Bing Satellites: Recent Episodes
Bing Satellites
Prolific ambient musician, photographer, freelance philosopher and 50s steam machine.
I make lots of music under many guises including Bing Satellites, The Lovely Moon, The Ambient Visitor, Kowalski Room, The ambient drones of Bill Baxter, Theta Wave Orchestra and probably many more.
A little taste of this month's edition of the Ambient Archives, available to subscribers at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/the-ambient-archives-may-2023 The whole album is a mix of peaceful, reflective, epic and uplifting electronic and experimental ambient music.
A quick improvisation in the studio, trying out a new reverb with the guitar (no ebow this time). Creating music through improvisation is very inspiring. A new sound can suggest something new. I played three notes before pressing record and knew there was something there, something otherworldly and spacey. I imagine there will be more of this sort of thing very soon.
A little taste of this month's edition of The Ambient Archives. The full album is available now to my Bandcamp subscribers. For more information and to become a subscriber, visit https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribeThree tracks of atmospheric electronic ambient music to soothe your soul.
A little taste of this month's edition of The Ambient Archives, drifting drones, Berlin School type sequencers and hypnotic percussion blend into 68 minutes of peaceful music to soothe your soul.Every month, my lovely Bandcamp subscribers receive a new album on CD or download. This is a little taste of this month's album - 5 pieces of atmospheric ambient music to soothe your soul.You can find out more and subscribe at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribe
A little taste of this month's edition of The Ambient Archives, an hour of drifting ambient and Berlin School electronics to soothe your soul. Every month, my lovely Bandcamp subscribers receive a new album on CD or download. This is a little taste of this month's album - 5 pieces of atmospheric ambient music to soothe your soul.You can find out more and subscribe at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Every month, my lovely Bandcamp subscribers receive a new album on CD or download. This is a little taste of this month's album - 5 pieces of atmospheric ambient music to soothe your soul.
You can find out more and subscribe at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribe
A little taste of this month's edition of the Ambient Archives, four pieces of drifting ambient music to soothe your soul. The album, along with previous editions, is available to my Bandcamp subscribers at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/the-ambient-archives-september-2022
The album is available on CD or download. Each month, my subscribers get a new album not currently available to the public.
The opening track from my latest album 'Another Music / A Different Reality', four pieces of emotive electronic ambient music, drifting somewhere between mysterious atmospherics and Berlin School euphoria with a healthy dose of vocoder thrown in for good measure.
Here we have a rare thing, a song of mine with lyrics (performed with the vocoder).
Atmospheric and soothing.
Get the album on CD or name-your-price download from https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/another-music-a-different-reality
Made in response to @naviar-records haiku challenge 437. https://www.naviarrecords.com/2022/05/18/naviarhaiku437-high-noon/
Sunlight, birds and water. Slow, calm.
Once again, I've found this to be a very satisfying and inspiring challenge.
Made in response to @naviar-records Haiku challenge 436. Details: https://www.naviarrecords.com/2022/05/11/naviarhaiku436-lightning-thunder/
The challenge called for the thunder, lightning and rain. I tried to represent them all here. A great thunderstorm approaches. Little drops of rain, distant rumblings, darkening skies, then wind, flashes of light and heavy cracks of thunder.
There is something about this challenge that I am finding inspiring.
A grainy lo-fi piece of atmospheric ambient music created in response to @naviar-records latest haiku challenge - https://www.naviarrecords.com/2022/05/04/naviarhaiku435-softly-spun/
Sakura signals an end to the darkest nights forever in light
I've been interested in this challenge for a while. It was quite inspiring.
A piano and a heartbeat.
Playing piano has been inspiring to me over the last few days. It is interesting how each piece progresses: some stay quiet and delicate, whereas others, such as this one, become bigger and find a pulse.
Needless to say, I am enjoying this burst of creativity.
Quiet and friendly piano noodlings. A work in progress.
Two piano lines drift out of sync accompanied by bells, bass and percussion.
Late night lydian piano noodling after a day of making space noise, trying out my brand new 88 key MIDI keyboard which replaces my original keyboard which, after 15 years near continuous use, has started to show signs of age.
