PREMIERE: X & Ivy - What Is This Sound [Life And Death]

Collection of Memories tells the story of where my music begins, with original recordings used in my album Blurred Memories and personal sounds that have inspired me. My Vietnamese heritage has shaped my music through the sounds of martial arts, pagodas, home cooking, dragon dances, and more. This is a collage of those memories: My grandmother arrived in France after the Indochina War with her ten children. The Vietnamese families who left Indochina at that time arrived in France by boat, and some were settled in an empty village in the center of France called Noyant. There, they recreated a little Vietnam to feel at home, keeping traditions and habits alive—women wearing silk pyjamas, grilling skewers in the garden wearing bamboo hats, listening to Vietnamese bolero all day long, and built a pagoda. As children, my cousins and I would always play there, next to the huge black statue of a sitting Buddha, with the sound of chimes hanging in the trees. Every year, our family gathers in this village on the day of my grandmother’s birthday (a random date that was assigned to her when she arrived in France). We spend the weekend cooking in enormous rice cookers and pots—caramelised pork and delicious grilled lemongrass beef skewers. My uncles light firecrackers, and then the dragon dance begins. Everyone takes part—cousins, aunts, uncles, and the little ones—playing drums, dancing under the dragon’s head and tail. The dragon dance is traditionally performed by martial arts practitioners. Viet Vo Dao (Vietnamese martial arts) holds an important place in my family and connects us all. My uncles and my father are masters and each founded their own school many years ago. Every summer, we gathered at the martial arts camp organised by one of my uncles—this was our family holiday. I recorded many sounds from these sessions, including traditional weapons and instruments. Hanoi has also been a huge source of inspiration, helping me understand the origins of certain family traditions and behaviours. While living there, I recorded many sounds from daily life: karaoke singers in the streets, celebrations I could hear from my home, women chatting, cooking, or yelling in the alleys, traditional concerts in front of pagodas, martial arts sessions...

Fun filled selections ahead of Campo Sancho 2025 where Dicky Trisco will be joined by Luke Una. Read the full interview on site now.

The People In The Fog is a moniker of DJ Sodeyama. He has been a stalwart of the Tokyo underground for nearly three decades, cutting his teeth in the 90's and retaining a key presence at the forefront of Japan's house music scene. Over the years he has released a sprawling array of music under a few monikers on the likes of Zenit, Rekids, Quartz and трип. However most recently he has been operating under the guise of The People In The Fog which has afforded him the chance to dig deeper into his sound channeling elements of funk, downtempo and the dubbier undertones of house. He has released this material on Japanese record label Sound Of Vast and for dj's in the know those records have become a 'buy on sight' scenario. This mix showcases versatility and class. Tight blends, excellent, deep thoughtful selections.

House music seems to go through various trends, new iterations, reworks and phases. Jasper James has seen them come and go. The Glaswegian DJ and producer was practically raised on the stuff, growing up around the Sub Club family and cutting his teeth at local parties and in small, dimly lit crowded basements long before it ever became ‘cool’ to be a DJ. His musical repertoire was taught by his father, Harri of Subculture fame. However his own ability to read a room and command a dancefloor remains very much his own. Over the years he has evolved beyond the Glasgow underground playing globally and receiving acclaim before going on to release music on Optimo Trax, ESP Institute, No Art and Steel City Dance Discs amongst others. This mix showcases his versatility in the booth as he weaves between shades of house music – demonstrating a deep rooted knowledge and respect for the origins of the genre.

If you’ve spent any time on Seoul’s dance floors lately, chances are you’ve come across the name ffan. And if you haven’t? Well, you’ve got some catching up to do. ffan has carved out a reputation for his intricate and high-energy sets, navigating seamlessly through genres with a flair that is perfectly controlled. Whether he’s behind the decks or deep in the studio, ffan brings a wild, magnetic energy. His sharp focus has led him to become a key figure in Seoul’s bubbling underground scene. As the founder of club Nyapi Seoul and Studio Namsan, ffan’s voice shimmers through all projects he touches. There’s no better time to get acquainted with what ffan is bringing to the booth. Read more here: https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/ffan-the-wednesday-alternative-mix/

Hot on the heels of the acclaimed Tears Maker Chant 12” LP, illustrious French Electronic duo Froid Dub are back on Ransom Note Records with an interstellar remix package, with a little something special for all occasions on this colossal record. Slip into something comfortable and sit back. Lead single comes from Strange Affair with their mix of Just One. Who are Strange Affair, we hear you ask? They are the exquisite combination of two big hitters, Ruf Dug and Tia Cousins! We’re delighted to introduce their maiden voyage as a production pair, and they make waves here with a frenzied reimagining of the original.

There were colours and flags everywhere, people gathered beneath the myriad of shades in celebration. They were here to see and be seen. The music played loudly and banged furiously from a battered old sound system in the corner of the parade. Aboard the float people danced and waved to the patrons beneath. They were the VIP’s around here. It was loud, as it was supposed to be. Hyas and Aurèle team up for a wicked collaborative EP which also sees a fusion of their respective record labels Bardouin Music and Demi-Monde. This one is energetic and groove driven.

There was nostalgia in the air. You could almost taste it. From behind his sunglasses he watched as they danced in the thick haze of the sunset. The orange light was scattered over the rippling water as they moved by the pool. They were in the middle of nowhere, the outback of a dream. Some others lay on the grass in the distance, watching as they came and went. Each with their own story of the days and nights which had come before... Mexico based producer Mahkina draws influence from the 90's with a stellar assortment of fast paced sounds which bang hard and are set to have the dancefloor bumping.

There was something in the air, a sense of tension. Out here in the middle of nowhere there wasn’t much to be seen for several miles. That had always been the intention. Gathered amidst a small clearing they all looked tense and excited, for something big was about to happen. Then someone walked forward, flicked the switch, cranked the generator and let everything rip. For miles the sound would echo and boom. The rave had began. X & Ivy hold no punches on a new release for Life and Death – a fast paced affair which flies off the hinges from the get go. This one slaps.

She smirked at him as he approached, she knew what he was looking for. There was a glimmer in the corner of her eye which left him wondering what sort of devilish things she might have seen, what sort of reckless abandon she had left behind. Such casual attitude usually meant trouble, yet somehow he couldn’t manage to look away. She had him hooked. The bar was crowded but it were as if it were only the two of them. A thick fog lingered from all of the smoke – the shouts and cries of partygoers bothered him not. He was only here for one thing. Kulture Galerie return with a stellar new split compilation which features an eclectic assortment of heady grooves. This one from Perseus Traxx tugs at our heartstrings, acid in all the right places. Rough and ready as you like.