low light mixes

Apollo Vermouth

When researching artists or labels that might be interested in doing a guest mix I came across a label that is based very close to me here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I'd never really thought that there might be an ambient community here. 

I decided to do a search for "ambient" and "Milwaukee." And what do ya know, I got an interesting result right away. In an article about the essential Milwaukee albums of 2017 was a blurb about Apollo Vermouth and her album "Crashing into Nowhere." I immediately headed over to Bandcamp and was so excited to find that it's an excellent album.

 

https://apollovermouth.bandcamp.com/

 

Apollo Vermouth is Alisa Rodriguez, based right here in Milwaukee. So I asked her to do a mix and she was nice enough to curate some tunes.  Here's what she had to say about these tracks:

"This mix is a collection of ambient tracks that have hit me in a certain way. It’s hard for me to put into words of what they mean to me. I spend a lot of time by myself, always looking for something that makes me feel less lonely. Somehow, these tracks sort of saved my sanity. It’s funny how music can be like your best friend. They’ll never leave you in the dust."

That pretty much describes my relationship with ambient music too.  Go visit her page, buy some music and listen to this mix.

Cheers!




T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Gas - Narkopop 1 
• 04:20    Belong - Late Night 
• 07:35    Steve Roach - Left Perfectly Alone 
• 09:30    Grouper - She Loves Me That Way 
• 17:34    Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Appearances 
• 20:22    Harold Budd and Brian Eno - Among Fields of Crystal 
• 23:27    Wretched Excess - Suburban Decay 
• 26:35    Benoit Pioulard - IV
• 30:15    M. Sage - Gulls Over Landfill Caldera 
• 42:52    Jeffrey Cantu-Ledesma - Blue Nudes 
• 50:05    Boards of Canada - Macquarie Ridge
• 54:42    end

 

 

 

Rusted Tone Recordings Guest Mix

I have decided to reach out to a few folks in the ambient community about doing some guest mixes.  Basically I'm just lazy and want content without much work. ;-) 

Actually I thought it would be nice to come at these mixes from some new perspectives. And at the same time promote some artists and labels both here and on Mixcloud.

This first guest mix is exactly what I was looking for. It is a bit darker than I normally produce and that's why it's great to bring a new mindset to these mixes, it opens new doors and explores new sounds. There are definitely some awesome sounds in this mix.

This music comes to us from James Armstrong, the man behind Rusted Tone Recordings.  Check out their first sampler release here...

https://rustedtonerecordings.bandcamp.com/releases

Here's what James has to say about the mix...

"This mix was created to showcase the unreleased work of artists scheduled for solo releases on Rusted Tone Recordings throughout 2018 and into 2019. Ranging from the guitar-based melancholy of Wil Bolton, Spheruleus, and Darren Harper, to the abstract ambient manipulations of James Osland, Kepier Widow, and Red On Maroon, the mix promotes the diversity and creative dedication of the musicians on the RTR Roster. 

A majority of the tracks included were contributed by the artists themselves for the label’s initial sampler (see link below), with the exceptions of James Osland (White Label Recs. - forthcoming), BCOM (slef-release), and Red On Maroon (Quietest Records - The Tape Works #1). All tracks written and recorded by the respective artist, mastered by James Edward Armstrong."

Thanks!

T R A C K L I S T :

 

• 00:00    James Osland - Just Fell Me Dear Human
• 04:58    Wil Bolton - Nerine 
• 08:42    Spheruleus - Dimly Lit 
• 13:04    Building Castles Out Of Matchsticks - Shifting Insomnia And The Dream Incubator 
• 17:04    SALTINGS - Sotto Voice
• 21:18    Net - Hidden Pheasant 
• 24:08    Darren Harper - A Thousand Tiny Heartbreaks
• 29:30    Ghost Station - Cadence
• 36:20    Kepier Widow - Congestion
• 41:26    Gallery Six & Oblivia - Like A Winter Lake
• 44:54    Red On Maroon - #2
• 54:59    The Green Kingdom – Luminous

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Mystical Ambience

image by Siobhan Allen

 

I am starting the year off right with another fantastic mix from my friend Paul Asbury Seaman.  You may remember his previous collections posted here - The Memory of Trains, Floating Through Moonlight, and Icelight.

