low light mixes

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I've fallen behind a bit on creating and uploading mixes. But have no fear, it's Daniel Hawkins to the rescue! He's come up with a guest mix at just the right time. You'll remember Daniel form his previous mix, "Metallic Memories" - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/metallic-memories/

For this set he takes us into the modern classical realm. Here's what Daniel has to say about this new mix:

"I was thinking about some of the nice Neo-classical/crossover stuff I like and then got to thinking about the way having a label for a style of music can actually be a limiting factor. The best creative work in any field so often transcends genres and labels and breaks new ground - Issak Dinsen said “A work of art is a thing of infinite loneliness and the least to be understood through criticism.” I remember back in the 1970’s playing Keith Jarret’s solo piano albums and my friends asking what kind of music it was. What do you say? Back then they stocked it in the jazz section of the record store with the other ECM releases, but I have never thought of that body of work as jazz. Music continues to evolve - Ambient? Chillout? Drone? Electronic? Tribal? Names and more names. So what do you call this collection of cello music? Is it classical because it features an instrument that is typically found in an orchestral setting? Personally I don’t think we need a label. I know good music when I hear it. The mix leans to the somber side - something strings do so well - deep and evocative. Explorations of the dark night of the soul."

Thanks, Daniel, for another excellent mix!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Snorri Hallgrímsson - I Am Weary, Don't Let Me Rest (I Am Weary, Don't Let Me Rest 2023)
06:04 Peter Gregson - Softly Falling (Softly Falling - Single 2024)
08:08 Hildur Guðnadóttir - Ascent (Without Sinking 2009)
12:42 Bob Holroyd - Enough (The Cage 2018)
18:01 David Darling - Dawn (Darkwood IV) (Dark Wood 1993)
23:00 Ketil Bjørnstad, Svante Henryson - Visitor (Night Song 2011)
27:55 Ólafur Arnalds - Partisans (The Invisible EP 2021)
31:03 Henrik Meierkord - Kval (Kval 2021)
35:50 Willebrant - Undercurrent (Undercurrent - Single 2023)
38:05 Slow Meadow - Palemote (Palemote - Single 2016)
43:30 Peter Gregson - Ritual (Peter Gregson 2025)
46:57 Gabriel Ólafs - Whale Overture (Polar 2025)
51:33 Snorri Hallgrímsson - Three Week Cloud (Longer shadows, softer stones - EP 2024)

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Oh man, this is a good one. Well, all the mixes here are good but for some reason this one resonates with me right now. Two years ago I posted a mix called "Walk Softly Upon This Earth" that featured the handpan as the main instrument - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/walk-softly-upon-this-earth/

I love that mix and have always wanted to do a follow up. Then in April a new EP dropped that I immediately fell in love with and it prompter me to create this mix. The EP is called "Kalima" from Lab's Cloud in collaboration with Falvio Salvaje. Check it out here - https://labscloudmusic.bandcamp.com/album/kalima

The rest of the mix is collection of some truly excellent handpan music with my favorite, other than the tracks from "Kalima," being "Passage IV" from Laura Inserra. It combines handpan and electric guitar in a beautiful way.

Links to all the music used in this mix:

https://labscloudmusic.bandcamp.com/album/kalima
https://laurainserra.bandcamp.com/album/musical-incense-vol-2
https://christineott.bandcamp.com/album/tabu-2
https://flaviosalvaje.bandcamp.com/album/cruise-slowly
https://futurerust.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-of-the-beginning-future-rust-volume-4
https://www.jameshood.com/pure-ceremony
https://laurainserra.bandcamp.com/album/altitude
https://www.amazon.com/Rhythms-Sleep-Music-Deep-Rest/dp/B00S0CU1ZE

I hope this mix brings you all some peace in these insane times.Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Lab's Cloud and Flavio Salvaje - I'm your sun (Kalima 2025)
05:00 Laura Inserra - Passage IV (Musical Incense - Vol. Two 2009)
16:10 Christine Ott - Sorrow / Lover's Dance (Tabu 2016)
26:33 Flavio Salvaje & Onanya - Buen Viaje (Cruise Slowly 2023)
34:09 Quentin Kayser - Fred(feat. Carola Ortiz) (The End of the Beginning(Future Rust Vol. 4 2023)
39:12 Lab's Cloud and Flavio Salvaje - Sandwhistle (Kalima 2025)
43:24 James Hood - Huasca(We Are Not Alone) (Pure Ceremony 2017)
48:50 Laura Inserra - Sentiment (Altitude 2019)
54:35 Christopher Of The Wolves - Floating (Rhythms Of Sleep 2015)
69:40 end

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This is straightforward ambient mix. Nothing fancy, just good music. The one unifying trait of this mix, other than all the tracks being awesome, is that everything is from this year.

I started the set with a track from Alio Die. Every so often I need a reminder why I love an artist I've been listening to forever. And stumbling upon this new album definitely brought back why Alio Die is one of my all-time favs.

LINKS TO ALL THER MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

https://aliodie.bandcamp.com/album/the-inner-vaults
https://davidtagg.bandcamp.com/album/the-wind-kept-land
https://metronrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gaiaphilia
https://stateazure.bandcamp.com/album/stillness
https://archivesdubmusic.bandcamp.com/album/monochrome
https://innesti.bandcamp.com/album/fragility-and-circumstance
https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/gossamer-wings-of-illusion
https://celer.bandcamp.com/album/gems-iv
https://variantsonics.bandcamp.com/album/sequential-sleep-series-collection

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Arborescence & Alio Die; - Kindling Leaves (The Inner Vaults 2025) * 08:05 David Tagg - The King of Songs performs the prelude to Cruciform Heart * (The Wind Kept Land 2025) * 13:15 Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - O-KA-GU-RA (Gaiaphilia 2025) * 15:35 State Azure - Stillness (Stillness 2025) * 22:55 SVLBRD - Indigo Light (Monochrome 2025) * 28:35 Innesti - Crosscurrents Through Nuances (Fragility and Circumstance 2025) * 34:16 Loneward - Temporal Dunes (Gossamer Wings of Illusion 2025) * 41:41 Celer - IV.VI (Gems IV 2025) * 47:55 variant - sequential sleep(unreleased modular-scape) * (sequential sleep series collection 2025) * 60:00 end

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More Berlin School goodness from Erwin Broers. There's not much I can say about this mix, other than being totally psyched for it, so I'll let Erwin give you the lowdown.
"This mix is an overview of some of the interesting Berlin School Electronic releases of the current calendar year. There's a wide variety of styles, ranging from minimal and retro to loungy/chilled and bombastic/cinematic. Actually, this selection covers the whole spectrum of electronic music between ambient and synth pop. So maybe the label "Berlin School" is not adequate anymore. But hey what's in a name! In any case, unless you're a hard core ambient fan, you will certainly discover something to your liking. Check the links below and support the artists!" Thanks, Erwin, for another great Berlin School set. Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00:00 Ian Boddy & Harald Grosskopf - Diodengesang (DoppelgÃ¤nger) * 00:07:35 Daniel Coppens - Nocturnal (After The End) * 00:15:34 State Azure - Vortices (The Light That Remains) * 00:21:05 Gate Eleven - Fly By Night (First Contact) * 00:26:55 Dino Pacifici & Brannan Lane - Amazon Mist (Imaginary Horizons) * 00:31:50 Chuck van Zyl - Denkmal (Transience) * 00:42:16 Brendan Pollard - Corollary (Strands) * 00:48:53 Grauglanz - Collaborations (A Grim Moon Rising) * 00:59:50 Leopards Of White - Through The Front Door To Then (Forest Edge) * 01:08:47 Paul Ellis - Winter Garden (Warmth From Other Suns) * 01:17:12 Stefan Erbe - Metamorphosys (Metamorphosys) * 01:23:02 Colin Rayment - As Light Tiptoes In The Darkness (Penumbra) * 01:31:04 Rene De Bakker - Cosmic Equilibrium (Cosmic Equilibrium) * 01:47:58 end

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Seascape mixes are some of my favorite ambient mixes. The genre seems to perfectly suited to floating and drifting on an endless sea. Two of my favorite ambient tracks of all time are "sea" ambient -

https://marsenjules.bandcamp.com/track/submarine-poetry

https://infraction.bandcamp.com/track/the-most-beautiful-blue

I absolutely love those two tracks!

I'm always up for a new seascape mix and that's what we have here - a new collection of tracks mostly from 2023 & 2024, with one from 2020 and one from all the way back in 2008. Put the oars back in the boat, kick your feet up and drift away.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Bill Seaman, Tim Diagram, Stephen Spera - The World Was Turning Before (The World Was Turning Before 2023)
07:00 Philippe Deschamps - What The Sea Promises - In a Silent Sea (Bahrambient Rework) (What The Sea Promises 2024)
09:20 Old Amica - Sommaren 96 (För alltid 2024)
14:06 Model 500 - Starlight(Intrusion dub) (Starlight 2008)
20:35 Jeff Greinke - Northern Reaches (Oceanic 2024)
29:00 Masayoshi Fujita - Ocean Flow (Migratory 2024)
31:54 Faux Tapes - Dive. Pt.4 (Dive 2024)
33:25 First Snow of The Year - Noir (Norwegian White 2025)
38:10 Bill Seaman, Tim Diagram, Stephen Spera - Far Away (The World Was Turning Before 2023)
43:00 Sanjib - Aquatic Sphere (Underwater 2020)
47:23 Daou - Sanctum (Reverie 2023)
51:12 Faux Tapes - Dive. Pt.7 (Dive 2024)
54:30 end

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Another electronic gem from Erwin Broers. He has become my go to guy for berlin-school music and I'm totally here for it. I've said many times that I like hosting guest mixes from artists and listeners because I always discover new music. And this set is a perfect example - other than Ron Boots, every artist in this mix is new to me.

Here's what Erwin has to say about this mix:

"The theme this time is "Electronic Gems From The Lowlands", the lowlands being Belgium and the Netherlands. Both countries are neighbours of Germany, where Electronic Music took off in the early 1970s. It was therefore inevitable that many local progressive artists became fascinated by synthesizers and inspired by this new genre known as "Kosmische Musik" (cosmic music). Influence of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze is obvious, but there's also a hint at prog rock and a few tracks come close to melodic synth pop similar to Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre."

Thanks for a great set, Erwin!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00:00 PeRu - Out Of Time (Constellations, 1981)
00:09:01 Pillion - Enigmas (Enigmas, 1980)
00:22:36 Par Example - Flarepath (Pharos, 1989)
00:31:57 Patrick Kosmos - Mindscapes part 1, 2nd movement (Mindscapes, 1987)
00:41:00 Johan Timman - Trip Into The Body (Trip Into The Body, 1981)
00:46:31 Walter Christian Rothe - Solitude (Solitude, 1982)
00:50:34 Ton Scherpenzeel - Heart Of The Universe (Heart Of The Universe, 1984)
00:58:02 Frank Van Bogaert - A Picture of You (Closer, 2004)
01:01:45 Ron Boots & John Kerr - Oceans Of Emotions (Offshore Islands, 1990)
01:15:11 end

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It's World Piano Day! I've made several mixes over the years for Piano Day and each time I wonder if I'll find enough tracks for an interesting mix. And every year it comes together and surprises me with how much I like the finished set.

This mix starts with a tune everyone should be familiar with - Eno's Music For Airports 1/2. This recording is by Bruce Brubaker from his fine EP - Eno Piano 2. To make things interesting I played two tracks from it simultaneously and I think it worked pretty well.

While collecting tracks for the mix I was happy to find a piano album from Daniel Lanois. It's from 2022 and I had no idea it existed. I'm a big fan of the Necks so I was also excited to use one of their tracks for the first time. At least I think I've never used their music in a mix before.

LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

https://bruce-brubaker.bandcamp.com/album/eno-piano-2
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/quiet-rooms
https://jonhopkins.bandcamp.com/album/ritual
https://tapelooporchestra.bandcamp.com/album/psalm019-sabbat-de-voix
https://lawrenceenglish.bandcamp.com/album/even-the-horizon-knows-its-bounds
https://thehumblebee.bandcamp.com/album/the-trembling-line
https://h-mo.bandcamp.com/album/bark-up-the-spirit-tree
https://gallerysix.bandcamp.com/album/distance
https://latencyrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/latency-alla-villa-medici-ii
https://thenecksau.bandcamp.com/album/bleed
https://www.amazon.com/Player-Piano-Daniel-Lanois/dp/B0B7BYVZJK
https://benlukasboysen.bandcamp.com/album/falling-into-place-original-score
https://modernarecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-shoe-factory
https://sine-music.bandcamp.com/album/dreamscapes
https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Daylight-Piano-Version/dp/B0DKX181VJ

I hope you enjoy this latest installment in celebration of the piano.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Bruce Brubaker - Music For Airports 1/2 and 1/2 (Bows Version) played simultaneously (Eno Piano 2 2024)
06:28 Polaroid Notes - Invitation To A Ghost Seance (Quiet Rooms 2024)
10:53 Jon Hopkins - part viii - nothing is lost (Ritual 2024)
14:40 Tape Loop Orchestra - Voix Figées (PSALM019: Sabbat De Voix 2025)
20:10 Lawrence English - ETHKIBIII (Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds 2025)
25:10 civic hall - II (the trembling line 2024)
28:12 H-M O - Full Circle (Bark up the Spirit Tree 2024)
33:12 Gallery Six & Lorenz Weber - Dialogue 1 (Distance 2024)
36:19 Duval Timothy - Go Without (Latency alla Villa Medici II 2024)
41:32 The Necks - Bleed (Bleed 2024)
46:25 Daniel Lanois - Sunday Asylum (Player, Piano 2022)
49:15 Ben Lukas Boysen - Prologue (Music for Falling Into Place OST 2024)
51:36 Oliver Patrice Weder - Into Pieces (The Shoe Factory 2024)
54:15 Thomas Lemmer - In The Glow Of Midnight (Dreamscapes 2025)
56:27 Max Richter - On the Nature of Daylight(Piano Ver.)(The Blue Notebooks 20 Year Edition 2025)
62:23 end

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Talk Talk is an interesting band. Their musical style evolved significantly over time, moving from synth-pop to a more experimental art rock and post-rock sound, particularly with the albums 'Spirit of Eden' and 'Laughing Stock'. I like every phase of their career but I especially love the album 'Spirit of Eden'.

Those last two albums have grown in stature and influence over the decades, inspiring countless musicians with their innovative use of space, silence, and unconventional song structures. It's no wonder that an ambient focused person like me would glom onto Talk Talk when you consider band leader, Mark Hollis's often-quoted sentiment about the importance of silence in music – "Before you play two notes, learn how to play one note... and don't play one note unless you've got a reason to".

Recently a favorite podcast of mine, Discord & Rhyme, dedicated an episode to 'Spirit of Eden'. It's totally worth a listen. You can find here - https://discordpod.com/listen/155-talk-talk-spirit-of-eden-1988

After listening to that episode I decided to make a mix of tracks with a 'Spirit of Eden' feel. I used a few tracks recommended by the guys in the podcast - Bark Psychosis, Van Morrison, and Mile Davis. And combined those with 7 other cuts that fit the vibe. I always knew that Rain Tree Crow/Sylvian/Jansen/Barbieri would be a perfect fit. I was excited to use one of my favorite albums of 2022 - 'The Great Awakening' by Shearwater. I had forgotten how much I love that record.

Are there any Talk Talk fans out there? What do you think of this collection of Talk Talk inspired tunes?

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri - Mother London (Stone To Flesh 1995)
05:52 Phil Clemo - Maze (Through the Wave of Blue 2024)
11:07 Bark Psychosis - Street Scene (Hex 1994)
16:20 Van Morrison - When Heart Is Open (Common One 1980)
22:33 Rain Tree Crow - Blackwater (Rain Tree Crow 1991)
26:44 Shearwater - No Reason (The Great Awakening 2022)
32:00 Tuxedomoon & Cult With No Name - Do It For Van Gogh (Blue Velvet Revisited 2016)
36:18 The Blue Nile - From a Late Night Train (Hats 1989)
40:01 Bed - The Whimps (The Newton Plum 2001)
43:10 Miles Davis - He Loved Him Madly (Get Up With It 1974)
62:37 end

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Another stellar guest mix comes our way with this excellent set from longtime listener, Daniel Hawkins. He reached with an idea for a mix and once I heard the theme I was all in. Daniel curated a playlist of tracks & I put them together to create this new mix.

Here's what Daniel has to say about Metallic Memories:

"So I've loved world music since before that term existed, and always had an inordinate fondness for the metallophones - gamelan, vibraphone, glockenspiel, Tibetan bowls - should we include tubular bells? Of course! I don't know if the kalimba and marimba are technically in the category, but they are in my mind. Wind chimes, tingshas, koshis, steel drum, handpan, gongs, avant-garde stuff done with trash cans and pipes - it's all good. This playlist leaves out a ton of music that Dave has covered over the years that is near and dear to me - but I wanted to do what he does so well - bring new artists to everyone's attention and still make a killer playlist. I'd thought for a looooong time about putting something together for Low Light Mixes and was so pleased with Dave's gracious response."

Thanks, Daniel, for this excellent collection of metallophone music!

Links to all the music used in this mix:

Tom Green - Music for Tai Chi

T. Raumschmiere

Peter Bark - Astral Ecotone

Ethereal Planes - Moonlit Passage

Willebrant - The Pilgrim

Snufmumriko - Havstrakt

Daniel Lentz - Lascaux

Brian Eno - 77 Million Paintings

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Tom Green - Centre of your Circle (Music for Tai Chi 2012)
09:45 T. Raumschmiere - Grotznogg (T.Raumschmiere 2015)
13:45 Peter Bark - Bonfire (Astral Ecotone 2020)
18:12 Ethereal Planes - Moonlit Passage (Moonlit Passage single 2022)
25:55 Willebrant - Plateau(Into the Valley) (The Pilgrim 2021)
32:30 Snufmumriko - Skogar av tang (Havstrakt 2023)
39:45 Daniel Lentz - Lascaux (Missa Umbrarum 1991)
47:27 Brian Eno - 77 Million Paintings 1 (77 Million Paintings 2023)
53:08 end

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This is one of those mixes without a theme. It's just a way to highlight some new ambient tracks from the first two months of the year, although I cheated and used two from the end of 2024.

I ended up using three tracks from the wonderful new label - Driftworks - https://driftworks.bandcamp.com/ I hadn't set out to highlight their new releases, but I'm glad I did because they are worth checking out. They are a sub-label from Whitelabrecs, a label whose artists I have featured in a lot of mixes over the years. Here are the links to all the music used in this mix:* https://logicmoon.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-film-vol-1 * https://sine-music.bandcamp.com/album/dreamscapes * https://driftworks.bandcamp.com/album/glacial-drift * https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/theme * https://driftworks.bandcamp.com/album/breathing-space * https://philippedeschampsfilms.bandcamp.com/album/remember-the-clouds * https://moolakiiclubaudiointerface.bandcamp.com/album/another-kind-of-earth * https://driftworks.bandcamp.com/album/signals-and-codes * https://flynst.bandcamp.com/album/washed-out-pastel * https://francisgri.bandcamp.com/album/bruma * https://ab-odnumlaut.bandcamp.com/album/mitochondria-johatsu * https://chitrarecords.bandcamp.com/album/pictures * https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/treasure-of-stars-streams-of-consciousness * https://h-mo.bandcamp.com/album/bark-up-the-spirit-tree * https://daveluxton.bandcamp.com/album/collected-ambient-works-iii

As long as we are talking about record labels, here are links to some of the labels used in this mix:* Sine Music - https://sine-music.bandcamp.com/music * Driftworks - https://driftworks.bandcamp.com/ * Dronarivm - https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/music * Moolakii Club Audio Interface - https://moolakiiclubaudiointerface.bandcamp.com/ * Audiobulb - https://audiobulb.bandcamp.com/ * Chitra Records - https://chitrarecords.bandcamp.com/ * Projekt - https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/ * Ingrown Records - https://ingrown.bandcamp.com/music

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Logic Moon - Meld (Music For Film Vol.1 2024) * 02:58 Thomas Lemmer - In The Arms Of Night (Dreamscapes 2025) * 05:50 Glasbird - 2016 (Glacial Drift 2025) * 09:00 Bartosz Dziadosz - Harmony (Theme 2025) * 13:27 Pete Kvidera - Scribble (Breathing Space 2025) * 16:45 Philippe Deschamps - Remember The Clouds (Remember the Clouds 2025) * 20:25 The Lonely Bell - Another Kind of Earth Pt. 2 (Another Kind of Earth 2025) * 23:45 Andrew Heath - Documenting Observations (Signals and Codes 2025) * 29:30 Flynst - Sea Of Fog (Washed Out Pastel 2025) * 31:12 Francis Gri - Bruma II (Bruma 2025) * 34:45 OdNu + Ümlaut - Mitochondria (Mitochondria Johatsu 2025) * 38:25 Soloi Sounds - Draft (Pictures 2025) * 42:22 Dirk Serries - Soft Rain (Treasure Of Stars 2025) * 52:40 H-M O - Soul Laundry Day (Bark up the Spirit Tree 2024) * 55:18 Dave Luxton - Of The Mist (Collected Ambient Works III 2024) * 59:53 end

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I like it when a mix discovers itself. I started grabbing a few tracks for a new ambient mix and two of the tunes I pulled had the word "lonely" in the title. That got me thinking about making the entire mix a "lonely" mix. And this is the result.

It was fairly simple - I just searched for tracks with the word "lonely." and in no time at all I had enough for a mix. That's all there really is to say about it.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Anthéne - this lonely path (the slow wave 2021)
03:35 Kevin Paczesny - Lonely River (Lost Horizons 2025)
09:52 The Howard Hughes Suite - The Lonely Shore (Through the Ether 2021)
13:48 Stars Of The Lid - The Lonely People(Are Getting Lonlier) (The Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid)
20:30 Brian Eno & Harold Budd - Wind In Lonely Fences (Ambient 2 The Plateaux Of Mirror 1979)
24:10 Sonmi451 - The Distant Sound Of A Lonely Tree (Hummingbird 2013)
29:12 Juliet Walkingtom & Jim Howard - Lonely Road (Beyond The Treeline 2025)
34:21 Klaus Schulze - The Lonely Dead of Midnight (Timbres Of Ice 2019)
41:40 derrickderrick - A pack of gauloises to fill the lonely nights (Happiest in illusion 2024)
44:30 David Parsons - Meditation on a Lonely Pool (Tibetan Plateau / Sounds of the Mothership 1991)
48:30 SUSS - Road Trip Part 3(The Lonely Path) (High Line 2019)
51:20 Hammock - Lonely, Some Quietly Wander in the Hall of Stars (Longest Year 2010)
57:10 Building a Building - Galactic Static & Lonely Pings (Notebook of Strange Dreams & Nightmares 2021)
60:00 end

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I have continued my recent bingeing of berlin-school electronic music. Devouring old and new music. So I was very excited when guest mixer Erwin Broers reached with a new berlin-school mix. Woo hoo! It's all new music, some of Erwin's favorites from 2024. I was familiar with about half of the artists some it was great to discover new music.

I'll let Erwin tell you about the mix:

"I was inspired by LLM end of the year mixes on ambient and jazz. I came up with the idea of doing something similar for the Berlin School subgenre. So I checked a few blogs and searched specialized web shops for the most interesting releases of 2024. The result is a near-2hr foray with lots of different styles and atmospheres, ranging from dark to uplifting, retro analog to modern digital, occasionally with a touch of electric guitar and percussions, but almost always with typical layers of sequencers and soundscapes. The influence of the pioneers of the genre, Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream, is still very much alive in some tracks, almost 50 years after their prime. Filtercafe and Sequentia Legenda obviously draw from that heritage. Most listeners will not like all the tracks, but it is a good introduction to what is being created in the contemporary Berlin School." Thanks for another great electronic mix. Look for another mix from Erwin coming next month. LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:http://paulellisperthomhav.bandcamp.com/album/orpheushttp://perge.bandcamp.com/album/la-rouehttp://gertemmens.bandcamp.com/album/elektra-25th-anniversary-editionhttp://manikinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/106http://cosmicground.bandcamp.com/album/area-24http://thombrennan.bandcamp.com/album/othadiegrahttp://pyramid-peak.bandcamp.com/album/kontinuum-2http://sphericmusic-shop.de/de/schroeder-robert/1816-schroeder-robert-observer.htmlhttp://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/solastalgiahttp://moonsatellite2.bandcamp.com/album/motions-of-ethereal-lunarhttp://awenson.bandcamp.com/album/awenson-faithhttp://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/veiled-portraits-cyd-0118http://sequentia-legenda.bandcamp.com/album/galactic-crystalshttp://emmensboots.bandcamp.com/album/lost-in-dephts-of-desolation Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00:00 Paul Ellis & Per Thomhav - Orpheus (Orpheus) * 00:06:11 Perge - La Roue (La Roue) * 00:11:21 Gert Emmens - Elektra Part 1 (Elektra 25th Anniversary Edition) * 00:18:38 Filtercafé - Kaltwasserhahn (106) * 00:32:00 Cosmic Ground - Area 24 Part 4 (Area 24) * 00:37:02 Thom Brennan - Othadiegra Part 5 (Othadiegra) * 00:43:51 Pyramid Peak - Aquamarine (Kontinuum) * 00:51:13 Robert Schroeder - Observer (Observer) * 00:58:57 Erik Wöllo - Forever River (Solastalgia) * 01:06:42 MoonSatellite - Motion Part 3 (Motions Of Ethereal Lunar) * 01:15:00 Awenson - Van Halen (Faith) * 01:25:58 Paul Ellis & Pabellón Sintético - Synonymous (Veiled Portraits) * 01:31:31 Sequentia Legenda - Crystal Of Light (Galactic Crystals) * 01:41:40 Gert Emmens & Ron Boots - Lost In Dephts Of Desolation (Lost In Depths Of Desolation) * 01:56:09 end

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This is the perfect time for a winter mix because we finally got a substantial snowfall today. I was worried that my snowblower wouldn't get a workout this year. I had already planned on a winter mix and then bang - 8" of snow.

This past fall I made a mix for autumn that alternated between instrumental & vocal tunes and I really like the way it turned out. So this mix follows the same guidelines but with a winter theme.

All the tracks have winter or snow or cold in the title and, like the autumn mix, they mostly alternate instrumental/vocal. Though there a few deviations from that rhythm.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Library Tapes - It Was A Cold Day In February And We Walked Across The Lake
(Feelings For Something Lost 2006)
01:19 Kate Bush - Snowflake (50 Words For Snow 2011)
10:45 Hiroshi Yoshimura - Urban Snow (Music for Nine Post Cards 1982)
15:18 Jan Bang - Winter Sings (Reading the Air 2024)
19:00 Fuzzy Lights - Snowstorm In A Snow Globe (That Fuzzy Feeling 2007)
21:43 Adrianne Lenker - Snow Song (Hours Were the Birds 2014)
25:35 Saint Etienne - Snowbound on the South Bank (A Glimpse of Stocking 2010)
27:08 Vashti Bunyan - Winter is Blue (Just Another Diamond Day 2001)
28:54 Ben McElroy - Store Away For A Winters Day (How I Learnt To Disengage From The Pack 2021)
31:55 Ray LaMontagne - Winter Birds (Gossip in the Grain 2008)
37:51 Sailcloth - Winter Walks (Close Keeping 2018)
39:55 The Rural Alberta Advantage - Coldest Days (Departing 2011)
42:45 Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Fleet Foxes 2008)
45:10 Jody Mosher - Snow(vocal and bazz flute) (Snow 2025)
49:30 Christopher Hanlon - Dreams of Summer in Winter (Dreaming of Summer in Winter 2022)
51:42 Doug Ashdown - Winter in America (No Cheap Grace 1995)
55:41 Kika Sprangers - Winter ( (In)finity 2024)
58:14 Voces8 - Arnalds: For Now I Am Winter (Winter 2016)
62:57 end

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Back in the 70s I was a huge prog rock fan and an offshoot of that fandom was discovering jazz fusion. I think Jean-Luc Ponty was the first proper fusion record I ever owned. I believe I was a fusion fan before getting into jazz in general. I've been planning on creating a fusion mix for months but just haven't gotten around to it. Then last month I was sipping coffee on a cold morning, listening to a fusion playlist, when a couple of laid back tunes came up. I immediately started a new playlist for quiet fusion tracks. And this mix is the result. It's got some of my all time favorite jazz fusion artists - Alan Holdsworth, Brand X, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock & Miles Davis. But surprisingly, not my fav fusion artist - Bill Bruford. He just didn't have anything quiet enough that worked with the mix. But at least his guitarist, Alan Holdsworth made the cut. I hope you enjoy listening to this little diversion as much as I did creating it. Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Herbie Hancock - Vein Melter (Head Hunters 1973) * 08:50 Allan Holdsworth - Distance vs Desire (Sand 1987) * 13:56 John Abercrombie - Timeless (Timeless 1974) * 21:38 Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - September Fifteenth * (As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls 1981) * 29:06 Jaco Pastorius - Continuum (Jaco Pastorius 1976) * 33:30 Soft Machine - Between (Six 1973) * 35:33 Joe Zawinul - In A Silent Way (Zawinul 1971) * 40:11 Gong Emotions (Downwind 1979) * 44:50 Jean-Luc Ponty - I Only Feel Good With You * (Cosmic Messenger 1978) * 47:38 Brand X - Black Moon (Masques 1978) * 51:55 Miles Davis - It's About Time * (The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions 2001) * 60:49 e n d

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We have a special treat for this mix - an upbeat collection with an ambient house music vibe. I have a folder on my hard drive that is labeled "gentle house music." It contains tracks that have a definite 4-on-the-floor style but aren't hardcore, fill-the-dance-floor tunes. Something like Kiasmos. I have avoided making a mix of these tune because, truthfully, I suck at beat matching. I don't use professional software that would do it for me and I don't have quite the musical ear to pull it off on my own, at least for an entire mix.

That's where Johan Kisro and Petter Lindhagen come to the rescue. Johan and Peter record as Dött ljus and they have a new EP coming out on February 5th called Bottna. You can find it here - https://slowcraft.bandcamp.com/album/bottna The EP is on Slowcraft Records which says "the irrepressible energy of their hybrid electronica finds itself subtly grounded in a tenderly ambient melancholy."

I was immediately taken by the vibe of the new EP so I was over the moon when Johan suggested doing a mix for LLM. Perfect! I've always wanted a mix that sounds like this.

Here's what Johan says about this collection of tracks:

"This mix is a collection of songs we love—some of which may have influenced our upcoming EP, Bottna (out February 5th via Slowcraft Records). Bottna is a refuge, a place where anything can become something, where color breaks through the cracks in the pavement, hidden from the intensifying hum of a world unraveling. The songs exist at the intersection of rhythm and droning textures, and we wanted this mix to follow that same path—from fragments to flourish."

Thanks to Johan and Peter for curating this excellent mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Kejser audiovisual - EMO TREE 3.0, pt.1 (EMO TREE 3.0 2024)
00:46 Bonnie Beecher - Come Wander with me (1964)
02:21 Dött ljus - Förr (Bottna 2025)
07:06 The XX - VCR (Four Tet Remix) (2010)
15:22 Sofia Kourtesis - Vajkoczy (Madres 2023)
19:14 Radiohead - Everything in its Right Place (Gigamesh Remix 3.0) (2024)
23:40 Menke - Nattskärran (Christian Löffler Remix) (2018)
26:56 Kelly Lee Owens - Dreamstate (Dreamstate 2024)
32:16 Colin Stetson - All the days I’ve missed you (ILAIJ I)
(New History Warfare Vol 2: Judges 2011)
33:09 Brian McBride - Prelude (When the Detail Lost its Freedom 2005)
34:46 Fred again…, Delilah Montegun - Delilah (pull me out of this)
(Actual Life 3 [January 1 - September 9 2022] 2022)
38:50 Caribou - Honey (Honey 2024)
43:13 Abul Mogard - Half Light of Dawn (Circular Forms 2015)
49:20 Donnie & Joe Emerson - Baby (Dreamin’ Wild 1979)
52:48 Dött ljus - Bottna (Bottna 2025)

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I did not do a Sunday Morning Music mix at all last year 😮 That's probably the first year since the series started in 2011 that I didn't post a Sunday mix. The Sunday Morning series is one of the reasons that Low Light Mixes blew up on Mixcloud. So you'd think I would be posting more of these mixes to feed the algorithm. But, no, there is no plan for curating these mixes, they just happen when they happen. With all that preamble, I'm excited to finally get a Sunday mix up & running. This follows the classic format of some laid back jazz, some ambient & some quiet vocal tunes. My favorite track in the mix is "Amber Waves" by Ethel Cain. It's from her new album, "Perverts", which is an interesting collection of tunes that range from noisy, dark ambient to beautiful vocal tracks like "Amber Waves." LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:* https://apollorecords.bandcamp.com/album/hana * https://earthensea.bandcamp.com/album/recollection * https://af13.bandcamp.com/album/milan * https://modernarecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-shoe-factory * https://samwilkes.bandcamp.com/album/iiyo-iiyo-iiyo * https://shop.aroojaftabmusic.com/products/night-reign-lp * https://fayewebster.bandcamp.com/album/underdressed-at-the-symphony * https://gsschray.bandcamp.com/album/whispered-something-good * https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0DNZQ58QQ * https://kamasiwashington.bandcamp.com/album/fearless-movement * https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0CZ4B4M61 * https://www.amazon.com/Album-Eiko-Talia-Spar-Ishibashi/dp/B0D9ZY1DXW/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.acUyTDm7L3-aUoCkmcVA9A5LtOhLs5TQ1v0CU74c7jU.6snIHYORMuWGNW-aOAv2puQ62pmjqPHCTaK6j1GBd1E&dib_tag=se&qid=1737331033&refinements=p_32%3A+Eiko+%2F+Talia%5Cc+Joe%5CcVon+Spar+%2F+Ishibashi&s=music&sr=1-1

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Andert Tysma - Dalmally (Hana 2024) * 05:35 Earthen Sea - Present Day (Recollection 2024) * 09:35 Alister Fawnwoda, Suzanne Ciani, Greg Leisz - Night Bunny (Milan 2021) * 15:48 Oliver Patrice Weder - Breathe In (The Shoe Factory 2024) * 19:03 Sam Wilkes - Descending(Frue) (iiyo iiyo iiyo 2024) * 23:19 Arooj Aftab - Raat Ki Rani (Night Reign 2024) * 28:22 Faye Webster - Wanna Quit All the Time (Underdressed at the Symphony 2024) * 31:27 G.S. Schray - Another Haunted Mirror (Whispered Something Good 2024) * 35:25 Ethel Cain - Amber Waves (Perverts 2025) * 42:40 Kamasi Washington - Dream State (Fearless Movement 2024) * 50:45 This Is The Kit - Careful of Your Keepers (Live at The Minack Theatre 2024) * 53:45 Von Spar & Eiko Ishibashi - I (Album I 2024) * 60:00 end

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I've said many times that I love guest mixes. And I especially love getting mixes from artists that I've been listening to for years. Such is the case with this new set from Robert Farrugia.

I have several of Robert's albums and I always look forward to checking out his new material. Well, now he's got some new material definitely worth checking out. His new album is called "Natura Maltija - Official Soundtrack" and it just came out last week. You can find it here - https://robertfarrugia.bandcamp.com/album/natura-maltija-official-soundtrack

To celebrate the release of this new album Robert put together a wonderful ambient mix for us. Here is what he says about it:

"This mix features a selection of tracks from recent Ambient, Neoclassical, and Electronica releases, curated by Robert Farrugia. Centered around my latest album, 'Natura Maltija - Official Soundtrack,' the mix also includes tracks from friends and collaborators."

Links to all the music used in this mix:

https://zakedrone.bandcamp.com/album/certain-path
https://alily.bandcamp.com/album/saru-l-qamar
https://robertfarrugia.bandcamp.com/album/natura-maltija-official-soundtrack
https://alily.bandcamp.com/album/psalm018-virgin-stoner-works-2001-2004
https://jogginghouse.bandcamp.com/album/softie
https://pioulard.bandcamp.com/album/op-448-adagio-hallucination-archive-2
https://thegreenkingdom.bandcamp.com/album/ether-hymns
https://rhubiqs.bandcamp.com/album/aegis-of-silence

Thanks to Robert for curating this excellent collection of tunes that fits perfectly into the Low Light Mixes vibe.Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Joachim Spieth & Warmth - Spectral (Fragments 2025)
06:34 zakè, From Overseas, City of Dawn - Certain Path (Certain Path 2024)
11:03 A Lily - Kemn Nixtieq Li Qed (Saru l-Qamar 2024)
14:41 Robert Farrugia - Bufula (Natura Maltija 2025)
16:50 A Lily - Solar Systems (Virgin Stoner: Works 2001-2004 2024)
20:29 Robert Farrugia - Qabru (Natura Maltija 2025)
26:39 Robert Farrugia - Qarnita (Natura Maltija 2025)
31:38 Jogging House - State (Softie 2024)
37:57 Benoît Pioulard - Op. 448, Adagio (Hallucination Archive 2024)
44:12 The Green Kingdom - Sunsetgradient (Ether Hymns 2024)
48:05 rhubiqs - Hope’s Canvas (Aegis of Silence 2024)

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This is one of those mixes where there's not much to say about it because there is no theme. It's just a nice collection of wonderful ambient tunes. Most of the tracks are fairly slow and drifty. A few of these I just discovered at the end of 2024 by browsing end-of-the-year lists. One of those is Gems III by Celer which as an absolutely beautiful record. Another one that was new to me is the closing track - "Il Mare Cancella, Di Notte(II)," a long, slow cut that I wish could go on forever. Here's to the start of 2025 and looking ahead to a year filled with excellent music. Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 James Murray - Feverfew (Weeds 2024) * 06:40 Yoyu - The Indigo Space Around Us (It's All Gonna Be Ok Somehow 2024) * 10:33 Lantscap - Fragile Peaks (Fragile Peaks 2025) * 15:55 Celer - Gems III.I (Gems III 2024) * 20:27 Last Days of Living - Where The Bay Becomes The Sea (. 2024) * 25:30 Calm Whale & Mik Kosma - Ocean Calling (TwoGather 2024) * 31:15 David Cordero - Alquézar (Postales 2024) * 35:03 Andrew Heath & Halftribe (feat. Anne Chris Bakker) - Garden Leave (Illuminations III 2024) * 42:06 Alaskan Tapes - Random Sequence (Something Ephemeral 2024) * 45:08 Marine Eyes - In The Spaces (To Belong 2024) * 48:18 Lamasz & come le onde - Il Mare Cancella, Di Notte(II) (Il Mare Cancella, Di Notte 2024) * 66:00 end

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What a great way to start off the new year! Jumping right in with this excellent mix from friend of the show, Andy McNeill. Andy records as Maple Mountain Sunburst and he released a wonderful album last year - https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic He also did a guest mix for us last year which you can find here - Mixcloud & Low Light Mixes Blog.

My favorite discovery in this mix is the third track, "My Dog's Eyes" by Zammuto. I am blown away each time I hear it. One of my favorite track of 2024 is also included in the mix - Andy's own "Pop-a-matic." So good! The rest of the mix a great as well.

Here's what Andy says about his latest creation:

"Cycles, patterns and joy in repetition. I’ll paraphrase redditer Waves_of_awesome who said strongly repetitive music has the ability to transport the listener to a meditative state. “… repeating passages echo like a mantra, almost hypnotizing you”. It’s a fundamental yet unpremeditated element in my musical endeavours.

A lot of different genres represented here — not really intentionally, I just wanted to include some favourites and influential tracks. But wait where’s O Superman? It’s Gonna Rain? I guess we’ll have to do a part two. I hope you all enjoy the journey." - Andy

Links to all the music used in this mix<<<

https://open.spotify.com/album/6eUPFGpUKBafZKPpif4i1f?si=PJ4A6c8DR5WHr2z80vb_Ew
https://philipglass.com/recordings/aguas_da_amazonia/
https://zammuto.bandcamp.com/album/veryone
https://mississippirecords.bandcamp.com/album/furaha-wenye-gita
https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic
https://books.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-a-french-elevator-and-other-oddities
https://crammed-discs.bandcamp.com/album/congotronics-2-buzznrumble-from-the-urbnjungle
https://juanamolina.bandcamp.com/album/tres-cosas
https://open.spotify.com/track/7jOnhe335cbTJyTiZoPkxg?si=6b8e76be504245d4
https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/the-maple-mountain-sunburst-triolian-orchestra
https://open.spotify.com/track/65niHA7Rhd3oboXFpJ2Ah9?si=5c0b329838dc46ef
https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic
https://open.spotify.com/track/7hRG2HYhxsffbK2Iz2zlex?si=cff26a4af10c43e8
https://open.spotify.com/track/6maBIgAWIxANaZlftqeYUA?si=2e50a4e857aa4487
https://open.spotify.com/track/2q0WFOsFc7Gd9cujpPmZMC?si=a674dbcee6cf4337

Thanks Andy, for creating this most excellent mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Chapterhouse/Global Communication - Gamma Phase edit (Pentamerous Metamorphosis 1993)
05:01 Uakti - Japura River (Philip Glass) (Aguas da Amazonia 1999)
09:51 Zammuto - My Dog’s Eyes (Veryone 2016)
12:50 George Mukabi - Kuoa Utaoa (Furaha Wenye Gita 2017)
15:38 Maple Mountain Sunburst - Pop-a-matic (Ecstatic 2024
19:37 The Books - Cello Song ft. José González (Music For A French Elevator… 2013)
23:28 Sobanza Mimanisa - Kiwembo (edit) (Congotronics 2 2005)
27:15 Juana Molina - Salvese Quien Pueda (Tres Cosas 2004)
32:41 Christina Pluhar and L’Arpeggiata - Ciaconna (Youtube)
36:40. Maple Mountain Sunburst - Age of Steam (MMSTO 2010)
39:52 Faust - Lauft… (aka Giggy Smile) (Faust IV 1973)
43:06 Maple Mountain Sunburst - Without Fear (Ecstatic 2024)
47:51 Seefeel - Climactic Phase 3 (edit) (Quique 1993)
53:38 Soft Machine - We Did It Again (Soft Machine 1968)
55:50 Air - Universal Traveler (Talkie Walkie 2004)
60:09 Maple Mountain Sunburst Triolian Orchestra - The Ruby Yacht (MMSTO 2010)
62:25 Leo Kottke - Doorbell (My Father’s Face 1989)
67:24 end

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This year, like last year, I listened to more jazz than I have in a long time. It should come as no surprise that a lot of my listening tends towards atmospheric jazz. My favorite jazz record of the year, Nala Sinephro - Endlessness, definitely falls into that ambient jazz category. Or as a Pitchfork reviewer called in - Jazz, Not Jazz.

Here are my favorite jazz albums of 2024:

Bill Laurance & Michael League - Keeping Company
Charles Lloyd - The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Quiet in a World Full of Noise
Eli Keszler - LIVE 2
Emile Londonien - Inwards
Flock - Flock II
Fuubutsushi - Meridians
Jasmine Myra - Rising
Kika Sprangers - (In)finity
Kinkajous - Nothing Will Disappear
Nala Sinephro - Endlessness
Prefuse 73 - New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 1
Shay Hazan - Wusul
SHOLTO - Letting Go of Forever
Slowly Rolling Camera - Silver Shadow
The Bad Plus - Complex Emotions
The Sorcerers - I Too Am a Stranger
Total Blue - Total Blue

Not every album made into the mix plus I added a couple of tracks not on my album list. I hope you enjoy the jazz vibes. I'd love to know if listeners had any jazz favs from 2024. Leave a comment with some of you favorites.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Kika Sprangers - Winter ( (In)finity )
02:27 Slowly Rolling Camera - Desert Sun (Silver Shadow)
05:55 Nala Sinephro - Continuum 8 (Endlessness)
09:28 Jasmine Myra - How Tall the Mountains (Rising)
16:43 The Sorcerers - Bebaynetu (I Too Am a Stranger)
20:43 SHOLTO - Moki, Pt. II (Letting Go of Forever)
23:27 Work Money Death - The Fast Flowing River (People Of The Fast Flowing River)
29:00 Kinkajous - Pulses (Nothing Will Disappear)
32:10 Total Blue - Heart of the World (Total Blue)
39:06 Shay Hazan - Shimo Kitazawa (Wusul)
42:20 Prefuse 73 - The End Of Air (New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 1)
46:47 Fuubutsushi - Circulating Air (Meridians)
50:04 Emile Londonien - Jundo (Inwards)
54:10 Joel Ross - What Am I Waiting For! (Nublues)
56:45 Bill Laurance & Michael League - Yours (Keeping Company)
59:25 Flock - Edge Of Empty (Flock II)
64:55 Nala Sinephro - Continuum 3 (Endlessness)
68:50 Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Try (Quiet in a World Full of Noise)
74:06 end

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I like making these favorites mixes because it reminds me of why I liked certain albums in the first place. The perfect example is Abandoned Spaces by OdNu & Ümlaut. It's so good and I'm glad I can share with folks via these mixes.

This mix, Part 2, has a little different vibe than Part 1. More sequencer driven tracks, some percussion here and there, generally a bit more active than the first mix. At least the first half is more active, then we slow down & space out. I hope you enjoy this one as much I do.

You can find the full list of favorite ambient albums of 2024, and links to each album, in the post with Part 1 - https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2024/12/2024-favorite-ambient-albums-part-1.html

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Martin Stürtzer - The Last Oupost (Lander Modules)
06:50 Extraworld - Axial Precession (Perihelion)
13:40 Civilistjävel! - VI(feat. Thommy Wahlström) (Brödföda)
17:00 OdNu + Ümlaut - Unforseen Scenes (Abandoned Spaces)
23:00 2fel - Stranger Flow (Stranger Flow)
27:25 Altus - Origin Extract (Ultraviolet)
32:27 The Green Kingdom - New Constellations (Horizons)
37:10 Michael A. Muller - Mirror 2 (Mirror Music)
41:50 Heavenchord - Atmospheres & Soundscapes 1 (Atmospheres & Soundscapes)
49:55 v e n n - Long Farewell Pt. 1(v e n n & Brannan Lane) (XIII)
54:06 Ulla & Ultrafog - Jesses Car (It Means A Lot)
59:13 end

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Another year, another ton of releases to sift through. I could keep adding and subtracting albums for weeks and still not be entirely satisfied with the final list. But here it is - my Favorite Ambient Albums of 2024.

As I was creating this part 1 mix, I kept questioning my choices. And then, when the mix was done and I listened to it, I was like "Wow, this turned out really well." I really like how the mix evolves with the first half being a bit more electronic and noisy and the second half leaning more orchestral.

Here's the list of my favorite ambient albums of 2024, in alphabetical order:

2fel - stranger flow
Adam Wiltzie - Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal [Kranky]
Akmuo - Dreamwalker [Space of Variants]
Altus - Ultraviolet
Alva Noto - Xerrox, Vol.5 [Noton 2024]
Benoit Pioulard & Offthesky - Sunder [laaps 2024]
Circa Alto - Faint Structures (Whitelabrecs 2024]
Civilistjävel! - Brödföda [Felt 2024]
Dirk Serries - Streams Of Consciousness Compiled [Projekt]
Eli Keszler - LIVE 2 [LuckyMe]
Extraworld - Perihelion [Exosphere]
Hainbach - The One Who Runs Away Is the Ghost Soundtrack [Seil]
Heavenchord - Atmospheres & Soundscapes [Cold Tear]
Humble Bee & Offthesky - Here In, Absence [IIKKI]
Innesti - Contemplate
Jogging House - Live at home
Jonas Munk - Mirror Phase [Azure Vista]
Maps and Diagrams - if all will be lost [Quiet Details]
Maps and Diagrams - Islands [Handstitched]
Martin Stürtzer - Lander Modules [Echo Elberfeld]
mastroKristo - Passage [Lost Tribe Sound]
Max Richter - In A Landscape [Decca]
Michael A. Muller - Mirror Music [Deutsche Grammophon]
OdNu + Ümlaut - Abandoned Spaces [Audiobulb]
Pan American & Kramer - Reverberations of Non-Stop Traffic on Redding Road
Polaroid Notes - Quiet Rooms [Whitelabrecs]
Sumner James, Robert Chamberlain, Volcano Lazerbeam, Saroon - Dive 1- Refraction [Bathysphere Records]
Tewksbury - Floes Volumes I-IV (Tridek]
The Green Kingdom - Horizons [The Slow Music Movement]
Ulla & Ultrafog - It Means A Lot [Motion Ward]
v e n n - XIII
William Ryan Fritch - Adhesion [Lost Tribe Sound]

And here are links to each album:

Stranger Flow | 2fel

Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal | Adam Wiltzie

Dreamwalker | Akmuo | Space Of Variants

Ultraviolet | Altus

Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol. 5 | Noton

Sunder | Benoît Pioulard & Offthesky | laaps

Faint Structures | Circa Alto | Whitelabrecs

Brödföda | Civilistjävel!

Streams Of Consciousness Compiled | Dirk Serries | Projekt Records

LIVE 2 | Eli Keszler

Perihelion | Extraworld | Exosphere

The One Who Runs Away Is the Ghost Soundtrack | Hainbach

Atmospheres & Soundscapes | Heavenchord | Cold Tear Records

Here In, Absence | The Humble Bee & Offthesky | IIKKI

Contemplate | Innesti

Live at Home | Jogging House

Mirror Phase | Jonas Munk | Azure Vista

if all will be lost | Maps and Diagrams | quiet details

Islands | Maps & Diagrams | Handstitched

Lander Modules | Martin Stürtzer

Passage | mastroKristo | Lost Tribe Sound

In A Landscape | Max Richter | Decca

Mirror Music | Michael A. Muller | Deutsche Grammophon

Abandoned Spaces | OdNu + Ümlaut | Audiobulb

Reverberations of Non-Stop Traffic on Redding Road | Pan American & Kramer

Quiet Rooms | Polaroid Notes | Whitelabrecs

Dive 1: Refraction | Sumner James, Robert Chamberlain, Volcano Lazerbeam, & Saroon | Bathysphere Records

Floes: Volumes I-IV | Tewksbury

Horizons | The Green Kingdom | The Slow Music Movement Label

VIII | v e n n

It Means A Lot | Ulla & Ultrafog | Motion Ward

Adhesion | William Ryan Fritch | Lost Tribe Sound

I hope you enjoy part 1. Part two is coming soon. Followed by a mix of jazz favorites from 2024.

What are some of your favorite ambient albums from the past year?

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Pan American / Kramer - Floating Island (Reverberations of Non-Stop Traffic on Redding Road)
04:22 Maps and Diagrams - Hvar (Islands)
07:35 Jogging House - Live at Home pt. 1 (Live at Home)
13:15 Innesti - Astral Secrets (Contemplate)
16:14 Alva Noto - Xerrox Arc (Xerrox, Vol.5)
20:53 Hainbach - End of Work (The One Who Runs Away Is the Ghost Soundtrack)
22:45 Akmuo - Dreamwalker (Dreamwalker)
26:50 Sumner James, Robert Chamberlain, Volcano Lazerbeam, & Saroon - Euphotic (Dive 1: Refraction)
31:36 Benoît Pioulard & Offthesky - Fed On Lilies (Sunder)
35:48 Jonas Munk - Dawn Layer (Mirror Phase)
40:40 Polaroid Notes - The Night Returns Without A Sound (Quiet Rooms)
45:40 The Humble Bee & Offthesky - Space (Here In, Absence)
52:00 William Ryan Fritch - Gravitropic (Adhesion)
60:10 Adam Wiltzie - Mexican Helium (Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal)
62:44 Max Richter - A Time Mirror(Biophony) (In A Landscape)
66:36 mastroKristo - Waves(Federico Mosconi Rework) (Passage)
73:40 Dirk Serries - the whispering scale (Streams Of Consciousness Compiled)
82:45 Tewksbury - Aperture (Floes Volumes I-IV)
94:23 end

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I have hosted more guest mixes than ever this year, which I love because it exposes me to new artists and new mix concepts. Many of these mixes have come through the fine folks at Nettwerk Music Group. It's appropriate then that this final guest mix of the year comes from one of their artists - Hollie Kenniff. I absolutely love the way this mix ebbs and flows, the tracks blend together perfectly.

Hollie just released her fourth album, For Forever, which is a lush, melodic ambient record that uses electronic and acoustic instrumentation to create an emotional, ethereal listening experience.

Here's what Hollie says about her music:“My hope is that my music encourages others to explore their inner landscapes and to inspirereflection. I want my music to be a musical backdrop for meaningful and transformative moments in other people's lives.” I'm a music mix dork who loves a good segue between songs and this beautiful mix from Hollie has a ton of them, an absolute joy to soak in. Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Hollie Kenniff - Over Ocean Waves (Anita Tatlow Remix) * 02:08 Kazuma Okabayashi - Rainfall * 04:55 Warmth - Receiver * 07:40 Tangent Universes - An Elegant. Disinterested Trance (Field Collage) * 10:32 Chihei Hatakayama - Sound of Air * 13:54 Black Brunswicker - The World Passing By * 16:17 Akira Kosemura - Dear Sunshine * 18:10 Alanna Crouch - Repeating Events * 21:18 Human Is Alive and Warmth - Spectrum * 23:58 Felicia Atkinson - Shall I Return To You * 26:46 Antarctic Wastelands - Mysteries * 28:46 Hollie Kenniff - Surface * 32:10 Jon Hopkins and Olafur Arnalds - Forever Held * 34:31 Clariloops - Morning * 38:55 Gollden - There Will Be Birds in September * 42:36 Kilometre Club - Connect * 44:42 Nala Sinephro - Continuum 3 * 48:33 Markus Guentner - Vanish (Feat. Joachim Spieth) * 53:16 Chad Lawson - In Another Place (Helios Rework) * 56:16 Ben Lukas Boysen - Alta Ripa

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At the beginning of September when I posted my "Sequencer City" mix, I said I'd been on a berlin school bender. Well, now three months later I'm still on that sequencer synth kick. At the end of October the analog synth itch was scratched by a stellar guest mix from Erwin Broers called "Capturing The Voice Of A Galaxy." It featured tracks from the Klaus Schulz label, "Innovative Communications.

Now we have have a follow up mix from Erwin called "Back to the Roots of Berlin School." Oh man, this is some good stuff! Erwin tells me that "there's a whole sub-category of "Berlin School" out there called "Retro Berlin School". In the mid 1990's "Berlin School" was revived by nostalgic electronic artists who benefited from technological innovations to make the iconic analog synths such as the Mellotron, the ARP 2600 and the big Moog Modular more playable. The result was a huge resurgence of mid 1970's style Berlin School EM which was dubbed "retro" to mark the difference with the classics such as Tangerine Dream's Stratosfear, Klaus Schulze's Timewind and Ashra's New Age Of Earth."

I hope my current obsession with this genre continues because I am loving every minute of it. Thanks for another great mix, Erwin.

Cheers!

T R A C K L S I S T :

00:00 Redshift - Redshift(excerpt) (Redshift, 1996)
09:20 Cosmic Hoffmann - Shiva Connection (Shiva Connection, 2000)
15:00 Free System Projekt - And Then There Were Two (Impulse (reissue), 2005)
29:00 Brendan Pollard - Aquarius (Expansion, 2005)
31:17 Ramp - Phasenverzerrung (Nodular, 1998)
42:50 Javi Canovas - North Of Circle (Impasse, 2005)
56:42 Arcane - Dystopian Fictions (Gather Darkness, 1999)
71:02 end

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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Just hanging out all day with family, eating and drinking. Perfect.

The songs in this mix were all chosen for the titles, which all fit the Thanksgiving theme. Besides the obvious titles with the word "thanks" my favorite track titles are "my dad's famous potatoes", "Give me cornbread when I'm hungry", and "An Awkward Conversation at a Family Gathering."

Play this in the background as you eat way too much food and hopefully not way too much beer.

