3.11

isolatedmix 129 - Rosillon

 

You could say ASIP has brought me closer to ‘my people’ over the years—those with a deep, almost obsessive appreciation for all things ambient and electronic. The ones who love this music, who show up at the same gigs, who get so inspired by the sounds and stories that they start paving their own.

Based in Rotterdam, Rosillon is one of those people. Co-founder of the electronic music platform Embodiment, he’s been a long-time listener and supporter of ASIP. At his core, he’s just another music obsessive, choosing to share his passion through mixes and curated events—the kind of person who keeps music culture moving forward, regardless of genre or scale. Last November Rosillon had the pleasure to play for the first edition of ZERØBPM, a 18 hour non-stop ambient/meditation experience in a church in the Netherlands. And his previous mixes have cropped up for the brilliant Deep Breakfast series, as well as the Korean collective, Vurt.

I don’t typically accept submissions for the isolatedmix series, but his vinyl-only mix landed in a way that many don’t. And when he shared the story behind it, it perfectly captured how music like this isn’t just heard—it’s experienced, absorbed, and ultimately, passed on. Listening back and reading his inspiration, it reminded me of the exact mindset I experienced when picking a name for this endeavor, A Strangely Isolated Place.

Places of inspiration for Rosillon’s mix

~

“ Last summer, during my travels through Bulgaria, I found myself deeply inspired by the landscapes, and the sense of remoteness that each place evoked. As soon as I returned home, I aimed to translate these experiences into sound.

This mix is the result of that, a sonic exploration of isolation, both physical and emotional. The concept behind this set revolves around the idea of ‘isolated places’, not just in the geographical sense, but also within the mind. These are the places that trigger emotions, memories, and introspection. Places shaped by sound aesthetics that speak directly to the imagination. With this in mind, I carefully selected tracks that embody these feelings, crafting a mix that serves as both an escape and a reflection.

The mix unfolds as a metaphor for the experiences we gather during our journeys. It begins at an airport, a symbolic starting point that sends the listener on their way. From there, the music takes you through a collage of progressively more obscure destinations, each transition serving as a portal to another isolated place.

Places of inspiration for Rosillon’s mix

Some transitions are smooth and fluid, while others are abrupt and disorienting, mirroring the unpredictability of travel itself. As the mix progresses, it immerses the listener in various emotional landscapes, reflecting the highs and lows that come with discovering unfamiliar territory.

Near the end, a vocal announcement signals that the gate is closing, marking the inevitable conclusion of the journey. The bittersweet nostalgia of leaving behind an enriching experience is captured in a track featuring glitching sounds layered over a field recording of an airport.

However, just as in real life, the end of a trip brings with it a renewed appreciation for the lessons learned and the memories made. In the closing section of the mix I wanted to embrace this sentiment, offering a positive and empowering conclusion.

It reminds us that every journey, whether to distant lands or within ourselves, leaves a lasting impact, shaping our perspective in ways we may not fully grasp until we return home. I hope this mix transports you to your own isolated places, allowing you to lose yourself in the journey and find meaning in the sounds along the way.”

- Rosillon

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app

Download MP3

Tracklist (vinyl only)
01. The Black Dog – M1 [Dust Science Recordings]
02. Rod Modell - Ghost Lights B-side [Astral Industries]
03. Inhmost – In The Bay [re:st]
04. 3.11 – Dissolve in Patience [PRS]
05. Box5ive – Rough Sleeper [co:clear]
06. 3.11 – Hard Copy [PRS]
07. Alva Noto - Confidential Information 1 [Noton]
08. Off The Sky – Ahurani [re:discovery records]
09. Xenia Reaper – 23724 [INDEX:Records]
10. William Selman - Farther Off Among The Foaming Black Rocks [Mysteries Of The Deep]
11. Pontiac Streator & Mister Water Wet - Angelus Spit [Motion Ward]
12. TIBSLC – Hypertranslucent [Sferic]
13. Quiet Places – Side B [A Strangely Isolated Place]
14. The Black Dog - Lounge [Dust Science Recordings]
15. Alva Noto - HYbr:ID Ectopia Field 1 [Noton]

~

Rosillon Soundcloud | Instagram
Embodiment Soundcloud | Instagram

 

Collected: Vol 3

 

James Bernard - Atmospherics (30th Anniversary Edition)

Many of you will know James for his releases here on ASIP, but since then, James has made a home with the crew at PITP, and so of course they got first dibs on reissuing this beast of his. Atmospherics is one of the seminal electronic ambient albums of the 90’s, and one for the heads. You won’t often find it on many, ‘best of’ lists, but you will hear many reputable DJs and producers reference it as a major impact on their productions, with its acid-tinged synthesis that James is now well known for, and straddling the lines of trance, downtempo and ambient with a full throw-back to the chill out rooms of the time. One of the people it impacted some 30-years ago, is Brock van Wey aka bvdub, who has been enlisted to reinterpret the entire album for this Anniversary Edition.