 

This mix does a wonderful job of creating a mystical vibe, like the title says, but without being too new agey.  I love the nice long track from Louigi Verona in the middle of the mix.  Here's what Paul has to say about it...

 

“From the beginning, ambient-electronic music has been almost synonymous with “space music” as well as inward journeys. Whether through post-tribal rhythms or the meditative drones of long-form compositions, this is music designed to facilitate an altered consciousness, or maybe something much less talked about: a sense of reverence. Featuring three of the genre’s “tribal elders,” as well as some more recent masters, this is a mix for gentle meanderings into a space of grounded bliss."

 

I hope you enjoy Paul's excellent collection of Mystical Ambience."

 

Cheers!

 

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    John Serrie - Valley of the Nacoochee(Spirit Keepers 1998)
• 05:55    Max Corbacho - Transparent Phenomena(Source of Presnt 2017)
• 09:10    Robert Rich & Markus Reuter - Twining Branches Make A Path(Lift a Feather to the Flood 2017)
• 18:08    Hollan Holmes - That Ephemeral Spark(Prayer to the Energy 2017)
• 24:45    Craig Padilla & Zero Ohms - When the Earth is Far Away(When the Earth is Far Away 2012)
• 29:10    Louigi Verona - Ocean of Seashells(Ocean of Seashells 2017)
• 50:00    Steve Roach - Within the Mystic(Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces 2003)
• 64:53    end

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floating Through Moonlight

 

My musical friend, Paul Asbury Seaman, has given us another gift in this beautiful collection.  Paul picked out the tunes and the order & I stitched them together to form the mix.  It was a joy to assemble.

 

Here's what Paul had to say about the mix:

 

"This is another bedtime, dreaming, unwinding, floating-away-on-an-interior-journey mix. The starting inspiration came from Michael DeMaria’s piece, “Moonlight” from his 2004 album The River.  I was so struck by how precisely the music evoked the image of moonlight on water. I have always been drawn to rivers and from the early days of ambient/electronic music more than forty years ago, with the likes of Kitaro and Tangerine Dream, I have described this genre as “journey music”—Silk Road journeys, interstellar journeys and journeys down a moonlit river."

 

Thanks to Paul for another Stellar collection of tunes.

 

Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Byron Metcalf - As Clouds Dance(Inner Rhythm Meditations
• 07:40    Erik Wollo - Sepia(Blue Radiance)
• 10:45    Meg Bowles - Between, Shadows and Prayers(From the Dark Earth)
• 14:20    Michel Banabila - Sana's(Float)
• 18:55    Michel Banabila - Fragments of Memory(Float)
• 25:40    Michael DeMaria - Moonlight(The River)
• 35:20    Michael DeMaria - Moonlit Sea(In the Flow)
• 37:35    Erik Wollo - Revealed in Time(Ble Radiance)
• 41:30    Darshan Ambient - Tears to Rain(Songs From The Deep Field)
• 43:45    Meg Bowles - Undulant Sea(The Shimmering Land)
• 48:15    Erik Wollo - Blue Radiance(Blue Radiance)
• 52:13    end

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Color of Space guest mix by Mike G of Ambient Music Guide

I've done a lot of mixes over the last ten years.  Obviously I try to have a theme or mood for each mix.  It can get difficult come up with new motifs.  That's why I love the idea that Mike G of Ambient Music Guide had last year.  We decided to trade guest mixes and he suggested we each send each other a few mix titles and that we select one and build the mix off of that title.  It really gets me thinking differently and can help get me out of a rut when looking for mix inspiration.

This mix is the second guest mix from Mike.  I love getting these mixes because so often there are artists or genres I normally don't use but that I love listening to.  This mix exemplifies that perfectly.  I don't listen to as much "space" music as I used to and as I lost myself in this mix I realized that I really need to revisit this style of ambient more often.  I am looking forward to using this as a stargazing soundtrack when I vacation in northern Wisconsin later this summer.

This is what Mike had to say about The Color of Space...

"Space is a theme with multiple meanings and is woven throughout much 

modern ambient and downtempo instrumental music. My mix The Color Space 

is a soundtrack of the cosmos.  All the music has a cosmic feel, whether 

it be one of inner space, outer space or the indefinable regions between."

Thanks Mike!

