isolatedmix 126 - Saphileaum

 

After Sa Pa’s isolatedmix contribution last month, we continue in an unintentional alphabetical spectrum of brilliant producers, with Saphileaum.

There comes a time after listening to some musicians for many years that certain instruments and musical approaches begin to stand out. Sure, most of the time you probably know what album you’re sticking on the turntable, but when you have those days you put on shuffle (or when you’re listening to 9128.live, cough cough), some producers start to stand out and trigger the music-geek in you from the first few seconds. It can take many years or decades to find and hone a unique style, but I think Georgian producer Andro Gogibedashvili is well on his way to carving out a unique style of organic, new-age ambient and tribal-infused techno.

Saphileaum’s isolatedmix is a perfect example of his style as a whole, with elements you might hear in his productions stylistically coming to the fore throughout the 25 tracks, despite not including a single track of his own in the mix.

I sent Andro a few questions to complement this wonderfully energizing trip. Check out his latest release on the revered Mule Musiq label, and expect more music from him soon.

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I first came across your work in 2019 with Silent Season, how have things changed for you since?

My first release on Silent Season called "The Traveler" was a sort of a turning point for me and my sound. It was music that I'd created after a pretty long break recording-wise. Since the release was out, a sort of a new journey began for me. I started making more tribalistic and electro-acoustic musical pieces and was also trying to balance them out with downtempo and half-beat grooves, sometimes a bit techno-like maybe too. I also dived a lot into Percussions and eventually ended up learning and playing on real Congas, Bongos, and Georgian Dhol. I'm still in the process of learning and hopefully, it will never end!

I can start to recognize your style over the years which is often a sign of a great unique producer. But how would you describe your sound to someone new?

Thank you very much! I appreciate it. I would describe my music as "Background Music", "Music which you play at gatherings", "Music for Meditation", "Music for looking at the night sky". I would describe the sound as Tribal, Ambient, Cosmic, Joyful and Relaxing. 

Your Discogs profile states "Saphileaum is highly inspired by esoteric, mystic, new age, cosmic and visionary art and teachings". Do you think New Age music is becoming more prevalent today? Is this something you aspire to? 

Yeah, I think New Age music is slowly starting to get more and more recognized. It is quite a young genre still, compared with the other ones. Plus, there are some musicians and producers who are pushing the boundaries of what New Age music can sound like and it's really amazing to see it grow. First thing that I immediately fell in love with, before listening to the actual music, was the name itself, New Age Music...

You’ve been on several labels over the years including Oslated, Constellation Tapes, Mysteries of the Deep, Mule Musique and Good Morning Tapes (the GMT released in 2021 was one of my favorites of yours). What is the goal of releasing on different labels?

I look at labels as traveling to another country that I've never been to. Meeting new people, exploring its culture and heritage, and contributing to it. There are always new possibilities, new inspirations, and new crowds in every label. It's very important for me that a label where I release music has a sort of a musical or ideological vision that I share and like and that it's represented well visually. I should feel inspired by and connected to it.

Can you tell us about the mix you have prepared?

The mix was mainly inspired by the music I've been enjoying recently. It's ambient, but it’s rhythmical and diverse. There are a few ethnic tracks that might sound similar, but they have elements that differ them culturally. I like the thin multicultural line it has, which might be tricky to notice, maybe. To be honest, there was no particular vibe I was after, I just wanted to create an interesting musical journey to enjoy.

There are quite a few artists in here I’m unaware of, are there any you’d like to call out in particular? 

I would like to thank all the artists, whose music I've included in this mix, for creating these pieces and putting them out in the world. I recommend checking them all out, there's much more to explore!

