Before we get into it, I need to report that I’m still locked into house move hell. Not for your benefit, just for me to unload somewhere. I travelled 250 miles last Wednesday to look at carpets and wooden flooring. The solicitor on their side has been on a lovely two week holiday without passing over our outstanding queries to anyone in her office, so that’s cool. I spent Sunday emptying 35 years of shed. And we still have the loft to do. Skips are like flowers for the bees because as soon as you have one up one your drive, there are folks who buzz around looking for pollen. A broken bike and some filthy shed based plastic boxes went within the hour.

Apologies for that. It’s all weighing a bit heavy at the moment.

Aaaaannywaaay… There is much good news to be reported.

Let’s start with the joy that the brilliant new Lone Bison album “Longshore Drifting” has washed up upon our shores.

Ramsgate based Nick Bonell is the genius behind Lone Bison and is one of the coolest chaps you could ever meet. One of those guys that you could throw a trumpet at and he would get a tune out of it within five minutes. His musicality and genre astriding approach to everything he does is laid out for all to see/hear/here. I get lost in the brilliant excitement of his scattergun excellence.

Get involved with with “Longshore Drifting” and all of the other great stuff by Lone Bison here on our bandcamp. There’s still some copies of “Talk About It” featuring a Concretism remix there as well. Chris Concretism’s last published work as far as I’m aware.

https://lonebison.bandcamp.com/

Nick is also the writer on the upcoming Project Pop LP. Three years in the making as we toured studios across the UK with a brace of brilliant producers and singers including an actual Eurovision star who had to endure a stage invasion on the big night. Her telling of the story of what went down when we were in https://www.fit-dog.com/index.html was absolutely spellbinding. We’re looking at a September release for the album, but for now and over the Summer, we’ll be dropping some singles from the LP. Neil Grant aka Lo Five has done some brilliant lyric videos for us, which I think is an important aspect of the release because Nick’s lyrics are so brilliant.

For now, we can share single number one - “Save Your Breath”. Talia’s vocals and harmonies are ace, here. Neil told me that he interpreted the song as her just driving away from all the bullshit of a terrible relationship where the protaganist takes back control. I love it. It’s so beautifully done.

“Castles in Space Presents Project Pop Volume One” will be released 2nd September, 2026. Pre-orders will be up soon at castlesinspace.bandcamp.com

In Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan news, the new LP, “Industrial Growth” is out for press and due for an Autumn release. It’s one of Gordon’s best, I reckon and I’m in awe about how he continues to develop this project in new and brilliantly inventive ways. The opening two tracks will slay you. G-Man has been testing out a lot of this stuff during his never ending tour, so it’s hot af. There will be a video for opening salvo “This Machine” which Gordon has been working on with a team in Manchester. Incoming.

We’re running out of the 12” and 7” of “Overspill Estates”…

We’re also down to the last copies of the “Weston Point”/”Weaver Navigation” 7” taken as bonus tracks from the deluxe reissue of the mighty “Interim Report, March 1979” LP.

The good news is that I found a few signed postcards from the G-Man in the office, so all remaining copies will include a signed card from Gordon.

Everything Interim Report is sold out apart from the 7”.

In addition to the imminent stuff mentioned above, the rest of pipeline is looking like this, in no particular order:

Tomorrow Syndicate - I’ve been trying to conscript these guys for years. The album is fookin’ brilliant. Artwork by by Nick T. You will not be disappointed.

Isis Moray - again, I’ve wanted to work with Jade for ages. The album is a beautiful thing. Early 4AD vibes with a sprinkling of bangers. She’s amazing.

Field Lines Cartographer - The person I would want to work with afore I shuffle off. I don’t think Mark has ever done anything that I don’t love. New stuff coming up on the subscription library and CiS.

Sound Of Science Remix - I’ve been sat on this one for a while, but it will be worth the wait. The Paul Cousins/Soft Focus conjoined twin is properly beautiful. There’s a TVAM remix on there too - who has also provided a remix for WRNTDP. More info on that incoming.

The Tier Garden - Hometown heroes. The Tier Garden were the Barrow band who were going to make it. Following on from CiS003, the Gary Cook LP, We're doing the same archive treatment for these guys. I always found them UNBELIEVABLY cool, because they didn’t say much, they were just THERE. And singer Mike was a punk before there were punks in Barrow. I remember seeing him on Abbey Road in his trenchcoat and thinking, who the fuck is that guy? They have handed me a legacy of a brilliant archive, which I’m trying desperately to sequence properly.

Vinz Giaimis - Super spicy Italian space disco. I cannot get enough of it, which is good, because Vinz sends me a new track every week. There will be a subs album for this as well. It all puts me in a happy, dancing in the office vibe.

fluXus - From straight outta Cornwall, Nigel has nailed that Berlin School thing to the pinnacle of the mast. New stuff coming for the subs and CiS. It’s serious.

Ayusp - Sheffield heads nail the Berlin School thing as well. Absolutely fantastic.

James Adrian Brown - James has been recording in a remote lighthouse. I haven’t heard anything yet, but KNOW that this will be ace.

Simon Scott - As well as being a garnered solo artist, Simon is the drummer in Slowdive. He came to the office for a meet up as he’s just up the A1 from Biggleswade. Gordon Chapman-Fox has done the artwork for this one and it looks fkn amazing. Simon’s music is kind of ecstatic on this one. It’s such a great record. Features a co-write form James/MAPS on one track.

Apta - a new and brilliant album from the king of good vibes. There’s nobody that can push out the music which fills the space with contentment and smashes a smile on your eek. Barry is a low temperature dude and I’m delighted to be working with him.

Claire Hotgem - Scottish inventor and inspirational artist.

Lo Five - More wonderful stuff from Neil. Artwork by Stewart Easton. The album comes with an embroidered patch that you can get your Mam to iron onto your Wrangler jacket. Because Neil is such a lovely person, I think the darkness in his work gets missed sometimes. It’s subtle, but it’s there and that’s one of the many reasons why he’s so brilliant. He’s defined a unique sound that’s entirely him. I looove it.

Pulselovers - More from the outstanding Mat Handley of Woodford Halse fame. This is a brilliant record which grooves quite delightfully.

Have a lovely week. Buy some of our stuff.

Have I mentioned I’m moving house? The breaking news is that The Boy Lewis isn’t coming with us, so why not throw finding him somewhere to live into the mix. In three weeks.

As ever, thanks for listening.

Contact us at hello@castlesinspace.com.

Colin

castlesin.space

Donavùr - We Owe Each Other Everything

Today sees the release of the final album from Scottish duo, Dohnavùr. It’s a sweet sorrow as Ali and Frazer have crafted an album which hits heavy and hard on the emotional register. Full of the heartfelt majesty and emotional gut-punch that has become the band’s trademark, which is so emotionally direct. It’s everything I love about electronic music, it’s not cold, it’s packed full of the feels. The closing track, “Unwavering” features a vocal from Emile Wauters aka Autumna which will make you have some dust in your eye, guaranteed.

DJ Food Vs Boards of Canada

DJ Food has put together a brilliant (and official!) DJ mix in celebration of the new Boards of Canada album, Inferno:

I took The Beloved Daughter and her brilliant boyf to see Kev do his Kraftwerk A/V show in Sheffield a while ago. The man is a genius. All the work he puts into everything he does is astonishing to behold.

There’s a few CiS things in this brilliant mix which also includes loads of fantastic stuff I’d not heard before.

Listen to the mix here:

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/early-hours-dj-mix/6772230636

Keep up with all the exciting stuff Kev does here:

https://www.djfood.org/

Kev also designed the sleeve for CiS168 - “Altered Fetes” by A’Bear:

Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan - People & Industry Special Edition

The special edition repress of the second Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan LP, “People and Industry” is rapidly disappearing. We had to limit the numbers we could send to the distro due to the number of pre-orders. We have no current plans to repress this one, so my advice to avoid disappointment would be to dive in quickstyle.

Gordon is playing in London over the weekend with some CiS adjacent artists (including A’Bear!). Tickets here:

WRNTDP All Dayer at Iklektik

Lone Bison - Longshore Drifting

We’ve just taken delivery of the latest Lone Bison LP, “Longshore Drifting”. Its a wonderfully wide-ranging album displaying all of Nick’s myriad talents. We’ll get this up for pre-orders soon. Nina and I are looking at a late July release date. More on this next time.

Right, I have to dash. I’m off to Southampton and I haven’t done my ironing yet.

We’re still stuck in house move hell. They brought an architect round this morning. Jules is in the zone. I’m a passenger.

As ever, thanks for listening. Your support is appreciated because as I’m sure you’re aware, it’s really tough out there for indies at the moment.

Have a great weekend.

Colin

Castles in Space. x

We hope you’re all bearing up. The sun was shining here in glorious Biggleswade earlier in the week, but it’s a leaden sky today. We’ve just had hail.