Cheers & Happy Thanksgiving!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Grouper - Thanksgiving Song
02:42 Ólafur Arnalds - Family Stroll
04:30 Massive Attack - Everybody's Got a Family
05:55 Matt Morton - A Special Thank You
08:00 anderegg - thanksgiving
10:14 lawrence - falling down a dam of mashed potatoes
13:33 Lullatone - An Awkward Dinner Conversation at a Family Gathering(piano version)
14:55 TSU! - Dear Stanley, Thank You
17:29 Richard Thompson - Family(guitar version)
20:13 Bill Frisell - Thankful
25:15 Carlos Niño & Friends - Togetherness feat. Jamael Dean & Devin Daniels
28:42 The Circular Ruins & Off The Sky - Giving to You
30:48 Tiny Isles - With Thanks, Petal
34:53 Cliff Martinez - my dad's famous potatoes
37:06 John Fahey - Give me cornbread when I'm hungry
40:13 Loren Connors - Why We Came
41:45 Peter Gregson - Gifts at Dinner
45:42 Hildur Guðnadóttir - Many Secrets in this Family
48:00 Endless Melancholy - Moments We Spent Together
51:51 Sven Laux - Thank You, Goodbye
54:44 Pat Metheny - Last Train Home
59:18 end

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I'm not exactly sure how this mix started. I think I was listening to the track, Outlook Remains Untouched, by |||||||||||||||||||| , yes that's the actual name the artist goes by.|||||||||||||||||||| on bandcamp I like the jazzy vibe the tune has. It reminded me of similar tracks from the heyday of glitch and idm that also had a jazz feel to them. Sort of Jazz-ish. So I grabbed some older tracks from 2001, 2002, 2006, and mixed them with new tunes to come up with this electronic mix that isn't really jazz...more like Jazz-ish.Links to all the music used in this mix:

https://barcodenoun.bandcamp.com/track/outlook-remains-untouched
https://robagwruhme.bandcamp.com/album/thora-vukk-pampacd002
https://www.amazon.com/Mizoknek-Iso68/dp/B0018CCMZU
https://triosk.bandcamp.com/album/the-headlight-serenade
https://ambarchiberthlingwerliin.bandcamp.com/album/ghosted
https://prefuse73.bandcamp.com/track/clean-up-scene-apprentice
https://josiahsteinbrick.bandcamp.com/album/mouthfeel-serene
https://nalasinephro.bandcamp.com/album/space-18
https://rockinghorse.net/products/cd95049
https://memetune.bandcamp.com/album/indicator
https://fourtet.bandcamp.com/album/three
https://flau.bandcamp.com/album/reverberate-slowly
https://boomkat.com/products/we-think-as-instruments
https://laurencepike.bandcamp.com/album/prophecy
https://elikeszler.bandcamp.com/album/live-2-1

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 |||||||||||||||||||| - Outlook Remains Untouched (Outlook Remains Untouched 2021)
05:06 Robag Wruhme - Tulpa Ovi (Thora Vukk 2011)
09:00 Iso68 - Catzen (Mizoknek 2002)
13:40 Triosk - Lost Reprise (The Headlight Serenade 2006)
19:00 Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin - II (Ghosted 2022)
25:36 Prefuse 73 - Clean Up Scene Apprentice (New Strategies For Modern Crime Vol. 1 2024)
28:30 Josiah Steinbrick & Sam Gendel - Mouthfeel 1 (Mouthfeel, Serene 2021)
30:00 Nala Sinephro - Space 5 (Space 1.8 2021)
33:10 Andrew Pekler - you are here (Station To Station 2002)
34:10 Oblong - sketches of staines (Indicator 20??)
37:21 Four Tet - So Blue (Three 2024)
42:02 El Fog - Smoke and Satellites (Reverberate Slowly 2015)
44:35 I’m Not A Gun - Soft Rain in the Spring (We think as instruments 2006)
49:20 Laurence Pike - Prophecy (Prophecy 2020)
53:09 Eli Keszler - Copenhagen Part III (LIVE 2 2024)
60:00 end

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Thanks goodness election season is almost over. Election night can be a stressful time so here's a mix of new ambient tunes to help us all get through the night.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Logic Moon - Lifelines (Lifelines 2024)
03:15 Bruce Brubaker - Music For Airports, 1/2(Bows Version) (Eno Piano 2 2024)
07:00 Feeling Flying - Shimmer (Spirit Level 2024)
13:15 Andrew Lang - Tristan's Ascension (Frailty 2024)
17:15 Martin Stürtzer - Radiance (Dawn of Time 2024)
24:50 Steve Roach - One Day (One Day Forever 2024)
32:07 zakè & anthéne - distant forms (regeneration 2024)
37:16 Michael Scott Dawson - Mojave Flowers(feat. Michael Grigoni) (The Tinnitus Chorus 2024)
41:07 Faux Tapes - Dive Pr 2 (Dive 2024)
45:15 David Cordero - Sonidos olvidados (Melodías Susurradas 2024)
48:54 LAB'S CLOUD - Praia da Cruz(Solo Version) (Arquitectura Natural 2024)
54:18 Glasbird - Days of Iron and Steam (Fenscapes 2024)
60:21 end

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Another stellar guest mix comes our way courtesy of loyal listener, Erwin Broers. He asked if I was interested in a mix of electronic music from Innovative Communication, the label founded by Klaus Schulze in the late 70s. Yes, please!Here's what Erwin says about this fantastic mix:

"I was in my teens when I got in touch with Electronic Music by means of well-known artists such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk and Vangelis. Searching for more similar music in the local library, I came across an LP with on its sleeve just a mysterious picture of a huge radio telescope. The album was Robert Schroeder's "Galaxie Cygnus-A" ! Liner notes on the back of the sleeve explained that the music was commissioned by the Austrian Broadcasting Service (ÖRF) and performed live at the 1982 ARS Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria. The idea behind the project consisted of capturing sound waves coming from the Cygnus-A galaxy with the help of the Effelsberg 100 meter radio telescope, the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world at that time. Schroeder used those sound waves as basis and inspiration, and created a magical soundtrack for stargazing and floating in outer space. Needless to say, I was blown away by this album, and from then on I fanatically sought out other releases on the Innovative Communication label, which - by the way - was founded in 1978 by the late Klaus Schulze, one of the godfathers of Electronic Music.

To honour my memory of that exciting period, I chose to start this label retrospective with the first two tracks of this special album - including some of the white noise straight from space ! The mix is rather heterogeneous and gives a good impression of the kind of EM that was published on IC in its heydays, ie. the 80s. From the early 90s the label quickly became more commercial edging towards mellow new age and average electro-acoustic instrumental fusion (aka NAM)."

Thanks, Erwin, for this trip back in time.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Robert Schroeder - Galaxie Cygnus-A Part 1 & 2 (Galaxie Cygnus-A, 1982)
12:08 Klaus Schulze - Silent Running (excerpt) (Trancefer, 1981)
19:26 Peak - Nightmist (Ebondàzzar, 1982)
25:30 P'Cock - The Prophet (The Prophet, 1980)
31:15 Peter Seiler - Serengeti (Sensitive Touch, 1987)
36:00 Mind Over Matter - Paradise: 1st. Movement: Being One (Air) (The Colours Of Life, 1988)
42:09 G.E.N.E. - Taste Of Dawn (Life Is A Melody, 1988)
47:42 Software - Syn-Code-Z: 1st. Movement: Code-Ocean (Syn-Code, 1987)
53:45 Patrick Kosmos - Airgasm (Cosmic Resonance, 1991)
63:16 end

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This mix is a continuation of a trend I noticed several years ago - the use of sax or other wind instruments in ambient music. I think I've done 3 other mixes that feature wind instruments.

This one came together fairly quickly as there is a lot to choose from. Most of the tracks are 2023 or 2024 with 4 of the 14 a bit older. I really like the flow of this set, one song bleeds right into the next with the beginnings and endings slightly obscured.

This also seems to work well as and autumn themed mix. I picture a cold, dreary autumn day like the one in the cover art. Speaking of the cover art, does anyone get the connection between the title and the cover?

Links to al the music used in this mix:

https://naimasax.bandcamp.com/album/she-was-like-art
https://annechrisbakker.bandcamp.com/album/a-sketch-in-leaving
https://circaalto.bandcamp.com/album/faint-structures
https://www.lottepen.nl/muziek/
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B01MSUAGFN?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
https://bathysphererecords.bandcamp.com/album/dive-1-refraction
https://latenighttales.bandcamp.com/album/late-night-tales-lafur-arnalds
https://naimasax.bandcamp.com/album/this-must-be-the-place
https://johnalsobennett.bandcamp.com/album/klima
https://taylordeupree.bandcamp.com/album/sti-ll-2
https://tapanirinne.bandcamp.com/album/decaying-light
https://machinefabriek.bandcamp.com/album/recytle
https://icrdistribution.bandcamp.com/album/slowed-life
https://wereleasewhateverthefuckwewantrecords.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-a-cosmic-garden

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Naima - nO0NOu (She Was Like Art 2024)
03:30 Anne Chris Bakker - Qanik (A Sketch in Leaving 2022)
05:10 Circo Alto - For Reeds (Faint Structures 2024)
11:02 Lotte Pen - Wanderer (Pelgrim 2022)
14:23 Jon Gibson - Extensions II (In Good Company 2010)
19:52 Sumner James, Robert Chamberlain, Volcano Lazerbeam, Saroon - Bathypalegic (Dive 1: Refraction 2024)
24:24 Sarah Neufeld & Colin Stetson - And Still They Move (LateNightTales 2016)
27:14 Naima - Ectenic Force (This Must Be The Place 2023)
34:47 CV & JAB - Dwelling (Κλίμα(Klima) 2023)
38:27 Taylor Deupree - Snowsand(For Clarinets, VIbraphone, Cello & Percussion) (Sti.ll 2024)
41:30 Juha Mäki-Patola & Tapani Rinne - Decaying Light (Decaying Light 2024)
45:12 Machinefabriek - IV(after Horovitz) (Recytle 2023)
48:22 Jonathan Coleclough, Theo Travis, Jeph Jerman - Slowed Life (Slowed Life 2024)
52:39 Takashi Kokubo & Andrea Esperti - Travelling Through The Stars To Gaia (Music For A Cosmic Garden 2023)
62:25 end

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I fell in love with the music of Andy McNeill, who records as Maple Mountain Sunburst, back in 2010 with the release of the album The Maple Mountain Sunburst Triolian Orchestra. Combining a wide variety of instrumentation, electronics, loops and samples to create a unique album and listening experience. The album was one of my favorites of 2010.

When I found out that, after a long hiatus, there was new album this year, I was totally hyped. The new recording, Ecstatic, is everything I'd hoped for. Described by Andy as “Instrumental electronic ambient with loops and chopped samples, old keyboards, guitars, and found voices. The vibe is heartwarming, blissed-out, and euphoric; a balm for turbulent times.” You can find the album here - https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic

I was so excited by the new music that I asked Andy to create a mix. He graciously agreed and created multiple mixes. So awesome! This is the first one and it is excellent. I can't stop listening to it.

Here's what Andy says abut this mix:

"I could say this playlist is about transcendence and something about the physical and spiritual journeys we might take to get there. Or I could just say these are tracks that bring me joy. Some old favourites, some new. I’ve tried to weave my own material through here in a desperate but determined effort to rise to the level of wonder and beauty in these artists’ work."

Here links to all the music used in the mix:

https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic
https://open.spotify.com/track/0yK8sWD6cfrc7pGfaPIcZH?si=b6d1f12acad04c44
https://open.spotify.com/track/2u00DQoxKIsaI0bGpZ4pZ7?si=0f59590912b64ef1
https://open.spotify.com/track/0Di008winU6Jn2wz7RBtSa?si=e67b5b93d4764368
https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic
https://juanamolina.bandcamp.com/track/quie-n-2
https://zammuto.bandcamp.com/track/tonight-well-go-for-a-ride
https://sufjanstevens.bandcamp.com/track/everything-that-rises
https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic
https://open.spotify.com/track/2QL6VUSna6Te2VhyZ9AeFn?si=30ae04def6764ede
https://radiohead.bandcamp.com/track/pyramid-song-1
https://open.spotify.com/track/5GO0qzKdvndy7g9r0iKEDz?si=883c63881ad84ecc
https://open.spotify.com/track/2Mug919daYq40cgwzNhgbY?si=77878dbe0e394788
https://open.spotify.com/track/6nDzGTp2IvrtEEEgCTInMX?si=349ebcab620e4acb
https://open.spotify.com/track/6N0Ts6humF8CHQSk7qqxZM?si=de5de47f5fae4f8c

Thanks, Andy, for your hard work on this set.

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Maple Mountain Sunburst - Waters Of Forgetfulness (Ecstatic 2024) * 05:24 Santo & Johnny - Sleepwalk (Presenting Santo & Johnny 1959) * 07:43 Lemon Jelly - Ramblin’ Man (edit) (Lost Horizons 2002) * 13:45 The Percy Faith Strings - Out Of This World (Bouquet of Love 1962) * 17:46 Maple Mountain Sunburst - Murmuration Awe (Ecstatic 2024) * 20:34 Juana Molina -¿Quién? (Segundo 2000) * 23:04 Nick Zammuto - Tonight We’ll Go For A Ride (We The Animals 2018) * 25:14 Sufjan Stevens - Everything That Rises (Javelin 2023) * 30:10 Maple Mountain Sunburst - Dream Fuel (Ecstatic 2024) * 34:56 Michael Nyman - Drowning By Number 3 (Drowning by Numbers 1988) * 38:24 Radiohead - Pyramid Song (Amnesiac 2001) * 43:07 Cocteau Twins - Otterley (Treasure 1984) * 46:53 Michael Brook - Midday (Hybrid 1985) * 52:18 Brian Eno - Spider and I(Before and After Science 1977) * 55:55 Bill Frisell - Half a Million (Is That You? 1990) * 59:00 end

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I have a whiteboard on the wall outside my office at work where we compile random lists of things - "Best Pizza Topping", "Favorite Kitchen Utensil", "Best First Track of an Album", etc. Recently the category was "Songs for Fall/Autumn." I posted about the list on Mixcloud here - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/posts/songs-about-fall-autumn-fall-colors/ So I grabbed a few tracks from the suggestions, some of my own favorites & some instrumentals to come up with this new Fall Colors mix. The set alternates between vocal tunes & instrumentals. Btw, the cover art pic is one of my own, taken ten years ago in my backyard. Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Neil Halstead - Seasons (Sleeping On Roads 2002) * 05:21 Jonny Nash - October Song (Point of Entry 2023) * 09:21 Fleet Foxes - Wading in Waist-High Water(Solstice Version) (A Very Lonely Solstice 2021) * 11:25 Trembling Blue Stars - Two Octobers (Her Handwriting 1996) * 12:40 Iron & Wine - Autumn Town Leaves (Weed Garden EP 2018) * 15:50 Jeff Pearce - The Last Warm Day In October (Rainshadow Sky 2008) * 20:03 The Declining Winter - Autumn Hours (The Definition Glance 2021) * 25:50 Brian Eno & Harold Budd - Late October (The Pearl 1984) * 30:00 Willie Nelson - September Song (Stardust 1978) * 34:31 The Modern Jazz Quartet - Autumn in New York (Django 1953) * 38:06 Bill Fay - The Geese Are Flying Westward (Who Is The Sender? 2015) * 40:48 Early Day Miners - Autumn Wake (Let Us Garlands Bring 2002) * 46:00 Neil Young - Harvest Moon (Harvest Moon 1992) * 50:50 The Six Parts Seven - Changing The Name Of October (Silence Magnifies Sound 1999) * 56:33 Yo La Tengo - Autumn Sweater (I Can Hear The Heart Beating 1997) * 61:33 end

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This mix is another great example of why I enjoy guest mixes so much. This collection of tunes starts off rather noisy, hence the title. It's a style of music that I don't go to very often. But it's very cool to hear in this mix.

Our guest this time is Ethan Helfrich, who records under the name Black Brunswicker. They have a new album out called "Been Around Here Before" and you can find it here:

https://blackbrunswicker.bandcamp.com/album/been-around-here-before

Here's what Ethan says about the mix:

"This is a collection of some music that I've been listening to recently, as well as some old favourites. Having spent 2 months in the US this past summer visiting family and traveling for gigs, I spent a lot of time on the road. It brought me back to music I used to play on my daily commute, when my days were soundtracked by the incessant humming of Chicago's highways (listen to "I Think This Heat is Getting to My Head" off my new album for the reference). While most of this isn’t what people might consider ambient — and I don’t really listen to ambient music much anymore — it’s instrumental guitar music that shares a similar feeling. It transports you to different worlds and headspaces or, at the very least, keeps you company on your morning drive."

Thanks, Ethan, for the trip this mix takes us on.

Cheers!

T R A CK L I S T :

00:00 Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Fire at Static Valley (G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END! 2021)
05:44 Russian Circles - Ghost on High (Blood Year 2019)
07:55 Wolves In The Throne Room - Dia Artio (Two Hunters 2007)
13:25 Sleep - The Sciences (The Sciences 2018)
16:10 Grouper - I Saw A Ray (A I A: Dream Loss 2011)
20:20 Black Brunswicker - Down at the Creek (Been Around Here Before 2024)
23:25 William Tyler - Highway Anxiety (Modern Country 2016)
32:20 Jack Rose - Miss May's Place (Dr. Ragtime & His Pals 2008)
34:53 John Fahey - America(Re-Recorded Version) (Death Chants, Breakdowns And Military Waltzes 1964)
39:48 Black Brunswicker - The Cave (Been Around Here Before 2024)
43:27 Fripp & Eno - Evening Star (Evening Star 1975)
50:45 Bobby Lee - Walking with Trees(Live) (Cosmic Country Revue Live at PDV 2023)
54:41 end

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This is a collection of tribal ambient tunes. Think frame drums and synth washes. Think Steve Roach & Robert Rich - "Strata." Think Byron Metcalf.

There's really not much else to say, if you like the sounds mentioned above, you'll enjoy this mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Louigi Verona - Geothermal Rising (Abiogenesis 2024)
06:30 Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri - Remains Of A Fragile Illusion (Other Worlds In A Small Room 1995)
11:11 Byron Metcalf & Mark Seelig - A Teacher Appears (Kali Raga 2024)
20:52 Glasbird - Lokoteraina (A Sonic Expedition 2024)
23:40 Mystic AM - Thus Spoke Zarathustra / The Djinn (Cardamom & Laudanum 2022)
31:42 Cowboy Sadness - Billings, MT (Selected Jambient Works Vol. 1 2024)
35:45 Byron Metcalf - Nine (The Shaman's Heart II 2011)
44:10 The Rain Dogs - Delta Drift (Variations (i) 2020)
50:45 Craig Leon - The Gates Made Plain (Anthology of Interplanetary Folk Music Vol. 2: The Canon 2019)
56:10 Frore & Shane Morris - Into The Dust (Ochre 2023)
67:30 end

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I have been on a huge sequencer/Berlin-school bender for the last few months. I think it goes back to Paul's train mix back in May. Through that mix I found the music of Gert Blokzijl - https://gertblokzijl.bandcamp.com/. I gobbled up a number of his albums immediately. Then last month I discovered the music of Martin Stürtzer - https://phelios.bandcamp.com/ He's got a ton of stuff out there and it's all good. I'm not sure how I missed him until now, but I'm glad I found him.

While listening to all this music I just knew I had to create a mix full of sequencer or Berlin-school tracks. Most of the tunes are new with 5 of them from 2024, a few more from 2019 to 2022. And one golden oldie from 1983 by Edgar Froese. I really enjoyed putting this one together so look for another before the end of the year.

Here are links to all the music used in this mix:

https://gertblokzijl.bandcamp.com/album/upgraded-from-the-past

https://phelios.bandcamp.com/album/dyson-sphere-alpha

https://www.amazon.com/Pinnacles-Edgar-Froese/dp/B000025JRO

https://jfitoussi.bandcamp.com/album/plein-soleil

https://open.spotify.com/album/5RRCLKU2zA5aUV68mFdeXV?si=b9G9HLZFShq3DgesJXyDEw

https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B09GW384VC?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_cjTbSCQAjo8lzOi3OXvrbvGhh

https://thombrennan.bandcamp.com/album/eventide

https://synphaera.bandcamp.com/album/wave-interference

https://tronestamjohan.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-far-away

https://phelios.bandcamp.com/album/lander-modules

https://the-rosen-corporation.bandcamp.com/album/icy-nights-awakening

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Gert Blokziji - Upgraded From The Past 1 (Upgraded From The Past 2019)
06:52 Martin Stürtzer - Uncharted Systems (Dyson Sphere Alpha 2021)
14:00 Edgar Froese - Specific Gravity Of Smile (Pinnacles 1983)
22:00 Jonathan Fitoussi - Rayons solaires (Plein Soleil 2020)
27:12 Just a Human - Pulse (2024)
29:37 Pye Corner Audio - Earthwork (Entangled Routes 2021)
33:24 Thom Brennan - Eventide Pt. 3 (Eventide 2022)
38:20 Lars Leonhard - Wavelength Dreams (Wave Interference 2024)
44:22 Johan Tronestam - The Castle Above The Clouds (Somewhere Far Away 2024)
50:00 Martin Stürtzer - The Last Outpost (Lander Modules 2024)
57:42 The Rosen Corporation - Part Two (Icy Night's Awakening 2024)
63:23 end

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Sometimes a mix comes along at just the right time. This new mix from Paul comes as summer has ended and the weather, at least around here, has turned a bit chilly. There's something about this collection of tracks that seems to work well with this change of seasons. This mix is different from the usual LLM fair and definitely a change in direction for Paul, a temporary change but a welcome one. These are all vocal tunes, each with its own story to tell. Here's what Paul says about this compilation: “Just some of my favorite story songs from the past few decades. Some classics and some I hope will be a delightful discovery for you, as they were to me. Interesting that more than half of them turned out to be about death. But we end on a hopeful note, celebrating life, the universe and friendship.” Perfect for night time listening around a fire with a good whiskey. Thanks Paul! Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :00:00 Michael Smith - Panther in Michigan (Love Stories 1992)04:43 Mary Lee's Corvette - Tangled Up In Blue (Blood On The Tracks 2011)11:01 The Chieftains - The Magdalene Laundries (Tears Of Stone 1999)15:50 John McCutcheon - Christmas In The Trenches (Winter Solstice 1984)21:16 The Longest Johns - Fire & Flame (Cures What Ails Ya 2020)23:38 Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Powderfinger (Rust Never Sleeps 1979)29:02 James Keelaghan - Cold Missouri Waters )A Recent Future 1995)33:53 Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald (Summertime Dream 1976)40:15 Bruce Springsteen - You're Missing (The Rising 2002)45:01 Laurie Rose Griffith - Easy Way to Live (Tocoi Light 2005)50:20 James McMurtry - Crazy Wind (Too Long in the Wasteland 1989)54:22 David Wilcox - Eye of the Hurricane (How Did You Find Me Here 1989)57:51 Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning (Rumor and Sigh 1991)62:28 Lucinda Williams - Sweet Old World (Sweet Old World (1992)67:09 Bruce Cockburn - Look How Far (Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu 1999)72:40 end

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Sometimes I go off on tangents with nostalgia mixes, guest mixes, jazz mixes, etc. and I can lose sight of the fact that this is primarily an ambient mix site. So now it's time for a straightforward ambient mix.

All the tracks in this set are from summer 2024, with a couple not even released yet. So super fresh.

Here are some links to all the music used in this mix:

https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/
https://pjsmusicsound.bandcamp.com/album/flora
https://lontanoseries.bandcamp.com/album/plumage
https://philippedeschampsfilms.bandcamp.com/album/the-silence-of-pallas
https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/down-to-the-sea
https://ambientoan.bandcamp.com/album/le-tissage-des-r-ves
https://coldtearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/akmuo-sielos-terapija
https://witherwillow.bandcamp.com/album/fragments-of-distance
https://shimmeringmoodsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/beacons
https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/the-mount-hibiki-tapes
https://arrowounds.bandcamp.com/album/burial-trances-of-the-tentacled-sect
https://michaelscottdawson.bandcamp.com/album/the-tinnitus-chorus

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Polaroid Notes - Quiet Rooms (Quiet Rooms 2024)
05:55 PJS - Sky Dance (Flora 2024)
14:41 Tapes & Topographies - the clouds and the briars (Plumage 2024)
17:40 Philippe Deschamps - The Silence of Pallas (The Silence of Pallas 2024)
21:12 Metric System 1981 - Down To The Sea (Down To The Sea 2024)
22:20 Toàn & Francis Gri - Rêve quatre (Le tissage des rêves 2024)
28:30 Glasbird - Days of Iron and Steam (Fenscapes 2024)
34:12 Akmuo - Terapija 1 (feat. VS & Emilija) (Sielos Terapija 2024)
36:30 Thorny & Matt Borghi - Outside the Circle I (Fragments of Distance 2024)
41:12 Scattered Light - Beacons (Beacons 2024)
44:50 Mount Shrine - A Slow Plane Part 1 (The Mount Hibiki Tapes 2024)
52:05 ARROWOUNDS - Portasar (Burial Trances of the Tentacled Sect 2024)
56:02 Michael Scott Dawson - Mojave Flowers (feat. Michael Grigoni) (The Tinnitus Chorus 2024)
60:28 end

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When I was in college, a million years ago, I worked at the student radio station. There were some cool people there that turned me onto all sorts of new music. I had cassette tapes of several of the albums they introduced me to and I played them for years. I can't remember to put my garbage out on time but I can still picture the handwritten spines of cassette cases for albums like David Sylvian - Gone To Earth and Tangerine Dream - Hyperborea. A few of my prized cassettes were from more obscure artists such as the 3 that start this mix - Clara Mondshine, Baffo Banfi, and Bernard Szajner. After listening to these albums recently, I decided to make an entire mix of artists from that cassette era. The result is a nostalgic trip back to the late 70s and early 80s for some electronic goodness. The tracks range from more obscure artists like Lilienthal, Clara Mondshine, Baffo Banfi, and Bernard Szajner to more well known like Phil Mazanera & Richard Pinhas to the very well known Jean Michel Jarre & Al Di Meola. This collection takes me back to a specific time and works well as a cohesive mix. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did.Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Clara Mondshine - Landing At Full Moon (Luna Africana 1981) * 05:19 Baffo Banfi - Astralunato (Ma Dolce Vita 1979) * 09:00 Bernard Szajner - The Memory (some deaths take forever 1980) * 13:15 Richard Pinhas - Melodic Simple Transition (L'Ethique 1981) * 16:45 Al Di Meola African Night (Scenario 1983) * 21:00 Craig Leon - Region of Fleeing Civilians (Visiting 1982) * 25:20 Phil Manzanera - Criollo (Primitive Guitars 1982) * 30:10 Jean Michel Jarre - Magnetic Fields Part IV (Magnetic Fields 1981) * 35:40 Michael Shrieve & Klaus Schulze - Communique (Transfer Station Blue 1986) * 48:15 Roedelius - Weilchenwurzeln (Wenn der Südwind Weht 1981) * 52:55 Michael Brook - Midday (Hybrid 1985) * 58:41 Lilienthal - Gebremster Schaum (Lilienthal 1978) * 64:50 end

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The guest mix hits just keep coming! This set come to us courtesy of Old Amica, a two-person band originally from Norrbotten, Sweden. Today they are separated by 1864km with one part in Stockholm, the other in Genève.

https://oldamica.bandcamp.com/

I was familiar with their work on the Whitelabrecs label:https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/taiga
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/fyrSo I was excited to hear about a new album coming out on August 9th. And then I was even more excited when they agreed to create a mix for LLM.

Here's what Johan & Linus say about this creation:

"This mix is a collection of songs and sounds that have had an influence on our new album “För alltid” (out August 9th via Le Mont Analogue [Dronarivm]). “För alltid” is an album about the passing of time, and we tried to break our sound down to its smallest constituents. Sounds that have always been there as a world of its own, but hid in the background."

Thanks so much for this excellent set! Be sure to check out their new release when it drops on the 9th.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 The Beach Boys - Our Prayer (20/20 1969)
01:06 Jónsi & Alex - Atlas Song (Riceboy Sleeps 2009)
08:27 Julianna Barwick - The Harbinger (Nepenthe 2013)
14:02 Stars of the Lid - Dungtitled(In a major) (And their Refinement of the Decline 2007)
19:07 Oliver Coates - One Without (Aftersun [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] 2023)
23:51 Foreign Fields - Terrible Times (Reprise) (The Beauty of Survival 2020)
25:17 Old Amica - Mot natten (För alltid 2024)
32:12 Brian McBride - Overture(For Other Halfs) (When the Detail Lost its Freedom 2005)
38:41 Matti Bye - Open Sea (Capri Clouds 2024)
42:20 Hildur Guðnadóttir - 12 Hours Before (Chernobyl [Music from the Original TV Series] 2019)
44:30 Angelo Bandalamenti - Dark Space Low (Twin Peaks [Limited Event Series Soundtrack] 2017)
46:15 Ryuichi Sakamoto - fullmoon- immersion 2023 (async immersion 2023 2017)
51:03 Skator - Ljusa Tiden (excerpt) (År 2020)
52:20 Old Amica - Neckar (För alltid 2024)

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One of my favorite albums this year is Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal by Adam Wiltzie.
https://adamwiltzie.bandcamp.com/album/eleven-fugues-for-sodium-pentothal Adam has an extensive discography of work - ranging from solo albums & soundtracks to work in the groups Aix Em Klemm, The Dean Texan, and A Winged Victory For The Sullen. But he is most well known for his work as part of Stars of the Lid, one of the best ambient duos/groups of all time. After listening to his new album I hauled out some of his other work and loved it all over again. So this mix is the result of me binging Adam's music for the last month or two. It's a great combo of ambient & modern classical. https://adamwiltzie.com/ Cheers!T R A C K L I S T :

00:00. Adam Wiltzie - Tissue Of Lies (Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal 2024)
02:42. A Winged Victory For The Sullen - So That the City Can Begin to Exist (Atmos 2014)
06:54. Aix Em Klemm - Sparkwood And Twentyone (Aix Em Klemm 2000)
13:28. Stars Of The Lid - Articulate Silences Part 1 (and Their Refinement of the Decline 2007)
18:40. Adam Wiltzie - the endless battle of the maudlin ballade part 3 (travels in constants, volume 24 2015)
21:06. A Winged Victory for the Sullen - A Minor Fifth Is Made Of Phantoms (The Undivided Five 2019)
24:18. The Dead Texan - The Struggle (The Dean Texan 2004)
29:10. Aix Em Klemm - The Luxury Of Dirt (Aix Em Klemm 2000)
35:00. Stars Of The Lid - Dust Breeding (1.316)+ (Avec Laudanum 1999)
40:40. Adam Wiltzie - We Were Vaporised (Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal 2024)
43:23. The Dead Texan - Taco Me Manque (The Dead Texan 2004)
45:25. Stars Of The Lid - The Lonely People(Are Getting Lonelier) (The Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid 2001)
55:18. A Winged Victory For The Sullen - All Farewells Are Sudden (A Winged Victory For The Sullen 2011)
62:20. end

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This year we've had quite a variety of mixes here at LLM headquarters. From underwater ambient to space rock guitar to alternative soundtracks to Thai funk/soul/psychedelia/surf rock. Now we take another turn, this time to atmospheric jazz.

I've done similar mixes in the past with Halloween sets and the original Mysterioso mix 7 years ago - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/mysterioso/

This set comes to us from Kevin, a loyal listener & a man with excellent taste in music. He has provided us with three other great mixes, which you can find here:

https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2020/07/not-seeing-is-flower.html
https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2022/01/hymns-voices.html
https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2021/07/cello-mood-swings.htmlHere's what Kevin has to say about his mix:

"I was trying to put together an atmospheric, classic jazz mix of tunes inspired from a slowed down and reverb version of Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade. However, I had some trouble finding the tracks which matched what I had in mind. This ambient jazz mix happened instead.

There are a couple of ‘classics’, Duke Ellington’s haunting Solitude (1934) and Miles Davis' ethereal In A Silent Way (1969). The other tracks are fairly recent in comparison but all have a loose jazz theme. Once I had finished the mix I discovered the Low Light Mysterioso mix which has a very similar feel and thinking behind it, dark, ambient, brooding, atmospheric. So here is Mysterioso 2 hope you enjoy listening."

Thanks for the excellent mix, Kevin. Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Dale Cooper Quartet - Une Petit Cellier * 05:00 Fausto Illusion Orchestra - Someone sang and slowly * 10:38 Kilimanjaro Dark jazz ensemble - The Nothing Changes * 15:18 Black Chamber - Teleology * 19:30 Duke Ellington - Solitude * 22:38 Dictaphone - Opening Night * 27:03 Angelo Badalamenti - Dance of the Dream Man * 30:14 Bohren and Der Club of Gore - Constant Fear * 36:25 Michael Andrews - Liquid Spear Waltz * 38:26 Manet - Zygomatic Bones For days * 46:12 Trigg and Gusset - Promenade * 50:28 Miles Davis - Silent Way(edit) * 54:30 Somewhere off Jazz Street - Rest Your Head * 59:43 end

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After the road trip music of Khruangbin, it's time to get back to some ambient tunes. There's not much to say about this mix other than I was going for a vibe of sitting outside on a warm summer night, gazing at the stars. That's it simple, straightforward ambient music. Most of the tracks are from 2024.

Here are links to all the music used in this mix:

https://innesti.bandcamp.com/album/contemplate
https://thealbumleaf.bandcamp.com/album/blast-feat-aaron-d4vd
https://noton.info/product/n-064/
https://jogginghouse.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-home
https://hiroshiwatanabe.bandcamp.com/album/summer-ep
https://infine-music.com/kaito/
https://hadleyroe.bandcamp.com/album/all-thats-left
https://crowslabyrinth.bandcamp.com/album/timeless-sky
https://indarknessthereislight.bandcamp.com/album/equilibrium-horizon
https://www.beatsource.com/release/eno-drawings-in-a-notebook/2038118
https://stateazure.bandcamp.com/album/as-the-dawn-fades
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/the-cloud-machine

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :00:00 Innesti - Astral Secrets (Contemplate 2024)03:33 The Album Leaf - Circulation (Blast (feat. Aaron D4VD) 2024)07:58 Alva Noto - Hybr:id Noh Human (Hybr:id III 2024)15:15 Jogging House - Live at Home pt. 1 (Live at Home 2024)21:07 Kaito - Summer Sketch(Floating Through Space In A Dream - iF edit) (Collection 2024)25:30 Hadley Roe - Fragrances (All That's Left 2024)28:36 Astropilot & Crows Labyrinth - Dreaming Earth (Timeless Sky 2024)31:15 IDTiL - Abstraction Release (Equilibrium Horizon 2024)37:45 Brian Eno - Bells Above Instrumental (Drawings In A Notebook 2024)42:10 State Azure - Ratios (As The Dawn Fades 2023)51:00 Andrew Heath - The Cloud Machine (The Cloud Machine 2024)60:00 end

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I've been following the rise of Khruangbin since 2018 when they released their album "Con Todo El Mundo." Khruangbin is a musical trio that mixes global influences, including Thai funk, soul, psychedelia, and surf rock, into their mostly instrumental music. The New York Times has described their sound as "extremely slippery, genrewise." It's been crazy to watch them go from relative obscurity to a band that now has nearly 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Check out their stuff here... https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/

I've always wanted to do a mix with the vibe and feel of Khruangbin. And here it is. I have collected enough tracks to make several of these "Khruangbin Vibes" mixes. There is a creator on Mixcloud that has a ton of mixes under the banner of "Khruangbin Vibes" so I've decided to go with Khruangbin Mood Mixes.

Here links to all the music used in this set:

https://katzroar.bandcamp.com/album/invocation
https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/a-la-sala
https://thecactuschannel.bandcamp.com/album/stay-a-while
https://balthvsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/macrocosm
https://cymande.bandcamp.com/album/cymande
https://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-003-musique-originale-de-films
https://skinshape.bandcamp.com/album/filoxiny
https://itsmegacat.bandcamp.com/album/mega-cat
https://balthvsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/macrocosm
https://arielpink.bandcamp.com/track/baby-featuring-d-m-funk
https://godtet.bandcamp.com/album/godtet
https://qwalia.bandcamp.com/album/sound-reason-2
https://mexicansummer.bandcamp.com/album/self-discovery-for-social-survival
https://pedalsteelnoah.bandcamp.com/album/texas-madness-ep
https://panamerican.bandcamp.com/album/pan-american
https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/a-la-sala This mix is perfect for sitting outside with a cold Chelada.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 KATZROAR - Pomegranate Seeds (Invocation 2021)
01:21 Khruangbin - Pon Pón (A LA SALA 2024)
04:14 The Cactus Channel - Stay a While (2017)
08:24 BALTHVS - Siente (MACROCOSM 2020)
12:24 Cymande - Dove (Cymande 1973)
22:42 Ahmed Malek - La Ville (Musique Originale De Films 2016)
34:34 Skinshape - After Midnight (Filoxiny 2018)
29:12 mega cat - Worm Rider (mega cat 2024)
31:50 BALTHVS - Johanna's Dream (MACROCOSM 2020)
34:10 Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Baby (Mature Themes 2012)
38:33 GODTET - Ensueño (Godtet 2017)
42:22 Qwalia - Electric Highway (Sound & Reason 2023)
44:18 Allah-Las - Raspberry Jam (Self Discovery for Social Survival 2019)
47:57 Pedal Steel Noah - Head Over Heels (Texas Madness EP 2024)
51:55 Pan•American - Starts Friday (Pan•American 1997)
57:21 Khruangbin - Les Petits Gris (A LA SALA 2024)

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While playing random tracks from my hard drive full music, I stumbled upon several tunes I hadn't heard in forever. I was filled with feelings of nostalgia. That can happen quite a lot when you're as old as I am, certain albums will always remind me of times and places. I remember wearing out a cassette copy of Tangerine Dream's "Hyperborea" on an old boom box when I first started my current job 30 years ago.

I started collecting a few obscure, nostalgia-inducing tracks as I listened to music over the next few months. As I sat down to make a mix from these tunes I noticed that I could separate them into two time periods - one is tracks from roughly 1976 to the late 80s. And the other turned into this mix, focusing on electronic/idm music from the 2000s.

The mix starts with three of my all time favorite cuts from that period. It felt so good to hear these again and then work them into a mix.

Here are links to all the music used in this mix. Because these are about 20 years old I used Boomkat to source the ones that did not have Bandcamp links.

https://boomkat.com/products/views-of-distant-towns
https://bfleischmann.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-tourist
https://styrofoam-music.bandcamp.com/album/nothings-lost
https://boomkat.com/products/far-away-trains-passing-by-2020-remaster
https://thealbumleaf.bandcamp.com/album/in-a-safe-place
https://boomkat.com/products/trois-gymnopedies
https://komeit.bandcamp.com/album/kom-it
https://boomkat.com/products/tangled-wool-3c00c3ec-205c-42f1-9fca-e0861673764a
https://arovane.bandcamp.com/album/lilies
https://renajones.bandcamp.com/album/indras-web
https://bfleischmann.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-tourist

Enjoy this electronic trip down memory lane. Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 RF - Ladder in Place (Views of Distant Towns 2006) * 05:21 B. Fleischmann - A Letter From Home (Welcome Tourist 2003) * 10:18 Styrofoam - Make It Mine (Nothing's Lost 2004) * 19:00 Ulrich Schnauss - Between Us And Them (Far Away Trains Passing By 2005) * 25:22 The Album Leaf - The Outer Banks (In a Safe Place 2004) * 29:30 ISAN - Trois gymnopedies No.1 Lent et douloureux (Trois gymnopedies 2006) * 31:55 Komëit - Acme (Komëit(blue record) 2000) * 34:34 Xela - Through Crimson Clouds (Tangled Wool 2004) * 39:39 Arovane - Windy Wish Trees (Lillies 2004) * 42:49 Rena Jones - Helix (Indra's Web 2009) * 47:53 B. Fleischmann - Take Your Time (Welcome Tourist 2003) * 62:00 end

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This mix was an accident. Well, the mix itself wasn't an accident but the vibe and theme was. I was listening to some new music and heard a new track - A Flock Of Birds Part 1 by Motionfield, and decided to start a new mix with it. Not having any idea where I was headed, I tossed the track on my timeline and went looking for more music. I grabbed one, then two, then three, four, five tracks and before I knew it the mix had a watery vibe.

Some of the tracks have that great dubby, watery synth wash sound I love. We take a little detour in the middle with a more acoustic sound on the Humble Bee & Offthesky track. But we eventually comeback to the deep sounds when we get to the Variant track. All the tracks are from this year except for the cut by Evitceles from 2019.

Links to all the music used in this mix:

https://motionfield.bandcamp.com/album/a-flock-of-birds
https://spaceofvariants.bandcamp.com/album/sv-62-akmuo-dreamwalker
https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/jump
https://shimmeringmoodsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/somnambulant-fog
https://motionward.bandcamp.com/album/it-means-a-lot
https://henriklindstrand.bandcamp.com/track/hvid-remodelled-by-alva-noto
https://iikki.bandcamp.com/album/here-in-absence
https://marenostrumlabel.bandcamp.com/album/what-the-sea-promises
https://archivesdubmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-sand
https://variantsonics.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-currents
https://coldtearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/heavenchord-atmospheres-soundscapes

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Motionfield - A Flock Of Birds Part 1 (A Flock Of Birds 2024)
05:22 Akmuo Lamiaceae (Dreamwalker 2024)
12:50 unknown - Whispers of the Deep (2024)
14:48 Demetrio Cecchitelli - Each (Jump 2024)
16:25 Evitceles - ArmsAround (Somnambulant Fog 2019)
20:20 Ulla & Ultrafog - pm filter (It Mens A Lot 2024)
23:00 Henrik Lindstrand - Hvid(Remodelled by Alva Noto) (2024)
30:50 Humble Bee & Offthesky - Senses (Here In, Absence 2024)
38:00 Philippe Deschamps - In a Silent Sea(Bahrambient Rework) (What The Sea Promises 2024)
40:20 Warmth - Night Away (The Black Sand 2024)
42:40 Variant - Cosmic Currents[Expansion] (Cosmic Currents 2024)
52:45 Heavenchord - Atmospheres & Soundscapes 1 (Atmospheres & Soundscapes 2024)
61:26 end

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I've been listening to the music of Rafael Anton Irisarri for a long time. The oldest album of his that I have is 2007's Daydreaming. I'm listening to it as I type this and wow, I'd forgotten how excellent it is. His music has changed a bit since then - now using drones, symphonic washes, tape loops, layers of distortion and "bleached out textures." So I was excited when he offered to do a guest mix. Um, yes please!

This mix is everything that I love about guest mixes because it takes twists and turns that I normally do not so it kept me engaged to whole way through.

Here's what Rafael has to say about this set:

"I crafted this mix as Spring gently dissolves into Summer, drawing inspiration from perennial favorites like Arvo Pärt and Harold Budd. It features the work of many dear friends and colleagues such as Sylvain Chauveau and Federico Durand, as well as some favorite tracks I've mastered at my Black Knoll Studio in New York. This includes pieces from William Basinski, Eluvium, Michael Muller, and Julia Kent, along with contributions from Grand River, Animated Matter (Hannah Elizabeth Cox), Concepción Huerta, Christina Giannone, Pepo Galán, and Karen Vogt. Adding a personal touch, I've included a piece from my latest album, released on my newly minted Black Knoll Editions, in collaboration with the esteemed Italian producer Abul Mogard. There's also a special collaborative piece I created with the brilliant Julianna Barwick a couple of years ago. Hope you enjoy!

Looking forward to playing some shows this summer, starting in Italy on July 7th with Abul Mogard in Rome at Halfdie Festival, then later on September 14 at Ametric Festival in Chania, Greece. Stay tuned for more announcements by following on Instagram @blackknoll or at www.irisarri.org."

Thanks Rafael for this amazing mix!Here are links to all the music used in this mix:

https://ghostly.bandcamp.com/album/thousands-of-eyes-in-the-dark
https://animated-matter.bandcamp.com/album/selkie
https://federicodurand.bandcamp.com/album/flor-imaginaria
https://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Atmospheres-Soundtracks-Brian-Eno/dp/B000003S1E
https://beaconsound.bandcamp.com/album/lower-river-reworks
https://williambasinski.bandcamp.com/album/on-reflection
https://abulmogard.bandcamp.com/album/impossibly-distant-impossibly-close
https://ecmrecords.com/product/arvo-part-tabula-rasa-gidon-kremer-keith-jarrett-tatjana-grindenko-alfred-schnittke-the-12-cellists-of-the-berlin-philharmonic-orchestra-staatsorchester-stuttgart-dennis-russell-davies-lithuan/
https://sylvainchauveau.bandcamp.com/album/un-autre-d-cembre
https://eluvium.bandcamp.com/album/whirring-marvels-in-consensus-reality
https://headphonecommute.bandcamp.com/album/for-ukraine-volume-2
https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-thunder-HAROLD-BUDD/dp/B00004XNLZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3SE3RKREFK46O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lEh9qetRmaBVCr72TtjwA5RjuHqSmI-OmCaB1sChoxY._GCIjpRo_wRaKREhIt1SrdMNfgMKbTh7Ieu0Nd27hxI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Harold+Budd+-+Lovely+Thunder&qid=1718556861&sprefix=harold+budd+-+lovely+thunder%2Caps%2C300&sr=8-1
https://facture.bandcamp.com/album/family-harmony
https://concepcionhuerta.bandcamp.com/album/harmonies-from-betelgeuse
https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/glazed-vision

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :00:00 Grand River - This Was Us (VA: Thousands of Eyes in the Dark, 2019)01:53 Animated Matter - Follow (Selkie, 2021)04:28 Federico Durand - Flor Imaginaria (Flor Imaginaria, 2020)06:41 Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Roger Eno - Signals (Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, 1983)08:16 Michael Muller - Glyph II (Julia Kent Rework) (Lower River Reworks, 2020)12:52 William Basinski & Janek Schaefer . . . on reflection (four) (“ . . . on reflection “, 2022)15:12 Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri - Place of Forever (AM Radio edit) (Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close, 2024)21:52 Arvo Pärt - Fratres For String Quartet (Fratres, 1977)31:22 Sylvain Chauveau - La Lettre Qu'il N'Envoya Jamais (Un Autre Décembre, 2003)32:56 Eluvium - Vibration Consensus Reality(for Spectral Multiband Resonator) ((Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality, 2023)41:06 Julianna Barwick + Rafael Anton Irisarri - Thalasso (For Ukraine Vol. 2, 2022)46:21 Harold Budd - Sandtreader (Lovely Thunder, 1986)51:32 Pepo Galán feat. Karen Vogt - It's All Around You (Family Harmony, 2023)56:13 Concepción Huerta - Solastalgia (Harmonies from Betelgeuse, 2022)59:37 Christina Giannone - Immortality (Glazed Vision, 2021)

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As with many other mixes this one has a specific track that was the inspiration. The tune is called "Franky's Floyd" from the album "An Evening with Friends" by Ron Boots. It's a live album by Boots and his friends. The track is called "Franky's Floyd" because Frank Dorittke plays a nine minute variation of David Gilmour's solo from Comfortably Numb. It all sounds so familiar but with enough variation to make it interesting. Thanks to Paul Asbury Seaman for giving me the heads-up on this track. I am in awe of it every time I listen.

https://ronboots.bandcamp.com/album/an-evening-with-friends

The title of this mix is a bit misleading, while there are a couple of screaming guitars here, most of the mix is just loud-ish guitar tracks that lean towards a spacey vibe. I think this set does a good job combining new and old tracks, going from 1975 & '77 to the 2010s and then 2020 & '21.

I've definitely been in a guitar mood lately with this one and a couple more guitar-based mixes in the works. One of them will have a Khruangbin vibe because they have a new album out and they are one of my favorite artists on the music scene right now.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Steve Hillage - Meditation Of The Snake (Fish Rising 1975)
03:03 Sunburned Hand Of The Man - Flex (Pick A Day To Die 2021)
06:51 Frank Dorittke, Harold Van Der Heijden, Ron Boots & Stephan Whitlan - Franky's Floyd (An Evening With Friends 2017)
13:55 Moon Duo - Square of the Sun (Hexadic III 2018)
19:55 Roy Buchanan - Fly…Night Bird (Sweet Dreams: The Anthology 1992)
24:30 Gov't Mule - Tomorrow Never Knows (Dub Side Of The Mule 2015)
28:50 Tangerine Dream - Impressions of Sorcerer (Sorcerer 1977)
31:24 Steve Hillage - The Glorious Om Riff (Green 1978)
37:42 Spencer cullum - Dieterich Buxtehude (Spencer Cullum's Coin Collection 2020)
44:53 Grails - Chalice Hymnal (Chalice Hymnal 2017)
48:50 Dans Dans - Shell Star (Zink 2021)
52:50 Dan Phelps - Cumulonimbus (MODULAR 2011)
59:30 end

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I am fortunate enough to occasionally have labels or artists connect with me about new music they have coming out. Sometimes those discussions result in a guest mix. Which brings us to this latest mix.

Daniel Field, owner/founder of Imaginary North, reached out about some new music coming out on his excellent ambient label. He has a new album out under his Kilometre Club moniker so we figured it would be a great time for a guest mix.

Here's what Daniel has to say about this collection:

"I am so excited to share my new triple album, An Alphabet of Distance, and wanted to create a mix that reflects the idea of closeness. As a result, I looked to music being made in and around my hometown Toronto, thinking about some of our growing ambient community, as well as reflecting on the past. While putting this together, I quickly began to notice themes and trends that have permeated local ambient, electronic, and experimental music from this vast and vibrant city.

More than anything, the vast array of instruments used across this mix feels like a connect-the-dots of the diverse, complex, and cosmopolitan nature of the city. In 100 minutes, on top of the usual guitars and synthesizers, you'll hear harp, bass clarinet, saxophone, kulintang gongs, kalimbas, horns, a bridge, and so many more components that come together beautifully. The title of the mix is named after Toronto's most annoying and traffic-filled major thoroughfare, one that has recently undergone partial demolition and multiple lane closures, but is still such a pivotal artery of the city.

An Alphabet of Distance is out now as a digital download or double CD from Imaginary North."

Here's the link to the new Kilometre Club album:

https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/an-alphabet-of-distance

Imaginary North Bandcamp page:

https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/

Here are links to all the music used in this mix:

https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/nostalgia
https://shnshn.bandcamp.com/album/form-s
https://gracescheele.bandcamp.com/album/landings
https://josephshabason.bandcamp.com/album/anne
https://piersoolvai.bandcamp.com/album/solace-shards
https://domakesaythink.bandcamp.com/album/you-youre-a-history-in-rust
https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/other-rooms-mainstream-x-imaginary-north
https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-north-transmission-004
https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/outside-choices
https://brokensocialscene.bandcamp.com/album/you-forgot-it-in-people
https://pantayo.bandcamp.com/album/ang-pagdaloy
https://avantlard.bandcamp.com/album/sleepwalking-through-lambton-woods
https://fanwu.bandcamp.com/album/touch-the-ten-thousand-things-without-dependency
https://aidanbaker.bandcamp.com/album/field-of-drones
https://oscarson.bandcamp.com/album/anth-ne-held
https://dreamstate.bandcamp.com/album/the-drone-cycle
https://polmopolpo.bandcamp.com/album/like-hearts-swelling
https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/the-longest-time

Thanks to Daniel & Imaginary North for this excellent mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Kilometre Club & Lutes Jennings - Stoplight (from An Alphabet of Distance, Imaginary North 2024)
02:28 Moonwatcher - Echo In The Hollow Of My Skull (from Impressions, Age of Leisure, 2024)
06:11 JICS - come back to me (from Nostalgia, Imaginary North, 2024)
08:44 shn shn - first light (from Form(s), independent, 2023)
13:22 Kilometre Club & Sun Rain - Zone of Harmony (from An Alphabet of Distance, Imaginary North 2024)
16:28 Grace Scheele - pomposity (from Landings, independent, 2023)
18:28 Joseph Shabason - Forest Run (from Anne, Western Vinyl, 2018)
22:52 Piers Oolvai - Materia (from Solace Shards, independent, 2021)
27:29 Do Make Say Think - A Tender History in Rust (You, You’re A History in Rust, 2007)
32:34 Kilometre Club & Gollden - Fragments (from An Alphabet of Distance, Imaginary North 2024)
38:26 Erin Corbett - All You Can Think About Is How Good It Feels (from Other Rooms, mainstream x Imaginary North 2024)
45:54 Pick a Piper - Kalimbas and Chimes (from Imaginary North Transmission 004, 2023)
51:49 Kilometre Club & Astrolope - All/Flax (from Outside Choices, Imaginary North, 2023)
58:06 Broken Social Scene - Capture the Flag (from You Forgot it in People, Arts and Crafts, 2002)
1:00:12 Pantayo - Bakal Bote (from Ang Pagdaloy, Telephone Explosion, 2023)
1:02:28 Nick Storring - Sleepwalking Through Lambton Woods [excerpt] (from Sleepwalking Through Lambton Woods, Avant Lard, 2023)
1:09:00 Fan Wu - Yarrowly (from touch the Ten Thousand Things without dependency, Second Spring, 2024)
1:13:40 Aidan Baker - Twilight [excerpt] (from Field of Drones, Arcolepsy Records, 2004)
1:18:11 anthene - beneath the trees (from Held, Oscarson, 2021)
1:21:52 dreamSTATE - Northern Ark (Feat. Kurt Swinghammer) (from The Drone Cycle, independent, 2024)
1:27:30 Polmo Polpo - Farewell (from Like Hearts Swelling, Constellation Records, 2003)
1:32:29 Kilometre Club - The Longest Time [excerpt] (from The Longest Time [coming soon], Imaginary North, 2024)

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Time for some fresh ambient tracks. This is a simple, straightforward mix featuring all very new music. These new tracks work very well together to create a nice, flowing listening experience. There's not much else to say other than enjoy the peace and tranquility.

Links to all the music used in this mix, although the Braulio Lam album & the einwandeins album have not been released yet so you'll have to keep your eye on Bandcamp for those releases.

https://archivesdubmusic.bandcamp.com/album/abstract-lights
https://ancientastronaut.bandcamp.com/album/expanding-flows
https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/recollected-in-tranquility
https://handstitched.bandcamp.com/album/feeling-flying
https://soundinsilencerecords.bandcamp.com/album/arcadian
https://floraliaeditions.bandcamp.com/album/stray-light
https://perceptualtapes.bandcamp.com/album/unmetrical
https://perceptualtapes.bandcamp.com/album/exosphere
https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-sea-part-two
https://jogginghouse.bandcamp.com/album/rendezvous

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 David Cordero - Segunda Generación (Abstract Lights 2024)
01:30 Ancient Astronaut - A Long Way (Expanding Flows 2024)
05:38 Runaway Horses - House in the Woods (Recollected in Tranquility 2024)
09:20 Feeling Flying - Shimmer 7 (Feeling Flying 2024)
13:18 The Green Kingdom - Arcadian Skies (Arcadian 2024)
18:40 anthéne - second guess (stray light 2024)
23:21 Vagantpoesi - Music Plays Flowers Bow (Unmetrical 2024)
26:33 Braulio Lam - XR 50 (Redscale 2024)
31:18 einwandeins - revolt of silent reverie (revolt of silent reverie 2024)
41:08 Ghostloop & Atmøsphäre - Forgotten Memories (Exosphere 2024)
45:14 Loneward - Submerged (Beyond the Sea Part Two 2024)
57:48 Jogging House - Reporter (Rendezvous 2024)
62:20 end

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I love getting a sequencer mix from Paul! I don't seek out Berlin school, sequencer based music very much anymore which is strange because I really enjoy it when I hear it. But I don't need to seek it out because I know the best sequencer music researcher - Paul Asbury Seaman. And he regularly provides me with my Berlin school fix.

