earned him a keen following. His productions — including the acclaimed 2010 debut single “The Alps” on Joy Orbison’s Doldrums label — showcase a meticulous approach to rhythm and atmosphere. “The Alps” was reissued this year, cementing the EP amidst a new crowd with Braiden having ducked out of the spotlight for several years to focus on other outlets. Now he’s back, with new music as well.

Hardway Bros French Caribbean outing… The Hardway Bros went outre-mer, To seek Mamman Brigitte so fair, With pockets full of tree frog songs, And voodoo drums and silken thongs. They sailed beyond the infinite sky, Where Mari Galante’s beauties lie, Through heat and rain and humid air, They combed the island everywhere. “Oh Mamman Brigitte!” came their cry, “We’ve brought you frogs that never die! They sing at night, they sing at noon, They sing beneath the heavy moon!” But she just laughed a laugh so wide, And vanished with the turning tide, And left the Bros to stand and stare, At sea and sky and humid air. Now Hardway Bros play cards with frogs, And sleep on very uncomfortable logs, While somewhere near the outre-mer, Mamman Brigitte is drinking beer. The latest Hardway Bros EP is a result of some recent downtime in Mari Galante: “I recently enjoyed a rare holiday on Mari Galante in the french caribbean – a place of incredible beauty, infinite sky and sea. It’s a veritable assault on the senses, heat, humidity, sun and rain, soundtracked by a million tree frogs. Strong voodoo vibes. Herewith an audio postcard from the real Outre-Mer…” We’re premiering the lead voodoo belter here.. Order full EP here: https://outre-mer.bandcamp.com/album/en-outre-mer-3 Listen below: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/premiere-hardways-bros-mamman-brigitte-outre-mer/

Sitting in the space between digital dub and synth-pop, with nods to Spectral Display and Primal Scream’s Simone Marie on vocal duty. There once was a Bug who was Golden and bright, Who lived in La Belle Records by day and by night, With Simone Marie (who plays bass, don’t you see), They danced ’round a digital dub-a-dub tree. “Oh Piscolabis!” cried the Bug with glee, “Let’s craft something strange ‘tween Milan and the sea! We’ll mix synth-pop sounds with a spectral display, And premiere our tune on October the day!” Max Blum and Kim Giani came hopping along, With sonic UFOs and a dub-a-dub song, They twirled and they whirled in their Belle-ish delight, At La Boule Noire on a Froid Dub-ish night. The Golden Bug giggled, “How perfectly queer! Our NoLo will drift in its own sonic sphere!” And off they all sailed in their musical boat, While anniversary editions began to float. We’re premiering “NoLo,” a new track from the upcoming anniversary edition of Golden Bug’s Piscolabis II, out October 3rd via La Belle Records. The track features Simone Marie, known as the bassist for Primal Scream and The Jesus and Mary Chain, lending her voice to the collaboration. Working with longtime collaborators Max Blum and Kim Giani, Golden Bug crafted something that sits between digital dub and synth-pop, with nods to Spectral Display, with Marie’s vocals forming the emotional centre. “I’ve always been a fan of Simone’s unique musical universe but what brought us together this time wasn’t one of her cosmic basslines — it was her voice. A rare and soulful voice, one that seems to carry a thousand stories in a single note. It became the foundation of the entire track. As with many of my tracks, this one was born from a beautiful encounter — I started this track between Milan and Barcelona, and the vocals were recorded in London by Simone Marie.” Antoine aka Mr Golden Bug Golden Bug – Piscolabis Live Experience is happening on October 6th in Paris at La Boule Noire, with our very own adopted Froid Dub as the opening act! Details: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/premieres/premiere-nolo-feat-simone-marie-golden-bug-la-belle-records/

West London’s Tutu Ta returns with their most haunting work yet on “Violence Or Violets” via the ever excellent Long Gone Are The Old Traditions There once was a Samurai keen, Who lived in an Igloo pristine, With his Tutu Ta sound, Where the dub beats abound, And violets grew violet-green! He mixed up his beats in the snow, With post-punk and spoken word flow, “Long Gone Are The Old Traditions!” he’d cry, As ethereal vocals flew by, From West-London’s factory echo! His Violence Or Violets EP, Made the arctic winds sing with glee, For LONGGONEIII, Was the label so free, Where heart-aching sonics run free! Producer-singer-songwriter Tutu Ta dives deeper into their fusion of dub, spoken word, and post-punk atmospherics. Following acclaimed releases “The Shrine” and “Clay Birds Are Grey,” this latest offering from Long Gone Are The Old Traditions stable showcases an artist unafraid to explore more intimate, spectral territories while keeping one foot firmly planted in the UK’s rich sound-system heritage. Ethereal vocals float above punchy rhythms that nod to their hometown’s legendary dub legacy, creating “a driven heart provoking siren.” https://www.theransomnote.com/music/premieres/premiere-tutu-ta-samurai-igloo/ @long-gone-dublin-london

