Barry Can’t Swim – one of the most exciting electronic artists in the world – is set to be the latest artist to curate a Late Night Tales compilation, out 5th March 2026. The release marks Late Night Tales’ first mix in over five years, and kicks off the series’ 25th anniversary year.
The 20-track mix showcases Barry’s wider musical tastes and influences, fitting for both on and off the dancefloor. From house classics like Lance DeSardi’s ‘Power of Suggestion’ and Daniel Avery’s remix of Factory Floor, to the abstract grooves of Freddie Da Stupid or Ronald Langestraat’s leftfield reading of Boz Scaggs’ ’70s smash ‘Lowdown’. Elsewhere, atmospheric and emotionally rich selections such as This Mortal Coil’s ‘The Lacemaker’ and Magic Spirit Quartet’s delicately beautiful ‘Annabi’ deepen the narrative arc of the compilation.
Barry also shares an exclusive reworking of Felt’s 1986 obscurity ‘Ferdinand Magellan’, alongside an edit of Superpitcher’s ‘Yves’, nodding to the classic Late Night Tales tradition of bespoke reinterpretations. His own unreleased material appears too – ‘Sometimes I Feel So Alone’, originally written for his debut album, and lead single ‘Chala (My Soul Is On A Loop)’, released today on Ninja Tune / Late Night Tales. We also hear exclusive tracks from producer O’Flynn, one of Barry’s closest friends, and the closing track ‘Ultrasound (Exclusive Spoken Word)’ by poet and longtime collaborator Seamus, who features on Barry’s Loner album. Throughout, Barry’s eclectic tastes are woven into a seamless, expertly curated journey.
“I was absolutely buzzing when I got asked to do Late Night Tales. Over the moon,” Barry commented. “It was such a significant thing for me. It’s a series that works consistently with really great artists, so it felt like a massive privilege to even be considered to be among the kind of people that Late Night Tales typically works with.”
“I have this Spotify playlist that’s called Barry Can’t Curate. I’d always put electronic music and different things in there that maybe I wouldn’t get to play in DJ sets,” he continues. “Late Night Tales is in the same world really – another place where you can share the music you love, but not necessarily music you’d play on a dancefloor.”
The Late Night Tales series, described by GQ as the “Rolls-Royce of compilations”, has spent over two decades delivering artist-curated albums. Barry Can’t Swim sits comfortably alongside previous contributors including MGMT, Metronomy, Groove Armada, Floating Points, Nightmares on Wax, Bonobo and Jon Hopkins – artists celebrated not just for their productions, but for their musical storytelling.
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Barry Can’t Swim (Joshua Mainnie)
developed his early relationship with music learning piano and playing in local bands, before club culture drew him into electronic music and the bedroom studio. That breadth of background underpins a Late Night Tales mix that brings together disparate styles and makes them feel like a coherent narrative – a hallmark of the series, and a skill Barry demonstrates with confidence and flair.
Barry’s latest album Loner, released in July 2025 on Ninja Tune, hit the UK Top 10 and reached number one on the Dance Chart. Last summer, Barry cemented his position as one of the most singular voices in electronic music with a sold-out headline performance at All Points East, followed by a huge Barry Can’t Swim Curates Warehouse Project show, filmed by BBC Radio 1 for their legendary Essential Mix series. In 2024, he won BBC Radio 1’s Best Dance Act, and was also nominated in the category at the BRIT Awards.
Barry’s acclaimed debut album When Will We Land?, released in October 2023 and now surpassing 100 million streams, earned widespread recognition, including a shortlisting for the 2024 Mercury Music Prize. The nomination placed Barry alongside artists such as Charli XCX, Beth Gibbons, English Teacher, Ghetts and The Last Dinner Party, and saw him join the ranks of Aphex Twin, Nia Archives, Burial, Jamie xx and Jon Hopkins as one of the few solo electronic artists to receive the honour. Further accolades included a shortlist place for the Scottish Album of the Year Award and a top-three position on BBC Sound of 2025.
Barry Can’t Swim’s Late Night Tales compilation is out 27th February 2026 on Late Night Tales.
New single ‘Chala (My Soul Is On A Loop)’ is out now on Ninja Tune / Late Night Tales.
Barry Can’t Swim: Late Night Tales
Tracklist:
01 Jackson Mico Milas – Sea, Interior 00.00
02 Majid Bekkas & Magic Spirit Quartet – Annabi 02.34
03 Jesse Bru – The Coast 07.11
04 Loket – Afternoon At Barenquell 08.58
05 Superpitcher – Yves (Exclusive Edit for LateNightTales) 14.00
06 Scott Orr – Scott 17.40
07 Barry Can’t Swim – Sometimes I Feel So Alone (Exclusive) 19.05
08 Marigold Sun – Here Lies Love 20.46
09 Barry Can’t Swim – My Soul Is On A Loop (Exclusive) 22.23
10 Freddy da Stupid – Back To Pangea Part II (Jazzapella Version) 25.04
11 Factory Floor – How You Say (Daniel Avery Remix) 29.47
12 Ronald Langestraat – Lowdown 34.06
13 Lance DeSardi – The Power Of Suggestion 38.01
14 O’Flynn – Kola 41.34
15 Accelera Deck – This Bliss 44.37
16 Pépe – Goma (A-Mix) 47.42
17 This Mortal Coil – The Lacemaker 51.33
18 St. Francis Hotel – Dawn 54.16
19 Barry Can’t Swim – Ferdinand Magellan (Exclusive Felt Cover Version) 56.39
20 Seamus – Ultrasound (Spoken Word) 59.29
END 63.48
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Photo Credit: Rory Dewar
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