Danalogue - Teleportations

The important news for this month is that we’re gearing up for the release of “Teleportations” by Danalogue on 29th May. The mighty Dan Leavers was in the office last week signing the postcards for the Dinked edition. We had an excellent day all round and then I took him for Biggleswade’s finest curry. He asked for a doggy bag on the way out, so I reckon job done.

Dan and I also had a chat about the album last Friday, which you can hear down here ⬇️

This has already been shared with CiS Subscription Library members, but we thought this was worth sharing out on the Dubstack. Lots of insight into what Dan was achieving here.

Dan’s a great interview and although we whizzed about a bit, (with him doing all the heavy lifting, tbh) covering his background in Soccer ‘96 and The Comet is Coming and how he arrived at recording “Teleportations”. We also chat about a couple of his influences for the record, including Moebius and Ernst Bloch!

As mentioned during the chat, the Dinked edition was all assembled here on Friday by me and Nina and has now gone off to our beloved distro, Cargo and will be landing with the record stores very soon. We had some leftover postcards signed by Dan, which we will drop into the pre-orders from the CiS bandcamp fade edition:

We’ve also got a listening party for the album scheduled before the album release date on Wednesday 27th May. If you attend and buy a copy of the record, we will endeavour to get all copies out to valiant pre-order folks for release day. The Boy Lewis is gracing us with his presence later today to get the pre-orders packed up and ready to go ahead of release day.

Please join us by clicking here to register for the Listening Party at 19:30 on 27/05/2026 ⬇️

Teleportations Listening Party

It’s been lovely working with Dan and his team on “Teleportations”. I hear there are a few Dinked editions left in all the usual places, but they are rapidly disappearing. The Dinked edition includes one of Dan’s signed postcards and a big fold out poster featuring Nick Signalstarr’s fantastic artwork. https://www.instagram.com/signalstarr/

I think it’s fair to say that Dan and Nick “hit it off” and they had already come up with the cover concept literally days after I introduced them. I met Nick through Paul Cousins and I love it when that networking thing comes off. Paul’s wonderful music is some of the best stuff CiS has ever released, I think. The woozy, hazy, wherethefuckami of it all is just so delicious. Have a listen here:

Wait! There’s more Danalogue news!

There’s an album launch party locked in for June 4th at The Waiting Room in London. You would foolish to miss Dan ‘s roadies wheel out the big synths and elevate your consciousness for a bit.

Tickets are here: https://dice.fm/event/92a67d-danalogue-4th-jun-the-waiting-room-london-tickets

Dan has told me how brilliant the support from Noon Garden will be and I’ll be hanging around playing a few CiS forthcoming choice cuts. Live visuals from Innerstrings also not to be missed.

Pardon? You want some Danalogue T-Shirts? Well here they are, styled by the man himself:

Finally to close out the DANAGEDDON!!! of news, I’m giving him the half nelson to let me have a banging track for the Subscription Library singles club - all of which will be gathered up for a 20 Dynamic Hits style compilation AT SOME POINT.

“Teleportations” is released on May 29th on Castles in Space.

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In other news, our June release sees both the joyous return and sad departure of Dohnavùr. The Scottish duo’s parting shot is the wonderful “We Owe Each Other Everything”.

Full of the heartfelt majesty and emotional gut-punch that has become the band’s stock in trade, this is a fantastic record and a fantastically Scottish record. Big hearted and uplifting? Tick. Frazer has the chops to create music which is so emotionally direct. It’s everything I love about electronic music, it’s not cold, it’s packed full of the feels. The closing track, “Unwavering” features a vocal from Emile Wauters aka Autumna which will make you have some dust in your eye, guaranteed. Released 19.06.2026, but pre-orders are up here from today:

Looking further ahead, incoming in early July is the deluxe edition of the Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan album “People & Industry”.

Gordon is out in Belgium as we post as he’s performing some gigs out there on his never ending tour - details of which are always available at his impeccable website: https://warringtonruncorn.com/

He’s sent me despatches from the front line and it looks like P&I is pressed and shipping out to us immediately.

G-Fox has done his usual expert job of pulling all of this together and the bonus tracks that were only ever available digitally are included and he’s rooted out some contemporaneous additional bonus tracks. Gordon tells me it’s the album he gets asked most about at gigs, so we’re super excited to be bringing you this definitive version.

This was the second WRNTDP LP and after the roaring success of the debut, “Interim Report March 1979” we took the decision to go to one of the premier pressing plants in Germany renowned for the quality of their output and they managed to fuck up BOTH of the variants we asked them to press. So we are delighted that our partners at Dunk have repressed this special edition to their normal exceptional standards so that we are able to give you the definitive edition of what feels a bit like Gordon’s lost WRNTDP album.

Pre-orders up soon on the bandcamp.

He’s also just delivered the new WRNTDP album, “Industrial Growth” which will be hitting your decks around September time. It’s a belter, I reckon. The usual precision and attention to detail which is Gordon’s method. I’m never not blown away by what he does, but this one is a proper gem. An artist easing into magnificent work. It’s my fave of his for a while and it’s been permeating the office since we got Antony’s masters last week. Sit tight. The opener is a shredder and the artwork is fookin’ beautiful.

Spotlight On: Lo Five

Lo Five, the alias of Wirral-based artist Neil Grant, operates between within the liminal space where ambient music blurs into dance-adjacent forms. His work draws on environmental composition, new age drift, the euphoric residues of rave, and the intricate architectures of IDM—assembling these influences into something at once introspective and quietly kinetic. Beneath the surface, Neil’s music functions as a conduit for deeper preoccupations: human connection, the subtle imprints of psychogeography, and a searching, often meditative spirituality. Beyond his solo output, Grant is the driving force behind Emotion Wave, a platform that by turns manifests as an underground electronic showcase, a micro-label and a radio show.

It’s always a joy to be working with Neil because he is the lovliest, most positive vibes merchant and his new Lo Five album has just dropped with us. The artwork is by renowned artist and (Stone Anthem) Archie’s Dad, Stewart Easton. It looks amazing. Off to the pressing plant we go!

We’ve only got six-seven of the last Lo Five LP left.

And you can also enjoy his “Vanish” album behind the paywall of our subscription library here: https://cissublibrary.bandcamp.com/

We’ve got some attention on the Subscription Library this year. So, er… Look out

We’re as busy as ever here in The Castle. Not helped by the fact that we’re moving Northwards in a few months and we have to empty the office, the Stevenage storage unit (half of my vinyl and CD collection) and mainly, the house. Emptying the loft is what I’m dreading. There is a big space up there full of family stuff from when the kids were actual kids. Plus all of my comics, cassettes and who knows what else. We’ve decided we’re getting a skip out on the drive and being brutal about what we dump. Travel light, blank canvas. That’s the theory, anyway.

Life, Eh? Pfft.

It’s really tough for the indies out there at the moment, so any support is always massively appreciated. Huge thanks to all of you who keep the faith.

That’s all the CiS news for now. Every morning I wake up and think that I must do more comms. If I’m not in the mood for writing, it’s like squeeging the last toothpaste out of the tube. I don’t know how my mate Neil does it over at Moonbuilding weekly.

MOONBUILDING WEEKLY

Champion of independent DIY electronic artists and labels

By Moonbuilding

And now I must fuck off for a haircut before Mum sees the tramp that I have become living in the office 24x7. Jules has been quite critical about my hair. Suggesting that I’m doing a Bobby Charlton. How rude.

Colin xx

Hope you’re all OK. Things are as busy as ever here at CiS HQ as we release two shiny new things today.

We’re delighted to be releasing the new album, ‘Situations | Useless Mouths’ from Manchester’s mighty The Mistys.

Always changing, always shifting shape, the Manchester-based electronic duo, singer Beth Roberts and electronics artist Andrew Hargreaves, playfully mix and explore genres to create their own self-contained sonic world, with a distinctive and tongue-in-cheek subversive pop aesthetic. Subversives in pop’s clothing.

With Situations | Useless Mouths, The Mistys turn away from the introspection of their previous album and boldly aim their sights at the hedonistic dancefloor. Here, joy becomes a form of activism: a promise of possibility and shared uplift in a dreary world. Pop, in their hands, is transformational: it can turn confinement into release, confrontation into consolation, loneliness into togetherness beneath the lights. It can make the world feel better... at least until the record ends.

The album unfolds like a collection of short stories: snapshots, phone notes, lived moments, potentialities, raptures and contingencies, rendered in the Mistys’ signature dreamlike haze. Their music remains as enigmatic and art-driven as ever but here, the pulse is brighter, the invitation clearer.

Step inside, and stay as long as the beat holds.

“Manchester duo The Mistys reinvent pop for the dance floor. Beth Robert’s pixie-like whisper whisks you away on tracks that don’t need to shout for attention and Andrew Hargreaves’ evolving tempos tell their own story on an album that quickly becomes your companion.”
Joe Banks, Electronic Sound 135

Listen and buy:

There’s also a discounted bundle with their last album for Castles in Space, ‘Detached Engagement’ available on the CiS bandcamp there.