Australia’s electro master shows another side with a mature, experimental IDM sound. A haiku: Broken bones A time to reset A new way Jensen Interceptor isn’t normally one to stay still but after a freak accident left him with multiple fractures in his foot he was forced to stop and take a few months off. Luckily for us he put all the pent-up energy into his new LP, Interception, out this week on his International Chrome imprint. The LP pulls in influence from IDM, Footwork, and Baile Funk to create his most experimental work yet. “Since I started making music I’ve always made music geared towards use in my DJ sets but there’s always been an urge to explore the deeper side of electronic music. That time off after the accident gave me the space to dive into genres and really experiment.” https://www.theransomnote.com/music/premieres/premiere-jensen-interceptor-hes-cute/ @internationalchrome

After pushing the envelope on labels like Optimo Music and Höga Nord, Berlin-based duo Rudolf Abramov return with their latest outing “High Japan,” which launches Aquasonic Records, the new label founded by the duo. “High Japan” captures a late-night drift through neon-lit streets, combining broken funk, modular synths, and hypnotic melodies into something that defies easy categorization. The track introduces Aquasonic Records, a Berlin-based imprint focused on music that “operates outside conventional genre boundaries and algorithmic listening patterns.” Curating artists working across subaquatic kraut-dub to post-club sounds, celebrating musicians who don’t fit traditional moulds. Aquasonic connects music with marine life through collaborations with divers, pairing releases with underwater footage while supporting ocean conservation efforts.

fka boursin is the sort of musician we like. Understated, doesn’t take himself too seriously yet manages to channel real emotion and depth through music. The sounds speak from themselves with Henry drawing upon influences from the likes of Dj Sprinkles, Basic Channel, old NY House music and after hours sounds. The end result is a puzzle made up of pieces from each – all with evocative undertones throughout. The latest release is out on Scissor & Thread – a suitable home for an eclectic, long playing selection of pensive tracks which leave food for thought. This is music for late night moments alone, for foggy mornings and reflective moments.

Serenda is a London based DJ who was raised on a broad assortment of sounds which stem from her Guyanese and Greek roots. Her taste is versatile and far reaching drawing from influence from funk, soul, hip-hop and beyond. However, she is perhaps best known for her energetic take on house music which blurs the lines between styles but sure as hell keeps things moving on the dancefloor. This month marked the release of a new EP on Rhythm Section, what is likely to be a pivotal moment in her musical career as she joins an esteemed label of artists who have helped to redefine the shape of British House music and its associated culture. Serenda’s sets are less about fitting into a genre and more about evoking sensation and connection. This mix is a dynamic, fluid representation of that. Showcasing her ingenuity and ability to weave sounds and styles together in a way which is as playful as it is concise.

Beyond the fabled chill-out room and into the field we go... Joe Muggs has lived and breathed 'electronic music culture' for many, many years... like a lot of us probably for more than he'd care to imagine.  From journalist and observer to active participant and curator, beyond his celebrated writing career spanning publications like The Wire, FACT, The Guardian, and his co-authorship of  Bass, Mids, Tops: An Oral History of Soundsystem Culture. Muggs has built many bridges across the worlds of the electronic and handily, for us, ambient. Experimental, ambient, and leftfield sounds to the fore, get horizontal. Something's feeling quite full circle here. So it is with some excitement that Joe agreed to don his ambient trousers again and step up for part 4 of the Seeds mix. "Music to Smell the Jasmine Whilst Watching for Bats in the Twilight" encapsulates what is often a poetic approach to ambient curation - clearly less about the dancefloor and more about creating an experience that enhances the environment around you. Full interview here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/seeds-mix-4-joe-muggs-music-to-smell-the-jasmine-whilst-watching-for-bats-in-the-twilight/ @loosefm Tracklisting: Dr Rod Octopus vs Kirsty Hawkshaw – Ghost Town Cobey Sey – Eve (Anwummer) Om Unit – Springdub Meditation Wombo – Spyhopping Ada – 25 or 6 to 4 Omara Portuondo – Tabu Aswad – Ethiopian Rhapsody Nwando Ebizie – Shadowland (In the Dreams of Others) Muito Kaballa – Like a River Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes – Theem Prototype Ego Ella May – The Morning Side of Love Minnie Riperton – Minnie’s Lament Julee Cruise – She Wold Die for Love Ennio Morricone – Messico E Irlanda Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas, Misha Mullov-Abbado – Tonada De Luna Llena Resavoir – Sunset Durutti Column – Grace Scrimshire, Stac – Pep Talks Brandee Younger – Dust (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello) D’Angelo – Unshaken Sabrina Bellaouel – Clémence Bill Frisell – Sing Together Like a Family Bobbie Gentry – Something in the Way He Moves Frederic Galliano – Niamien Kinkeling (feat. Cissé Diamba Kanouté, Koko Ouadjah) Underworld – Dune Rufus Wainwright – Tiergarten (SuperMayer Lost in the Tiergarten Mix) Talaboman – Dins el Lit (Superpitcher Remix)

