low light mixes

WABI SABI by Daniel Hawkins

 

I've been super busy lately so it's perfect timing for another wonderful guest mix from friend of the feed, Daniel Hawkins. Daniel has done 4 mixes for LLM, each of them a great ambient journey. You can find them here:

Amiably Ambient
The Silence Between
Dark Woods
Metallic Memories

 

"This one takes some thoughtful curating to come up with such a cohesive set. Here what Daniel has to say about the mix:

 

"Wabi Sabi conveys feelings of desolation and solitude. Within Mahayana Buddhism these can be considered positive traits, representing release from the material world and the possibility of transcendence to a simpler life. As Mahayana philosophy emphasizes direct experience over verbal explanation, Wabi Sabi may be best understood in a non-verbal, experiential way.

According to Richard Powell, "Wabi Sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."

Many forms of Japanese art have been influenced by Zen and Mahayana philosophy over the past thousand years. The contemplation and acceptance of imperfection, as well as the awareness of constant flux and impermanence, have been particularly important to Japanese arts and culture.

Awareness of the transience of all things heightens appreciation of their beauty, and evokes a gentle sadness at their passing.

So I’d been working on this mix for months - adding metallophonic cuts that caught my fancy - as a follow up to last year’s Metallic Memories mix.  The mix got to over 3 hours - and I wasn’t sure Dave would be amused.  They were all good pieces of music - but I thought maybe a tighter focus would make a more cohesive mix.  As I trimmed it down the Wabi Sabi theme seemed to fit the mood and I think makes a nice set.  I hope you agree."

 

Thanks for another fantastic mix, Daniel.

 

Cheers!

 

[ s t r e a m ]    [ d o w n l o a d ]    [ a p p l e _ p o d c a s t s ]

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00   Anaamaly - I Am Inspired by Possibility (Urban Metta, Vol. 2 2017)
• 06:10   Masayoshi Fujita - As Dusk Falls(Feat. NATURE) (As Dusk Falls 2025)
• 09:45   Luis Miehlich & Marty Hicks - Upon the Winds of Change (Reflections Vol. 2)
• 14:15   Zheleznyak - Water Talk (Attenuated In Ambient)
• 18:42   CSillagkod - Kettoscsillag (Silent World 2014)
• 21:55   Jogging House - Fingers (The Ambient Zone: Collection 006 2020)
• 25:45   Steve Good - Infinite Rainbows (Arise, Decay, Sustain, Release 2024)
• 32:05   Robot Koch - Kassel(Foam and Sand rework) (The Next Billion Years - Foam and Sand reworks 2022)
• 36:00   Marsen Jules - Yara 4 (Yara 2009)
• 43:10   Tapes and Topographies - Holograms (Partial Holograms 2025)
• 47:50   Heavenchord - Field Recordings #19 (Field Recordings #4 2022)
• 56:05   Calm Whale - Flower of Transformation (Flower of Transformation 2025)
• 65:17   end

Hushed Whispers by Roquen Lómë

 

I am listening to this guest mix as I type this and I am loving this set. Curated by Roquen Lómë, this is a wonderful collection of tracks for slowing down, for introspection. You can find some of his stuff on Mixcloud - https://www.mixcloud.com/roguenlome/

Here's what he has to say about the mix:

"There's something magical about listening to music late at night. You can dim the lights or turn them off entirely and immerse yourself in the sound. Your perception shifts just enough to highlight subtle noises, making any voices feel intimately near, though sometimes they may not be real. At times, they exist, and other times, they arise from your imagination or the onset of sleep. Most of the used tracks feature some form of vocal or whisper-like quality, though they may not always be tied to a human voice. I still tend to include vocal-driven songs into my mixes to provide an engaging contrast to the predominantly ambient and electronic sounds, ensuring the listener remains alert throughout the journey."

Thanks for a lovely mix!

Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00  Colin Stetson - Morning Of (The First 2018)
• 02:13  Anne Müller - Solo? Repeat! (Heliopause 2019)
• 07:50  Sjors Mans - Big Ballad (Noord 2019)
• 14:27  Malibu - Cheirosa '94 (Palaces of Pity 2022)
• 16:05  Mowg - The Way Home (Burning 2019)
• 19:04  Brombaer - Cosmo Pollen (Stars 2013)
• 21:40  Ben Lukas Boysen & Sebastian Plano - Winding And Unwinding (Everything 2017)
• 24:08  Sonmi451 - Brenta (Panta Rei 2017)
• 28:34  The Phonometrician - We're Burning (Mnemosyne 2019)
• 31:54  Ólafur Arnalds - Particles (Island Songs 2016)
• 35:39  Otto A. Totland - Pinô (Pinô 2014)
• 38:03  Glåsbird - Austfonna (Svalbarð 2019)
• 42:51  Marek Kamiński - Long Hands (Not Here 2019)
• 46:29  Rauelsson - Split (Vora 2013)
• 51:52  Sven Laux - Fisher (Schachmatt 2018)
• 56:00  Deaf Center - Yet To Come (Low Distance 2019)
• 58:22  Lana Del Rey - Hope Is A Dangerous Thing For A Woman Like Me To Have - But I Have It (Norman Fucking Rockwell! 2019)

Train to Redemption by Paul Asbury Seaman

 

We are in for a real treat with this latest guest mix from Paul Asbury Seaman. Paul has done a bunch of "train" mixes over the years. He has also done several Berlin-School mixes. This one could be my favorite combo of the two themes. 

 

This wonderful mix plays right into my current obsession with the Berlin-School subgenre. I can't say enough about how much I love this mix. As I have stated here previously, I've been on a Berlin-School bender for the last few years. Although, now that I think about it, my return to this style has gone on long enough that it is no longer a bender or binge. It's just outright love for this genre. 

 

Paul has created an absolute gem so I'll let him tell you more about it:

 

“People get ready…” Popular culture, especially in music, has long used the association with trains as an image of redemption. Part of the seductive appeal of long-distance travel is that something we experience might change or enlighten us. On a train we are free of the obligations and stress of driving, but also have a more private, sedentary experience conducive to withdrawing into ourselves than on a boat, a ship or a plane, yet--to emphasize the metaphorical lesson--in stillness we are also moving forward. This is the paradox: hurtling across the landscape (or through time) while sitting comfortably, without moving. Watching. Rejuvenating."

 Thanks again, Paul, for curating this fantastic collection of train tracks. ;-)

 Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00   Hollan Holmes - So Far Away (The Sanctity of Rust 2026)
• 04:55   Rudy Adrian - Rail Corridor(Rocky Mtns, Colorado) (Concerts In The USA 2003)
• 13:50   Robert Rich - Sky Tunnel (Electric Ladder 2006)
• 22:08   DTime - A Gleaming Silver Thread (Weaving A Dream 2024)
• 37:33   Aleksi Perälä - FI3AC2513503 (GRACE 15 2025)
• 42:54   Craig Padilla & Marvin Allen - Undercurrents of Change (Unfolding Skies 2026)
• 48:04   Alba Ecstasy - Reverie Two (Berlin School Reveries, Vol. 1 2025)
• 58:40   Dream Sequence - Turn off the lights (Live at The ICA 2026)
• 67:37   David Helpling & Eric Taylor - For Those in Shadow (The Precious Dark 2025)
• 73:33   Lars Tellmann - Midwinter Train (Komorebi Winterlight 2026)
• 78:54   end

Kosmische Musik - A Starter Guide Vol. 2 by Erwin Broers

 

To finish the first quarter of the year we get another excellent berlin-school mix from EM master, Erwin Broers. Just like his ECM mix posted last month, Erwin sent me this mix last year but I spaced out and forgot I had until this year. Luckily for historical mixes like this one, the post is evergreen and can be appreciated anytime.

