Stoker was a legend and it’s so beautiful to see how much he was loved by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. A very very funny man, who always saw the world from a slightly wonky angle, whose number was always a joy to see come up on your phone. It’s really hard to channel the fact that you won’t hear from someone ever again (the slow ‘helllllo mate’ when you answered the phone) but I’ve got a feeling we’ll never hear the end of Chris and that is a blessing.
Wherever he is you’d know he’d want you laughing and getting up to no good or just bending the rules a bit (a lot) to make the world a better place.
I met him through clubs and stuff and making music for him and Andy and as time went on we did work together on tees and stuff (New Age Dance etc).
He was just such a don that if he said ‘can we do this?’ (whatever it may be) you’d just say ‘whatever you fancy mate’. He sort of had that effect.
Bless him. He made a mark. A total don. ❤️❤️
The Sound Of Love International 008 - Ivan Smagghe is out now
The eighth edition of our compilation series is brought to you by family favourite Ivan Smagghe, available via Bandcamp and all good record stores.
“This is my Love International, but you will have to find yours”
Here’s a lovely mellow one… Happy to introduce a new artist and label to the Test Pressing family. Sulah Jordan quietly released one of the most lovely records we’ve heard in a long long time via Bandcamp and we felt like it needed a wider audience. Sulah lives in the hills outside of San Francisco and works with nature and music. ‘Lady Bug’ is one of those records that just drifts past in a hazy dream and the more you listen the more you hear. It’s the sound track to a sunset, a beautiful trip and more. It’s a lovely thing and it’s out today on vinyl in all good record stores and on the TP Bandcamp now.
Super nice 📹 by @scxsk
Test Pressing Arts is a new label to release a more esoteric sound that we love. More soon. x.
Sulah Jordan ‘Lady Bug’ Jasmine
Large Leaves From Old Trees
Musée Mélancolique
Goodnight Buggy
TP Arts 001.
“This is my Love International, but you will have to find yours”. We caught up with @ivan_smggh_jmm in Bristol ahead of the release of his Love International x Test Pressing compilation.
The Sound of Love International 008 out 08 May.
Video: @kitasheroconnor
So glad to welcome the great Payfone to the TP mix series. I’ve know Phil from Payfone for a while now. He’s always made interesting music and with Payfone him and Jimmy Day have been delivering brilliant underground music for a long time.
Recent work includes remixes for 40 Thieves, plus the ‘Dime Algo’ release on Leng Records with remixes courtesy of Ashley Beedle’s Black Science Orchestra (big up Ashley!). A second album is currently in progress due for release late 2026. We look forward to that. Up on the site is a mix puling together what Payfone like to play at a late night club vibe. Enjoy!
Our Sunrise Sessions programme has been revealed. Curated in collaboration with @test_pressing_official - each Sunrise Session takes place under the trees every morning on site from 6am until Midday. These unique sessions complete our 24 hour programme, providing a space for artists to dig a bit deeper into their collections.
The Sound of Love International 008 curated by @ivan_smggh_jmm - available to pre-order now.
The next chapter of our compilation series with @test_pressing_official arrives through the lens of Ivan Smagghe. Guided by his long-standing mantra, “the style of no style,” the 12-track selection drifts effortlessly between shadow and light - a reflection of the festival as he knows it.
This is Smagghe’s version of Love International: unpolished in the right places, intuitive, and deeply attuned to the stranger corners of the Adriatic experience. The compilation captures the balance at the heart of the festival: connection, curiosity, and a shared rhythm that holds it all together. Slightly out of reach yet exactly where it should be.
Release date May 08.
Here’s a lovely one... At a recent 93_94 night (Tom Sharkett’s new label and party series) the legendary (we don’t say it lightly) Justin Strauss went B2B with Tom himself for the whole night at the infamous Golden Lion in Todmorden. It’s a legendary spot not just because the owners take such care with what they do and who they bring into the space but also because there is such a community based around it. Tom Sharkett himself lives just over the road and is very much a regular... Well you would be if you had the likes of Optimo and more visiting your town pretty regularly. Anyway, on with the programme. There’s the full night also uploaded on our Soundcloud for you to listen to and on the site you can listen to a perfect hour that kicks off with a beautiful version of ‘At Last I Am Free’. Enjoy!
Here we have 5 west coast house bangers selected by the crew at Point Winona. Point Winona is at various times - a recording studio, a home and a place to hang when the time is right. These people know this kind of house backwards. They have danced to it and made it since time. As they’ve got a new comp out we asked them for five tunes to illustrate the sound. Big shout to the crew there. They’re all good good people. X
@omakase_mixshow@sidroamsbravo@mondo.wav@diskotk@scottycoats
Anne Clark’s ‘Our Darkness’ is about to be re-released by Dark Entries. ‘Our Darkness’ is one of those records that travels through genres and exists as a pure piece of studio brilliance. Played in clubs from Chicago to London to Ibiza it’s a total one off. The brand new Dark Entries reissue comes with three versions - the original 12” remix, the Razormaid mix, and a previously unreleased dub version uncovered by David Harrow who created the original electronics. It’s an essential record. So with all that in mind we got in touch with Josh Cheon from Dark Entries and asked for five records to go along with the release. Proto-electro bangers if you like. On with the program.
Selection - @darkentriesrecords
Journalist - @aschir1