From the Lock Tavern via The Gun to spoons… Family Silver are Mr Nick ‘The Gun’ Stephens and Casper ‘Volte Face’ Clark. Nick was the publican at The Gun, a much-loved Hackney institution that recently closed its doors – more on that here for those who have been living under a rock. Nick’s excellent Netil radio show can also be found here. Casper, is based in Clapton and was the music programmer for Camden institution The Lock Tavern where our paths originally crossed – most of the time being kicked out whilst DJing. Casper’s shared stages with Justice, Jeff Mills, Helena Hauff, Daniel Avery and many more and is also known for his long-running BleeD events via which he collaborated with labels like Blackest Ever Black, PAN and Downwards. Both share a love for “v lo-fi early eighties sound, kosmische, post-punk and scuzzy electronics,” with Nick’s influences ranging from 80s TV themes and Giorgio Moroder to The KLF, while Casper was shaped in his youth by electronic acts like Leftfield, Underworld, and William Orbit with DJ Hell’s International Deejay Gigolo Records becoming a huge influence later on. Their sound sits between post-punk and the electronic… so with that in mind let’s give it a listen shall we? Handily via the wonder of a recording from this year’s Field Maneuvers where they opened The Gun’s stage. Listen and read the interview here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/line-out-family-silver-live-sputnik-field-manuevers-2025/ @volte_face_bleed @fieldmaneuvers

Rosie Ama's Human Endeavour label announce a debut label outing from Ambient Babestation Meltdown & Borai. The production pairing, whose musical partnership has birthed a string of releases on Optimo Music, Me Me Me and Ritual Poison, join forces once again for ‘Why The Tiger And The Monkey Are Sworn Enemies’. Known for their excursions into scuzzy, cyberpunk and EBM electronics, this three-track EP on our sub-label chronicles the pair’s ventures into chugging grooves, wormhole acid and early 00s tech house à la Playhouse and Rework. In signature style, Ambient Babestation Meltdown’s FX-soaked vocals take centre-stage across the package, ushering us in with the ritualistic vibrations and hypnotic rhythms of lead single ‘Warm’.

Slothboogie is regarded as a bit of an institution, the long running London based record label and party series has been responsible for releasing forward thinking music which has helped push a new wave of artists and dj’s in the pursuit of dancefloor enlightenment. House music underpins a lot of what Slothboogie is and what they do. Founded in 2010 as a blog, it quickly evolved in to something far greater and now the collective are widely regarded as selectors in their own right. SlothBoogie is a vibrant cultural force—championing underground electronic music with a holistic approach that spans curation, release, performance, and community building. There 15 year anniversary is accompanied by the release of a new compilation which they are celebrating with a launch party in London at Cafe 1001 this evening.

The views from the aeroplane were hard to believe, the scale of the deep blue as it disappeared into the great beyond was staggering. The endless abyss of the limitless sky. Clouds were sparse yet every time he caught a glimpse of one he’d try to create a mental image or a sense of perspective as to what they were, floating against the backdrop of the opal sky. He imagined a great dragon, a frightening beast roaring through the sky with a mighty myriad of colours cascading from its magnificent wings. It was all magic up here. Sarayu is set to release an EP on More Rice – a wiggly, techy beauty of an EP which combines lots of fast paced, glitchy elements to craft a deep, pensive groove.

Soaring, majestic ambient explorations from Pisterman as he unveils the first taster from his second album out in Oct on Hologram Teen's Hologram Opera... Full details: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/premieres/premiere-yoann-pisterman-individual-friends/

In the age of over-information and over-exposure what control do we have over our public persona? It's all about the personality, all about our profile, incessant, endless posts to every medium we can lay our hands on. After 25 years of DJing around the world,  the catchily title |-...-.|  seems like they've had enough of all that and switched to the exact opposite and put together a project with no real name, no real public persona or much else besides. But it's been getting noticed by the right people - Joe Muggs featured them twice in Bandcamp Daily this year, and their latest album "Deliveroo Studio Séances" is the piece that really caught our ear. "This is all about music being judged on its merit rather than ego or identity, transcending the audiences potential preconceptions and focusing on a sonic and visual journey. " The sound pulls from various places - you can hear bits of Aphex Twin, Burial, Daft Punk, and Weatherall in there. It's genre-fluid stuff that doesn't fit neatly into boxes, which is probably why the likes of Trevor Jackson and Prosumer have been supportive. The whole anonymous angle means the music has to speak for itself, which it seems to be doing. So it feels kind of counterintuitive to ask them any questions for this rather tasty mix they've put together of original material, intermingled with other beauties. But we'll do it anyway, hey. Tracklist and full interview here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/the-shine-a-light-on-ransom-note-mix/ @4lob1c66csdd

A long overdue mix from the recent R$N Recs cohort and all-around excellent person, Bleaching Agent. Full interview here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/bleaching-agent-the-altered-currents-mix/ @bleaching-agent

Producer DJ and dweller behind the counter at Phonica, Ysanne makes Mondays ok. "If you're not excited about life you should probably make some changes" Full interview and tracklisting here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/ysanne-the-monday-is-ok-mixtape/