Autumns - The Ransom Note Mix

Channeling the imposing physicality of brutalist concrete monoliths into that thing we call dystopian techno. The UFO95 flew over Brussels one night, With Absence Has Shape tucked under its light, Through brutalist towers so starkly imposing, Where concrete dreams lay decomposing. “Oh MORD!” cried the vessel, “Oh MORD!” it did say, “I’m bound for the club on the sixth of Febru-ay! With radiophonics both retro and keen, And dystopian grooves never before seen!” The Tresor did rumble, the Berghain did shake, As techno Tardises whirled in its wake, With low-end saturation and thunderous throb, It zipped and it zingled, it wobbled, it bobbed! Brussels-based electronic musician Killian Vaissade – better known as UFO95 – constructs brutalist sonic architecture from the ruins of utopian dreams. On “Absence Has Shape,” the second track from his forthcoming album A Brutalist Dystopian Society Part 2, the Tresor resident channels the imposing physicality of concrete monoliths into that thing we call dystopian techno. Brutalist structures as monuments to failed promises, their stark minimalism now haunting reminders of what never came to pass. Vaissade translates this visual language into dark, dramatic, stripped back essential techno. “Absence Has Shape” throbs with hypnotic tension, interlocking grooves and low-end density. Drawing inspiration from Function, Jeff Mills, Surgeon, and Sandwell District, UFO95’ approach is “Moroder-meets-Mills” – melding retro radiophonics that address brutality in its many forms: war, repression, corruption. A Brutalist Dystopian Society Part 2 drops on February 6th via MORD on vinyl, download, and streaming. The album follows acclaimed releases on Tresor, WSNWG, and TSSRCT (which he co-runs with Hadone), cementing Vaissade’s reputation as a masterful producer whose tracks cut through the noise. Vaissade doesn’t DJ, opting for improvised live sets, a practice that’s earned him a residency at Berlin’s legendary Tresor and slots at Berghain, Berlin Atonal, and Bassiani. Catch him on tour throughout January and February, including upcoming dates at Berghain (Jan 10), Razzmatazz Barcelona (Jan 17), and Fuse Brussels (Jan 24), with stops across Europe and the Americas.

Moon Roq is the collaboration of two musical minds: Franklin & The Iron Glove. Originally born as a carefully curated mix series, their journey has since blossomed into a project that now includes a vibrant blog and finally, a DJ duo. The sound of Moon Roq is rooted in their shared passion for infectious, hypnotic grooves, which glide through the realms of house, disco and techno. You’ll also find a deep, rhythmic sonic exploration woven throughout their performances, which also echoes across today’s mix - recorded live at The Glove That Fits in November 2024. Tuck in! https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/moon-roq-the-shine-a-light-on-mix/

Best known as one half of acclaimed Sheffield electronic duo Hiem - whose disco-infused productions have graced labels like Crosstown Rebels and Eskimo, and featured collaborations with Phil Oakey and Roots Manuva - Boswell is now stepping out under his full birth name for a bold solo venture into stranger sonic territory. "I Know What I Saw" trades "lissom disco" for the eerie glow of unexplained phenomena, weaving a compelling tale of skywatching and UFO abductions in Sheffield. Originally from North Wales and a veteran of the UK electronic scene since the early '90s rave days in Liverpool, Boswell has worn many hats 0 from his early Subboy white labels to his Bozzwell alias on Suicide Recordings, and his critically acclaimed 2010 solo album "Bits & Pieces." he's following his vision intomore atmospheric waters. Out today via Atlantis Audio, the track offers our first glimpse of Boswell's forthcoming album *Going Down Slow*, due January 19th, 2026. It's a bold shift in direction from an artist unafraid to explore the unknown, Press play and keep your eyes on the skies. Listen below: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/premieres/premiere-david-j-boswell-i-know-what-i-saw-atlantis-audio/

There’s a particular alchemy that happens when a band and producer find themselves on the same wavelength – not through careful planning, but through the natural convergence of shared musical worlds. Jakarta’s Strange Fruit and electronic artist Jonathan Kusuma have arrived at exactly that point with the Hypnodubmix of “Iridescent,” the first glimpse of the band’s forthcoming Drips EP. Strange Fruit has always inhabited dual territories. While their shoegaze-leaning live sound draws from dreamy, guitar-driven atmospheres, members Baldi Calvianca and Irza Aryadiaz have deep roots in electronic music – producing, DJing, and moving through the same underground circuits as Kusuma himself. This isn’t a band reaching outside of their comfort zone for a remix; it’s a collaboration between kindred spirits who’ve been orbiting the same musical universe all along. With releases on Cocktail d’Amore, Correspondant, and Minh, Kusuma strips “Iridescent” back to its essence and rebuilds it as something altogether more hypnotic. Pulsing basslines, dub-driven rhythms, and spectral traces of the vocals drifting through the haze. It’s patient, immersive, and designed for those late-night moments when the dancefloor becomes a meditation. With three more remixes still to come ahead of the EP’s 2026 release via Gentle Tuesday Recordings, Strange Fruit are charting a new path… Read more: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/premieres/premiere-strange-fruit-iridescent-jonathan-kusuma-hypnodubmix-gentle-tuesday-recordings/