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Tracklist:

1. DJ Sports - Akrasia (Subsidiary Mix)
2. William Arist - Black and White
3. Andrew Pekler - Hy Brasil
4. Don't DJ - Southeast Subteranne
5. Another Fine Day - Esperanto
6. Greville - Marbles
7. Forest on Stasys - Atlantico Sur
8. Eyot Tapes - Jungle Tapes
9. Robert Rich - Rainforest Suite Drumsong
10. Jeans - Ganglia
11. Om Buschman - Prima Kalimba
12. Guem et Zaka - Mouvements
13. Sara Berts - Nova
14. Mo Boma - Jijimuge Two
15. Yves Tumor - Role In Creation
16. Posm - Bamboo
17. Steve Roach - The Reflecting Chamber
18. Jorge Reyes & Antonio Zepeda - Wawaki
19. Auragraph - Downcast
20. Nicolas Gaunin - Marama
21. Matthewdavid - Unfolding Atlantis
22. Sage - Mind BodyAlgorythm
23. Gigi Masin - Panama Girl
24. Asa Tone - Perpetual Motion Via Jungle Transport
25. Alex Kassian - Chopstick Romance

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Saphileaum Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud | Facebook

 

isolatedmix 125 - Sa Pa (Sleep In)

 

As someone who enjoys the process of putting together mixes- specifically more conceptual ambient leaning mixes- I often think about how I would approach playing an event designed for sleep. I’m yet to play a set like this live, but I did tackle something similar in the Portals series by roughly mixing styles that aligned to specific sleep stages (eg, REM, deep etc). But in person, sleep is never as predictable as hypothetical sleep stages in a recorded mix, let alone the idea of a room full of people mirroring these stages at the same time. To approach an in-person set designed for sleep would be a daunting undertaking, but an extremely rewarding experience for both DJ and listener - the career highlight for an ambient DJ, maybe... They say the warm-up set is the hardest test for a DJ and I would tend to agree. But I’d love to see some of the world’s best DJs execute 3.5 hours of music for a room full of people looking to do the exact opposite of dancing, or even listening, for the entire duration…

Sa Pa has executed this concept flawlessly.

No stranger to the minutia and atmosphere needed to transport someone from a horizontal state into an elevated lucid dream, I can hardly think of anyone better to take control of such a situation than Berlin-based artist, Sa Pa. His latest release for Astral Industries (the undisputed label kings of lucid states, no doubt) is the perfect example of transportive and psychedelic ambient music down to the finest grain of sound, sample and texture.

If Sa Pa’s productions weren’t enough to demonstrate his transportive power and worldbuilding tendencies, then his recent captures from his own Absurd Lustre events, or his mix for one of our 9128.live takeovers, may have provided an additional glimpse of what to expect when he was given the reigns for an all-night sleep in event recently, in Leipzig.

“For years I've kept a mental cache of what music would I'd love to play at a sleep in, but was never really sure if there'd be a chance, so small some dreams came true that night for me too - it was a pretty rare experience I'd say especially with everyone there really taking part in the concept”.

It’s not often we get the chance to host a set from an event that by its very nature, is designed to be experienced in person, but after several trials of this mix (on a plane, going to sleep, and waking up from sleep, then all states in between), the concept translates to an outstanding headphone session and the perfect concept for a defining moment in the isolatedmix series of concepts and sounds.

“I think it was one of the deepest and most solitary DJing experiences I have ever been part of, and driving a three and half hour cloud through the pitch darkness was a beautifully liminal journey, caring for the dreams of those in the room, some 100-200 people or so”.

A 3.5hr liminal state available for your own time and place, in the gentle hands and ears of Sa Pa, displaying the very essence of horizontal ambient music designed to immerse, weave and transport. Featuring tracks from, Luc Ferrari, Zenxen, Pinkcourtesyphone, cv313, Jason Lescalleet, Yann Novak, BJ Nilsen, Robert Henke, Rod Modell, Ryoji Ikeda, Steve Roach and Sa Pa, himself.

Introduction and words from Sa Pa - ‘Diary of a Lonely DJ’:

There’s something about gazing out of a train window or being 30-thousand feet high up in the troposphere, that evokes a feeling of what we try best to describe as liminality. With this in mind, Deutsche Bahn had me scuttling toward Leipzig from Berlin on a typically stark and windy day that could of been taken right out of a Wim Wenders classic; the treetops lining Urbanstraße on the way to Hauptbahnhof looking as stripped and brittle as burnt skeletons in the snow.