I'll repost what he said about volume 1:

"Here's a follow-up on my mix "Back To The Roots Of Berlin School". As you recall it featured a collection of electronic music tracks from the 1990s, that were inspired by the patterns, sounds and analog instruments of the 1970s and early 1980s. Back then, nobody talked about "Berlin School Electronic Music". That label would only appear somewhere mid 1990s, probably to honour the place where the genre was born. Fans in the early days would rather use the term "Kosmische Musik" (German for "Cosmic Music"). An explanation for the "cosmic" element is to be found in the use of the step sequencer, which made it easy to create hypnotic rhythm loops with up to 32 notes or steps, set a tempo, and mix them over electronic drones, soundscapes, soloing, washes, white noise and space sounds. The effect was to “float” the listener through endless terrestrial or cosmic space. For those not keen on using illicit substances, it was an interesting and harmless alternative "trip"!

I thought about creating a mix of some classic pieces from that first era, but soon found out one mix would not be enough to do justice to all the fantastic "Cosmic Music" that was made back then. So we get two mixes! This post is for volume 2 and you can find volume 1 here - https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2025/06/kosmische-musik-starters-guide-vol-1.html

 

Thanks, Erwin, for another great cosmic trip!

 

Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00:00   Tim Blake - New Jerusalem (Blake's New Jerusalem, 1978)
• 00:16:01   Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygène parts 1 & 2 (Oxygène, 1976)
• 00:31:14   Vangelis - Soil Festivities part 2 (Soil Festivities, 1984)
• 00:37:25   Alan Parsons Project - The Gold Bug (The Turn Of A Friendly Card, 1980)
• 00:41:47   Robert Schroeder - The Day After X (Harmonic Ascendant, 1979)
• 00:49:22   Edgar Froese - Maroubra Bay (Epsilon In Malaysian Pale, 1975)
• 00:53:24   Ole Højer Hansen - Song Blue (Nudity, 1988)
• 01:00:30   Synco - Silent Water ('85-'89, 1990)
• 01:02:40   Mergener & Weisser - Sunbeam (Beam-Scape, 1984)
• 01:12:52   Wavestar - Chase The Evening (Moonwind, 1987)
• 01:25:26   Tangerine Dream - Logos Live part 1 (2nd movement) (Logos, 1982)
• 01:38:46   Manuel Göttsching - Dream (Dream & Desire, rec.1977-pub.1991)
• 01:44:24   Klaus Schulze - Georg Trakl (X - Sechs Musikalische Biographien, 1978)
• 01:49:44   Michael Hoenig - Hanging Garden Transfer (Departure From The Northern Wasteland, 1977)
• 02:00:30   end

From Dusk Till Dawn by Fragile X

 

Whoa nelly we are in for a treat with this guest mix! This new set comes from John McFadden who records as Fragile X. John has done two other mixes for us that you can find here:

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/aquadream-by-fragile-x/

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/being-human-by-fragile-x/

I'm kind of jealous of this mix as there are bunch of tracks that I would love to have used in my recent undersea mix. So this is a perfect time for this set because it will play off of my "Alien Sea" mix and lead us into other ambient directions. John has a couple of new EPs out and you can find Fragile X music here - https://fragilex.bandcamp.com/

Here's what John says about "From Dusk Till Dawn"

"I've been getting up early a lot so far this year, especially in midweek, for the day job and I've also been making the most of my weekends by trying to stay up late and be creative when I can.

So, with that in mind, I've put together a mix to soundtrack the wee hours. I tried to make it dream-like and hazy. Like an escape into the hush of night and through to break of morning. Albeit crammed into 70 mins!

It's got some dubby and experimental ambient stuff then slowly unfurls into more melodic ambient pieces over time. Very minimal percussion and the focus more on atmosphere and texture.

Hope you enjoy!" 

Thanks, John, for a great mix!

Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 01. Erik M. - Half Sleep (00:00)
• 02. Squu - Essence (03:54)
• 03. Distant Echoes - Buried Into Ashes (07:03)
• 04. Jerod S. Rivera - Seamstress Clock (feat Cat Lauigan) (10:35)
• 05. Lee Gamble - She's Not (15:20)
• 06. Sonoj - Deal (18:26)
• 07. Tokyo Bedroom Orchestra - Mori (24:37)
• 08. Martin Allin - Play For The Slow World (28:56)
• 09. nthng - Two People (33:13)
• 10. Xenia Reaper - You Really (37:09)
• 11. Number One - Press 1 For Ever (39:48)
• 12. Aion Lazura - Fractal Conscientia (42:43)
• 13. Fragile X - Cielab (48:12)
• 14. Kaito - Rainbow Circles (Beatless version) (53:45)
• 15. Vertical67 - Peace of Mind (60:11)
• 16. Fernie - Subtle (64:44)
• 17. Yaka - Slow Reaction (68:20)