Angela Lin, aka Angie QQ, producer and A&R behind the Sounds of Taiwan compilation, returned to Taiwan in May 2019 seeking refuge after the loss of her mother. Angela Lin，又名 Angie QQ，《台灣之聲》合輯的製作人與 A&R。2019 年 5 月失去母親後，她選擇回到台灣，尋找心靈慰藉。 What she discovered in Taroko National Park became the seed for this mix: a meditation on grief, memory, and the way certain places hold us when we need holding most. 她在太魯閣國家公園的體悟，成爲這張混音作品的起點：一段對悲傷與記憶的沉思，也是一種在最需要依靠時，被某片土地溫柔擁抱的感覺 Taroko’s hidden temples and fervent lushness offered Lin sanctuary. She describes the experience as feeling “totally alive” – each leaf, each butterfly, each beam of light made sharp from grief. High in those mountains, she felt her mother could finally see her. Later, her father revealed that Taroko was one of her mother’s favourite places in the world. Though earthquakes have since closed many of the park’s paths, this aural journey captures what it’s like to walk and meditate there: spiritual, powerful, introspective, and healing. 太魯閣隱密的廟宇與蓊鬱的山林，給了 Angie QQ 一處心靈的庇護。她形容自己在那裡感到「完全活著」——每一片葉子、每一隻蝴蝶、每一道光，都因悲傷而變得格外清晰。在高聳的群山之間，她彷彿覺得母親正在看著她，那份被看見的感覺，不只是來自母親，更像是一種對自己悲傷的覺察與釋放——她終於能正視自己的情感，並感受到母親的慈愛與支持。後來，父親告訴她，太魯閣其實是母親生前最喜愛的地方之一。儘管地震封閉公園裡許多步道，這張聲音作品呈在那裡漫步、冥想的感受：靈性、深刻、內省，並帶著療癒的力量。 Understanding how music can hold both landscape and loss, the mix moves like a meditation, like the scene in Totoro where they dance to make their garden sprout, capturing the moment when grief sharpens everything into aliveness, when even the sound of light becomes audible. 音樂可以同時承載風景與失落，這張混音作品如同一場冥想般的流動——就像《龍貓》裡，他們隨著舞蹈讓花園萌芽的場景，捕捉到悲傷將一切都銳化、化為生命力的瞬間，連光的聲音也彷彿能被聽見。 Angie QQ is a Taiwanese American cultural producer based in Los Angeles. With her label Pure Person Press, she “creates and collects records that preserve the spirit of Taiwan.” Her latest collaboration with composer Lim Giong, Sounds of Taiwan, is an ambient record that invites artists to sample Lim Giong’s personal field recordings of Taiwan – a sonic landscape of the island’s people, nature, and spirituality. Through her other company, East Never Loses,, she has transformed mahjong into a cultural movement. Whether through music or mahjong, her work seeks to connect people to Taiwanese culture. Angie QQ 是一位定居洛杉磯的台美文化創作者。她透過自己的公司 Pure Person Press，創作並蒐集保存台灣精神的唱片。最近，用和作曲家林強合作的作品《台灣之聲》，是一張環境音專輯，邀請藝術家取樣林強在台灣田野間錄下的聲音，呈現島上人文、自然與靈性的景象。透過另一家公司 East Never Loses，她把麻將變成一場文化運動。不管是透過音樂還是麻將，Angie QQ 的創作都希望把人們帶回台灣文化的懷抱。 “This mixtape was inspired by my time in Taroko National Park in May 2019. My mother had just passed 6 months ago, and to mourn, I returned to nature. Taroko has hidden temples and places of meditation tucked in all of its crevices. I was able to disappear and hide in its fervent lushness. Inside Taroko’s incredible energy, I felt totally alive. Up high in those mountains, I knew my mother could finally see me. I found out later from my father that Taroko was one of my mother’s favourite places in the world. Sadly, Taroko in recent years has been decimated by earthquakes. Many paths and roads are no longer accessible. Nature reclaims nature. I hope however, this mix offers a feeling of what it would be like to meditate and walk in Taroko: spiritual, powerful, introspective, and healing.” 這張混音作品的靈感來自我在 2019 年 5 月太魯閣國家公園的時光。那時母親剛過世六個月，為了悼念，我回到大自然的懷抱裡。太魯閣的山谷裡藏著隱密的廟宇和冥想之地，我得以在這片蓊鬱的綠意中消失、隱匿自己。在太魯閣那股令人震撼的能量裡，我感覺自己完全活著。在高聳的群山間，她彷彿覺得母親正在看著她—她終於能正視自己的情感，並感受到母親的慈愛與支持。後來父親告訴我，太魯閣其實是母親生前最愛的地方之一。可惜近年地震破壞了許多步道和道路，自然，最終還是屬於自然。我希望這張混音作品能帶給大家在那裡漫步、冥想的感受：靈性、深刻、內省，並帶著療癒的力量。 Interview: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/seeds-mix-6-angie-qq-a-meditation-through-taroko-taiwan-%e7%a9%bf%e8%b6%8a%e5%a4%aa%e9%ad%af%e9%96%a3%e7%9a%84%e5%86%a5%e6%83%b3%e4%b9%8b%e6%97%85%e5%8f%b0%e7%81%a3/