Every track included in this mix is top notch sequencer bliss. I knew a few of the artists but most are new to me which is why I love these mixes. Paul turned me on to Gert Blokzijl earlier this year so it cool to a track from him in the mix. And also nice to see a couple of tracks from Frank Dorittke (F.D. Project). There will be a track featuring Frank's guitar in an upcoming guitar mix.

Here are Paul's thoughts on this mix:

"In the U.S., Memorial Day marks the traditional start of summer. So a good time for another train mix to stir your holiday dreams. This one favors rhythmic continuity over musical diversity, so while fast-paced, should still have a relaxing, even hypnotic effect. My guiding image was long-distance high-speed rail, with lots of time for drifting thoughts as you glide through the endless European lowlands, across the rice fields of Japan, or the open prairies of the US and Canada.

In that spirit, this extended-length mix gives the longer tracks (mostly in the second half) time to stretch out as they were intended.”

Thanks for the great tunes, Paul.

Here are the links to all the music used in this mix:

https://fdproject.bandcamp.com/album/f-d-project-live-2004-electric-visions
https://stateazure.bandcamp.com/track/valkyrja
https://assemblage.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-of-motion
https://cosmicleaf.bandcamp.com/album/missing-pieces-of-a-puzzle-vol-6
https://gertblokzijl.bandcamp.com/album/wide-fields
https://robertrich.bandcamp.com/album/medicine-box
https://pfaun.bandcamp.com/album/sproque-ep
https://synphaera.bandcamp.com/album/starfall
https://synphaera.bandcamp.com/album/starmaps-vol-1
https://johnchristian.bandcamp.com/album/jerechoes
https://lamansardehermetique.bandcamp.com/album/the-attic-diaries-episode-7
https://fdproject.bandcamp.com/album/atmos-two-faces

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 F.D.Project - Harmonie in Space (F.D.Project Live 2004 Electric Visions)
04:40 State Azure - Valkyrja (Valkyrja 2024)
18:00 Nuell Martin - Dreams of Motion (Assemblage - Dreams of Motion 2023)
24:37 Side Liner - We Stand Up Together (Missing Pieces Of A Puzzle Vol. 6 2024)
29:00 Gert Blokzijl - Wide Fields 1 ( Wide Fields 2020)
35:42. Robert Rich - Salamander Quay (Medicine Box 2001)
42:50 P'Faun - Sequencer improvisation (sp'roque 2018)
54:00 Ascendant - Unveiled Sky (Starfall 2024)
1:01:12 Transponder - Starlane (Starmaps, Vol. 1 2022)
1:08:52 John Christian - Fragrant (Jerechoes 2023)
1:22:25 La Mansarde Hermétique - Lo-Fi Ponyhof (THE ATTIC DIARIES- Episode 7 2024)
1:34:47 F.D.Project - ATMOS - Two Faces (ATMOS - Two Faces 2024)
1:48:26 end

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We've had more guest mixes than usual the last 6 months and that is a great thing because it means we all get to hear some amazing music and amazing mixes like this one.

This new mix comes from Matthew Ramolo, who records as Khôra. There is a new Khôra album that just dropped in April called "Gestures of Perception" and is described this way - "The album weaves ritualized instrumentals with alien textures and resonant melodies, inviting listeners to transcend into uncommon consciousness."

You can find the new album here - https://khora.bandcamp.com/album/gestures-of-perception-3

I was unfamiliar with the music of Khôra, but one listen to the new album and I was all in for a guest set. This mix is so very propulsive, it draws you in and drives you forward with layer upon layer of rhythmic intensity.

Here's what Matthew says about this mix:

"This assemblage of material was selected primarily on the basis of substantiating the sonic and conceptual universes that my most recent Khôra release is in lineage with. The vast majority of the pieces presented are percussive or propulsive, but also circular in nature and in one respect I was seeking a fundamental rhythmic presence or energy among my troves of collected music that could be traced across various artists and presented as a single typology or modality that tenders itself in various guises through a cast of contemporary and historical voices. Functionally, the mix pursues a particular genealogy of percussive music across various genres, cultures, histories, technologies, and interpretations which initiates a kind of meditative dancing. Within the outline of this non-linear genealogy, ancient ritualistic and tribal tendencies flower within the unconscious regimes of the body even as the mind and body are provoked to find new appreciations and applications for these emboldening forms of musical intelligence which persist through time but are mutated, conditioned, and understood by the nuances of the listener and their temporal circumstances."

Thanks to Matthew for putting together this unique journey. His album is out on the Marionette label and you can find more of their fine releases here - https://marionettelabel.bandcamp.com/

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Khôra - Flux and Hieroglyph (Gestures Of Perception 2024)
06:45 Cyclopean - Fingers (Cyclopean 2013)
12:21 The Dwarfs of East Agouza - Resinance (Bes 2019)
15:12 The Comet Is Coming - Journey Through The Asteroid Belt (Channel The Spirits 2016)
20:30 Muslimgauze - Caste the First Stone - (Salaam Alekum, Bastard 2020)
24:44 Love-Songs & Ulf Schütte - Dumpfes hämmerndes Dröhnen (Spannende Musik 2021)
29:29 Various - Radio Delhi #1 (Radio India: The Eternal Dream Of Sound 2004)
32:04 Uwalmassa - Belit (Malar 2022)
36:00 Kilchhofer - Karon ( The Book Room 2018)
39:28 De Leon - A2 (De Leon 2018)
44:44 Khôra - In Petrified Light (Gestures Of Perception 2024)
49:50 Joyfultalk - Kill Scene (Plurality Trip 2018)
53:42 Jon Iverson Meets Prins Emanuel, Golden Ivy & Inre Kretsen Grupp - Drum Steel (Jon Iverson Meets Prins Emanuel, Golden Ivy & Inre Kretsen Grupp 2023)
58:21 D.K. - Going Into Trance (The Goddess Is Dancing 2019)
1:04:15 Antonio Zepeda - Danzando en El Templo Mayor (Templo Mayor 1982)
1:07:30 23 Skidoo - Coup De Grace (Urban Gamelan 1984)
1:09:07 Holden - Blackpool Late 80s (The Inheritors 2013)
1:17:24 Autechre - known (1) (Oversteps 2010)
1:22:00 Stephan Micus - Passing Cloud (The Garden Of Mirrors 1997)
1:27:07 Tomaga - Idioma (Intimate Immensity 2021)
1:31:10 Shabaka - Ital Is Vital (Afrikan Culture 2022)
1:35:35 Roberto Musci - Claudia, Wilhelm R, and Me (The Loa Of Music 1984)
1:38:38 Khôra - Golden Femur (Gestures Of Perception 2024)

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This was a tough list to compile. What criteria do I use? Influential albums? Ones I play the most? Critics favorites? Do I include ambient albums? Vocal albums? Oof, this was hard. The list I came up with was sort of a bit of everything. All these albums are personal faves but I also couldn't help thinking about things from a historical standpoint. Also, I couldn't help but view them from a personal historical standpoint - such as albums that turned me on to a different style or sound(DJ Shadow, Underworld). Including a few vocal albums might be a bit controversial, I flip flopped on that several times but finally said screw it, it's my list and I can do whatever I want.

Of course there is also the question of what constitutes an "electronic" album? Some on this list are obviously electronic(Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk) while others are not quite as clear(Air, Postal Service). It would be easy to get pulled into that debate and end up like the "what is ambient music" debate. I decided that I would approach it the way Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart described his test for obscenity - "I know it when I see it." So I just went with whatever I felt worked.

A few other notes on this list - I like how the list spans five decades. I ended up with albums from every decade other than the 2020s. That just feels right. It also felt right to leave off strictly ambient albums. That genre can have it's own list.

I constructed the mix chronologically because it was easier that way and it's cool to listen to the tracks evolve over time.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear (Stratosfear 1976)
07:42 Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene part 1 (Oxygene 1976)
13:33 Kraftwerk - The Robots (Man Machine 1978)
22:12 Synergy - Phobos & Diemos Go to Mars (Cords 1978)
29:03 Roedelius - Wenn der Südwind weht (Wenn der Südwind weht 1981)
32:57 Tangerine Dream - Hyperborea (Hyperborea 1983)
37:09 Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4 (E2-E4 1984)
45:25 Aphex Twin - Actium (Selected Ambient Works 85 - 92 1992)
52:37 Vangelis - Blade Runner Blues (Blade Runner 1994)
57:18 Underworld - Air Towel (Second Toughest In The Infants 1996)
1:04:43 DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (Entroducing 1996)
1:09:34 Air - Le femme d’argent (Moon Safari 1998)
1:16:07 Boards of Canada - Roygbiv (Music Has The Right To Children 1998)
1:18:30 Plastikman - Consume (Consumed 1998)
1:23:00 Saul Stokes - Greys (Outfolding 2000)
1:27:00 Jan Jelinek - Drift (Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records 2001)
1:32:00 Yagya - Snowflake 3 (Rhythm of Snow 2002)
1:37:57 Postal Service - Brand New Colony (Give Up 2003)
1:42:06 Loscil - First Narrows (First Narrows 2004)
1:50:54 Jon Hopkins - Sun Harmonics (Immunity 2013)
2:00:00 end

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I am a big fan of the ambient artist Robert Davies. You can find his music here... https://dataobscura.bandcamp.com/

Most of his music is connected to nature which you can see in the album titles such as A Distant Glade, Lakeside Haven, Earthen Burrows, Tide Pools, Forest Mosaic, and on & on. The tracks are immersive, pastoral ambient journeys that sometimes use subtle natural sounds mixed in with the synths. Highly recommended.

There was an album released in 2022 that reminded me of the music of Robert Davies by Atmøsphäre & Bålsam which was called "Arboreal." I set that album aside in a future mix folder with some of Davies' music and called it Arboreal. Yes, I know, very creative title. After collecting tracks I finally decided it was time to create an arboreal mix. This set is very meditative with slow drifting synths and nature sounds already baked into the tracks. I like how the natural sounds are not obtrusive. They mesh perfectly with the music. Here are the links to all the music used in this mix:* https://atlantearecords.bandcamp.com/album/arboreal * https://dataobscura.bandcamp.com/album/solitudes * https://lontanoseries.bandcamp.com/album/reverie * https://benseretan.bandcamp.com/album/cicada-waves * https://neotantra.bandcamp.com/album/every-day-feels-like-a-new-drug * https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/all-roads-lead-home * https://aliodie.bandcamp.com/album/coalescent-sketches * https://gallerysix.bandcamp.com/album/richness-of-the-heart * https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-north-transmission-004 * https://dataobscura.bandcamp.com/album/arboreal

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Atmøsphäre & Bålsam - Blossoming (Arboreal 2022) [Atlantea Records] * 04:10 Robert Davies - Fragrant Briar (Solitudes 2024) [DataObscura] * 10:40 Daou - Fireside (Reverie 2023) [Lontano Series] * 14:19 Ben Seretan - Cicada Waves 2 (Cicada Waves 2021) * 20:53 Lee Anthony Norris & Porya Hatami - And The Birds Flew In A Different Direction (Every Day Feels Like A New Drug 2022) [Neotantra] * 28:20 Mount Shrine - Forest Fire (All Roads Lead Home 2022) [Cryp Chamber] * 34:04 Arborescence & Robert Davies - Bowing Stems (Coalescent Sketches 2022) [Hic Sunt Leones] * 43:43 Gallery Six - Hogaraka (Richness of the Heart 2024) * 47:27 Cloud Opacity - Noshine Coast (Imaginary North Transmission 004 2023) [Imaginary North ] * 50:33 Robert Davies - Arboreal (Arboreal 2012) [DataObscura] * 60:00 end

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I occasionally get music submitted for consideration to be used in mixes. I don't seek out submissions but if artists or labels are so kind as to send me some music I will take a listen. Last month I got a totally blind email with a link to a new album from Tewksbury. I fell in love with the album instantly. Well, not instantly as the full album is over 3 hours long.

Check it out here... https://tewksbury.bandcamp.com/album/floes-volumes-i-iv

Each track is over ten minutes long and they evolve slowly, beautifully as the tape loops, melodies and textures stretch time and space. I liked the album so much that I asked the artist, Douglas Tewksbury, to create a mix and, luckily for all of us, he agreed.

Here's what Douglas has to say about SLOW/FORM:

"This mix is a collective of slow, organically unfolding music, songs that reminded me of the importance of reflection, of stillness, of contemplation, of change. A few tracks are from my most recent 4x album 'Floes: Volumes I-IV', and the rest are artists who create slowly evolving works with human voices, with synthesizers, and with pianos, culminating with a stunning 19-minute piano work by the incredible Ukrainian pianist, Lubomyr Melnyk. Music can be such a powerful force to reflect on ourselves and the world around us, and here, I wanted to present a moment of consideration and contemplation on what it means to be a listener, investing the time to take the journey in longer works, to invest oneself in the commitment of deep listening."

Thanks to Douglas for creating the mix and for such an excellent album.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Tewksbury - Vika (Self-Released, 2024)
10:52 The Beacon Sound - Drone 3 (First Terrace, 2017)
15:01 Qasim Naqvi - Ctaphone (Erased Tapes, 2020)
16:40 Ian William Craig - Red Gate with Starling (Recital, 2018)
19:58 Dorothy Carter - Summer Rhapsody (Palto Flats, 2023)
27:02 Hatis Noit - Illogical Lullaby (Erased Tapes, 2018)
34:57 Tewksbury - Yaw (Self-Released, 2024)
47:17 Yuuki Matthews - Post-Tropical Cyclone (Labels Group, 2014)
49:50 Marine Eyes & IKSRE - You'll Grow (Past inside the Present, 2022)
54:27 Oneohtrix Point Never - Lovergirls Precinct (Warp, 2012)
55:55 Time Wharp - East River Dusk (Leaving Records, 2022)
58:23 Lubomyr Melnyk - Pockets of Light (Erased Tapes, 2013)
77:38 End

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It's always a good day when we get a new mix from Paul Asbury Seaman. Not only because it will be a well thought out collection of tunes but also because that collection is different than what I crank out every week. So it's a nice change of pace and good exposure to new artists and styles.

Here is what Paul says about this new mix:

“Seventh entry in my ‘Mystical Ambience’ series, I think this is one of my most spiritual mixes to date. There’s a lot to be sorrowful about these days. We need solace and, just as important, the courage—and grace— to have hope. The program begins with Ladd Allen Doane’s sweet sequencer pattern juxtaposed with slightly dissonant base chords, emphasizing the tension between what we long for and what we actually see and experience. The rest of the set settles into a contemplative tone suitable for meditation and going-to-sleep music.

Recently I was re-listening to Scott Lawlor’s ‘Seven Last Words’ album (2019) and, while I didn’t end up using it here (too long), ‘The Third Word’ from that album was so achingly beautiful it prompted me to get moving on this mix. Thank you to Seb Taylor for his new Kaya Project album, from which this mix takes its title. (Cover image: ‘Stellar Sorrow’ by haidermah, Pixabay.com.)"

Thanks, Paul, for another excellent musical journey.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ladd Allen - Alpha Circini (Doane Circinus 2024)
04:20 Larkenlyre - As We Forgive (Psalms & Sutras 2024)
07:15 Kaya Project - This Too Shall Pass(Zheng 24) (Transforming Sorrow 2024)
12:37 Fabio Keiner - misogi purification (okinoshima 2023)
16:22 Scott Lawlor - Awaken to the Invitation of Grace (Awakening Anew In Stillne... 2023)
22:55 Hollan Holmes - A Light Unto The World (Sacred Places 2024)
28:05 Fritz Mayr - Hidden Organism (Aqua World 2024)
31:58 Shoshana Michel - Starlight and Crystal Dreams(Frida's Lullaby) (Storyteller 2024)
35:33 Jeff Greinke - Late Rain at the Station (Oceanic 2024)
40:55 Rudy Adrian - Within the Darkness (Reflections On A Moonlit... 2024)
44:12 Syndromeda - Liftoff to Infinity (Liftoff to Infinity 2024)
52:30 Max Corbacho - Primordial Flower (The Delicate Essence of Solitude 2024)
60:00 end

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I could kick myself for not planning for this eclipse. I should have booked a room in Austin, TX two years ago. But I did not, so I'll be here in Wisconsin with a still pretty good 90% eclipse and a sketchy forecast.

No matter where you are for the eclipse, you'll need a good soundtrack. As with past celestial events you can count on Low Light Mixes to provide an accompaniment for your viewing.

The titles tell the story of the eclipse, starting with "Ordinary Moon" and "Edge of Darkness" then as the moon obscures more the sun the are "Gathering Shadows" as "Darkness Descends" Then as we "Step Into The Void" of the "Solar Eclipse" and the "Umbra" we are "In The Perfect Darkness" while "The Moon Remained Silent." Next we see "Light Among The Shadows" with the "Light Returning" and the "Return of the Sun."

I hope you all have good weather and a view. Enjoy the show and the mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Yoyu - Ordinary Moon (Ordinary Moon 2017)
06:40 Bass Communion - Edge Of Darkness (Atmospherics 1999)
09:27 O Yuki Conjugate - Gathering Shadows (Equator 1995)
13:10 A Produce - Darkness Descends (Black Sands 2005)
16:10 Klaus Schulz - Solar Moon (Contemporary Works)
18:10 Terje Isungset - Black Moon (Two Moons 2007)
18:50 Rhomb - Darkened (Lost And Found: A Foundry Anthology 2002)
20:00 Luton - Step Into The Void (We Stayed The Path That Fell To Shadow 2018)
22:48 Stellardrone - Solar Eclipse (A Moment Of Stillness 2011)
25:25 Damian Valles - Umbra (In The Shadow of The Occluding Body 2010)
28:28 Alio Die & Dirk Serries - Without The Light Of The Sky, Time Is Lost (The Chapters Of The Eclipse 2022)
34:15 Lammergeyer - In Praise Of Darkness (Borders And Barrens 2005)
36:36 SVLBRD - In the Perfect Darkness (How To Disappear 2024)
39:39 Ruoho Ruotsi - The moon remained silent (chalak’At’sit 2021)
42:58 Erik Wøllo - Light Among Shadows (North Star 2021)
47:10 David Cordero & Carlos Ferreira - Almost Light (Silent Articulations 2023)
48:35 Christopher Hanlon - Light Returning (Dreaming of Summer in Winter 2022)
51:45 Purl, Deflektion - Return of the Sun (Growing 2012)
57:30 Boards of Canada - Open The Light (Music Has the Right to Children 1998)
61:43 end

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Pretty straightforward ambient mix here. All the tracks in this set are 2024 releases, many within the last few weeks. There are definitely some fine albums in this group, a few of which might make it on a best of list at the end of the year.

Here are Bandcamp links to all the music used in this mix:

https://sixmissing.bandcamp.com/track/balloons
https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/at-dusk-hour-the-crickets
https://shimmeringmoodsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/flowers-of-the-heart
https://davidcordero.bandcamp.com/album/wild-air
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/homegrown-apples
https://quietdetails.bandcamp.com/album/if-all-will-be-lost
https://ab-andrewheathandmicosaderesistance.bandcamp.com/album/caf-tristesse
https://ab-odnumlaut.bandcamp.com/album/abandoned-spaces
https://tonepoet.bandcamp.com/album/scenes-from-the-apocalyptic-bliss
https://oscarson.bandcamp.com/album/the-lonely-bell-the-absent-years
https://soundinsilencerecords.bandcamp.com/album/perennial
https://matthewhiram.bandcamp.com/album/yucca-music
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/boat

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Six Missing - Baloons (2024)
03:50 Kilometre Club - Warmer (At Dusk Hour the Crickets 2024)
05:25 Near Lakes - Quiet Desire (Flowers of the Heart 2024)
09:37 Ian Hawgood & David Cordero - A Path of No Hiding (Wild Air 2024)
14:45 mark david hadley - whimsy (homegrown apples 2024)
18:40 Maps and Diagrams - far distant from this land (if all will be lost 2024)
23:42 Andrew Heath and Mi Cosa de Resistance - The Absentee (Café Tristesse 2024)
27:37 OdNu + Ümlaut - Unforseen Scenes (Abandoned Spaces 2024)
34:20 Tonepoet - Infinite Tide of Stars (Scenes From The Apocalyptic Bliss 2024)
37:37 The Lonely Bell - The Absent Years (The Absent Years 2024)
42:22 SineRider - Fragile (Perennial 2024)
45:50 Hiram - First Light (Yucca Music 2024)
52:12 Low Altitude - Slow Drift (Boat 2024)
56:03 end

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Thanks to our good friends at Nettwerk Music we have another wonderful guest mix to share. The mix is called "Infinitely Small", expertly curated by Htennek Niwhsa.

Piano is the main instrument throughout this lovely set. I don't listen to quite as much piano music as I used to so it was a great to hear so many track featuring the instrument. This would be a great mix to listen to on a Sunday morning with coffee and the paper.

Ken Harrison and Ashwin Sood are the masterminds behind the Htennek Niwhsa project. I'll them tell you about this warm and inviting mix:

"We’re so pleased to be asked to do a guest mix for Low Light! We’ve spent the last two years soaking in a bath of simple but pure melodies that an unknown composer named Htennek Niwhsa prepared. We’ve searched unsuccessfully for him but, in our quest, have found him to be a patient teacher. This playlist is a reflection of the lesson Htennek taught us about the value of slowing down and noticing the small and seemingly insignificant. Universes contained in a miniature figurine. Symphonies contained in a well thought out melodic phrase. We’ve compiled this mix from other composers who we think shared Htennek’s vision - some of them friends, some of them heroes."

The new EP "The Smell of a Solitary House" by Htennek Niwhsa just came out last week, March 8th. Here's the link - https://htennekniwhsa.bandcamp.com/album/the-smell-of-a-solitary-house If you like this, you'll like the new EP. Definitely check it out.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Patrick Watson - Ode to Vivian (rework) (2022)
01:35 Joep Beving - For Mark (Hermetism, 2022)
06:32 Htennek Niwhsa - Fugitive Words (The Smell of a Solitary House 2024)
08:30 Stephan Moccio - Sea Change (Tales of Solace, 2020)
11:15 Hiroshi Yoshimura - Sleep (Green 2020)
17:29 Haruhisa Tanaka - Byakuya (Byakuya 2024)
19:55 Harold Budd, Brian Eno - The Silver Ball (The Pearl 1983)
23:12 Htennek Niwhsa - The Smell of a Solitary House (The Smell of a Solitary House 2024)
25:20 Htennek Niwhsa - Two Motionless Gondoliers (The Smell of a Solitary House 2024)
27:08 Ennio Morricone - Love Theme (Cinema Paradiso 1988)
28:36 Ann Annie - Aviary Reverie - Waltz No. 2 in C (Sweet Coast, 2024)
31:24 Stephan Moccio - The Wanderer (The Wanderer, 2024)
34:45 Alexandra Streliski - Élegie (Néo- Romance, 2023)
38:46 Hollie Kenniff - Eunoia (We All Have Places That We Miss 2024)
42:06 Max Richter - Dream 1 (before the wind blows it all away) (Pt. 1) (Sleep 2015)
44:35 P-RAM - Arco (Arco, 2024)
48:18 NVLP - Elements the Elements (2023)
52:00 Arvo Pärt - Spiegel im Spiegel - Version for Cello and Piano (Arvo Pärt : Alina, 1999)

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At last we return to the "Electronic Music of (insert year)" series. That's obviously not the actual title of the series but since I don't have a title that will do for this post. I really enjoyed putting together mixes for for 1970, '71, and '72 but then I got distracted and lazy, and I almost forgot about the series.

Now we're back to 1973 to continue our journey through the electronic music of the decade. I went down a Tangerine Dream rabbit hole recently and discovered their album Atem, which I had somehow missed. But I was happy to have found it because it fit in nicely with this '73 collection.

I'm already thinking about 1974 so hopefully there won't be so much time between mixes.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Between - Syn (And The Waters Opened)
05:45 Fripp & Eno - The Heavenly Music Corporation (No Pussyfooting)
16:22 Cosmic Jokers - Galactic Joke (Cosmic Jokers)
23:00 Kraftwerk - Ananas Symphonie (Ralf & Florian)
28:25 Tangerine Dream - Circulation of Events (Atem)
33:45 Vangelis - La Mer Recommencée (Apocalypse Des Animaux)
39:09 Klaus Schulze - Symphära (Cyborg)
45:58 Jean Michel Jarre - Les granges brûlées (Les granges brûlées)
48:48 Bob Callaghan - Noi Due Nel Mondo E Nell'Anima (Instrumental Moog Synthesizer
51:27 Neu! - Neuschnee (Neu! 2)
55:25 Kraftwerk - Tanzmusik (Ralf & Florian)
61:47 end

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Denis Villeneuve's eagerly anticipated continuation of the Dune saga has arrived. I am definitely psyched about seeing it this weekend. So ramp up my excitement even more I made an alternative soundtrack mix. This set features tracks that sound like they might fit the film but are not from either of the two actual soundtracks.

There's not much else to say other than enjoy the mix and then go see the film. It's going to be epic.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Arushi Jain - My People Have Deep Roots (Under The Lilac Sky 2021)
03:50 Peter Gabriel - Trills (Passion Outtakes 1989)
04:15 Eluvium - Hallucination III (Virga II 2021)
07:50 Jaimie Branch - The Storm (FLY or DIE LIVE 2021)
10:10 NYX - Deep England (Deep England 2021)
13:45 Palancar - The Hand of God (Desert Power 2022)
19:30 Abul Mogard - Clouds (In Immobile Air 2021)
25:40 Johann Johannsson - To Fold & Remain Dormant (Drone Mass 2022)
29:30 Arushi Jain - Richer Than Blood (Under The Lilac Sky 2021)
32:00 Scanner - The Earthbound Fox (Struktura Revisited 2022)
36:40 Lustmord - Twin Flames (Alter 2021)
45:50 Atli Örvarsson - Wolka (Wolka 2021)
50:35 Palancar - The Emperor's Blades (Desert Power 2022)
51:45 Daryl Groetsch - Desert Serenity (Scenes from Some Planet 2022)
57:14 end

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I love hosting guest mixes here on LLM and especially love it when they come at the right time. I have been super busy so this curated set comes at the perfect time. This mix comes to us from Portland-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Eli Goldberg, aka Ann Annie. He has a new album coming out in June and a new single, Cottonwood, out now. You can listen to “Cottonwood” on all digital retailers (((HERE)))

“Annie takes a transcendental approach to ambient country, coaching modular minimalism into a character that interacts with its surroundings.” - Bandcamp Daily

Here is what Eli says about this mix:

" 'Quiet Days' is a collection of some of my favorite artists and songs from the last year. Included are a few unreleased tracks from my upcoming album “The Wind”. I imagine listening to the mix while sitting at the coast on a foggy day."Thanks to Eli for putting together this excellent mix. Here's where you can find Ann Annie on the web:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

⦁ 00:00 Sawako - April - From Seashell (Bitter Sweet 2008)
⦁ 03:06 Yumiko Morioka - Moon Road (Resonance 2020)
⦁ 07:50 Ann Annie - Opening (The Wind 2024)
⦁ 09:07 Ann Annie - With Violet (The Wind 2024)
⦁ 09:49 Joe Hisaishi - One Summer’s Day (The Best of Cinema Music 2011)
⦁ 14:40 Masakatsu - Marginalia #48 (2018)
⦁ 18:23 Taylor Deupree & Marcus Fischer - Migrations (Lowlands 2017)
⦁ 21:25 Tennyson - Sleepwalk (Telescope EP 2019)
⦁ 24:05 Alaskan Tapes - Who Tends A Garden (Who Tends A Garden 2023)
⦁ 28:30 Ann Annie - Sweet Coast (The Wind 2024)
⦁ 30:58 Gia Margaret - no sleep no dream (Mia Gargaret 2020)
⦁ 32:42 r beny - In the violet and lingering winter dusk (eistla 2018)
⦁ 40:02 Sigur Rós - Heysátan (Takk 2005)
⦁ 44:00 Six Missing - Awake Awareness (Intention II 2022)
⦁ 48:44 Emily Sprague - Piano 2(Mount Vision) (Mount Vision 2018)

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Apricity(a-PRIS-i-tee)(n.) - The warmth of the sun in winter.

I stumbled upon this word while doom-scrolling Threads or Instagram last week. I like the idea that there is a word that describes that feeling of soaking of the limited rays of the sun on a winter day. I had already started a straightforward ambient mix and this word just seemed to fit the vibe.

All the tracks in this mix are new, with most being from 2024. There's not much else to say other than find a cozy spot near a window and let some sunshine warm you up.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Crows Labyrinth, Perry Frank - Vanishing (Vanishing 2024)
02:50 Altus - Waning Landscapes (Solastalgia 2024)
11:05 Benoît Pioulard & Offthesky - Fed On Lilies (Sunder 2024)
15:10 Logic Moon & Henrik Meierkord - Bortom Skogen (Ewiger Wald 2024)
18:45 Isostatic - Arctic Crossing (Beyond The North Wind 2023)
25:45 Robert Rich - Dendritic (Waves Of Now 2024)
29:40 Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement - Shoreline Procession (Killer Whale Atmospheres 2023)
37:57 Gallery Six - Utakata (Richness of the Heart 2024)
41:20 David Cordero - Serene Landscapes (Restless Nature 2024)
43:30 SVLBRD - In the Deep Ocean (How To Disappear 2024)
45:55 Gregory Paul Mineeff - Into A Dulled Reckoning (So Many, Diminishes 2024)
49:09 Luis Miehlich - It's Alright (Re-Cartographies 2024)
56:40 Robert Davies - Hum of Ether (Solitudes 2024)
67:32 end

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I've been thinking about a couple of guitar mixes for a while, collecting tracks as I find them but not really sure of the direction the mix would take. Then fellow mixologist Paul Asbury Seaman turned me on to the track "Franky's Floyd" from "An Evening With Friends" by Ron Boots. The heart of the track is a guitar solo homage to David Gilmore & Pink Floyd. It's fantastic! When I heard it I decided to split the guitar mix in two - one would be louder where the occasional guitar solo would be right at home. The other mix would be a bit more spacey, more ethereal.

So this mix, Cosmic Guitar, is the later style - ambient, atmospheric, cosmic. The timing for this mix is great because two new albums coming in February fit perfectly. They are "Abandoned Spaces" by OdNu + Ümlaut and "Astral Gold" by Dean McPhee. Keep an eye/ear out for them next month.

https://ab-odnumlaut.bandcamp.com/album/abandoned-spaces
https://deanmcphee.bandcamp.com/

LINKS TO THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

https://deanmcphee.bandcamp.com/
https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000002GGS
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E5N634/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/the-edge-of-the-sea
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQKWA6S/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006XY3J6E/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
https://kakiking.bandcamp.com/album/modern-yesterdays
https://marenostrumlabel.bandcamp.com/album/cold-space-symmetry-2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005F2EHJI/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
https://ab-odnumlaut.bandcamp.com/album/abandoned-spaces
https://foreignbodysensation.bandcamp.com/album/subterranean-environments
https://thenationalpool.bandcamp.com/track/solace
https://nacioguz.bandcamp.com/album/kirpi-i-kilemi

Cheers! T R A C K L S T :00:00 Dean McPhee - The Second Message (Astral Gold 2024)02:55 Andy Summers & Robert Fripp - Guide (Bewitched 1984)04:48 Brian Eno + David Byrne - Solo Guitar With Tin Foil (My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts 1981)06:22 The Bird's Companion - A2: A Liquid Moon (The Edge of the Sea 2023)10:18 Pink Floyd - Things Left Unsaid (The Endless River 2014)12:42 Cyber Zen Sound Engine - Foreboding (Cooperation 2012)16:32 Kaki King - Sanitized Alone (Modern Yesterdays 2020)20:25 Ghost In The Loop - Cold Space Symmetry (Cold Space Symmetry 2022)24:35 Dean McPhee - Ether (Astral Gold 2024)29:30 Manuell Göttsching - Echo Waves (Inventions for Electric Guitar 1971)35:10 OdNu + Ümlaut - Abandoned Spaces (Abandoned Spaces 2024)44:04 Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - Cenote Meditation (Subterranean Environments 2023)47:28 The National Pool - Solace (2018)49:36 Naci Oguz - Jakob (Kirpi İkilemi 2023)55:12 Manuell Göttsching - Quasarsphere (Inventions for Electric Guitar 1971)61:36 end

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I've had enough of winter. So let's go from the freezing snows of Wisconsin to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia courtesy of this excellent mix from Paul Asbury Seaman. I love the "night/walking/hiking" theme of this set.

Here's Paul's thoughts on the mix:

“One of my best memories, in my whole life, was taking an all-night hike by myself in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, arriving at the peak just in time to catch the sunrise from the top of Old Rag, famous for its 360 degree view. This program is part of my Mystical Ambient series and I’ve tried to capture the hushed sense of wonder of both the forest at night and the star-filled sky. I hope the music warms your winter dreams.

As a side note, when I was gathering tracks for this mix, I didn’t set out to make piano the primary instrument, that’s just the way it turned out. And beautifully so, IMHO.”

Thanks for another great contribution, Paul.

Links to each album used in this mix:

Neil Tatar - After The Rain
https://neiltatar.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-rain
Beltone - Blind Concert
https://endlessquest.bandcamp.com/album/blind-concert
Bryan Carrigan - Fall Into Winter
https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Into-Winter-Bryan-Carrigan/dp/B014JXV41M
Allen Pitts - Night Trek
https://weareallghosts.bandcamp.com/album/night-trek-waag-rel156
Fields of Few - Nocturnal Summer Drift
https://fieldsoffew.bandcamp.com/album/nocturnal-summer-drift
Andrew Lahiff - The People Under the Stars
https://andrewlahiff.bandcamp.com/album/the-people-under-the-stars
Eivind Aarset - Electronique Noire
https://eivindaarset.bandcamp.com/album/electronique-noire
Gary Stroutsos - Flute Meditations for Yoga...
https://whiteswanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/flute-meditations-for-yoga-massage
Jeff Pearce - With Evening Above
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KQ3LF0K/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
Lynn Tredeau - A Quiet Path
https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Path-Lynn-Tredeau/dp/B08ZD4MSVV
Omar Akram - Moments Of Beauty
https://omarakram.bandcamp.com/album/moments-of-beauty
Patrick O'Hearn - Beautiful World
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0019GSJXY?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705537101&sr=1-1
Ron Boots - Autumn Moon
https://ronboots.bandcamp.com/album/autumn-moon
City of Dawn & Sherry Finzer - The Journeying Sun
https://heartdancerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-journeying-sun
Sophie Hutchings - Night Sky
https://sophiehutchings.bandcamp.com/album/night-skyCheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Neil Tatar - Nightwalk (After The Rain 2018)
05:24 Beltone - Night (Blind Concert 2017)
08:08 Bryan Carrigan - Deepest of Night (Fall Into Winter 2015)
12:44 Allen Pitts - Night Trek (Night Trek 2023)
18:54 Fields of Few - Night Sky & Gentle Thermals (Nocturnal Summer Drift 2023)
22:45 Andrew Lahiff - Hidden Landscapes After Midnight (The People Under the Stars 2020)
27:25 Eivind Aarset - Porcupine Night Walk (Electronique Noire 2017)
33:00 Gary Stroutsos - Night Sky (Music for Relaxation Flute Meditations for Yoga 2015)
35:55 Jeff Pearce - A Clear Night (With Evening Above 2014)
39:35 Lynn Tredeau - Hush of Night (A Quiet Path 2021)
42:18 Omar Akram - Sorrow (Moments Of Beauty 2023)
44:23 Patrick O'Hearn - Night Becomes Her (Beautiful World 2003)
50:00 Ron Boots - A Gentle Night (Autumn Moon 2016)
54:38 City of Dawn & Sherry Finzer - Walking Within (The Journeying Sun 2024)
58:14 Sophie Hutchings - By Night (Night Sky 2017)
63:35 end

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Wind whips over ice,Fingers numb, breath clouds the air,Sun a pale, cold eye. First comes the snow, then the cold. Bitter cold. Ugh, remind me again why I live here. I couldn't resist a quick following up the snow mix with a frozen mix. Just like the snow mix, all the tracks here have cold words in their titles.

I really liked putting two tracks from Harry Towell back-to-back. One new one from last year called Coldspell and then one from all the way back in 2010 that he released under his Spheruleus moniker called simply, Frozen.

I was literally drinking hot coco with peppermint while mixing these tracks so I suggest you do the same while listening. Or maybe something a bit stronger.

Coming very soon - Nightwalk from Paul Asbury Seaman.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 echospace - polar vortex (echose in space 2014)
00:40 Jeff Pearce - This Frozen Land (Tenderness and Fatality 1993)
04:44 William Tyler - Frozen Shelter (Frozen Shelter 2021)
06:12 Aglaia - Twilight on the frozen lake (Absolutely Deep 2012)
12:30 Western Edges - So Cold Now (Dependency 2021)
14:04 Porzellan - Frozen Feet (Advent 2010)
15:40 Harry Towell - Coldspell (Infinite Light 2023)
19:03 Spheruleus - Frozen (Frozen Quarters 2010)
21:10 Stray Theories - Frozen Skies (The Places Series 2018)
25:54 Martin Schulte - Frosty Morning (Treasure 2011)
29:30 Motionfield - Cold Outside (Evolve 2022)
34:36 Alapastel - Frozen Lakes, Fog And Snow (Hidden For The Eyes 2018)
40:09 Rhucle - More Cold (Feel 2023)
42:11 Pjusk - Polar (Tele 2012)
45:00 Staalklang - The Ice Speak (The Loneliness of a Polar Expedition 2021)
49:36 C-Land - Frozen Clouds (Retro Futurism 2022)
51:40 mamonu - So Long and Thanks for All the Chill...(Die Welt ist Klang:
A Tribute to Pete Namlook 2013)
55:34 end

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It's hard to believe that in Wisconsin we had to wait until the second week of January before we finally got snow. And, of course, now we are going to get dumped on three times in a week. So I figured this is the perfect time for a snow themed mix.

There's not much to say except that the word "snow" is in every track in this mix and the vibe does go well with staying inside with some hot coco or coffee while watching the snow fall outside.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ripperton - First Snow (Contrails 2019)
05:05 Ishmael Cormack - Bending Snow (Ammil 2020)
10:10 glåsbird - snow on the patio (cinéma noir 2022)
14:42 Fields We Found - Snow (Thanks 2021)
19:10 Chihei Hatakeyama - A Light Snow (Void XXII 2021)
23:40 Gailes - Surface Variations in The Snowfall (Seventeen Words 2017)
29:45 Milieu - A Small Fire in the Snowy Woods Part II
34:24 Erik Wøllo - Snowfall (Cloud of Strings 2023)
36:40 Max Ananyev - Night Path and Snowfall (Water Atlas 2018)
41:10 glåsbird - Quiet Snowstorms (Siberia 2021)
45:20 Tor Lundvall - Snowy Morning (Yule 2006)
47:05 Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd - Snowfall (Mysterious Skin 2005)
52:55 Jeff Pearce - Veil Of Lake Snow (To The Shores Of Heaven 2000)
56:33 end

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I was doing a lot of work around the house, like painting, back in October and I was growing tired of my usual playlists. So I was happy when I stumbled on some 2023 jazz releases I hadn't heard. That set me off on a jazz binge over the last three months of the year which was so fun because I discovered all sorts of new stuff, enough that I could make a year-end list and mix.

I hope to continue diving into new jazz artists and recordings next year. While I love all my old jazz albums from Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, etc., it was exciting to seek out new stuff the same way I am constantly on the lookout for new music in the ambient sphere or in the indie rock scene. I see so many people get hung up on the latest reissues of a classic jazz recordings that I wonder if they ever take the time to appreciate any of the excellent new music being released.

Full list of my favorite Jazz Albums of 2023 in alphabetical order:

Ancient Infinity Orchestra - River of Light
Anja Lauvdal - Farewell to Faraway Friends (wurlitzer improvisations 2021-23)
Arooj Aftab, Vijay lyer, Shahzad Ismaily - Love in Exile
Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal & Emile Parisien & Vincent Peirani - Les Egares
Dave Easley - Ballads
Daniel Villarreal - Lados B
Dhafer Youssef - Street of Minarets
EABS & Jaubiln - Search of a Better Tomorrow
Eli Keszler - LIVE
Fire! Orchestra - Echoes
Girls in Airports - How It is Now
Kamaal Williams - Stings
Mette Henriette - Drifting
Pat Metheny - Dream Box
Peace Flag Ensemble - Astral Plains
Peter Somuah - Letter to the Universe
Phi-Psonics - Octava
Scree - Jasmine On A Night In July
Scrimshire - Paroxysm
Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley, Brian Blade - Dance of the Elders
Yoni Mayraz - Dybbuk Tse!
Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music

LINKS TO EACH ALBUM: Ancient Infinity Orchestra - River of Light:https://ancientinfinityorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/river-of-light Anja Lauvdal - Farewell to Faraway Friends (wurlitzer improvisations 2021-23):https://anjalauvdal.bandcamp.com/album/farewell-to-faraway-friends-vol-1-2 Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily - Love in Exile:https://shop.loveinexile.net/ Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal & Emile Parisien & Vincent Peirani - Les Egares:https://sissokosegalparisienpeirani.bandcamp.com/album/les-gar-s-3 Dave Easley - Ballads:https://daveeasley.bandcamp.com/album/ballads Daniel Villarreal - Lados B:https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/lados-b Dhafer Youssef - Street of Minarets:https://www.amazon.com/Street-Minarets-Dhafer-Youssef/dp/B0BLFKCLQ4EABS & Jaubiln - Search of a Better Tomorrow:https://eabs.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of-a-better-tomorrow Eli Keszler - LIVE:https://elikeszler.bandcamp.com/album/live Fire! Orchestra - Echoes:https://fireorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/echoesGirls in Airports - How It is Now:https://girlsinairports.bandcamp.com/album/how-it-is-nowKamaal Williams - Stings:https://kamaalwilliams.bandcamp.com/album/stings-2Mette Henriette - Drifting:https://ecmrecords.com/product/drifting-mette-henriette/ Pat Metheny - Dream Box:https://stores.portmerch.com/patmetheny/ Peace Flag Ensemble - Astral Plains:https://peaceflagensemble.bandcamp.com/album/astral-plains Peter Somuah - Letter to the Universe:https://actrecords.bandcamp.com/album/letter-to-the-universe-2 Phi-Psonics - Octava:https://phi-psonics.bandcamp.com/album/octava Scree - Jasmine On A Night In July:https://screeband.bandcamp.com/album/jasmine-on-a-night-in-july Scrimshire - Paroxysm:https://scrimshire.bandcamp.com/album/paroxysm Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley, Brian Blade - Dance of the Elders:https://ecmrecords.com/product/dance-of-the-elders-wolfgang-muthspiel-scott-colley-brian-blade/ Yoni Mayraz - Dybbuk Tse!:https://yonimayraz.bandcamp.com/album/dybbuk-tse Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music:https://yussefdayes.bandcamp.com/album/black-classical-music I hope you enjoy this crop of 2023 jazz albums as much as I did. Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Phi-Psonics - Lunar Reflections (Octava) * 05:15 Girls in Airports - Yield (How It is Now) * 10:00 Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music (Black Classical Music) * 15:05 Scrimshire - Unity Gain (Paroxysm) * 20:30 Anja Lauvdal - Siste hus (Farewell to Faraway Friends(wurlitzer improvisations 2021-23) * 24:07 Mette Henriette - The 7th (Drifting) * 24:37 Pat Metheny - The Waves Are Not The Ocean (Dream Box) * 30:06 Arooj Aftab, Vijay lyer, Shahzad Ismaily - Haseen Thi (Love in Exile) * 37:50 EABS & Jaubiln - Tomorrow (Search of a Better Tomorrow) * 42:00 Yoni Mayraz - 1999 (Dybbuk Tse!) * 44:26 Daniel Villarreal - Sunset Cliffs (Lados B) * 48:50 Dave Easley - Fleurette Africaine (Ballads) * 52:22 Fire! Orchestra - I See Your Eye, Part 1 (Echoes) * 1:02:10 Scree - Half-Death (Jasmine On A Night In July) * 1:06:06 Kamaal Williams - City of God (Stings) * 1:09:18 Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal & Emile Parisien & Vincent Peirani - Ta Nyé (Les Egares) * 1:13:08 Peter Somuah - Green Path (Letter to the Universe) * 1:16:36 Peace Flag Ensemble - You Can't Pin Joy Like A Moth (Astral Plains) * 1:21:31 Ancient Infinity Orchestra - Niyama (River of light) * 1:29:59 end

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These end-of-the-year lists are usually labeled "Best Albums of the Year" - Best Ambient, Best Jazz, Best Indie, etc. I have been doing that for years. It has been pointed out that calling a list the "Best of the Year" is not only a bit snobby, it's also a little ridiculous because there is so much ambient music released every week that it's impossible to keep up. Plus this list is just my opinion, how can it possibly qualify as the "best"?

With that in mind I was moving towards labeling these as my favorite albums of the year. In this case I called it "2023 Rewind" simply because I found a cool stock photo for the cover art. Anyway, on to the mix.

These lists and mixes are tough to compile. It's so easy for even good albums to get lost in the shuffle. The ones that definitely did not get lost are my top 5 albums:

Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I - Granular Dreams
Brendan Eder Ensemble - Therapy
Eli Keszler - LIVE [LuckyMe]
The Green Kingdom - Ether Hymns [Dronarivm]
Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Glow World [13]

I probably listened to that Crows Labyrinth album more than any other ambient album this year. It had the advantage of being used as a sleep album...a lot. The album has a great Blade Runner vibe that is retro yet fresh. I love it. The Brendan Eder Ensemble was a new discovery for me. He self described his music as “meditative woodwind arrangements." That would have been enough to get my attention but then toss in a few Aphex Twin covers and I was hooked. Eli Keszler has shown up on my lists before but this one is my fav. It is all live percussion, some sparse, some frantic but somehow it all feels ambient. Even when there's a lot going on it feels like it fits more in the ambient genre than jazz. So good. Michael Cottone has been creating music as The Green Kingdom for a long time. I can always count on him for good quality ambient tracks. "Ether Hymns" is light and beautiful without ever being syrupy or overdone. It sets a perfect tone. "Glow World" from Rod Modell & Taka Noda is pretty much what you would expect from Modell. Lots of synth washes with some buried bass lines and rhythms. It may be nothing new but it's done so well that the atmospheres suck you right in. Here's the full list of my favorite ambient albums of 2023 in alphabetical order: * Alex Albrecht - Violet Visionary [ASIP] * Alva Noto - Kinder der Sonne (From Komplizen) [Noton] * ARROWOUNDS - In The Octopus Pond [Lost Tribe Sound] * Bill Seaman, Tim Diagram, Stephen Spera - The World Was Turning Before [Laaps] * Brendan Eder Ensemble - Therapy [2023] * Claire Deak - Sotto Voce [Lost Tribe Sound 2023] * Courtney Barnett - End Of The Day OST [Milk Records] * Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I - Granular Dreams * Crows Labyrinth- Pulse Mandala - Astral Solstice [Valley View Records] * cv313 - Plays Sequential Space [2023] * Drawing Virtual Gardens - 22-22 [Lost Tribe Sound] * Eli Keszler - LIVE [LuckyMe] * Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - Subterranean Environments [Dune Alter] * Hainbach - Voice Magnetic [Seil] * Loneward - Willoweald [Stereoscenic] * Michael Scott Dawson - Find Yourself Lost [We Are Busy Bodies] * Mount Shrine - Lost Loops Collection [Cryo Chamber] * Nico Less - Still * North Americans - Long Cool World [Third Man Records] * Pan American - in daylight dub [Foam On A Wave] * Prins Emanuel - Diagonal Musik II [Music for Dreams] * PURELINK - Signs [Peak Oil] * Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Glow World [13] * Saphileaum - Intrapersonal Experience [Good Morning Tapes] * Sigur Rós - ÁTTA [Krúnk] * Snufmumriko - Havstrakt [Sun Sea Sky Productions] * Tapani Rinne - Grey [Signature Dark] * The Green Kingdom - Ether Hymns [Dronarivm] * Toki Fuko - Spirit Medicine [Astral Industries] * William Ryan Fritch - Cohesion [Lost Tribe Sound]

Links to each album: https://astrangelyisolatedplace.bandcamp.com/album/violet-visionaryhttps://noton.info/product/n-058/https://arrowounds.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-octopus-pondhttps://laaps.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-was-turning-beforehttps://brendaneder.bandcamp.com/album/therapyhttps://clairedeak.bandcamp.com/album/sotto-vocehttps://courtneybarnett.bandcamp.com/album/end-of-the-day-music-from-the-film-anonymous-clubhttps://crowslabyrinth.bandcamp.com/album/neon-scenes-i-granular-dreamshttps://valleyviewrecords.bandcamp.com/album/astral-solsticehttps://cv313.bandcamp.com/album/plays-sequential-spacehttps://drawingvirtualgardens.bandcamp.com/album/22-22https://elikeszler.bandcamp.com/album/livehttps://foreignbodysensation.bandcamp.com/album/subterranean-environmentshttps://hainbach.bandcamp.com/album/voice-magnetichttps://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/willowealdhttps://michaelscottdawson.bandcamp.com/album/find-yourself-losthttps://nicoless.bandcamp.com/album/stillhttps://northamericanszone.bandcamp.com/album/long-cool-worldhttps://foamonawave.bandcamp.com/album/in-daylight-dubhttps://prinsemanuel.bandcamp.com/album/diagonal-musik-iihttps://purelink.bandcamp.com/album/signshttp://13.silentes.it/private_sounds/sps2360.htmhttps://saphileaum.bandcamp.com/album/saphileaum-intrapersonal-experiencehttps://sigurros.bandcamp.com/album/ttahttps://snufmumriko.bandcamp.com/album/havstrakthttps://signaturedarklabel.bandcamp.com/album/greyhttps://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/ether-hymnshttps://astralindustries.bandcamp.com/album/ai-34-spirit-medicinehttps://williamryanfritch.bandcamp.com/album/cohesion I am pretty proud of my self that I managed to squeeze in all 30 albums into this one 2-hour mix. Next up a 2023 jazz favorites mix. Cheers! And here's to a good 2024! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Alva Noto - Kinder der Sonne(Intro) (Kinder der Sonne(From "Komplizen") * 03:18 Hainbach - Voice Magnetic (Voice Magnetic) * 06:20 Brendan Eder Ensemble - #20(Lichen) Aphex Twin cover (Therapy) * 10:06 Michael Scott Dawson - Evening Constitutional (Find Yourself Lost) * 13:45 Courtney Barnett - Floating Down (End Of The Day OST) * 15:05 North Americans - Western Town, With Road to Mountain (Long Cool World) * 18:50 The Green Kingdom - Tradewinds (Ether Hymns) * 22:10 Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - In the Lair of the 5-Sided Serpent (Subterranean Environments) * 25:08 Alex Albrecht - Forest Dance (Violet Visionary) * 28:28 Saphileaum - Plum (Intrapersonal Experience) * 32:52 Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Untitled #2 (Glow World) * 38:25 Nice Less - Nice & Quiet (Still) * 44:10 Snufmumriko - Skärgårdskväde (Havstrakt) * 47:42 Purelink - 4k Murmurs(feat. J) (Signs) * 53:05 Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I: Granular Dreams (Single Version) * 56:27 Loneward - Light Blossom (Willoweald) * 01:01:52 Claire Deak - Dolce Tormento (Sotto Voce) * 01:04:27 Bill Seaman, Tim Diagram, Stephen Spera - Far Away (The World Was Turning Before) * 01:09:15 Drawing Virtual Gardens - Be aware there is a goat hidden in the trees (22:22) * 01:22:47 Tapani Rinne - Tuokio (Grey) * 01:27:07 William Ryan Fritch - Timescale (Cohesion) * 01:29:15 ARROWOUNDS - Blue Entombed (In The Octopus Pond) * 01:25:00 Pan•American - Renzo (In Daylight Dub) * 01:28:55 cv313 - Forever In The Sky (Plays Sequential Space) * 01:36:27 Toki Fuko - Part Two (Spirit Medicine) * 01:42:40 Eli Keszler - Manhattan Part IV (LIVE) * 01:46:46 Prins Emanuel - Paia (Diagonal Musik II) * 01:50:25 Crows Labyrinth, Pulse Mandala - Astral Solstice (Astral Solstice) * 01:54:00 Mount Shrine - Raining Indoors (Lost Loops Collection) * 02:02:07 Sigur Rós - Blóðberg (ÁTTA) * 02:09:05 end

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This mix started with the latest album by Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang - Last Two Inches of Sky. It has this great late-night vibe that I immediately latched onto. From there I returned to The Rain Dogs, an artist I had used in an earlier mix called Summoning the Spirits. And then one thing led to another and I ended up with an ambient mix with a fair amount of organic percussion.

The final mix has a bit of Jon Hassell 4th world feel, some of that late-night vibe I mentioned, and a dash of Lost Tribe Sound strangeness. I think it all comes together rather well.

Links to all the music used in this mix:

https://eivindaarsetjanbang.bandcamp.com/album/last-two-inches-of-sky
https://the-rain-dogs.bandcamp.com/album/from-abydos-to-dendera
https://anthene.bandcamp.com/album/florescence
https://www.amazon.com/Killers-Flower-Soundtrack-Apple-Original/dp/B0CKS4VP12/ref=tmm_acd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
https://astralindustries.bandcamp.com/album/ai-34-spirit-medicine
https://jarvus.bandcamp.com/album/farasan
https://msage.bandcamp.com/album/paradise-crick
https://williamryanfritch.bandcamp.com/album/cohesion
https://ftmots.bandcamp.com/album/valley-of-the-hummingbirds
https://the-rain-dogs.bandcamp.com/album/from-abydos-to-dendera
https://arrowounds.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-octopus-pond
https://soundcloud.com/fiffi-2
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/water-like-mbira
https://arovane.bandcamp.com/album/seismograf

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang - City Never Sleeps (Last Two Inches of Sky 2023)
03:27 The Rain Dogs - From Abydos To Dendera (From Abydos To Dendera 2021)
10:35 anthéne & simon mccorry - unreflecting pool (florescence 2023)
14:06 Robbie Robertson - Too Much Dynamite (Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
16:54 Toki Fuko - Spirit Medicine Pt. 1 (Spirit Medicine 2023)
19:12 Jarvus - Noisetones (Farasan 2023)
23:02 M. Sage - Evenin' Out (Paradise Crick 2023)
25:48 William Ryan Fritch - Timescale (Cohesion 2023)
28:50 From the Mouth of the Sun - The Herd(Murmuration) (Valley of the Hummingbirds 2023)
32:44 The Rain Dogs - Wassu (From Abydos To Dendera 2021)
37:41 ARROWOUNDS - Phosphene Silver Abyss (In The Octopus Pond 2023)
42:20 Friðþjófur Johnson - Images in Ice Land
47:45 Darkroom - Water like mbira (Water like mbira 2023)
52:20 Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang - Hush Now (Last Two Inches of Sky 2023)
57:40 arovane - Clavnt (Seismograf 2023)
62:13 end

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The nice folks at Nettwerk Music Group reached out about the possibility of doing some guest mixes and I am pleased to present the first one. This mix comes to us from TJ Dumser who releases music under the moniker, Six Missing. He has a new album coming out in December so the timing is perfect.

I'll let TJ tell you about his mix:

"Listening to music always makes me transport to another place. And whenever a piece of music can make me travel to a place that elicits a vivid scene within my mind, I love it even more. Every time I sit and write a piece of music, I am always allowing it to take me somewhere, and then my goal is to try to capture that like a polaroid and develop it as quickly as I can so that the imagery is imprinted firmly within the makeup of the piece.