Some 8-to-10 degrees warmer in Saxony, I arrived at a city shrouded in mist, with the darkness of the early afternoon somehow made a touch warmer by that first Friday-feeling of the year. Onwards to Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei - a converted cotton mill where this evening’s ‘Sleep In’ would take place - the 14 tram would rumble past the pink and lilac glow of the city’s opera house. Sleep Ins are no new thing, and to be in the arms of the proverbial morpheus with some 200 people in an industrial estate does have its abstract appeal, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a fan of the concept.

Around 6PM, dragging their mattresses in with them, it was encouraging to see people arrive some eight-hours before the witching hour. Tuning in to the event myself, and finding a little respite backstage, I drifted in and out of consciousness, occasionally breaking REM sleep to acknowledge the sounds of “Simple Headphone Mind” and Zoviet France’s remix of Panasonic, reverberating in the hall.

With a medley of lullabies soundtracking the evening so far, preparing selections too deep even for my own Absurd Lustre event, provided a much needed boost of waking life before taking to the couch in the DJ booth. Over the course of the next three-and-a-half hours, in near pitch-darkness, I was able to draw from a rare cache of non-music and atmosphere, embraced at large by a small flotilla of sleeping souls, leaving port to navigate the inner landscapes of a technicolour head trip.

With only the dimmed lights of my equipment and an exit sign illuminating the room, safe to say, it was a resolutely profound DJing experience and deep journey into the estranged fields of time and space. There were moments at the helm where I felt like a small craft adrift in a sea of voluminous black, while simultaneously part of a delicate collective sub-consciousness, sailing through a dream-like abyss. As if bridging a void between the physical world and something beyond the imagination, it was truly a strangely isolated place.

~

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The start of the event, as attendees bring in mattresses ready for the night and Sa Pa’ set.

 

isolatedmix 124 - Milo Bragg (Future Primitive Records)

 

ASIP is going on fifteen years of existence now (as a website and blog at least), and a few things have remained a constant over the years helping keep us going. One of them has been the support of Juno and in particular, Milo Bragg, who was the first distributor to take us on as a label back in 2013.

As many labels and musicians will know, it’s pretty hard to get your start in this world, and Juno can be held up as one of only a few who have kept an open ear to our style of music and given it a home (and subsequently many other labels like us). Over these past ten years or so, Milo and I have gotten to know each other relatively well, and more recently Milo has stepped into the label game with Future Primitive Records and can be found putting together some sublime vinyl-forward mixes.

I’m excited to find our worlds overlap here in the isolatedmix series, as Milo recorded a vinyl-only set a few months back and sent it my way, (after a long delay - sorry Milo - Good things come… etc etc.). Featuring several tracks and albums that have been on high rotation for me, it’s a superb trip that I think many of you will enjoy.

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You’ve worked at Juno for many years now, how has this shaped you musically? For example, I imagine getting exposed to a great amount of music over the years... 

It’s definitely helped me find what I do and don’t like for myself. When I first started in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s I’d sit and listen through a massive pile of records at the end of each day and didn’t have to pay attention to press or DJs like most people back then, I could find the good shit for myself! Listening to the new releases in an office environment shaped my taste to be more chilled too. It just suits the environment, when I first started I was predominantly into hard club bangers :)

I’m interested to know a bit about your view on record labels within your role and what you think it takes to succeed as a label nowadays. Everyone knows pressing vinyl is hard, and securing a great distributor like Juno is just as hard and critical for further exposure. How have you seen things change for labels since you started at Juno all those years ago? 

It’s so tough for vinyl labels now especially the new smaller ones doing really interesting stuff sadly. The visual side of things has become so important with stores using Instagram so much they need the record to look good. I think the “anti-marketing” days of just putting some clips up on Soundcloud are over sadly, I’m always so stoked on DJs/artists/labels that aren’t on Instagram but I don’t think you can escape it anymore, especially if you’re just starting out.

Juno has always been a great supporter of ambient music in general, giving a platform to many small labels such as ourselves over the years. What does it take in your opinion to secure a distributor like Juno?

