Mixes Digest #11: Dig Deep

A fresh take on ’00s minimal, an avant-pop mission statement, a no-holds-barred throwdown, and more

Let’s do this, shall we? I’ve got five frankly stellar sets for you in this issue:

• a Scandinavian avant-pop (?) / alt-rockbient (!) cult hero reveals some of the influences—or should I say shards?—that make her work so, well, fiery and, yes, gooey

• one of my favorite leftfield techno producers dusts off a whole bunch of don’t-call-them-minimal records that I haven’t heard in ages…

• …then turns around and digs a long, woozy groove at 108 BPM, which science has proven is in fact the best tempo

• a Berlin-based Midwesterner commissions a slew of new music from American producers, yielding a kind of house and techno state of the union set

• and, finally, a longtime Manchester fixture declares “No rules!” without missing a goddamn beat

This one’s for paying subscribers, to thank them for the support that makes this whole newsletter possible. Paid subs let me continue to publish the weekly new-release roundups for free—which means more exposure and a broader platform for the artists who need and deserve it!—plus interviews, festival roundups, personal digressions, local travelogues, and more. Paid subs are just $5 per month, or $50 a year, and get access to all the exclusive Mixes Digest posts, plus the year’s ongoing playlists, and full access to the archives—as well as my boundless gratitude for your support.

Dig in below, and enjoy that weekend. I think we all deserve it.