Misty Morning is a collection of tracks both old and new that allow my mind to travel. Within this mix I've included pieces from not only myself (and an unreleased sneak peak), but from other artists I respect and love. Each track on here hits you with emotion and vibe instantaneously. There is no build-up for these. With each new piece you are gently guided along what I envision being the most perfect and slow morning with a cup of coffee as you watch the mist and fog rise up from the serene mountains behind your home. Or perhaps you are drifting in and out of sleep on an airplane or in a car. But you could also be seated and just merely listening. Regardless, these pieces aim to lift you up and out of your thinking mind and usher you into the beloved "in-between."

While making my latest record "Here For Now," which comes out December 15th via Nettwerk, I was listening to artists that use sounds masterfully - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Visible Cloaks, and Nils Frahm all are within complete and total control of their voices and I found that incredibly inspiring as I was working to find my own voice.

It is with great humility that I place my own music amongst artists such as Mort Garson and Ólafur Arnalds as well as the ever blissful Eydís Evensen. But thankfully, it seems to all feel like they belong there.

I had a great time designing this curated vibe-adventure for you and hope you find some new artists you've never heard before as well as some old favorites.

Thank you for listening."

Six Missing Links:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube

Thanks for providing this Misty Morning. Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00-02:27 - Possibility - Six Missing
02:16-05:12 - Dreamy - Hania Rani
05:06-06:13 - Unity - Ryuichi Sakamoto
06:05-11:06 - Dustlight - Alaskan Tapes, Moshimoss
10:42-15:13 - Waves - Six Missing
15:03-18:49 - Terrazzo - Visible Cloaks, Motion Graphics
18:43-23:08 - An Ending (Ascent) - Brian Eno
22:52-27:21 - Wandering I - Eydís Evensen
27:16-32:10 - Envelop - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
31:54-37:11 - Loving Kindness - Six Missing
36:54-39:47 - brot - Ólafur Arnalds
39:47-43:22- Sunflower Dance - Green-House
43:12-47:12 - Tranquility (For Sidney) - Clariloops
46:55-50:15 - Deja Vu - Ataraxia, Mort Garson
49:53-53:43 - Foreshadowed - Harold Budd, Brian Eno
53:25-57:45 - Cleanse - Six Missing (Unreleased until 12/1/23)
57:29-62:54 - Music for 18 Musicians: Pulses - Steve Reich
62:25-65:48 - Alpha 1 - Ami Shavit
65:30-70:55 - Seah Jahan - Paul Horn
70:50-77:53 - Statum - Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima, Satsuki Shibano
77:42-88:18 - Sunson - Nils Frahm

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Paul is back with some of the mystical ambience he does so well. He brings us a hour of tunes that straddle the fine line between new age and ambient music, perfect for the waning days of autumn.

Here is what Paul says about this mix:

“Mystical ambient atmospheres meet New Age relaxation. Lots of bells, minimalist piano, acoustic guitar and flute to celebrate the austere, liminal quality of late autumn—my favorite season. All tracks are from albums released this year, except the two ‘guest appearances’ by George Winston and Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman. As a side note, I generally avoid familiar tunes on my sleep and meditation mixes, as their specific associations might disrupt the listener’s mental or spiritual flow into a specific direction. But the ‘Ave Maria’ featured here, by Larkenlyre, is one of the most sublime renditions of this classic tune by Franz Schubert I’ve ever heard.”

Here are links to all the music used in this mix:

https://anantakara.art/album/before-completion
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/it-flows-between-us
https://thelovelymoon.bandcamp.com/album/drifting-with-the-crescent-moon
https://maxjeschek.bandcamp.com/album/the-awakening
https://heartdancerecords.bandcamp.com/album/earthbeat
https://matthewlabarge.bandcamp.com/album/magical-majestical
https://dancingcatrecords.bandcamp.com/album/december
https://williamackerman.bandcamp.com/album/pure-will-ackerman
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/amongst-jungles
https://tles.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-hard-times
https://lorenzweber.bandcamp.com/album/earth-beats
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/paeans
https://robert-scott-thompson.bandcamp.com/album/dragging-the-sea-with-dreams-2

Thanks, Paul, for another excellent collection of tracks!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Anantakara - After The Rain (Before Completion 2023)
05:35 Arin Aksberg - Virtuality (It Flows Between Us 2023)
10:07 The Lovely Moon - The Crescent Moon in Twilight (Drifting with the Crescent Moon 2023)
15:15 Max Jeschek- Drifting Off to Sleep (The Awakening 2023)
19:36 Sherry Finzer & Joseph Akins - Eventide (Earthbeat 2023)
23:18 Larkenlyre - Ave Maria (Magical Majestical 2023)
26:40 George Winston - Some Children See Him (December 1982)
30:15 Will Ackerman - Singing Crocodile (Pure Will Ackerman 2006)
33:24 Jarguna & Nicola Serena - The Forest Does Not Sleep (Amongst Jungles 2023)
38:51 The Living Earth Show - Music for Hard Times pt 6 (Music for Hard Times 2022)
42:31 Lorenz Weber - pulsing the current (earth beats 2023)
46:10 Aarktica - A Leaf's Prayer (Paeans 2023)
53:53 Robert Scott Thompson - Distance Breathes a Final Dream of Bells (Dragging The Sea With Dreams (2023)
60:27 end

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I've done Halloween mixes in the past but never one quite like this. I decided to take some of the Latin guitar sounds found in my Guitarissimo mixes, tilt them slight off kilter and give the mix a slightly sinister vibe.

It's not too dark, and some of it is kinda of fun, just the way Halloween should be. There are a few artists I was familiar with or have played before like David Lynch, SUSS, The Phonometrician, Shakey Graves, Ry Cooder, and Tommy Guerrero. The rest are all new artists I discovered while looking for tracks that fit this theme. That was a lot of fun discovering all of that new music.

Grab some mezcal, turn the lights out and enjoy. Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Via Mardot - Portal (2022)
01:58 Sun City Girls - Blue West (Funeral Mariachi 2012)
04:55 Combustible Edison - Carnival of Souls (I, Swinger 1994)
07:50 Shakey Graves - Chupacadabra (Deadstock 2023)
09:25 The Focus Group - Bells Hazes (Sketches And Spells 2011)
10:14 Tommy Guerrero - Signals from Points Beyond (Perpetual 2015)
13:10 Ry Cooder - Paris, Texas (Paris, Texas 1985)
15:45 SUSS - Gunfighter (Ghost Box 2018)
20:09 Topaz Rags - Sightings (Capricorn Born Again 2009)
22:55 Pram - Track of the Cat (Dark Island 2003)
26:58 Last Ex - Hotel Blues (Last Ex 2014)
29:43 The Phonometrician - Death Rides a Horse: Part II (Cóiste Bodhar 2022)
34:25 Ben Von Wildenhaus - The Knife Thrower II (II 2015)
36:57 Louie Zong - Ghost Duet (2023)
37:54 David Lynch - The Night Bell With Lightning (Crazy Clown Time 2011)
42:47 Via Mardot - Towers (2023)
44:52 Shakey Graves - Who Died (Deadstock 2023)
48:44 Guano Padano - A Country Concept (Guano Padano 2009)
53:21 Tommy Guerrero - Embers of Memory (Perpetual 2015)
56:16 Via Mardot - Pining (2023)
58:13 Ry Cooder - No Safety Zone (Paris, Texas 1985)
59:33 Wilburn Burchette - Birth of a Witch (Guitar Grimoire 1973)
64:38 end

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Sometimes I get so wrapped up in themed mixes or guest mixes that I forget about doing a nice straightforward ambient mix. So that's what this is - a mix featuring ambient tracks from 2023. No story to tell, no underlying theme, just excellent ambient tracks to drift away on.

Links to all the music used in this mix:

https://willebrant.bandcamp.com/album/leaving-space
https://homenormal.bandcamp.com/album/summer-chronicles
https://ab-pulsemandaladistantfiresburning.bandcamp.com/album/r-abacus-lndr
https://www.iamjonek.com/
https://innesti.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-we-knew
https://astralindustries.bandcamp.com/album/ai-35-ghost-lights
https://davidtagg.bandcamp.com/album/cyrene
https://courtneybarnett.bandcamp.com/album/end-of-the-day-music-from-the-film-anonymous-club
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/an-imaginary-autumn
https://purelink.bandcamp.com/album/signs
https://valleyviewrecords.bandcamp.com/album/astral-solstice
https://carbonbasedlifeforms.bandcamp.com/album/seeker
https://relationreset.bandcamp.com/album/the-feeling-of

Coming next week - a Halloween mix. Cheers! T R A C K L S T :* 00:00 Crows Labyrinth & Willebrant - Leaving Space (2023) * 03:35 David Cordero & Rhucle - Micnight Breeze (Summer Chronicle 2023) * 07:03 Pulse Mandala & Distant Fires Burning - R Abacus Lndr (R Abacus Lndr 2023) * 12:29 Jon E.K. - Golden Hour (As Water In A Foutain Flows 2023) * 16:50 Innesti - Whereto (The World We Knew 2023) * 20:50 Rod Modell - Side A excerpt (Ghost Lights 2023) * 26:33 David Tagg - Cyrene IV (Cyrene 2023) * 32:32 Courtney Barnett - Eternity Repeat (End Of The Day 2023) * 33:40 Tatsuro Murakami - In Her Absence (An Imaginary Autumn 2023) * 41:45 Purelink - 4k Murmurs(feat. J) (Signs 2023) * 48:04 Crows Labyrinth & Pulse Mandala - Astral Solstice (Astral Solstice 2023) * 51:45 Carbon Based Lifeforms - Starfish (Seeker 2023) * 56:50 Inhmost - Don't Go Quiet Now (The Feeling Of..... 2023) * 61:38 end

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I have been having a hard time keeping up my mix output lately. There are many reasons, from too much work to too many concerts and social things to a pennant run in baseball. Also playing a part is me getting a little burned out on ambient music. There is so much of it released every week, every month that it becomes a bit overwhelming and it all starts to blend together after a while. I end up with little motivation to find another theme for yet another ambient mix.

I'm sure I'll snap out of this funk but for now, Paul Asbury Seaman comes to the rescue! Just when I needed it, Paul delivers a fantastic berlin-school, train themed mix. As I've said many times before, I like Paul's mixes because sometimes they go in directions I normally don't go with my own mixes. That's the case again here with these berlin-school tracks. I like sequencer-based music but it's not a style I reach for often. And then I hear one of Paul's mixes and I'm like - "Why don't I listen to this music more often?" Whatever the reason, I'm glad Paul is here to remind us about how cool this style can be.

Here's what Paul has to say about this collection:

“No powerful locomotives this time. No high-speed rail or epic cross-country journey. Just a relaxed excursion through autumn foliage. All but three of these tracks are from 2023. Watch for the REAL guitar on ‘In the Fading Starlight.’ Synth Replicants was one of my big/happy discoveries this past year. (This was one of the milder tracks!) Enjoy.”

Thanks Paul!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Wil Bolton - Yellow Morning (Södermalm In Autumn 2023)
09:09 Erik Wøllo - Motion Picture (Cloud of Strings 2023)
12:50 Thom Brennan - Wavemaker pt. 2 (Wavemaker 2023)
21:12 Mac Of Bionight - Memory Has No Conscience (COORDINATES volume 11 2023)
28:12 Nils Frahm - #2 (All Melody 2018)
36:25 Steve Roach The Weaving Way (The Weaving Way 2023)
42:18 Node - The Traveller (Node 2 2014)
47:18 Synth Replicants - In The Fading Starlight (Time of Legends 2023)
53:30 Alpha Wave Movement - Lattices of Light (Cerulean Skies 2017)
61:20 Larkenlyre - Sometimes Hope Comes Wrapped In Dark Skies (You and I and Every Sky 2023)
65:18 end

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I haven't done a quiet indie songs mix since this time last year. This one started when I heard the latest Peter Gabriel track, Love Can Heal, which I adore. And the timing is good as I'll be seeing him in concert on Oct. 2nd. I've heard that in his live show he plays a lot of the new tracks he's been releasing monthly. Several months ago that would have given me pause because I didn't much care for the first few new tracks. But they have been getting better and better with each new song.

The rest of the mix is just what it says it is - a collection of quiet indie tracks, all of them released in 2023. It includes some old faves like Neil Young, Kevin Morby, Slowdive, & Julie Byrne along with new to me artists like Scott Orr, The Finks, This Is The Kit, & Jörgen Kjellgren.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jörgen Kjellgren - Bluebird Waltz (Bluebird 2023)
04:09 Scott Orr - Horiszon (Horizon 2023)
07:45 Peter Gabriel - Love Can Heal(Darkside Mix) (2023)
12:57 Silvana Estrada - Milagro y Desastre (2023)
16:54 Julie Byrne - Flare (The Greater Wings 2023)
20:14 This Is The Kit - Careful of Your Keepers (Careful of Your Keepers 2023)
23:01 The Finks - Marco Polo (Birthdays at Solo Pasta 2023)
27:06 Arborist - Dewdrop Cherryoak (An Endless Sequence of Dead Zeros 2023)
32:19 Kevin Morby - Like a Flower (Music From Montana Story 2023)
35:30 Dean Johnson - Faraway Skies (Nothing For Me, Please 2023)
39:00 Neil Young - Star of Bethlehem (Chrome Dreams 2023)
41:35 DeYarmond Edison - Ragstock (Epoch 2023)
44:04 Allegra Krieger - Lingering (I Keep My Feet on the Fragile Plane 2023)
47:21 Indigo de Souza - Younger & Dumber (All of This Will End 2023)
51:50 JFDR - The Orchid (Museum 2023)
56:00 Slowdive - prayer remembered (everything is alive 2023)
60:30 end

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I just got back from a week in Iceland so naturally I had to make a mix with music from Icelandic artists. The usual suspects are here - Sigur Ros, Johann Johannsson, Bjork, Olafur Arnalds, along with some new additions.

It still boggles my mind that the tiny island has produced such amazing music. But now, having been there, I guess it makes a bit more sense because the place is unique. The landscape and spirit seeps into your mind and body like hot water through porous volcanic rock. It's impossible not to fall in love with the people and the natural beauty.

Hopefully this mix can be your own mini vaca to Iceland. Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Sigur Rós - Blóðberg (ÁTTA 2023)
07:03 Jóhann Jóhannsson - A Prayer to the Dynamo pt. 1 (Spectral Symphony 2023)
13:50 Friðþjófur Johnson - Black Sand Blues
19:10 Rökkurró - Svanur (Í Annan Heim 2010)
24:20 Björk - Vokuro (Medulla 2004)
27:18 Ólafur Arnalds feat Ella McRobb - And we'll leave it there (2023)
30:47 Valgeir Sigurðsson - Eva's Lament (Kvika 2021)
32:17 Kiasmos - Looped (Kiasmos 2014)
36:00 Friðþjófur Johnson - Sambólúsí
40:50 Yagya - The Downpour (Faded Photographs 2023)
44:33 Múm - Faraway Swimmingpool (Finally We Are No One 2002)
47:00 Frakkur - Dream Fyrir John (Pling pong)
52:33 Ruxpin & Stafrænn Hákon - Dark Rift (Meet Me In Forever 2023)
56:14 Jóhann Jóhannsson - Stuk (Elegy for Lost Time 2023)
58:35 Ólafur Arnalds - Spiral (some kind of peace 2020)
61:54 end

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I've been busy with important things like going to baseball games, drinking beer, sitting on my back deck doing nothing, and getting ready for an trip at the end of the month. So this guest mix comes a perfect time. It's also a perfect mix for sitting on the deck and doing nothing.

This mix comes to us from Ali Murray who records as The Lonely Bell. "Kingdoms of the Deep" by The Lonely Bell was one of my favorite ambient albums of 2022. https://thelonelybell.bandcamp.com/album/kingdoms-of-the-deep

Here's what Ali says:

"My name is Ali Murray. I’m a songwriter and musician from the Isle of Lewis, which is a small remote island in the north of Scotland. I write and release dark introspective ambient music under the name The Lonely Bell.

As the title suggests, this is an ambient guest mix to mark the end of the summer season, and the coming of autumn. It’s a dreamy and eclectic selection of dark ambience, haunting drones, fuzzy electronica, cinematic modern classical, immersive sound art and ethereal soundscapes - bookended by the two songs that comprise my brand new EP - ‘The Outer Banks’. ‘The Outer Banks’ is out now on the label Frosti, and is available both digitally and on limited edition cassette tape.

You can check it out at the following link :

https://frostilabel.bandcamp.com/album/the-outer-banks

And you can find the rest of my discography at :

www.thelonelybell.bandcamp.com

As I've said many times before, one of the reasons I like guest mixes is they go in a direction that I usually don't take myself and that is the case here. I am very hit and miss with darker ambient tracks and the same goes for drone ambient. But I really like the way The Lonely Bell treats those styles so it's no surprise that I enjoy what Ali did with this mix. I know you'll like it too.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

0:00 The Lonely Bell – The Outer Banks
8:00 Claire Deak – A Million Cloaked Ghosts
10:58 Barley & Blush To The Snow – The Eternal Note of Sadness In (excerpt)
14:42 Broken Chip – Yellow
19:06 Karen Vogt – Amidst The Sea Fog
21:48 Glacis & Adrian Lane – A Flower In The Mind
26:42 CLAIR – Queen Bee Prelude
31:40 Patrick Corcoran – GEN 2
34:20 Mollbury Medical Research Centre – Temporary Amnesia
37:10 Leonard Donat – Fog Horn Deer Trap
43:40 The Lonely Bell – Fires of Dawn
52:46 end

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One of my favorite ambient albums from the first half of 2023 is "Intrapersonal Experience" by Saphileaum. It's a great combination of atmospherics and percussion, reminiscent of 90s Steve Roach tribal ambient. After hearing this album I needed to do a drum/percussion-based mix and "Summoning The Spirits" is the result.

Another recent discovery makes its way into this mix - The Rain Dogs. So far I only have one of their albums but I plan on buying many more. I have To pace myself though. Their album, From Abydos To Dendera, has shades of Jon Hassell and other 4th world styles I love. The tracks fit perfectly in this mix.

I hope you enjoy the atmosphere and the rhythms.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 The Rain Dogs - Market Day (From Abydos To Dendera 2021)
05:33 Saphileaum - Dear (Intrapersonal Experience 2023)
09:45 The Chi Factory - Part One (Travel In Pece 2020)
14:40 Benjy Wertheimer & John de Kadt - Underwater (One River 2012)
21:08 Byron Metcalf - As Clouds Dance (Inner Rhythm Meditations 2016)
29:50 Chi - Before The Mountain (The Original Recordings 2016)
36:50 The Rain Dogs - Dawn Over Qurna (From Abydos To Dendera 2021)
40:54 Eli Keszler - Barcelona Part VI (LIVE 2023)
44:40 D.K. - Summoning the Spirits (The Goddess Is Dancing 2019)
50:00 Saphileaum - Remote (Intrapersonal Experience 2023)
54:40 The Chi Factory - Part Two (The Kallikatsou Recordings 2017)
57:43 Night Sky Pulse - Luminescence (These Possible Lives 2021)
61:03 end

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The trip through the electronic music of the 70s continues with a stop in 1972. As with '70 & '71, this is a mix with some tracks that are very electronic, like the Wendy Carlos tunes, and others that are more electronic adjacent, like the Cluster or Pick Floyd tracks. But I think it gives a good sense of where things stood at the time.

I purposely stayed away from cheesy electronic versions of classical music like "The Electronic Spirit Of Erik Satie" or "The Unusual Classical Synthesizer." I'm just not a fan of that type of electronic music. I understand it's place in bringing synths to mass attention, I just don't like those recordings.

Enjoy 1972, I have a feeling 1973 will sound fairly similar. But things will start to change in '74 & '75.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 A.R. & Machines - Wie Ich Mir So Ich Dir (AR3)
02:12 Cluster - Im Suden (Cluster II)
08:10 Galactic Explorers - Lunarscape (Epitaph For Venus)
14:22 Terry Riley - Persian Surgery Dervishes
18:40 Klaus Schulze - Last Not Least (La Vie Electronique, Vol. 2)
25:15 Kraftwerk - Klingklang (Kraftwerk 2)
34:00 Wendy Carlos - Country Life (Clockwork Orange)
38:40 Tangerine Dream - Zeit (Zeit)
43:20 Pink Floyd - Absolutely Curtains (Obscured by Clouds)
45:55 Neu! - Im Glück (Nue!)
49:35 Wendy Carlos - Fall (Sonic Seasonings)
60:00 end

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Photo by Alan Seaman (Paul’s father) in Raiwind, Lahore District, Pakistan, c.1966.

Another train-themed mix? Yes, because they are awesome! This one comes from the mind of Paul Asbury Seaman, as have several other train mixes. As per usual, it's a great collection of familiar and unfamiliar artists, to me at least.

Here's what Paul says about this latest trip down the tracks:

“On this one—my seventh train-themed mix for LLM—I’m going for the feeling of exhilaration and weary melancholy of travel, as much as the clickety-clack rhythm associated with trains. Plus a twinge of the mystical that can be experienced while crossing between worlds. Once again, drawing from 40 years of music… a couple of new artists, some perennial favorites (of mine), and some classics of the genre.”

Thanks, Paul, for delivering once again.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Christian Fiesel - A Train And No Final Destination (The New Voyages Of Little Nemo 2023)
03:29 Frolin - Afterthought (Morrowtide 2022)
07:26 Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 7 (Oxygene 7-13 1997)
15:05 Johan Tronestam - Reveals the Invisible (Cosmic Drama II 2023)
22:14 Fritz Mayr - Breath of the Wind (Mythical Worlds 2022)
28:40 Cristian Richet - Sansucy (Life Is But A Dream 2023)
35:05 Cosmic Ground - Phasing 76 (Entropy 2023)
42:40 The Soviet Space Dog Project - Star City (Star City 2021)
51:45 Vangelis - Life Of Antarctica (Antartica 1983)
57:19 LAD - Starburst (Andromeda 2023)
62:42 Robert Rich - Loom Of Origins (Travelers' Cloth 2023)
69:30 Patrick O'Hearn - Traveler's Rest (So Flows the Current 2000)
75:33 end

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I guess the title of this mix is as straightforward as it gets. This one is a collection of tracks from my favorite ambient albums from the first half of 2023. There's some really good stuff in there and a nice variety.

First I'll give my list of favorites with links and then the tracklist of the mix. Cheers to a great second half!

Alva Noto - Kinder der Sonne (From Komplizen) [Noton] https://bleep.com/release/380644-alva-noto-kinder-der-sonne-from-komplizen ARROWOUNDS - In The Octopus Pond [LostTribe Sound] https://arrowounds.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-octopus-pond Between - Low Flying Owls [12k] https://12kmusic.bandcamp.com/album/low-flying-owls Brendan Eder Ensemble - Therapy https://brendaneder.bandcamp.com/album/therapy Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I- Granular Dreams https://crowslabyrinth.bandcamp.com/album/neon-scenes-i-granular-dreams Crows Labyrinth- Pulse Mandala - Astral Solstice [Valley View Records] https://valleyviewrecords.bandcamp.com/album/astral-solstice Eli Keszler - LIVE [LUCKYME] https://elikeszler.bandcamp.com/album/live Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - Subterranean Environments [Dune Alter] https://foreignbodysensation.bandcamp.com/album/subterranean-environments Hainbach - Voice Magnetic[Seil] https://hainbach.bandcamp.com/album/voice-magnetic Loneward - Willoweald [Stereoscenic] https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/willoweald Michael Scott Dawson - Find Yourself Lost [We Are Busy Bodies] https://michaelscottdawson.bandcamp.com/album/find-yourself-lost Mount Shrine - Lost Loops Collection [Cryo Chamber] https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/lost-loops-collection Nico Less - Still https://nicoless.bandcamp.com/album/still Pan American - in daylight dub [Foam On A Wave] https://foamonawave.bandcamp.com/album/in-daylight-dub Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Glow World [13] http://13.silentes.it/private_sounds/sps2360.htm Saphileaum - Intrapersonal Experience https://saphileaum.bandcamp.com/album/saphileaum-intrapersonal-experience

Sigur Rós - ÁTTA https://store.sigurros.com/album/tta this floating world - floatings [Whitelabrecs] https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/floatings Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan - The Nation's Most Central Location https://warrington-runcorn-cis.bandcamp.com/album/the-nations-most-central-location

Wil Bolton - Swept [Audiobulb] https://ab-wil-bolton.bandcamp.com/album/swept William Ryan Fritch - Cohesion [Lost Tribe Sound] https://williamryanfritch.bandcamp.com/album/cohesion

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Untilted 1 [Glow World (13)]
05:40 Nico Less - Try a Little Kindess [Still]
09:40 Pan American - Renzo [in daylight dub (Foam On A Wave)]
13:50 Eli Keszler - Manhattan Part III [LIVE (LUCKYME)]
20:10 Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - Cenote Meditation [Subterranean Environments (Dune Alter)]
25:30 Michael Scott Dawson - Almanac Pages [Find Yourself Lost (We Are Busy Bodies)]
32:00 Brendan Eder Ensemble - #20 Lichen Aphex Twin Cover [Therapy]
35:40 William Ryan Fritch - Futiles Heaves [Cohesion (Lost Tribe Sound)]
39:33 this floating world - winds I [floatings (Whitelabrecs)]
40:50 Between - Pushed [Low Flying Owls (12k)]
46:38 Sigur Rós - Blóðberg [ÁTTA)]
53:25 Alva Noto - Sehnsuchtsvoll [Kinder der Sonne(From Komplizen) (Noton)]
1:06:00 Hainbach - Last Song of Summer [Voice Magnetic (Seil)]
1:03:05 Mount Shrine - Ghostly [Lost Loops Collection (Cryo Chamber)]
1:06:50 ARROWOUNDS - Tree of Disciples [In The Octopus Pond (LostTribe Sound)]
1:12:42 Loneward - Delicate Illusions [Willoweald (Stereoscenic)]
1:21:30 end

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This mix is pretty just as the title describes - a set of long ambient pieces, perfect for sleeping. There's not much else to say other than the tracks are all fairly new with most of them from 2023.

I was happy to use a longer version of the Crows Labyrinth track in this mix. I used it in my Blade Runner mix earlier in the year but it was the short version. I have been listening to the long version a lot this year and using it as a sleep soundtrack quite a bit as well. So I knew I had to use more of the 39 minute track in this mix. That album will make my best of the year list for sure.

Speaking of best of the year lists - head over to Mixcloud Posts to see my favorite albums of 2023, so far - MIXCLOUD Best of 2023(so far)

Links to all the music used in this mix:

https://loscil.bandcamp.com/album/alta
https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/willoweald
https://crowslabyrinth.bandcamp.com/album/neon-scenes-i-granular-dreams
https://milieumusic.bandcamp.com/album/beside-a-green-window
https://slaapwel.bandcamp.com/album/particles
https://perceptualtapes.bandcamp.com/album/fleeting-visions-into-sleep - active on 7/14/23
https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/lost-loops-collection
https://dataobscura.bandcamp.com/album/delicate-terrain
https://cv313.bandcamp.com/album/plays-sequential-space

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Loscil - Alta (Alta 2023)
10:20 Loneward - Light Blossom (Willoweald 2023)
18:00 Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I (Neon Scenes I: Granular Dreams 2023)
27:45 Milieu - Beside a Green Window (Beside a Green Window 2023)
37:07 Katharina Schmidt - Particles (Particles 2022)
46:44 Spectrical - Distant Rain (Fleeting visions into sleep 2023)
55:10 Mount Shrine - Foghorn (Lost Loops Collection 2023)
1:12:25 Robert Davies - Diffused Meadow (Delicate Terrain 2022)
1:26:30 cv313 - Star Alignments (Plays Sequential Space 2023)
2:00:00 end

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I love getting guest mixes from creative artists. I love hearing excellent segues as the music flows seamlessly across the set. And I love discovering new music. So I'm excited about this latest offering from Fragile X.

https://soundcloud.com/fragilex https://fragilex.bandcamp.com/ https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/being-human-by-fragile-x/ There so much good stuff in this mix I could go on and on but I'll let John say a few things about it:

"I've been inspired by my recent trip to Croatia and have made a water themed mix. I've called it "Aquadream". I wanted the mix to be able to act as a soundtrack to all kinda things. From casual swimming, deep sea diving, floating, boating or even just watching from the shoreline. It's pretty much all ambient material. It's got that hazy and submerged feel about it and is a wee bit disorientating at times but is ultimately a calm and hopefully refreshing mix!"

Thanks, John, for this awesome collection of music!

T R A C K L I S T : ARTIST - TITLE / LABEL / YEAR

00:00 Sample of the World's Loneliest Whale, 52 Hertz
00:44 Rennie Foster - Devil's Water (Devil's Reprise) / Rebirth / 2009
04:48 Fragile X - The Descent / Gorecki Productions / 2015
07:11 Krill.minima - Submarine Poetry / Native State Records / 2007
12:23 Daar - Sea Wind / Silent Season / 2021
18:35 The Persuader - Pressure Relief / Stockholm LTD / 2015
21:51 Michael FK - Black Whale / Ambient / 2014
26:48 Newworldaquarium - Thousand Oaks / Ostgut Ton / 2014
29:56 Karen Vogt - Searching For Shoals (Karen Vogt remix) / Self Released / 2023
31:45 Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - Wetlands / Western Vinyl / 2016
33:03 This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren / 4AD / 1983
36:47 Inhmost - Waters Edge / Huinali Recordings / 2021
41:11 Tom Leclerc - Postcard From The Sea / Giraffe Tapes / 2022
43:50 Leafcutter John - Music Under The Water / Desire Path / 2015
48:04 Chromasy - Naoshima /Self Released / 2020
52:32 Copula - North Sea Dream / Traumgarten / 2020
54:48 Balsam - Water Conception / Neotantra / 2019
56:21 Julianna Barwick - One Half / Dead Oceans / 2012
59:13 Circular - Calm / Beatservice Records/ 1999
65:19 Asura - Ascension In Blue / Ultimae Records / 2014
72:30 Fragile X - Mvto More / Unreleased / 2023
78:48 Picnic - Drops in The Water (DJ Paradise remix) / Daisart / 2021
80:45 Saphileaum - Freshwater Body / Nyame Records / 2020
85:35 Yosi Horikawa - Fluid / Borrowed Scenery / 2019

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The Electronic Music of the 1970s series continues with a trip back to 1971. This year was a bit easier to curate than '70 because we have a few more good uses of electronic instruments featured prominently.

For me, the best electronic album of 1971 is "Zero Time" by Tonto's Expanding Head Band. It's very synthetic sounding without being too cheezy. I enjoyed discovering new music for this mix like "The Andromeda Strain" soundtrack and a Tangerine Dream soundtrack for an unreleased movie. I hope you too discover something new in this journey back to 1971.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Moog - Moog demonstration record
00:36 Tonto's Expanding Head Band - Tama (Zero Time)
05:48 Beaver & Krause - Nine Moons In Alaska (Gandharva)
07:30 Tangerine Dream - Sunrise In The Third System (Alpha Centauri)
11:07 Achim Reichel - Einleitung(Invitation) (Echo)
16:00 Deuter - Babylon (D)
19:49 Pat Prilly - Aerolithe Alpha (Moog Sensations)
21:15 Harold Budd - Pastoral Symphony (The Oak Of The Golden Dreams)
22:00 Popol Vuh - Aguirre (In the Gardens of the Pharao | Aguirre)
27:00 Ash Ra Tempel - Traummaschine (Ash Ra Tempel)
33:18 Pat Prilly - Coeur Synthetique (Moog Sensations)
34:12 Tonto's Expanding Head Band - Cybernaut (Zero Time)
38:30 Doug McKechnie - Moving (San Francisco Moog: 1968-72 Vol. 2)
41:10 Jean Michel Jarre - La Cage (La Cage)
44:25 Morton Subotnick - Sidewinder (Sidewinder)
46:15 Gil Mellé - Andromeda (The Andromeda Strain)
47:47 Tangerine Dream - Vampira VI (Vampira)
50:53 W. Merrick Farran & E. Vetter - Sea of Storms (KPM Electronic Music)
52:42 Tonto's Expanding Head Band - Aurora (Zero Time)
59:10 end

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The theme for this mix is simple - a collection of new ambient tracks, most released within the last couple of months. Sometimes after posting a lot of theme mixes or guest mixes I need to crank out a set that is just straightforward ambient. Nothing fancy, just beautiful, drifting music to ease the mind.

Here are some links to the music used in this mix:

https://kramer.bandcamp.com/album/baptismal
https://12kmusic.bandcamp.com/album/low-flying-owls
https://williamselman.bandcamp.com/album/the-weather-indoors
https://losttribesound.bandcamp.com/album/maps-to-where-the-poison-grows-subscription-series
https://atlantearecords.bandcamp.com/album/there-is-light
https://michaelscottdawson.bandcamp.com/album/find-yourself-lost
https://bleep.com/release/380644-alva-noto-kinder-der-sonne-from-komplizen
https://sachikobayashi.bandcamp.com/album/melodies-in-the-garden
https://davidcordero.bandcamp.com/album/spring-memories
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/sen
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/below-the-noise
https://chitrarecords.bandcamp.com/album/sonoris
https://aispatial.bandcamp.com/album/above-the-sky
https://handstitched.bandcamp.com/album/a-study-of-ends-or-purpose

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Laraaji & Kramer - Immersion (Baptismal 2023)
06:00 Between - Back (Low Flying Owls 2023)
11:10 William Selman - Leaky Paradise (The Weather Indoors 2023)
14:28 Civic Hall aka Euan McMeeken & Craig Tattersall - Excerpt I (Maps To Where The Poison Grows 2023)
19:15 Sebby Kowal - Sakura Schoolyard (There Is Light 2023)
22:36 Michael Scott Dawson - Notes On Longing (Find Yourself Lost 2023)
25:50 Alva Noto - Die Undergründigen - Redux (Kinder der Sonne(From "Komplizen") 2023)
29:55 Sachi Kobayashi - Morning Dew (Melodies in the Garden 2023)
33:40 David Cordero - Middle Distance (Spring Memories 2023)
39:20 blochemy - lane (sen 2023)
44:11 Andy Cartwright - Mended Environment (Below the Noise 2023)
48:05 Kenji Katayose - Aika (Sonoris 2023)
54:18 Inhmost - Eternal (Above The Sky 2023)
58:52 Maps and Diagrams - Brume (A Study of Ends or Purpose 2023)
64:16 end

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A few months ago I stumbled across two tunes called "Lonely Satellite" & "The Lonely Orbit." Those titles intrigued me and I thought they would make a great theme for a mix. I started collecting tracks, not knowing when the mix would come to fruition.

Then this past week I heard the new album from Alva Noto called "Kinder der Sonne (From "Komplizen")" and I knew immediately that I had to make this mix. I could have included 4 or 5 tracks from the Alva Noto album but Mixcloud only allows a maximum of 3 songs from one album. I ended up using two cuts.

As usual the mix leans heavily on new tunes, with 11 of 18 tracks from 2020 - 2023. That includes the two "lonely" cuts that started this whole thing.

Funny side note - there has been a lot construction in my neighborhood lately and as I was putting the mix together I would hear the beeping of a backhoe reversing or some other truck backing up. It got to be annoying because sometimes I couldn't tell if the beeping sounds were from the music or the construction outside. Haha!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Alexandre Navarro + Letna - Psamathe (Redfish 2013)
03:15 Alva Noto - Kinder der Sonne(Intro) (Kinder der Sonne (From "Komplizen") 2023)
06:15 xu - this illusory continuity (slicing space-time into objects 2022)
07:55 Scanner - Wing Pinger 02 (Wing Pinger 2021)
09:14 Loscil - Estuarine (Endless Fall 2010)
17:10 Lunar Testing Lab - Lunar Radio Control (Space Debris - Space Transmission 2008)
18:17 Hainbach - Izmir (Voice Magnetic 2023)
19:40 Brian Eno - Cavallino (The Shutov Assembly 1992)
22:20 Saros Sky - Lonely Satellite (Ambient Oceania 2021)
25:47 Loscil - Bipolar, Pt. 2 (Lifelike 2019)
28:57 Hans Zimmer - Atmospheric Entry (Interstellar 2014)
30:17 Steven Price - Aurora Borealis (Gravity 2013)
31:22 Alva Noto - Die Untergründigen (Kinder der Sonne (From "Komplizen") 2023)
39:18 Peter Kvidera - Popping (Verism 2022)
44:30 State Azure - Prism (As The Dawn Fades 2023)
50:23 Brian Eno - Kazakhstan 4 (Kazakhstan 2023)
55:12 Aethernal - The Lonely Orbit (Exile 2022)
58:49 arovane - laap (gestalt 2020)
60:30 end

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Two guest mixes in a row - I am a lucky guy! This one comes to us from LLM regular contributor, Paul Asbury Seaman. It's a great collection of instrumental tracks that, as the title says, leans heavily on music from the 70s.

My brain has been stuck in the 70s for a while as I collect tunes for the Electronic Music of the 70s series(1971 is coming soon). So I was excited about the coincidence of Paul coming up with a 70s(mostly) mix. Some tracks I was familiar and others I was hearing for the first time, which is the wonderful thing about these guest mixes - they go in directions that I would not have taken them. This one turns into a great journey of nostalgia and discovery.

Here's what Paul has to say about this mix:

“Something old, something new. Something cheerful, something blue. Some great instrumental tracks that might have slipped between the cracks. So, no “Colour My World.” Yes to Black Sabbath. Plus a couple of mellow vocal numbers, chosen for their melodies that were just too pretty to leave out. The selections here span more than fifty years, though most are from the 1970s.

The title of this mix comes from the working name (one of my all-time favorites) of Swedish ambient electronic artist Stefan Jonsson.”

Thanks, Paul, for another excellent set. Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Agitation Free - First Communication (2nd 1973)
05:57 Jeff Greinke - Losing Time (A Thousand Year Flood 2023)
11:23 Between Interval - Portals in Time (The Edge of a Fairytale 2009)
14:38 Vangelis - Love Theme, Blade Runner (Nocturne: The Piano Album 2019)
20:35 Mike Oldfield - Incantations - part four(excerpt) (Incantations 1978)
24:50 Pierre Moerlen's Gong - Faerie Steps (Time is the Key 1979)
30:10 Moody Blues - Visions of Paradise (In Search Of The Lost Chord 1968))
34:15 Genesis - Horizons (Foxtrot 1972)
35:50 Rick Wakeman - Summertime (Rhapsodies 1979)
40:08 Neal Schon - Midnight Express (Electric World 1997)
45:15 Iron Butterfly - Slower Than Guns (Metamorphosis 1970)
48:53 Black Sabbath - Laguna Sunrise (Vol. 4 1972)
51:37 Ian Anderson - Boris Dancing (The Secret Language Of Birds 2000)
54:40 Pink Floyd - It's What We Do (The Endless River 2014)
59:50 Bill Frisell - Bird On A Wire (Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen 2022)
63:35 end

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This is a repost of an old mix from 2009. The is a retro synth mix with a sort of old space program vibe. I realized that I'd never posted it to Mixcloud so I thought I would haul it out of space dock and update it with a few more cuts added to the end. It's great to hear tracks from Freescha, Lunar Testing Lab, Bochum Welt and others for the first time in a long time.

Enjoy this trip backward and forward in time.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Countdown from "Lunar Adventure in 1985"
00:13 Belbury Poly - Adventures in a Miniature Landscape
02:00 The Units - Cowboy
06:05 Harmonic 33 - Departure Lounge
10:30 Lunar Testing Lab - Lunar Radio control
11:30 EU - New Osc's
13:00 Boards of Canada - Wildlife Analysis
13:50 Freescha - The Sun is Still
16:00 Lunar Testing Lab - Orbiting Lunar Observatory
16:40 TRS-80 - moon Patrol
22:30 David Bowie - V2 Schneider
25:10 Bochum Welt - interlude
28:25 Lunar Testing Lab - Phantom Cosmonaut
30:50 Signaldrift - Children of the 70's
32:20 Harmonic 33 - Planet 54
35:50 Frank Comstock - Music from Outer Space(when you wish upon a star)
37:50 Boards of Canada - Nova Scotia Robots
38:50 Bernard Szajner - A Kind of Freedom
41:30 Talvihorros - A Rural Place
43:35 David Bowie - Weeping Wall
46:20 Michael Garrison - Escape (Music From The 21st Century 1986)
48:42 Iguana Moonlight - V (WIld Palms 2017)
53:06 Stratis - By Water (Soul Jazz Records presents Space, Energy & Light 2017)
58:27 Chris Carter - Moon Two (Chemistry Lessons Volume 1 2018)
60:47 end

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I've done a couple mixes featuring library music from the 70s & 80s that have the vibe of a cheesy deep sea exploration documentary. I've always wanted to do a follow up and here it is.

One of the problems is that I didn't check the tracklist from the last mix and so quite a few tracks from that set made it into this one. When I figured out what had happened, it was too late to change. Well, actually, I was just too lazy to change it. I think about 9 of the 23 tracks in this mix appeared in the last one.

I love the retro vibe of these mixes. Take some old vinyl albums with echoing fender rhodes piano, add some scuba sound fx and a few synths and you've got yourself a 70s soundtrack to the Undersea World of Low Light Mixes.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Eric Vann - Algues Marines (Water World 1982)
01:32 Walt Rockman - Submarine Scenery (Underwater Vol 1 1980)
03:45 Stefano Liberati - Tombala la grande corrente (Pericolo negli abissi 1978)
04:38 Walt Rockman - gas-bubbles (Biology 1980)
05:28 Roger Roger & Nino Nardini - Eery Dream (Informatic 2000 1982)
07:21 Joel Vandroogenbroeck & F. Voelxen - Cascades (Contemporary Pastoral and Ethnic Sounds 1979)
10:03 John Hyde - Curlews (Red Kite 1982)
11:11 John Tender - Underwater Fantasy 1 (Fantasyland Vol. 1 1982)
12:50 Walt Rockman - chromosomes (Biology 1980)
14:42 Tamponi - acque profonde (Ittiologia 1973)
16:07 Amedeo Tommasi - Correnti sottomarine (Biologia marina 1973)
19:08 Mikrokristal - Bubbles (Hidden Way Between Some Rains 2013)
23:52 Georg Deuter - Deep Sea(mysterious - lost - sunken ship) (Soundtrack 1973)
26:15 Atmo - subacquatic (Ittiologia 1973)
28:00 Walt Rockman - dark depth 1 (Underwater Vol 1 1980)
29:31 Teddy Lasry - moins 8000 (+ ou - 8000 1977)
33:33 Franco Tamponi - Profondita (Biologia Marina 1973)
35:55 Jim Harbourg - Harbourg Empathy (Sonoton Soundscapes 1985)
38:23 John Hyde - Underwater (Red Kite 1982)
40:00 Stefano Liberati - La caverna di ghiaccio (Pericolo negli abissi 1978)
41:20 Piero Umiliani - musica delle sfere (Omaggio ad Einstein 1973)
43:10 Raymond Scott - Sleepy Time (Soothing Sounds for Baby, Volume 1 1997)
47:15 Eric Vann - Diving (Water World 1982)
50:37 end

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This mix is pretty straightforward - it's a collection of tracks from some of my favorite ambient albums of 2023. The first three tracks are probably my top three albums of the year so far and I expect them to be on my year-end list in December.

There's not much else to say, just sit back and enjoy some excellent ambient music.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Untitled 9 (Glow World 2023)
07:03 Brendan Eder Ensemble - Ending(feat. Ethan Haman) (Therapy 2023)
14:55 ARROWOUNDS - Tree of Disciples (In The Octopus Pond 2023)
21:15 Robert Davies - Lakeside Reminiscence (Lakeside Haven 2023)
27:50 Pan•American - Renzo (In Daylight Dub 2023)
37:30 Harry Towell & Pruski - lacustyna (petrologist's lens 2023)
42:30 Tim Hecker - Monotony II (No Highs 2023)
44:44 Max Richter - Tranquility VII & VIII (SLEEP: Tranquility Base 2023)
49:20 36 - Last Wake Dreamout (Dreamloops Suite 2023)
60:00 end

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The Plan - make a mix for every year of the 70s, featuring electronic music from each year. Easy peasy! Well, not exactly. The early years are a bit tough. Electronic music wasn't really a genre yet. There are definitely electronic albums. But enough to fill an hour-long mix? Maybe...sort of.

So let me start by saying that some folks may disagree with my choices as I tried to fill out the tracklist. There may be some creative finagling in the mixes for the early years. But really, who cares? This is just a fun way to dive deep into the rise of electronic music.

In the early sets you'll hear plenty of krautrock or kosmische music. Bands like Popol Vuh, Amon Duul II, Can, and Ash Ra Temple fit that category and make appearances in the first two mixes. Again, some folks may balk at the inclusion of the artists but without them, the '70 & '71 mixes would not have happened. Even Tangerine Dream in these years is barely "electronic."

I discovered an artist named Doug McKechnie who experimented with one of the few Moog synths around at that time. I don't believe he ever released any music back then but there are recordings from many of his live shows. The albums were released in 2020 & 2023, so technically this shouldn't count in a mix of music released in 1970, but as I said, it was hard to fill out the mix. The tracks were recorded from 1968 - 72 so I grabbed one that didn't have a specific date on it and decided that it would count as being from 1970.

The more I listen to this set the more I like it. The unexpected tracks and artists made for a fun journey. I hope you all enjoy it too.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Kraftwerk - Ruckzuck (Kraftwerk)
05:10 Oskar Sala - In Leichtem Marsch-Rhythmus (Electronic Virtuosity)
06:45 Suzanne Ciani - Tenth Voice: Sound of a Lighted Window (Voices of Packaged Souls)
07:40 Tangerine Dream - Genesis (Electronic Meditation)
12:20 Popol Vuh - Affenstunde(excerpt 1) (Affenstunde)
16:15 Doug McKechnie - Berkeley Art Museum (San Francisco Moog: 1968-72)
23:42 Popol Vuh - Affenstunde(excerpt 2) (Affenstunde)
30:00 Philip Glass - Music with Changing Parts (Music with Changing Parts)
37:15 Mart Garson - Kevin & Paige (Didn't You Hear?)
42:05 Amon Düül II - Yeti Talks To Yogi(Improvisation) (Yeti)
50:10 King Crimson - The Devils Triangle (In The Wake of Poseidon)
54:40 Tangerine Dream - Cold Smoke (Electronic Meditation)
57:15 Suzanne Ciani - Twelth Voice: Sound of Love Turning (Voices of Packaged Souls)
58:23 Sylvette Allart - Berceuse du faon (Pour Ondes Martenot)
61:39 end

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I love making shortwave mixes, so it's hard to believe it's been almost 11 years since my last new shortwave creation. Yikes! I know these mixes are labor intensive and I am a terrible procrastinator but I am shocked that it's been that long.

Here are the previous mixes:

https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2007/04/drift-on-signal.html
https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2008/06/ghost-in-phase.html
https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2010/04/flicker-fade.html
https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2011/03/distant-transmissions.html
https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2012/05/on-behavior-of-radio-waves.html

This mix is a combo of real shortwave broadcasts, tracks that have broadcasts already embedded, and tracks that have that scratchy, radio feel. I couldn't resist adding a bit of Conet Project recordings here and there. Most of the straight radio broadcasts come from Myke Dodge Weiskopf. I've been using his recordings for years. You can find his stuff here - https://www.myke.me/

Two of my favorite cuts in this mix are by Mount Shrine from the album Shortwave Ruins. https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/shortwave-ruins It's a perfect combo of ambience, drone, and radio chatter. Mount Shrine is Cesar Alexandre, who sadly passed away in 2021. His two tracks in this mix fit the vibe perfectly.

I hope you enjoy the washes of static and voices from the ether. Hopefully it won't be 11 years until the next shortwave mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 shortwave noise
00:40 Mount Shrine - Earth Bridge (Shortwave Ruins 2020)
04:50 Rival Consoles - Noise Call and Response
06:35 Mike Benoit - November’s Static Is Chill & Drear, November’s Leaf Is Red & Sear
07:10 Federico Durand - el grillo de nacar(the cricket of nacre) (a traves del espejo 2016)
09:36 9_11_01(Unknown time and frequency)
10:20 Enrico Coniglio & Matteo Uggeri - Jessaias de reduire mes medicaments
12:53 David Sylvian - Camphor
16:03 Helios - All You Are (Remembrance)
17:00 The Focus Group - CineToneOne (Stop-Motion Happening 2017)
17:12 Goncalo F Cardoso - Radio Zanzibar Etude 1
17:50 Tetsu Inoue - Invitable Colour (World Receiver 1996)
21:12 Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4
22:45 Jogging House - Frail
25:55 Ant’lrd - Slow Dream (Deck Amber 2018)
27:15 Radio Belarus – German Service 3-Aug-2010
28:20 Cremation Lily - Immaculacy (In England Now, Underwater 2018)
29:40 Radio Bulgaria 2-13 5800 kHz, 11_12_05 (2054UTC)
30:20 Austin Rockman - Sun Ink (Our Own Unknown 2022)
34:30 Janek Schaefer - Lagoon (glitter in my tears 2017)
36:03 Teleferick - g.klarf (sixteen frames 2017)
36:45 Lee Noyes & Radio Cegeste - broken only by the need for breath (to orient themselves with coastlines 2012)
37:15 Mount Shrine - Across Rooftops (Shortwave Ruins 2020)
42:10 Maps & Diagrams - Mutability (Teygja Part B 2021)
45:42 KJES 5-03 7555 kHz, 8_1_05 (0154UTC)
47:00 Rival Consoles - Outline of a Distant Memory
50:27 The Focus Group - Sir John Pepper (Stop-Motion Happening 2017)
51:22 Swod - Tucholskystr, 34 (Gehen 2004)
51:47 Olli Aarni - Puro (Puu tuulessa 2015)
54:33 half light - Rest (Rest 2022)
59:44 end

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Another musical great has left this world. Ryuichi Sakamoto was a founding member of Yellow Magic Orchestra. He became well known for his neo-classical work, his collaborations, and of course his film scores, from Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence to The Revenant to the Oscar-winning score for The Last Emperor. The solo piano version of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is one of my favorite piano pieces ever written.

In January of this year he released an album of piano tracks, called 12, that is hauntingly simple and beautiful.

In 2017 he recorded a track called "Life, Life", from the album Async, that is one of my favorite pieces of all time. I'd like to finish this post with the spoken word poem that appears in that track...

And this I dreamt, and this I dreamAnd some time this I will dream againAnd all will be repeated, all be re-embodiedYou will dream everything I have seen in dream To one side from ourselves, to one side from the worldWave follows wave to break on the shoreOn each wave is a star, a person, a birdDreams, reality, death - on wave after wave No need for a date; I was, I am, and I will beLife is a wonder of wonders, and to wonderI dedicate myself, on my knees, like an orphanAlone - among mirrors - fenced in by reflectionsCities and seas, iridescent, intensifiedA mother in tears takes a child on her lapThank you for your music.

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence(solo piano version)
04:40 Ryuichi Sakamoto - life, life
08:45 Ryuichi Sakamoto - Mountains
09:37 Ryuichi Sakamoto - 20220123
17:37 Ryuichi Sakamoto - In The Red
22:35 Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Revenant Main Theme Atmospheric
25:10 Ryuichi Sakamoto & Christian Fennez - oto
28:35 Ryuichi Sakamoto - Railroad Man
33:07 Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Sheltering Sky(piano version)
39:20 Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Sheltering Sky(continues as orchestral version)
38:25 Ryuichi Sakamoto - Elephantism 2
42:50 Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alva Noto - Trioon I
47:38 Ryuichi Sakamoto - Aqua
51:58 Ryuichi Sakamoto - Rain(I want a Divorce)
53:22 Ryuichi Sakamoto - The End
55:36 end

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International Piano Day is March 29th and, as has been the case for the last five years, I've put together a new mix in celebration of ambient piano tunes. I don't do quite as many piano mixes as I once did but when I create these Piano Day sets I find I really enjoy the vibe.

There are a lot of new tracks in the mix, half of them from 2022 & 2023. But there are a few older tunes as well. I really like how this one turned out. I hope you enjoy the latest Piano Day excursion.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 daniel.mp3 - green to blue (2022)
02:45 Hania Rani - The Beach(From I Never Cry) (Music for Film and Theatre 2021)
05:14 Ryuichi Sakamoto - 20211130 (12 2023)
10:02 h hunt - 11e (playing piano for dad 2016)
12:49 Arin Aksberg - In Memory (It Flows Between U 2023)
16:47 Olafur Arnalds - Still, Sound (A Sunrise Session 2021)
20:42 ANNA - Receiving(Jon Hopkins piano version) (2023)
25:15 Hania Rani - Whale's Song (Inner Symphonies 2021)
29:42 Ryuichi Sakamoto - 20211201 (12 2023)
34:37 Library Tapes - Safe Haven (Dusk 2021)
36:41 Bing and Ruth - We Are on the Side of Angels (Tomorrow Was The Golden Age 2014)
42:53 Milieu - Antique Sunlight (Smokebuilder's Woodshop 2008)
47:56 Nebel Lang - Past All Unknowing (Directions For Stopping 2022)
52:43 Lorenz Weber - as time goes by (only the wind 2022)
56:10 Purple Decades - Forest (Journey Test 2023)
59:10 end

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Blade Runner is obviously one of the great sci-fi films of all time, with one of the best soundtracks of all time. As a testament to the staying power of Vangelis' work, we still have a artists today that mimic the sound of the Blade Runner score.

The recording that got me started on this mix is brand new from Crows Labyrinth called "Neon Scenes I: Granular Dreams". It's a longform generative ambient drone track with a lead synth that has a great Blade Runner vibe. You can find it here... https://crowslabyrinth.bandcamp.com/album/neon-scenes-i-granular-dreams

As soon as I heard that track I knew I had to create another Blade Runner mix. This is my fourth one. Here are the links to the others:

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/alternative-blade-runner-2049-soundtrack/

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/blade-runner-is-now/

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/blade-runner-pop-soundtrack/

One thing that sets this mix apart from the others is that many of the tunes are very purposely trying to replicate the sound of the original soundtrack. Some cuts even use rain, voices and effects to mimic the feel. I added a bit of BR sound fx on a couple of tracks to reinforce the vibe. Most of the time though it's that lead synth sound that transports me right back to 1982.

Some folks may have a problem with current artists so blatantly aping a style and sound(some more than others here). But I don't care, I just love the overall sound and feel of these tracks.

Here links to the music used in this mix:

https://crowslabyrinth.bandcamp.com/album/neon-scenes-i-granular-dreams
https://stateazure.bandcamp.com/album/nova-sonus
https://andyhagerty.bandcamp.com/album/cadalach-ep
https://the-rosen-corporation.bandcamp.com/album/pale-fire
https://silentseason.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-horizon
https://boardsofcanada.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrows-harvest
https://decayingspheres.bandcamp.com/album/terminals
https://www.amazon.com/Passengers-Original-Soundtracks-Brian-Eno/dp/B000001E8S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=11MWUX6Z1AL53&keywords=passengers+original+soundtracks+1&qid=1678645966&sprefix=Passengers+original+soundtracks%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1
https://stateazure.bandcamp.com/album/folding-space
https://subheim.bandcamp.com/album/conviction
https://graintable.bandcamp.com/album/universal-ash
https://pyecorneraudio.bandcamp.com/album/let-s-emerge
https://the-rosen-corporation.bandcamp.com/album/neon-lovers
https://boomkat.com/products/a-forest-c29998d5-512c-465d-ab6a-20cad1eed549
https://the-rosen-corporation.bandcamp.com/album/pale-fire

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :00:00 Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I: Granular Dreams(Single Version) (2023)03:40 State Azure - Nova Sonus (2022)10:00 Andy Hagerty - Cadalach(Analogue Fantasy Mix) (Cadalach EP 2021)14:50 The Rosen Corporation - A Good Joe (Pale Fire 2018)22:12 Owl - Distant Transmission (Infinite Horizon 2021)25:52 Boards of Canada - Collapse (Tomorrow's Harvest 2013)28:00 Druid & Jok - Skyline Envelope (Terminals 2023)31:54 Passengers - Ito Okashi (Original Soundtracks 1 1995)34:50 State Azure - Folding Space (2020)42:50 Monolog & Subheim - Colorful Flight (ConVIction 2017)45:35 Graintable - UnIVersal Ash (UnIVersal Ash 2019)50:24 Pye Corner Audio - Saturation Point (Let's Emerge! 2022)53:53 The Rosen Corporation - Passing Thoughts (Neon Lovers 2020)58:27 Alva Noto - A Forest (A Forest 2020)61:48 The Rosen Corporation - The Warmth of Death (Pale Fire 2018)66:20 end

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Maurice Martenot with his inventionLast year in my Halloween mix I included a track that used an instrument called the Ondes Martenot. I new a little bit about it - that it was an old instrument played with a ring on a wire. But that was all I really knew. Then a listener pointed me in the direction of a piece for the Ondes Martenot written in 1937. Yikes, 1937?! I had no idea that "Oraison" by Olivier Messiaen was one of the first electronic pieces of music ever written. Of course this lead me down a Ondes Martenot rabbit hole and this mix is the result.