Ibiza has changed a lot. It isn't what it once was that's for sure. However, from time to time you might just catch a glimpse of what it was and what it still means to an awful lot of people. Andy is an old friend of Ransom Note and for those in the know he's a bit of an unsung hero having worked behind the scenes at various record labels you probably love. He's probably signed some of your favourite records but he wouldn't tell you that himself. Anyway, a few weeks back he sent us this mix which was a recreation of a set he played at Sundays At Pikes this summer. Pikes remains one of the last strongholds of the culture in Ibiza, a place which represents the very essence of the island and the state of mind. Think balearic dreams, sunsets and all that jazz. It's the real deal. Anyway, Andy soundtracked it and it made us smile.

Odopt is the musical partnership of Ivan Maslov, a Buenos Aires-based producer and composer, and Gregory, a DJ with two decades of experience behind the decks, now residing in Paris. Since 2015, they've dropped rugged, hardware-driven bangers, carving out a niche in the space of Electronic groove. Their music is constantly doing the rounds on dance-floors worldwide and you may have crossed paths with Odopt over their latest release on Club Blanco, which has seen ongoing support from the likes of John Talabot, Orpheu the Wizard, Secretsundaze, Chida and Alexis Le Tan to name a few, or perhaps you crossed paths with them over last year's album on Snaker. Once a live act, today Gregory's marathon DJ sets carry the duo's spirit forward, packed with exclusive tracks, secret edits and a decade’s worth of unreleased material - this mix for Ransom Note stays true to their sound, which is their first podcast in three years! Let's go! Read the article: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/odopt-the-ransom-note-mix/ @odopt

Post-punk provocateur Autumns has been catapulting angular weapons over the ramparts since 2014… Carving out a fierce reputation across labels like Downwards, Opal Tapes, iDEAL Recordings and DKA Records. Christian Donaghey’s relentless live show has seen him tour worldwide alongside Veronica Vasicka, Silent Servant, and Wire, delivering workouts that pummel those lower frequencies into submission. Now, as he joins Ransom Note with the ferocious EP ‘Through the Construction of Grace’ EP, the “lanky, ginger man from Derry” offers up a mix that captures his intuitive approach to music-making. Recorded in his bedroom, it’s a journey through the sounds that have shaped Autumns’ “awful attempts at ripping off every bit of music that I like” from DJ Hell & Alan Vega collaborations to deep Post-Punk in Dub territory. It’s confusing, distorted vocals and atonal blasts that taste like marmalade, and moves with the scrappy resourcefulness of a raccoon. Worry less. Listen intuitively. Let’s get go… INTERVIEW: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/autumns-the-ransom-note-mix/ Tracklist: The Pop Group – Blood Money (Dennis Bovell Dub Version) Le Prince Harry – Sea of Trees (Autumns Remix) Autumns – The Unfortunate Touch Internal N.Y. Rhythms – Poli Ritmo Shkema – Seilai MLiR & Velmondo – Hokhmah Civilistjavel x Mayssa Jallad – Bynana (Version) A Certain Ratio – Genotype.Phenotype Froid Dub – Tears Maker (Vacant Heads Remix) Hell & Alan Vega – Listen To The Hiss Black Bones & Autumns – Cruising SPK – Napalm (Terminal Patient) 23 Skidoo – Just Like Everybody Reducer – Sensaround Dub Autumns – Trolley Coin @autumns

Shanghai’s electronic music scene has been shaped by a handful of key figures, and Yu Yang is undoubtedly one of them. Since the early 2000s, through her work with M Agency and club Haze, she’s been brought international heavyweights to China for the first time, whilst consistently championing local talent. After serving as musical director for W Shanghai – the Bund and the Shanghai EDITION, Yu Yang co-founded ALTER., a party series that brought together the world’s most forward-thinking selectors and China’s finest in carefully chosen venues. What developed was one of Shanghai’s most sought-after nights and a genuinely strong community around it. Yu Yang crafts sets that balance introspection with ‘fun’. Interview here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/yu-yang-the-shine-a-light-on-ransom-note-mix/ @yuyang11

Iptamenos Discos announces Houdini, the new EP by label founders Local Suicide. The record features three of their darkest and most powerful originals to date, alongside striking reworks from French electroclash pioneer David Carretta and rising Greek EBM force Alpha Sect. Houdini begins with Obsessions, a song built around a brutal bassline, analog synthesisers, and stark vocal mantras. It's a melting pot of darkwave and techno influences. "Obsessions, they come and go" is hypnotically repeated throughout the ordeal, resulting in a relentless, claustrophobic dance track.  Obsessions by Local Suicide will release as part of the Houdini EP as a limited 12" vinyl and digitally on the 21st November 2025. Three original tracks, two remixes.