Yeah, my boss Richard (one of Juno’s founders) loves his ambient :) If you’re not going to get a well-known artist involved at the early stages to help bring attention and get the label off the ground, the music (and artwork) had better be bloody good! 

You’ve got your own projects going on too, with the Club Rooted mix series and the Future Primitive label, can you give us a brief intro into these?

 Club Rooted was a product of listening to records in the Juno office with Matthew Kent (Blowing Up The Workshop/Mana) and suddenly realising they weren’t dance music anymore but still very much rooted in club culture. I got really excited about that zone and thread that runs through electronic music’s history. There are so many good labels pushing stuff that rides this line, and events too like Absurde Lustre (& more recently A New Wave) in Berlin run by Sa Pa & Blume.

How or why did you decide to start Future Primitive? (Did seeing labels at Juno all those years make you want to do something similar?!) 

I’ve always been obsessed with vinyl labels so of course I’d want my own and it was a way of contributing to the scene without being a producer + I came across a lot of music through work by artists like Murcof & DJ Guy that was CD or tape only the label was a way of me getting those tracks onto wax! The original of The Leo Anibaldi track “Aeon Fusion I” from FPR001 was super fast too and the label enabled me to work with the artist to slow it down and to get it DJ-friendly for the vinyl heads :)

This mix came out of nowhere and (for everyone here) took a while for me to actually publish it since you sent it last year! What was the inspiration behind it?

I got excited about recording an ambient mix. It felt challenging, I wanted to capture something in between the old chill-out room sets and a modern-sounding warm-up. It only takes a couple of good records to inspire me to start piecing a mix together, it’s often their juxtaposition I get a real kick out of. I love beat-matching records that shouldn’t work together on paper and have always found DJs that make a new sound by mixing old records very inspiring, it’s not a million miles from producing really. Konduku is definitely someone I think finds a new thread in old records that inspires me a lot.

Given you get the pick of the bunch at Juno and get to listen to so many records in advance, who are some musicians or labels that might be relatively new or unheard of that excite you when landing on your desk? 

PVAS, Kosmogonik (check their ambient stuff!), Purelink, Cousin, Yushh, Mu Tate, Sindh, X Or Size, Rat Heart + love the Luck Of Access and Doo labels.

I’ve followed your mixes for years now, but see you’re also DJing out quite a bit more now. What are some records that never leave your bag?

Money Morning - Corporate Karma, Drux – Transe Deep Version, 3 Chairs - 3 Chairs, Alka Rex - Shapes to Phases, Bluetrain - Babylon Paralysis.

~

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Tracklist:

01. Dwig - Keep Us outro (Dwig)
02. Leo Anibaldi - Evocation Part II (Future Primitive)
03. Benjamin Brunn - Life Cycle (Black Wall)
04. Deadbeat - Right As Rain (~scape)
05. UD - Adapter (Kimochi)
06. Alexx A-Game - Braver (Swing Ting Smooth Version)(Swing Ting)
07. CN - Adrift (Future Primitive)
08. Satoshi & Makoto - Crepescule Leger (Safe Trip)
09. Bauri - Have No Fear (Expanding Records)
10. Sindh - Ayaka System (Sindh)
11. Being - I Can't Look At It Though (Firecracker Recordings)
12. The Detroit Escalator Co. - Float (Peacefrog Records)
13. Leo James - Lonely (Mind Dance)
14. Money Morning - Therah (Acting Press)
15. Mike Paradinas - Hi-Q (Interdimensional Transmissions)
16. John Heckle - Where The Wild Ones Go (Mathematics Recordings)
17. Tongues Of Light - Awakening outro (Pre-Cert Home Entertainment)
18. Design A Wave - Weird F (No 'Label')
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Artwork photo by Jethro

Future Primitive | Web | Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Discogs

 
 
 

isolatedmix 123 - Alex Albrecht

 

We’re entering a busy half of the year for the label, and while we don’t always use the isolatedmix series to help tee up what’s in store, Alex Albrecht also happens to be a brilliant selector and curator of many great mixes over the years.