The Ondes Martenot was invented in 1928 by the French inventor Maurice Martenot. It sounds very much like a Theremin with it's wavering tones produced by oscillators. The Ondes Martenot can be played with a metal ring worn on the right index finger. Sliding the ring along a wire produces "theremin-like" tones. The music definitely can have a spooky, other-worldly sound. But it can also be quite expressive in the right hands.

Current players of the Ondes Martenot include Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. He uses it on "Kid A" and it appears in Radiohead songs including "The Natinal Anthem", "How to Disappear Completely" and "Where I End and You Begin". The other artist that is most well known for her use of the unusual instrument is Christine Ott, both in her solo work and with the band Snowdrops. The mix uses four of her tracks and two from Snowdrops. All of her work is excellent and worth checking out.https://christineott.bandcamp.com/ Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :00:00 Olivier Messiaen - Oraison (1937)02:50 Tomas Bloch - Mare Teno(Michel Redolfi) (Music for Odnes Martenot 2004)07:31 Christine Ott - Burning (Chimères (pour Ondes Martenot) 2020)13:44 Snowdrops - Ultraviolet (Volutes 2020)20:00 Sylvette Allart - Elegie(Darius Milhaud ) (Magie Des Ondes Martenot 1970)22:46 Tindersticks - Percy's Theme (Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith 2017)24:40 Peter Kohlmetz Moller - Song for AJ26:08 Christine Ott - Comma (Chimères (pour ondes Martenot) 2020)31:42 Thomas Bloch - Sweet Suite 1 (Music for Odnes Martenot 2004)36:00 Snowdrops - Firebirds (Missing Island 2022)41:18 Jeanne Loriod & S. Laurent & P. Duclos - Ondes Spatiales (Ondes Martenot)42:40 Christine Ott - Sexy Moon (Only Silence Remains 2016)47:25 Christine Ott - Tempête / the Tabu (Tabu 2016)53:30 Sylvette Allart - Nana(Falla) (Magie Des Ondes Martenot 1970)55:22 Olivier Messiaen - Oraison (1937)57:22 end

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A couple of tunes were the inspiration for cranking out another Sunday Morning mix. First is the lead-off track - A Sunday Kind of Love from Etta James. It's simply a great tune that I'm surprised I haven't used before. Next is an track from 1971 that I'd never heard of until a few weeks ago. I stumbled on an Instagram reel that talked about the gentle beauty of "Curry Rice" by Kenji Endo. I immediately fell in love with it and the rest of the album.

That's where the mix started and from there it follows the usual formula - some jazz, some ambient, some folk - all flowing together in a sweet Sunday mix.

Here the links to all the music used in this mix:

https://cachedmedia.bandcamp.com/album/fuubutsushi
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/more-energy-fields-current
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JYZ6134/ref=sr_1_1?crid=16PNFVZUB9J3W&keywords=Manzoku+Dekirukana&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&qid=1676729358&sprefix=manzoku+dekirukana%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1&trackAsin=B07JYZ6134
https://www.amazon.com/Such-Winters-Memory-John-Surman/dp/B00000AU3Q
https://facture.bandcamp.com/album/duets
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/more-energy-fields-current
https://nyokabikariuki.bandcamp.com/album/peace-places-kenyan-memories
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG0pT5iInFI
https://www.dunealtar.com/
https://hiorchronik.bandcamp.com/album/haze
https://eccodek.bandcamp.com/album/ventrilokissed
https://colepulice.bandcamp.com/album/scry
https://joanshelley.bandcamp.com/album/the-spur
https://store.bluenote.com/products/bill-frisell-four
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/daylight-in-an-empty-room
https://aspotonthehill.bandcamp.com/album/everything-was-different-yesterday

T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Etta James - A Sunday Kind of Love (At Last! 1960) * 03:15 Fuubutsushi - Cicada Season (Fuubutsushi 2020) * 05:46 Kenji Endo - Curry Rice (Manzoku Dekirukana 1971) * 08:42 John Surman - Sunday Morning (Such Winters Of Memory 1983) * 15:30 Andrew Tasselmyer & Blurstem - Ray (Duets 2022) * 18:52 Carlos Niño & Friends - Ripples Reflection Loop (More Energy Fields, Current 2021) * 21:17 Nyokabi Kariuki - Home Piano (Peace Places Kenyan Memories 2022) * 23:48 Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - In the Lair of the 5-Sided Serpent (Subterranean Environments 2023) * 30:30 Hior Chronik - Cloud Peels (Haze 2022) * 33:17 Peppermoth - Sun Dreamer (Ventrilokissed 2021) * 37:28 Cole Pulice - Scry (Scry 2022) * 44:39 Joan Shelley - Amberlit Morning (The Spur 2022) * 49:44 Los Indios Tabajaras - Wide Horizon (Always in My Heart 1964) * 52:28 Bill Frisell - Waltz for Hal Willner (Four 2022) * 55:04 Zolton Fecso - Morning's Theme (Daylight in an Empty Room 2020) * 58:07 Ben McElroy & A Spot on the Hill - A New Light (Everything Was Different Yesterday 2023) * 60:10 end

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Hmmm, what kind of mix do you think this one might be. I believe the gaudy cover art gives it away. This is essentially a continuation of my "Simply Ambient" series. A nice, straightforward mix of new ambient tunes.

I got tired of coming up with variations of "simply ambient" such as absolutely ambient, purely ambient, totally ambient, etc. So I decided to ripoff the over-the-top "Now That's What I Call Music" series. I'm not sure if, like that series, I'll keep adding numbers to each mix so that I end up with "Now That's What I Call Ambient Vol. 84".

Here are the links to all the music used in this mix:

https://facture.bandcamp.com/album/langd
https://flexagon.bandcamp.com/album/the-towers-i-inaccessible
https://archivesdubmusic.bandcamp.com/album/endless-loneliness
https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/sacred-tonalities
https://loscil.bandcamp.com/album/colours-of-air
https://ab-tomo-nakaguchi.bandcamp.com/album/the-long-night-in-winter-light
https://beaconsound.bandcamp.com/album/journey-test
https://russyoung.bandcamp.com/album/cloak
https://krysalisound.bandcamp.com/album/blurr
https://jogginghouse.bandcamp.com/album/face
https://ajourneyofgiraffesswc.bandcamp.com/album/empress-nouveau
https://laaps-records.com/album/sinter
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/petrologists-lens
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/verism

These are the labels all this wonderful music was released on:* Facture - https://facture.bandcamp.com/music * Archive - https://archivesdubmusic.bandcamp.com/music * Past Inside the Present - https://pitp.bandcamp.com/music * Kranky - https://kranky.bandcamp.com/ * Audiobulb - https://audiobulb.bandcamp.com/ * Beacon Sound - https://beaconsound.bandcamp.com/music * Krysalisound - https://krysalisound.bandcamp.com/music * Dauw - https://dauw.bandcamp.com/ * Somewherecold Records - https://somewherecoldrecords.bandcamp.com/ * Laaps - https://laaps-records.com/music * Whitelabrecs - https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/music

Cheers! T R A C K L I S T :* 00:00 Hummingbird - Leuken (Langd 2023) * 03:53 Flexagon - Ozanne Tower The Folly (The Towers I - Inaccessible 2023) * 08:30 David Cordero - Sunrise (Endless Lonliness 2023) * 11:42 Mike Lazarev - Tonality Number Three (Sacred Tonalities 2023) * 15:45 Loscil/Lawrence English - Yellow (Colours of Air 2023) * 20:00 Tomo-Nakaguchi - Noto (The Long Night in Winter Light 2023) * 23:50 Purple Decades - Forest (Journey Test 2023) * 26:27 Russ Young - Folding Valley (Cloak 2023) * 29:12 Hummingbird - Leuken (Langd 2023) * 36:50 blochemy - pone (blurr. 2023) * 40:00 Jogging House - Floor (Face 2023) * 43:18 A Journey of Giraffes - Ambient Gold Fudge (Empress Nouveau 2023) * 45:50 Arovane - Faraday (Sinter 2023) * 47:55 harry towell & polaroid notes - lepidodendron (petrologist's lens 2023) * 52:18 glåsbird - lokoteraina (pacifica 2023) * 54:43 Peter Kvidera - Kostrbatý (Verism 2023) * 58:00 end

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This mix started with the track "Light & Grace" by Schneider TM. When I heard it I was reminded about how much I like the sound of a vocoder. I also realized that I never did a follow-up to the the vocoder mix I did all the way back in 2010 - http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2010/10/vox-electronix.html

So here is a new collection of vocoder tunes. I'm not sure how many of these tracks actually use a vocoder and how many are other vocal effects but I don't care. I'm just going for a sound and vibe. Many of these tracks are new to me as I discovered them in my search for vocoder songs. I am particularly taken with "Last Man Standing" by Cities of Foam. And of course the Eno track from his album of last year is fantastic.

Enjoy the robo-tunes!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Boards of Canada - Telepath (Tomorrow's Harvest 2013)
01:26 Schneider TM - Light & Grace (The 8 Of Space 2021)
05:18 Paul McCartney - Be What You See(Link) (Tug of War 1982)
05:43 Dimmes - I Am Still (2018)
07:53 Cylob - Are We Not Men Who Live & Die (IDMEMO - A Future of Nostalgia 2020)
09:20 Holly Herndon - Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (PROTO 2019)
12:06 Cities Of Foam - Last Man Standing (A Great Day For The Race 2005)
16:20 Vanishing Twin - Light Vessel (Ookii Gekkou 2021)
19:52 Röyksopp - Daddy's Groove (Late Night Tales 2013)
22:50 Peter Baumann - Biking Up The Strand (Transharmonic Nights 1979)
25:12 Plone - Plock (Plock 1998)
29:02 Tex La Homa - Vapour Trails (Some Lost Bliss 2006)
34:50 Boards of Canada - 1969 (Tomorrow's Harvest 2013)
38:40 Crys Cole & Oren Ambarchi - Burrata (Hotel Record 2017)
44:47 Brian Eno - Making Gardens Out of Silence (FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE 2022)
52:25 Brian Eno & J. Peter Schwalm - Rising Dust (Drawn From Life 2001)
59:53 end

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Fire up the Epstein Drive, get settled in your crash couch and set forth on a tour of the solar system. We'll travel from the sun past the inner planets and through asteroid belt out to the gas giants, into the kuiper belt and oort cloud, and finally reaching interstellar space.

All the track titles make it clear where we are on this journey.

Incidentally, there is a comet, C/2022 E3, that hopefully will be visible now through the first week of February. It should viewable first with a telescope then binoculars and maybe even with the naked eye around Feb. 1. This mix might make a good soundtrack for viewing.

Link to most of the music used in this mix:

https://deliaderbyshireappreciationsociety.bandcamp.com/album/wow-and-flutter
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B087TDDQS1
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BSVCM1M7
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-014
https://haroldbudd.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-mist
https://www.maxrichtermusic.com/albums/ad-astra/
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B01LVZ1PMQ?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
https://johantronestam.bandcamp.com/album/space-collection
https://shop.christopherwillits.com/album/horizon
https://virtual1.bandcamp.com/album/deep-space-objects
https://bilvermette.bandcamp.com/album/hunting-for-planet-9
https://phonsonic.bandcamp.com/album/three-squared
https://kagerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/kage-vol-one-quiet-dreams
https://echospacestudio.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-in-space

Enjoy fellow space cadets.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society - She Brought the Sun (Wow and Flutter 2018)
08:34 Underworld & John Murphy - Mercury (Sunshine OST 2008)
10:25 Casino Versus Japan - Names on Maps of Venus pt. 6 (Casino Versus Japan 1998)
11:50 Polaroid Notes - The Good Earth (Home Diaries 014 2020)
14:58 Harold Budd - Mars and the Artist (In The Mist 2011)
16:40 Brian Eno - Asteroid Dawn (Curiosities Volume II 2004)
20:42 Erstlaub - Jupiter (Deconstructed Music 1 2004)
24:50 Max Richter - The Rings of Saturn (Ad Astra OST 2019)
27:35 NASA Voyager Recordings - Rings of Uranus (Symphonies of the Planets 2009)
29:30 Johan Tronestam - Neptune (Space Collection 2017)
37:25 Christopher Willits - Comet (Horizon 2017)
41:50 Ishq - Pluto Shift (Deep Space Objects 2012)
47:10 Bil Vermette - Kuiper Belt (Hunting for Planet 9 2021)
52:35 Konstruct - Oort Cloud (Three (squared) 2021)
55:12 Factory - Interstellar (Kage, Vol. One: Quiet Dreams 2016)
57:50 Echospace - Where Are We Now (echospace [detroit] presents echoes in space 2014)
60:00 end

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This mix is much more straightforward than the Antarctica set. This mix follows my "dubby & dreamy" formula of ethereal ambient dub tracks with a few gentle beats and lots of synth washes.

Here are the links to all the music used in this mix:

https://richiehawtin.bandcamp.com/album/consumed-in-key
https://ultimae.bandcamp.com/album/onwards-system
https://ultimae.bandcamp.com/album/isolated
https://arcticdub.bandcamp.com/album/arctic-dub-sursumcorda-compilation-v5
https://shop.silentseason.com/album/infinite-horizon
https://ultimae.bandcamp.com/album/gneiss-ep
https://faintmusic.bandcamp.com/album/north-paths
https://motionfield.bandcamp.com/album/optical-flow
https://earthensea.bandcamp.com/album/grass-and-trees
https://asc77.bandcamp.com/album/sequenced
https://driftdeeper.bandcamp.com/album/mr-zu-driftwood-ep-ddr017
https://echospacedetroit.bandcamp.com/album/starlight
https://shop.silentseason.com/album/entire

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 PLastikman & Chilly Gonzalez - Ekko(In Key) (Consumed In Key 2022)
03:39 CELL - Onwards System - Fugitive Perpetuity (Onwards System 2022)
09:00 ASC - Solitude (Ultimae Records - Isolated 2022)
12:10 Solar Debris - It's All Dark When You Are Gone (Arctic Dub Compilation 2019)
16:50 Owl - Distant Transmission (Infinite Horizon 2021)
20:20 EROT - Observer Effect (Gneiss EP 2021)
24:50 MYKJA - Vera Á Reiki (North Paths 2017)
32:40 Motionfield - Midnight Metro (Optical Flow 2014)
38:32 Earthen Sea - Shallow, Shadowless (Grass & Trees 2019)
43:20 ASC - Sequence 4 (Sequenced 2017)
47:00 Mr Zu - Echova (Driftwood EP 2016)
53:00 Model 500 - Starlight(Intrusion dub) (2008)
57:45 Daar - Coda (Entire 2021)
60:00 end

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A couple of years ago I watched and read a ton on Ernest Shackleton, the English Explorer who went to Antarctica 3 times. One of those was a journey that saw his ship, Endurance, get stuck in the ice and then crushed by the ice, leaving the crew of 27 adrift on an ice floe.

After 6 months of drifting they made their way in the ship's boats to Elephant Island. Shackleton and five crewmates set sail in one of the boats to South Georgia island, a journey of 800 miles (1,300 kilometres) through the Southern Ocean.

Launching from Elephant IslandAfter a 17-day voyage, the crew and small boat reached the southern coast of South Georgia. Historians regard the voyage of the crew in a 22.5-foot (6.9 m) ship's boat through the "Furious Fifties" as one of the greatest small-boat journeys ever completed.

Shackleton and two others crossed the island's mountains on foot to a whaling station where they organized the rescue of the rest of the crew. Ultimately, the entire Endurance crew returned home, without loss of life.

Welp, I hadn't intended on writing that much about Shackleton but it's such an amazing story. That was two years ago when I learned about Shackleton. Fast forward to today & I'm reading a book called "Antarctica" by Kim Stanley Robinson which has rekindled my fascination with the continent. I have now learned about Amundsen and his trek to the pole. And about Scott's tragic expedition in which he made it to the pole but froze to death on the way back. A surviving member of Scott's crew wrote a book about a part of the trip with a great title - "The Worst Journey in the World."

Oof, that was a long-winded way of saying that I have had Antarctica on the brain lately. Of course, I had to create a mix to go with my obsession. One way to approach this mix would be to use atmospheric dub tracks. A lot of ambient dub music uses environmental themes and cold, arctic imagery. I thought that was the direction I was going to go until I stumbled on a bunch of tracks from William Ryan Fritch. He had a ton of great titles that fit perfectly, such as "On Frozen Ground" & "Ghosts in the Gale". And a couple of new tracks, "Blistering Wind" & "A Fissure Too Wide", are from his new album, Polarity, coming out this week.

After hearing those tracks I decided to go with a more organic sound. It seemed to fit better when thinking of journeys happening between 1905 to 1917. There are some electronics and synths that show up but generally, the mix has a more acoustic, orchestral feel.

The track titles show how the mix will take the listener on a journey that is a composite of many expeditions in Antarctica. The track by Irezumi is called Endurance, the name of Shackleton's ship. He uses some spoken word in the track that I assume is supposed to be Shackleton. The mix finishes with a whispering wind and the beautiful track "Before My Time" with vocals from Scarlett Johansson and lyrics that work well with the theme.

Bundle up and enjoy this excursion to the bottom of the world.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Okomotive, Joel Schoch - Sail, my Friend! (FAR: Lone Sails Soundtrack 2018)
03:10 Trigg & Gusset - Sea & Wind (Black Ocean 2021)
06:00 Ben McElroy - The Sailor and the Albatross (The Word Cricket Made Her Happy 2018)
09:45 Ugasanie - Shores Of Antarctica (Ice Breath of Antartica 2018)
10:37 Vangelis - Back To Antarctica (Antarctica 1983)
12:10 John Luther Adams - The Farthest Place (The Light that Fills the World 2002)
15:10 Seabuckthorn - There Was A Vastness (And Spark And Singe 2021)
17:35 William Ryan Fritch - On Frozen Ground (The Old Believers 2017)
19:22 Terje Isungset - Ice Beauty (Igloo 2006)
22:00 William Ryan Fritch - Ghosts In The Gale (Ill Tides 2016)
23:54 Tim Hecker - Left on the Ice (The North Water 2021)
27:23 Jóhann Jóhannsson & Hildur Guðnadóttir & Rutger Hoedemaekers - Trapped (Trapped 2019)
28:44 From the Mouth of the Sun - Snow Burial(while blue skies gather) (Woven Tide 2012)
31:48 John Luther Adams - Dream in White on White (The Far Country 1999)
36:00 Staalklang - The White Plains (The Loneliness of a Polar Expedition Pt 2 2021)
39:20 Tom Heasley - Adrift (Waves/Adrift)
41:40 William Ryan Fritch - Blistering Wind (Polarity 2023)
48:08 William Ryan Fritch - A Fissure Too Wide (Polarity 2023)
49:15 Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin - Death Bed (Beasts of the Southern Wild 2012)
50:20 Irezumi - Endurance IV (Endurance 2008)
54:18 William Ryan Fritch - A Sad Whispering Wind II (Her Warmth 2016)
57:42 J. Ralph & Scarlett Johansson - Before My Time (Chasing Ice 2012)
61:22 end

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I usually listen to jazz at work while doing some computer maintenance or slogging through emails. I don't keep as close track of standout albums like I do with ambient and indie. So this is a collection of tracks that I happened to enjoy this year and of course they had to fit with the vibe of the whole mix.

My top 5 jazz albums are:

Charles Lloyd - Trio Of Trios
Makaya McCraven - In These Times
Vega Trails - Tremors in the Static
Tapani Rinne & Juha Mäki-Patola - Open
Oren Ambarchi - Shebang & Oren Ambarchi - Ghosted

I cheated on number 5 and included two Oren Ambarchi albums, both of which aren't exactly jazz but I don't really know what genre they are so they get plopped into jazz. I absolutely love both albums and it's my list so I can do whatever I want. Number 4 on the list may not be jazz either as I had it in my top 10 for ambient albums. It's the perfect melding of the two genres. Makaya McCraven - In These Times has gotten a lot of mainstream attention and has shown up on a lot of year-end lists and it deserves it. The album by Vega Trails is essentially bass & wind instruments so it's nice and sparse which why I love it. Charles Lloyd - Trio of Trios is the most straightforward jazz and it's fantastic.

This is the last mix of 2022. Here's to another good musical year in 2023.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Omri Ziegele, Where's Africa - Sunflowerpower (That Hat)
05:02 Makaya McCraven - High Fives (In These Times)
08:40 Vega Trails - Train To Kyoto (Tremors In The Static)
11:28 Charles Lloyd - Ay Amor(Live) (Trio Of Trios)
18:38 Jakob Bro & Joe Lovano - Pause (Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian)
24:17 Tapani Rinne & Juha Mäki-Patola - Brevity (Open)
28:31 Dexter Story - Kalimba, Then Space (Feel Recordings Volume 1)
30:55 The Arteries of New York City - The Arteries of New York City (The Arteries of New York City)
33:50 Akusmi - Fleeting Future (Fleeting Future)
38:28 Oren Ambarchi - II (Shebang)
48:50 Carlos Nino - Youwillgetthroughthis, I promise (Extra Presence)
55:15 Ralph Heidel - SOII (Modern Life)
59:10 Bill Frisell - Dear Old Friend(for Alan Woodard) (Four)
61:34 end

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I can't decide which of these Best Ambient mixes I like the most. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to listen all 3 all day, every day until the end of the year. Then the journey starts all over again.

As another year comes to a close, it's hard to believe I've been at this for 17 years. Yikes! I'm not sure how long I'll keep creating these mix but I at least have to make it to 20 years, right? If I ever retire from my day job this seems like the perfect retirement activity. Forget golf, I just want to listen to music and create mixes(and go to movies, concerts and funky restaurants.)

Here's to a hopefully less chaotic 2023.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Seabuckthorn - Of No Such Place (Of No Such Place - Laaps)
03:26 Son of Chi & Arthur Flink - Part Two (The Fifth World Recordings - Astral Industries)
07:45 Tapani Rinne & Juha Mäki-Patola - Distant (Open - Hush Hush)
12:36 Nils Frahm - Do Dream (Music for Animals - Leiter)
19:35 Toàn - Coraline (Phonolite - [Krysalisound)
22:35 Gylden - A drink at the stream (Island Friend - Seil)
27:00 Oren Ambarchi - IV (Ghosted - Drag City)
31:10 Adrian Copeland - No Heat No Light (If This Were My Body - Lost Tribe Sound)
36:45 Roméo Poirier - Le case degli altri (Living Room - Faitiche)
40:00 't Geruis - Quand Le Bois Chante (Bain D'Étoiles - Laaps)
43:20 The Lonely Bell - The Final Light (Kingdoms Of The Deep)
49:40 Music For Sleep - L'ansia che cura (L'ansia che cura)

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Not much to say other than here is Best Ambient 2022 part 2.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Snufmumriko - Langt under noll (Radio Mnemosyne - Dronarivm)
06:10 Heavenchord - Field Recordings #19(Field Recordings #4 - Secret Domain)
12:00 Austin Rockman - Muter (Our Own Unknown - Krysalisound)
13:27 Alio Die - Il Lievito Dell'anima (Distillation Of Time - Hic Sunt Leones)
18:25 Taylor Deupree - Rythn (Harbor - Laaps)
21:15 Jason Kolàr - Magic / Random / Exotism (Liquid Rhythm - Dauw)
27:37 Jarguna - Neogene (Neogene - Projekt)
28:33 Alio Die & Dirk Serries - Without The Light Of The Sky, Time Is Lost (The Chapters Of The Eclipse - Projekt)
34:25 State Azure - Nova Sonus (Nova Sonus)
42:40 Deepchord - Drassanes (Functional Designs - Soma)
47:20 Louigi Verona - Journeys on Google Earth III (Journeys on Google Earth)
54:22 CELL - Auxin (Onwards System - Ultimae)
59:50 Calm Whale - Awaken Earth (Handpan Journey)
67:37 Ruven Nunez - Untitled No. 51 (Untitled No. 51 - Longform Editions)
75:06 end

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Man, these lists are tough to assemble. So why do I does this? Mostly because I enjoy the exercise of reviewing the tons and tons of music that is released over the year. It's a more active and intentional listening mode that I switch to at this time of year. I love checking out other lists to see what I may have missed. But mostly I'm just a music dork who likes lists. So here it is my favorite ambient music of 2022.

My Top 10 Ambient Albums of 2022

Ecovillage - The Road Not Taken [Laaps]
Snufmumriko - Radio Mnemosyne [Dronarivm]
Man Watching the Stars - The Sextant of a Blind Seafarer
Gylden - Island Friend [Seil]
Nils Frahm - Music For Animals [Leiter]
Glåsbird - Himalaya [Whitelabrecs]
Alio Die & Dirk Serries - The Chapters Of The Eclipse [Projekt]
Tapani Rinne & Juha Maki-Patola - Open [Hush Hush Records]
Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin - Ghosted [Drag City]
Tapes and Topographies - Modalities [Simulacra]

Here's the rest of the list in alphabetical order:

't Geruis - Bain D'Étoiles [Laaps]
't Geruis - Slow Dance on Moss Beds [Lost Tribe Sound]
Adrian Copeland - If This Were My Body [Lost Tribe Sound]
Alio Die - Distillation of Time & Spirals of Light [Hic Sunt Leones]
Austin Rockman - Our Own Unknown [Krysalisound]
Calm Whale - Awaken Earth
CELL - Onwards System [Ultimae]
Deepchord - Functional Designs [Soma]
Glåsbird - Cinéma Noir [Whitelabrecs]
Harry Towell & Guy Gelem - Restful Spaces [Polar Seas]
Heavenchord - Field Recordings #4 [Secret Domain]
Inhmost - Space & Awareness [Tonight’s Dream Records]
Jarguna - Neogene [Projekt]
Jason Kolàr - Liquid Rhythm [Dauw]
Jens Pauly - 1989 [Whitelabrecs]
Johann Johannsson - Drone Mass [DG]
Louigi Verona - Journeys on Google Earth
Michael Scott Dawson - Music For Listening
Moss Covered Technology - Brick & Air [Audiobulb]
Oren Ambarchi - Shebang [Drag City]
Pan-American - The Patience Folder [Kranky]
Polaroid Notes - Cloud Anthems [Whitelabrecs]
Romeo Poirier - Living Room [Faitiche]
Ruven Nunez - Untitled #51 [Longform Editions]
S. van der Toorn - vervlogenheden i-xi [Aural Canyon]
Scattered Light - D.A. #017 A.D. 2022 [Dust Archive]
Seabuckthorn - Of No Such Place [Laaps]
Son of Chi & Arthur Fink - The Fifth World Recordings [Astral Industries]
State Azure - Nova Sonus [2022]
Steve Tibbetts - Hellbound Train [ecm]
Tapani Rinne & Juha Maki-Patola - Open [Hush Hush Records]
Tapes and Topographies - Amplitudes [Whitelabrecs]
Taylor Deupree - Harbor [Laaps]
The Lonely Bell - Kingdoms Of The Deep
Toàn - Phonolite [Krysalisound]
William Basinski & Janek Schaefer - “ . . . on reflection [Temporary Residence]

I've done three separate mixes to celebrate the best ambient music of 2022 and I will post one a day.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ecovillage - Silent River(ft. Henrik Meierkord & Ruven Nunez) (The Road Not Taken - Laaps)
03:10 Jens Pauly - Vast (1989 - Whitelabrecs)
08:40 't Geruis - la petite riviere (Slow Dance on Moss Beds - Lost Tribe Sound)
13:00 William Basinski & Janek Schaefer - . . . on reflection(one) (“ . . . on reflection " - Temporary Residence)
19:41 Scattered Light - A.D. 2022 - SP#086 (D.A. #017 - A.D. 2022 - Dust Archive)
23:36 Man Watching the Stars - Sakkyoku • 55 Cancri (The Sextant of a Blind Seafarer)
29:10 Harry Towell & Guy Gelem - Montague's Creek (Restful Spaces - Polar Seas)
36:05 Inhmost - So Far Away (Space & Awareness - Tonight's Dream Records)
40:12 Glåsbird - Vansa (Himalaya - Whitelabrecs)
44:30 Johann Johannsson - To Fold & Remain Dormant (Drone Mass - DG)
47:54 Tapes and Topographies - The First of Many Moons (Modalities - Simulacra)
51:54 S. van der Toorn - vervlogenheid i (vervlogenheden i-xi - Aural Canyon)
55:08 Michael Scott Dawson - Summerfallow (Music For Listening)
57:51 Pan•American - Swimming in a Western Hotel (The Patience Fader - Kranky)
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I have been a casual fan of Manuel Gottsching for a long time but I never really dug into his discography until the last few days with the news of his passing. I don't have time to write much about him so I'll cut & paste a few things from Pitchfork.

"Manuel Gottsching, the Ash Ra Tempel bandleader who went on to compose the electronic cornerstone album E2-E4, died last Sunday (December 4).

Göttsching made his name in the West Berlin underground scene in the late 1960s and early ’70s. He was a core member of Ash Ra Tempel, a krautrock linchpin with revolving members including Tangerine Dream’s Klaus Schulze. The loose, shapeshifting outfit released five influential albums between 1971 and 1973. Göttsching’s solo debut, 1975’s Inventions for Electric Guitar, was subtitled Ash Ra Tempel VI; from then on he mostly produced records under his own name or as Ashra, such as the 1976 classic New Age of Earth.

In 1981, after a visit to Schulze, Göttsching improvised the composition that became known as E2-E4, hoping to throw together some listening material for an imminent trip. That mysteriously perfect hourlong exercise, which combined Prophet 10 synth pulses with waves of electronic percussion and electric guitar, came to define his post-krautrock output. After composing the track, Göttsching later recalled, the billionaire and Virgin Records owner Richard Branson invited him to his houseboat and, upon hearing the track, advised Göttsching that it could make him a fortune. But Göttsching decided to release the full improvisation on his friend Schulze’s label, without overdubs, in 1984, and it appeared to have little impact.

Though E2-E4 sold poorly, it had—unbeknownst to Göttsching—made its way across the Atlantic and into Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage sets, as well as the collections of key electronic music innovators. As Pitchfork’s Mark Richardson wrote in a 2016 review, the improvisation “wound its way across the world, morphing and changing with formats and remixes, finding new contexts, a music that is constantly in the process of becoming.”

It was a nice trip through Gottsching's music making this mix. I hope he is improvising with his buddy Klaus somewhere.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ash Ra Tempel - Traummaschine (Ash Ra Tempel 1971)
11:37 Manuel Göttsching(Ash Ra Tempel VI) - Echo Waves (Inventions for Electric Guitar 1975)
24:35 Ashra - Slightly Delayed (Blackouts 1977)
30:55 Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4 (E2-E4 1984)
47:00 Ashra - Deep Distance (New Age Of Earth 1976)
52:12 Manuel Göttsching - Halensee(Excerpt) (The Best Of The Private Tapes 1998)
58:24 Manuell Göttsching(Ash Ra Tempel VI) - Quasarsphere (Inventions for Electric Guitar 1975)
64:52 end

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photo by Paul Asbury SeamanThis is the perfect mix to offset the hustle & bustle of the holiday season. Skip the shopping and make some tea and chill the f*** out to this wonderful meditation mix from Paul Asbury Seaman.

Here's what Paul says:

"Native American flutes. A bit of Ireland, a bit of acoustic guitar (with echoes of India), interspersed with Tibetan bells, wind chimes, and a recent track by Steve Roach that is his most sublime composition since “Structures From Silence.” So, a bit of variety, but all with a consistent tone of serenity—my most soothing mix yet.”

Here links to all the music used in this mix:

https://mysticjourney.net
https://www.amazon.com/Baraka-Deluxe-Michael-Stearns/dp/B008MZPW4O
https://sherryfinzer.bandcamp.com/album/synesthesia
https://jeffjohnsonarkmusic.bandcamp.com/album/coming-going
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/prospettive-animiche
https://whiteswanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/om-guitar
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-book-of-wanderers
https://whiteswanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dhyana-aman-meditation-of-no-mind
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/projekt2022-name-your-price
https://whaleloryb.bandcamp.com/album/blue-moon-meditation

Thanks Paul for another great mix! Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Suzanne Teng & Gilbert Levy - Sounding the Bell (Shimmer 2022)

05:25 Michael Stearns - Monk with Bell (Baraka 1993)

07:42 Sherry Finzer - Obsidian Shadows (Synesthesia 2022)

10:55 Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning - Shepherding the Wind (Coming, Going 2022)

13:55 Jarguna - Garden of the Mantras (Prospective Animiche 2019)

21:35 Stevin McNamara - Aubade (Om Guitar 2020)

29:00 Forrest Fang - Song of the Wanderer (The Bok of Wanderers 2020)

34:15 Manrose - Tengpoche Monastery (Dhyana Aman 2010)

40:43 Suzanne Teng & Gilbert Levy - Mother and Child (Shimmer 2022)

45:55 Steve Roach - What Remains(excerpt) (Projekt2022 2022)

53:01 Calm Whale - Blue Moon Wind (Blue Moon Meditation 2017)

60:00 end

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A couple of weeks ago I posted the Numinoustrings mix which featured a track by Seabuckthorn. I like the vibe of that mix and how the Seabuckthorn cut fit in. So I reached out to the man behind Seabuckthorn, Andy Cartwright, to see about him creating a guest mix. I was psyched when he said yes!

I am happy to present Transcendental Freq. Similar to Numinoustrings, it falls into the ambient/modern classical category. This set does exactly what I love about guest mixes - it combines familiar artists with new discoveries and tosses in a surprise or two. Andy saves the best surprise for last - an unreleased Seabuckthorn song recorded last year.

Here a link to Seabuckthorn music on Bandcamp - https://seabuckthorn.bandcamp.com/music

And here are links to all the music used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://seabuckthorn.bandcamp.com/album/of-no-such-place https://boomkat.com/products/camo-06cba13d-7559-414d-96e0-d1875a1a534d https://aeolian.bandcamp.com/album/the-complete-landings https://astralindustries.bandcamp.com/album/ai-30-cardamom-laudanum https://highaurad.bandcamp.com/album/no-river-long-enough-doesnt-contain-a-bend https://setfiretoflames.bandcamp.com/album/telegraphs-in-negative-mouths-trapped-in-static-2 https://lowtheband.bandcamp.com/album/things-we-lost-in-the-fire https://enniomorricone.bandcamp.com/album/crime-and-dissonance https://seabuckthorn.bandcamp.com/album/of-no-such-place https://facture.bandcamp.com/album/unstill https://nathanmoody.bandcamp.com/album/tudes-i-blue-box https://mandysoundtrack.bandcamp.com/album/mandy-original-motion-picture-soundtrack https://ambientoan.bandcamp.com/album/hist-s-lusis https://kningdisk.bandcamp.com/album/the-journey https://aeolian.bandcamp.com/album/the-complete-crow-autumn https://ianwilliamcraig.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-magnesium-173 https://williamryanfritch.bandcamp.com/album/at-once-there-was-no-horizon https://williamtyler.bandcamp.com/album/new-vanitas https://benfrost.bandcamp.com/album/by-the-throat

Thanks to Andy Cartwright for creating this fine mix. Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00.00 Seabuckthorn – Fell Into Journey (Laaps 2022)
01:40 Ben Bondy – I Thought You'd Look Away (Good Morning Tapes 2022)
05:30 Richard Skelton – Undertow (Sustain Release 2009)
08:55 Mystic AM – The Dervish (Astral Industries 2022)
11:25 High Aura'd – All The Spirits That Dance (Debacle Records 2017)
13:47 Set Fire To Flames – Your Guts Are Like Mine (Alien8/Fat Cat 2003)
15:30 Low – Whitetail (Kranky 2001)
19:50 Ennio Morricone - Ninna Nanna Per Adulteri (Ennio Morricone 1968)
22:38 Seabuckthorn – Jagged Horizon (Laaps 2022)
25:20 Andy Cartwright – A Diary Of Sorts (Fluid Audio 2021)
28:12 Nathan Moody – Cobalt (Studio Obsidian 2017)
29:25 Johann Johannsson - Mandy Love Theme (Lakeshore Records 2018)
31:16 Toán -Inland (Eilean Rec 2017)
34:44 Voice Of The Seven Woods – Breaking Moonlight (Kning Disk 2008)
36:00 A Broken Consort – Like Rain (Aeolian 2011)
38:28 Ian William Craig – Its A Sound, Not An Ocean (Fatcat 2022)
42:50 William Ryan Fritch - At Once, There Was No Horizon (Lost Tribe Sound 2020)
45:05 William Tyler – Slow Nights Static (Merge Records 2020)
48:02 Ben Frost - Leo Needs A New Pair Of Shoes (Bedroom Community 2009)
51:30 Seabuckthorn - Phthalo (Unreleased Song)
54:08 end

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I was going to say - "...and now for something completely different" because this mix is louder than normal. But having recently posted a Robert Fripp mix I guess this isn't "completely different." However, this mix is, as the title says, a little louder than a normal Low Light ambient mix.

As per usual the mix started with one album in particular - Mox by Mox from 1998. I absolutely loved it when it came out in '98. I stumbled upon it a couple weeks back and decided to build a mix around non-ambient instrumentals. Some of the tunes have a kraut rock vibe, some are jazzy, some have a retro feel, and others are just cool. More than half the tracks are from 2022 with one of the old ones going all the way back to 1973.

I hope you enjoy this diversion. We'll be back to ambient soon. Oof, I just realized that I should start thinking about best of the year lists. Any suggestions?

Cheers!

T R A CK L I S T :

00:00 MOX - Wig (MOX 1998)
04:40 Project Gemini - Scorpios Waltz (The Children Of Scorpio 2022)
07:52 Surprise Chef - New Ferrari (Daylight Savings 2022)
12:05 Ghost Power - Asteroid Witch (Ghost Power 2022)
15:33 Pneumatic Tubes - Saw Teeth (A Letter from TreeTops 2022)
19:25 Cathode Ray Tube - Invisibility (The Burning Century 2022)
24:50 Oren Ambarchi & Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin - I (Ghosted 2022)
32:32 The Comet Is Coming Lucid Dreamer (Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam 2022)
35:57 Passengers - One Minute Warning (Original Soundtracks 1 1995)
39:10 Dungen - Trollkarlen och fageldrakten version 2 (Haxan Versions 2017)
44:20 Can - Spray (Future Days 1973)
49:23 AI Lover - Stereoscopic View (Cosmic Joke 2022)
54:10 Polyoctopus - Ill Patience (Central Standards, A Strange Melodic Shape 2004)
57:43 Rain Tree Crow - Big Wheels In Shanty Town (Rain Tree Crow 1991)
63:59 end

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Many times a new mix is inspired by a track or album. In this case it was the new album, The Road Not Taken by Ecovillage.

The album is full of long, deep string vibrations that carry you along from track to track, place to place, and memory to memory. This is one of my favorite albums of the year.

So I went looking for, not just string based tunes, but tracks that had a similar slow, reflective pull. Sometimes a mix with track that are too similar can be stale but in this case the mix becomes one long meditation. As the tracks bleed one into another I experience an almost devotional trance, an ethereal sojourn.

Here are links to all the music used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://laaps-records.com/album/the-road-not-taken https://seabuckthorn.bandcamp.com/album/of-no-such-place https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/floating-world-reflections-on-36-views-of-newland-island https://kasperbjorke.bandcamp.com/album/mother https://andrewheath.bandcamp.com/album/a-is-for-autumn https://annemuller.bandcamp.com/album/heliopause https://lineimprint.bandcamp.com/album/vast https://ambientologist.bandcamp.com/album/sustain-series-vol-3 https://alderandashmusic.bandcamp.com/album/if-this-were-my-body https://manwatchingthestars.bandcamp.com/album/the-sextant-of-a-blind-seafarer https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/restful-spaces https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/cin-ma-noir https://ambientologist.bandcamp.com/album/venusia Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ecovillage - Ascend(ft. Henrik Meierkord) (The Road Not Taken 2022)
04:09 Seabuckthorn - So It Remains (Of No Such Place 2022)
07:40 tapes and topographies - the floating world (floating world - reflections on 36 views of newland island 2022)
12:55 Kasper Bjørke Quartet - Formation (Mother 2022)
18:18 Andrew Heath & Simon McCorry - Tree Shadows (A Is For Autumn 2022)
20:36 Anne Mueller - Heliopause (Heliopause 2019)
25:12 't Geruis - Tastbare Stilte, Zilver (Vast 2022)
30:33 Halftribe & Seabuckthorn - Sway (Ambientologist Sustain Series, Vol. 3 2022)
36:20 Adrian Copeland - Stars With No Sky (If This Were My Body 2022)
40:55 Man Watching the Stars - Na Leigheasan • UGC 10214 (The Sextant of a Blind Seafarer 2022)
46:15 Harry Towell & Guy Gelem - Sefad (Restful Spaces 2022)
50:40 glåsbird - restless progress (cinéma noir 2022)
53:40 Henrik Meierkord, Pawel Kobak, Marco Lucchi & Rocco Saviano - Sunshine(Stilla Natt) (Venusia 2022)
57:06 Anne Mueller - Nummer 2 (Heliopause 2019)
63:00 end

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Well, Christ on a bicycle, this midterm election season was a shit show. So here is a mix of beautiful ambient tracks to help us all heal and recover.

Here are links to all the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://uthermoads.depthsoundrecordings.co.uk/album/uther-moads https://www.amazon.com/FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE-Brian-Eno/dp/B0B784PGSY https://slaapwel.bandcamp.com/album/particles https://12kmusic.bandcamp.com/album/skal-ghost https://ruvennunez.bandcamp.com/track/untitled-no-51 https://nilsfrahm.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-animals https://astralindustries.bandcamp.com/album/ai-25-the-transition-recordings https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/misty-memories https://junglegymrecords.bandcamp.com/album/jgt70-nocturne https://junglegymrecords.bandcamp.com/album/jgt79-emergent-rays https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/partial-deletion-of-everything-vol-2 https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/a-is-for-autumn Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Uther Moads - Future Waves (Uther Moads 2011)
03:53 Brian Eno - Making Gardens Out Of Silence (FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE 2022)
11:30 Katharina Schmidt - Particles (Particles 2022)
19:00 Taylor Deupree & Arovane - Sill Lili (Skal_Ghost 2022)
22:45 Ruven Nunez - Untitled No. 51 (Untitled No. 51 2022)
30:00 Nils Frahm - Stepping Stone (Music For Animals 2022)
35:30 Son of Chi & Radboud Mens - Side A excerpt (AI-25: The Transition Recordings 2022)
43:15 From Overseas & City of Dawn - Silent Friends (Misty Memories 2022)
47:40 V. Kristoff - Creek II (Nocturne 2022)
54:25 Jason Letkiewicz - Emergent Ray I (Emergent Rays 2022)
58:00 Monogoto - Komorebi(deletion 47) (Partial Deletion of Everything Vol. 2 2022)
61:55 Andrew Heath & Simon McCorry - Rain (A is for Autumn 2022)
65:05 end

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I wasn't planning on making a Halloween themed mix but a couple of days ago I heard a new album called "Xiuxiuejar" by Hekla and I knew I had to use some tracks in a mix. Hekla is an Icelandic musician who use the theremin to create haunting, other-worldly soundscapes. Perfect for a Halloween mix.

Some of the other tracks follow a similar vibe I have used for creepy mixes in the past, sort of a dark jazz feel. Then I mix in some noisy stuff, some ambient & some other oddities. I don't want these mixes to be ultra dark doom ambient but this is more off-kilter than most Low Light Mixes.

After finding the theremin tracks from Hekla I was reminded of a very theremin-like instrument - the Ondes Martenot. It looks like a piano or organ but sounds like a theremin and it's played by sliding a ring attached to wires up and down the keyboard. Check out this video for an idea of how it's played and what it sounds like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0aflcF0-ys

There are two tracks in the mix that use the Ondes Martenot. They are Tindersticks - The Strangler & Christine Ott - Pluie. I believe Christine Ott plays the instrument on the Tindersticks track as well as her own. Radiohead is famous for using the Odnes Martenot in a few songs. Maybe I'll make an entire mix featuring the instrument someday.

Here are the links to all the music used in this mix:

https://phantomlimblabel.bandcamp.com/album/xiuxiuejar https://buenaureliomalazar.bandcamp.com/album/pre-pro-post https://theodoreshapiro.bandcamp.com/album/severance-season-1-apple-tv-original-series-soundtrack https://elikeszler.bandcamp.com/album/empire https://tindersticks.bandcamp.com/album/minute-bodies-the-intimate-world-of-f-percy-smith https://facture.bandcamp.com/album/unstill https://williamselman.bandcamp.com/album/pavaka-group https://thephonometrician.bandcamp.com/album/c-iste-bodharhttps://johnbutcher1.bandcamp.com/album/resonant-spaces https://tgeruis.bandcamp.com/album/bain-d-toiles https://christineott.bandcamp.com/album/time-to-die https://astrangelyisolatedplace.bandcamp.com/album/a-state-of-decrepitude https://dekorder.bandcamp.com/album/sentimental-favourites https://bloxhamtapes.bandcamp.com/album/magnetism https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/a-is-for-autumn https://grails.bandcamp.com/album/black-tar-prophecies-vols-4-5-6 https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-sense-to-fade https://williamryanfritch.bandcamp.com/album/built-upon-a-fearful-void https://aaronmartin.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-of-medicine-original-score

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Hekla - Hrakföll (Xiuxiuejar 2022) 03:18 Buen Aurelio Malazar - pre.sagio (pre pro post 2020) 04:49 Theodore Shapiro - After Hours (Severance Soundtrack 2022) 06:45 Eli Keszler - The Tenth Part Of A Featured World (Empire 2019) 09:15 Tindersticks - The Strangler (Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith 2017) 12:20 Andy Cartwright - Seeker (Unstill 2021) 14:00 Pavaka Group - I Am Void (Pavaka Group 2022) 15:43 The Phonometrician - Death is a Woman (Cóiste Bodhar 2022) 18:00 John Butcher - Wind Piece (Resonant Spaces 2006) 18:49 't Geruis - L'Appel (Bain D'Étoiles 2022) 21:35 Christine Ott - Pluie (Time to Die 2021) 26:30 Wanderwelle - Decay (A State of Decrepitude 2020) 30:25 Andrew Pekler - Close to Strangers (Sentimental Favourites 2011) 32:17 Lars Rynning & Suren Seneviratne - Solar Wind (Magnetism 2020) 33:35 Andrew Heath & Simon McCorry - From Darkness (A is for Autumn 2022) 37:02 Hekla - Sólin Gekk (Xiuxiuejar 2022) 42:53 The Phonometrician - I See Youy (Cóiste Bodhar 2022) 47:55 Grails - Bad Bhang Recipe (Black Tar Prophecies Vols 1, 2, 3 2006) 49:50 Darkroom - The Shadowy Side of the Hill ( The Last Sense to Fade 2021) 54:50 William Ryan Fritch - Lay Hands Upon Us (Built Upon a Fearful Void 2021) 57:39 Aaron Martin - Buried in Waves (The End of Medicine 2022) 59:09 Hekla - Tangarhald (Xiuxiuejar 2022) 60:20 end

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As we are getting closer to the end of the year I figured it was time for some quiet indie tunes from 2022.

This collection goes from the slow pop of Monica Martin to the ambient vocals of Brian Eno to the simple folk sound of Phosphorescent to a Joni Mitchel cover. My favorite track is "This Is How It Works" by Angel Olsen. It will probably be in my top three songs of the year.

Enjoy these vocal tunes, I'll get back to ambient soon.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 David Byrne And Yo La Tengo - Who Has Seen The Wind 02:42 Monica Martin - Go Easy, Kid 06:37 The Smile - Open the Floodgates 10:44 Kevin Morby - Stop Before I Cry 15:33 Shearwater - Aqaba 20:30 Angel Olsen - This Is How It Works 26:42 Courtney Marie Andrews - These Are The Good Old Days 29:11 Peter Gabriel - Here It Is 34:10 Brian Eno - There Were Bells 38:34 Flock Of Dimes - Amelia 44:16 Big Thief - Change 49:04 Mamak Khadem - Dead and Alive 54:14 Phosphorescent - Meridian, MS 56:27 end

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A few months ago a friend and I were talking about King Crimson & Robert Fripp. He is not as familiar with Fripp's work as I am so I started a playlist of not just Crimson tracks but also other excellent Fripp guitar work with other artists such as Brian Eno, David Bowie, David Sylvian, Hall & Oates(yes, Hall & Oates!) & others.

This week I decided to finally make a mix of some of the tracks. I wasn't sure if or when I'd post it online. Then this morning I see that today, Oct. 19th, is the global premiere of the King Crimson documentary "In The Court Of The Crimson King: King Crimson at 50". What a perfect coincidence!

I guess that makes the decision for me about when to post the mix. So here it is - a collection of some of my favorite Fripp guitar work. In order to keep the length manageable I had to leave out some great tracks like Bowie - Heroes, King Crimson - Lark's Tongue is Aspic, Talking Heads - I Zimbra, Fripp & Eno Heavenly Music Corp. & several others. I think the tracks I settled on cover a wide range and fit together nicely over the 84 minutes of the mix.

If anyone is interested the documentary will be shown in a special streaming event this weekend on Oct. 22nd. Here's the link - https://www.nugs.net/live-download-of-king-crimson-in-the-court-of-the-crimson-king.-king-crimson-at-50.-london-gb-10-22-2022-mp3-flac-or-online-music-streaming/621290-WEBCASTVARIANT.html

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T : 00:00 David Sylvian - Upon This Earth (Gone to Earth 1986) 06:12 Fripp & Eno - Evening Star (Evening Star 1975) 13:38 The Roches - Hammond Song (The Roches 1979) 19:00 Brian Eno - St. Elmo’s Fire (Another Green World 1975) 21:41 David Bowie - Teenage Wildlife (Scary Monsters 16980) 28:15 King Crimson - Fracture (Starless and Bible Black 1974) 37:23 David Sylvian & Robert Fripp - God’s Monkey (The First Day 1993) 42:11 Brian Eno - Baby’s On Fire (Here Come the Warm Jets 1974) 47:24 King Crimson - Space Groove II(edit) (ProjeKt Two Space Groove 1998) 55:00 King Crimson - Sailor’s Tale (Islands 1971) 61:20 King Crimson - Starless (Red 1974) 73:30 David Sylvian - Wave(version) (Camphor 2002) 76:15 Fripp & Eno - Meissa (The Equatorial Stars 2004) 84:05 end

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s o l a c e g a t h e r s t h e s i l e n c e o f t h e s e a

Anyone who has followed this mix blog for more than a minute knows I like sea themed mixes. I like the ebb & flow, the washes of synth sounds and especially echoing sounds, like a bell or buoy pinging in the distance or underwater echolocation.

So this mix continues that vibe. Lots of new music and lots of echolocation.

Here are links to all the music used in this mix in the order in which it appears:

https://audio.submersion.info/album/parallel-motion https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/slicing-space-time-into-objects https://ab-mosscoveredtechnology.bandcamp.com/album/brick-and-air https://hibernate.bandcamp.com/album/sub-aquatic-spheres https://gylden.bandcamp.com/album/island-friend https://archive.org/details/AProduceASmoothSurface/TPC+It+Comes+In+Waves.mp3 https://taylordeupree.bandcamp.com/album/harbor https://shop.silentseason.com/album/the-waves https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/as-the-night-comes-softly-down https://taylordeupree.bandcamp.com/album/the-inland-sea https://greinke.bandcamp.com/album/noctilucent

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Submersion - Alignment (Parallel Motion 2020) 02:25 xu - a1. slicing space-time into objects (slicing space-time into objects 2022) 06:25 Moss Covered Technology - Brick & Air VI (Brick and Air 2022) 09:40 Spheruleus - The Ocean Yawns (Sub-Aquatic Spheres 2020) 14:18 Gylden - Bug light (Island Friend 2022) 18:55 A Produce - It comes in waves (A Smooth Surface 2004) 25:45 Taylor Deupree - Harbor (Harbor 2022) 29:20 ASC - Kelp Forest (The Waves 2019) 35:45 landtitles - fragments(of) (as the night comes softly down 2022) 37:20 Taylor Deupree - Too Close To Being Far Away From Everything (The Inland Sea 2022) 45:50 Jeff Greinke - Undercurrent (Noctilucent 2022) 52:15 ASC - Nautical Depths (The Waves 2019) 59:53 end

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Certain instruments seem suited for particular settings or seasons. I've always thought that piano works well as a winter accompaniment. Twangy guitar goes well with hot weather. And trumpet feels right at home during autumn.

Which brings us to the latest collection from Paul Asbury Seaman - Autumn Trumpet. The mix sets the mood perfectly. Here's what Paul has to say about it:

“No Scandinavian angst this time, just mellow trumpet and, hopefully, some pleasant surprises. Mostly very languid night music, interspersed with a bit of fall color and swirling leaves... The contemplative theme seems to fit with the season—my favorite).”

Thanks for another excellent set, Paul.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Miles Davis - Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysees(Take 2) (Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud 1958)
05:22 Patrick O'Hearn - Eldorado (Eldorado 1989)
10:00 Tom Harrell - Dublin (Infinity 2019)
19:32 Herb Alpert - Fandango (Fandango 1982)
23:02 Chuck Mangione - Consuelo's Love Theme (Children Of Sanchez 1978)
30:33 Matthew Halsall - The Temple Within (The Temple Within 2022)
35:32 Enrico Rava - Interiors (New York Days 2009)
42:52 Jeff Oster - From The Dreamtime (True 2007)
47:00 Jeff Greinke - The Milky Way (Scenes from a Train 2013)
53:18 Meg Bowles - Night Sun Journey (From The Dark Earth 1997)
60:42 Patrick O'Hearn - Upon the Wings of Night (Indigo 1991)
68:28 end

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On September 7, NPR dropped an episode of All Songs Considered about an enormous new compilation album called "For The Birds: The Birdsong Project." It's a massive collection of original songs and poems about birds and inspired by birdsong. Artists range from Alice Coltrane, Nick Cave, Laurie Anderson, and The Flaming Lips to Sam Prekop, Devendra Banhart, Yo Yo Ma, and of course Andrew Bird & Jeff Tweedy.

Here's a link to the episode - https://www.npr.org/2022/09/06/1121237661/this-episode-is-for-the-birds

As I listened to the collection for a few days at work, my ambient brain thought of using some of the instrumental tracks in a mix. So for this mix all the tracks come from The Birdsong Project. Most of the cuts have worked bird sounds in with the music.