Meanwhile, we’re closing out Season One of our Lunar Module imprint with an instant classic from Twilight Sequence.

‘Stars Of The Wayside’ captures a live improvised performance at Sherborne's hippest record shop, The Beat and Track, run by walking music encyclopaedia Paul Maskell. The performance coincided with that year's Record Store Day so the shop was particularly busy, the room intimate and close-up, the perfect environment for Matthew J Saunders to weave his strange, evolving, electronic webs around the record-browsing patrons.

“The challenge was to take along some looper pedals, a semi-modular synth, sampler, OP-1 synth and a bunch of effects pedals and make something cool without much of a plan. Some of these pieces had a germ of an idea pre-gig, some were entirely improvised from scratch in the moment.”

Saunders is a seasoned recording artist and performer. He has released records on 4AD, Castles in Space, Earworm, Folk Police and worked with artists such as Kim Deal, Kelley Deal, King Creosote and James Yorkston. As well as Twilight Sequence, he records and performs with Rapid Eye Electronics Ltd. (R.E.E.L.), Assembled Minds and Magnétophone. You’ll find his live performances of improvised guitar playing on his YouTube channel @MatthewJSaunders.

The recent R.E.E.L album ‘Archons Come In Dreams’ for the CiS Subscription Library was a barnstorming success and there a still a few copies left for new joiners at https://cissublibrary.bandcamp.com/

I’ve also put some complete sets of the first Lunar Module season up on the Twilight Sequence page for those who missed out or want to catch up. The full set includes coasters and badges.

Also just landed for subscribers is this brilliantly cinematic collection from Andy Fosberry, ‘Exoplanets’.

Andy explains:

‘On the surface, the story of EXOPLANETS is that through our own sense of wonder and discovery, we create a probe to send to our nearest neighbouring star, Proxima Centauri. We also give the probe a mind, in order to ensure completion of the mission. But as the probe becomes more and more lost, its mind begins to wander...’

I’ve also just put the orders in for these two - again Subscription Library vinyl exclusives.

I’ll leave you with the news that the new Dohnavùr LP arrived yesterday.

It’s very special and poignant, doing that thing that the best electric stuff does, walking the line between melancholy and euphoria. Should be out in the world over the next few months.

We’re moving house after 30 years in Biggleswade, so it’s all fookin’ happening. Jules got irritated at me yesterday when I was stressing about the flooring for the new office. “That’s the least of our problems”, came the terse reply. I’m also not sure she knows how many comics are up in the loft.

As ever, thanks for listening.

Colin

Castles in Space

Biggleswade

It hasn’t stopped raining in Biggleswade for two weeks, I reckon.

I’m expecting to see Jules “wild swimming” in the puddles on the front drive, because that woman will get in any water anywhere, no matter the temperature. She’s Jacobs cream crackers, but God, how I love her.

In other and possibly more relevant news, the new year is moving ahead at pace. We have news of three brilliant things incoming over the next few weeks.

Keith Seatman is back with his lysergic barrage of head-messing. This new LP “Counting to Ten and Back Again” feels like the third part of a trilogy, following the wonderful “Time To Dream, But Never Seen” and “Sad Old Tatty Bunting”, We didn’t set out to do a trilogy, but here we are. Keith continues to lift the pavement slabs to unearth what it is to be British. I think we’re on pretty cool ground if this is our soundtrack. You hear it, but you also feel it. Stirs the blood in the best possible way. Welcome one, welcome all. Pass the mushrooms, pls.

Counting To Ten And Back Again” is a bit more free ranging than the previous two LPs, but all the better for it. Keith is a unique and indefinable presence. It’s all kind of banging, but like you put the music through one of those liquid reels that Strictly Kev documented in his brilliant book:

https://www.djfood.org/

You think you have a handle on it, but then you don’t. Endlessly inventive and beautifully weird, this is Seatman at his blistering best. There is a distinct possibility that this may become a quadriology, but only Seatman knows.

What else?

After Keith, we see The Mistys. Andrew and Beth return with a smoking set of alt-pop. Beth’s voice remains as hypnotic as ever and Andrew’s arrangements are just pumping and jumping all over the place. Restrained, but not. No-one else is doing this stuff at this elevated level. If I could choose a few adjectives, this record is crisp, concise, dense, but stripped-down, deeply emotional and will probably will make you tearful. It’s a beautiful journey. Andrew and Beth get that balance between melody and emotional cobwebs so perfectly formed and played out.

Situations | Useless Mouths is released 27/03/2026, but pre-orders will be up before then.

As Season One of Lunar Module approaches its end, we’ve got news of two further things.

There’s a beautiful Summery house album from Belfast’s own, Solar 76. Infectious and factor 50 sun-creamy, this should be your soundtrack for the Summer (if it ever stops raining).

Then seeing Season One out, we have Matthew Saunders doing his Twilight Sequence thing on LM010, “Stars of the Wayside”. Put your feet up. It’s a wonderful life.

Last thing I have to tell you about before James comes round and gives me a half nelson - The new James Adrian Brown “Forever Neon Lights” LP is almost sold out from here, but James has put together a bundle of everything he’s released on CiS and is offering it all up as a quality street prize to those who buy a copy of the LP in the morning. Nina and I will be on scrutiny duty to see who gets there first in das morgen and whoever gets the first LP order in after 09:00 UK, you’ll get a bunch of awesome synth work from the most charismatic man in pop. He’s here to tell you more:

Thanks to all of you who are following the Substack.

Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Colin

Castles in Space

Out today is the latest Lunar Module release from past Subscription Library star, Camp of Wolves aka David Salisbury. I’m trying hard not to say that it sounds like a soundtrack for a lost David Lynch movie, but it does. Unease cloaked in beauty. I’ve been playing this one for months. Up on the Lunar Module bandcamp this morning.

Here’s a preview track, “Summer’s End”.

Levitation ‘25 is at The Capstone Theatre in Liverpool on November 1st. The Capstone have issued the following, which is a great overview of who’s playing for us.

Huge All Day Electronic Music Festival Takes Over Liverpool Venue!

Liverpool is set to host an unmissable celebration of electronic music this autumn as Levitation Festival takes over The Capstone Theatre on Saturday 1st November. Running from 1pm until late, the all-day event promises an immersive journey through the cutting edge of experimental, ambient and electronic sound.

Organised by Castles in Space, the revered UK label known for championing boundary-pushing artists, Levitation Festival has become an annual highlight for electronic music enthusiasts. This year’s edition brings together a stellar line-up of performers, each carving out their own unique territory within the genre. Special merchandise will be available only at the festival — a must for collectors and fans alike.

The project of Neil Grant, Lo Five has been exploring experimental electronic ambient textures since 2015. Inspired by early rave, Japanese ambient of the 80s, IDM, and soundtracks, his work reflects themes of human consciousness and spirituality. His forthcoming album, Superdank, is due on Castles in Space’s Lunar Module imprint this November.

With a three-decade career spanning punk, techno, and minimalism, Jo Johnson is an artist of remarkable versatility. In 2025 she is unveiling her slow-evolving album Alterations track by track on Bandcamp, alongside her intimate Alterations Remnants project for subscribers.

Composer and modular synthesist Loula Yorke has established herself as a prolific and adventurous voice in UK electronic music. Following several releases in 2024—including Volta and A Man On a Galloping Horse Wouldn’t See It—she returns with Time is a Succession of Such Shapes, crafted during her year-long monthly mixtape project.

Doncaster’s Mat Handley has built Pulselovers on foundations of analogue synths, field recordings, and nostalgic sonic textures. Joined on stage by John Alexander (Floodlights) on guitar, expect a set weaving favourites with previews from his next album.

Mark Burford’s music under the Field Lines Cartographer name is deeply atmospheric, weaving analogue and digital synths into evocative, otherworldly compositions. With BBC 6 Music support and acclaim from electronic heavyweights like James Holden, his live performances are known for their subtle intensity.

Former Pulled Apart By Horses guitarist James Adrian Brown has embraced an expansive electronic sound as a solo artist, merging analogue synths, piano, and strings into cinematic ambient landscapes. His debut album on Castles in Space is set to mark a bold new chapter in his career.

Blurring serenity and unease, Stone Anthem conjures haunting atmospheres with synths, guitar, vocals, and field recordings. Written in solitude in a remote Spanish mountain hamlet, the forthcoming album Where Trees Go To Die promises to be a meditation on nature, decay, and transformation.

Set in the elegant surrounds of The Capstone Theatre, Levitation Festival offers not just performances but a communal celebration of adventurous sound. With its carefully curated line-up, exclusive merchandise and the intimate setting of one of Liverpool’s finest venues, the festival is set to be a landmark event for fans of forward-thinking electronic music.

