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You might have seen the name Opal Blue floating around over the past few weeks; they’ve just released their single ‘Time Travel’, a beautifully sparse slice of stripped back, moody yet romantic electronica. They’ve received comparisons with the likes of early The xx and Majid Jordan, yet they’re somehow even more elusive; the duo are faceless, nameless and mysteriously intangible.

With their EP ‘She Goes Deep’ released this week, Opal Blue have put together a masterfully ethereal mix full of minimalist productions and beautiful chill vibes for Wonderland. This one’s for those serene reflective moments. Sit back, breathe, and sink into their exclusive mix below.

1. Tell us a bit about the mysterious ‘Opal Blue’. You guys are very secretive but your music is picking up a lot of attention.

Thanks Wonderland Mag! Blue has always been associated with a melancholy emotion in music; blue notes etc. We are from London, and very influenced by the weather here. Sometimes the rain and grey skies are so bad it feels like you’re living at the bottom of the ocean. We are a band with a crystal fetish and very overactive emotions.

2. Your new single ‘Time Travel’ is more stripped down and minimalist than previous releases. What was behind this progression in sound?

We are trying to push the boundaries of minimalism with our production. Our tracks are meant to help you exhale, and feel space in a culture that consistently overcrowds our senses. Generally we will start an idea, and at the end we will strip away as many elements as possible; leaving the essentials bare.

3. The track also features some interesting samples – including the sounds of the London underground. Are you regularly inspired by every day sounds, and what led to that particular sample?

We’re always recording voice notes on our phones and playing them back on samplers. The more obtuse the better – in a world of perfect pitch tracks and presets, our ears crave the imperfect. We always like to have elements of cultured sound, or field recordings, that add in a sublime undertone of imperfection.

4. ‘Time Travel’ is taken from your forthcoming EP ‘She Goes Deep’. How did the project come together and what does it mean to you?

We have been writing and working together for about a year now. The tracks from the EP naturally came together from the body of work we built up in that time. It’s hard exactly to say what it means. It will mean different things to different people; but to us it’s a diary of the woes of relationships. The way the people you love the most can cause you the most harm; the way they can go the “deepest” into your mind and spirit, changing and effecting you.

5. You’ve put together an exclusive mix for us – tell us a bit about it and the tracks you selected.

These tracks are some of the tracks we have found more recently – with a few classics thrown in. We actually started the mix with over 100 tracks but whittled it down to around 20. Also the mix doesn’t dwell too long on any one track, and keeps moving. Wise.

6. What are your goals for the rest of the year and beyond? Anything in particular fans can look forward to or expect?

We have 2 more singles planned for this year. They are both more upbeat but they have moody b-sides. Also we have some gig offers we are considering at the moment. Hopefully we’ll have played a gig before the year is over.

She Goes Deep’ EP is released on February 12^th.

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We love a good party at Wonderland, and no one throws a party quite like the GETME! crew. They’ve built up a strong reputation for being the key underground tastemakers of the electronic music scene, with their nights, mixes and artists managing to both subvert and expand the genre. If you haven’t been to one of their nights yet, make sure you head down to Power Lunches in Dalston tomorrow. If there was ever a reason to ditch pizza and Netflix on a Friday night, this is it.

Heading up the GETME! crew is Alex Hislop (AKA LIXO) who put out his debut EP this September. The EP, ‘Gloomer’, plays with house, techno and electronica, all the while keeping melody at it’s core which makes for a record that perfectly matches any stage of your feel-good night. Bringing a warmth and intimacy to UK club music, LIXO’s tracks make you want to throw shapes and hug everyone on the dance floor simultaneously. It transports us to that point in the early hours when you’re in love with every person in the crowd, you’ve had sufficient drinks to loose all inhibitions and you never want the night to end. Sound familiar? You’ll love LIXO too. Ahead of tomorrow night’s party we asked him to make us a mix to help get us in the mood, and he did. Let the dance/hugging begin.

LIXO – WONDERLAND MIX by Lixo on Mixcloud

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If you’re after raw, unbridled and exciting talent then you’ve hit the bullseye with newcomer 3:20, aka 23 year-old Aaron Daniels. Since premiering his first track track ‘The Trip’ a couple of weeks back, 3:20 has been racking up some seriously impressive attention online as well as already receiving support from BBC Radio 1 – even the more impressive considering his music doesn’t typically lend itself to mainstream radio.

