Commentary

dance-music
2021
Featured

Ransom Note’s Best Of 2021

We compiled a list of 2021's best moments, after last year failed to warrant one.
 
 
Featured
On the ground: Unrest and activism in the streets of Colombia Reading about the news in Colombia, a place where I’ve been to tour and collaborate with musicians on many occasions, I felt the urge to use the connections I made there to hear some first hand experiences and observations.
Opinion
Psychogeography: Daniel Power in Shenzhen In his home base of Shenzhen, a city in the Southeast of China, Unchained Recordings co-founder Daniel Power has been defining the Drum and Bass scene, bringing some of the genre’s key players over to play at the label’s monthly parties.  While the events have hosted the likes of DJ Zinc, Kabuki and dBridge, since […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Lila Tirando A Violeta in Montevideo Situated on the east bank of the Rio de la Plata is Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital city and the southernmost capital of South America. In contrast to its neighbouring countries of Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay and Montevideo move at a slower pace, promising tranquil strolls through the colourful streets and markets. Producer and performer Lila Tirando […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Food Porn in Toronto with Daniel 58 Canada has been responsible for a new wave of musicians and producers as of late – many have channeled the spacious, abstract freedom of life in it's cities and towns. Parallel Minds is a Toronto based record label run by Ciel, Daniel 58 and Yohei S. It's acted as an outlet for the trio to […]
 
Opinion
90s clubland mischief with author DJ Dribbler Harry's Kebabs is one of the only books I’ve read from cover to cover in less than a day. I think it was because of just how much I believed in the characters and what they got up to. These were the older fellas I’d meet at my first after parties who dressed sharply like […]
 
Opinion
Psychogeography: MANASYt in Xiamen Originally hailing from Bulgaria, DJ and producer MANASYt made the move over to China nine years ago to teach English. He's been crafting electro synth productions on the side for almost 20 years, building up an enviable discography of music that has landed on imprints like Bunker Records, Touchin' Bass and Bodyvolt, alongside EBM singer […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Tropical Animals in Florence Tropical Animals have been providing musical services to the good people of Florence for 10 years. Their mission is to bring some of the world's most respected artists to their home of Club 21, week in week out, and maintain an intimate, inclusive and safe space to party. Their events aren't centered solely around the […]
Art & Culture

Value Based Curation: Positive Education Festival in focus

Next month will mark the return of arguably one of the most innovative and interesting European music and arts festivals.
Positive Education
Opinion
Psychogeography: Iñigo Vontier in Guadalajara DJ and producer Iñigo Vontier is part of the new wave of Mexican producers crafting hypnotic electronics. These sounds have travelled across the pond and have taken him to imprints like Correspondant, Melómana Records and La Dame Noir as well as a forthcoming album on Parisian imprint Lumière Noire that features collaborations with Xen, DJ […]
 
Opinion
Halloween Dashboard: Meet the man creating spooky dolls and outsider art behind the wheel The other week whilst out running, I passed this parked white van with loads of handmade, creepy dolls on the dashboard. They were too good to ignore, so I stopped to have a chat with the man behind the wheel. It turns out he sits there making them all day just to pass the time, […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Vladimir Ivkovic on Belgrade Fortress I was born and raised in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, so basically I spent my "formative" years there. It’s a city located at the confluence of two rivers – Sava which was the longest Yugoslavian river, and Danube the second longest European river. Yugoslavia is no more, but that’s another story. Tools discovered in the area indicate […]
Opinion
URL vs. IRL: Do DJs Today Need Social Media to Be Heard? A few months ago I found myself losing a battle I thought I’d long since won. After years of relying on a Facebook page to post functionally about my DJ gigs and mixes, my social media curiosity had come back from the dead. I started weighing up the pros and cons with anyone who’d listen; […]
 
 
Opinion
Psychogeography: River Yarra in Melbourne Australian multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer River Yarra AKA Raudie McLeod popped up on our radar in early 2018 with his contribution, alongside Tom Baker, to CC:DISCO’s Soothsayer compilation. We followed him closely as he took his percussive oddities to Zaltan’s Antinote Recordings with his Lucky Boy EP last summer, and now we’re happy to see […]
Opinion
View From The Side: Is it time to change the way that we look at rave history? So the BBC is at it again, retelling the story of the birth of rave culture. I get increasingly worried when I see programmes like Everybody in the Place in the schedules… just how exactly can anyone retell this story for the umpteenth time and teach us anything we don’t already know? And even if […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Molchat Doma in Minsk Blurring the borders between new wave, post-punk and synth-pop, Belarusian band Молчат Дома, pronounced Molchat Doma, saw a huge spike in their following earlier this year after their 2018 release Etazhi got picked up by YouTube's magnificent algorithms, serving it up to an audience that may have never found it alone. Berlin-based label Detriti Records […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: A Sagittariun in Bristol & Beyond Last week marked the release of a new album from a stalwart of house and techno who perhaps isn't always granted the respect that he truly deserves. A Sagittariun is a singular producer and musician who has worked tirelessly across many years releasing his own music via Elastic Dreams, a label he runs and manages personally. […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Aleksa Alaska on Bucharest Historically dubbed 'The Little Paris of the East', the Romanian capital and cultural and industrial centre boasts a charming mix of old and new architecture, as well as host of underground club spaces and wonderful spots to eat, drink and watch the world go by.  Aleksa Alaska, the queen of the mixtape, moved to the […]
 
