Air Head Parts 1 & 2 is a beat tape / sample collage exercise drawing influence from international radio station IDs and interval signals. Folks who grew up hearing radio broadcasts are familiar with the distinct character of the brief musical bumpers that identify stations or specific programs. Radio producers pour great effort into these exciting little pieces of music to make sure listeners stay hooked. What if an entire album were made out of just those moments?

EMV takes this idea and runs with it across two full beat tapes presented on this limited single-cassette release. Part 1 was completed in 2020 and originally released on Bandcamp, while Part 2 was finished in early 2026 after revisiting newly-found troves of blown-out pirate radio recordings. The songs bounce from place to place across the decades somewhat akin to tuning a mysterious radio dial. Yet this strangely evocative set of frequencies has no singular time nor static “place”. It is in all places, at all times, in the air that surrounds us.

“With love, peace, and good music.”

EMV is the moniker of Los Angeles-based producer/beat maker Eric Michael Vallely, who returns to the Leaving Records All Genre fold with his first full-length release for the label since 2012’s Resolutions. He has also contributed further work via Leaving: 2015’s Solo (EMV Remix) from Ahnnu’s World Music; 2017’s Super Harvest Moon collaborative cassette with Matthewdavid; 2023’s Phased Moon from Matthewdavid’s Mycelium Music (co-production); and 2025’s On the One Hand from Staying: Leaving Records Aid to Artists Impacted by the Los Angeles Wildfires.

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Produced by Eric Vallely
Cassette Layout by Jordan Rundle

Special thanks to Matthew McQueen, Jordan Rundle, Nora Bright, Alexander & Sheila Heath, Felicia Robles, Jeremiah Ean, Jonathan Wayne, Danny Watts, Seth Ferris, and all open hearts & ears.

Extra special thanks to radio broadcast airwaves worldwide for continued inspiration.
credits