A beautiful piece of music, ‘The Trip’ introduced us to the light, twinkling synths and hazy vocal loops that make up 3:20’s musical style. Full of ambience, his music swirls and jabs to create brooding and intoxicating instrumentals that somehow make you feel almost every emotion in just a few short minutes.

With an EP ‘Scenes’ on the way on 16th October, 3;20 shares an exclusive mix with Wonderland below before we chat to the name about to become big in the underground scene to find out some more about his story.

Wonderland Magazine Mix by 3:20 on Mixcloud

Your new track ‘The Trip’ seemed to come out of nowhere and it’s so good! How long have you been making music for and how did you get into it?

Thank you very much! I’ve been making music for about 10 years now starting out as a DJ and naturally progressing into production. To be completely honest with you, there was never really any other choice of career, i made a decision very early on (maybe 6/7) that I wanted to be a producer or DJ.

Where did the name 3:20 come from?

The very short and sweet answer is my mum. I went in the house on a break from working and just asked her “What time was I born?” She turned to me and said “3:20” and it just felt right ever since.

What are you goals with the 3:20 project, is there anything you dream of achieving?l 

With the EP, Scenes..I really just want to be heard and be on the mind of the people listening to it. That’s what’s super important to me, just to be heard. I’m not a guy that wants a whole lot, so first and foremost I just want people to enjoy the music. Anything else is genuinely a bonus to me. I will say, that i randomly got an email from Phil Taggart (Radio 1) asking for my track ‘The Trip’ came in which was amazing to me. I really couldn’t believe it. For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be played on radio so that definitely was a dream for me.

Who / what were your biggest musical (or otherwise!) inspirations growing up?

This is a really difficult one for me to answer as there’s been so much that’s inspired me and played a part in my creativity over the years. I’ll give you a few names as there would be too many if i had my way. Kanye West, Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, The Neptunes, Wiley, JME & Skepta to name a few, but there’s A LOT more. I know I won’t be happy when I read this and i’ve forgotten a really obvious one haha

You’ve said that every track on the EP represents a different emotion or a different scene in your life so far. Do you find that any particular emotions or moods help you create music more than others?

Yeah I mean, emotion and moods will play a huge part in my music and the older i’m getting the more I realise how much I maybe have done/said and will continue to do and say will be based simply off raw emotion. I think that’s part how creation however and it’s hard to find a creative from any walk of life or art form that doesn’t at times let their heart lead them. I wouldn’t say that one mood trumps the other when it comes to creativity and making music though, I have to put the emotion in the music and sounds, and then alter it and edit it digitally which will in turn make me feel different as I work my way through the process. I could play a super heavy chord with amazing weight and power that feels hard and super dark, change/remove a note and it’s beautiful and makes me want to play with puppies so even shaping sound will direct my mood as I go along. I’m really emotionally tied in and invested with what I do and the feeling whatever it may be is infectious to me as an individual.

Where would we find you at 3.20am on a typical Saturday night?

Probably sitting in front of my computer working away or chilling with a few of friends, I really don’t do A LOT socially and haven’t done since I discovered logic to be very honest. I just want to make music all the time and just be better….

And 3.20pm on a typical Sunday afternoon?

Most probably at home watching some football in a tracksuit on the sofa. 

What’s next for 3:20?

More music, more music, more music. That’s the most important thing to me. I’m currently working on EP two and i’ve been working with a team of artists called Badside on a project which i’m really excited about. Other than that, mostly trying to work with awesome writers/producers/artists to create music for you guys to be live by and enjoy for a long time to come.

Words: Amelia Hope

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salute has already been causing a stir in the underground music scene and received backing from the likes of Huw Stephens – and his debut EP is still yet to drop. At 19 he’s an incredibly interesting guy who has always felt really connected to the UK music scene despite growing up in Vienna.

The Brighton-based producer’s title track to his new EP is titled “Castle (Magic)” and has already received a lot of radio support. It is both seriously cool and seriously well-produced, featuring grime beats and airy, hypnotic vocals. We also love “VXV (Way You Do)” which begins with building orchestral sounds until the beats drop. Below salute shares his Wonderland mix and speaks with us about his new EP, musical influences and teaching himself to produce.

https://soundcloud.com/saluteaut/wonderland-mix/s-tcgue&gt

Your new track “Castle (Magic)” is so so good and you’re only 19! When did you start making music? Can you tell us anything else about your journey into music?

It must have been about 5 years ago, so when I was 14 and basically me just making music in a living room on my parents computer and dabbling around not really having a clue about what I was doing.

Did you just teach yourself then?

Yeah I didn’t even know that there were any tutorials online – which there are plenty of – but I sort of just wanted to try things out myself. I didn’t think i’d be putting music online anywhere it was just for me and I just used what i’d learnt from piano lessons and stuff and went ahead and made really bad music at first.

We’ve read that you lived in Vienna before settling in Brighton. How did growing up there influence your music?

My music’s very influenced by UK music but I never lived in the UK before last year. So I think it helped me take what I knew from UK music and put all the European stuff I’d been hearing into it as well so that my music was more of a mix between UK, US and European stuff and not just UK music – I think that’s how it influenced my music the most.

Who/what are your biggest musical inspirations growing up – are there any icons for you?

So there’s Timbaland – he’s one of the best producers of all time in my opinion, and people like Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Pharrell.

You’ve received support from a lot of people in the industry and you’ve performed at Bestival – it’s all been pretty amazing! What has been you’re favourite bits of 2015 so far?

My favourite bits must have been all the radio support recently I got for “Castle (Magic)” – like Annie Mac and Huw Stephens and more recently Phil Taggart playing it on his show, saying how it sounded like I went into Huw’s head and took a load of separate sounds and put them together. That was a huge compliment and that’s really nice thing to say I think. Having these big players basically play my music on the radio is something I never thought would happen so that feels really good.

https://soundcloud.com/saluteaut/castle

How was Bestival, did you enjoy it?

It was amazing. Apart from my set itself which was great I just had a really good time with all the people I met there and all the people I already knew – it was a shame I had to leave on Saturday to go to another show but I just had such a great time there.

What was the best thing you saw?

Hmm, good question. I don’t have one definite best thing but surprisingly Jurassic 5 were incredibly good – they were ridiculously good and then FKA Twigs was one of the highlights and I caught some of Tame Impala’s set which sounded surreal and then Monki played an amazing DJ set after FKA Twigs – that was really impressive.

So what’s next for you? Are you working on any more music?

Yeah I’m actually sitting in the studio right now finishing my EP which is going to be a four track thing which is coming out on 37 Adventures in November which i’m really hyped about because it’s got some really good features on it. I’m really excited because these tracks i’ve been sitting on them for quite a while now and getting round to finishing them off is just good and being able to put out a four-track project is something i’ve been looking forward to for a year now so i’m really happy for this to happen.

Amazing – well we can’t wait because we love what we’ve heard so far! Just a random question as well as I’m just intrigued – was there anything behind the choice of the name “salute”?

That’s a question I’ve been answering quite a lot recently – the thing is it was sort of random really. The word was stuck in my head after I went to France with my family years ago just because of how often it’s used there. Around the time I was looking for a name for a new project and that was literally the first word that stuck in my head so I just went with that really.

Words: Alys Davies

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When discussing Drew Lustman’s forthcoming album The Crystal Cowboy it’s difficult to work out whether you’re speaking to a musician or an artist in the more traditional sense. The New York based producer, better known by his former moniker FaltyDL, is as abstract, conceptual and expressive as any designer or painter – a symptom of the all encompassing passion he has for music and the fact that some of his closest friends in the Big Apple are sculptors. He’s previously released album trailers via PornHub, included self-authored poems in his albums and was once commissioned to design an ambient soundscape for director Terrance Malick. Since releasing his Into The Wild on Ninja Tune in the summer of 2014 he’s now dropped the alias and allowed himself the freedom to pursue a more experimental production style crafting the kind of tracks that he would ‘DJ or play to friends’. Debuting ‘Angel Flesh’ exclusively on Wonderland, we took caught up with the man himself to talk about writer’s block, skipping school to smoke weed and a voice memo of his grandmother cursing him for 2 minutes straight.

You’ve previously mentioned that you struggle to write music, is that still a problem? Has the change of direction helped you overcome that block?

I have said that, and usually I feel it right about now.  After completing an album, I get this growing fear that my creative juices have been drained … but I don’t feel that today! In fact I made a new EP last week. I have been producing hip hop, jungle, and left field electronic (the general vibes of the album) for about a decade now.  What gets released is often just a mere glimpse into what I made that year. The struggle in the past has existed as this pressure I put on myself to just be productive. It’s mental and the solution always seems to be the same. Just stop thinking.

Were you nervous about putting out an album under a new name or was it liberating?

