As the crew of Artemis II were flying around the moon, further away from Earth than anyone has ever been, we’ve been very much close to home. We’ve got a mix from a listener of a previous staff pick. There’s a couple mixes from old friends. Ricky’s got a great mix if you’re able to work from home or in a garden. Or a pool if you’re very lucky. All the mixes picked might not be far removed from the team but they can all make you feel 400,171km away. 

Stork Man – A Spaceman Came Travelling A Space Oddity

Stork Man’s profile pays tribute to Aussie musicians and composers both past and present, whether native-born or emigré. This great show doesn’t just focus on those from down under but also on those who’ve decided to go way up yonder.

Laurie picked this mix, saying: “With Artemis II currently on its way around the Moon – the first humans to go that far since 1972 – here’s a Rock, surf and Psych mix that celebrates astronauts, flying saucers, little green men and space exploration. Perfect for staring up at the sky and thinking about the unknown.”

Seas0ning – 004 Lovellious 

This mix is from the community Seas0ning, a tasty events crew from Stroud in the west of England who also put on an annual festival. In this mix, Lovellious delves into some deep sounds which seamlessly blends tribal rhythms, House and Techno in a way that somehow feels light and playful. It’s all about a balance of heavy bass and soulful sonics that makes for a great mix. 

Candid – Ladies of Legends 011 on Vibe FM

Candid keeps it cool and plays everything from House to UKG to DnB. They’re now based out in Las Vegas and are even closing for legendary Tech House duo Solardo in Vegas on the 24th April. One of our tech wizards, Ben, highlighted the chunky House beats from a long time friend of mine – who’s now picked up a DJ career on the Las Vegas circuit, and is a regular guest on Lea Luna’s FM show. Enjoyed every minute of this one.” 

Joe Milli on M.O.T Radio 

With so many great venues closing down across the world it’s so great to see that the industrial and illustrious Venue M.O.T in South London is still going strong. Known for championing up-and-coming acts, it’s the place to go if you still want to find the weird, wonderful and wonder what it was like in the early days of rave., “Though I’ve not been yet, I’ve heard great things about Venue M.O.T and was happy to discover it has a Mixcloud page,” Yemi said. “This is a fun one from an old college friend of mine who DJs and makes music.” 

Harry Towell – the quiet burrow 005

It’s Spring! Go outside. Head for a walk in the woods. Kiss a wild rabbit between the ears. If you can’t do that right now then listen to this. Julian found this gem “whilst checking out the profiles of listeners to one of my previous Staff Picks (‘The Stillness and the Dancing’). This one is a beautiful series featuring a mix of Ambient, electro-acoustic, and field recordings. It’s a real joy listening to Harry Towell and his daughter present it.”

Diony – Coralli #37 (Mexico)

Diony’s been gracing us with their mix series ‘Coralli’ (Greek word for Coral) for about nine months now. They cover all sorts of sounds in the art-rock-psych spectrum. Ricky, our Product designer said that “after being very tempted to get a ticket to Manchester Psych Fest recently, I stumbled upon this rabbit hole of Mexican Psych Rock. Loads of bands I’d never heard of to delve into.”

Chappellinho – Poolside Session 

Chappellinho seems to be on the holiday of a lifetime. Their mixes are done from stunning, sunny locations and I’m jealous to say the least. Whether they’re cruising through Italy on their way to Croatia or in a Paraguayan hotel that was the former home of their last Spanish governor, their mixes are brilliant and Balearic. As Ricky says, “this will sound lovely for your next ‘working from garden’ session!”

Check out the full Staff Picks playlist to hear them one after the other.