The ninth of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2002. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Several parts of this song are performed on the Playtronica TouchMe, an ingenious little device which uses electrical resistance to play music. It is the first time I have used this in a track. The track was built around these parts. I am enjoying the use of bells over these last few days. I like the musical and percussive nature but also their overtones have a certain uplifting flavour to them.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
The eighth of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2002. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Today's offering is a piece of euphoric ambient music, using sounds and techniques from previous days but introducing new ideas. I started with a baritone guitar loop which was quickly abandoned. The notes were right but the feel was wrong. I replaced this with the guitar played by ebow - long weeping notes that fitted my mood more. The song quickly developed around this and became more and more euphoric.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
The seventh of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2002. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Today's offering is a mixture of everything on this album so far, a little improvisation, some generative layers, and no entirely beatless.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
The sixth of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Generative ambient music. Layered pianos, guitars and various synths. I started out with two layers of piano and slowly built up from there. The bell sound at the start is actually one of my dinner plates.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
The very first of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2002. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
A brand new project and something of a challenge: 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022.
I don't know what that music will be but by the end of February, this will be album of 28 tracks of brand new music.
My bandcamp subscribers will be able to listen to each track as they are added day by day. The whole album will be available to the wider public once the last song is completed.
For more information about this project and to become a subscriber, visit https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
Feel free to share this news!
I'm happy to take you on this journey with me. Thank you for your support.
Day 27 of my 28 Pieces project and the twenty-third piece of ambient music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Recorded as the sun rose on a clear Spring-like Sunday morning. Quiet and peaceful. I've been really trying to make something quiet and intimate. I guess I'll have to make do with peaceful and spacious. The music has a slow breathing tempo. It is very relaxing to create. I like having spaces between notes and being able to choose whether or not to fill that space.
Completely written, performed and produced on 27 February 2022.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. The whole album will be available to download at the end of the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
Day 24 of my 28 Pieces project and the twenty-third piece of ambient music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Today, I wanted to do something quiet and delicate but with actual notes in it, rather than just atmospherics. I settled on layered virtual tape loops - three for each instrument, each only playing certain notes and missing out others, very much akin to Eno's Music for Airports, something which I make no apologies for. It is a fun way of creating music.
The music seems to follow the space theme of recent days, so I named the piece after one of the Solar System's most distant bodies.
Completely written, performed and produced on 24 February 2022.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. The whole album will be available to download at the end of the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
The twelfth of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Peaceful, mysterious ambient music. Further explorations with bells, percussion and atmospheres. I am enjoying the mix of textures and rhythm bells and percussion can bring.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
The thirteenth of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
A beatless yet upbeat piece of ambient music. It starts and is built around an atmospheric space drone. From the start, this felt very organic.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
The tenth of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2002. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
After another false start this evening, I came up with this piece of atmospheric ambient. It is peaceful and drifting at first, then the meditation bells drift in. It once again builds into a joyous crescendo.
I am enjoying this challenge. I am enjoying making music. I am happy with my life. I think it is showing in the music.
The title is actually the original title of yesterday's piece. I thought it fit well here.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
The twentieth of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
A dreamy piece of ambient music written while still not quite awake.
Completely written, performed and produced on 20 February 2022.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. The whole album will be available to download at the end of the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
Day 25 of my 28 Pieces project and the twenty-third piece of ambient music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Throughout most of the month, I have been using the sound of one of my dinner plates as a low bell. I've been using it, to the most part, in music that is in major keys. This bell, however, has more minor sounding harmonics. I wanted to explore that. Once again, I ended up drifting through space.
Completely written, performed and produced on 25 February 2022.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. The whole album will be available to download at the end of the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
Day 28 of my 28 Pieces project and the twenty-third piece of ambient music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
A fitting finale, I feel.
There have been several sounds that have appeared several times over the last month. I have been so engrossed in making this music over the last four weeks that it felt important include a few of these sounds on this, the final piece of this project. The slow washes and bells are there - almost like saying goodbye to old friends. I am sure they will be back though!
Completely written, performed and produced on 28 February 2022.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. The whole album will be available to download at the end of the month. More info / listen at bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
Somehow, the twenty-second of 28 pieces of music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Continuing ambient adventures in deep space. I really enjoyed yesterday's musical experiments. I wanted to delve further into something atmospheric and suggestive of deep space, rather than deliberately musical. Mysterious and other-worldly.