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00 Michael Stearns - Encounter
• 03:16 Michael Stearns - Scared Site theme(extended)
• 06:23 Oliver Lieb - Dimension X(edit)
• 14:30 Upper Astral - Massage One(edit)
• 24:20 Healer - Speaking With A Def Man(edit)
• 31:50 Stellardrone - Eternity
• 37:45 Alpha Wave Movement - Travel Into The Nexus
• 42:30 Jonn Serrie - The Far River
• 51:35 Boris Lelong - Oxygen
• 63:07 Jon Jenkins - Ebb(extended)
• 67:32 Solar Quest - Trisine(edit)
• 72:08 Michael Stearns - Star Dreams
• 
  

Lapse Into Reverie complied & mixed by Mike G

This is a guest mix from Mike G of the fabulous Ambient Music Guide - 

http://www.ambientmusicguide.com/ 

https://www.mixcloud.com/mikeg68/  

Mike & I agreed to do guest mixes for each other with each mix starting with just a title.  We gave each other a title to build a mix on.  In this case I gave Mike "Lapse into Reverie" and he took it from there.  

In this mix Mike includes some fav artists that I haven't listened to in a long time.  Such as David Parsons, Michael Stearns & Mychael Danna,  It was good to hear them again. 

Enjoy

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    David Parsons - Himalaya(edit)
• 08:52    Michael Stearns Twin Flame
• 12:00    Lisa Gerrard & Patrick Cassidy - Elegy
• 18:17    Max Richter - Horizon Variations(edit)
• 21:38    Mychael Danna - Phoenix Anastasis
• 25:52    Aeoliah - Mahavira
• 32:28    Heavenly Music Corporation - Consciousness III(edit)
• 38:42    Carbon Based Lifeforms - Silent Running(carbonator remix)
• 44:15    Xerxes - Angelina
• 53:28    Cliff Martinez - Will She Come Back
• 58:15    Connect.Ohm - Snow Park
• 66:28    Max Richter - On the Nature of Daylight

fripp_2015 by Ambient Landscape

A couple of posts ago I mentioned a favorite new ambient blog - Ambient Landscape.  I visit quite often, usually finding new music, interesting links and good mixes.

I reached out to Gene, who runs the blog and asked if he would do a guest mix for Low Light and I'm happy to say that he agreed.  The result is this Robert Fripp themed mix - "fripp_2015."

I love listening to well done mixes where I'm not entirely familiar with all the tunes.  That way everything just blends seamlessly, one track into another, I can't tell where one begins and another ends.  Being a long time Fripp fan, any mix that features his music immediately gets my attention and this one does that and more.  This is a great collections of tunes whether you're a Fripp fan or not.

Check out the Ambient Landscape Mixcloud page as well.

Enjoy

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Marcus Fischer - Nearly There
• 04:43    1605_Munro - Oscila34 (feat. Robert Fripp)
• 12:33    Microvolt - Dissipate
• 16:12    Theo Travis & Robert Fripp - Improvisation.1
• 19:51    Illuha - Relative Hyperbolas of Amplified and Decaying Waveforms
• 28:25    Marcus Fischer - Monocoastal (Part 2)
• 34:23    Metropole Orkest & Robert Fripp - Pie Jesu
• 43:37    Johan Troch - The Enlightened
• 47:05    Peter Davidson - Grand Theft Saucer 1960
• 50:29    Robert Fripp - My Mother's Birthday
• 53:40    Frore - A Name On The Wind
• 61:25    Robert Fripp - Affirmation_Imac
• 67:18    Robert Fripp - Let The Power Fall/1987
• 78:27    Memnon Sa - Titans Sleep
• 83:08    A Produce - The Golden Needle
• 89:36    end

halftribe September Ambient Mix

Back in July I featured a guest mix from halftribe.  It was an excellent mix & a nice break for me.  Well, Ryan Bissett(halftribe) has kindly offered another mix and I jumped at the chance to post it.

This mix is absolutely pure ambient bliss.  A beautiful collection perfect for any time of year or any time of day.  I've been listening to it at work and have used it as sleep material as well.  Give it a listen/download, I'm sure any ambient lover will enjoy this mix.