Unfortunately this collection is not available on Bandcamp. So it's very expensive to buy the full compilation, with the vinyl box set selling for $400 and the mp3 downloads going for $38 per volume. So I would suggest listening to the collection on Spotify which you can find here - https://www.audubon.org/news/the-birdsong-project-box-set

Here's one more link to check out - https://www.thebirdsongproject.com/

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Shearwater - Kwitaro Backbone
05:33 Sam Prekop - Stations Parallel
10:12 Aska Matsumiya - Tori No Uta
12:57 Paul Cantelon - Hymn for Four Birds
18:41 Makaya McCraven - For The Birds
21:27 Elliot Bergman - Crow Dialectic
25:27 Andrew Bird - Rare Birds
32:22 Joachim Cooder - Carolina Turtledove
34:55 Carla dal Forno - Morning Maggie
37:04 Devendra Banhart - Ka
40:20 Dexter Story - Wefoch(Birds)
43:40 Stuart Bogie - Far Rockaway
49:11 Woodkid - Altamira Oriole
51:57 Marcelo Zarvos - Nightbird
55:39 Cosmo Sheldrake - Evening Chorus(Live in the Bluebell Woods)
60:27 end

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Two water themed mixes in a row is a coincidence but one I'm glad has happened. The different styles of the two most recent mixes show that a similar theme can be approached in distinct ways. Paul does a great job of mixing various genres into one coherent mix.

Here's what Paul has to say about Mystical Waterwheel:

“The image I have for this mix is children running along a babbling brook, climbing over rocks to follow the stream downhill through a forest, then discovering a stone millhouse powered by a waterwheel, the slow turning of its paddles (and the muffled thumping of the wooden cogs inside) making a steady contrast to the rushing water, now spent and quietly merging with the larger river.

From figuring prominently in Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai to a perennial subject of autumn calendars, waterwheel mills are a ubiquitous symbol of pastoral tranquility. You’ll find plenty of good vibes—and marimbas—on this one.”

Oh man, that Oregon track really takes me back. Thanks Paul for another excellent musical journey.

Links to the music used in this mix:

https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/earth-luminous https://searec.bandcamp.com/album/waterwheel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009L7C88A/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp https://davidhelpling.bandcamp.com/album/sleeping-on-the-edge-of-the-world https://whaleloryb.bandcamp.com/album/magic-kalimba-meditation https://trentemoller.bandcamp.com/album/miss-you https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CVUVZ0/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm https://sebtaylor.bandcamp.com/album/defiance https://shiftingparadigmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/waterwheel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029ONQHO/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VFVM8I/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm https://squidlid.bandcamp.com/album/steam-powered-submarine https://anantakara.art/album/forgotten-key https://sopercussion.bandcamp.com/album/threads-2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQJJSBC/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm https://kronosquartet.bandcamp.com/album/pieces-of-africa https://www.discogs.com/release/518367-Nik-Tyndall-Lagoon https://robertrich.bandcamp.com/album/tactile-ground https://www.amazon.com/Classical-Sonos-Johann-Sebastian-Bach/dp/B000003Y34/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1DK5PW9YN9EF0&keywords=Sonos+Handbell+Ensemble&qid=1663506658&s=dmusic&sprefix=sonos+handbell+ensemble+%2Cdigital-music%2C89&sr=1-4 https://music.erikfriedlander.com/album/rings https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/earth-luminous

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Erik Wollo & Byron Metcalf - Linked Stars (Earth Luminous 2016)
02:30 dDarkwater - Waterwheel (Waterwheel 2021)
04:35 Bryan Carrigan - Masquerade (Windows 2012)
09:25 David Helpling - Promise (Sleeping on the Edge of the World 1999)
14:15 Calm Whale - Magic Kalimba Meditation (Magic Kalimba Meditation 2021)
23:33 Trentemoller - Miss You (Miss You 2008)
27:18 Oregon - Waterwheel (Out of the Woods 1978)
33:25 Kaya Project - Welcome To The Endless Spinning Wheel (Defiance 2022)
39:26 Daniel Thatcher - Im Alpental (Waterwheel 2021)
45:52 Camel - Rain Dances (Rain Dances 1991)
48:31 Uakti - Japurá River (Aguas da Amazonia 1999)
52:57 SQUID LID - Waterwheel Waltz (Steam Powered Submarine 2009)
55:42 Anantakara - La Force Du Coeur (Forgotten Key 2021)
59:02 So Percussion - Threads: X. Chorale Prelude (Threads 2011)
63:19 Shadowfax - Vajra (Shadowfax 1982)
67:32 Kronos Quartet - Escalay 'Waterwheel' (Pieces Of Africa 1992)
71:24 Nik Tyndall - Timeless (Lagoon 1990)
76:50 Robert Rich - The Abiding Wheel (Tactile Ground 2018)
81:40 Sonos Handbell Ensemble - II. Concerto in A minor(Adagio) (Classical Sonos)
85:28 Erik Friedlander - Waterwheel (Rings 2016)
90:10 Erik Wollo & Byron Metcalf - Distant Future (Earth Luminous 2016)
97:21 end

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I love the strange exotic sounds of artists such as Jon Hassell, Andrew Pekler, and William Selman. Their music can take you on an audio journey to imaginary places halfway around the globe. My first 4th World Excursion mix was 4 years ago and I've only done one follow up, which is weird considering how much I enjoy this style.

Here are the first two in this series:

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/folding-water-fourth-world-excursions/

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/strange-beauty-4th-world-excursions-vol-2/

And here is the new follow up - 4th World Excursions - Slow Water.

This new mix follows a similar pattern and feel as the other two - using a combination of field recordings and the sounds of bells, drums, vibraphone, various mallet instruments, the vibe creates a feeling of floating in a small wooden boat in a lagoon somewhere in Indonesia. As the waves lap against the boat you can hear distant drums, crickets, jungle birds, frogs, and odd instruments lulling you to sleep. Of course there are electronic elements to keep things interesting.

Here links to all the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://summerrecreationcamp.bandcamp.com/album/liquid-rhythm
https://vagueimaginaires.bandcamp.com/album/l-le-dor
https://riteshindi.bandcamp.com/album/animas-k
https://ulyssa.bandcamp.com/album/rio-nilo-66
https://huinalidub.bandcamp.com/album/early-horizons-hnl008
https://graphicalrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/ocean-front-property
https://mikecooper.bandcamp.com/album/oceans-of-milk-and-treacle
https://andrewpekler.bandcamp.com/album/palimpsests
https://williamselman.bandcamp.com/album/naming-before-names
https://handstitched.bandcamp.com/album/teygja-part-b
https://paulineannastrom.bandcamp.com/album/angel-tears-in-sunlight
https://hawsepiper.bandcamp.com/album/red-knot-returns
https://andrewpekler.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-from-phantom-islands
https://www.sargasso.com/product/felipe-otondo-mombasa/
https://real-soon.bandcamp.com/album/the-sun-in-the-east

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jason Kolàr - Bells (Liquid Rhythm 2022)
04:00 Vague Imaginaries - Montagnes Flottantes (L'île D'or 2020)
07:50 Jarguna - Shuar Tales (Animas-k 2021)
10:20 Thunder & FX
11:40 Ethan Braun & Sam Gendel - 1/2 Sculpture (Rio Nilo 66 2021)
14:40 David de la Haye - The Pond Listener (With Ears Underwater 2022)
15:20 David de la Haye - March Towards the Light (With Ears Underwater 2022)
16:05 Inhmost - Waters Edge (Early Horizons 2021)
20:10 Mark Templeton - Channel Shifting (Ocean Front Property 2020)
22:00 Mike Cooper - Towards Great Piles Of Masonry (Oceans Of Milk & Treacle 2022)
23:45 Andrew Pekler & Giuseppe Ielasi - Baden-Baden (Palimpsests 2021)
26:12 Jason Kolàr - Magic Random Exotism (Liquid Rhythm 2022)
29:15 Vague Imaginaries - Mais (L'île D'or 2020)
34:40 William Selman - Realgar Bay (Naming Before Names 2020)
40:18 Maps and Diagrams - One Day (Teygja Part B 2021)
42:35 Pauline Anna Strom - Tropical Rainforest (Angel Tears in Sunlight 2021)
47:25 Hawsepiper - Air Stones (Red Knot Returns 2021)
51:15 Andrew Pekler - Tuanahe (Sounds From Phantom Islands 2019)
55:15 Felipe Otondo – Mombasa (Mombasa 2022)
57:25 Loren Nerell & Mark Seelig - Kayon (Tree of Life 2014)
58:45 Ultramarine - Signals Into Space (The Sun in the East 2020)
65:00 end

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The Handpan, or Hang, is a percussion instrument related to the Caribbean steelpan instrument. It is like a convex version of a steel drum with the two halves attached together. The instrument has been used in a lot of new age music and faux new-age eastern mysticism. Like a lot of new age music instrumentation there is a fine line between enjoyable, relaxing ambient and new age schlock. Unfortunately, many time use of the handpan falls into the latter category.

That being said, I do occasionally like the sound of the handpan and I don't care about healing energy and mystical power crapola. I just like the sound. While relaxing outside on my deck I came across Musical Incense vol. 1 by Laura Inserra. It became my go to music for zoning out in a chaise lounge while doom-scrolling Twitter, a habit I really need to break.

I decided to make an all handpan mix. The vibe is slow and relaxing. Sometimes handpan players can show off with their hands racing around the instrument to create intricate patterns. That style has its place but not in this mix. I tried to keep the pace slow and the vibe relaxing.

I can imagine some folks complaining that it all sounds the same. But that's what I like about this mix - it feels like one long handpan track. I can really zone out to it.

Here are links to all the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://laurainserra.bandcamp.com/album/musical-incense-vol-1
https://www.amazon.com/Rhythms-Sleep-Music-Deep-Rest/dp/1622034368
https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Ceremony-James-Hood/dp/B01AXMDN5I
https://whaleloryb.bandcamp.com/track/awaken-earth-handpan-journey
https://laurainserra.bandcamp.com/album/musical-incense-vol-1
https://www.amazon.com/Reiki-Healing-Music-Christopher-Wolves/dp/B004H1Z31Y
https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Ceremony-James-Hood/dp/B01AXMDN5I
https://ravidgoldschmidt.com/product/calm-upon-you/

Kick back and come along on this relaxing handpan journey.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Laura Inserra - Passage I (Musical Incense vol. 1)
05:40 Christopher Of The Wolves - Dream Sequence (Rhythms Of Sleep)
13:52 James Hood - Stereoscopic Mindgasm (Pure Ceremony)
18:10 Calm Whale - Awaken Earth - Handpan Journey
30:45 Laura Inserra - Passage III (Musical Incense vol. 1)
40:15 Christopher Of The Wolves - Surrender (Reiki - Healing Music)
51:12 James Hood - 12 Uses of Time (Pure Ceremony)
59:00 Ravid Goldschmidt - Calm Upon You(hang solo) (Calm Upon You)
63:45 end

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I have been making stargazing and space themed mixes for a long time. But I realized that I haven't posted a straightforward stargazing mix for almost two years. So this mix fixes that.

All the tracks are fairly new, with half of them being from this year. Some tracks are from low light mixes regulars like Loscil, Loneward and Hipnotic Earth alongside new discoveries like RIKAAR, Tone Color and Audio Obscura.

Here are links to all the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://triplicaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/malin-1
https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/our-unyielding-sky
https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/starfish-giant-foams
https://www.amazon.com/Xerrox-Vol-4-Alva-Noto/dp/B087SDHPRK/ref=tmm_acd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
https://hrresonance.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-realms
https://dewtonerecordings.com/album/dwelling-in-light
https://motionfield.bandcamp.com/album/evolve
https://tapesandtopographies.bandcamp.com/album/modalities
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/moments-of-immersion
https://triplicaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/triplicate-tapes-vol-2-space-invaders
https://banabila.bandcamp.com/album/to-yemen-with-love-2
https://loscil.bandcamp.com/album/lifelike

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 RIKAAR - Future Hope to Past Lightyears (Malin 1 2022)
12:15 Loneward - Star Portal (Our Unyielding Sky 2022)
11:58 Hipnotic Earth - Full of Stars (Starfish and Giant Foams 2021)
16:45 Alva Noto - Xerrox Neige (Xerrox Vol. 4 2020)
20:40 Alpha Wave Movement - Timeless Starfields(Infinite Realms 2021)
27:50 Tone Color - The Beauty of Not Knowing (Dwelling in Light 2022)
30:50 Motionfield - Evolve (Evolve 2022)
36:00 Tapes and Topographies - The Worn Surface of Heart (Modalities 2022)
41:40 Pruski - Moment V (Moments of Immersion 2022)
46:00 Audio Obscura - The Quiet Night (Triplicate Tapes Vol. 2 Space Invaders 2021)
49:50 Machinefabriek - Waqūr (To Yemen With Love 2020)
53:14 Loscil - Swipe Enforce (Lifelike 2019)
58:11 end

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Here's a new mix in the "Simply Ambient" series. There is no theme, no story, no big concept - just straightforward ambient music. All the tracks are from 2022 and all the tracks are...Undeniably Ambient.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Innesti - A Collection of Ideas (Folding, A Study 2022)
04:50 Andarctica - Basalt (Basal 2022)
09:00 Gylden - Into The Night (Island Friend 2022)
13:15 Jogging House - Low (Fiber 2022)
20:22 S. van der Toorn - vervlogenheid v (vervlogenheden i-xi 2022)
22:30 halftribe - Concept of Happiness (Elegant, Golden 2022)
26:55 Christopher Hanlon - Light Returning (Dreaming of Summer in Winter 2022)
29:41 Loris S. Sarid - Yellow Lines (Seabed-Sunbath 2022)
32:20 Toàn - Ambre (Phonolite 2022)
36:46 Pruski - Moment III (Moments of Immersion 2022)
41:05 Erik Wøllo - Inversion, part 5 (Inversions 2022)
45:25 ASC - Solitude (Ultimae Records - Isolated 2022)
50:55 David Cordero - Snoqualmie Falls(feat. Carlos Ferreira) (And Stillness Came 2022)
55:20 Alio Die & Dirk Serries - The Shadow Is Slow, The Hour Is Fleeting (The Chapters Of The Eclipse 2022)
64:29 end

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Yes, another train mix. They are just too intriguing and cinematic to pass up. This one come from friend of the blog, Paul Asbury Seaman. Paul has given us some excellent train mixes in the past and this one continues that tradition. This one clocks in at just a bit under 100 minutes! So much great music in one mix.

Here's what Paul says about this set:

“A special summertime extended-play mix… almost 100 minutes of long-distance bliss. This is my sixth train-themed production for Low Light Mixes. (The #‘56’ is just for alliteration.) The Zen concept of “stillness within motion” has long been one of my guiding principles and it struck me recently that train travel is a great illustration of this: You can sit quietly while the world literally rushes by. Trains are a central part of modern history and continue to be woven into the cultural landscape, whether in the movement of consumer goods or the daily commute of suburban workers to desperate families displaced by war. There are many kinds of associations with trains—all vivid, some very dark—and now with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, trains have become not just a symbol of nostalgia, romance and travel, but literally instruments of salvation for millions of people. I have no such pretensions here, but as always, I hope it will sooth and refresh. Once again, sequencers dominate this mix, with their obvious match with the fast clickity-clack of train tracks.”

Thanks again to Paul for this wonderful trip.

Here are links to all the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://sijmusic.bandcamp.com/album/from-inkerman-to-sevastopol
https://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Train-Trevor-Jones/dp/B002JOW24W
https://www.amazon.com/Ax-Inferno-Paul-Speer/dp/B00EDPWL0K
https://gertemmens.bandcamp.com/album/on-the-edge-of-nowhere
https://www.amazon.com/Atmanaut-David-Parsons/dp/B07D74X8XQ
https://halakencollective.bandcamp.com/track/kapadokya
https://www.amazon.com/E2-E4-MANUEL-GOTTSCHING/dp/B0184SDHK4
https://andrewlahiff.bandcamp.com/album/outward-currents
https://sijmusic.bandcamp.com/album/from-inkerman-to-sevastopol
https://solarfields.bandcamp.com/album/ourdom
https://shamansdream1.bandcamp.com/album/prana-pulse
https://redshift2.bandcamp.com/album/life-to-come
https://tangerinedreamofficial.bandcamp.com/album/summer-in-nagasaki
https://johantronestam.bandcamp.com/album/space-collection
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/north-star
https://thombrennan.bandcamp.com/album/eventide
https://larsleonhard.bandcamp.com/album/gravity
https://laddadoane.bandcamp.com/album/quasar
https://cheryl.bandcamp.com/album/the-passenger
https://www.beatport.com/release/journeys/3678764

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 SiJ - Inkerman - Sevastopol #1 (From Inkerman To Sevastopol)
00:46 Trevor Jones - Runaway Train (Runaway Train 1985)
03:00 Paul Speer - Tornado Warning (Ax Inferno 2013)
07:30 Gert Emmens - At the end of the track (On the Edge of Nowhere 2022)
12:50 David Parsons - Perhatian (Atmanaut 2018)
19:38 Mercan Dede - Kapadokya
26:25 Manuel Göttsching - And Sovereignty (E2-E4 1984)
29:12 Andrew Lahiff - Scalar Fields (Outward Currents 2021)
37:05 SiJ - Inkerman - Sevastopol #2 (From Inkerman To Sevastopol)
37:50 Solar Fields - Mountain King (Ourdom 2018)
46:25 Shamans Dream - The Way Through (Prana Pulse 2012)
52:40 Redshift - Vampyre (Life to Come 2015)
58:00 Tangerine Dream - Dreaming In A Kyoto Train (Summer In Nagasaki 2007)
60:45 Johan Tronestam - Deep Field (Space Collection 2017)
67:20 Erik Wøllo - Viewpoint (North Star 2021)
73:00 Thom Brennan - Eventide Pt.3 (Eventide 2022)
77:50 Lars Leonhard - Physical Objects (GRAVITY 2022)
83:50 LAD - Spectral Lines (Quasar 2022)
88:20 Cheryl B. Engelhardt - The Zephyr Remembers (The Passenger 2022)
91:15 Divine Matrix - Journey's End (Journeys 2022)
97:18 end

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About a month ago I presented a guest mix of sleep music from Brian Bieniowski, whom I knew from the heyday of the Hypnos Records forum in the mid 2000s. "That Beautiful Land of Nod" is indeed a beautiful sleep mix.

Thankfully, back in 2007 Brian created two Land of Nod mixes. So here is volume 2 for your listening and sleeping pleasure.

Here is what Brian said about the Land of Nod mixes back in 2007:

"It wasn't until the early nineties when I discovered real ambient music suited for the purpose of lying down and listening. It felt finally natural to take to my bed after starting the CD player and allowing the soft music to carry my mind forth for a while until sleep took hold. This mix, That Beautiful Land of Nod, is the product of over twelve years of "field research" in ambient sleep music. All of the selections, new and old, on these two discs, are pieces of music I have personally played in the times before and during sleep. Each track is special to me, these soothing zones, as they have not only brought me hours of comforted sleep, but also tantalizing, never-lasting minutes of wild and wonderful imagery in those moments before unconsciousness occurs. Each track maps a route across my consciousness over twelve years of sleep listening. It is my honest hope that this becomes the mix you never fully listen to—if you are at all like me, you'll be asleep by track five or six every time. So, please, draw the shades, relax, pleasant dreams...."

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jochem Paap - Dx-Snth (Vrs-Mbnt-Pcs 9598 2)
05:45 Jason Sloan - The Color of Wind 1 (Still)
11:45 Sam Rosenthal & VidnaObmana - Dark Mist, Rain (Terrace of Memories)
16:15 Bill Nelson - Crimsworth(edit) (Crimsworth)
22:30 James Johnson - Surrender(edit) (Surrender)
26:20 Aphex Twin - #19(edit) (Selected Ambient Works, Vol. 2)
29:10 Rod Modell & Michael Mantra - Vitamin K(edit) (Sonic Continuum)
33:30 Ruxpin - Autocaz (Midnight Drive)
38:30 Never Known - Spheres (On the Edge of Forever)
43:10 Oöphoi - Let the Nightsky Envelope Us (Hymns to a Silent Sky)
49:40 Mathias Grassow - Through the Void (The Fragrance of Eternal Roses)
55:12 Aloof Proof - The Ghost Ship(edit) (Expo Two: Piano Text)
58:55 David Sylvian - Approaching Silence(edit) (Approaching Silence)
65:00 Steve Roach - Towards the Blue (Quiet Music)
68:23 end

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Peter van Cooten runs the excellent Ambientblog website which has great reviews and, of course, wonderful mixes. Anytime Peter reaches out with a mix idea or a a set he'd like to cross-post on both of our platforms, I will always jump at the chance.

As I said on Peter's last guest mix, his sets are different from mine in that they are more intricate. He does not use full tracks, instead opting for excerpts and samples piled on each other, sometimes 2, 3, or 4 tracks play simultaneously, to create a new sound collage.

Here's what Peter says about this mix:

"Apart from its opening sample – ‘It is time to stop seeing. It is time to stop speaking. It is time to listen’, from David Cronenberg’s Crimes Of the Future – this mix has no central theme or story. It’s up to you, the listener to take the time to listen and go with the flow. Let your fantasy tell you the story. And, after you did, I’d love to hear what you heard.

This mix is created using many fragments and samples from longer pieces of music, often presented in multiple layers. Check the original compositions using the tracklist below."

Here's a map of the mix, layer upon layer of the 31 tracks used in the collage.

Check out Peter's work here:

https://www.ambientblog.net/blog/ He also does surround sound mixes, which you can find here: https://www.ambientblog.net/blog/the-surround-mix-versions/

And Peter is on Mixcloud - https://www.mixcloud.com/ambientblog/

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T - Start time - Sample Length - Artist - Title Album - Year - Label

00:00 01:12 David Cronenberg - Time To Listen Sample Crimes Of The Future, 2022 00:04 03:35 Dronny Darko & Protou - Sin Eater Liberty: Compilation Of Experimental Music From Ukraine, 2022, Flaming Pines 02:28 02:42 William St. Hugh - Voice Of The Dolphins Dominion, 2022, self-released 04:31 02:16 Tapani Rinne & Teho Majamaki - Lucid Dream On The Border, 2022, Signature Dark 06:13 02:36 Ivan Cebrian & Victor Cerdan - Enemigo Intimo Inside // Outside, 2022, Oigovisiones 06:40 02:30 Park Jiha - At Dawn The Gleam, 2022, Glitterbeat 08:49 02:39 Benedicte Maurseth - Eidfyrder Hárr, 2022, Hubro 10:47 03:51 Bill Fontana - Imaginary Sonic Visions MSCTY Expo Unknown Pleasures Zone, 2022, MSCTY Editions 12:40 02:18 Alva Noto - Odradek (for Jhonn Balance) For, 2006, Line 13:31 01:50 Jacek & Ewa Doroszenko - Night Masque Bodyfulness, 2022, Audiobulb Records 14:17 02:27 Higher Intelligence Agency - The Black Patch Song Of The Machine, 2022, self-released 15:58 02:50 Siddhartha Barnhoorn - Final Ascension Out There, Oceans Of Time, vol. 1, 2022, self-released 18:27 02:24 Mike Lazarev - All That Remains When You Are, 2022, Slowcraft Recordings 20:27 03:17 Orghanon - Dronework V Droneworks I-V, 2022, St.An.Da 22:13 03:27 Aleksi Myllykoski ft Wimme - Composition VI: Inherently Destructive Contamination St. Virus, 2021, Signature Dark 24:37 04:13 Peter Phippen, Rahbi Crawford, Invar Lunde Jr. - Andromeda Galaxies, 2022, Projekt Records 28:46 02:30 Jóhann Jóhansson & Echo Collective - Shell 12 Conversations With Thilo Heinzmann, 2019, Deutsche Grammophon 29:46 05:29 Maggi Payne - Distant Thunder Arctic Winds, 2010, Innova Recordings 33:08 03:07 Leo Kupper - Litanea 1987 Complete Electronic & Voices Works 1961-1987, 2022, Sub Rosa 36:22 04:35 Monty Adkins - Remote Communion Remote Communion, 2020, Cronica 38:56 01:28 Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet - Thunder Continues In The Afternoon Landfall, 2018, Nonesuch 40:11 04:35 Cell - Passive Control Part 1 Onwards System, 2022, Ultimae Records 43:27 03:59 Alphaxone & Protou - Sub Signal Stardust, 2017, Cryo Chamber 45:51 03:03 Wil Bolton & Francis Gri - The Ripples Theory Imaginary Tales, 2022, Krysalisound 47:54 02:11 Xqui - Narrator Pieces Part 2, 2022, Somewherecold Records 48:45 03:57 Michel Banabila - Alienation Monochromes, 2022, Tapu Records 52:21 00:55 Stuart A. Staples - Fluids Music For Claire Denis' High Life, 2019, Lucky Dog 52:31 01:13 Helge Sten - Quad 2 Monochromes, 2014, Bôlt 52:45 02:29 Dean Hurley - Girl Appears /Black Smoke Anthology Resource Vol. I: △△, 2017, Sacred Bones Records 54:00 01:55 I Wound - To Wind, Wound, Wound Homework Year 1, Taâlem 54:52 05:07 Francois Robin & Mathias Delplanque - Le Puits L'Ombre De La Bête, 2022, Parenthèses Records

60:00 end

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It was a little more than ten years ago that I posted my first Sunday Morning Music mix. I had not intended on making it a regular series but the mix did very well on Mixcloud and is partially responsible for starting the explosion of followers the Low Light Mixes feed got in the following years. So I've been creating roughly two per years for 10 years. Yikes! It's kind of crazy to think about how long I've been making these mixes.

This one follows the same formula - some ambient cuts, some jazzy tracks, a few vocal tunes, all resulting in a mellow vibe perfect for sipping coffee on a Sunday morning.

Here are links to all the music used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://timerival.bandcamp.com/album/fell
https://turnonthesunlight.bandcamp.com/album/warm-waves
https://damiandallatorre.bandcamp.com/album/happy-floating
https://auralcanyonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/strawberry-roan
https://idra.bandcamp.com/album/duet
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07987C2PK/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm
https://eccodek.bandcamp.com/album/ventrilokissed
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PRLRSX1/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm
https://shearwater.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-awakening-2022
https://thesmile.bandcamp.com/album/a-light-for-attracting-attention
https://shimmeringmoodsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/of-context
https://ryleywalker.bandcamp.com/album/little-common-twist
https://bjornmeyer.bandcamp.com/album/provenance-2
https://sip-groop.bandcamp.com/album/leos-naturals
https://ctatsu.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-tomato-plants
https://jonhopkins.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-psychedelic-therapy

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Time Rival - Breakfast with Birdsong (Fell 2020)
02:40 Turn On The Sunlight - Warm Waves (Warm Waves 2020)
08:33 Damian Dalla Torre - Where to Go (Happy Floating 2022)
12:27 Cole Pulice & Nat Harvie - Dream Days (Strawberry Roan 2022)
16:27 IDRA - Air and Salt (Duet 2022)
19:03 Peter Banks - No Place Like Home (Be Well, Be Safe, Be Lucky 2018)
20:34 Peppermoth - Sun Dreamer (Ventrilokissed 2021)
24:45 David Byrne And Yo La Tengo - Who Has Seen The Wind (2022)
27:20 Shearwater - Wind Is Love (The Great Awakening 2022)
31:33 The Smile - Open The Floodgates (A Light For Attracting Attention 2022)
35:35 Kittylung - Garden Abandoned (Of Context 2021)
38:07 Charles Rumback & Ryley Walker - Self Blind Sun (Little Common Twist 2019)
42:13 Björn Meyer - Provenance (Provenance 2017)
48:04 SiP - Alice (Leos Naturals 2020)
54:00 Loris S. Sarid - Tano (Music for Tomato Plants 2020)
56:40 Jon Hopkins - Ascending, Dawn Sky (Music For Psychedelic Therapy 2021)
65:03 end

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Set the wayback machine to 2007.

I started creating ambient mixes back in the mid-2000s. Those were the days before social media had taken over our lives, before Bandcamp was such a great resource for ambient music. Back then I spent a lot of time on the Hypnos Records forum. There, a bunch of like-mined music nerds shared comments about new recordings, gear, movies, books, tv, music trends, etc.

We also shared mixes. That was one of the first places I tried to promote my mixes online. Back in 2007 fellow forum member, Brian Bieniowski, created a couple mixes under the Asphalt Eden moniker. These mixes, The Beautiful Land of Nod 1 & 2, are some of my all-time favorites and I've used them as sleep soundtracks for years.

With that as background, a few weeks ago a loyal listener reached out with this request - "Could you post some of the Asphalt Eden super-classics like The Beautiful Land of Nod I and II to your Mixcloud as guest mixes/classics in the field/inspirations to your mixes please? I think your fans would be overjoyed by this, and it would be sheer cultural maintenance."

I contacted Brian and he was kind enough to give the thumbs up to posting these classic mixes. He did not have the original tracklists but somehow was able to reconstruct them by listening to each set. Impressive! Thanks Brian for the mixes and for your memory. Here's a link to his website - https://www.handsometechnologies.com/

So kickback and remember a time before credit default swaps almost cratered the economy, before a reality show host became president, before a coronavirus swept around the globe, before....ugh...I'll stop now. Just sit back and drift away to The Beautiful Land of Nod 1.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

Robert Rich -Seascape (Trances/Drones)
Koda - Where the Morning Light Exits (Movements)
Scott Solter - Wave and Sepia Wire (The Brief Light)
Thom Brennan - Raingardens (Mist)
Robert Fripp and Jeffrey Fayman - The Sky Below (A Temple in the Clouds)
James Johnson?
MLO - Noodle #1
Heavenly Music Corp - Ambient to Be Here (In a Garden of Eden)
Tetsu Inoue & Pete Namlook - 2350 Broadway 2 - Art of Dream
Klaus Wiese - Soma
Rameses III - Queens Road Cemetery - 28th March 2005 (Matanuska)
Brian Eno - Discreet Music (Discreet Music)
Jonn Serrie - Stratos (And the Stars Go With You)

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I made the first Guitarissimo mix 5 years ago. I followed it up a year or so later. But then for some reason it took me 4 years to get to volume 3.

This version is similar to the others the vibe is a bit spaghetti western and dusty, moody, twangy with a little Latin feel. But of course much of it has an ambient vibe.

One of my favorite discoveries while making this mix was Hermanos Gutiérrez. As the name implies the band is brothers - Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez. They create beautiful Latin landscapes with their guitars. Check out their stuff here - https://hermanosgutierrez.bandcamp.com/

Here are links to the two previous Guitarissimo mixes:

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/guitarissimo/
https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2017/04/guitarissimo.html
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/in-a-languid-mood-guitarissimo-2/
http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2018/06/guitarissimo-2-in-languid-mood.html

Links to the albums used in this mix in order of appearance:

https://panamerican.bandcamp.com/album/a-son
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M06S0DW/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
https://richardthompson.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-grizzly-man
https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/a-calf-born-in-winter
https://hermanosgutierrez.bandcamp.com/album/el-camino-de-mi-alma
https://www.amazon.com/Then-Nothing-Turned-Itself-Inside-Out/dp/B00004C4OA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004C4OA/ref=ntt_mus_dp_dpt_5
https://www.amazon.com/Simpatico-Gary-McFarland/dp/B00164POE6
https://bwaarecords.bandcamp.com/album/suwi
https://supergombozprod.bandcamp.com/album/sigi-tolo
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L8D3DZ7/ref=ntt_mus_dp_dpt_15
https://www.amazon.com/Voodoo-Shivaya-Bobby-BeauSoleil/dp/B07D98NK9L/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1656255539&refinements=p_32%3ABobby+BeauSoleil&s=music&sr=1-2
https://suss.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-box-expanded-2
https://hermanosgutierrez.bandcamp.com/album/hijos-del-sol-2
https://panamerican.bandcamp.com/album/the-patience-fader

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Pan American - Sleepwalk Guitars (A Son 2019)
03:24 Brightblack Morning Light - Miwok Shapes (Brightblack Morning Light 2006)
09:00 Richard Thompson - Glencoe (Grizzly Man 2005)
10:40 Khruangbin - A Calf Born in Winter (2014)
13:37 Hermanos Gutiérrez - Hombre Honrado (El Camino de mi Alma 2018)
17:13 Yo La Tengo - Tired Hippo (And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out 2000)
21:51 Gary McFarland Gabor Szabo - Simpatico (Simpatico 1966)
26:29 SUWI - Dessert (Sumi 2020)
30:52 Supergombo - Le reve de Kovacks (Sigi Tolo 2020)
35:10 David Sylvian - The Stigma Of Childhood(Kin) (Rarities 1988-1993)
42:26 Bobby Beausoleil - Saundaria Lahari (Voodoo Shivaya 2018)
50:40 SUSS - Laredo (Ghost Box 2018)
54:20 Hermanos Gutierrez - Railroad Vista (Hijos Del Sol 2020)
56:49 Pan American - Outskirts, Dreamlit (The Patience Fader 2022)
63:16 end

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I've been a fan of the Deutsche Grammophon label for a long time, ever since I got this Steve Reich box set back in the early 80s in college.

I've collected quite a few DG recordings over the years. Over the last 5 years or so I've noticed them branching out and releasing music by a wider variety of artists and music that isn't strictly classical. From Moby to Christian Löffler to Olafur Arnalds to Brian Eno to Clark, the music is surprising for DG but also seems to fit well. After a lot of listening to Parallels by Christian Löffler, I decided to do a mix of recent DG favs. I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Peter Gregson - Opening (Blackbird 2020)
02:34 Johann Johannsson - Divine Objects pt. 1 (Drone Mass 2022)
05:00 Agnes Obel - Can’t Be(Instrumental (Myopia 2020)
08:20 Christian Löffler - Dir Jehova (Parallels 2021)
12:25 Signum Saxophone Quartet- 1957 award montage (Quartet Echoes 2021)
15:41 Tale Of Us - definizione dell impossibile (Endless 2017)
19:46 Joep Beving - Morpheus' Dream (Henosis 2019)
21:36 Olafur Arnalds - Still _ Sound (Some Kind of Peace 2020)
25:45 Alex Baranowski - Constellations (Project 12 2019)
28:13 Benjamin Gustafsson - Silent In A World Of Talking (Project 12 2019)
31:02 Clark - Citrus (Playground in a Lake 2021)
33:20 Max Richter - War Anthem (Three Worlds Music From Woolf Works 2017)
40:05 Moby - God Moving Over the Face of The Waters (2021)
43:17 Peter Gregson Gifts at Dinner (Blackbird 2020)
47:23 Roger Eno & Brian Eno - Marble (Mixing Colours 2020)
53:20 Johann Johannsson & Yair Elazar Glotman - Slow Destruction Of Neptune (Last And First Men 2020)
56:58 Hildur Guðnadóttir - 12 Hours Before (Chernobyl 2019)
59:19 end

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I am always pleased to present a new mix from Paul Asbury Seaman and this one is no exception. It's a great collection of sequencer tracks that hits the ideal vibe. Coming on the heels of my Stranger Synths mix, I was still in a electronic, sequencer mood and this mix kept me in that zone perfectly.

Here's what Paul says about this mix:

“For a lot of people, the term ‘electronic music’ still brings to mind the chaotic synthesizer experiments of its early years, highly abstract and moody ‘space music,’ or the techno dance music that grew out of a merger of ‘70s disco with ‘80s pop. Or the characteristically propulsive textures associated with em godfathers Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream, where a simple sequence of repeating notes provided both rhythm and melody. But some artists (including the aforementioned two) are able to infuse their beeping machines with warm emotions and heartfelt melodies, as presented here—a softer side of the electronic universe. If you like a steady, waterwheel flow and bell-like tones, this one’s for you.”

Paul mentions Klaus Schulze which is appropriate because we timed this mix to be posted just days after the release of the final Klaus Schulze album. I grabbed the last track from that album and made it the final track in this mix as one last tribute to Klaus.

Links to the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://andypickford1.bandcamp.com/album/radiosilence-objective-linearity-general-release-version
https://larsleonhard.bandcamp.com/album/gravity
https://macofbionight.bandcamp.com/album/auralities
https://www.amazon.com/En-Trance-Klaus-Schulze/dp/B01K0BTEDW
https://hollan-holmes.bandcamp.com/album/emerald-waters
https://stateazure.bandcamp.com/album/dreams
https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/spiral-revelation
https://spiraldreams.bandcamp.com/album/journey-to-infinity-ii-24bit
https://fritzmayr.bandcamp.com/album/milky-way
https://tronestamjohan.bandcamp.com/album/next-step
https://klausschulze.bandcamp.com/

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Andy Pickford - Temple of the Wonklord (RadioSilence: Objective Linearity 2022)
07:52 Lars Leonhard - Moon Gravity (Gravity 2022)
15:35 Mac of BIOnighT - Auralities (Auralities 2017)
20:36 Klaus Schulze - Fm Delight (En=Trance 1988)
28:00 Hollan Holmes - The River (Emerald Waters 2022)
33:22 State Azure - Ricochet (Dreams 2020)
41:45 Steve Roach - We Continue (Spiral Revelation 2016)
48:45 SpiralDreams - Pearl in the Sand part1 (Journey to Infinity II 2021)
54:30 Fritz Mayr - North Coast Night Lights (Milky Way 2021)
59:42 Johan Tronestam - Home Sweet Home (Next Step 2021)
66:06 Klaus Schulze - Der Hauch des Lebens Pt. 5 (Deus Arrakis 2022)
71:14 end

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For a while now I've been planning on a drum/percussion mix similar to A Distant Pulse - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/a-distant-pulse/ and A Rhythmic Passage - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/a-rhythmic-passage/

In my search for tracks I came across a track by Vidna Obmana called "The Transcending Quest." It made me nostalgic for the heyday of tribal ambient in the 1990s with artists like Vidna Obana, Steve Roach, O Yuki Conjugate and Thom Brennan. So I decided to make this whole mix a trip back to the 90s for some hang drum and rain stick sounds.

The first thing you may notice is that not all the tunes are from the 1990s. Two are from 2001 and one is from 1989. I say close enough.

The other thing you may hear as you listen is that the tracks all definitely sound very similar. That was purposeful. I wanted the whole set to have a trance-like feel to it.

Sitting right in the middle of all this is one of my favorite ambient tracks of all time - "The Path Not Taken" by Thom Brennan from 1995. When I looked for a Bandcamp link I found he had an entire album by that name and it's only $4. An edited version of part is what was released in 1995 and the whole album remained unreleased until 2019. You can find it here... https://thombrennan.bandcamp.com/album/the-path-not-taken

Links to all the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://cosmicguitartronics.bandcamp.com/album/seed
https://vidnaobmana.bandcamp.com/album/the-transcending-quest
https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/early-man
https://oyukiconjugate.bandcamp.com/album/equator-2
https://thombrennan.bandcamp.com/album/the-path-not-taken
https://www.amazon.com/Maps-Without-Edges-Stillpoint/dp/B000006BYU
https://algromerkhan.bandcamp.com/album/tantra-drums
https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/the-desert-collection-volume-one-2014
https://vidnaobmana.bandcamp.com/album/the-spiritual-bonding

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ma Ja Le & James Johnson - Yaquona(Part 2) (Seed 2001)
09:00 Vidna Obmana - The Transcending Quest (Amplexus 1995)
14:55 Steve Roach - Walking Upright (Early Man 2001)
21:10 O Yuki Conjugate - Insect Talk (Equator 1995)
26:25 Thom Brennan - The Path Not Taken (Amplexus 1995)
37:20 STilLPOiNT - Maps 2&3 (Maps Without Edges 1996)
43:57 Al Gromer Khan - Unmoved Mover (Tantra Drums 1998)
51:10 Steve Roach & Michael Stearns - Flatlands (Desert Solitaire 1989)
55:42 Vidna Obmana - The Nebulous Pathway (The Spiritual Bonding 1994)
60:00 end

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It's been three years since the last season of Netflix's Stranger Things. Now with the 4th season upon us it must be time for a new mix - Stranger Synths 2022. Similar to previous version of Stranger Synths, this takes the retro vibe of the show's soundtrack and collects tracks that sound like they would fit perfectly in the TV series.

I wasn't planning on doing a mix this time around until I stumbled on the opening track Cybernaut by Jonny Fallout. The track can be found on a compilation from Triplicate Records called "Protozoa." As soon as I heard the track I was hit with a great Stranger Things vibe so I knew I had to gather more tracks and put together another mix.

I ended up going back to Triplicate Records three more times for this mix, using tracks from Hverheij, BVSMV, and Willebrant. Check the links below for these artists' album and bandcamp pages.

Here are links to the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://triplicaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/protozoa
https://nilsfrahm.bandcamp.com/album/all-melody
https://ghostbox.greedbag.com/buy/entangled-routes-0/
https://ghostbox.greedbag.com/buy/the-gone-away/
https://foamandsand.bandcamp.com/album/full-circle-2
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/product/experimental-electronic-and-acoustic-soundscapes-1961-88
https://www.amazon.com/Foreigner-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B075GBFQQX
https://boardsofcanada.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrows-harvest
https://docsrecordsandvintage.com/UPC/5056124666993
https://graintable.bandcamp.com/album/universal-ash
https://triplicaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/afterlight
https://ghostbox.greedbag.com/buy/outward-journeys-0/
https://triplicaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/triplicate-tapes-vol-1-datacap
https://peterbaumann.bandcamp.com/album/machines-of-desire
https://paulhaslinger.bandcamp.com/album/halt-and-catch-fire-vol-2-original-television-series-soundtrack
https://tripfm.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-dotted-lines
https://www.amazon.com/Wunderbar-RIECHMANN/dp/B00278FSI2

Artist links: * https://jonnyfallout.bandcamp.com/ * https://nilsfrahm.bandcamp.com/music * https://pyecorneraudio.bandcamp.com/ * https://ghostbox.greedbag.com/belbury-poly/ * https://foamandsand.bandcamp.com/ * https://cliffmartinez.bandcamp.com/music * https://boardsofcanada.bandcamp.com/ * https://graintable.bandcamp.com/music * https://ghostbox.greedbag.com/the-belbury-circle/ * https://bvsmv.bandcamp.com/ * https://peterbaumann.bandcamp.com/releases * https://paulhaslinger.bandcamp.com/music * https://willebrant.bandcamp.com/music

Well, I guess I should go start season 4. Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jonny Fallout - Cybernaut (Protozoa 2021)
03:20 Nils Frahm - #2 (All Melody 2018)
10:20 Pye Corner Audio - Leaf Mould (Entangled Routes 2021)
13:04 Belbury Poly - ffarisees (The Gone Away 2020)
17:01 Foam and Sand - Circle 13 (Full Circle 2022)
19:42 Michael Garrison - To the Other Side of the Sky (Soul Jazz Records presents Space, Energy & Light: Experimental Electronic And Acoustic Soundscapes 1961-88)
23:30 Cliff Martinez - Landscape Gardener (The Foreigner 2017)
26:00 Boards of Canada - Come to Dust ( Tomorrow's Harvest 2013)
29:20 Pye Corner Audio - Decade Counter (Prowler 2015)
34:30 Graintable - Vision Quest (UnIVersal Ash 2019)
38:09 Hverheij - Becoming (Afterlight 2022)
40:42 The Belbury Circle - No Cat's Eyes (Outward Journeys 2017)
45:07 BVSMV - Rubicon (Triplicate Tapes Vol. 1: Datacap 2021)
49:07 Peter Baumann - The Blue Dream (Machines of Desire 2016)
50:48 Paul Haslinger - Dreamers and Misfits (Halt and Catch Fire Vol 2 2019)
53:10 Willebrant - This Day (Music for Dotted Lines 2022)
56:34 Wolfgang Riechmann - Abendlicht (Wunderbar 1978)
60:55 end

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We lost Klaus a few weeks ago and now Vangelis. I'm getting tired of doing these tribute mixes.

His music was my electronic soundtrack to the 80s. I played the daylights out of Antarctica and Soil Festivities back then. And then of course there is Blade Runner. I am still in awe of that soundtrack today.

I don't know what else to say other than I loved his music. Godspeed Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou.

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Vangelis - Theme from Antarctica (Antarctica 1983)
07:23 Vangelis - Movement 1 (Soil Festivities 1984)
24:46 Vangelis - Blade Runner Blue (Blade Runner 1994)
33:20 Vangelis - Opening Titles (The Bounty 1984)
37:11 Vangelis - L'Enfant (Opéra Sauvage 1979)
42:00 Vangelis - Pulstar (Albedo 0.39 1976)
47:06 Vangelis - Movement 4 (Mask 1985)
54:21 Vangelis - Juno's Echoes (Juno to Jupiter 2021)
57:50 Vangelis - Heaven & Hell pt. 1 (Heaven & Hell 1975)
62:04 end

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Seven years ago I did a mix called "Space Rock" that is unique in the Low Light Mixes catalog. It's a collection of instrumental tunes that are guitar driven and are a bit spacey, a little prog rock, and with some post-rock tossed in as well. You can find to original mix here: http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2015/04/space-rock.html

I've always wanted to do a follow-up mix but never got around to until now. So here is "Fractal Panorama - Guitar Space Rock". It's a set of new and old instrumentals with the same vibe as the first mix. I was happy to have dug up some really old cuts from 1972, '73 & '74. I was especially psyched to have stumbled on the Richard Pinhas homage to Robert Fripp with the track "In the Wake of King Fripp" from 1974. But my favorite cut in the mix is "Slowburn" by Sonar With David Torn. It's got this great, slightly menacing vibe to it.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 The Re-Stoned - Fractal Panorama (Stories of the Astral Lizard 2018)
09:50 Dungen - Kalifen(versio) (Haxan - Versions by Prins Thomas 2017)
17:20 Agitation Free - First Communication (2nd 1973)
22:46 Maat Lander - Planet of the Intelligent Gas-shaped Lifeforms (Seasons of Space Book #12017)
27:50 Sonar With David Torn - Slowburn (Tranceportation Vol. 2 2020)
37:00 Papir - IIII (IIII 2014)
41:50 Achim Reichel & Machines - Invitations (Echo 1972)\
46:45 Heldon - In the Wake of King Fripp (Allez Teia 1974)
53:12 My Brother the Wind - Once There Was A Time When Time And Space Were One (Once There Was A Time When Time And Space Were One 2014)
56:32 My Brother the Wind - Epilogue (Once There Was A Time When Time And Space Were One 2014)
60:49 end

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A new album from Tapes and Topographies dropped last week and as expected it is very good. Tapes & Topographies is one of my favorite ambient artists so I asked if they would do a guest mix. And I am happy to present "A Faint Resemblance".

I'm stealing this background info from friend of the blog, Harry Towell over at Whitelabrecs. "Tapes and Topographies is US based artist Todd Gautreau, who has had music releases on labels such as Past Inside the Present, Dronarivm, Shimmering Moods and his own imprint, Simulacra. His project has been active since 2014 following his previous alias Tear Ceremony and he also produces a downtempo as Sonogram."

This mix hits the sweet spot for me - the perfect combo of dusty noise and loops and ambience to create a dreamy, meandering mix. If you like that kind of sound and enjoy the mix the definitely check the new Tapes and Topographies album. Here's the link:

https://tapesandtopographies.bandcamp.com/album/modalities

Here is a list of all the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://tapesandtopographies.bandcamp.com/album/modalities
https://rbeny.bandcamp.com/album/seafoam-dust
https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/hosts-of-living-forms
https://jogginghouse.bandcamp.com/album/holds
https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/color-of-time
https://andrewtasselmyer.bandcamp.com/album/vantage-points
https://jamesoslandaudio.bandcamp.com/album/tomosla-a-small-town-in-the-mountains-released-via-shimmering-moods
https://tapesandtopographies.bandcamp.com/album/modalities
https://halftribe.bandcamp.com/album/archipelago
https://sonogram1.bandcamp.com/album/cubists
https://zakedrone.bandcamp.com/album/sound-space-variations
https://www.amazon.com/Music-Installations-CD-Brian-Eno/dp/B07BF854N4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QMZJTL6540A2&keywords=brian+eno+music+for+installations&qid=1651968434&s=music&sprefix=brian+eno+music+for+insta%2Cpopular%2C78&sr=1-1

Thanks Todd for a great mix!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Tapes and Topographies - With that being said (Modalities 2022)
06:25 r beny - Ektar 100 (Seafoam & Dust 2020)
10:00 The Lifted Index - Chronologic Moss (Host of Living Forms 2021)
13:00 Jogging House - Strangers (Holds 2021)
17:35 Color of Time - Color of Time (Color of Time 2021)
20:05 Andrew Tasselmeyer - Becoming (Vantage Points 2018)
22:22 Tomosla - Possum (A Small Town In The Mountains 2021)
25:20 Tapes and Topographies - Verticals (Modalities 2022)
29:10 Halftribe - Imperfect (Archipelago 2020)
35:05 Sonogram - Certainly Obscured (Cubists 2012)
41:10 zaké - Variation (Sound Space Variations 2022)
44:25 Brian Eno - Chamber Lightness (Lightness 1997)
56:34 end

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Klaus Schulze 1947 - 2022 Klaus Schulze, considered to be a godfather figure in electronic music, died this week. I'd say he was one of the big four of early electronic music pioneers which in addition to Schulze would include Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream.

I've always enjoyed his music but I was a bigger fan of the other three artists in that group. That being said, somehow I still ended up accumulating around 20 of his albums. He released more than 60 during his life.

This mix is a collection of his solo work and his collaborations as well as his early work in the groups Ash Ra Tempel & Cosmic Jokers. This set is expanded in length because so many of his tracks are long. While putting this together is was great to rediscover that I love the album Transfer Station Blue. Check it out if you get the chance.

https://michaelshrieve.bandcamp.com/album/transfer-station-blue

Take time to remember Klaus, listen to this mix and seek out some of his myriad recordings.

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Klaus Schulze - Floating (Moondawn 1976)
07:09 Ash Ra Tempel - Amboss (Ash Ra Tempel 1971)
10:20 Michael Shrieve & Kevin Shrieve & KS - Communique (Transfer Station Blue 1984)
23:10 Pete Namlook & KS - Set the control for the heart of the mother 5 (Dark Side of the Moog 9 2002)
30:48 Lisa Gerrard & KS - Unity (Come Quietly 2009)
32:15 Klaus Schulze - Dune (Dune 1979)
37:55 Cosmic Jokers - Galactic Joke (Cosmic Jokers 1973)
41:50 Stomu Yamashta - Space Requiem (Go 1976)
42:53 Klaus Schulze - Minority Report (Eternal: The 70th Birthday Edition 2017)
55:55 Klaus Schulze - My Ty She (Ballet 3 2007)
1:28:50 Richard Wahnfried - The End - Someday (Trancelation 1994)
1:32:45 end

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Here's the latest in a series of simple, straightforward ambient mixes. It started with Simply Ambient then we also had Always Ambient, Purely Ambient, and Absolutely Ambient.

This is a mix with no theme or story or concept. Just excellent ambient tracks. All the cuts used here are from 2022.

Here are links to the music used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://krysalisound.bandcamp.com/album/our-own-unknown

https://jogginghouse.bandcamp.com/album/weight

https://ambientologist.bandcamp.com/album/the-unavoidable-death-of-loneliness

https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/neogene

https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/bullfinch

https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/1989

https://aliodie.bandcamp.com/album/distillation-of-time

https://wreathmusic.bandcamp.com/album/green-wall

https://andrewheath.bandcamp.com/album/quiet-noise

https://michaelscottdawson.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-listening

https://krysalisound.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-taleshttps://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/restful-spaces

https://benmcelroy.bandcamp.com/

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Austin Rockman - Illuma (Our Own Unknown on [Krysalisound 2022)
06:52 Jogging House - Shape (Weight on Seil 2022)
11:08 Sven Laux & Logic Moon - A Cascade Made of Stars (The Unavoidable Death of Loneliness on Ambientologist 2022)
15:50 Jarguna - Neogene (Neogene 2022)
20:48 headland - jellybone (bullfinch on Whitelabrecs 2022)
25:02 Jens Pauly - Ohne (1989 on Whitelabrecs 2022)
29:35 Alio Die - L'estasi Del Silenzio (Distillation Of Time on Hic Sunt Leones 2022)
35:15 wreath - Esjan (Green Wall on Stereoscenic 2022)
38:06 Andrew Heath - Particle Drift (Quiet Noise on Whitelabrecs 2022)
42:43 Michael Scott Dawson - Praise and Other (Music for Listening 2022)
45:00 Wil Bolton & Francis Gri - The relief in an empty row (Imaginary Tales on Krysalisound 2022)
51:09 Harry Towell & Guy Gelem - The Springs (Restful Spaces on Polar Seas 2022)
56:20 Ben McElroy - Bed Down in the Murk (How I Learnt To Disengage From The Pack on The Slow Music Movement 2022)
61:00 end

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I love doing these alternative soundtrack mixes. I believe this is the fifth one I made. Sometimes I have the mix take the soundtrack in a different direction and sometimes I simply follow the vibe of the original with all new tracks. This mix takes the later approach.

For anyone not familiar with it, Severance is a series on AppleTV+, an eerie dystopia where people can sever their work life from their home life with a brain implant. Variations on the main theme are used throughout the show. It's just odd & sinister enough to leave you feeling off kilter. Here's the opening credit sequence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmS3m0OG-Ug

And here's the series trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJYlG5I4rOk

I was happy to have stumbled upon a collection of Erik Satie piano pieces that I've had for 40 years and found that the Gnossienne tracks worked perfectly with the feel of the Severance theme. Another common sound in the show is ticking or pulsing so you hear that in the Hans Zimmer cut and The Nick Cave track as well as a few others.

Even if you don't watch the show I hope you enjoy the mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Just a Human - The Basement (2022)
01:20 Hans Zimmer - The Mole (Dunkirk 2017)
02:58 Erik Satie - Gnossienne No. 1 (Early Piano Works, Vol. 1 1975)
08:31 Roedelius & Tim Story - Seeweed (4 Hands 2022)
12:19 Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - Orphans of Krypton (Watchmen 2019)
14:11 Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Red Ford (Kings OST 2018)
16:18 Piero Umiliani - Sole Percussioni (Continente Nero 1975)
18:50 Martin Glass - Okinawa Fantasia (The Pacific VIsions Of Martin Glass 2017)
20:10 Wilburn Burchette - Witch's Will (I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age In America, 1950-1990, 2013)
21:33 Eli Keszler - Realtor Creep (The Scary of Sixty-First 2021)
22:14 Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - Mysterioso #2 Film Version (Twin Peaks Archive 2011)
25:38 Nicholas Britell - Keepers of the Keys and Seals (If Beale Street Could Talk 2018)
27:20 Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer, Samuel Rohrer - What We Leave (Amiira 2016)
32:08 Erik Satie - Gnossienne No. 4 (Early Piano Works, Vol. 1 1975)
35:02 Corey Fuller & Richard Skelton - Insula (Isolarii 2022)
38:19 Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer, Samuel Rohrer - Flimmer (Amiira 2016)
40:20 Seefeel - Monastic (Succour [Redux] 2021)
46:08 Tale Of Us - Alla sera (Endless 2017)
52:09 Erik Satie - Gnossienne No. 3 (Early Piano Works, Vol. 1 1975)
56:33 end

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"Listening in the Dark" is such a great title for an ambient mix. I've listened to a lot of these mixes in the dark - sitting on the deck at night, in bed before sleep, stargazing, etc. I wonder how many folks purposely listen to ambient & electronic music in the dark. I remember playing the Conet Project recordings in the dark and a friend said it was a little too freaky. This mix is definitely not freaky.

This is the latest installment in Paul Asbury Seaman's "Mystical Ambience" series. And like the others, it's a great collection of tunes, some of which are not in my normal ambient rotation. But that's why I love getting mixes from Paul, they expose me to new artists and styles. Here's what he has to say about this compilation:

“Here’s another mixed genre program, including one (just one) spoken word song early in the set. I find it interesting that, metaphorically, darkness has many more layers than what we associate with light. It can be scary and impenetrable, but also part of the hero’s journey into deeper understanding, or working through the infamous dark night of the soul. As Guy Clark says it, there’s a world of things you can’t see in the day time. And some folks take comfort in that.”

Thanks for putting this together, Paul!