ECM Favorites Vol. 2 by Erwin Broers

I know two things that are true - Erwin Broers is a great contributor to Low Light Mixes and I'm an airhead. 🤪 Last year after I posted a mix of my favorite albums from ECM records, Erwin did his own version. He sent it to me in September and I totally spaced out and forgot about it until this week. But it works out in the end because I've been busy lately so a guest mix is just what I needed.

Here's what Erwin says about his ECM favorites:

"When LLM published a set of highlights from the revered ECM label back in early Aug '25, https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/ecm-favorites/, it just felt like short-selling its 1600+ title catalogue. A second installment seemed only a matter of time. And here it is! 

The mix mostly contains tracks one could characterize as "smooth contemporary jazz", the kind of music you put on to unwind after a busy day. A classic in this genre is John Abercrombie's "Timeless". 

But it also features a very special piece by Stephan Micus, the renowned German multi-instrumentalist, for whom ECM seems to have been created. We hear him singing in an imaginary language and playing several instruments; hauntingly beautiful!

Cover Artwork: Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, 2017"

Thanks for another wonderful set, Erwin.

Cheers!

 

( ( ( T R A C K L I S T ) ) )

• 00:00:00   Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset, Jan Bang & Tigran Hamasyan - Traces I (Atmosphères, 2016)
• 00:06:12   John Abercrombie, Jan Hammer & Jack De Johnette - Timeless (Timeless, 1975)
• 00:18:00   Stephan Micus - To The Evening Child (To The Evening Child, 1992)
• 00:25:43   Pat Metheny, Eberhard Weber, Lyle Mays & Dan Gottlieb - Sea Song (Watercolors, 1977)
• 00:35:46   Bill Frisell - Etude (Works, 1988)
• 00:39:50   John Surman - Holding Pattern I (Withholding Pattern, 1985)
• 00:44:18   Tord Gustavsen Trio - Vicar Street (Being There, 2007)
• 00:47:49   Egberto Gismonti, Nando Carneiro & Zeca Assumpçao - Um Anjo (ZigZag, 1996)
• 00:53:32   Anouar Brahem - Ashen Sky (Souvenance, 2014)
• 01:00:50   Terje Rypdal - Shining (Skywards, 1997)
• 01:03:04   François Couturier & Tarkovsky Quartet - Nuit Blanche (Nuit Blanche, 2017)
• 01:08:28   Marcin Wasilewski Trio - Oz Guizos (Faithful, 2011)
• 01:14:55   end

The Silence Between by Daniel Hawkins

 

When Daniel wrote that he had a new mix based around silence I knew it would be good. Then I saw the tracklist and I knew it would be great. He includes cuts from some of my favorite artists - Halftribe, Innesti, Sonmi451, Loscil, and A Produce. The A Produce track is one of my favorite ambienbt tracks of all time.

Here's what Daniel says about his new mix:

Claude Debussy once wrote: “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between them”, suggesting that music's emotional impact, beauty, and expression come from the pauses and spacing between sounds.  The first thing I think of is Eno’s classic Music for Airports - man did I fall in love with that album.  Roach’s Dream Circle comes to mind - low and slow - the music just seems to breathe.  Of course you have the steady state drone stuff from Grassow and friends, which I like - but there is no real structure - that’s the point I guess.  I tried to pick work for this mix that had at least a bit of melody, but plenty of silence to define the notes.  There is a sweet spot that when achieved sends me at least into a deep peaceful space.  I’m thinking we all need to spend some time in that space these days to recharge and nurture our sanity.  Hoping this mix might help with that my friends.

 Thanks, Daniel, for another excellent mix.

Cheers!