Completely written, performed and produced on 22 February 2022.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. The whole album will be available to download at the end of the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
Day 26 of my 28 Pieces project and the twenty-third piece of ambient music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Peaceful and content. This grew quickly and organically. Slow washes of synths and atmospherics drifting over each other. I played the layered ebow guitar part over this. I tried a few rhythmic sounds but the bells and percussion fell perfectly.
Completely written, performed and produced on 26 February 2022.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. The whole album will be available to download at the end of the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
Day 23 of my 28 Pieces project and the twenty-third piece of ambient music, one created from scratch on each day of February 2022. At the end of the month, the whole album of 28 brand new pieces of music will be released.
Further adventures in space. More abstract with a slow breathing tempo.
Largely recorded and mixed very early in the morning (between 5 and 7am), after I had just been photographing the Moon. The early hour and the sight of the Moon before sunrise affected the mood of this piece.
Completely written, performed and produced on 23 February 2022.
My Bandcamp subscribers can listen to the whole album as it grows over the month. The whole album will be available to download at the end of the month. More info / listen at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/28-pieces
A little taste of this month's edition of The Ambient Archives. The full album, along with dozens of other ambient goodies, is available to my Bandcamp subscribers. More info/become a subscriber: https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribe/
This album is six pieces of ambient music all coming from different places but ultimately a collection of music to soothe your soul.
A little taste of this month's edition of the Ambient Archives, available to subscribers at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/the-ambient-archives-december-2021
The album is a collection of uplifting and peaceful ambient music that washes around you.
For more information and to become a subscriber, go to https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribe
A little taste of this month's edition of The Ambient Archives, available to my Bandcamp subscribers at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/the-ambient-archives-september-2021
Subscribers receive a new edition of The Ambient Archives every month plus some other subscriber exclusive tracks.
This month's album is a series of atmospheric ambient experiments using my pitched delay system.
A improvised guitar piece using my pitched delay system.
This is taken from my album Light Up The Night Sky which is available to my subscribers on Bandcamp at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/light-up-the-night-sky-improvisations I am also publishing it hear for a limited time.
What you hear is me improvising on the guitar, keeping in time with the echoes that come from the pitched delayed system. I play a note. Straight away, you hear that note and the octave below. 10 seconds later, you hear a second, different note generated form the original. A further 4 seconds later, you hear a third note generated form the original. For each note I play, you actually hear four.
A short preview of this month's album available to my Bandcamp subscribers. This month's album is two pieces of peaceful, delicate ambient music. Collages of several improvised performances.
You can listen to this and more than 20 other albums currently exclusive to subscribers by becoming a subscriber yourself at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribe
A preview of this month's subscriber album, three pieces of slow, drifting atmospheric ambient music to soothe your soul.
Download and listen to this, the previous 25 volumes of The Ambient Archives and a few other subscriber exclusives by subscribing at https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribe
A preview of the May 2021 edition of The Ambient Archives, an album available to subscribers only on CD or download.
Three drifting, atmospheric pieces of ambient music to soothe your soul.
More info/subscribe: https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/the-ambient-archives-may-2021
My Bandcamp subscribers get a new edition of The Ambient Archives album series every month plus a bonus album every now and then.
Cherry Blossom - ambient sketches & improvisations is one of those bonus albums. Like the title suggests, it is a series of in studio sketches and improvisations. Peaceful and thoughtful ambient music to soothe your soul.
This track is a taste of four tracks from that album. Should you want a copy of this album and many other subscriber exclusives, visit https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Something a little more upbeat from me including drums! This version is from a compilation featuring a track from every Bing Satellites release of 2020 and is currently only available to subscribers. You should become one of them!
Here's to 2021 being a brighter year for everyone!
A work-in-progress of a quiet piano track with delicate atmospherics.
The finished version can be found on the album The History & The Mystery of The Adirondack Piano, available on CD and download from https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/the-adirondack-piano Also available soon on Spotify and elsewhere.
A slice of peaceful, drifting ambient music from my latest album which is available on double CD and download from https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/environmental-music-volume-one
A little atmospheric taste of my album Inner Landscape (Atmospheres & Textures volume six), a collection of slow, spacious ambient music.