Links to all the albums in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://sherryfinzer.bandcamp.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Guy-Clark/dp/B00006IGTH
https://artpatience.bandcamp.com/album/the-unknown
https://heartdancerecords.bandcamp.com/album/looking-for-the-timeless
https://mnomized.bandcamp.com/album/m-nomized-ice-bells-a-tribute-to-bj-rk-2018
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-ancient
https://jeffjohnsonarkmusic.bandcamp.com/album/eirlandia
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Soundtracks-Werner-Herzog-Films/dp/B000050R9I
https://shop.silentseason.com/album/no-stars-without-darkness
https://sherryfinzer.bandcamp.com/
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/descent-name-your-price
https://agebjorn-ogren.bandcamp.com/album/artefact
https://astro-sphere.bandcamp.com/album/pineland
https://robinguthrie.bandcamp.com/album/another-flower

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Sherry Finzer & Karasvana - Music of the Spheres (Centered 2022)
04:30 Guy Clark - The Dark (The Dark 2002)
08:00 Art Patience - The Unknown (The Unknown 2022)
14:05 Tom Moore & Tim Sadow - Gravity Free (Looking for the Timeless 2021)
20:00 M.NOMIZED - Virus (Ice Bells-A Tribute To Björk 2018)
25:12 Peter Phippen - Northern Lights (Into the Ancient 2022)
28:56 Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning - Tara Hill (Eirlandia 2018)
31:56 Popol Vuh - Lacrime Dei Rei (Best Soundtracks From Werner Herzog Films 1991)
37:37 ASC - Surrounded by Silence (No Stars Without Darkness 2016)
44:18 Sherry Finzer & Karasvana - Sacred Spiral (Centered 2022)
49:10 Lorenzo Montana - Vertical Corridors (Descent 2022)
53:33 Johan Agebjörn & Mikael Ögren - The Hall of Crystals (Artefact 2021)
57:57 Astropilot - Night Meeting(Winter Dreams Version) (Pineland 2022)
60:38 Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd - After Dark (Another Flower 2020)
65:07 end

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International Piano day takes place on the 88th day of the year, in honor of the number of keys on a piano keyboard. In 2022 that day is March 29th. So, as in years past, I have put together a mix of piano tracks to celebrate Piano Dat 2022.

This set starts off a bit different from those I've done before. Most are solo piano type mixes but this one starts off with 5 tracks that have more of an electronic vibe. After that we return to my normal nebulous, random note type of piano stuff. Then finishing off with a few more composed tracks.

pianoday.org

https://leiter.bandcamp.com/album/piano-day-compilation-vol-1

Cheers and Happy Piano Day!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Aukai - Distracted By Clouds(Ben Lukas Boysen Remix) (Branches Of Sun2017)
04:38 Mike Lazarev - All That Remains (Places for Peace 2022)
06:57 Arovane & Hior Chronik - The Return (Into My Own 2017)
09:46 Chris Hyson - Nocturne (Human Error 2017)
14:18 Jon Hopkins - A Drifting Up (Insides 2008)
18:25 Andrew Tasselmyer - Missing Pieces of Self (Limits 2022)
23:00 William Basinski & Janek Schaefer - on reflection (“ . . . on reflection " 2022)
29:55 unknown - generative pno
37:27 Nebel lang - Where Are You (Directions For Stopping 2022)
42:23 Spheruleus - Frozen (Frozen Quarters 2010)
44:30 Maps and Diagrams - Gehen (Marhofn 2022)
46:20 Jonathan Yandel - Impromptu No. 1 (Inner Ocean 2017)
53:38 Rob Simonsen - Argenté (Rêveries 2019)
57:40 grotta veterano - slaap (sleeplaboratory3.0 2022)
61:02 end

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This mix is perfect for spring. Here the rain is the main attraction. It dominates the sound. I purposely mixed the audio from the music fairly low so that it sounds like it's playing in the background somewhere.

I did a similar mix back in August of 2020 - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/rainfall-meditation/ and this one is the same idea. Enjoy this mix as winter snow turns to spring rain.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 rain(duh)
00:40 Brian Eno - Hannah (Sisters 2017)
06:30 Austin Rockman (Our Own Unknown 2022)
10:50 Janek Schaefer - Beam Me Up (Glitter In My Tears 2017)
14:00 Calm Whale - Blue Moon Wind Chimes Meditation (2017)
22:22 Konstruct - Driftwood (Soundworks 2022)
26:45 Pepo Galán - Sowing (A Speechless Body 2022)
31:00 Andrew Tasselmyer - Our Own Private Libraries (Limits 2022)
37:15 David Cordero - El bosque animado (VA Home Normal 2020)
42:12 Brian Eno - LUX 4 (LUX 2012)
52:25 Lo-Fang - Himalayan Singing Bowls in The Hoh Rainforest pt. 1 (Near Other Worlds 2020)
60:00 generative piano
64:53 end

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The spoken word in music is a tricky thing. A lot of people really dislike it. And I totally get that. Most of the time I think it's distracting or annoying or cheesy. But obviously someone like Laurie Anderson is able to pull it off successfully. If I use a track with spoken word in an ambient mix it can ruin the mood so I decided to make an entire mix featuring tracks with spoken word.

What got me going on this mix was discovering an Eno EP from 2011. I was already familiar with his album, Drums Between The Bells, which features the poetry of Rick Holland. But I somehow missed the EP, Panic of Looking. As I listened to it for the first time I wondered if I could construct an entire mix based on spoken word tracks. There are tracks from both of the previously mention Eno albums and of course a few Laurie Anderson cuts. And I think the final result works pretty darn well.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Brian Eno - the real (Drums Between The Bells 2011)
06:42 Laurie Anderson - Tightrope (Bright Red 1994)
11:51 Blurry The Explorer - Orange Tree Fallen (Blurry The Explorer 2021)
16:02 Felicia Atkinson With Sylvain Chauveau - Aberdeen (Roman Anglais 2008)
20:02 Balmorhea - Day Dawns In Your Right Eye (The Wind 2021)
23:33 Ryuichi Sakamoto - life, life (Async 2017)
27:40 Laurie Anderson - World Without End (Bright Red 1994)
30:09 Just a Human & David Ignatow - Revive & The World is So Difficult to Give Up...
32:22 Brian Eno - fierce aisles of light (Drums Between The Bells 2011)
34:33 Kate Tempest - Hold Your Own (The Book Of Traps And Lessons 2019)
38:25 Erland Cooper - Noup Head (Hether Blether 2020)
41:57 Cassandra Jenkins - Hard Drive (An Overview on Phenomenal Nature 2021)
46:51 Laurie Anderson - I dreamed I had to take a test... (United States Live 1984)
47:58 Ryuichi Sakamoto - fullmoon (Async 2017)
52:42 Brian Eno - Not A Story (Panic Of Looking 2011)
53:45 Brian Eno - the airman (Drums Between The Bells 2011)
56:52 Laurie Anderson - Lighting Out for the Territories (United States Live 1984)
59:04 end

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The first time I used a track from Altus in a mix was 10 years ago. I've been a fan ever since. Altus is Mike Carss, who also records as Loneward. Between those two musical personas, I've used Mike's music in 10 mixes.

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/music-for-a-mars-landing/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/deep-sky-time-music-for-stargazing-2013/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/eight-days-in-july-the-journey-of-apollo-11/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/almost-home/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/best-ambient-of-2019/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/sleep-series-summer-slumber/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/the-stars-appear-like-diamonds/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/the-silence-of-snow/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/always-autumn-by-paul-asbury-seaman/
https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/unfold-the-universe/

After listening to the new Loneward album, Pallid Memories, I asked Mike if he could create a guest mix for me. Luckily, he said yes and now we have this wonderful new collection, The Power of Memory. I've been listening to it nearly every day for the last two weeks and I just can't say enough about this mix. It transports the listener through space and time.

Here's what Mike says about this mix:

Our brains are mysterious machines when you regard how memory works. If you listen to new music and it causes you to sit up and take notice, there's a chance that moment in time will encode itself into the soundwaves. With each repeated listen, you can reinforce that, recording fragments of those periods of time. Afterward, no matter how long a time gap, if you listen to that song again, you can enjoy the memories held within. This makes the music yours and deeply personal.

Even more interesting is when you listen to new music and it simply unearths nostalgia within you.

The final track in this mix, written by me (Loneward), is my way of expressing both these phenomena.

As you might have guessed, each song (aside from the final track) has deep meaning to me. I'm happy to be able to share them with you, and I hope the music moves you enough to explore the albums they came from.

When Dave asked me to guest mix for LLM, I thought: yeah, that sounds like a fun project. I've never done anything like this before but knew there was an art to it. Now, I have a whole new level of respect for those who create these mixes. Coming up with a set list is one thing, but getting them to actually work together without unwanted dissonance . . .? Ouch!

My thanks to Dave for the opportunity. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Mike

You can find Altus & Loneward music here - https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/

Links to every album used in this set, in the same order in which they appear in the mix:

https://archive.org/details/Mantra28thOct2008
https://robertrich.bandcamp.com/album/trances-drones
https://hakobune.bandcamp.com/album/whispering-in-their-presence
https://bleep.com/release/40902-manual-the-north-shore-bliss-out-v20
https://n5md.bandcamp.com/album/embrace
https://christophersisk.bandcamp.com/album/light-1
https://mattborghi.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-meditation-and-sleep-short-forms-vol-1
https://awakenedsouls.bandcamp.com/album/how-we-heal
https://kwajbasket.bandcamp.com/album/science-fiction-soundtrack
https://sudanobuto.bandcamp.com/album/modestly-calm
https://ajna1.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled-ep
https://eternell.net/album/waking-music
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-trilogy-25th-anniversary-remastered-edition
https://wingsofanangel.bandcamp.com/album/don-t-trust-the-sun
https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/mystic-chords-and-sacred-spaces-complete-edition
https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/pallid-memories

Also thanks to Mike for collecting this social info for all the artists in the mix:

Facebook:

Srg
@robertrichmusic
@hakobuneongaku
Jess Kahr
@Ex Confusion
@christophersiskmusic
@mattborghi
Awakened Souls
@kwajbasket
Norihito Suda
Ajna & @Massergy
@eternellmusic
@dirk.serries
Wings Of An Angel
@SteveRoachMusic

Twitter:

Srg
@robertrichmusic
@hakobunemusic
Jess Kahr
@exconfusion
@christophersisk
@mattborghi
@souls_awakened
@Kwajbasket
Norihito Suda
Ajna & @massergy
@illuvia
Dirk Serries
@WingsAmbient
@steve_timeroom

Instagram:

Srg
@robertrichmusic
@tobirarecs
Jess Kahr
@exconfusion
@christophersisk
@mattborghimusic
@awakenedsoulsmusic
@kwajbasket
Norihito Suda
@ajna_drone & @massergy_ambient
@ludvigcimbrelius
@dirkserries
Wings Of An Angel
@steveroachofficial

Thanks again, Mike, for creating this gem!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Srg - Mantra 28th Oct 2008 (Self Released 2008)
04:51 Robert Rich - Seascape (Trances & Drones on Release Entertainment 2000)
09:19 Hakobune - Whispering In Their Presence (Whispering In Their Presence on Sunshine Ltd 2012)
14:21 Jess Kahr - ICA (The North Shore on Darla Records 2004)
17:29 Ex Confusion - Speak Softly In My Dreams (Embrace on n5MD 2012)
21:00 Christopher Sisk - 03 (Light 1 on Christopher Sisk Music 2012)
24:30 Matt Borghi - Dream Journal (Music for Meditation and Sleep - Short Forms, Vol. 1 on SloBor Media 2020)
27:28 Awakened Souls - How We Heal (How We Heal on Stereoscenic 2020)
30:37 Kwajbasket - Do Not Go to the Medical Deck (Science Fiction Soundtrack / Self Released 2012)
32:37 Norihito Suda - Acceptance (Modestly Calm on Somehow Recordings 2011)
35:19 Ajna & Massergy - White Spinels (Self Titled EP / Self Released 2013)
38:25 Eternell - Gray Havens (Waking Music / Self Released 2013)
41:00 Vidna Obmana - Forever Grown (Passage In Beauty on Decade Collection 1991)
44:10 Wings Of An Angel - Your Clinic Of Asunderous Therapeutic Atrophies Has Won This Year's Nobel Prize (Don't Trust The Sun / Self Released 2015)
48:07 Steve Roach - Dream Body (Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces on Projekt 2003)
52:41 Loneward - A Collection of Lesser Moments (Pallid Memories on Altus Music 2022)
60:34 end

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Ugh, the world sure could use a time out and some meditation to bring the temperature down a notch. So here's a collection of calming tracks for meditation, reading, a bubble bath or just staring off into space for an hour.

Here are links to the albums used in this mix in the order in which they appear:

https://auralcanyonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/listening-sky

https://jonhopkins.bandcamp.com/album/meditations

https://summerrecreationcamp.bandcamp.com/album/liquid-rhythm

https://ctatsu.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-tomato-plants

https://whaleloryb.bandcamp.com/track/awaken-earth-handpan-journey

https://eternell.net/album/kalimba-ambience

https://dataobscura.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-hollow

https://studiokosmische.bandcamp.com/album/wf-48-ritual-74

https://krysalisound.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-tales

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 John Thayer - Listening Sky (Listening Sky 2022)
09:47 Jon Hopkins - 1/1 Singing Bowl(Ascension) (Meditations 2020)
17:20 Jason Kolar - Bells (Liquid Rhythm 2022)
22:07 Loris S. Sarid - Posture (Music for Tomato Plants 2020)
25:20 Calm Whale - Handpan Journey (Awaken Earth 2022)
33:10 eternell - Kalimba I (Kalimba Ambience 2014)
38:47 Robert Davies - Writhing Mist (Hidden Hollow 2021)
47:50 Studio Kosmische - Herz I (Ritual 74 2021)
52:40 Wil Bolton & Francis Gri - The Ripple Theory (Imaginary Tales 2022)
60:41 end

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I am a lucky guy. Lucky, because I get to present a second guest in as many weeks. Lucky, because I was able to discover new artists in this excellent mix. And lucky because I am also lazy and these guest mixes allow me to put some beautiful music out there with the heavy lifting done by someone else.

This mix comes to us from J. Gorecki who records as Fragile X, a musician/producer from Glasgow and the founder of the Bricolage record label: - https://bricolageglasgow.bandcamp.com/

Fragile X also has a very good new album out that you can find here: - https://cuedotrecords.bandcamp.com/album/human-condition

And here is more Fragile X music:

https://fragilex.bandcamp.com/ https://www.mixcloud.com/fragilex/ https://soundcloud.com/fragilex

Here's what he says about this new mix:

“I put this mix together to tie in with the release of my new album, ‘Human Condition’. Like the album, it is intended to portray the sense of the perpetual cycle of life. The entrance and the exit. The journey that we all individually take through birth, growth, emotion, aspiration, conflict and mortality.”

Thanks for an excellent album and great mix! Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jeannine Schulz - Resting Place (Resting Place Self Released 2021)
03:37 Aemaer - Clocks (Artifacts Self Released 2019)
06:13 Satori Minayia - Life Itself (Unified Field on Pyramid Blood 2020)
09:25 Patricia Wolf - Distant Memory (I'll Look For You In Others on Past Inside The Present 2022)
13:51 faintface - Hikari (ACCENTVA006 on Accents Records 2021)
16:00 nueen - Wait Until Then (Circular Sequence on Quiet Time Tapes 2021)
18:55 Oreste - Integers Cannot Float (Unfull Psalmodian Theory on Rites 2022)
23:56 Adzuki - Glass Float (Radio Sea on Shimmering Moods Records 2016)
25:45 Fragile X - Cogito Ergo Sum (Human Condition on Cue Dot Records 2022)
34:21 R Beny - Felt (echo's verse on Dauw 2019)
41:31 Octo Octa - My Body Is Powerful (Resonant Body on T4T LUV NRG 2019)
45:41 Minimal Drone GRL and Belial Pelegrim - Invernu Velu (Movements of a Cloud on Bricolage 2022)
50:30 Accelra - Three Suns (SEQUENCE3 on Futuresequence)
58:11 end

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Friend of the show, Michael McGarrity, offered to create a guest mix and, of course, I jumped at the chance because Michael has been cranking out excellent mixes for several years. You can find his stuff here:

https://www.friskyradio.com/show/wander/

https://www.mixcloud.com/michaelmcguk/

Here's what Michael has to say about this mix:

"I made this mix to help remember those long summer days and nights which feel so far away in February. It was a particularly rainy Saturday when I put this together & all I wanted was to get away to somewhere dry & warm, even if just with a soundtrack. Hopefully this takes you away to that 'somewhere else' too."

I've said this before, but one reason I love guest mixes is because they are a combo of familiar and unfamiliar artists. It's always cool to hear new stuff mixed in with favorites.

Here are links to every album used in this set, in the same order in which they appear in the mix:

https://bestilltheearth.bandcamp.com/album/colored-grey
https://timereleasedsound.bandcamp.com/album/stadsbilder
https://12kmusic.bandcamp.com/album/snowmelt
https://tapesandtopographies.bandcamp.com/album/signal-to-noise
https://andrewtasselmyer.bandcamp.com/album/places-real-and-imagined
https://slowcraft.bandcamp.com/album/bygones
https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/keep-the-orange-sun
https://anthene.bandcamp.com/album/virtue
https://marineeyes.bandcamp.com/album/idyll
https://stelmakhdenis.bandcamp.com/album/children-of-abandoned-nests-vol-1
https://healingsoundpropagandist.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-weight-of-care
https://stereoscenic.bandcamp.com/album/ambient-sleeping-pill-5
https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/all-we-have
https://helloflora.bandcamp.com/track/pattern-14
https://sherryfinzer.bandcamp.com/track/elegy
https://eitvrecords.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-in-the-valley-vol-2
https://elgranerecords.bandcamp.com/album/where-the-world-quietly-sing-their-song

Thanks for the mix Michael!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Be Still The Earth - Colored Grey
05:37 Jakob Lindhagen & Dag Rosenqvist - Skinnarviksberget
07:34 Seaworthy & Matt Rösner - Porcupine Stream
12:58 Tapes and Topographies - Signal to Noise
15:12 Andrew Tasselmyer - The Creek in Iceland
19:53 Mathieu Karsenti - No. 73
23:05 awakened souls & From Overseas - Passing Dreams
28:55 anthéne - signs (reprise)
32:11 marine eyes - cloud collecting
35:59 Denis Stelmakh - A Little Broken
38:56 Wife Signs - Small Art and Love
41:16 Olan Mill - Later Season
43:29 Black Brunswicker - Riptide
44:23 Tyresta - All We Have
46:02 Jamison Isaak - Pattern 14
49:13 City Of Dawn & Sherry Finzer - Elegy
52:54 Jonathan Warman - Haf
56:02 City Of Dawn - Melody (with Dottie)
60:00 end

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In April of 2020 I posted "Of Reed and Breath" which is an ambient sax mix. You can find that mix here: http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2020/04/of-reed-and-breath.html https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/of-reed-and-breath/

When I created that one I wasn't sure how it would work. Turns out, ambient sax is a great theme to build a mix on. I've been planning on a follow up for a long time and it's finally here.

Since that first mix two years ago I have totally bought into wind instruments in ambient and modern composition music. That's why my fav album from last year was "Departures" by mastroKristo(who makes an appearance in this mix). From Clariloops to Sam Gendel to Dirk Serries to Andrew Heath, sax and other woodwinds have become a big part of my ambient listening habit.

All the tracks in this mix are excellent but I especially love the cut from Matt Borghi & Michael Teager and the cut from Dirk Serries. Perfect combo of sax and ambient. I also have to mention the final track Max Richter's On the Nature of Daylight by Signum Saxophone Quartet. That track is one of my favorites of all time so when I found a sax quartet cover of it I nearly lost my mind. Perfect way to end the mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ethan Braun + Sam Gendel - 1/2 SCULPTURE [Rio Nilo 66 2021]
04:14 mastroKristo - The Breath [Depatures 2021]
07:05 Phillip Schroeder - On Occasion [Passage Through a Dream 2015]
10:25 Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - For Mothers [A Little Night Music Aural Apparitions from the Geographic North 2020]
14:15 Matt Borghi and Michael Teager - Stationary Voyage [Subterranean Bearings 2020]
19:25 Dirk Serries & Trösta - Oceanus [Island On The Moon 2021]
26:22 Night Gestalt - Between Two Breaths [Thousand Year Waves 2021]
31:34 Fuubutsushi - Cicada Season [Fuubutsushi 2020]
34:00 Carmen Villain - Agua Azul [Sketch for Winter IX: Perlita 2021]
38:25 M. Sage - Spinnaker on a Southerly [The Wind of Things 2021]
41:14 Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer, Samuel Rohrer - What We Leave [Amiira 2016]
45:52 Pino Palladino, Blake Mills - Notes with Attachments [Notes with Attachments 2021]
47:37 Sam Gendel & Shin Sasakubo - Reeds [Sam Gendel & Shin Sasakubo 2021]
49:54 Okomotive, Joel Schoch - Sail, my Friend! [FAR: Lone Sails Soundtrack 2018]
53:00 Signum Saxophone Quartet - On the Nature of Daylight for Saxophone Quartet and Cello [Echoes 2021]
59:13 end

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A million miles from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope has arrived at it's parking spot at Lagrange Point #2, the perfect place to search the heavens for faint light from the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. This mix tells the story of the Webb observatory as it seeks to "Unfold the Universe."

The telescope, like its mission, is big. When expanded to full size, it can’t fit into the nose cone of any available launch vehicle. One of Webb’s main components, sunshield, is the area of a tennis court. It was carefully folded and packed to fit inside the Ariane 5 rocket. In space, the sunshield will expand and separate into five distinct layers. The telescope's primary mirror, the largest mirror ever flown into space, is also too wide to fit into the rocket in one piece. So it is segmented into 18 hexagonal pieces on a hinged structure so it can fold up for launch and unfold in space.

That unfolding is part of the themes of this mix and can be seen in track titles like "Tentative Unfolding", "Watching It Unfold" and "Unfold pt. 2." The story of the Webb telescope is told in other tracks such as "Lagrange Point" "Gathering the Starglow" "Looking Into the Past" and "The Light Beyond."

Unfold the universe with the Webb Space Telescope & Low Light Mixes.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 intro noises 00:33 Lingua Lustra & Snufmumriko - Far Away from the Buzz [Dwelling in Sound 2015] 02:12 Astropilot - Drifting Away [Earthwalk 2022] 03:40 Robert Rich - Tentative Unfolding [Tactile Ground 2019] 08:35 Focus On The Breath - Unfold pt. 2 [Unfold 2021] 13:33 Lawrence English - Watching It Unfold [A Colour For Autumn 2009] 17:45 The Humble Bee - The Collecting Plate [The Indescribable Brightness Shone 2011] 19:00 Jeff Greinke - Mirrors [Timbral Planes 1988] 21:45 Robert Rich & Ian Boddy - Lagrange Point [Outpost 2005] 27:45 Lunar Testing Lab - Gathering the Starglow [Signalling The Stars 2016] 32:27 Shen - Peering Down Gazing Up [Outlines 2006] 33:15 Saul Stokes - Iris My Observatory [Portraits 2002] 36:22 Brian Eno - Stars [Apollo Atmospheres & Soundtracks 1983] 40:25 Detroit Escalator Company - Gathering Light [Black Buildings 2001] 42:55 Benn Jordan - Looking Into the Past [Pale Blue Dot: A Tribute to Carl Sagan 2008] 46:25 Wouter Veldhuis - To look further afield [Blue Forest 2013] 48:22 Altus - Overwhelmed by Starlight [Trailhead 2020] 55:35 Rohne - Past Light [Forms 2021] 57:09 Ruxpin - we are far away from all the things we know [This Time We Go Together 2013] 58:55 Jeff Pearce - The Light Beyond [The Light Beyond 2001] 61:09 end

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This is a great way to start off 2022. We have an excellent guest mix from Kevin, the man responsible for "Cello Mood Swings" and "Not Seeing a Flower" which you can find here...

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/cello-mood-swings/

http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2021/07/cello-mood-swings.html

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/not-seeing-is-a-flower/

http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2020/07/not-seeing-is-flower.html

For this mix Kevin collected a bunch of vocal and choral tracks & I mixed them together. Here's what he has to say about the mix:

"The idea came from listening to Jonsi and Alex - Boy 1904, I realized that quite a few ambient artists used the voice to create a type of auditory ambience. A few hymns have been added and a couple of more classical based choral works. These songs are not about words but the sounds of the voices and the emotions they provoke. They have been chosen for their haunting mournful beauty. I hope you enjoy them."

Thanks Kevin for an excellent collection of tracks! Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Russian Cathedral Bells
00:23 The Russian State Symphony Cappella - Rachmaninov Liturgy Of St. John Chrysostom Great Ektenia
04:00 Olafur Arnalds - Raddir ft South Iceland Chamber Choir (Island Songs 2016)
07:55 Inca - Solo Soprano(for meditation) (Gregorian Chants: Chants of Monks for Meditation, Monk Chants for Quiet Time & Prayer 2013)
10:20 Ulf Söderberg - Tidvatten Part 1 (Tidvatten 1998)
14:40 St. Petersburg Chamber Choir - Chorale (Sacred Treasures III 2000)
17:00 Julianna Barwick - Healing Is A Miracle (Healing Is A Miracle 2020)
21:00 Voces8 & Olafur Aenalds - Nyepi(Choral Version) (re:member(choir versions) 2019)
24:53 Samuel Barber - Agnus Dei
28:28 Arvo Part - Da Pacem Domine (2004)
33:55 Peter Gabriel - With This Love(Choir) (Passion 1989)
37:10 Hans Zimmer - Aurora (2012)
45:20 The Russian State Symphony Cappella - Hymn of the Cherubim(Excerpt 1)
49:50 Jónsi & Alex - Boy 1904 (Riceboy Sleeps 2009)
54:30 Anna Roxanne - Nocturne (~~~ 2019)
59:36 Voces8 - A Pile of Dust by Johann Johannsson (Infinity 2021)
64:38 end

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I don't do these year-end jazz mixes every year. Most of the time I'm just too lazy. I don't keep close track of what came out and what I liked. At some point this year I started tossing individual tracks into a playlist and that helped me remember what I enjoyed in 2021.

So here's my Jazz 2021 mix. It is by no means a "Best of" mix. It's merely a collection of jazz-ish tracks from albums I liked this year. And of course some of the tunes lean a bit toward ambient.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Nala Sinephro - Space 8 [Space 1.8 on Warp]
13:03 Eli Keszler - Dawn [Icons on Lucky Me]
17:58 Joseph Shabason - 15-19 [The Fellowship on Western Vinyl]
23:17 Sons of Kemet - To Never Forget the Source [Black to the Future on UMG]
26:09 Benjamin Mørk & Arve Henriksen - Pasvikdalen [The Valleys]
28:57 Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes - Cold Pocket [Music for Saxofone and Bass Guitar More Songs on Leaving Records]
32:09 Nick Garbett & Mike Majkowski - Aerial [The Glider]
38:20 Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Movement 1 [Promises on Luaka Bop]
43:12 Bell Orchestre - Nature That's It That's All [House Music on Erased Tapes]
47:20 M. Sage - Spinnaker on a Southerly [The Wind of Things on Geographic North]
50:12 Jeff Parker - Four Folks [Forfolks on Nonesuch]
55:37 Fuubutsushi - Fresh Salt [Setsubun on Cached Media]
58:32 Charles Lloyd & The Marvels - Ay Amor (Live) [Tone Poem on Blue Note]
68:32 end

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A few things I noticed from my year-end list - no berlin-school music, very little what I would call 'space' music, a fair amount of dusty, loop music like Maps & Diagrams or Tapes & Topographies, several guitar based albums like Dave Depper, Dave Nelson, SUSS, and Devendra Banhart, and lastly, a lot of modern classical/modern composition albums from Mastrokristo & Alapastel to Max Richter and Viktor Orri Árnason and Glåsbird.

That collection of favorites is nothing new for me. I've been a big fan of that dusty, noisy, loop-based style for a long time & as modern composition has grown over the years, so has my interest. Although, I may need to dive back into spacey, droney ambient like the stuff in the stargazing mixes.

I guess there's not much else to say for this post other than here is part 2 of my favorite ambient albums of 2021.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ben Seretan - Cicada Waves 1 [Cicada Waves on NNA Tapes]
05:45 Sonmi451 - Lampenfiber [Seven Signals in the Sky on Laaps]
10:10 Bombay Dub Orchestra - Cultivating Compassion (Instrumental Version) Part 3 [Cultivating Compassion (Instrumental Version) on Six Degrees]
15:08 Glåsbird - Last Ritual [Siberia on Whitelabrecs]
24:26 Sailcloth - Red Woods [Woodcut on Lost Tribe Sound]
27:00 Dave Nelson - Easy and Preferred Answers [The Act of Vanishing]
29:52 Devendra Banhart, Noah Georgeson - Three Gates [Refuge on Dead Oceans]
33:25 Jens Pauly, Stijn Hüwels - The Leaves Will Fade [When The Night Ends on Vaagner]
39:36 Dirk Serries - Recloose(excerpt) [Recloose]
48:26 anthéne - Winter Sun [maritime on Ambientologist 2021]
53:17 Wil Bolton - Unraveling [Cumulus Sketches on Home Normal]
59:05 Jeannine Schulz - River [Luminous on Polar Seas]
63:17 Just a Human - Revive(Outro) [Hibernate]
65:25 Enrico Coniglio - Everything and Nothing [Alpine Variations on Dronarivm]
68:50 Asc & Inhmost - Obscured Form [Dimensional Space on Auxilairy]
75:07 Peter Gregson - Over [Patina on Deutsche Grammophon]
76:51 end

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These year-end lists seem to be getting harder and harder to curate. The sheer number of releases makes it nearly impossible to keep up and listen to all the music. Through Spotify and Bandcamp most of this music is available immediately, which is great, but it can also foster a severe case of FOMO, fear of missing out. Whether it's ambient music or indie rock/pop I am on a constant prowl for new music, sometimes at the disservice of current music which I have not given time to sink in.

A list like this is obviously not a definitive "Best of" list. These are just some of my favorites from this year. Sometimes an album happens to catch me in the right mood, in the right place and it hits home. Is it better than all the other releases? Maybe. But all I know is it caught my ear at the right time, I latched on, listened, and it became one of my favorites.

I made the list with a top 5 and then listed everything else alphabetically. It's way too hard to say this one is #14 while that one is #22. That being said I totally loved the top 3 on this list.

FAVORITE AMBIENT ALBUMS OF 2021:

Mastrokristo - Departures [Lost Tribe Sound]
Dictaphone - Goats & Distortions 5 {Denovali]
AlaPastel - Ceremony [Lost Tribe Sound]
Max Richter - Voices 2 [Decca]
Loscil - Clara [Kranky]

AES DANA - (a) period. [Ultimae] Andrew Heath - Drawings from Imagined Cities [Elm Records] anthéne - maritime [Ambientologist 2021] Arovane - Reihen [12k] ASC & Inhmost - Dimensional Space [Auxilairy] Ben Seretan - Cicada Waves [NNA Tapes] Bombay Dub Orchestra - Cultivating Compassion(instrumentals) [Six Degrees Records] Calm Whale - Breathing Earth Meditation Christian Loffler - Parallels [Deutsche Grammophon] Clariloops - Sun//Rain Darkroom - The Last Sense To Fade [Whitelabrecs] Dave Depper - Europa [Jealous Butcher Records] Dave Nelson - The Act of Vanishing Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson - Refuge [Dead Oceans] Dirk Serries - RecloosE Enrico Coniglio – Alpine Variations [Dronarivm] Glåsbird - Siberia [Whitelabrecs] Gray Acres - Dreams and Phantoms [Archives] Igor Yalivec - Still Life [Polar Seas Recordings] Jeff Parker - Forfolks [International Anthem] Jeaninne Schulz - Luminous [Polar Seas] Jens Pauly & Stijn Huwels - When the Night Ends [Vaagner] Just a Human - Hibernate Maps & Diagrams - Teygja Parts A & B [Handstitched] Merope - Salos [Stroom] Peter Gregson - Patina [Deutsche Grammophon] Sailcloth - Woodcut [Lost Tribe Sound] Sonmi451 - Seven Signals in the Sky [laaps] SUSS - Night Suite Tapes & Topographies - Monomials [Simulacra Records] Tapes & Topographies - In Muted Forms [Shimmering Moods] Taylor Deupree - Mur [12k] Toumani Diabate & London Symphony Orchestra - Korolen [World Circuit] Viktor Orri Árnason - Eilífur [PentaTone] Wil Bolton - Cumulus Sketches [Home Normal] William Ryan Fritch - Built Upon a Fearful Void [Lost Tribe Sound]

That's too much for one mix so I'll post part 1 and part 2. I also plan on doing a mix of favorite jazz-ish tracks from this year. I have a list of several non-ambient instrumental/jazz releases that I really liked so I'll post the list and a mix of fav tracks.

But first, my favorite ambient music, part one. Enjoy.

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Max Richter - Psychogeography [Vpices 2 on Decca]
06:30 mastroKristo - Ocean [Departures on Lost Tribe Sound ]
09:53 Dictaphone - Griot Dub [Goats & Distortions 5 on Denovali]
14:05 Alapastel - Releaseness [Ceremony on Lost Tribe Sound]
18:48 Loscil - Vespera [Clara 0n Kranky]
22:45 Arovane - Sicht [Reihen on 12k]
25:38 Aes Dana - Haphazard [(a) period. on Ultimae]
28:18 Calm Whale - Breathing EARTH [Breathing EARTH Meditation]
31:05 Merope - Vilnia [Salos on Stroom]
35:13 Dave Depper - Vienna Five [Europa on Jealous Butcher Records]
41:11 Christian Löffler - Pastoral [Parallels on Deutsche Grammophon]
44:42 Tapes and Topographies - Spec Work as Magic [Monomials on Simulacra Records]
47:23 Map & Diagrams - Mutability [Teygja Part B on Handstitched]
50:50 Igor Yalivec - Nymphaea [Still Life on Polar Seas]
55:40 Andrew Heath - Drawings from Imagined Cities [Drawings from Imagined Cities on Elm Records]
65:02 end

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Between work and Thanksgiving I didn't have time to put together a new mix this week. But then I remembered I had another in the "simply ambient" series waiting in the wings. So here it is - "absolutely ambient."

Like the the others in this series there is no overall theme other than a nice collection of excellent ambient music. With so much new music being released every week it's difficult to keep up and difficult to get it all into mixes. This series allows me to get some of that new music out there.

Links to all the albums used in this mix in the order that they appear:

https://tapesandtopographies.bandcamp.com/album/monomials
https://andrewheath.bandcamp.com/album/drawings-from-imagined-cities
https://ambientologist.bandcamp.com/album/thanks
https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/saturnalia
https://dirkserries.bandcamp.com/album/recloose
https://laaps-records.com/album/seven-signals-in-the-sky
https://real-soon.bandcamp.com/album/the-sun-in-the-east
https://sofiebirch.bandcamp.com/album/whisper-fold-brush
https://handstitched.bandcamp.com/album/teygja-part-b
https://soundtrackingthevoid.bandcamp.com/album/thistledown
https://fallowrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/e
https://laaps-records.com/album/endless-shapeless

Links to some of the excellent record labels this music was released on:

https://ambientologist.bandcamp.com/music
https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/music
https://laaps-records.com/music
https://real-soon.bandcamp.com/music
https://seilrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://handstitched.bandcamp.com/music
https://soundtrackingthevoid.bandcamp.com/music
https://fallowrecordings.bandcamp.com/music

I can't believe we are almost to December and I haven't even thought about year-end lists or mixes. Hopefully over the next few weeks I can sort through all the music I've collected, knowing it barely scratches the surface of everything that is out there. Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Tapes & Topographies - Bathed in Color and Light (Monomials 2021)
05:12 Andrew Heath - Melancholia (Drawings from Imagined Cities 2021)
14:55 Fields We Found - Time (Thanks 2021)
19:48 kj - Saturnalia (Saturnalia 2021)
24:51 Dirk Serries - Recloose (Recloose 2021)
34:47 Sonmi451 - Split Second (Seven Signals in the Sky 2021)
39:15 Ultramarine - Signals Into Space (The Sun in the East 2020)
44:55 Sofie Birch - Whisper Fold Brush Side B exerpt (Whisper Fold Brush 2021)
47:40 Maps and Diagrams - Mazinggarbe (Teygja Part B 2021)
50:00 Wodwo - Airlifted (Thistledown 2021)
53:00 Ishmael Cormack - Ōe (Ōe 2021)
56:15 Ian Nyquist - Sanctuary(Epilogue) (Endless, Shapeless 2021)
60:00 end

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I kind of overdosed on Native American flute music back in my new age days in the late 80s and 90s. So I don't listen to this style very often. But Paul has pulled me back in with his excellent collection of tracks.

It starts off with new music from Sherry Finzer so I'm in automatically. From there Paul uses a variety of artists and styles to carry us through the hour-long mix. Here's what Paul says about this mix:

“The Native American flute is one of those instruments that instantly has cultural associations. Intertwined with and beyond that, its wistful, haunting tone is a sound that evokes gratitude and reverence. It is with those qualities in mind that I selected tracks for this mix.”

Thanks again Paul for another beautifully curated set.

Links to all the albums used in this mix in the order that they appear:

https://sherryfinzer.bandcamp.com/album/connections
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Silence-Piano-Flute-Meditations/dp/B00SUFAR46
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Voices-Ah-Nee-Mah/dp/B00005898T
https://silverwaverecordsatrain.bandcamp.com/album/the-offering
https://mysticjourney.net/album/2043842/whisper
https://promotionmusicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/summerland
https://randygranger.bandcamp.com/album/cloudwalker
https://randygranger.bandcamp.com/album/handpan-music-for-a-pandemic
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FRTVMI/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
https://canyonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sanctuary-canyon-records-definitive-remaster
https://silverwaverecordsatrain.bandcamp.com/album/totemic-flute-chants
https://www.amazon.com/Night-Chants-Native-American-Flute/dp/B0798LHJT1
https://tonygerber.bandcamp.com/album/red-lunar
https://tonygerber.bandcamp.com/album/night-cathedral

Cheers!

T R AC K L I S T :

00:00 Sherry Finzer - Red Hawk Hill (Connections 2022)
03:18 Peter Kater & Michael Brant DeMaria - Heart of Silence (Heart of Silence: Piano and Flute Meditations 2015)
10:09 Ah Nee Mah - Ceremony (Ancient Voices 2001)
15:20 Mary Youngblood - Flute Circle (The Offering 2002)
17:52 Suzanne Teng & Gilbert Levy - White Buffalo (Whisper 2021)
21:54 Peter Phippen - Returning Home (Summerland)
27:27 Randy Granger - Oh Shenandoah (Cloudwalker 2006)
30:18 Randy Granger - Chaco Moon Meditation (Handpan Music for a Pandemic 2020)
35:12 David & Steve Gordon - Daybreak Appears (Gratitude – Relaxing Native American Flute Music 2010)
40:51 R. Carlos Nakai - Shining Mountains (Sanctuary 2003)
44:22 Johnny Whitehorse - Cougar (Totemic Flute Chants 2007)
47:33 Gary Stroutsos - Adobe Walls (Night Chants: Native American Flute 2018)
50:39 Tony Gerber & Phil Keaggy - Mare Nectaris (Sea of Nectar) (Red Lunar 2019)
55:48 Dreamhub & Tony Gerber - Welcome Wind (Night Cathedral 2020)
59:12 end

Heart of Silence: Piano & Flute Meditations

Gratitude – Relaxing Native American Flute Music

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Anyone who regularly follows this podcast and my mixes knows that I am a science fiction dork. So it should come as no surprise that I saw Dune on opening weekend. I loved the film and have been thinking about an alternative soundtrack mix ever since.

There's not much to say other than this mix is a collection of tracks that remind me of the film. Most of the tracks are fairly new but a few older ones sneak in there, such as the one from Robert Rich & Lustmord, which goes back to 1995. The opening cut is the newest as it was written and produced by my son, who records as Just A Human, a couple of days after seeing the film.

If you see the film, see it in a theater. It's big and loud and really needs to be seen on a big screen.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Just A Human - Messages from the Deep
01:00 Ben Chatwin - Nordsjøen (Drone Signals 2018)
05:10 Serena Gabriel & Steve Roach - From The Sea (Seeing Inside 2021)
12:00 Murcof - Ideology Storm (The Alias Sessions 2021)
16:27 A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Thirteenth Century Travelogue (Invisible Cities 2021)
18:22 Robert Rich & B. Lustmord - Undulating Terrain (Stalker 1995)
22:12 Hibernis - The Grape Leaves (Middle of the Meds 2018)
27:00 Soriah - Uger-Khan Kargyraa (Gnostic 2019)
28:51 Rapoon - Don't Come Out At Night (Melancholic Songs of the Desert 2009)
32:40 Michel Banabila - Our Alien Voice (Trespassing 2017)
35:12 Brett Janzen - Penumbra (Aphelion 2021)
37:55 Arrowounds - Antarctica's Spherical Anomalies Leave Residual Trails (The Rise and Fall of the Melting World 2021)
41:55 Strië - Test for Ability (Perpetual Journey 2018)
44:44 Loscil - Zephyr with wind and strings
47:25 Tineidae - Epilogue (Exo 2020)
50:55 Jim Cole & Spectral Voices - Hear Earth (Innertones 2006)
52:35 Hanno Leichtmann - Wind (Nuit Du Plomb 2006)
57:00 end

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I have done several train mixes over the years. They basically come about because I hear a tune and think - Hey, that would be great in a train mix. So it was with this one. I heard the track "A.O.E." by Portico Quartet and I knew immediately that I need to build a mix around it.

This mix differs from most of my other train mix(except one) because it's mostly a jazz influenced mix. Berlin-school sequencers have been replaced by a drum kit and synth washes are now horns. I folded in some recordings of trains and subways but I didn't want to over do it so I kept to 3 spots in the mix.

Links to all the albums used in order of how they appear in this mix:

https://porticoquartet.bandcamp.com/album/monument
https://nickgarbett.bandcamp.com/album/the-glider
https://snowpalms.bandcamp.com/album/land-waves
https://tangents.bandcamp.com/album/new-bodies
https://elskavonjohnhayes.bandcamp.com/album/du-nord
https://nalasinephro.bandcamp.com/album/space-18
https://porticoquartet.bandcamp.com/album/terrain
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DCDQG7K/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
https://bellorchestre.bandcamp.com/album/house-music
https://eremiterecords.bandcamp.com/album/mandatory-reality
https://danielbrandt1.bandcamp.com/album/eternal-something
https://alapastel.bandcamp.com/album/ceremony

The mix has some good energy and I could see it being a great companion for bike riding.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Portico Quartet - A.O.E. (Monument 2021)
05:30 Nick Garbett & Mike Majkowski - Aerial (The Glider 2021)
11:35 Snow Palms - Kojo Yakei (Land Waves 2020)
15:08 Tangents - Terracotta (New Bodies 2018)
21:20 Elskavon & John Hayes - Vermilion (Du Nord 2020)
23:23 Nala Sinephro - Space 6 (Space 1.8 2021)
26:50 Portico Quartet - Terrain: III (Terrain 2021)
36:30 Olafur Arnalds - Undir (re:member 2018)
39:27 Bell Orchestra - Movement (House Music 2021)
45:00 Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society - Shadow Conductor (Mandatory Reality 2019)
52:42 Daniel Brandt - Eternal Something (Eternal Something 2017)
58:45 Alapastel - Transmission (Ceremony 2021)
64:16 end

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This is mix #3 in the "simply ambient" series. It started with "simply ambient" then "purely ambient" and now "always ambient."

I listen to a ton of new music every month and this series gives me a chance to get some of that new music into mixes without having to wait for an appropriate theme. It's just straightforward ambient tracks, no theme, no big concept no story to tell - just excellent ambient music, always.

Music used in the mix:

https://vaagner.bandcamp.com/album/when-the-night-ends

https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/still-life

https://ambientologist.bandcamp.com/album/maritime

https://lontanoseries.bandcamp.com/album/stanotte

https://archivesdubmusic.bandcamp.com/album/slow-morning

https://rhucle.bandcamp.com/album/cycle

https://innesti.bandcamp.com/album/in-letters

https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/siberia

https://asc77.bandcamp.com/album/the-moons-of-saturn

https://devendrabanhart.bandcamp.com/album/refuge

https://keepsleep.bandcamp.com/album/past-life-memories

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jens Pauly & Stijn Hüwels - The Leaves Will Fade (When The Night Ends 2021)
11:00 Igor Yalivec - Viola (Still Life 2021)
15:35 anthéne - juniper (maritime 2021)
19:10 Michele Andreotti - Ovunque (Stanotte 2021)
25:10 Robert Farrugia - Coastal (Slow Morning 2017)
32:00 Rhucle - Distance (Cycle 2021)
35:15 Rhucle - Tone (Cycle 2021)
38:40 Innesti - Narrative Forms (In Letters 2021)
42:40 Glåsbird - Thermokarsts (Siberia 2021)
46:40 ASC & Inhmost - Sunrise On Titan (The Moons Of Saturn 2021)
53:20 Devendra Banhart, Noah Georgeson - A Cat (Refuge 2021)
57:30 KeepSleep - 上次会议 Farewell (Past Life Memories 2021)
62:00 end

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I'm getting this mix up & running just in time for Halloween. This one, while it does have a bit of a nighttime feel to it, is a little less creepy than some past Halloween mixes.

For this collection I looked for titles that fit the theme of night to day. The mix moves chronologically from sunset to night to moonrise and set to darkness to dreaming and finally to light and dawn.

Grab a pumpkin spice beer and...UGH, no don't do that! Grab a normal beer, like a refreshing Hamm's, and sit on the porch, in the dark, listening to this mix. Happy Halloween.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Eli Keszler - Civil Sunset (Icons 2021)
03:55 Seabuckthorn - It Will Be Dark By Then (Other Other 2020)
06:49 Zoe Keating - Hello Night (Into The Trees (2010)
10:21 A-Sun Amissa - Outr Past Dark (Black Rain 2020)
14:53 Wodwo - that full-mooned night (Filey Bay 1978 2018)
18:06 Loren Connors - Moon Gone Down (Night Through: Singles and Collected Works 2003)
19:45 Observatories - Visible Darkness (Flowers Bloom, Butterflies Come 2021)
22:42 Robert Davies - Nocturnal Reverie (Shadow Dreams 2009)
29:20 Ki Oni - Dream World (A Little Night Music Aural Apparitions from the Geographic North 2020)
33:35 Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow - Other Dreamers (Black Mirror: Men Against Fire 2016)
34:18 ASC & Sam KDC - Another Evasive Dream (A Restless Mind 2020)
39:00 Andrew Heath - There’s a Ghost in My House (The Alchemist’s Muse 2020)
40:00 Olga Wojciechowska - Nothing To Be Afraid Of (Salaam For Yemen 2018)
43:38 Windy & Carl - Will I See the Dawn (Allegiance and Conviction 2020)
48:40 Adrian Lane - The Dawn Seems Reluctant To Come (Ennio's Muse 2021)
51:15 Hipnotic Earth - Where Night Sky Meets Day (HomeWorld 2021)
56:00 Observatories - I Knew I Was Close When I Saw The Bloom Of Your Light (Flowers Bloom, Butterflies Come 2021)
59:35 Ecovillage - Break Of Dawn ft. Gallery Six (Clouds And Waves 2020)
62:45 end

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WORLDS COLLIDE! In this mix I combine my love for new indie music with my love for all things quiet. The third installment of the Quiet Indie Songs series is here.

All tracks are from 2021 and it features artists like Jose Gonzalez, Billy Bragg, Matt Maltese, Cassandra Jenkins, Big Red Machine, Big Thief and more.

Go for a nice walk in the woods while listening to some quiet indie songs.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jose Gonzalez - Swing
03:25 Chorusing - Watching the Beams
06:43 Art School Girlfriend - Eyes on You
11:10 Slow Meadow - Artificial Algorithm Snorri Hallgrímsson Rework
15:39 Sandrayati Fay, JFDR, Damien Rice - Song for Berta
18:53 Cassandra Jenkins - New Bikini
23:00 Big Red Machine - New Auburn feat. Anaïs Mitchell
26:14 Big Thief - Change
31:00 Matt Maltese - Oldest Trick in the Book feat. Bedouine
34:15 Cande y Paulo - Treaty
38:44 Allison Russell - Montreal
42:11 Billy Bragg - I Will Be Your Shield
45:36 Big Red Machine - Hoping Then
49:24 Avocet - Callina
51:28 Sun June - Colors
54:11 Jose Gonzalez - En Stund På Jorden
56:48 end

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Eight years ago I did a mix with covers of Eno tunes - UNDER ENO'S COVERS

Since then I've collected a few more that I was planning to use for a follow up. I found the most covered Eno album is Music for Airports. So I decided to recreate the album with covers. Hence the title of the mix - Music for Covered airports.

The tracks follow the same order as the original album - 1/1, 2/1, 1/2, 2/2. I made the first track with two covers because each was relatively short so I just combined them into one.

I found a great cover by Psychic Temple but it's a very loose cover. One can hear parts of 1/1 in it, but like I said it's very loose and improvisational. It didn't really fit with the flow of recreating the album so I tacked it onto the end. It actually seems like a nice way to end this experiment.

Some of the covers came from YouTube and haven't been formally released.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Alexander Elliott Miller - Music for Airports 1/1 guitar
03:19 Dan Piccolo - Music for Airports 1/1 percussion
08:03 Sean O'Neill, Ben Witt & Daniel Fragomeni - Music for Airports 2/1
16:30 Kai Schumacher - Music for Airports 1/2
26:30 Ambientorg - Music for Airports 2/2 pipe organ with electronics
35:18 Psychic Temple - Plays Music for Airports
48:33 end

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This mix started with one album - Goats & Distortions 5 by Dictaphone. It's one of my 2021 favorites. I began a new mix project with one song from that album as the starter, not knowing where it would go but the vibe was off-kilter. Then I heard a new album on Lost Tribe Sound, Departures by mastroKristo, and I knew where the mix would go.

This mix features a lot of wind instruments, although I'm not sure exactly what any of them are - clarinet, sax, soprano sax, oboe? A lot of the tracks are a bit askew, this is not smooth jazz. The music is atmospheric, moody, odd but the tracks all work perfectly together.

All the music is from 2021 and a few tracks are from some of my favorite albums of the year. I've already mentioned Dictaphone - Goats & Distortions 5. Another fav is Pino Palladino & Blake Mills - Notes with Attachments. And then there are two albums from Lost Tribe Sound that haven't been released yet but they will both be on my year-end favorites list. They are mastroKristo - Departures and Alapastel - Ceremony. They are both part of Lost Tribe Sound's Salt & Gravity series, which is fantastic.

Here's what LTS says about the series - "The Salt and Gravity Series is by far our most classical / ambient / drone adjacent collection yet. This series showcases some the most texturally pungent music we've ever released. A life long fascination with low end, blurred, battered and subterranean type sound has led us to this point... sound that you can feel rumbling up through the earth... the good stuff that makes your whole body hum versus just rattling around inside your head."

Go here to check it out... https://losttribesound.bandcamp.com/album/salt-and-gravity-series

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Dictaphone - O. (Goats & Distortions 5 2021)
04:00 mastroKristo - Gionis (Departures 2021)
08:02 Frieder Nagel - Para live version (The Arrival 2021)
11:15 Josiah Steinbrick - Mouthfeel 5 (Mouthfeel 2021)
14:24 Pino Palladino & Blake Mills - Notes with Attachments (Notes with Attachments 2021)
15:57 William Ryan Fritch - Cited (Freeland 2021)
17:34 William Ryan Fritch - Dropped (Freeland 2021)
20:06 Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes - Cold Pocket (Music for Saxofone and Bass Guitar More Songs 2021)
23:15 Eli Keszler - All the Mornings in the World (Icons 2021)
28:27 Masayoshi Fujita - Cumulonimbus Dream (Bird Ambience 2021)
32:00 Knower - As the Night Climbed, a Band of Raccoons Started Hastily to Perform their Nocturnal Jam (Curiosity Is Not Dead 2021)
36:05 Soft Generator - Asclepeion Process (A Carefully Controlled Space 2021)
39:22 Simon McCorry - Ocean Song (All Creatures 2021)
42:57 Hawsepiper - Air Stones (Red Knot Returns 2021)
47:00 Dictaphone - Goats & Distortions 2 (Goats & Distortions 5 2021)
49:11 Alapastel - New World Healing Centre (Ceremony 2021)
58:58 end

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Autumn seems perfectly suited to ambient music, especially ambient with a tinge of melancholy. I was thinking about doing an fall-themed mix when Paul approached me with his fully curated mix for autumn. Perfect!

Here's what Paul says about this mix:

“Dedicating this one to my sister, Miriam Walter, professor of nursing at Chico State University in Northern California. Her birthday is today, September 19th.

This turned out to be mostly guitar and piano, although I always (and still) intended it to be a going-to-sleep mix. Like most of my playlists for LLM, it starts out moderately slow and gets progressively slower and quieter. Just a bunch of beautiful tunes, with a touch of melancholy that I always associate with fall, and surrendering into tranquility.”

Thanks for another excellent mix, Paul!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Peter Chilvers & Jon Durant - Always Autumn (Always Golden Sands 2020)
05:10 Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster, Tom Eaton - The Golden Hour (Brothers 2021)
09:52 Jeff Johnson & Phil Keaggy - Mosaic 7 (Ravenna 2021)
16:27 Between Interval - The Tides Of Time (Autumn Continent 2006)
20:50 Uman - Somewhere On Earth (You Are Here 1999)
24:41 Ken Verheecke - Falling Leaves (Autumn Reflections 2011)
28:23 Jeff Pearce - A Walk Through The Leaves (From the Darker Seasons 2017)
32:15 Calm Whale - Blue Moon Wind Chimes Meditation (Blue Moon Meditation 2017)
39:30 Altus - Green to Gold (Autumn Breeze 2005)
46:09 Beltone - Autumn (Blind Concert 2017)
50:52 Chinmaya Dunster - Sight Meditation (Meditation Ragas 2014)
57:45 Astropilot & Kaya Project - Wind of Change, Pt. 2 (Wind of Change, Pt. 2 2021)
62:13 Cousin Silas - Lost In Autumn (Blue Ice Beyond 2019)
68:15 Kamal - The Quiet Earth (The Quiet Earth - Dusk 1993)
72:14 Ron Boots - Lingering On (Autumn Moon 2016)
76:28 end

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This mix is pretty much what the title says - a collection of quiet/ambient tracks featuring the beautiful sounds of the pedal steel guitar.

I did another pedal mix two years and since then it seems to be easier to find practitioners of the ambient steel guitar sound. Only one artist, Chuck Johnson, is repeated from that mix in this one. Here's the first mix: http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2019/09/ambient-twang.html

All that's left to say is go relax with some steel guitar & maybe a good bourbon around a campfire.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson - In a Cistern (Refuge 2021)
04:03 Saariselka - Shepherd Canyon (Thousands of Eyes in the Dark 2019)
07:40 The Howard Hughes Suite - Vanishing Point (Smoke from a Future Fire 2020)
13:18 SUSS - Drift (Promise 2020)
17:55 North Americans - Yearling (Roped In 2020)
20:30 Raymond Richards - Paradise, California (The Lost Art of Wandering 2020)
25:45 Trond Kallevåg Hansen - Kapellet (Bedehus & Hawaii 2019)
28:35 susan alcorn - first turning of the wheel(for bob graettinge) (and i await..the resurrection of the pedal steel guitar 2007)
30:18 Chuck Johnson - The Laurel (The Cinder Grove 2021)
38:50 William Tyler - Slow Night's Static (New Vanitas 2020)
48:20 SUSS - Salt (Ghost Box 2018)
51:40 Raymond Richards - Astoria, Georgia (The Lost Art Of Wandering 2020)
55:06 Light of Woods - Sparrow (Field Notes 2016)
56:45 Chuck Johnson - Serotiny (The Cinder Grove 2021)
63:33 end

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I love guest mixes because they expose me to tracks I might have otherwise missed in the monthly deluge of new releases. This new mix comes to us from Michael Southard(Time Rival) of Triplicate Records. I've included a few Time Rival tracks in mixes over the years so I was excited when Michael agreed to put together a mix of some of the best his label has to offer.