Yes, you did read that right, Alex will soon be gracing ASIP with a new release, to be announced in full very shortly and available at the end of September. We had hoped to get this mix out a little earlier in the year but life got in the way for us both, and after a small trip to Japan recently, Alex was able to get some answers down to a few of my questions in anticipation for his awaited release here on ASIP.

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It's been interesting to see how you've created a very unique style and approach between your own project, with Sean as Albrecht La'Brooy and under the Melquíades guise. How would you describe the differences between them all?

I originally created the Melquiades alias as a way to separate club/dancefloor music from more downtempo/ambient productions under my own name. The music I now produce under Alex Albrecht incorporates all sorts of sounds and influences and in my development, I don’t now see a reason to differentiate.

 Campfire Stories was quite the debut album, and received such a great reception it seems. It combined lovely atmospheres and house elements, with downtempo and instrumental (even jazz). How are your albums born usually?

 My albums are usually created through my field recordings and recent experiences. I generally take recordings and loop/manipulate them to create a canvas and use that as the inspiration for each new track. When I see a larger album coming together I try to identify gaps in the concept and fill it with new productions.

 Your own label imprint, Analogue Attic was home to much of your early work and continues to host some of your music alongside others. How did the label aspect come about?

 The label was definitely created as a way to release our own music but very quickly became a medium to put out music from our friends and influences. The ambition has always been to showcase ambient music specifically made in Australia. We also hope to showcase music that does not generally conform to current trends in the global electronic scene. 

As mentioned already, your music is rich with field recordings and vivid instrumentation. What does your studio setup consist of usually? And what elements have remained a constant?

 My studio has been very consistent throughout the last 6 or 7 years. It has a Nord A1R, A Blofeld, a few Yamaha digital pianos, and some eventide effect pedals. Of course, there is also the Sony PCM A10 recorder which is really an incredible piece of tech.

 If your label (Analogue Attic) is any indication, the output and potential of producers in Australia seem very rich and fertile - is this true? How would you describe the "scene" for this type of music where you are?

 I’d have to agree – it is certainly a fertile scene in Aus with amazing music being produced around the country. There are many artists blending strong musical themes and elements with electronic elements and many gigs/shows aim to push boundaries and do something out of the ordinary.   

Your isolated mix captures your sound very well and includes a variety of styles and influences, what was your approach?

 I am often commuting to work by bike and love an interesting, hypnotic mix to push me along. I have been listening to ASIP mixes for years and was compelled to dive deep into my old libraries to capture some of the nostalgia that I feel with the earliest memories of ASIP. I brought a few of these into the picture with Dousk, John Beltran, BOC and Jesse Somfay  (among others) and was also really happy with how well they’ve stood the test of time.

Other than ahem, a pretty special record dropping here on ASIP soon, what can we expect from you for the remainder of 2023?

It’s unclear for now but I’m always making music and searching for inspiration. I have a huge collection of field recordings from Japan so will be surely using these in the short term to see what it inspires. 

~

Stay tuned for news of Alex’s album on ASIP set to be announced very soon, and available at the end of the month.

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the (new!) 9128.live app

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Tracklist:

01. IMPS - Heaven and Bagpipes
02. O.S.S - Bianga
03. Sense - Rain 5
04. Marow - Tsih
05. Jesse Somfay - Tomorrow's Yesterday is Today
06. Cyan341 - Pattern4
07. Alex Albrecht - Forest Dance
08. Castel - Estrel
09. Remote - Public Service
10. John Beltran - Gutaris Breeze
11. HOLOVR - Outer Time
12. The Phantasy - Love Will See Us Through
13. Ariet - Shaman's Heart (Polygonia Remix)
14. Boards of Canada - Amo Bishop Roden
15. Dousk - Sidewalk Lovin 

Alex Albrecht | Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud

 

isolatedmix 122 - Mary Yalex

 

We are very excited to welcome Mary Yalex to the label soon, and her upcoming release set to be announced in August. Mary’s work has appeared on respected labels such as Muzan Editions, map.ache’sKann’’, Carsten Jost’s ‘Dial’, Sound as Language, and her own label, Yalex Recordings. Her productions have spanned various ambient and experimental styles, and I am very excited to present a new album distilling her years of hard work into her sharpest vision yet.