I was excited, I am excited! There is a long lineage of electronic producers who act under different names. It feels like a right of passage and a luxury to be honest. I imagine most FaltyDL fans won’t have difficulty finding a Drew Lustman LP. Look at Luke Vibert, constantly releasing albums under about 4 names.  Aphex did it, µ-Ziq did it.  Mark Pritchard too, in fact Mark is a genius, he really compartmentalized different sounds into different names. I could have thrown FaltyDL on the cover of this album and I don’t think anyone would notice the difference! Truth be told back in 2009 right before Planet Mu and I were getting Love Is A Liability together, Mike Paradinas suggested we release it under my own name.  Funny how it could have always been my name. But it was super fun to hide behind a production alias for so many years.

How do you want people to feel when they listen to it?

I hope energized. That’s probably the first feeling that if it didn’t get across on first listen I made a massive mistake somewhere! One of my favorite things about music is the personal connections we form with favorite albums, and how they grow over the years but remain very personal. Frankly, they don’t change very much after our first listen. Like I can put on Endtroducing and within the first 6 seconds I’m back in my friends car skipping school smoking weed and eating cheeseburgers. I honestly hope that one person in 20 years looks at my entire catalog, smiles, laughs, and goes OK I get it, this guy was funny and also put 100% of himself into the records.

Some of the tracks are quite abstract.

I am aware of the growing abstraction in some of my work, and trust me I look down at my feet not tapping in place as I am making some of these tracks and saying to myself, where the fuck did the dance floor go?! The key for me is to have patience. I seem to be having fun in that space where reliable dance patterns flirt with actual musical events. I love mind numbing repetitive druggy dance music as much as the next kid. The next album may include whale song or this voice memo of my grandmother cursing me for 2 minutes. She’s just berating me. It’s so good.

You mentioned that In The Wild explores sexuality. What does this album explore?

Well the exploration of sexuality certainly didn’t begin nor end with In The Wild. Truth is, it’s kind of gross to assume anyone wants to listen to your album and think about sex at the same time. When I was talking with the label about a month ago about how we were gonna handle this release I said something like “Why can’t people just listen to it?”. Basically I want the album to explore you, the listener! I wanted to provide next to nothing so you can interpret it or disregard it as you will. I recently read a great article about athleticism in the arts discussing how an artist just has to keep creating everyday and posting new work in order to maintain visibility. That’s crazy, but it’s sort of true. A lack of narrative was sort of my first idea for this album. This album is about being a cowboy. No, this album is like biting on a sour lemon right before you release your unborn creativity into a soft hotel towel.

Have you ever thought about trying something new? Sculpture or painting perhaps?

Yes. Most of my artistic pals in NYC are sculptors. I take music very seriously though, and have spent every day of my life thinking about it, so you won’t see a Drew Lustman bust anytime soon.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve sampled?

I’ve sampled porn and family members in the same song.  That was in 2008 so it’s been a slow decline since then.

Is it fair to say the previous album was emotionally fraught?

I felt In The Wild had a very calming and soothing balance. It’s like each track was on the edge of sanity but resolved itself by the time the next song comes on. I think In The Wild is my record. It’s an album for the heads, no doubt about that.  It wouldn’t do very well at the check out counter at a Target. Hardcourage was more direct and digestible. The Crystal Cowboy is honestly somewhere in the middle, perhaps slightly leaning towards Hardcourage. I think the last track on the album, ‘Sykle’ is the best I’ve ever made. Best production, emotion and vibes a plenty.

What inspired the name?

Tom the sculptor donned me The Crystal Cowboy one night while I was explaining the different crystalline strictures in this plant to him. It just stuck. I’ve never smoked meth – I haven’t even finished watching Breaking Bad – but when it came to me it was just one of those thoughts that gets into your head and doesn’t leave. I love the idea of a cowboy roaming through gritty NYC on a horse.

Words: Thomas Curry.

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Bleak and grey though London’s weather seems to insist on remaining as we advance slowly into spring London based, Brittany born producer Xavier Thomas, otherwise known as Débruit, is bringing summer to Shoreditch early with a live set at the Book Club this Thursday. Blending West African rhythms, archive samples and disparate synths Thomas’ trademark Afro-funk is as flamboyant as it is diverse. With a brand new album forthcoming in June amongst other projects, we took ten minutes to find out more about getting groovy in the sea, record hoarding in rural France and performing to a group of Slipknot fans in Houston, Texas.

You’ve previously talked about reclaiming the word ‘groovy’. Aside from making music, what makes you feel ‘groovy’?

