Ezequiel Arias & Sebastian Sellares – Infinity

Both based in Córdoba, Argentina, Ezequiel and Sebastian first collaborated on the ‘Sky Above’ EP released via Replug Records in 2022. The two artists have long been championed by Argentinian dance music legend Hernán Cattáneo who has given DJ support to Sebastian’s music and offered Ezequiel sets at the renowned BNP Forja events in Córdoba.

‘Infinity’ takes you on a journey through progressive house with South American influence; light and tasteful percussion paired with a minimal yet inviting synth topline. ‘Alba’, literally translated as ‘dawn’ in English, is a slightly more melodic offering designed to provide a fitting soundtrack for early morning sunrises at the end of a long night.

Nox Vahn & Marsh – Come Together (Nox Vahn & Marsh Revisit)

Anjunadeep mainstays Marsh and Nox Vahn present a mesmerising ambient revisit of their 2020 breakout collaboration ‘Come Together’ to Reflections. First heard on the prolific label series ‘Anjunadeep 11’ mixed by label boss James Grant & legendary Bristolian DJ Jody Wisternoff, ‘Come Together’ features a moving spoken world sample from revered philosopher Alan Watts. The melodic house production saw the clear merging of two label stars and quickly became a fan favourite amassing over 23 million streams to date.

Together, Nox Vahn & Marsh rework their label classic ‘Come Together’ into a slow-burning beat-less interpretation, capturing the uplifting essence of the original, laced with a meditative feel.

Release Date: 1st August 2024

The easiest way to get into the meditative state is to begin by listening.
If you simply close your eyes
And allow yourself to hear all the sounds that are going on around you.
Just listen to the general hum and buzz of the world
As if you were listening to music.

Don’t try to identify the sounds you are hearing
Don’t put names on them
Simply allow them to play with your eardrums.
Let them go. In other words, let your ears hear whatever they want to hear.
Don’t judge the sounds: there are no proper sounds nor improper sounds — it’s all just sound.

As you hear sounds coming up in your head you simply listen to them
As part of the general noise going on and soon you will find
That the so-called “outside world” and the so-called “inside world”
Come Together
They are a happening
And everything is simply a habit
And all you’re doing is watching it

MOLØ – ‘Mio’ feat. Running Pine

After making her debut on the label five years ago with career-first release ‘Vanadis’ alongside Vivrant label founder Jeremy Olander, MOLØ’s put out originals on Marc Romboy’s Systematic, Anjunadeep and delivered BBC Radio 1-supported remixes for Eli & Fur as well as Duccio on Moscoman’ Disco Halal.

‘Aqua Lull’, MOLØ’s debut album, is the first of a series of short-form albums on Vivrant. Occupying the space between the traditional EP format of 2-5 tracks and full-length 10-12 track albums, the series seeks to offer label artists comprehensive artistic freedom.

MOLØ elaborates: “Over the past five years, the scene has changed. I’ve seen many small clubs and live music spaces close down, resulting in new artists being pressured to conform to what people in power say move tickets and streams. This pressure clashed with my creative process and what I was making didn’t fit the mold of a peak time set.”

Sofia Kourtesis – Dakotas

Berlin based, Peruvian artist Sofia Kourtesis has today announced her new EP Fresia Magdalena will be released 19 March via Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour. Following her breakout EP Sarita Colonia – which saw her tipped as a ‘One To Watch’ by The Observer, feature on Emerging Artist lists from DJ and Mixmag as well as being named #4 in Gorilla Vs. Bear’s ‘EPs and Mixtapes of 2020’ and appearing in this years NME 100 – the EP continues to hone her singular sound, using astutely selected samples and a joyful sense of personality and place to make something utterly infectious. Today she has also shared lead single ‘La Perla’, a track that is at once energising and meditative. Utilising her own singing voice for the first time, ‘La Perla’ clears the head in an uplifting wave before getting the body moving.

Though undeniably present in all her work, Fresia Magdalena is more rooted in Kourtesis’ native Peru than ever. On one of her regular extended trips home, the process of making the EP began with the collection of field recordings around the city of Lima where Kourtesis’ family currently live and specifically Magdalena, their district. “I look at songs like a collage” she says, “I put all the samples at the forefront and create music around them”. Then finished between Peru and Berlin, the result finds both aspects of her life bleeding effortlessly into her music and weaving around themes and a broad range of styles that remain universal. 

From the gritty and pulsating rumble of ‘Dakotas’ to the twinkling groove of ‘By Your Side’ and the exhilaration of ‘La Perla’, Kourtesis’ ability to naturally flow from one style to the next, though always with an eye on the return to the dancefloor, is ever apparent here. Thematically though, her message is simple and direct. “Fresia Magdalena is about activism” she says, “It’s about making positive changes, whoever and wherever you are”. 

A passionately vocal voice for the wellbeing of the community herself, Kourtesis here attributes this message to the person who inspires her most. “Fresia is my mother’s name” she says, “her whole life she’s fought hard for the people of Magdalena, Peru. This is my tribute to her and the other activists around the world working hard to better the lives of others. We as musicians have a responsibility to help our communities to have their voices heard, changes are needed”. 

A nod to another significant figure both to Kourtesis and to any unheard voices, the artwork for the EP draws an elegant line between previous EP Sarita Colonia and this one. “Housed within one of Lima’s biggest favelas, The Cementerio Baquijano del Callao contains a beautiful tribute to Sarita Colonia, the Patron of the Poor” Kourtesis recalls, “she’s an icon within Peru and the voice of the underrepresented. Gaining access to this cemetery is challenging as not everyone can just walk into a favela but after some negotiations we managed to gain access”. Much like the music itself these images were then collaged to create something striking and new.

Fresia Magdalena loses none of its impact when taken at its surface level – a collection of vibrant dance music that gets under the skin and lifts the mood with distinctive and addictive flourishes separating it from the pack. What really makes it unique though is the life bubbling under the surface of the collection as a whole. The influences, passions and relationships of Kourtesis as a person are behind every moment – a fierce call to action softened and presented with the warmth of family and home.  

Released March 19, 2021

M.O.S. & Bona Fide – Volga

The Volga is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of 3,531 km. It is widely regarded as the national river of Russia. The river flows in Russia through forests, forest steppes and steppes. Five of the ten largest cities of Russia, including the nation’s capital, Moscow, are located in the Volga’s drainage basin.