low light mixes

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Ambient music mixes for a chaotic world

Episodes

39 minutes ago

Meditative Music To Get You Thru Election Night 2024

39 minutes ago

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

7 days ago

Capturing The Voice Of A Galaxy

7 days ago

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

Thursday Oct 17, 2024

Wind and Wandering

Thursday Oct 17, 2024

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:

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

Friday Oct 11, 2024

A Moon Full Of Stars and Astral Cars by Andy McNeill/Maple Mountain Sunburst

Friday Oct 11, 2024

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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:

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

Thursday Oct 03, 2024

Fall Colors

Thursday Oct 03, 2024

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

Friday Sep 27, 2024

End of Summer Noise by Black Brunswicker

Friday Sep 27, 2024

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

Thursday Sep 19, 2024

Primordial Dreams

Thursday Sep 19, 2024

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

Wednesday Sep 11, 2024

Sequencer City

Wednesday Sep 11, 2024

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

Wednesday Sep 04, 2024

Story Time by Paul Asbury Seaman

Wednesday Sep 04, 2024

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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

Wednesday Aug 28, 2024

Current Ambient Obsessions August 2024

Wednesday Aug 28, 2024

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:

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