I like untrendy, forgotten words. It’s funny as it used to mean cool and it is totally uncool now. I like interesting oppositions in general. Also what else could you say when a beat grooves? Aside from music, I feel groovy when I’m in the sea (in fact, everything to do with the sea). Photography makes me feel groovy and art in general. Good food. Playing games too; I can be competitive at playing the silliest thing like basketball.

Do you think of your music as world music? Which countries do you find most inspiring? Any places you’re still dying to visit?

In Africa you can speak in terms of country but if it’s ancient, the music still exists in a pre-boundaries era. I like Yoruba music, old music from the Azawagh, West African poly-rhythmic patterns in general. But nowadays the places I’d like to go to are unfortunately a bit dangerous, like north of Mali or Niger. Syria too and Nigeria. On the less dangerous side, Benin, Lebanon, Brazil…

What kind of music did you grow up with? Was there a particular gig or moment where you realised that made you realise you wanted to make music?

I grew up on all kinds of music. I remember falling in love with the track La Bamba at a young age, the funny thing is that it was one of these cassette tapes where they cover songs so it can be sold for cheap, so it wasn’t even the original. I remember hearing cassettes from Kenya and Morocco too. African music always had a place in the charts in France, like Khaled or Mory Kante going to number one. The music from Brittany where I’m from is also in the ‘world’ music section in record shops so maybe that is an explanation. Then I was really into lo-fi, noisy music and post rock. Music wasn’t available where I’m from so when someone would bring a record back, me and my friends would listen to it religiously. We then bought some instruments, we didn’t even know how to set up the drum set, where to put the elements but that’s how we started. From the first time I heard 3 instruments playing together (especially because of the lack of ability), I was hooked.

Are you working on any new music at the moment?

Yes I am, I have an album ready which will come out in June. It’s African cold wave in a way, a bridge between ancient Africa, early German electronic music and 80’s NYC. Also I’m going to Istanbul for a residency to make another album this year in collaboration with some 70’s legends and new talents of the city. It’ll be about Istanbul. I’ll be collaborating with some really talented artists in London too. Oh and I’ll be launching something even bigger which can’t be revealed yet.

You’ve previously done a lot of work with archive sounds and clips. What is it about music of the past that intrigues you?

I think the root of every genre of music is interesting, it always has the strongest energy. I’m intrigued by the genuine approach and energy of music, making music as an enjoyment in itself or to tell a story. Music that moves you, with a higher purpose than selling. Music that can put you in a trance, that makes you feel something.

Where are your favourite places to hang out in London?

Definitely not on diverted buses! I like the museums very much or a few lively parks of east London like Clissold Park and Hackney Marshes. And venues like Café Oto and Passing Clouds.

Most bizarre gig you’ve played?

In a ranch outside Houston, Texas in front of some kids dressed like Slipknot fans, dancing really strangely. I met the promoter really briefly because he had to go and fix his fire canon that blew 5 meters flames up in the air. I understand, life has its priorities…

Any tracks that you can’t help but listen to on repeat at the moment?

A few records by Gary Bartz NTU Troop like Celestial Blues.

Debruit will play live at The Book Club, London on Thursday 2nd April .

Words: Thomas Curry

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Having come together last year following a previous musical endeavour, Lizzie Massey and Jim Corbin are taking on the world as Sea Bed. With Lizzie on vocals and bass and Jim taking on the guitar and programming responsibilities, they’re producing a house influenced indie sound. They’re described as having a penchant for the “deep and distorted” and that’s certainly apparent in their Wondermix.

With hints of house and techno (you might even spot some disco synths in there), this is a mix to get you in the mood for the weekend. It meanders from trembling bass to fluttering keys and hovers everywhere in between. Haven’t got plans for Friday night? Put on Sea Bed’s mix, draw the curtains, pour a drink and get some friends to take it in turns to flick the light switch on and off. You’re basically at Fabric, except it’s free and there’s no queue for the toilet or gum stuck to your shoe. You’re welcome.

Sea Bed’s EP “Russo” is due for release 6th April on DEPH Records.

Words: Lily Walker

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Having been credited by the likes of Pete Tong, Annie Mac and Zane Lowe, new trio Disciples have already received high acclaim for their dance music, especially their highly anticipated single “They Don’t Know”. Disciples defy the constraints of confining dance music structures by not only writing the music, but by working on the vocals and producing it too. It’s these accolades that create a masterful combination for the talented youths. Culminating in the perfect collaboration of skill sets, Disciples music is deep, soulful club music that sinks into your bones. And expect no less from their Wondermix. 

‘They Don’t Know’ is set to be released 22 February 2015.

Words: Elli Wier.

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