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A Strangely Isolated Place

Reflection on 2023

Yes, folks, I am still rejoicing in last year. What can I say – I love to listen to great music, especially when it’s picked by someone else. And not just anyone – a trusted source! Ryan Griffin and I go back more than a decade now. Secretly, I’m even jealous of his capacity to operate one of the best labels on the scene today. At times, I toyed with the idea of starting a label too – but then, when would I have the time to write these words and share this music? And so, I leave it to the rest. For this annual entry in the Reflections series, we spend three hours (!) in the company of 42+ tracks selected by your reliable guide of A Strangely Isolated Place, where you will surely find new gems and inspirations. I’ll drop a short quote here, but you should check out a detailed write-up on this mix on ASIP’s dedicated page. If this wasn’t enough amazing music, you can also check out Ryan’s previous years’ selections here.

As with all past ‘Reflection’ year-end mixes, I start with a collection of albums, EPs, and compilations I have enjoyed over the past year. This ultimately means many of my favorite tracks and albums are often omitted in this process, due to the organic process of compiling a mix. As I say every year, this isn’t a definitive ‘best-of’ list, but a selection of *some* of my favorite music from the year in one listenable format. It’s the most enjoyable way for me to boil down the music I’ve loved from the year using these self-imposed restrictions, for you to enjoy and hopefully discover more, and for me to reflect on time and time again – like a photograph that captures the year in music.

— Ryan Griffin

Tracklisting

  •  Sleep DHector (Dreaming) (Butter Sessions)
  •  Liis Ringafter-image IV: abborresjön (Breton Cassette)
  •  William SelmanLeaky Paradise (Mysteries of the Deep)
  •  EtüüdÕhtute kollane tolm (Self released)
  •  TU M’Monochrome #26 (Line Imprint)
  •  Arovaneypaal (Quiet Details)
  •  Field Lines CartographerMountain Icicles (Castles in Space)
  •  Dream DolphinGaia (Ethereal Fantasy) (Music from Memory)
  •  SalamandaNostalgia (Wisdom Teeth)
  •  EnduranceCrest v2 (Muzan Editions)
  •  Suzanne Ciani & Jonathan FitoussiCoral Reef (Transversales)
  •  Alex IsraelVacua (Somnambulant Drift)
  •  The Black DogThe Mundane (Dust Science)
  •  LocustMiriam (Mysteries of the Deep)
  •  Niko TzoukmanisWay Home (Libreville Records)
  •  Jo JohnsonTransience (Mysteries of the Deep)
  •  Dasha RushDubby Doo (Raster Noton)
  •  ǝɯǝɐAndrei Rublev (Secuencias Temporales)
  •  Gigi Masin & Rod ModellRed Hair Girl At The Boat Shop (13)
  •  Toki FukoPart Two (Astral Industries)
  •  shedirDeer Fluent in the Wind (n5MD)
  •  Ayaavaaki & PurlDistant Lights (Ovum III) (LILA)
  •  Bana HaffarSit Still (Touch)
  •  Mike LazarevTonality Number Two (Past Inside The Present)
  •  Claire DeakIn Defiance of Time (Lost Tribe Sound)
  •  Lord of the Isles feat. Ellen RentonDon’t You Ache (AD93)
  •  nthngUnlimited (I) (Self released)
  •  Donato Dozzy & SablaFlusso III (Gang of Ducks)
  •  SindhSpyres (Sindh)
  •  James HoldenIn The End You’ll Know (Border Community)
  •  AndreaAudieze (Ilian Tape)
  •  ASC & Aural ImbalanceOvercast Skies (Auxiliary)
  •  AccelioThe Garden (Sawteeth)
  •  YolabmiLiquidity (29 Speedway)
  •  MPU101nurMKS30 (Ilian Tape)
  •  YliaAme Agari (Balmat)
  •  Azu TiwalineAntenna Opening (I.O.T Records)
  •  PurelinkWe Should Keep Going (Peak Oil)
  •  PrioriTop Soil (Rhythm Büro)
  •  Hysterical Love ProjectIonian Sea (Motion Ward)
  •  Om Unit + TM404Microdose Mondays (Acid Test)
  •  DavidDaybreak (Simpler Times)