‘Koselig’ is a Norwegian word that translates to ‘cozy.’ But really it encompasses a deeper feeling of warmth, contentment and intimacy that one can experience putting on a mix by candlelight. All of the mixes below would be greatly enhanced by lighting a candle. This month’s selections are brought to you by some very cool creators.
We have the iconic, classically-trained, experimental French musician Oklou. Sam Roxas-Chua, a multimedia artist and author based in Oregon. Ty Holter, a poet and publicist from Massachusetts. DaM-Funk from LA, the physical manifestation of cool. And then there’s Kaci Madderloss, a photo artist from Norway, who most definitely knows something about ‘Koselig.’
Radio In The Woods – Tendercore 23rd September
Deep in Kalapuya land in Oregon, USA, there is a master at work in the woods. Weaving field recordings, their own music, synths and vinyl records, Sam – the brain behind Radio In The Woods – is a magician in the forest. Check out their various series ‘Oregon Eclectic,’ ‘Tendercore,’ ‘The Quiet Party,’ ‘Vinyl Liquid,’ ‘Midnight Market’ and ‘Low Tide Cinema.’
Ricky in Product Design says “this (live recording) set peered into my soul. It has selections from so many different ‘eras’ of my musical obsessions; suddenly I felt I’d found a Mixcloud soulmate when I heard it!”
Madderloss – 80’s Norwegian Post-Punk/Synth/DIY Vol.1
Madderloss is a photo artist and translator of poems and plays. Hailing from Norway, they’ve been creating mixtapes and compilations for friends since the mid-1990s. On their website they explained the inspiration behind this mix: “Some Norwegian music is almost inaccessible to foreigners, unless you spend countless hours…with a dictionary, so I made two compilations of Post-Punk etc. from the 1980s.”
Our Product Manager Laurie describes this mix as “a rare glimpse into the underground music scene of Norway in the 1980’s. Great mix of Punk, Post-Punk, Synth and lo-fi experimental tracks that, like me, you’ve likely stumbled across before.”
Ty Holter – Vernon, Greenfield #14
Every Wednesday on WMCB in Massachusetts, DJ Ty Holter pulls together a collection of oddballs and poets for his show ‘Vernon, Greenfield.’ Holter is also a teacher who works in independent publishing. Calum from Support called this pick “one of the most eclectic shows I’ve heard this year. Feels like something you’d stumble across on the radio during a midnight drive on an open road in America. Which might be the optimal listening experience but I can’t confirm.”
Vinyl Messy – Bless this Mess
There’s not much we can tell you about this messy DJ from Frome here in the UK. Only that they’re mixes are actually pretty tidy. Our mobile wiz and Breaks lover Julian shared this one, saying: “I needed some Breaks to help keep me focused and the energy levels high. Found this creator by digging through search results for the ‘Breaks’ tag, Loved the creator name, and the mix.”
DaM Funk for Dust & Grooves
Known for revitalising modern Funk by releasing some serious grooves on Stones Throw records, LA native DaM-Funk put together this mix for the publication Dust & Grooves. To Dam, Funk is a way of living and “a feeling of struggle and staying cool through it all.” Hence why Yemi picked this, saying: “Even though it’s getting colder out there, I didn’t quite know I needed some Funk and Electro before stumbling on this. Whenever Dam-Funk is in the mix, you’re in good hands. Surprisingly good to work to, if you ignore the twitch in your feet!”
Oklou’s Midnight In A Perfect World On KEXP
Oklou is the alias of Marylou Mayniel, a beloved and enigmatic French artist known for her sparkling, cinematic and distinctive Synth-Pop. Her sound is distinguished by her immersive Ambient sounds, minimal club rhythms, delicate synthesizer arpeggios and found sound samples. Here’s what the visionary behind our current creative outputs, designer Sally, had to say about her KEXP offering: “Lyric-less, therapeutic sounds from Oklou to bliss out to. A dreamy, guitar-laced collection of cinematic warmth sending you on a self-reflective journey.”
Coco Maria Live From We Out Here 2025
Many are calling it the UK’s best new festival. With only six years under its belt, We Out Here has seen some of the world’s most incredible Jazz, Soul and Reggae artists grace its stages. Always a fan favourite, Mexico’s Music Ambassador to the world Coco Maria dropped this groovy, soulful, funky world music set in the Brawnswood tent this year. Our designer Chris said “a lot of DJs shy away from these kinds of hard to mix genres, so it’s lovely to hear a DJ who embraces a more rough and ready approach. Showing why broad and playful selection is way more important than meticulous and technical craftsmanship.”
The Garden Hermit – 1960s & 1970s Psychedelic Tropicalia Mix
Since visiting Brazil in February, life’s been a smooth paraglide from a mountain of joy. I’m always searching for music that can take me back there and the psychedelic movement in Brazil in the late 1960s of Brazil does just that. It was a movement where the avant-garde and popular united; African rhythms and Pop-Rock came together to wander the tropical paradise of Brazil and coincided with the start of many notable Brazilian musicians’ careers.
This mix from The Garden Hermit aka The Unicorn man explores that time.
John Gomez – Autumn Jazz
“Once upon a time, John Gomez interned at Mixcloud. Today he’s an international DJ with a show on NTS. His selections of moody jazz set the mood for the leaves changing and nights drawing in closer.” Short and certainly sweet words from Nico, our CEO, about Gomez’s autumnal take.
Outsider: murmur w/ amz On Kiosk Radio
‘Outsiders’ is a daily show on Belgium’s Kiosk Radio which is guest hosted by labels, collectives and venues among many other creative platforms. Murmur is a cultural space in Amsterdam with a hand-built speaker system nestled in the back that serves Lebanese food. They invited the host of Femme FM, Amz, down for a “lovely Ambient and Dream Pop mix”. Our data cruncher Arya says it’s “nice for this weather”. Which currently in England is grey, wet and melancholic.
Check out the full Staff Picks playlist to hear them one after the other.