low light mixes

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Ambient music mixes for a chaotic world

Episodes

Thursday Jun 22, 2023

Aquadream by Fragile X

Thursday Jun 22, 2023

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

Wednesday Jun 07, 2023

Fresh Ambient June 2023

Wednesday Jun 07, 2023

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:

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

Wednesday May 31, 2023

The Lonely Orbit

Wednesday May 31, 2023

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

Wednesday Apr 26, 2023

The Undersea World of Low Light Mixes

Wednesday Apr 26, 2023

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

Wednesday Apr 19, 2023

Current Ambient Obsessions

Wednesday Apr 19, 2023

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

Wednesday Apr 05, 2023

Lost In Transmission

Wednesday Apr 05, 2023

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:

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

Wednesday Mar 29, 2023

Piano Day 2023

Wednesday Mar 29, 2023

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

Wednesday Mar 15, 2023

Replicant Memories

Wednesday Mar 15, 2023

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:

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

Wednesday Feb 22, 2023

Now That’s What I Call Ambient

Wednesday Feb 22, 2023

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:

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

Wednesday Jan 25, 2023

Ambient Solar System

Wednesday Jan 25, 2023

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:

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