Levitation ‘25 takes place on Saturday 1st November from 1pm at The Capstone Theatre in Liverpool. Please visit the Capstone Theatre website to book your tickets.

Or available here: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/The-Capstone-Theatre/Levitation-25/41011976/

As ever, thanks for listening.

Now I have to go and pack for a brief trip to Croatia which Jules has forced me to take. She says I need a break.

Colin

Castles in Space

I had a lovely chat with Archie/Stone Anthem earlier in the week.

His wonderful second album is out tomorrow: 12.09.2025.

His first LP sold out in a day. This new one is a lovely piece of work and we’ve pulled together a lovely pressing all completely designed by Archie. The podcast is a scattergun convo which goes everywhere, but Arch is such brilliant company and always such good value. Such an accomplished and genuinely lovely chap. I love working with him.

All of our remaining copies will be available from 8:00 at the CiS bandcamp on Friday 12th. Archie walks a beautiful path between electronica, ambient and shoegaze.

While you’re there, pick up a copy of one of best things we’ve released, like, ever. Another true individual and inspiring artist, we’re down to the last copies of Andrea Cichecki’s brilliant “Drawn Into The Edge Effect”, a synth album which fills whatever space you’re in with peace and joy.

The lovely thing about both of these albums is that they are beautifully positive and full of good vibes. I love both of them.

We’ve also just taken delivery of the new WRNTDP LP at the office today. As you would expect, impeccable in every sense. G-Man is on tour and you would be foolish to not go to any of these:

https://warringtonruncorn.com/live - Some of which are already well sold out.

Archie is also playing a headliner at Just Dropped in Coventry on 27th September: https://wegottickets.com/event/670920

We’re entering into a busy phase for the label with new Lunar Module releases coming from Camp of Wolves and R. Seiliog as well as new Field Lines Cartographer and an LP from A’Bear with artwork designed by Strictly Kev. We’re also trying to cram in a new CD EP from James Adrian Brown. It’s all good stuff. What a time to be alive!

And if you haven’t bought a ticket for Levitation ‘25 yet, what the hell are you doing? Deb Grant is going to be doing the emceeing and I’ll be doing a Project Pop DJ set. Otherwise a rack of fantastic artists running free. This is likely to be the last Lev, so come and see us all or have regrets.

https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/The-Capstone-Theatre/Levitation-25/41011976/

As ever, thanks for listening.

Get in touch ffs. We love feedback and comments.

Colin

Castles in Space.

I bring you much news.

At the front of my troubled mind is the imminent release of the latest in our peerless Lunar Module schedule. We have a DOUBLE CD from Mat Handley’s Pulselovers. Mat has done all the heavy lifting here in organising a cast of thousands to remix tracks from his ever developing and increasingly important “Northern Minimalism” project. Along with Gordon Chapman-Fox’s “Very Quiet Music To Be Played Very Loudly”, “Northern Minimalism 4” was the spark behind the Lunar Module thing, so don’t miss this stellar and inspirational album hoovering up the best of the best on the knobs. There’s loads of it and it’s all great. Including a rare appearance from DJ Two Minute Noodle, who tells me the new Kl(aüs) LP is on the way “soon”.

There’s a pretty stellar lineup of remixers on display on this here Pulselovers album. I’m super happy with how the Lunar Module stuff is going and this one is a definite keeper. Thanks to Mat and all of the remixers for making this one super special. The best thing about running a label is knocking out the great stuff that you are attached to. Mat’s stuff always makes my heart sing and this is a feast for the ears.

https://lunar-module.bandcamp.com/

Talking of new Kl(aüs) stuff and kind of related to the Berlin School side of life, we’re putting together two new albums from FluXus, whose “Orbit and Shine” is one of the most popular things we’ve dropped on the Subscription Library crew. New LPs from Nigel coming for CiS and one for the subscribers. ✊ More details on that next time.

Northern Minimalism 4 is available from tomorrow morning on the CiS bandcamp and in the shops, but subscribers to the Lunar Module series will already have had this one along with LM005 from Canada’s wonderful Camp of Wolves. The creeping Lynchian sounds from David turns out to be a bit of a curveball as he’s super handsome and not some weird looking bedroom dweller. Luke Requena also from Canada and equally gorgeous. If I move move there, will I absorb the handsomeness? Unlikely.

The latest issue of Moonbuilding is just about gone. Loula Yorke’s star turn as cover artist and album supplier has proved to be a winner. Down to the last 20 copies here:

Follow Neil Mason’s brilliant and essential weekly Moonbuilding update at:

MOONBUILDING WEEKLY

Champion of independent DIY electronic artists and labels

By Moonbuilding

Also revealed in stock room archeology, some copies of Moonbuilding Issue 1 featuring the mighty Dean Honer as cover star. I thought these were long gone, but a very few pristine copies remain. Now with added CiS sticker that Nina sorted out.

What else? Our brilliant distro, Cargo are taking some backstock from last year, so stuff that might have been difficult to find in the shops over the last 12 months should be out there again. The process of clearing the stock room has revealed a few gems. We’ve found a box of the sold out Apta LP, “The Pool”, which is rapidly flying out of 45 Shortmead Street all over again. Only a handful of these left here:

The test pressings for the exclusive Levitation LP have arrived and are sounding fantastic. I’ve just approved with the pressing plant.

Please come and get one on 1st November at our first LevFest in Liverpool. I’ll be burning any remaining copies al la The KLF after the gig. Be there to get one. I’ll do a comp for the subs to get a test pressing for this one over the weekend.

Tickets at: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/The-Capstone-Theatre/Levitation-25/41011976/

After Pulselovers LM004, the next CiS release is from Coventry’s own Stone Anthem. A vibe if there ever was one, Archie turns everything up for his brilliant second record and lands a superb and charming album full of ideas which is very, very easy to love. “Where Trees Go To Die” is coming 12th September. Pre orders have been large, but we will still have some copies on the CiS bandcamp on the 12th. I’ll be recording a podcast chat with Archie over the next week. He’s lively and delightful company, so it should be a good one. He’s already given me the demos for album three and my heart bursts. He’s off to Uni soon, where I expect he will do great things.

We also have big Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan news.

10th October brings us the new WRNTDP album, “Public Works and Utilities”. Gordon further refines and stretches out the Warrington-Runcorn project in all sorts of new and exciting ways. On the same day, we also have a CD compilation of Gordon’s three EPs entitled “Appendix 1” - “Building A New Town”, A Shared Sense Of Purpose” and “Overspill Estates”. As ever, G-Man nails the music/artwork on both of these and they are looking and sounding fabulous. Side Two of PW&U is an 18 minute epic. Strap yourselves in for an actual journey.

We’re also slotting in new records from A’Bear and Field Lines Cartographer before the end of the year, both of which are brilliant. I know you think I would say that, but they ARE. I haven’t got a packshot for Mark’s LP done yet, but Signalstar has done the work on the cover which looks and sounds brilliant. The artwork for Janine’s LP was done by Strictly Kev and the whole thing is just brilliant and makes me very, very happy. She’s such a unique talent. I’m super stoked about this one.

That might be enough news for now.

Please comment here or give us a shout at hello@castlesinspace.com. We love to hear from you.

1. Me and Nina were listening to George Michael in the office yesterday. She’s into R&B stuff and always has brilliant music playing wherever she is. She’s also got a fine set of pipes which we will be putting to good use on Project Pop Volume 2.

2. It’s too early to report much on this one, but we’ve bagged a brilliant album from the keyboard guy in a former Mercury Prize nominated band.

IN: Solicitors and their advice.

IN: Getting ready to move house.

IN: Cargo Distribution.

OUT: Getting ready to move house and the terrors of packing all the vinyl.

OUT: Trying to find a house to move into. I just leave all of that to the indefatigable Jules. She’s determined to get me shoved into a shed in the back garden so she can come and Nora Batty me when I frequently get lost in CiS land.

Thanks for reading/listening,

Colin

45 Shortmead Street

Biggleswade (For now) 😌

We all hope you’re doing alright. There’s quite a bit to catch you up on.

and have delivered up the new issue of Moonbuilding with cover star . There’s also a full CD album of Loula’s fabulous music with a track by track breakdown as well as one of Neil’s trademark interviews that walks his usual tightrope between fun and depth. I dunno how he does it, but it’s brilliant.

Another scoop from our Neil is that there is a beautiful interview with author of “This Is Memorial Device”, David Keenan. They have some shared history of working on the inkies - as Neil puts it, “The febrile world of music journalism”. David has a new book, “Volcanic Tongue” which is his debut collection of music writing. Neil and David get into it and it’s heartwarming and life-affirming. One of the few things I miss since I killed the Twitter account is the Memorial Device account. Always a force for positivity and cool stuff. Active on Bluesky, which is where we now also reside.

Nick Taylor at www.spectral-studio.co.uk has done his usual job of making everything peak. What a guy. I always say this whenever anyone tells me how good our records look, well Nick is just as responsible for all of that as I am. More so.