Opinion
Psychogeography: Jad Taleb in Beirut Beirut, the capital and biggest city in Lebanon, has become a thriving hub for nightlife and culture, giving many of the biggest cities around the world a run for their money. Historically the country has been the victim of several conflicts and civil wars, with parts of the country left war-stricken and damaged. But in […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Monticule Racing Team in Munich Munich, the Bavarian capital and a city with deep rooted history and importance. A European stalwart if you will which has observed a recent surge in forward thinking creativity and expression across a sprawling array of cultural sectors. Music is no different and amidst the beer houses and old buildings you will find a core […]
 
Opinion
Psychogeography: Dar Disku in Bahrain The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island country in the Arabian Gulf, lying between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The beautiful island, known for its sense of community and diversity, is home to Dar Disku, a new label founded by Mazen AlMaskati and Vish Mhatre last year. Their ethos is simple, to celebrate and share […]
 
Opinion
Psychogeography: DJ Lil’ John in Chicago DJ Lil' John has been a well-known face on the Chicago scene for many years, the city widely regarded as the home of house music. As a radio presenter he hosts regular shows on WSRB 106.3fm, twice daily every weekday, alongside pioneering producer Mike Dunn. Recently German producer Damiano von Erckert and his AVA. label got their […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Aksel & Aino In Stockholm Stockholm is a city bubbling with life and culture, the Scandinavian city has been a gateway to many a musician and whilst is perhaps not regarded as a cultural capital of electronic music it has more to it than first might meet the eye.  Today marks the release of a new EP by Aksel & […]
Opinion
View From The Side: What is truly underground? One of the truly wonderful characteristics of music is its subjectivity. From a purely aesthetic point of view, no single taste or opinion governs the definition of quality. The broad spectrum of frequencies that touch our ears evoke personal responses and emotions in line with our own taste. A piece of music’s worth cannot be […]
 
 
Opinion
Psychogeography: Maruwa on St. Petersburg There have been tall tales to emerge from St. Petersburg, stories of late night dancing and hedonistic parties with good people and well versed dancefloors. In the nineties it was regarded as the rave capital of Russia and based off recent reports it would appear to be in as good a state as ever.  Maruwa […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Olivia on Kraków Olivia is one of Poland's most exciting DJs, and a huge advocate for the sounds coming out of her home city. For years she headed up the bookings at Krakow's best night club Szpitalna 1 and makes up part of the team behind experimental electronic music festival Unsound. Her DJ sets and productions showcase her […]
 
Opinion
Psychogeography: Phillipi & Rodrigo in São Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, and the seventh largest in the world, home to a huge 20 million people. Rich in history and culture, the city has become a melting pot for creativity with many young artists moving to the city to connect and share ideas with likeminded people. Brazilian duo Phillipi […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Lazare Hoche in Paris Micro house is alive and well, the Parisian suburbs and city streets are alive and bustling with a new wave of producers and music channeling deep, intrinsic, minimal roots into a new fashion. Paris has always been rather good at reinventing itself, Lazare Hoche is a producer at the forefront of the shift.  We invited him […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: Photonz on Lisbon Lisbon has become a hot spot for a new generation of creatives looking to escape the rat race of other European cities. Although gentrification has creeped in, the local music scene is flourishing, propelled by a handful of passionate figureheads intent on spreading the word about emerging Portugese artists.  Photonz is one such voice. The […]
Opinion
View From The Side: Has house music lost its soul? I’m on a night out seeing some of my favourite DJ’s, this duo has been at the top of my list for years and I’m ecstatic to finally catch them live. So, imagine my disappointment when their set opens with some hard kicks and to be honest… not much else. Ah, they are just warming […]
 
Opinion
Psychogeography: Mister Saturday Night in New York New York, New York… the city that never sleeps as they say. A bustling metropolis with high rent, towering skyscrapers and busy people with places to be. However, if you look beneath the shiny surface there is a wonderful realm of opportunity, tranquil corners and a culture all of its own.  Mister Saturday Night are […]
Opinion
Psychogeography: A Guide to Napoli NAPOLISOUND: Behind The Scenes… Napoli is undeniably a city with a unique disposition. It has been the subject of countless texts, songs and art. Centuries of culture and history are mixed with loud voices, noises and perfumes; those who have been here can confirm.  Art moves in all directions through the narrow streets across the […]
 
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