 T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00   Halftribe & Spinnet - A Minimal Resolution (Patterns of Sync 2020)
• 09:09   Snufmumriko - Mot Nattens Hjärta (Sekunder, Eoner 2019)
• 12:12   ASC - Find Yourself (Tales Of Introspection 2025)
• 22:48   Innesti - Nothwithstanding (Filament and Place 2021)
• 28:00   Sonmi451 - Oxygen Is Flowing (Oxygen Is Flowing single 2025)
• 33:12   Loscil - Stella (Clara 2021)
• 42:23   A Produce - A Smooth Surface(Edit) (White Sands 1995)
• 47:40   Hipnotic Earth - Repose (The Waters of Home 2017)
• 57:00   Lab's Cloud - Rising (The Structure of Emotions 2021)
• 63:58   end

Berlin School EM 2025 End Of Year XL Update by Erwin Broers

 

 

Oh man, what a way to end the year! Erwin has been curating excellent Berlin-school mixes for us all year and now he finishes it off with this massive end-of-the-year update. I've been in this headspace for a while now so this perfectly satisfies my craving. Thanks to Erwin for a great year of electronic mixes.

 

Here what he has to say about this year-ender:

 

"Another smorgasbord of what the electronic music scene has to offer these days and another invitation for space travelling! It's an extra long mix given my incapacity to choose from the wide offer of sublime tracks and albums that were released in 2025.

The diversity in styles within this music category is remarkable; synth pop, retro, contemporary and progressive Berlin School, cosmic sound tapestries, contemplative/meditative/emotional (drone) ambient and a lengthy deep house track.

Special mention for two female electronic music artists Andrea Cichecki and Lisa Bella Donna. Unfortunately, women are rare in this line of music, but these ladies more than deserve their place in this mix with thrilling evocative compositions. Check it out & enjoy your trip!"

  

LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

01. https://aevanelstprojects.bandcamp.com/album/the-art-of-ae-live-2

02. https://fritzmayr.bandcamp.com/album/eye-of-the-storm

03. https://cosmiccadence.bandcamp.com/album/alien-artifacts

04. https://epigenetics.bandcamp.com/album/tunes-for-the-trip-to-alpha-centauri-2025-album

05. https://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/everything-dies-cyd-0139

06. https://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/gemstones-vi-cyd-0141

07. https://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/a-sequence-of-colours-cyd-0147

08. https://sphericmusic-shop.de/gb/featured/1889-mergener-peter-chip-meditation-2025.html

    https://www.groove.nl/shop/peter-mergener-chip-meditation-2025/?v=910955a907e7

09. https://moonsatellite2.bandcamp.com/album/litanie-des-songes

10. https://tronestamjohan.bandcamp.com/album/settlers

11. https://caughtinjoy.bandcamp.com/album/equilibrium-double-album

12. https://matthiaslehmann.bandcamp.com/album/autumn-rhapsody-season-quadrology-part-iv-album

13. https://sequentia-legenda.bandcamp.com/album/timeless
    https://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/timeless-cyd-0143

14. https://jimottaway.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-odyssey

15. https://dacker.bandcamp.com/album/saudade
    https://www.groove.nl/shop/dacker-skoulaman-saudade/?v=910955a907e7

16. https://lisabelladonna.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-a-new-age

17. https://mahorka.bandcamp.com/album/making-things-happen-netlabel-day-10th-anniversary-compilation

18. https://mattgoodluck.bandcamp.com/album/portals

19. https://phelios.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-planetarium-erkrath

20. https://unisphereerikrene.bandcamp.com/album/opus-tria

21. https://drune-music.bandcamp.com/album/beyond

22. https://joerg-dankert.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-berlin

23. https://hellomrklaus.bandcamp.com/album/angels-memento-mori

24. https://mindphaser2.bandcamp.com/album/analogue-birth-of-the-universe

25. https://tectonia.bandcamp.com/album/luna-the-moon

26. https://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/the-vanishing-point-cyd-0145

27. https://hrresonance.bandcamp.com/album/dream-mooring

28. https://quietdetails.bandcamp.com/album/yesterday-sky

29. https://tim-stebbing.bandcamp.com/album/spacehopper

30. https://colinrayment.bandcamp.com/album/optical-perceptions

31. https://galacticsoundstation.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-the-mental-health-of-astronauts-volume-1

32. https://astro-sphere.bandcamp.com/album/fading-sun-endless-blue

33. https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-will-never-survive-without-you-ambient-works

Happy New Year to everyone and here's to 2026 being another fantastic year of music.

Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

01. 00:00:00   AE Van Elst Projects - Take-Off (The Art of AE Live)

02. 00:05:58   Fritz Mayr - Wind & Rain (Eye Of The Storm)

03. 00:07:12   Cosmic Cadence - Alien Artifacts (Alien Artifacts)

04. 00:11:45   Epigenetics - Leaving Everything Behind (Tunes for the Trip to Alpha Centauri)

05. 00:16:04   Rodrigo Passannanti - Blue Skies (Everything Dies)

06. 00:20:08   Andrea Cichecki - Fragmented Reality (Gemstones VI - Cyclical Dreams label compilation)

07. 00:25:00   Michael Brückner - Sequential Blue (A Sequence Of Colours)

08. 00:30:48   Peter Mergener - Julia Quantity (Chip Meditation 2025)

09. 00:35:14   MoonSatellite - Litanie Part 04 (Litanie Des Songes)

10. 00:41:34   Johan Tronestam - Pioneers (Settlers)

11. 00:48:36   Caught In Joy - Cathedrals Of Light (Equilibrium)

12. 00:53:03   Matthias Lehmann - Stubai Fall (Autumn Rhapsody - Season Quadrology Part IV)

13. 00:57:15   Sequentia Legenda - Love Feeds Love II (Timeless)

14. 01:01:03   Jim Ottaway - Cosmic Odyssey (Cosmic Odyssey)

15. 01:07:36   Däcker & Skoulaman - Hiraeth (Saudade)

16. 01:15:56   Lisa Bella Donna - Reach For The Light (Dawn Of A New Age)

17. 01:22:14   Fallen + Philippe Blache - Supplique Au Vent (Making Things Happen: Netlabel Day 10th Anniversary Compilation)

18. 01:26:22   Matt Goodluck - After Hours (Portals)

19. 01:29:35   Martin Stürtzer - Return To Earth (Live at Planetarium Erkrath)                         

20. 01:35:56   UNI Sphere - Shifting Your Horizon (Opus Tria)               

21. 01:43:10   Drune - Nucleia (Beyond) 

22. 01:49:44   Joerg Dankert - Checkpoint Velocity (Back To Berlin)

23. 01:53:12   Hello Mr Klaus - Uriel Angel Of Light (Angels "Memento Mori")

24. 01:58:36   MindPhaser - Mellotron Resonance (Analogue Birth Of The Universe) 

25. 02:00:32   Tectonia - Tranquility Base (Luna - The Moon)

26. 02:02:50   Grant Beasley - Zero Point (The Vanishing Point)

27. 02:10:55   Subtle Shift - Dream Mooring (Dream Mooring)             

28. 02:29:14   Shawn Rudiman - Psyconnex (Yesterday Sky)

29. 02:35:44   Tim Stebbing - Deep Freeze (Spacehopper)

30. 02:43:23   Colin Rayment - Mysterious Illusion (Optical Perceptions)

31. 02:46:26   Terminus Void - Zero Gravity (Music for the Mental Health of Astronauts Vol. 1)

32. 02:52:01   Astropilot - Fading Sun Endless Blue (Fading Sun Endless Blue)

33. 02:55:34   Jay Hosking - Prince, The Poet (The World Will Never Survive Without You)

end 03:03:44

 

Dreaming In Gamelan by Andy McNeill

 

 

I have a special treat for everyone with this new mix. It's a guest mix from friend of Low Light Mixes, Andy McNeill. Andy records as Maple Mountain Sunburst and has created two previous mixes for LLM and they are both excellent. You can find them here:

http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-moon-full-of-stars-and-astral-cars-by.html

https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2025/01/we-did-it-again-by-andy-mcneillmaple.html

Andy has a new album out, under his own name, that is a little different from his other recordings. That new album is the inspiration for this new mix which is really something special. I'll let Andy tell you about it:

"Mallets, gongs, tintinnabulations, things that go ping. Here we have a mix of percolating exotica to float away on for an hour. I’ve included three tracks from a recent collaboration with percussionist and fellow composer Bill Brennan. Our album Dreaming In Gamelan blends West Javanese gamelan traditions with contemporary ambient electronics. Recorded with traditional hand-forged bronze instruments, the tracks were then augmented and treated in the studio. Also joining us was the brilliant electric violinist and sonic explorer Hugh Marsh. The album was mixed for immersive Dolby Atmos by Ron Searles (Atmos version available on Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon)."

https://lnk.to/dreamingingamelan

https://brennanmcneill.bandcamp.com/album/dreaming-in-gamelan

 

Thanks to Andy for curating and mixing this great collection tracks. And thanks for the excellent new album.

 

LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

 

Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill - Tunnels of Light
https://lnk.to/dreamingingamelan

another fine day - Child’s Play
https://anotherfineday.bandcamp.com/album/a-good-place-to-be

Peter Gabriel - Slow Marimbas (from Birdy soundtrack)
https://open.spotify.com/album/6ZTQcgutsPhQ50FRZk3BYl?si=Af0sn6YnTaq84N4kJPk1ug

Thomas Newman - Bullet (from White Oleander soundtrack)
https://open.spotify.com/album/76i4SD0LNBtIZtAumvcJsS?si=mAj14pOYTYqT8_QS-S8h1Q

Genesis - The Waiting Room (excerpt)
https://open.spotify.com/album/49BxISwAbZZfmlhqD6Vh88?si=91fRitQ_QPK6Uh5GHyNb7w

Wanderwelle - An Offering of Gratitude
https://silentseason.bandcamp.com/album/gathering-of-the-ancient-spirits

Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill - Morning Beams
https://lnk.to/dreamingingamelan

Thomas Stronen - Confronting Silence
https://open.spotify.com/album/6xEg7P0N3edYKhptbNxo5c?si=ZCwZBplZRdeT_vaWWooXnQ

Michael Brook - Distant Village
https://open.spotify.com/album/7t48EroHL8dzsBTdUS3pRp?si=Q7PfBPDGQxCfXI-wvtXv0w

Connecta Quartet - Madeira River (P.Glass)
https://open.spotify.com/album/4h0827roLiZ3IDt4UK6MfS?si=7hAx96RaQnSn-i42L3bUBA

another fine day - green thought (in green shade)
https://anotherfineday.bandcamp.com/album/life-before-land

Bartosz Kruczyński - Dream 1
https://earthtraxonline.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-whispers

Shuta Yasukochi - Sakura
https://shutayasukochi.bandcamp.com/album/harmonies-of-flowers

Marilyn Masur - Bell-Painting
https://open.spotify.com/album/5HZk4QJRTXSQaauqz5SHAL?si=WbplnlyZRYydr9vaWBiTSw

Four Tet - Lush
https://fourtet.bandcamp.com/album/new-energy

Jon Hassell - Time and Place
https://open.spotify.com/album/6p97ys8xZeV60gh427TwMz?si=o8f6zwf7SNiDkBdp-IYnGw

Boston Modern Orchestra Project - Suite for Violin with American Gamelan - III. Air (Lou Harrison)
https://bmopsound.bandcamp.com/album/lou-harrison-la-koro-sutro

Pierre Favre Ensemble - Frog Songs (excerpt)
https://open.spotify.com/album/4i3JU3zB3PfVceKEq89mx7?si=GI0PfPDbRsG4pHCXpCdOgw

Marilyn Masur - Spirit Of Air (excerpt)
https://open.spotify.com/album/5HZk4QJRTXSQaauqz5SHAL?si=WbplnlyZRYydr9vaWBiTSw

Four Tet - You Were There With Me (excerpt)
https://open.spotify.com/album/2BKXRpAaq7jZStXo6A10qK?si=kfBOKOGwR_-uWyseYAk-kQ

Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill - Reverie
https://lnk.to/dreamingingamelan

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00   Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill - Tunnels of Light (Dreaming In Gamelan 2025)

02:35   another fine day - Child’s Play (a good place to be 2015)

07:03   Peter Gabriel - Slow Marimbas (Birdy soundtrack 1985)