Moonbuilding 6 will be going up on the bandcamp on Friday morning. We’ve done a reduced print run on this one, so don’t miss.

We are now into the monthly Lunar Module release schedule and having already dropped CDs from Gordon Chapman-Fox and Hawksmoor. Next up is a joyful album from Newcastle based artist, Bartholomew. Gordon played a gig with him at The Cumby and suggested we did something with him, so it all has the WRNTDP seal of approval. I’m super-happy with how all of the Lunar Module stuff has turned out. We have the first ten releases in stock already and will be dropping one a month into next year. There are some subscriptions for the entire season one still available here: lunar-module.bandcamp.com

I’m not allowed to pick favourites, but suffice to say, there is some wonderful stuff herein.

NEWS! Brilliantly, Andrea Cichecki’s LP “Drawn Into The Edge Effect” has been selected for consideration for 'The German Record Critics' Award (PdSK). It’s been so great working with Andrea and this is so well deserved. Fingers and everything else crossed here. We have a box of the album left in the downstairs stockroom. One of my favourite things about the record is that was a true collab between Andrea and Nick and she was super open to let Nick just do his thing, which I think she then looped back into the music as the artwork was dropping in from Nick. It’s a fantastic record and I can’t describe the joy of working with artists who are open to trying stuff out, because it usually works. Go here to get one of the last copies:

What else? The repress of Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan’s sold out “Overspill Estates” is imminent. Our distro are chasing us for that. And Gordon’s new album should be with us just after Summer. As ever, he continues to develop the project in new, interesting and intelligent ways with his usual attention to detail and the new album contains some of his finest work to date while he stretches things out a bit. We’ve also compiled the three WRNTDP 12” EPs on to a CD which will be hitting the racks very soon. Gordon’s artwork as resplendent as ever on both of these new ones.

We also have a wonderful new Field Lines Cartographer LP on the way. It’s so great to be working with artists at the peak of their powers. There may well be some live stuff incoming from Mark, Gordon and Stephen following the trip to Helsinki.

We are also in possession of the second album from Coventry’s Stone Anthem, “Where Trees Go To Die”. It’s a fantastic new album from Archie which really develops his sound in a deeply exciting direction. It’s a keeper, this one and we probably haven’t had enough copies pressed. Keep an eye on the bandcamp for more news imminently. I’ll try and get a podcast record done with Archie in time for release.

We’ve also been working with Zeke Clough and Matthew Saunders on our first ever graphic novel. It’s a beautiful thing with Zeke’s brain spilling out into the universe with his typical flair and invention and all soundtracked by Twilight Sequence. I’m never sure where the lovely, calm and unassuming Zeke drags all of this stuff from, but I’m so glad he does. Again, this is imminent. Buy one for the beach on your holidays.

To finish, I’d better plug the upcoming gigs.

September 6th sees a homecoming gig in Biggleswade, which I can’t begin to tell you about how happy I am. There’s a cool new concert/theatre space in Biggleswade at what used to be the old Town Hall. It’s great. I’ve been doing a bit of guerrilla marketing around town by dropping off promo copies of stuff from the office into the local charity shops. We’ve managed to pull together a brilliant bill of Loula Yorke, Jo Johnson and the legend that is Scanner. In a small and intimate venue, this should be a brilliant night. IN BIGGLESWADE! I cannot wait. Tickets and info are here: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Stevenage/Bigg-Theatre/Castles-in-Space-Presents/41206186/

Levitation ‘25 is at The Capstone in Liverpool on 1st November. Again, we have a brilliant line up and there will be an exclusive LP which will only be there on the day. I’m committed to binning any we don’t sell. New T-Shirts too.

I mean, look at this line up. Each of whom have dropped an exclusive track for the album. I’ll be doing a Project Pop DJ set in the interval. Tickets here: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/The-Capstone-Theatre/Levitation-25/41011976/

As ever, thanks for listening. It continues to be a difficult climate for small labels like us, so your support and attention is always appreciated.

I’ve recently had a landmark birthday and it feels like I’ve been in the car or on a ferry for the last six weeks. I’m finally fully back in the chair this week and it’s heads down, no nonsense mindless boogie in the office for the foreseeable. I’m just back from a birthday party I shared with one of my oldest friends and I’m still slightly overwhelmed about how brilliant it was to see the family and friends, some of whom I’d not seen for years. Jules also got us up to Callanish, which was on the bucket list and did not disappoint. In fact Jules did pretty much everything. I just turned up looking handsome. Ahem.

Come and see us at one of the gigs and I’ll drone on at you aaaall about it. But not when the acts are on.

We hope you’re all surviving and thriving.

Keep in touch.

Colin.

Gordon, Nina & Jules.

Castles in Space.

Thank you to all of you that have been asking for an update.

So… After a bit of a backroom break, CiS is gearing up for the new year.

We’ve been doing a shedload of boring shit around contracts and pressing plant orders. But the good news is that we have been busy working on tons of stuff that will be coming your way super-soon.

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has stuck with us on the Subscription Library. Your support is very valued and the Subscription Library singles club is lining up to be something a bit special. The first single is a Belbury Poly mix of a track from the forthcoming Keith Seatman LP. I’m tooting the horn right here, but this shit is why we do what we do. It’s amazing.

The plan is that there will be an album comprised of the “singles” at the end of the year. I’ve asked Nick Taylor to do a 12” single image as well, as some of the upcoming bangers are quite long. You won’t want to miss the MAPS remix of Big Verona Power from Lone Bison. Because it’s fucking awesome. Sound of the Summer, Kids.

We switched distributors last year and things are running a bit more smoothly than they have been. The Apta LP is beautiful and has just about gone from here. The new distro have bagged another couple of boxes which are winging their way to the Biscester warehouse today. Great. At the time of writing, we only have 10 copies left at CiS HQ at Shortmead Street, Biggleswade.

I’m including a podcast record that I did with Apta as our Barry delivers the beauty yet again. It’s difficult for me to express what a heart bursting joy it is to work with these people. Such talent which has the power to turn your day into something else. I’m sure Apta is used to hearing by now that his stuff is optimistic and uplifting, but I can stand here and tell you that it ABSOLUTELY IS. It’s joyous music and it’s just the pure beauty of it all that makes me melt. So yeah, we had a chat. Barry’s audio is a bit dodgy, but it’s a fun ramble around this beautiful record. Thanks to Stephen Polypores for rescuing the audio.

Bringing together Zeke Clough who did the artwork for the LP and Apta is what makes this, whatever it is we want to call it, worthwhile. Hello genius, meet another genius.

The LP is just about gone. It’s a beautiful record from one of the best secret saxophonists I know. Spoiler alert, saxophony made his face hurt, so he switched to the guitar and we are all taking the benefit. The Pool is one of the finest things we’ve ever released and much love to Barry for his vibes and to Zeke for housing it so finely.

Next up we have a beautiful LP from Andrea Cichecki.

Andrea is such a vibe and this album is just perfect. She gave Nick free reign on the artwork, and as ever, he has delivered bigtime. There’s a bandcamp edition for this one, but both editions are so beyond, it really doesn’t matter. Nick finished the artwork before Andrea had completed the album, so she used Nick’s imagary to channel back into the music. I love that symbiosis so much. And it’s a reminder that Nick’s work is such an important part of what CiS is. I mean, look at it! The litmus test for anything that we release is “Would I buy it?” The answer is a resounding “Yes”.

Still your nerves, because after Andrea we have some new Warrington-Runcorn New Town development Plan incoming, which is some of his best ever work, I reckon. Towards the back end of the year, we’ll be compiling all of the WRNTDP EPs onto a CD. So that’s your Christmas presents sorted. There’s also a new album on the way with a single track on side two! Tangerine Dream can fuck right off. Innit.

Gordon Chapman-Fox, the beautiful brain behind WRNTDP says “I’d worked on these tracks for the best part of a year, and, in my mind, they were a fundamental part of the whole Your Community Hub project. I was heartbroken when they couldn’t make it onto the album, so it’s an enormous relief to see them come to life here.”

The initial concept for the fifth WRNTDP album was to expand beyond north Cheshire, and dedicate a track to some of Britain’s other New Towns. Being part of the project from early on, these four tracks were dedicated to Basildon, Cwmbran, Redditch and Harlow. To give an idea on how long these things can take to gestate, the opening track "The People Of The Town was performed at the End Of The Road Festival in 2022.

He’s quite clever. Thinks about stuff. A unique talent. He’s written a whole new album for a gig overseas, because that was the deal. “Yeah, I can do that.” Not going to get too gushy, but fuck, the joy of working with him is endless.

The album cover is an image from the half-modernist, half-mock Tudor houses that were built in Birchwood, Warrington in some of the last large scale building projects that were part of the New Towns.

Then after that, my friends, we have double Dalham! Ka-Pow!