I would imagine an entirely new set of tracks to be born from Brock’s mind - not just remixes, but complete deconstructions, reimagined from the ground up.

Old Amica - F​ö​r alltid

About as organic and textured as ambient music comes, this is one of those records to find subtle details in every time you listen, while wandering an expansive landscape of nordic winter. For fans of Ous Mal; with Sigur Ros, Johann Johannson and Thomas Koner on backing duties.

Minotaur Shock - Salina Pulse Streams

I’m new to Minotaur Shock, and it looks like I’ve got some catching up to do. I gravitated toward this album due to it’s ‘mixtape’ nature as described in the album notes. Experimental downtempo and trip-hop with lush metallic tones and clean, clean drum programming. Recommend a full album listen from top to bottom to hear the evolution as intended.

Ovid - Dream Sequence

Synkro’s Ovid alias turns out a beautifully lush piece of dub-techno on Dream Sequence EP. The title track is as classic dub-techno as you can wish for, with its muddled beats, syncopated patterns and subtle hi-hats. One to get lost in. The other two tracks open up the highs a bit more, but remain on point with more glitch-focused elements, for an all-round superb EP.

3.11 - Illuminate

Lastly, it’s an awesome day when a certain ‘vinyl-only’ artist until now, releases their collection on Bandcamp. 3.11 has made some of the most sought-after ambient and ambient-leaning techno vinyl of recent years (I’m only missing a couple luckily!). 3.11 styles can vary between lush swathes of ambient textures and swampy dub-techno, to italo house and 90’s sounding downtempo. Now they’re all available digitally.

Expect to see more 3.11 music in ambient mixes in, 3, 2, 1….

Find these albums and many more over on my Bandcamp Collection.

 

ASIP on Rinse France - Ed Isar invite A Strangely Isolated Place

 

A big thanks to Ed Isar for inviting me to contribute a mix to his Rinse FM show. Ed is behind the Musique Pour La Danse label (recently reissuing Coil and rEAGENZ albums amongst others), as well as the brilliant Tursiops label.

Below is the text sent along to accompany the show and introduce the rough idea behind it.

I'm a father to two young boys, so finding time to dedicate to a vinyl mix is tough, but I found myself inspired to get behind the decks late one evening and see what would happen. My only intention was that I wanted to include a couple of upcoming releases (test presses) from the label somehow but they are almost the outliers in the set style-wise., so I had to work around them a little. It ended up quite dark, very deep, and pitch-bent, with a few good crackles for good measure and moments I am sure people will be familiar with.

Listen to the mix below or on Soundcloud, with Ed taking the reigns for the first half and some lovely vibes to set up my darker piece!

Tracklist:

01. Enkai Ohakosh - Unknown
02. Avont - Non-Brio Interlude [Residence Records] (2021)
03. Off And Gone - Uncle Mike’s Beard [Isla] (1994)
04. Unreleased (A Strangely Isolated Place)
05. 3.11 - Reduktion [PRS] (2021)
06. J.S Zeiter - Untitled [Expanding Vision] (2022)
07. Flying Fish Ambience - Monuments in Easter Island [Hospital Productions] (2021)
08. Joachim Spieth - Hyde [Affin] (2021)
09. Muziekkamer – Op Zee [Stroom] (2021)
10. Anatolian Weapons – An Afterthought [Dispari] (2021)
11. Tomas Jirku - Entropy8 [Silent Season] (2020)
12. The KLF - Last Train To Trancentral (Mu D. Vari-Speed Version) [Arista] (1991)
13. Being - Space Again [Firecracker Recordings] (2021)
14. James Bernard - UW07 (A Strangely Isolated Place) (2021)
15. Unreleased (A Strangely Isolated Place)