10:01   Thomas Newman - Bullet (White Oleander soundtrack 2002)

10:31   Genesis - The Waiting Room excerpt (The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 1974)

11:15   Wanderwelle - Her Name is Vairumati (Gathering of the Ancient Spirits 2018)

16:13   Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill - Morning Beams (Dreaming In Gamelan 2025)

19:07   Thomas Stronen - Confronting Silence (Relations 2024)

19:23   Michael Brook - Distant Village (Hybrid 1985)

23:15   Connecta Quartet - Madeira River (P. Glass) (Pulse And Echoes 2024)

28:10   another fine day - green thought (in green shade) (life before land 1994)

34:18   Bartosz Kruczyński - Dream 1 (Dreams & Whispers 2024)

37:20   Shuta Yasukochi - Sakura (Harmonies of Flowers 2024)

39:47   Marilyn Masur - Bell-Painting (Elixir 2008)

40:19   Four Tet - Lush (New Energy 2017)

43:40   Jon Hassell - Time and Place (Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street

2009)

47:17   Boston Modern Orchestra Project - Suite for Violin with American Gamelan - III. Air (Lou Harrison) (La Koro Sutro 2014)

50:37   Pierre Favre Ensemble - Frog Songs excerpt (Singing Drums 1984) overlayed with Marilyn Masur - Spirit Of Air excerpt (Elixir 2008)

52:02   Four Tet - You Were There With Me excerpt (Everything Ecstatic 2005)

55:22   Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill - Reverie (Dreaming in Gamelan 2025)

1:05:29   end

Mentalized - The Music of Wolfram Spyra by Erwin Broers

 

 

 

Between Erwin Broers & Paul Asbury Seaman I have been exposed to a ton of excellent berlin-school music over the last couple years. Erwin continues his great string of mixes with this new one featuring the music of Wolfram Spyra. I was totally unfamiliar with this music before hearing this mix and now I'm thankful for the introduction.

Here's what Erwin says about this mix:

"In the mid-1990s, when interest for 'Kosmische Musik' (German)/'Cosmic Music' (English) regained, some Electronic Music artists chose to dig deeper into that first highly creative era, hence starting the 'Retro Berlin School' subgenre. Other artists merely borrowed certain elements (multi-facetted sequencing, layered soundscapes, space fx, Mellotron choirs,...) and then added their own spices to the sauce. 

One of the artists that managed to create his own style of contemporary "Berlin School Electronic Music" is the German Fine Arts student (then), and musician, inventor and sound designer (now, dixit his own website) Wolfram Spyra (Kassel, 1964), aka "Der Spyra" or simply "Spyra". His style is somewhere between floating, rhythmic, meditative, downtempo and groovy, yes almost danceable. A very interesting blend of old skool and modern electronic ingredients!

This mix is a chronological overview of 20 years of releases from 1997 till 2018."

More information:
Discogs: www.discogs.com/artist/13462-Spyra
Website: www.derspyra.de
Bandcamp: wolframspyra.bandcamp.com

 

 

Thanks for another great mix!

 

Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00:00   Future Of The Past (2000 remix)(Homelistening Is Killing Clubs, 1995)
• 00:07:15   Non Disperdere Nell' Ambiente Part 1 (Future Of The Past, 1997)
• 00:17:20   Seeds (My Little Garden Of Sounds, 1997)
• 00:28:55   Sferics (Sferics, 1998)
• 00:36:18   Monotonous Stereo Part 1 (Etherlands, 1999)
• 00:41:50   Ωmega Est αlpha (Phonehead, 1997)
• 00:56:16   Mentalized (Elevator To Heaven, 2001)
• 01:10:24   We Don't Mind The Rain (Virtual Vices IV (w/ Pete Namlook), 2003)
• 01:16:10   Aireals (Orphan Waves, 2006)
• 01:23:38   Last Train To Philadelphia (High Phidelity, 2007)
• 01:32:44   Below (Gasoline 91 Octane, 2008)
• 01:43:16   SeQuest (SeQuest (w/ Christian Lang), 2010)
• 01:50:21   Staub Part 2 (Dunst, 2018)
• 02:01:20   end