Part of a track from the second Atmospheres & Textures album 'The Sun and the Moon', available on CD and download from https://bingsatellites.bandcamp.com/album/the-sun-and-the-moon-atmospheres-textures-volume-two
Spacious, drifting ambient music.
Created during a particularly creative period in January 2019.
The music on this album, like much of my music, is completely improvised and recorded live.
The starting point for this music is the sound of my now ancient guitar played with the ebow. I start with a blank canvas, play and few note and let the music grow. As these are live, improvised recordings, they can be a little rough around the edges.
A taste of the first in a new series of albums of peaceful ambient soundscapes to soothe your soul.
Available on CD, download and all the usual places: http://www.bingsatellites.com/releases/frozen-in-time-atmospheres-textures-volume-one/
A track from Just for a Moment, my brand new album of quiet, atmospheric piano music, available on CD and download.
This tracks layers loops of different lengths of the same motif in the middle of the track. As the layers slide over each other, the two layers of the same tune interact in different ways.
Part of my latest album Home, a one track ambient album. The whole album was improvised and recorded live in one take.
Part of the first track from my new ambient album Treasure, a collection of atmospheric and peaceful ambient music recorded in one day.
Part of the opening track from my latest ambient album Real Life and How To Avoid It, out on CD, download and streamies.
This track (like most of my music) was improvised live in my studio with most of my synths rather than just the laptop. It is another example of me exploring ways of making even more minimal music that is still satisfying.
A little bit of my new album, out on CD, download and stream on 6 January 2017.
Like the rest of these albums, Twilight Sessions volume 20 is a collection of live ambient improvisations. I play a few notes in to a lonmg, slowly decaying loop and see where the music takes me.
Part of an improvised lvie performance on the Squarewaves stage at this year's Humber Street Sesh music festival in Hull.
The whole concert is available on CD and download from http://www.bingsatellites.com/releases/liveinhull/
A little bit of my latest album of quiet ambient music celebrating a year of love and happiness.
More details / CD / download: http://www.bingsatellites.com/releases/eighthours/
A little taste of the next Twilight Sessions album that will be heading your way on double CD and download at the end of April 2016. More info: http://www.bingsatellites.com/releases/twilightsessionsvolume18/
Like the rest of the album, this piece is improvised and recorded live. I press record, play a few notes and see where the music takes me.
Recorded in the beautiful and inspiring surroundings of the frozen Baltic coast on my second trip to Sweden asa guest of electronic music collective Dogma Noveau.
Recorded with a minimal set up: laptop, midi keyboard and Roland SH-32 synth (small enough to fit in my carry on luggage!)
Update: The full version of this track, along with all the other tracks I recorded in Sweden will beincluded on the album The Visitor, available on double CD and download from 12 February 2016 from http://www.bingsatellites.com/releases/thevisitor/
Part of a track from my next album The Village, available on double CD (includes poster) and download on 13 December 2015. Details: http://www.bingsatellites.com/releases/thevillage/
This track was recorded on a recent trip to America and is inspired by the beauty of southern California and all its charms, the Pacific Ocean and New Mexico.
The image shows the sunsetting above Santa Fe, New Mexico.
So it turns out I only went and wrote and recorded an album on my recent visit to California (I was there for much more important non-musical reasons). The place and the company are very inspiring.
The album, entitled The Village, will be released on double CD and download in December. Until then, you'll have to make do with this part of this track and the ridiculous photograph I actually took of the actual sunset. We don't get sunsets quite like that in Manchester!
A live improvised piece of music fro the soon to be released Twilight Sessions volume 17
A little bit of the first track from my new album Twilight Sessions volume 17 which will be available on double CD and download from 19 November 2015.
All the music on this (and other Twilight Sessions albums) is improvised and recorded completely live. I start with a canvas of sounds, play a few notes into a long, slowly decaying loop and see where the music takes me.
A bit of soft pedal piano music and ambience, improvised and recorded completely live.
The full version of this track (all 35 minutes of it) will be included on Twilight Sessions volume 16, released on double CD and download on 1 October 2015. Details at http://www.bingsatellites.com/releases/twil…ionsvolume16/
The cover image shows clouds over snow and ice, Greenland, September 2015.