Following the inclusion of three of his tracks on a Ridley Scott documentary on Netflix, we get to drop the actual albums. There will be a signed print for the legends that want to buy both together. Jon is an amazing artist who doesn’t sound like anyone else. We’re all super thrilled at CiS HQ to be dropping those two records. Expect huge space and a building up and collapsing down buildings type of thing. Awesome isn’t the word. Jon’s stuff always takes me out of body. It’s beautifully massive. Again, nobody like him. And he’s made me do a thing that we rarely do, a black vinyl album, although the other one is pressed on white vinyl, so I’m not sure who won there. You will all be the winners when you hear the fucking records.

Much more on this soon, but Project Pop: Volume One is just about there. Working with Nick Lone Bison over the last few years has been such a joy. The hours I have spent pacing around the office listening to his beautiful pop songs. Hours and hours. And hours. Bringing the beautiful healing power of proper pop songs. It wouldn’t be a stretch to confirm that these songs have already made an impact. My daughter has been playing them out in Manchester and I’ve done a few DJ gigs with early mixes. The response has been incredible. It’s hard when you work with such a multitude of brilliant artists, I don’t want to be the spoon who lets the side down. So that’s not happening. In the studio with Nick and the singers. Just the best. Nick “Can you do me another one of those” Bonell. Deep love.

I HAVEN’T EVEN TALKED about Lunar Module, our new CD imprint. The quality of the stuff we have pulled together for the first tranche of releases is very, very good. The second tranche also underway. We’ve done our job for those that want to hold something in their hands but still love the CD format.

Much more on that soon. I’m thinking about offering a one time payment subscription for the first series of ten CDs. Gordon has designed the logo and again, Nick on most of the artwork duties. I know what I know and this stuff is great. Super excited about getting this stuff out there.

Jules is calling to get me home from the office for a proper meal. Which I haven’t had since Tuesday. So I’ll draw the line there. As indeed has she.

Get in touch. We love you.

https://bsky.app/profile/castlesinspace.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/castlesinspace

Colin

Castles in Space xx

I hope you’re all well and bearing up.

As ever, There is so much going on in CiS world, that I’m running to keep up. Let’s have a bit of a look at what we’ve been up to and what we have planned. I honestly believe that the label has been doing it’s best work over these last 12 months.

As ever, Gordon Chapman-Fox delivers brilliant work with his Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development project. We’ve had a major new album from him entitled “Your Community Hub”.

In addition there was also a 12”/7” EP, “A Shared Sense Of Purpose”. Both editions featured a remix from Vince Clarke. Vince sent me the remix when I was on the train to London. I downloaded on the phone and when I got to Moorgate, texted Gordon:

“I’m fucking fizzing.”

I never fail to be to be astounded with the invention and precision of Gordon’s work. I’ve spent hundreds of hours listening to his stuff these last few years.

Without doubt, one of the finest things we have ever released came from Jo Johnson. “Let Go Your Fear” is a beautiful record and as ever, we spent so much time on the artwork, which you can really see the results of it with this one. It’s something you need to hold in your hands. In the ten years I’ve been doing Castles in Space, my litmus test has always been, “Would I buy this?” And the loud answer for this one is that I would crawl over any acid or alkaline to bag a copy. Jo is fantastic to work with and this record has been helping me through some recent difficult times. Jo says that it’s a Summer album, but I don’t know about that. I just think it’s a healing piece of work up there with the best. We don’t have many of these LP’s left and I promise you, it’s an absolute work of art in every possible way.

Everything that Jo does is shot through with an otherwise unreachable beauty and I suggest you have a look at her barginous subscription feed for additional joy.

jojohnson.bandcamp.com/subscribe

Someone else I’m a huge fan of is the artist, Paul Cousins.

Paul’s new LP is called “Oxide Manifesto” and again, I feel is some of the most astounding stuff we’ve ever put out there. We’ve got artwork from www.instagram.com/signalstarr who has done the absolute job. It’s a die cut sleeve and looks fabulous. Paul’s process is as good as his music. it’s complex, but the results are astonishing. I’m in awe of these people.

signalstar has done the artwork for the new Field Lines Cartographer LP too. Let joy be unconfined. (More of that later.)

What else?

It’s such a joy to be working with Baron Mordant on new Mordant Music/eMMpleks stuff. The KPMM green bandcamp edition sold out on the day, but we still have the bronze KPM1000 series copies as well as a few of the “Dead Air” black crush vinyl.

In other news, I’ve been expending quite a lot of time on my personal project to make some great pop music. Working with absolute genius songwriter Nick Bonnell, we’ve got a bunch of hot pop tunes that might be coming your way soon.

Massive thank you to Moa, Tash and SuRie for the vox. Al at The Motor Museum, Chris at FitDog, but mostly to Nick for the songs and everything else. The first (instrumental) salvos are up on the CiS Subscription Library:

https://cissublibrary.bandcamp.com/

Along with a video using a song from Nick directed by Gordon using a script I commissioned from Clare Currie, all of whom did an amazing job.

Come and see any of this mad shit at Levitation ‘24. Look at the line up!

www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Bedford/Bedford-Esquires/Levitation-24/37148409/

It would be lovely to see you there.

Colin

Castles in Space

hello@castlesinspace.com

At the front of my mind is that I’ve just sent a load of test pressings out to four artists. I do this thing where I enoble team CiS with honours/titles on their address labels. I’ve just heard back from Baroness Jo Johnson that her postie did a little bow when he handed over the mailer. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Jo’s forthcoming album “Let Go Your Fear” is as beautiful as everyone would expect. You should join her bandcamp subscription service. She’s amazing and it’s only a matter of time before she is offered an actual peerage, which, odds on, she would turn down. That’s how cool she is.

www.jojohnson.bandcamp.com/subscribe

Jo’s music is full of light, space and air. It’s some of the most beautiful stuff I’ve ever heard. When we did the early Levitation last year at Flowergate Hall, she sat on the floor in front of the stage with her back to the audience. It’s hard to describe, but the music just sat in the air. The quiet was powerful, the notes so perfect. She’s an absolute genius and we’re so excited to be working with her on this album. Also, wait till you see the artwork. Selected by Jo from the portfolio of greatest living Welshman, Elfyn Lewis.

www.elfynlewis.com

I said to Jo that having a fine artist do the artwork would be classy. She said, “No, it will be “clarsy”.” Which still cracks me up everytime I think about it. We can’t wait to get that one out to you folks. It’s such a beautiful piece of work. She’s signed off on the test pressings and here we go.

More immediately, Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan maestro, Gordon Chapman-Fox is having a flurry of activity incoming, with a new 12” EP, a super limited 7” and an amazing new album. The 7” is the only place where you will be able to get the radio edit of “A Shared Sense of Purpose”, but on both the 7” and the 12”, you will find an incredible Vince Clarke remix. It’s good. He said, with quiet confidence. I saw G-Man playing in Birmingham last weekend and he’s just next level now. The new album, “Your Community Hub” has been my soundtrack for the last six months. There are a few editions incoming, but as we’ve done quite a big order, the pressing plant have been busy with it and the bandcamp spesh ed will be following up in a few weeks. It doesn’t matter. Just get one. I think it’s his best work, but then he’s just sent me the next album, so fucking sit tight. I cannot believe how lucky I am to be working with him and I appreciate his furrowed brow at reigning in some of my more madcap schemes. I fucking love him.

www.warringtonruncorn.com

In live news, Levitation ‘24 tickets are going out and we have a fantastic line up this year. We’ve moved everything down to a more central location, so we’re back in Bedford where we did the gig at Esquires in February last year. The promoter told me he was expecting 60 people. I’m here to tell you that there were more than 60 people. As per that gig, though, we’re arranging exclusive merch that will only be available on the day and then me and Ruby are going to go to Sweden and burn any remaining copies of the album, a la the KLF with the first copies of the JAMMS LP.

Roobz has worked there before and has been booking the food trucks as well as doing all of the co-ordination with the venue. I’d be absolutely knackered without her.

Get tickets and the opportunity to purchase the one time only albums here:

www.skiddle.com/e/37148409

We’re pretty excited about the line up. Don’t let us down. It’s gonna be a vibe.

Speaking of Sweden, I’ve been in the studio with Moa and Nick Lone Bison with producer Al Groves working on Project Pop. Look out. It’s sounding fucking amazing. Nick is a genius songwriter and we’ve done sessions with Tash and Moa Drugge, who is a next level artist. Al is the boss production hero. We’ve been recording here:

themotormuseum.com

Having given up the day job, I’m determined to have some genuine chart action, or die trying. I’ve always loved pop music, and this is stuff is in the CiS sphere, so a bit wonk, but hooky as fooky. Jules told me I was singing “All Guns Blazing” in my sleep last night. Hmm. Obsessed, much?

Nick Taylor has done us a disco bag for the sleeves, so this could be pretty hot. I’m in deep now, so let’s see how it rocks out. There would be no CiS if I hadn’t have gone on instinct and this feels right to me.