There’s no better way to get to know an artist than stepping up to the isolatedmix series to illustrate your music style and background, and the mix is a great reflection of what to expect from her new record.

Mary Yalex’s album on ASIP is set to be announced in August, so in the meantime, please enjoy a short interview and perfectly curated mix (including a track from the upcoming album to preview).

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Hi Mary, what has influenced you to produce music today?

As a child, I was attracted to music not played with acoustic instruments.  My mother had a Vermona Piano Strings in the DDR. It was 1989 when my mother bought them and I was 5 years old. I liked to play Rum on the piano and tried to play melodies (and the scratching of the sliders, when you wanted to switch to strings, was really terrible as I remember it).

Music has always played a big role in my childhood. I would look and listen excitedly to my mother's record collection, from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin to Bronski Beat. I think the music you hear as a child is a much greater influence than what you hear today, and my interest in electronic music works was there from the beginning.

Over the years, you acquire techniques and repetition, and processes for how to make music. But today's influence is much more based on what happens around you, as in the world; how you perceive things and the people you are surrounded by, more than the music you hear. A melody always comes out of a mood and feeling.

I’m interested to learn about this production process; how you approach making music conceptually - do you have ideas & concepts or improvise? 

When I make music, I sit down at my synthesizer or electric piano and play a melody first - the main core. It has to feel great, if not then I'll throw it away. I never force myself to make music, for me it is important, there must be a feeling and it must flow. I like to use the same techniques that have been acquired over the years - it is a familiar process of editing.

So what motivates you to sit down and make music? Is it a personal outlet? How easy does it come to you? 

For me, it is a passion to make music, a feeling that has to come out. I get in a bad mood when I can't make music so it also helps me cope with moods, discovering new sounds and possibilities again.

What instruments/gear do you tend to focus on or always work with?

I mainly produce with Elektron Octatrack, Clavia Nord Rack 2 and Elektron Digitone.

You normally accompany your releases with your own paintings - how would you describe this relationship? Were you a visual artist or a musician first?

I used to paint in my childhood when I lived in Austria. I only really started producing electronic music more recently. I want to give the whole thing a picture - something that is more than just a photograph.

How does your home city and local history impact your music?

I have been living in Erfurt now for a year and a half. I'm getting older and I'm also looking for a quiet life. I don't need the hustle and bustle of a big city anymore. Here in Erfurt I also have my studio. During the Corona period, I decided to go back to my home country. It hasn't really changed much for me as I live very withdrawn. For me and my music, the place has never played a big role. Back when I went to Leipzig in 2008, there were more opportunities in my learned profession. 

Your isolatedmix is a mixture of different styles of artists, many of whom are on regular rotation for me. Can you tell us how you approached the mix?

I always look for pieces that match my mood. You start with quieter pieces, which are also a bit atmospheric. I like to combine emotional music with ambient drone pieces, the dreamy pieces at the end. For me, it always has to sound like a trip.

If you could make a mix of any type of music, what would it be and what might be the most surprising track inclusion?

Boy Harsher - Burn it down

You have a new album coming up on ASIP, what can people expect?

To describe it briefly, it is for me, one of my most profound and dynamic albums…

~

Listen on Soundcloud or the ASIP Podcast.

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Tracklist:

01. James Murray - Careful Now
02. CORBEN - The Zills
03. Ripperton - Ingénuité
04. The House In The Woods - Tone Intervals
05. Chestnut People, Priori, Ludwig A.F: - IV
06. Viul & Benoit Pioulard - Catalune
07. Mary Yalex - Endless Possibilities
08. Lauge, Alvaro Suarez, Fallen Metropolis - -FAM015- May 7 - Live 
09. Room 208 & Zuwe - Time Moved Like It Used To
10. DJ In A Dream - La Silhouette
11. Måla - E Is For Elegance (With Burning Pyre)
12. Martinou - ...in all it's splendor
13. Boliden - Pools
14. Malibu - Atlantic Diva
15. Boy is Fiction - Silversand
16. nthng - Looking Outside

Mary Yalex | Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud