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A rare club mix from the ever-evolving artist, with 90 minutes of shadowy, atmospheric pressure. Music's therapeutic value is often linked to relaxation—gongs, singing bowls and the like. Dense passages of foggy droning and eerie static aren't traditionally considered restorative, but Laurel Halo makes a pretty good case for it. The Detroit-born, Los Angeles-based musician's abstract, often improvised productions are heavy on sound design and emotional climax. Driven by atmosphere rather than rhythm, they push listeners to grapple with their innermost insecurities, fears and dreams. "I'm lucky my music has helped people through crises," Halo once told Discwoman. It's easy to see why. Since her 2010 debut King Felix, Halo has built a stunningly diverse catalogue of classically-informed records. A multi-instrumentalist—piano, violin, guitar, keys—her sharpest instrument is arrangement. Inspired by the surrealism of Italo Calvino and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, her releases, from Atlas to Behind The Green Door, unfold with slow-burning narrative and dense emotional weight. Her soundworlds are layered and labyrinthine—an architectonic space where self-reflection happens almost by force. Even in the club, the sought-after composer excels in immersion. Her sets extend the expressionist palette of her records, trading traditional rhythm for tension, space and surprise. It’s no wonder she takes a genre-agnostic approach to the dance floor—her deep roots in freeform radio began at WCBN-FM in Michigan, followed by Berlin Community Radio, Rinse FM, and now a regular show on NTS. RA.992 stitches foggy ambient loops, propulsive techno, mutant percussion and heady left turns with care. Tracks from DJ Rush, Octave One and Eddie Fowlkes nod to her Midwestern heritage, balanced out by deeper, psychedelic fare from the likes of Polygonia and Cousin. It's the mark of an artist revealing both deep curiosity and a precise hand as a selector. Rare, indeed. @laurelhalo Find the full interview at ra.co/podcast/992

Club futurism and a stack of new material from one of São Paulo's boldest shapeshifters. BADSISTA doesn't do stasis. In fact, he prefers to be in a constant state of motion. It was immediately obvious when the São Paulo artist broke out with his 2016 self-titled EP, in which a bass-heavy melange of baile funk, dembow and trap demonstrated an ability to satiate almost any dance floor. But BADSISTA continued to evolve through the different moods and textures of the club: from experimental compositions with Brazilian trans icon Linn Da Quebrada to ballroom bass and heads-down funk shellers for TraTraTrax. This RA Podcast finds BADSISTA in a fluid place once more. The mood starts out slow and moody—one of a slew of unreleased BADSISTA tracks—before seamlessly morphing into the soul-stirring synthwork of Al Lover Meets Cairo Liberation Front. Then he gets playful: tasteful, techy house morphs into smutty baile funk. (And as for the guests, look out for Sully's "XT" and a spicy Batu rework.) BADSISTA's style is connected by a uniquely Latin sense of rhythm and groove. Here, dramatic synths build up to even more dramatic funk crescendos. Perreo rattles appear in and out of the mix, as if acting as a reminder for people to move. But really, above all, this mix radiates with aliveness. When you whittle it down to the bare essentials, all that matters is the joy and connectivity you feel within yourself and the world around you. BADSISTA is an excellent facilitator, and you'll hear as much on RA.991. @badsista Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/986

One hour of resolutely DIY club workouts, from one of the West Coast's most exciting producers. If you've been in the club recently, chances are you've heard the work of Julian Edwards, AKA bastiengoat. Maybe it was the standout 2022 track "Tell Me If You Like It," which blends jungle breaks with a slinky sample from Cassie's R&B anthem "Me & U" to create a 130 banger perfect for modern dance floors. The Oakland-based producer has become a go-to name for party cuts that bounce, favoured by the likes of Bianca Oblivion and fellow Bay Area artist—and frequent back-to-back partner—Bored Lord. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Edwards is deeply connected to Oakland's underground rave scene. Reflecting on his early experiences, he explained how the region's unique blend of crowds—from "raw hardcore sound to hyphy house parties"—and legacy of DIY warehouse raves has always shaped his music. While gentrification in the region has limited opportunities to throw parties in those spaces, Edwards, as part of the label and collective NO BIAS, is carrying that torch for a new generation, pushing jungle, UK garage and all manner of US club variety while maintaining a strong DIY ethos. As dance music grows increasingly global and commercial, Edwards and co offer a refreshing antidote. A prolific producer, Edwards is hard to pin down musically. He can apply his distinctive touch to virtually any genre. Take "Slander," where he blends hardcore and electro with Jersey club. Or "at em" a collision of 2-step, bassline and furious breaks. At the core of his work is a transatlantic bass connection, much like fellow West Coast star Introspekt. Both have a serious knack for fusing intricate rhythms with the kind of deep, murky bass weight synonymous with so much UK dance music. For RA.990, Edwards jumps between genres with flex and ease—one moment it's grime-like basslines evoking "Pulse X," then aqueous, melancholic club, before twisting into fast and furious breaks. Rough, ready, and rowdy, it’s music that’s equal parts technical showcase and peak-time firework display. @bastiengoat Find the interview and tracklist at ra.co/podcast/990