What else?

We’ve already released some brilliant albums in ‘24:

Have a listen to all of this good shit:

Forthcoming, we have new stuff from Mordant Music, Dalham, Keith Seatman, A’Bear (with beautiful artwork from Strictly Kev), new Field Lines Cartographer and Archie Stone Anthem has delivered something a bit special following his performance at the Deliaphonic Fest last week. Tons and loads and lots. The new Sound of Science remix album has some names, names, names.

We will never stop.

We’re in the process of moving offices and I dropped off a load of boxes that have been sat in the hall for two weeks this afternoon when we got back from BiF. Jules is a saint. She didn’t moan once. (Maybe once.)

What else?

The Subscription Library continues apace. We’ve just done the Swansither “The Slaughtered Lamb Sessions” LP, which was the first Picture Disc we’ve ever released, recorded over three days in the house that was used as the location for the pub in “An American Werewolf In London”. Tom went a bit mad quite quickly. There’s a podcast on the sub if you want to know more. Forthcoming subscription exclusives from Pulselovers and Loula Yorke.

cissublibrary.bandcamp.com

Oh, and if you’re not already, get onboard with the Moonbuilding weekly. Neil is working on the next issue of the zine, which I’m not sure if I can talk about yet, but I can tell you the CD is bigger, better and effing amazing.

MOONBUILDING WEEKLY

Champion of independent DIY electronic artists and labels

By Moonbuilding

As ever, we really appreciate your time and attention in this ever changing world in which we live in.

Colin

Castles in Space

Biggleswade

I hope your Sunday is turning out to be a funday. Big welcome to all our new subscribers that we’ve picked up in the wake of Neil’s new and brilliant Moonbuilding Substack. What a joy to see such a great writer roaming free and hoovering up all of the things we love. If you’re not already, you definitely should.

MOONBUILDING WEEKLY

Champion of independent DIY electronic artists and labels

By Moonbuilding

Things for the new year are ramping up here at CiS_HQ.

I’ve spent two weeks pulling together this amazing compilation in support of the wonderful people at Iklectik Arts Lab. IKLECTIK is a nonprofit creative organisation supporting experimental sound, art and technology.

A few weeks ago, Robin The Fog suggested to me that we do something in support of the Iklectik crowdfunder.

www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/iklectikfuture

Team CiS were scrambled and the quality of the work from everyone involved speaks volumes about the respect in which Isa and Eduard are held from anyone who has ever had an interaction with them or played at their amazing venue.
However, time is tight. The crowdfunder closes at the end of this month and it's an all or nothing deal. If they don't make the target, all money will be returned and we will have lost something very special. Their future plans include not only finding a new permament home, but taking the Iklectik experience to other venues around the UK and maybe beyond. We've opened up all tracks on the album so people can listen on the bandcamp, but this album will not be available on streaming platforms.

Please give what you can to ensure these excellent people can continue to do their exceptional work.

“This Is Not The End: Music For Iklectik” is available here, but will will be pulled at the end of the month when the crowdfunder ends. I honestly think it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done. Don’t miss.

Late January saw the release of the wonderfully evocative Stellarays album, “Winter Resort Music”, which Bob Fischer reviewed in Electronic Sound. We’ve been sat on this one for a while as the vinyl crisis was in full flow and what we were expecting to be delivered in late 2022 didn’t arrive until May ‘23. We didn’t think we could release “Winter Resort Music” in the summer, but this total gem is finally out and is a wonderful testament to the artistry of dear, departed Bruno. This incredibly handsome release with artwork by Castles in Space mainstay, Nick Taylor, is a perfect artefact of library music, retro and modern at the same time, beautifully put together by Bruno, Centeio and Corinna.

After much delay, we also got our hands on the beautiful Apta EP, “Submerge” ahead of his upcoming album “The Pool”. This gorgeous 12” features remixes of Barry’s fluidly beautiful original from The Hardy Tree, Polypores, Pye Corner Audio, GNOD and Field Lines Cartographer. Absolutely stellar work from our man, here, which should now be available in all stores as well as via the bandcamp. The video from Zeke Clough and Johnny is stunning. I think this is the first time Apta music has featured a vocal, and the Durutti Column resonance is strong. Amazing work.

February

Our main release for this month is a new retrospective album of Howlround music from the Iklectik project’s instigator, Robin The Fog. I was delighted to be able to compile an album from his unreleased archive last year. Expertly mastered by Antony Ryan at RedRedPaw, “A Loop Where Time Becomes” is a wonderfully eerie collection of tape works by Robin which he describes as follows:

“After twelve years, ten albums and innumerable live shows (including at least one former underground reservoir), the Howlround sound has indeed changed quite a lot, but the basic ethos remains the same as it did back in 2012. All tracks are created by manipulating field recordings dubbed onto analogue tape, with all digital effects and artificial reverb strictly forbidden - a process that has been described by Electronic Sound magazine as ‘conjur[ing] magic’. Of the twelve tracks here, only one has been physically released on a limited edition and long out of print compilation. A second appeared on a download only release several years ago and a third was created as part of the unreleased soundtrack to a documentary. Everything else on this compilation is seeing the light of day for the first time.

“All were created in South London at various periods between 2012 and 2017, five years during which the project evolved from the Radiophonic mournfulness of 2012's debut album The Ghosts Of Bush ('The ultimate Hauntological artefact' - Simon Reynolds), to 2015's tour with tape legend William Basinski, to 2016's darker and weirder soundtrack to Steven McInerney's multiple award-winning film A Creak In Time and on towards what would become the wilder, gnarlier noise of 2019's The Debatable Lands. This retrospective from the first five years marks the gradual evolution of Howlround from the earliest days conjuring 'aural ectoplasm' from nocturnal field recordings of the last days of an underground BBC studio to increasingly spurning of the external world altogether by creating blistering no-input noise and raw analogue feedback. It's been quite a trip.”

Robin is one of the absolute best and this album is a beautiful representation of what he does, ever so slightly skewed to the CiS soundworld. Very limited copies pressed up on purple vinyl with gorgeous artwork by Robin and Phil Heeks.

We’re also finalising the line up for Levitation ‘24 which will take place at Bedford Esquires. The 100 early bird tickets have gone, baby, gone, and once we announce the full bill, our expectation is that this will sell out pretty quickly. We have an amazing group of artists so I’d suggest that you keep an eye out for the announcement which should be coming next week. Tickets are available from the Skiddle site here: www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Bedford/Bedford-Esquires/Levitation-24/37148409

There have been a few leaks, but the final line up is *incredible*. Esquires is a fantastic venue with two rooms with tremendous sound, fully PRS registered and incredibly professional. There’s also a smaller bar stage area which we’re thinking of getting some bands on to perform. You won’t see everything, but proper festival vibes. Ruby has worked with the venue before and we have every confidence that this going to be one of the events of the year. Undoubtedly, the best Levitation festival so far.

March

March is alive with fantastic new music from us. Next month sees the release of the beautiful new album from one of the highlight performers at Levitation’ 23, Kinbrae. The Truscott brother’s performance made me shed a tear, such is their emotional impact. The new record is no less slamming and we have sweated blood over the artwork and packaging for this one. Our pals at Monorail will have a special edition with obi-strip and ‘zine. It’s dizzying stuff. A mix of post-rock, ambient and electronics, this cannot be missed.

We also have an album from Kevin Pearce. The voice and co-writer of the Sound of Science album. Gabriel-esqe wonky pop songs with stunning arrangements. We’ve got some CiS affiliated remixes incoming as an intro, but this one cuts deep. The Field Lines Cartographer remix of Sundial is quite the thing.

April and Beyond

We’re waiting for delivery of the new Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan album. There’s also a preceding EP and super limited 7” which features a Vince Clarke remix. Gordon continues to astound us with the sheer quality of what he’s doing. People, I’m here to tell you that you will not be disappointed.

Check in with GCF’s live activities here: warringtonruncorn.com

Meanwhile, the Subscription Library schedule is looking amazing. Swansither picture disc recorded at the pub on the moors as featured in An American Werewolf in London. Also new Kieran Mahon, Loula Yorke and R.E.E.L. featuring Matthew from Twilight Sequence. Plus another two volumes of Participation (as recorded and produced by our lovely subscribers) and a brand new stamps EP from the ever wonderful The Leaf Library. https://theleaflibrary.bandcamp.com

Also a complete banger of an EP in the works from CiS newcomer Mudlarking and not forgetting one of our official bootlegs in wraparound sleeve by Nick Taylor with multitudinous inserts recorded live at the Paul Cousins album launch party in May last year featuring Paul in full effect with Joe Harvey-Whyte and Vincent Curson Smith. It’s stunning.

MORE!

We’re also launching a CD only imprint called Lunar Module. We’re obsessing over the packaging, but a proper announcement and subscription details coming soon. Artists lined up include Camp of Wolves, Hawksmoor, Pulselovers, Gordon Chapman-Fox, Lo Five, Phexioenesystems and Bartholemew.

Some of you will already know that we’ve set up a publishing arm and have already had sync for Jon Dalham on Netflix. We also have live requests from Disney and the BBC. It’s busy. Beautifully busy.

Ins:

1. All of the wonderful artists who scrambled to contribute to the Iklectik album. There is more incoming before we close it down at the end of the month. Thank you all.

2. Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/castlesinspace.bsky.social

3. General elections. Let’s have one.

Outs:

1. Twitter/X. The label account is dormant as we have taken a moral stance that we will not give content to this binfire, for better or worse. Please keep in touch here on the substack, on Bluesky or at the bandcamp: castlesinspace.bandcamp.com/follow_me

I guess that’s it for this update. I’ll try not to leave it it three months next time. 😀

Thanks to all of you for your continued support.

Colin

Castles in Space

Saffron Road, Biggleswade. 18:40, 18/02/2024

This handsome pair have been keeping us busy this week:

Mark’s Field Lines Cartographer LP sold out on our bandcamp over the release weekend, although you should still be able to find copies in the shops? Maybe?

We’ve kept a few for Levitation/Whitby merch too.

We’re getting much admiration for the band’s own brilliant artwork on The Mistys LP. It’s definitely one of the best looking things we’ve ever released. It really feels like an Autumn record - crisp and cool but shot through with rays of chilly sunshine. We’ve ordered a super limited cassette this week - Andrew and Beth have done a 20 minute ambient album remix which is even more deeply Autumnal. We’ve also been gathering a few remixes…

Our attempts to get going with a subscription mailout haven’t been that successful - just due to the number of orders we’ve got to get through. This latest subscription drop is the long awaited “Participation” album and the new sessions LP, “Vanish” from Lo Five. The remainder of this pile is going to Bond’s Lane this morning. Absolute scenes as after nine years of CiS being operational, the stoic Quarat has handed over the keys of the post office to new management who I met for the first time yesterday. “Mr Morrison! Do you know how busy you’ve been keeping us?”

“Yes!”

Much more importantly, we’ve just released the new Lone Bison album, “Wave Construction”. Nick Bonell’s Lone Bison's music is a complete revelation, influenced by Krautrock, electronica, post-punk, soundtracks and post-rock. This is looking like continuing the trend of everything else we’ve done this year and selling out.

Nick has already delivered an album for the CiS Subscription Library and if we can manage it, there will be a 12” EP featuring remixes by Concretism and Paul Cousins out before the end of the year. The 12” has Nick Taylor revisiting our company discobag sleeves, not seen since CiS039.

There’s also a new non-album track AND a remix from Lone Bison over on the latest Moonbuilding CD which also features a new non-album lead track from the mighty Maria Uzor - who’s also the cover star in anticipation of the upcoming triumph that is her album “Soft Cuts”, due in a few weeks.

We’ve had to make a few line up changes to Levitation as we get closer to the event. We’re pretty much sold out now, with about 12 tickets remaining. There’s still a bit of thought to be given, but we’re trying hard to get the final line up out on the socials this weekend.

Remaining tickets are here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/castlesinspace/844821

I’m guessing we’ll be sold out by the end of the week.

Note to self: You haven’t ordered wristbands. Order wristbands.

Ruby has got the Levitation T-Shirts all sorted this week, which is one of the major efforts of preparation for the weekend. She’s also done the lovely CiS Gearbox design for a shirt in praise of the office stereo.

New Den Osynliga Manteln and Kevin Pearce records arrived Wednesday. Lack of sleep made unloading hard work. It’s like cardboard box jenga, boxes constantly in/out. The landlords told us off for leaving boxes in the hall.

It’s always a lovely few days when the new issue of Moonbuilding arrives from Spencer and the office is filled with that delightful smell of fresh print.

Thursday, we agreed a new subscription album which is a real catch. We also enjoyed some demos sent in from Mudlarking.

Friday was mostly accounts with the CFO and a quick board meeting. I also got sent a new Twilight Sequence album and two very long awaited test pressings.

We also announced this:

It’s looking like a solo mission this weekend to pack all the Interim Report, March 1979 up for our distro, s51. There’s been a lot of care and work gone into these reissues. We’re very excited to finally get them out there. You won’t be disappointed.

What’s In and What’s Out?

What’s occupying enquiring minds in Saffron Road this week?

In:

1. Lancaster

2. Genre-destroying album “10 Past 10” by Viscount

3. Kate Bosworth and Guerilla Biscuits at Hymns For Robots.

4. Weekly breaking of the subscriber numbers for the CiS Subscription Library. 🔥⬆️

5. Getting sent great shit like this:

   

Out:

1. X

2. Spending two days trying to get the “right” moon out of MidJourney.

3. Sleep.

4. Any meals other than all day breakfasts.

5. Malignant narcissists.

Please feel free to submit your INs and OUTs for next week.

Enjoy your weekend,

Colin,

Castles in Space. x

This is a conversation space in the Substack app set up exclusively for CiS subscribers — kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post short prompts, thoughts, and updates that come my way, and you can jump into the discussion.

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Northern Minimalism 3’, the latest album from Mat Handley performing as Pulselovers, is a deeply personal “love letter to South Yorkshire, or at least to Doncaster and Sheffield”, not just the urban environment but the region’s post-punk and electronic-pop legacies.

Inspired by the concept of spreading a project over multiple formats taken from Virgin Prunes’ ‘A New Form of Beauty’, this is the first full album in Pulselovers’ on-going ‘Northern Minimalism’ series following a 7” and 10” release on other labels over the past few years.

Taking a different approach than the rurally-inspired ‘Cotswold Stone’ album, ‘Northern Minimalism 3’ delivers a sprawling, genre-hopping release that is less focused on melody but explores suburban drones and industrial rhythms.

“The term “Northern Minimalism” was coined by Simon Berkovitz of Sensory Leakage, who released my “Live at Doncaster College” tape in 2020,” adds Handley.

“I loved the description and wanted to use it to pay tribute to the early electronic and post-punk sounds I was listening to in the first two or three years of the 1980s, particularly The Human League (mk1), Cabaret Voltaire, John McGeoch (Magazine) and Eric Random.”

The seemingly endless musical possibilities of that era seep into every corner of ‘Northern Minimalism 3’ whether on post-punk dub stomper ‘Shock Cubes’ (titled after a misheard shopping list found and posted on Facebook by Gavin Morrow of Grey Frequency), or ‘Orphans’, a surging piece made up of discarded drones from VRTX, a psych/motorik band Handley is also a member of.

To create the rich sounds on the new album Handley is joined by a supporting cast of musicians including John Alexander (Floodlights), Graham Sutherland (Luzon Valley Fearless), Colin Bradley (Dual) and Harriet Lisa (Floodlights) whose mournful violin on ‘Kitchen’ helps provide an album highlight.

‘Northern Minimalism 3’ is also rich with stories directly from Handley’s lived experience in the locations that the album soundtracks. “I wasn’t born in South Yorkshire, but I’m a product of the environment I’ve lived in since being a teenager,” says Handley about the memories and locations that form the inspiration for this new album.

‘Night Drive’, for example, with its kinetic rhythms and sense of travelling dark city streets, was written as a memory of a specific car journey. “This particular trip was a drive through Sheffield city centre late at night in around 1981 with two school friends. The trip was pretty uneventful, I think we’d been to a gig, but we were 17 years old, we had wheels and we were in the big city (we didn’t get out of Doncaster much in those days). Life was great and we felt unstoppable. I wish I still had the friends I had when I was 17,” explains Handley.

‘Gunrubber’ is named after, and pays homage to an early Sheffield-based fanzine, while “The Pansentient Hegemony” is a superfan’s nod to The Human League’s early history. Throughout ‘Northern Minimalism 3’ the people, places and events of these northern cities are front and centre.

“I think the music I make is steeped in memory, melancholy and/or location. I try to make each album sound different to the last, though melody, drone and uncomplicated rhythms are touch points I can’t seem to let go of,” says Handley.

“Northern Minimalism 3” is released on June 9th and will be available in stores or direct from the Castles in Space bandcamp.

We’ve got an incredibly busy June lined up and we will be sharing details of some wonderful new releases from two of the label’s long time associates, Pulselovers and LoFive. It’s a total northerner-fest over here. Details on the way very soon.

There’s also an album launch show for Coventry’s Stone Anthem. He will have finished his exams by then.

We’ve also got news about another related Substack, The AoIRL - or The Association of Independent Record Labels. This collective has been running for four years and we’ve decided we’re going public with a monthly newsletter telling people all the news from the sharp end of the “music industry”.

Featuring updates from ASIP, Buried Treasure, Clay Pipe, WIAIWYA and many others, this should shape up into something genuinely interesting over the coming months. We’ll also be looking at special offers for Substack readers, pay-what-you-like albums, podcasts etc. Exciting times.

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