Here's a blurb from Michael about this guest mix:

Triplicate Records is an artist run independent record label founded in 2018 by Michael Southard (Time Rival), Bryan Kraft (BVSMV), and George Ernst (Suncastle). We cover a lot of ground in regard to genres, but mostly stick to electronica, ambient and experimental. “Vantage” is a collection of music from our back catalog that highlights the softer side of what we do. Mixed and curated by Time Rival and featuring phenomenal new music from Ian Hawgood, Belly Full of Stars, Chris Randall, and much more.

All of this music is available through our Bandcamp page: https://triplicaterecords.bandcamp.com/

Thanks for an excellent set!

Triplicate has also made a small run painted CD - R version of the mix available at their bandcamp page... https://triplicaterecords.bandcamp.com/merch/vantage-limited-edition-painted-cd-r

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

Ian Hawgood - Flutter Echo Refrain – 0:00:00
Belly Full of Stars - Pattern 4 – 0:05:20
Time Rival – Beech – 0:09:37
Belial Pelegrim – Subtext – 0:12:53
BVSMV, Running in Slow Motion - Memory to Media – 0:18:00
Acef Stripe - Image 7: Dagobah – 0:22:20
Suncastle - The Rooms in Here are Enveloped – 0:24:51
Chaircrusher – Insular – 0:32:22
SURVEY CHANNEL - Outside the Coding Region – 0:39:02
Crest of the Syndicate – Lattermath – 0:44:58
Station Zero - Numb Hand - 0:46:34
Minimal_Drone*GRL - Raspberry Ripple – 0:50:24
Chorchill - Tea Bags – 0:52:46
Chris Randall - Synthetic Instinct – 0:54:59
End – 1:00:00

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I recently stumbled upon a post or tweet that mentioned Moteer, a UK record label active in the 2000s. I was like - oh man, I haven't listened to that stuff in a while, time to give some a spin. It was fun going back into that world of clicks, loops, vinyl records pops, and glitchy ambience. So I decided to make a mix.

Moteer released music from 2003 to 2011. It was run by Andrew Johnson and Craig Tattersall, who record as The Remote Viewer. The label specialized in, as Harry Towell, founder of Whitelabrecs records, put it - "lo-fi folk and glitchy, electro-acoustic goodness." They don't even have a website anymore to link to so you're on your own in tracking down some of the releases.

This set starts at the beginning with the first Moteer release, Commercial Body Fittings by Clickits. And it continues chronologically to the last release, On Fell. In between we get music from The Boats, Part Timer, El Fog, Need More Sources, Tokyo Bloodworm and more.

Sit back and enjoy this little journey back to the 2000s for some off-kilter, clicky, twinkling ambience.

Cheers

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Clickits - september sounds like this (commercial body fittings 2003)
03:30 Manyfingers - Ballybane (Manyfingers 2004)
08:55 The Boats - And There Are Stars That Fell (Songs by The Sea 2004)
12:45 Clickits - Natural Theatre (Express Gifts 2005)
16:48 The Boats - Donna, Paul and Grace (We Made It For You 2005)
18:50 Minimum Chips - Snow Pea (Lady Grey 2006)
22:10 Part Timer - hear... to something (part imer 2006)
25:25 The Boats - this song is one colour (Tomorrow Time 2006)
28:11 Aus - apt (Curveland 2007)
32:33 El Fog - Own Frequency, Own Time (Reverberate Slowly 2007)
37:11 Theodore & Hamblin - Lacie (The Scientific Contrast 2007)
41:00 Need More Sources - Sun (Shed 2007)
43:44 con cetta - ker (micro 2008)
48:05 Brael And Tokyo Bloodworm - Saturn Shine (Living Language 2008)
56:15 Yuri Lugovskoy - untitled #3 (Yuri Lugovskoy 2010)
60:30 Tokyo Bloodworm - Pale The Clerics Pass (Palestine 2011)
65:05 On Fell - On Fell B (On Fell 2011)
68:28 end

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Last year at this time I did a mix called "simply ambient" which was a nice, straightforward mix of ambient tracks. This mix is a sort of follow up titled "purely ambient." There is no theme, no story being told by the music, no big concepts. Just ambient music, pure and simple.

This might be the start of a series of mixes - utterly ambient, perfectly ambient, naturally ambient, totally ambient, etc. This would be allow me to get some of the tons of new music that I listen to every month into mixes without having to wait for an appropriate theme. Every track in this mix is from 2021.

So kick back and relax to some purely ambient music.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Ambalek - In the Curled Combes (Fremder 2021)
05:36 Pruski - Horizon (Whispers 2021)
10:40 O Yuki Conjugate - Antonym (A Tension of Opposites Vols 1 & 2 2021)
14:48 Martin Nonstatic - Fading Mist (Reflecting Glaciers 2021)
21:00 Robert Davies - Nocturnal Deliquescence (Arcadia 2021)
27:50 Sailcloth - Great Lakes (Woodcut 2021)
30:20 Konstruct - Nostolgia (Three (squared) 2021)
36:00 Free Dust - Earl Grey (Woo'd Early 2021)
40:00 Erik Wollo - Afterprints (Recurrence 2021)
45:00 Rosales - Nest (Still, Tomorrow 2021)
53:15 anthéne & Simon McCorry - lucid (the equation of time 2021)
60:31 end

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I few weeks ago the good folks over at The Slow Music Movement sent me a couple tracks by Wiki Chaves. After listening I immediately knew I had to construct a mix around the laid back guitar style. A style The Slow Music Movement calls - "Perfect for all your beach lying, garden barbecuing, hammock slouching, sunbathing, holiday taking soundtrack needs."

Here's a link to the latest Wiki Chaves release: https://wikichaves.bandcamp.com/

From there I listened to guitar music for a couple of weeks, collecting tracks with a similar vibe. There were some artists I knew right away that I would include like Khruangbin, Bill Frisell & William Tyler. Some were new discoveries like Tommy Guerrero & Jeffrey Silverstein. While others were older tracks I was happy to rediscover such as Steve Hiett, Pat Metheny, Durutti Column and Yo La Tengo.

I like how the mix takes a more acoustic turn about half way through. Starting with new music from The Phonometrician then an old track from Calexico to even older tracks from Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny and Yo La Tengo.

Many of the mixes I do tend to focus on new music because that's what I'm listening to at the time. This mix, however, hits on 5 decades of music and it's pretty cool how they mesh together.

Artist/album links:

https://wikichaves.bandcamp.com/
https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/mordechai
https://williamtyler.bandcamp.com/
https://tommy-guerrero-too-good.bandcamp.com/
https://jeffreysilverstein.bandcamp.com/
https://theslowmusicmovement.bandcamp.com/album/future-folk-friendly-faces-different-spaces
https://trondkallevag.bandcamp.com/album/bedehus-hawaii
https://thephonometrician.bandcamp.com/
https://casadecalexico.bandcamp.com/
https://yolatengo.bandcamp.com/
https://thegreenkingdom.bandcamp.com/
https://efficientspace.bandcamp.com/album/down-on-the-road-by-the-beach
https://store.unseen-music.com/album/eingya

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Wiki Chaves - Pleasure Point (Raiz 2021)
04:16 Khruangbin - Father Bird, Mother Bird (Mordechai 2020)
07:17 Steve Hiett - Blue Beach (Down on the Road by the Beach 1983)
11:21 Bill Frisell - The Shortest Day (Guitar in the Space Age! 2014)
14:05 William Tyler - Highway Anxiety (Modern Country 2016)
19:27 Tommy Guerrero - Sun Rays Lie Stilts (Perpetual 2015)
21:15 Jeffrey Silverstein - This and Also (Future Folk: Friendly Faces; Different Spaces 2021)
25:15 Durutti Column - Sara E Tristana (Amigos Em Portugal 1983)
28:03 Bexar Bexar - n.r.o.t. (haralambos 2003)
31:17 Trond Kallevåg Hansen - Bedehus og Hawaii (Bedehus & Hawaii 2019)
36:15 The Phonometrician - Campos de Trigo (El Mar Convertido en Oceano 2021)
39:45 Calexico - Above the Ranch (Tool Box 2007)
42:50 Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny - Cinema Paradiso (Beyond The Missouri Sky 1997)
46:33 Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow (I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One 1997)
51:40 The Green Kingdom - Sol 1 (Solaria 2021)
55:09 Steve Hiett - Standing There (Down on the Road by the Beach 1983)
58:27 Helios - Emancipation (Eingya 2006)
60:50 Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - September Fifteenth (As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls 1980)
62:47 end

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"Then he leaves the platform/For the sleeping car that's warm You realize, he's only advertising one more shelter And it comes to you, he never was a stranger" - Leonard Cohen, "The Stranger Song"

I have been lucky to have a bunch of excellent guest mixes this year. After this one there are 2 more coming soon. But let's talk about this one first. This is another great collection from the mind of Paul Asbury Seaman. It's appropriate that "Mystical" is in the title as his mixes generally are more "mystical" than the ones I crank out. Which is why Paul's mixes are always a breath of fresh air for me.

Here's what Paul says about this set:

“In ancient times, the meaning of “astrology” and “astronomy” was almost synonymous. Today we view space as a metaphor for the mystical—and vise versa. Both the physical universe and mystical concepts confront us with the unknown, the mysterious and the infinite, stimulating a desire for exploration and stretching our potential. Many things are more connected than we realize, and discovering such unexpected connections can be both illuminating and delightful. So this mix features koto and sax along with sequencers, trumpet, marimba and emotional guitar leads, getting slower as you go deeper.”

Thanks Paul, for another transcendental mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Kitaro - Wonderland 2 (An Ancient Journey 2001)
03:06 Pharoah Sanders - Kazuko(Peace Child) (Journey to the One 1980)
08:55 Thom Brennan - Chasing the Rain Part 1 (Chasing the Rain 2021)
17:10 Jon Durant & Stephan Thelen - Fractal 5.7 (Crossings 2021)
24:16 Jean-Luc Ponty - Mystical Adventures Part V (Mystical Adventures 1982)
28:55 David Wright - Transylvanian Lullaby (In Search Of Silence 2011)
36:06 Germind - Subway Of The Future (Reincarnation 2012)
42:08 VAAST - LBV (Eta Carinae 2018)
46:28 Esmerine - Walking Through Mist (La Lechuza 2011)
49:55 Jon Durant & Robert Jürjendal - Reflective Sea (Across the Evening 2020)
55:48 David Wright - Sanctuary Reprise (In Search Of Silence 2011)
57:20 Max Corbacho - Starlight Grace (Nocturnes II 2018)
61:31 Alice Coltrane - The Hymn (Translinear Light 2004)
64:30 Ryan Herr & Jesse Hendricks - Cusp ( Cusp 2020)
74:13 end

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I have been lucky to have had some awesome guest mixes this year. The streak continues with this excellent modern classical mix called "Cello Mood Swings." It's an excellent collection of music that features the cello. Duh!

This tracklist comes from loyal listener, Kevin, who was also responsible for last year's Japan themed mix - "Not Seeing is a Flower" Which you can find here - http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2020/07/not-seeing-is-flower.html Kevin collected a bunch of great tracks and I put them together as best I could and the result is pretty darn awesome.

Here's what Kevin says about this mix:

"The idea for this actually came from Tina Guo's haunting version of the Rains of Castamere (Game of Thrones). As I was putting the list together it suddenly dawned on me just how many women have chosen the cello as their main instrument. I tried to make it female only cello players but couldn't quite find enough tracks. The title, Cello mood swings, fits because as an instrument, the cello is brooding and melancholic. But it can be soothing and relaxing as well."

Thanks for another great mix!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Hildur Guðnadóttir - Bathroom Dance (Joker OST 2019)
02:00 Jo Quail - Gold (Five Incantations 2016)
12:18 Zoe Keating - Walking Man (One Cello x 16 EP 2004)
18:25 Julia Kent - Flag of No Country (Asperities 2015)
23:00 Poppy Ackroyd - Grounds (Escapement 2012)
27:00 Zoe Keating - Hello Night (Into The Trees 2010)
30:12 Julia Kent - Dorval (Delay 2007)
34:00 Esmerine - White Pine (Dalmak 2013)
37:33 Christina Vantzou - Anna Mea (No.2 2014)
39:33 Jo Quail - South West Night (Caldera 2014)
45:25 Christina Vantzou - Homemade Mountains (No. 1 2011)
48:45 Hendyamps Studios - Beginning To End(feat Aimee Norris) (Cello Sessions Vol. 1 2020)
51:30 Hildur Gudnadottir - Opaque (Without sinking 2009)
55:14 Hildur Gudnadottir - Into Warmer Air (Without sinking 2009)
61:10 Anne Müller - Aarhus/Reminiscences (Heliopause 2019)
65:50 Clarice Jensen - Winter (Ainu Mosir EP 2021)
67:31 Peter Gregson - 1.1 Prelude (Recomposed Bach - The Cello Suites 2018)
69:31 end

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The track, "I Will Not Be Sad In This World", is one of the most beautiful recordings ever made. It is hard not to be sad, however, upon hearing the news of the passing of Djivan Gasparyan.

I will forever be grateful to him for introducing me to the wonderful sounds of the duduk, an Armenian double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood. Despite it's single-octave range, Gasparyan was able to coax a wide range of emotion from the duduk.

This mix is a tribute to Djivan's wonderful music. It is by no means comprehensive, it's a collection of excellent tracks that I already had in my library. Most are solo tracks with a few collabs with Michael Brook. And one stunning cover - Maya Beiser performing "Memories" on the cello.

Thanks again, Djivan Gasparyan, for your legacy of great music.

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Djivan Gasparyan - I will not be sad in this world
06:10 Djivan Gasparyan & Michael Brook- Immigrant Song
12:17 Djivan Gasparyan - Holy Holy Armenian Orthodox
16:22 Erkan Ogur & Djivan Gasparyan - Fuad
22:41 Maya Beiser - Memories
29:20 Djivan Gasparyan - Nazeli
33:48 Djivan Gasparyan & Michael Brook- Chiarescuroed
36:45 Djivan Gasparyan - Male Folk Dance
42:33 Djivan Gasparyan & Michael Brook - Fallen Star
47:15 Djivan Gasparyan - In Foreign Lands
52:08 Djivan Gasparyan - A Cool Wind is Blowing
55:47 end

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One of my favorite new indie albums of 2021 is An Overview on Phenomenal Nature by Cassandra Jenkins. It's a mostly fairly quiet, folky album. Except for the last cut which is instrumental with a kind of jazzy/ambient vibe. I knew immediately that I wanted to use it in a Sunday morning mix. Then I realized that it had been more than a year since I'd done a Sunday mix.

So here it is - Sunday Morning Music Vol. 21 - Dreamland. It sounds just like the Cassandra Jenkins I described above - jazzy/ambient with a sunny feel. There are two vocal tunes - one by Sam Gendel and the wonderful Dreamland by Joni Mitchell.

There's not much else to say other than grab the Sunday paper, a cup of coffee and hang out with this mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Time Rival - Breakfast with Birdsong (Fell 2020)
02:40 Casandra Jenkins - The Ramble (An Overview on Phenomenal Nature 2021)
09:05 Sam Gendel - Shells, Tube, and Guitar (Fresh Bread 2021)
15:09 Pino Palladino, Blake Mills - Just Wrong (Notes with Attachments 2021)
19:30 Turn On The Sunlight - Looking For A Waterfall (Warm Waves 2020)
24:50 Joseph Shabason - 15-19 (The Fellowship 2021)
31:33 Green-House - Peace Piece (2021)
35:31 Sam Gendel - Sometimes I Feel So Good (Fresh Bread 2021)
40:00 Joni Mitchell - Dreamland (Don Juan's Reckless Daughter 1977)
44:06 SiP - Malabar (Leos Naturals 2020)
52:10 Blake Mills - Mirror Box (Mutable Set 2020)
57:00 Chocolate Hills - Relax (A Pail of Air 2019)
60:19 end

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Last year we lost Harold Budd. And now, just six months later, we lose another icon in Jon Hassell.

It's nearly impossible to overstate his importance in shaping an entirely new sound, what he would call Fourth World music. His music has influenced scores of musicians and listeners. I've included a lot of Hassell's music in mixes over the years. And, considering he just released a fine album last year, I expected to be featuring his music in mixes for many more years.

This mix is not an overview of his career. It's a collection of tracks that fit together well, starting with a track from the little known Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack, all the way to the final track, Last Night the Moon Came, which sounds like a good finishing cut.

I wish I could say something eloquent or profound about Jon Hassell and his music, but I'm not that type of writer. I let the music speak for itself and, wow, did his music speak to me and many others. I will miss him.

Thanks for all your great music, Jon.

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jon Hassell Gregg Arreguin Jamie Muhoberac Peter Freeman - AM (The Million Dollar Hotel 200)
05:52 Brian Eno & Jon Hassell - Chemisty (Fourth World 1 Possible Musics 1980)
11:06 Jon Hassell - Cool Down Coda (Seeing Through Sound 2020)
12:25 Jon Hassell - Empire I (Aka/Darbari/Java - Magic Realism 1982)
13:52 Jon Hassell - Sundown Dance (Earthquake Island 1979)
18:09 Jon Hassell - Air (Power Spot 1986)
23:09 Jon Hassell - Malay (Dream Theory In Malaya 1981)
29:36 Jon Hassell - Out of Adedara (City: Works of Fiction 1990)
33:55 Jon Hassell - Map of Dusk (Myths 3 1987)
35:10 Jon Hassell - Timeless (Seeing Through Sound 2020)
42:44 Jon Hassell - Maarifa Street (Maarifa Street: Magic Realism, Vol. 2 2005)
49:32 Jon Hassell - These Times (Dream Theory In Malaya 1981)
51:23 Jon Hassell - Last Hight the Moon Came (Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street 2009)
62:15 end

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I recently read an article in the New York Times that was published in 2016 about an unlikely collection of admirers. A group that started back in 2004 to sing the praises of...clouds. These devotees are known as "The Cloud Appreciation Society."

Here's a link to the NYT article... https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/magazine/the-amateur-cloud-society-that-sort-of-rattled-the-scientific-community.html

And the society... https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/

The name of the group stuck in my head as a possible theme and title for a mix. So here it is, a cloud themed mix. All the tracks have the word "cloud" in their titles. The music is appropriately drifting and relaxing. All the tunes are relatively new except for a few tracks from 2008, 2014, 2015 and one which reaches back to a Folkways record from 1981.

Look up, admire the clouds drifting by and float away with this mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Andrew Chalk - From Mountain Tops the Dusky Clouds (Incidental Music 2020)
05:05 Marine Eyes - Cloud Collecting (idyll 2021)
09:18 Max Richter – Shimmering Clouds (My Brilliant Friend 2018)
10:20 Craig Kupka - Clouds 2 (Clouds: Music for Relaxation 1981)
15:20 Gaussian Curve – Broken Clouds (Clouds 2014)
20:05 Clariloops – Clouds (Sun//Rain 2021)
23:34 Yui Onodera & Vadim Bondarenko - Cloudscape 8 (Cloudscapes 2015)
27:00 Shuta Yasukochi – Clouds (Slow sketch vol. 1: Reflections of the ambient community 2019)
30:45 Robert Rich - Fall Up, the Clouds Will Catch You (Offering to the Morning Fog 2020)
39:30 The Green Kingdom – Cloud Cloak (Ephemera 2018)
43:09 Innesti – The Architecture of Clouds (Formless 2019)
51:20 halftribe – Cloud Dreaming and Shadows (Cloud Dreaming And Shadows 2020)
56:22 Rudy Adrian - Of Clouds and Mountains (Desert Realms 2008)
63:29 end

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I've had a good run lately, posting a lot of mixes. But due to busy schedules and a bit of laziness, I've run out of fresh mixes ready to upload. Then comes Paul to the rescue!

This mix is a breath of fresh air, going in a different direction than any of my recent mixes. Here's what Paul has to say about this excellent set:

“This mix features oud, sitar and koto, moving from the Near/Middle East, across South Asia to the Far East. This is not a Folkways sampler, but focuses on the rich tapestries created when Eastern and Western musical styles and instruments are blended together, with both traditions being equal participants, rather than one used merely as “exotic” embellishments for the other. Such cross-cultural musical experiments go back to the mid-20th century’s jazz /rock fusion groups (e.g., Oregon); early EM pioneers like Kitaro, Osamu Kitajima, Popul Vuh and David Parsons; and visionary new record labels like ECM. Here, I’ve highlighted more recent work, and while the options are much more plentiful now, the Low Lights leitmotif of gentle atmospheres has guided my selection. Even so, a couple of mid-tempo gems—essential to this kind of survey—have snuck into the mix."

Thanks, Paul, for another great contribution to the Low Light Mixes canon.

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Dhafer Youssef - Shaanti 'Atihi Devo Bhava' Suite (Sounds of Mirrors 2018)
04:10 Rahim AlHaj - Letter 1 Eastern Love Sinan (Letters from Iraq: Oud and String Quintet 2017)
10:41 Sachal Studios Orchestra - Take Five (Interpretations of Jazz Standards & Bossa Nova 2010)
16:20 Prem Joshua - Night Rain (Sky Kisses Earth 2001)
22:45 Anoushka Shankar - Prayer in Passing (Rise 2005)
28:52 Hans Christian - First Light (Nanda Devi 2015)
35:20 Al Gromer Khan - I Got Vilayat Khan's Blessing (Sitar Secrets 2014)
39:14 Hiroshima - Kototsu-Han (Pbon 2005)
44:04 Luna - Tubular Bells (Luna 2013)
48:09 Gates of Morheim - Omagatoki (Omagatoki EP 2020)
53:15 Kitaro - Shining Spirit of Water (Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Vol 2 2005)
57:33 Rabih Abou Khalil - Bukra (Bukra 1989)
65:25 end

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I've been wanting to make an orchestral mix for a long time. Sometimes individual tracks will show up in other mixes but I haven't done one devoted exclusively to modern classical music in a long time.

What finally got me going with this mix was the new album from Max Richter - Voices 2. It's a beautiful album with lots of tracks that would work for an ambient leaning modern classical set.

I really like how this one turned out. All but two of the tracks are from 2021. They flow from one to the other really well, making for a nice cohesive mix.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Max Richter - Psychogeography (Voices 2 2021)
06:40 Glowworm - A Late Arrival (Midnight Intervals 2020)
10:30 Sven Laux - Fragment 3 (Scattered Fragments of Separation 2021)
13:48 Christine Ott - Pluie (Time To Die 2021)
18:35 That Which Is Not - Twin (The Basic Sharpness Of Emotions 2021)
24:56 Simon McCorry - Full Circle (And Where Are You Really From? 2021)
28:33 William Ryan Fritch - Resurface (Freeland 2021)
30:01 Christian Löffler - Pastoral (Parallels 2021)
33:33 A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Every Solstice & Equinox (Invisible Cities 2021)
35:42 Jóhann Jóhannsson - Flight From the City(Vikingur Olafsson Rework) (Retrospective II _ Rarities 2021)
41:29 Elskavon & John Hayes - Du Nord (Du Nord 2020)
45:55 Peter Gregson - Somnia [2021]
48:40 Max Richter - Movement Study (Voices 2 2021)
53:41 Slow Dancing Society - The Devil Knows How To Row (Galilee's Dream 2021)
58:38 Ross Gentry - Nobody Wants To Leave (Prism of Dust 2021)
62:00 end

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Last year saw a trio of very fine albums of harp music from Andrea Cortez, Mary Lattimore, and Kirsten Agresta Copel. Here are links to all three albums:

https://auralcanyonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-secret-song-of-plants https://marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com/album/silver-ladders https://kcopelymusic.bandcamp.com/album/around-the-sun

I used "The Secret Song of Plants" quite a bit as a work-from-home soundtrack. Then recently I realized that I'd never made a mix devoted to harp music. So here it is. It's beautiful and relaxing without being spa, new age crapola.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Assia Cunego - Section 25-30 (Canto Ostinato 2009)
03:42 Alice Coltrane - Vrindavana Sanchara (Transcendence 1977)
07:22 Andrea Cortez - Song 3 (The Secret Song of Plants 2020)
14:20 Mary Lattimore - Pine Trees (Silver Ladders 2020)
17:28 Lavinia Meijer - Gnossienne No. 1 (Voyage 2015)
21:45 Kirsten Agresta Copely - Winter's Bone (Around The Sun 2020)
26:51 Claire Deak & Tony Dupé - for bernadette (the old capital 2020)
29:27 Lavinia Meijer - Glassworks Opening Piece (Glass:Metamorphis The Hours 2012)
35:33 Susan Jolles & Bert Lucarelli - Claire De Lune (Music for Oboe & Harp 2012)
40:35 Julia Rovinsky - An Arc of Doves (Dusk 2010)
46:52 P.G. Six - #1 For Wire-Strung Harp with Echo (Music From The Sherman Box Series and Other Works 2006)
49:49 MItch Greer - Ambient Harp Midnight Reverie (Ambient Harp Midnight Reverie 2020)
65:55 end

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At the end of 2020 I posted a mix called "Quiet Indie Songs" and it did a lot better than I expected. A few folks thought it should be a recurring series and I agreed. So here you have installment #2 - "Quiet Indie Songs #2 - Spring 2021."

I'm sneaking this in under the wire as it's barely spring anymore. Most of the songs are from 2021, with 4 of them from 2020. There are some old favorites in there, like Damien Jurado & Phoebe Bridgers. And also a lot of new to me artists like Arooj Aftab, Becca Mancari & Mt Went.

I'm always open for suggestions for new indie artists to use for this series so let me know in the comments if you have some ideas.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Vagabon & Courtney Barnett - Reason to Believe (2021)
02:25 Damien Jurado - Helena (2021)
05:05 Helado Negro - Sound & Vision(Bowie cover) (2021)
08:16 Damielle Durack - There Goes My Heart (No Place 2021)
12:46 Bryce Dessner - Another World(String Arrangement (Impermanence/Disintegration 2021)
16:31 Arooj Aftab - Saans Lo (Vulture Prince 2021)
20:22 Jack Symes - Overwhelming (Tompkins Park 2021)
25:08 Phoebe Bridgers - Halloween (Punisher 2020)
29:20 Piers Faccini - Together Forever Everywhere (Shapes of the Fall 2021)
33:27 Mt Went - Light in the Dark (Lit Way Down 2021)
38:20 Dawes - St. Augustine At Night (Good Luck With Whatever 2020)
43:23 Laura Marling - For You (Song For Our Daughter 2020)
47:14 Alexia Avina - Inner Garden (Unearth 2020)
50:31 Gia Margaret - Solid Heart (2021)
54:08 Waxahatchee - Streets of Philadelphia(Springsteen cover) (2021)
58:03 Skullcrusher - Song for Nick Drake (Sorm in Summer 2021)
60:47 Becca Mancari - Annie (Juniata 2021)
65:23 end

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The origin of this mix is very simple - I simply wanted a new collection of meditative tunes to sleep to or zone out to while sipping tequila on the deck.

Once I decided to go with a meditation mix I immediately thought of a recent purchase of music from an artist known as Calm Whale. You can't go wrong with any of their releases. Just close your eyes and pick one and it will be beautifully calm and meditative.

Calm Whale on Bandcamp

The rest of the mix is almost all new stuff except for one random track from 1980 sneaking in.

Go sit in your comfy spot of choice and zone out to Meditation & Solace.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Lab Cloud - Serenity 5am (The Structure Of Emotions 2021)
06:00 Don Slepian - Sea of Bliss (New Music for Digital Orchestra 1980)
13:03 Hipnotic Earth - Sadness Too Deep (HomeWorld 2021)
21:41 Calm Whale - Flowing In Harmony - Tibetan Bowls & RAV (Flowing In Harmony - Tibetan Bowls & RAV 2021)
29:33 Clariloops - Solace (Sun-Rain 2021)
32:32 zakè & City of Dawn - Fragile Dreaming In A Fragile Mind (Frizzell & Duque: A Sorrow Unrequited 2021)
39:27 the heart is awake - the Return ii(Healing Arts reMix) (the Healing Arts reMIXES Vol III 2020)
45:11 jarguna - My Temple (My Temple 2020)
50:15 Calm Whale - Breathing EARTH (Breathing EARTH Meditation 2021)
62:17 end

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A year or two ago I read a sci-fi novel in which some of the main characters were sentient robots. When two of them would meet they establish secure channels with dialog such as "I am Paladin. You are unknown. Here comes my data. We want information about a pirate named Judith Chen. She goes by Jack … That is the end of my data." For some reason the line "Here comes my data" stuck with me.

I immediately wrote it down as a possible title for a mix. I thought it would fit well with a slightly more upbeat electronic mix. And so this mix was born, or more like artificially grown in a lab.

The mix starts with a track from Saul Stokes. I haven't listen to Stokes in years but when I stumbled on his album "Local Crowd," I knew I had to include it. He still has a unique sound which comes from, I believe, the fact that most of his synths are built from scratch.

The rest of the mix a a nice combo of new music with some older tracks, some from as far back as 2003. Oops! One short track is from 1987.

I think the whole mix hangs together quite well, with the vibe of a digital handshake.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Saul Stokes - My memory I hope you remember (Local Crowd 2017)
04:12 Time Rival - Vaporous (Vertigo Sessions 2021)
08:22 Joel Vandroogenbroeck - rock program (Digital Project 1987)
08:57 Hannah Peel - Fir Wave (Fir Wave 2021)
12:45 Polypores - Fairy Rings (Shpongos 2021)
17:03 Coti - Tiptoe (Metamemoria 2020)
19:49 Zoltan Fecso - Wave (Silken Wave EP 2019)
28:55 Robert Lippok - Schemes Like These (Falling Into Komëit 2004)
31:15 Jan Jelinek - B1. ICE 897 (Ice Compositions 2021)
32:40 Nalepa - Porcelain (Beneath The Surface 2006)
36:55 Hainbach - Amtsweg (Landfill Totems 2021)
38:40 Pye Corner Audio - Phase B (Where Things Are Hollow 2 2020)
42:38 Belbury Poly - ffarisees (The Gone Away 2020)
46:37 Frank Bretschneider - Optik(For Yen-Ni) (Lunik 2018)
50:53 Atom™ - Computermusik (This Is Computermusik 2021)
54:25 Johnny Woods - Secret Commonwealth (Behind The Sky Presents: Portals 2020)
58:31 Komet - Blau (Gold 2003)
63:30 end

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After the craziness of the last mix it's nice to slow down. And what better way to slow down than with a guest mix from James over at The Slow Music Movement. They have a wonderful new album called "Future Folk: Friendly Faces; Different Spaces."

https://theslowmusicmovement.bandcamp.com/album/future-folk-friendly-faces-different-spaces

After I heard it I asked James to do a guest mix featuring some tracks from that album along with other cuts that fit the vibe. The result is a unique journey through folk-influenced ambient and ambient-influenced folk.

While this mix only has three tracks from the new album they share a similar vibe and outlook. Here's what James has to say about his new compilation:

"This compilation came about with my increasing interest in folk music after years of focusing on the 25 year old golden age of musical fusion that is still playing out. Having ridden the industry waves and ripples since the MP3 & digital stones were rudely thrown into the music pond, I am constantly fascinated by 20th century holdouts looking back wistfully to the good old, bad old days of smoky venues, hounding newsagents for music magazines, easily damaged vinyl, ancient instruments, terrible sounding tapes, label dependency, photocopied fanzines and stamp licking. So I contacted a few of the artists that had lit my folk flame to see what they had to say? Artists that know their roots, but who are keeping their eyes on the road ahead and the world of possibility they now enjoy. Shortly after, from home studios in spare rooms and internet enabled remote collaborations, wildly processed instruments from hazy late night jam sessions, digitally mutated acapellas and 13th century songs covered in an age that the long dead and sadly forgotten writer could never have imagined, started to drift into my inbox. Is an evolutionary leap the key to folk’s survival? Time, the whims of the coronavirus gods, the folk community’s response to today’s existential stresses, adaptation to changing media consumption habits, marketing decisions and ultimately, people’s decisions on what style of music suits them best, will decide."

Here are some important links:

Slow Folk Playlist on Spotify

Future Folk on Streaming Services

Future Folk on Bandcamp

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 El Conejo - Tres Tigres Tristes
05:40 Jörgen Kjellgren - Dulcet,
08:32 Adeline Hotel - Reliable Feelings,
11:10 Kerry Devine - Vehicle,
15:43 John Stammers - Waiting Around,
20:00 The Howard Hughes Suite - Smoke from a Future Fire,
24:08 Tim Linghaus - You Called it Love,
27:07 Boduf Songs - Unseen Forces and How to Use Them,
32:40 Roddy Woomble - Everday Sun,
36:50 Black Brunswicker - Black Grouse Raag,
41:25 M. Grig - Call, (45.50) Lightbath - Insinyur Cahaya,
49:00 Ben McElroy - The Silence Has Spoken,
52:00 Cynefin - Ffarwel I Aberystwyth,
56:00 Burnt Paw - Arthur's Sea,
58:40 Andreas Söderström & Rickard Jäverling - Klockan
62:53 end

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And now for something completely different. This mix is a collection of instrumental tunes from the progressive rock sub-genre known as The Canterbury Scene.

According to Wikipedia:

The Canterbury scene (or Canterbury sound) was a musical scene centered around the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Associated with progressive rock, the term describes a loosely-defined, improvisational style that blended elements of jazz, rock, and psychedelia. The Canterbury scene is largely defined by a set of musicians and bands with intertwined members. "The real essence of 'Canterbury Sound' is the tension between complicated harmonies, extended improvisations, and the sincere desire to write catchy pop songs." "In the very best Canterbury music...the musically silly and the musically serious are juxtaposed in an amusing and endearing way."

The bands most often associated with this sound are Soft Machine, Caravan, Gong, Hatfield & the North, Egg, & National Health. And some of the artists include Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Hillage, Phil Miller, Hugh Hopper, Richard Sinclair, Fred Frith and Dave Stewart.

I am not a fan of Canterbury tunes that have vocals, which eliminates a lot of stuff by Caravan and some Soft Machine. So that's why this mix sticks with instrumental tracks. Listening to this set it's easy to hear the similarities between the bands.

I discovered the Canterbury Scene when I was in college, listening to Bill Bruford(drummer for Yes & King Crimson) solo material. His keyboardist was Dave Stewart who played with Egg, Hatfield & The North, and National Health. I loved Bruford's solo stuff, especially "One of a Kind" so that lead me to listen to anything that Stewart was involved in. This mix opens and closes with two tracks featuring Dave Stewart and two of my favorites in the genre.

I hope you enjoy this little diversion from the usual ambient mixes. It sure was fun digging up all these 1970s classics.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 National Health - The Bryden 2-Step(For Amphibians)Part 1 (Of Queues And Cures 1978)
08:15 Matching Mole - Smoke Signal (Little Red Record 1972)
11:30 Cos - Nog Verder (Viva Boma 1976)
13:40 Supersister - Dreaming Wheelwhile (Present From Nancy 1970)
15:55 Gong - The Isle of Everywhere (you 1974)
23:39 Soft Machine - Song Of Aeolus (Softs 1976)
27:33 Quiet Sun - r.f.d. (Mainstream 1975)
30:37 Gong - Three Blind Mice (Expresso II 1978)
35:23 Egg - Part 2 (The Polite Force 1971)
40:00 Henry Cow - Solemn Music (Unrest 1974)
41:02 Quiet Sun - Trot (Mainstream 1975)
44:29 Caravan - Waffle(Chance of a Lifetime) (For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night 1973)
47:58 Gilgamesh - We Are All / Someone Else's Food / Jamo And Other Boating Disasters - From The Holiday Of The Same Name (Gilgamesh 1975)
55:39 Steve Hillage - Meditation Of The Snake (Fish Rising 1975)
58:32 Bruford - The Sahara Of Snow Parts 1 & 2 (One Of A Kind 1979)
66:03 end

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It's funny how mixes come together sometimes. I started this one only knowing I wanted it to be pretty straightforward ambient. The easiest thing to do was to start with some new music from the last month or two. As I laid down a few tracks I started to get this feeling of the sea, of drifting on the water, of a quiet harbor. So I went with it.

Before long I had an entire mix of new music that hung together with this beautiful ebb & flow. The theme came about organically. The tracks themselves dictated what the mood would be. I've done other sea themed mixes over the years and this one could be the most subtle. I didn't add any field recordings - any wave sounds were already in a track. It's more about feel and vibe than sound fx.

All the cuts are from 2021 except for Bursts of Static by Olga Wojciechowska. I heard that on the BBC the morning after finishing the mix and knew immediately that I had to include it.

This mix might work well as soundtrack for a rainy spring day or for a nap in hammock as you dream of drifting out on the tide.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Jeannine Schulz - Riber (Luminous 2021)
04:35 The Green Kingdom - Atmosphere 1 (Solaria 2021)
09:21 Moss Covered Technology - Pressure Change (Seafields 2021)
15:43 Andrew Heath & Anne Chris Bakker - November (How To Breathe Like A Stone 2021)
26:18 Taylor Deupree - murmur (Mur 2021)
29:21 Daar - Waves Your Back Describes (Entire 2021)
34:25 Andrew Tasselmyer - What We Lost (Yesteryear 2021)
37:40 Observatories - Visible Darkness (Flowers Bloom, Butterflies Come 2021)
41:26 Jogging House - Between (Too 2021)
44:08 Olga Wojciechowska - Bursts of Static (Infinite distances 2019)
48:57 Tapes and Topographies - other distant mermaids (A Season of Loss 2021)
52:33 Spheruleus - Danse de Chambre (Canvas Homes + Supplémentaires 2021)
56:47 Masaya Kato & Valotihkuu - Viviante (Swallow 2021)
59:07 halftribe - Fern Moss (Lucent Forms Travelling 2021)
62:16 end

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Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Back in January Paul emailed me about an album called "Bardo Tank" by Ron Miles playing trumpet in The Tank in Colorado. That email started me off in search of tunes for what became my "Resonant Spaces" mix. Paul went a different direction and sought out tracks for an ambient trumpet mix.

The result is a great collection of tunes that span different styles and old to new, while still maintaining an ambient atmosphere. Here's what Paul says about this mix:

“No musical instrument, at least in the Western world, conveys anguish and melancholy as effectively as the trumpet. One can trace a direct line from Miles Davis’s tender and gut-wrenching solos to the jazz-colored ambience of ECM Records. The signature sound of this European label is both intimate and austere, as reflected in the lonely landscapes of their album covers. There’s a delicate grandeur in the tunes I’ve gathered here. Or sometimes, just the sound of solitude.

For me, the overall effect was surprisingly similar to the tranquil, meditative state evoked by the bell-tone mix I did last December.”

Thanks Paul, for another superb set.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Arve Henriksen - Patient Zero (Towrds Language 2017)
02:02 Paolo Fresu - Se Va La Murga (In Maggiore 2015)
06:47 Alaskan Tapes - Leita(Ft. Ryan Svendsen) (Leita/North 2018)
10:28 Nils Petter Molvaer - Puri Jati (Buoyancy 2016)
14:00 Oystein Sevag - Miles Near (Link 1993)
15:35 Jeff Oster - The Lotus Within (Reach 2018)
22:27 Ron Miles - Pacem (Bardo Tank 2013)
28:49 Miles Davis - The Pan Piper (Sketches of Spain 1960)
32:27 Mark Isham - Tibet part II (Tibet 1989)
36:14 Arve Henriksen - Migration (Cartography 2008)
41:38 Ralph Towner & Paolo Fresu - The Sacred Place(reprise) (Chiaroscuro 2008)
43:27 Matthew Halsall - Canopy & Stars (Salute to the Sun 2020)
51:04 Ambrose Akinmusire - Roy (On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment 2020)
53:26 Jon Hassell - Time And Place (Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street 2009)
56:55 Matthew Halsall - Stories from India (Oneness 2019)
65:09 Tomasz Stanko Quartet - Tale (Lontano 2006)
68:54 end

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What if the original Blade Runner film had a pop music soundtrack? You know how some films have an instrumental score but also an album of pop/rock tunes that were used in the film or inspired by the film. If Blade Runner had such a collection maybe it would sound like this mix.

This all started when I was listening to Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond part 1 and I thought that it sounded like it would sort of fit with the Blade Runner score we are all so familiar with. That got me thinking about the question posed at the top of this post. As I started collecting tracks the first place I went was Gary Numan & Tubeway Army - Replicas. How could I not use a song called "Replicas"? Likewise from the same album, how could resist the track "Are Friends Electric?"

I got some great recommendations from Mixcloud listeners in this thread - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/posts/pop-tunes-for-blade-runner/ Tracks from Public Image Ltd., John Foxx, Quieter Than Spiders and New Order came right from those suggestions. There were also some great ideas in that thread which will work perfectly in a Blade Runner alternative score mix. I'm hyped to do that mix but I should probably wait a bit after this BR mix.

This was a lot of fun to put together. I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond pt. 1
03:36 Tubeway Army - Replicas
08:25 Air - Kelly Watch the Stars
12:00 Public Image Ltd. - The Order of Death
16:26 John Foxx - A New Kind Of Man
19:58 Kuedo - Memory Rain
23:23 Ultravox - Your Name Has Slipped My Mind Again
27:34 Air - Remember
29:52 Kraftwerk - The Robots
35:20 Ultravox - Mr. X
41:45 Quieter Than Spiders - The Signs of Life
46:52 Brad Mehldau - Paranoid Android
48:23 Metric - Artificial Nocturne
52:31 Tubeway Army - Are “Friends” Electric
57:45 New Order - Elegia
61:43 end

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This year I've had the good fortune of posting several cool guest mixes and that continues with this excellent collection from Brad Deschamps of Polar Seas Recordings.

https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/

It's not a mix of all Polar Seas releases, in fact only the opening and closing tracks are from the label. But it is perfect timing for a mix from Brad because Polar Seas is releasing three excellent new albums on Friday March 19th.

https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/luminous

https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-bird

https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/and-where-are-you-really-from

I love getting guest mixes because there is always great music in them that I have never heard. And that's the case with this one. I think I was familiar with 4 of the 9 artists in the set. So thanks to Brad for exposing me to even more good ambient music. But even more important thanks to Brad for running the great ambient record label - Polar Seas Recordings.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 - 03:38 Jeannine Schulz - Rooms and Surfaces I
03:38 - 10:53 Laura Luna Castillo - Eight Pounds of Tuberose
10:53 - 15:36 Sea Oleena - On Possession
15:36 - 20:50 Sachi Kobayashi - Nostalgia
20:50 - 29:38 Patricia Wolf - Position From the Sun
29:38 - 35:43 Claire M. Singer - Wrangham
35:43 - 40:01 Lisa Lerkenfeldt - Champagne Smoke
40:01 - 42:53 Sofie Birch - Kandisae
42:53 - 46:00 Clara Engel & Bradley Sean Alexander - Ghost Bird Alive, At Dawn

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As I've said here before, solo piano is wonderfully evocative of falling snow. So this mix is a collection of piano tracks that remind me of snow.

All the tunes are new, being from 2020 or 2021. Including the opening track from a forthcoming album on Whitelabrecs, i=r by Lorenzo Masotto https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/i-r

There's not much else to say other than enjoy this last snow mix of the year. We still have a lot of snow on the ground but it's melting and I can sense spring just around the corner. Of course by saying that I probably just guaranteed that we'll get hit with another 12" storm by the end of month. Ugh. I think I continue to live in a cold, snowy environment just for the musical inspiration. ;-)

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Lorenzo Masotto - i=r(lake) (i=r 2021)
03:58 Echoflex - D aeolian (Echoflex VI: Piano Net 2020)
09:42 Snorri Hallgrímsson - Landbrot (Landbrot I EP 2020)
12:19 Jon Hopkins - Dawn Chorus (2020)
15:24 James Murray & Mike Lazarev - Animitta (Sunnata 2020)
17:45 Nebel lang - Sigh (Hand in mine 2021)
21:52 Polaroid Notes - Down By The Sea (Ennio's Muse 2021)
25:04 Elskavon & John Hayes - L'etoile (Du Nord 2020)
28:28 Julia Gjertsen & Nico Rosenberg - Proper Time (Distant Fields 2020)
35:15 Ólafur Arnalds - Still _ Sound (some kind of peace 2020)
37:42 Belly Full of Stars - Pattern 4 (Aura 2021)
39:24 Snorri Hallgrímsson - Haustar (Landbrot I EP 2020)
42:35 Ian Hawgood - Dear Trish (Ennio's Muse 2021)
45:02 Echoflex - C aeolian (Echoflex VI: Piano Net 2020)
52:11 Nebel lang - Inwards (Hand in mine 2021)
67:51 end

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This mix is nice and straightforward - no funky locations, no focus on a single instrument - just straight up ambient. The closest thing to a theme would be that all the tracks are from 2021.

In trying to come up with a title for the mix, I looked through a list I keep of possible titles. If I hear an interesting phrase or combo of words I'll jot it down to possibly use later. In this case I came across "The Infinite Present." It seemed to fit because all the tunes are from 2021 and, even though we aren't through two whole months yet, the amount of new music can sometimes feel infinite.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Andrew Tasselmyer - Sleep Walking (Impulses 2021)
05:05 Arovane - 10 dezember 2019 (Wirkung 2021)
08:32 Crows Labyrinth & Wolfgang Merx - Ornaments I (Ornaments I 2021)
12:50 Chuck Johnson - Serontiny (The Cinder Grove 2021)
19:15 Free Dust - Early Gray (Woo'd Early 2021)
23:50 Hipnotic Earth - Repose Longplay edit (Sleeping Whales 2021)
29:25 Jazzdefector - Magomadas (Ennio's Muse 2021)
32:00 Jogging House - Farewell (Flaws 2021)
36:30 Maiya Hershey - What the Bearing Sea Takes (Music for Another Sky 2021)
40:25 Mehrdad Kanani - Nerves and Veins (Forgotten Conversation 2021)
44:30 Owl - Distant Transmissions (Infinite Horizon 2021)
48:06 Simon McCorry - Ocean Song (All Creatures 2021)
52:42 Thme - Acy (Ennio's Muse 2021)
56:03 William Ryan Fritch - Resurface (Freeland 2021)
57:40 zakè - Distant Shadow (Music for Another Sky 2021)
61:17 end

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Somehow last year I missed the album Transcendence by Sherry Finzer.

https://heartdancerecords.bandcamp.com/album/transcendence

It's an album of solo flute improvisations recorded in an old water tank in Rangely, Colorado. It definitely has the same feel as Paul Horn's Inside the Great Pyramid from 1976. As I listened to it, I wondered if I could collect enough tracks to make a mix of music recorded in water tanks, silos and cisterns. Well, I guess I found enough because here's the mix - Resonant Spaces.

There were a few artists that I immediately knew I would include - Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster, Paul Horn, and Jim Cole. From there I did a bit of research, got a recommendation from Sherry, and ended up with a nice collection of tracks.

My first exposure to recording on-site, in an unusual location was Paul Horn's Great Pyramid album. I had that LP in college and it helped me through many nights of studying. Well, not that many because I didn't study a whole lot.

My next exposure was 1989's Deep Listening by Oliveros, Dempster, & Panaiotis. An iconic album recorded in a huge underground cistern in northwest Washington state. The space would eventually be known as Dan Harpole Cistern. Deep Listening is one of my favorite ambient albums of all time. It owes its unique sound to the incredible space in which it was recorded.

According to the liner notes they parked their van next to the cistern and began to drop cables into the 14-foot deep cavern. They then rigged up rope and harnesses to lower chairs, accordion, sea shells, trombone, garden hoses, didgeridoos, tarps, cleaning tools and people. It was very dark, contrasted with the daylight streaming in from the hatch where they had come down.

The liner notes continue - "The remarkable thing about the acoustic space is the long reverb, which could approach 45 seconds, and the lack of slap echoes and distinct early reflections that are often characteristic of large cathedrals; only pure, smooth reverb...the amplitude of which appears to begin at the sane decibel level as the source. Consequently, it is impossible to tell where the performer stops and the reverberation takes over."

Here's a list of each artist, their album & a pic of where the recording was made:

Sherry Finzer - Transcendence - recorded at The Tank in Rangely, Colorado.
Jim Cole & Spectral Voices - Innertones - recorded in a 120-feet-tall water tank.
Stuart Dempster - Underground Overlays from the Cistern Chapel - recorded in a 2 million-gallon concrete cistern, now empty, in the Pacific Northwest known as the Dan Harpole Cistern.
Jherek Bischoff - Cistern - also recorded in the Dan Harpole Cistern.
Paul Horn - Inside The Great Pyramid - Recorded in the King's Chamber inside The Great Pyramid of Gizeh.
Paul Kikuchi - Portable Sanctuary Vol. 2 - Live in the Great Hall - recorded in the Great Hall at Union Station, Seattle, WA.
Jherek Bischoff - Improvisations - recorded in the Dan Harpole Cistern in Fort Warden in Port Townsend, WA.
Bodhi - Inside - recorded inside an old military bunker. I could not locate a pic of the bunker so this is from the album cover.
The User - Silophone - recorded in an abandoned grain storage facility in the port of Montréal.
Brother Saturn - Live at The Tank - recorded at The Tank in Colorado.
Bob Guido - Silophonic - recorded in Silo #5, an abandoned grain storage facility in the port of Montréal.
Oliveros Dempster Panaiotis - Deep Listening - recorded in the Dan Harpole Cistern in Washington.

I hope you enjoy this other-worldly journey through Resonant Spaces.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Sherry Finzer - Ancient Roots (Transcendence 2020)
05:18 Jim Cole & Spectral Voices - Hear Earth (Innertones 2006)
09:53 Stuart Dempster - Morning Light (Underground Overlays from the Cistern Chapel 1995)
17:20 Jherek Bischoff - The Sea's Son (Cistern 2016)
23:34 Paul Horn - Initiation (Inside The Great Pyramid 1976)
29:22 Paul Kikuchi - Union Pacific (Portable Sanctuary Vol. 2 - Live in the Great Hall 2016)
32:57 Bodhi - Relax (Inside 2020)
33:57 The User - Silophone (2001)
35:30 Brother Saturn - A Canopy Of Stars (Live at The Tank 2018)
39:50 Bob Guido - Silophonic
42:05 Oliveros Dempster Panaiotis - Lear (Deep Listening 1989)
52:05 Jim Cole & Spectral Voices - Spectral Winds, Inward Voices (Innertones 2006)
60:00 end

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Photo by Nick Reynolds on Unsplash I am so psyched to have another excellent guest mix. This one comes from long-time friend of the blog, Innesti - innesti.bandcamp.com

I have featured a bunch of Innesti music over the years and have hosted guest mixes from him as well. A couple of days ago I got an email asking if I was interested in another guest mix of ambient vaporwave tunes. Aww, hell yeah, I'm interested. Although I'm not quite sure what Vaporwave is. No worries, Innesti explains it for us:

Vaporwave is a niche genre of electronic music that combines the visual aesthetic of meme culture with the glitched out and stretched sounds of 1980's mall and infomercial music. It is not the kind of music that you would expect to appeal to listeners who enjoy deep ambient soundscapes. Nonetheless, buried deep within this genre are some amazing beatless and atmospheric pieces. I am drawn to these because they capture the kinds of atmospheres that I enjoy, but emerge organically within a completely different musical tradition. This mix represents a sample of some of my favorite ambient vaporwave tracks.

Sounds great!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 地球 - ジャングル PART 2
07:10 Subaeris - The City In Rain
12:50 Lindsheaven Virtual Plaza - Polynomial Voices
19:40 Corp. & t e l e p a t h - 進化 - 猫シ
23:12 Corp. & t e l e p a t h - A New Life Awaits You
26:07 暗号零 - 我爱你我的孩子 (Mother)
30.59 SONYA™ SleepStation - [program b] - sleep
36:30 ∑ V ∑ R Y T H I N G - In this forest all of your problems become beautiful birds
42:25 Zadig The Jasp - (海の前で-In Front Of The Sea.)
52:12 ll nøthing ll - Cycle
60:00 end

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As I type this we are getting pounded with another 9" of snow, the second pounding in less than a week. Combine that with semi-lockdown we are still under and it sort of feels like I'm in a research station outpost about to hunker down for The Long Polar Night.

Most of the titles fit the theme as well as the feel of the tunes.. I added some weather radio recordings throughout the mix which I think worked out pretty well.

One happy accident that happened while putting this together is I accidently left two tracks by two different artists in the same spot. I didn't even notice at first. They were playing simultaneously and it sounded like it was meant to be that way. This happens at 51:21 of the mix.

Cheers and stay warm!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Wind & Weather Radio
00:55 Owl - Moonshine Haze (Infinite Horizon 2021)
04:16 Esther Kokmeijer & Rutger Zuydervelt - Stillness #5 (Stillness 2013)
08:20 SineRider - Four Below Zero (Four Years Away 2018)
11:42 offthesky - cold front (studies of form in transit 2003)
14:40 John Butcher - wind piece (Resonant Spaces)
15:47 Hanno Leichtmann - wind (Nuit Du Plomb 2006)
19:00 Lauge - Icebound (Nothingness 2020)
25:30 Gailes - Surface Variations in The Snowfall (Seventeen Words 2017)
32:05 Marcus Fischer - Antarctic 3 (Arctic / Antarctic(version) 2020)
34:45 Polaroid Notes - Don't Be Afraid Of Darkness (Home Diaries 014 2020)
38:00 Rosalina Teche - Slightly Affected (Music for Another Sky 2021)
40:23 stormloop - in the frozen morning light (arctic conditions 2013)
48:25 Moss Covered Technology - Distant Station(Nocturne) (Once Hallowed 2019)
51:21 Sinderider & Polaroid Notes - Frost & Into The Black played simultaneously
55:35 Axs - Frozen Signpost (Arctic Circle 2011)
65:20 end

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Great minds think alike. Both Paul and I had the idea of doing a "bell" based mix. I, however, am a procrastinator, and after creating a save folder for bell tunes 3 months ago, I have one track in it. So who knows when that puppy was going to get done.

Paul, on the other hand, sought out tracks and compiled them into a perfect playlist that became this mix - Bell Tone Meditation.

Here's what he has to say about it:

“For thousands of years bells, more than any other instrument, have been used to convey a sense of reverence and mystery, to represent clarity, to facilitate both quiet, solitary meditation and communal celebration. And, given the challenging artistic paradox of using sound to express silence, bells are the musical instrument used most often to express that, too. So it’s curious to me that bells (and their various metal/crystal-bowl cousins) are not used more often in ambient music, a genre defined, perhaps more than anything else, by subtle textures and tonal resonance over melody and rhythm.

Bells also have been the most common instrument to express cold and ice. Another reason this mix makes a perfect midwinter offering.”

Thanks Paul!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 Cousin Silas - Derwent (Submerged 2021)
05:36 Andarctica - at rest (buried with the bells 2019)
11:40 Robert Rich - Belltone Glass (Alien Zoology - Live Archive Vol 4 2009)
15:37 Jack Hertz - Invisible Pyramid (Teoton 2020)
19:17 Andrew Lahiff - The Ringing of the Silent Bells (Slow Paths Beyond 2014)
25:47 Crown Of Eternity - New Dimensions in Infinite VIbrations (Universal Hum 2018)
31:50 The Heart Is Awake - Healing Sound Meditation(Healing Arts reMix) (the Healing Arts reMIXES Vol III 2020)
36:00 Steve Roach & Serena Gabriel - Nectar Meditation (Nectar Meditation 2020)
45:15 Glenn Sogge - Aether/Or -- A Non-Philosophical Disquisition (Musics for Long Thinkings, volume 4 2016)
53:30 jarguna - My Temple (My Temple 2020)
1:10:00 end

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