Also swing by Ryan's halftribe pages:

Halftribe Bandcamp

Halftribe Soundcloud

Halftribe Mixcloud

 T R A C K L I S T :

• 00'00 Steiner - Happiness And The Longing For Repetition (Unfinished)
• 05'30 SandStars - Finally Night (Original mix)
• 12'07 Stabilo - Viridity
• 19'00 Brandon Hurtado - Merci Et Bonne Nuit
• 21'50 Massergy - Baptisia
• 27'48 Halftribe - Holy Ground
• 33'25 Rdei - Untitled
• 36'16 SandStars - Cold Voice (Original mix)
• 41'21 Masaya Ozaki - Alkaline Days
• 45'17 Halftribe - The Secret Garden
• 51'10 Gareth Dickson - Harmonics
•  

 
 

Halftribe ambient mix

The timing on this could be better.  I've been very busy lately and haven't been able to do a mix.  So it's the perfect time for a guest mix.

This mix comes to us from Ryan Bissett who produces ambient music as Halftribe.  What I love about guest mixes is that I'm usually unfamiliar with many of the tracks.  And this mix does exactly that.  Only two artists were known to me before I heard this mix.  Thanks to Ryan for introducing me to even more new music that I'll never have enough time to listen to. LOL!

Halftribe music is one of the discoveries in this mix.  Any ambient music fan will appreciate the music of Halftribe.  Here are some useful links to Ryan's music...

Halftribe Bandcamp

Halftribe Soundcloud

Halftribe Mixcloud

Thanks for the mix!

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00'00   Halftribe - Excursion 40
• 06'48   Pines - Dowsing Rod
• 09'06   Letna - Koritnik
• 13'22   Ex Confusion - Two Things 
• 15'19   Lost Trail - A Stained August For The Jetcrash
• 18'36   Moshimoss - Homeland
• 21'30   Letna - Mokra Gora
• 24'50   Halftribe ft OJWoods - Sleep Song
• 29'10   Sandstars - Separation Anxiety (original mix)
• 32'15   Izzard - Airways
• 35'15   Caught In The Wake Forever - Meditation In Exile #2
• 37'15   Linear Bells - L'Oisseau
• 48'36   Ben Woods - No Word From Above, 
• 50'00   Easychord - With Your Feet On The Dash
• 53'20   Tone Color - Drone, 55'09 Milkky Wayy - Drone Me
• 57'52   Zudi - Thank You Mr Karoshi

Across the Water

One of the benefits of making & posting mixes for all these years is getting to know some like-minded folks from around the world.  One of those is my good friend, Jason O'Gorman, from the city of Cork in Ireland.

Jason did a guest mix for me way back in 2008.  Wow, typing that just made me realize that Low Light Mixes has been around for a long time - 8 years this month, an eternity in internet years.

Anyway, back to Jason.  You can find his 2008 mix called Satellite here... Satellite.  I really like that mix and have always wanted Jason to do another.  And now, 6 years later, we have "Across the Water."  Jason describes it this way - "There's a lot of contrast in this mix due to the theme, but it still flows. The mix is a 'journey' across an ambient ocean, to dark and beautiful places."

When I listen to my own mixes I always hear every transition which at times can distract from the music.  But with Jason's mix I get lost in the flow as one tunes blends into the next.  I love not knowing what's coming next.  Jason's mix does is wonderful at transporting you from one place to another.  I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.  And hopefully Jason won't another 6 years to produce another gem.

Cheers

T R A C K L I S T:

• 00:00 King Creosote & John Hopkins: First watch
• 02:10 Mountains: Sand
• 05:20 Stephan Mathieu: Promenade
• 08:30 Ólafur Arnalds: Carry me anew
• 10:07 Ólafur Arnalds: We (too) shall rest
• 11:10 Apparat: K&F Thema (pizzicato)
• 13:45 Lustmord: Babel
• 17:45 Eluvium: Warm
• 22:00 Mer-A: Aeolis Mons
• 28:30 Mowgli: Canaan
• 29:20 Ólafur Arnalds: Sudden throw
• 32:35 White Moth Black Butterfly:Reluctance
• 33:40 The Fun Years: Re: We're again buried under
• 35:45 Goldmund: Downward to darkness on extend
• 38:30 Mulm: Mørke
• 41:50 Lustmord: Chorazin
• 46:10 Murcof: Oort 1
• 48:40 Bvdub & Loscil: Hespiredes
• 53:00 Mer-A: Quasi Stellar
• 56:10 Apparat: 44 (noise version)
• 57:55 Apparat: 44
• 60:55 Lustmord: Goetia
• 63:30 Mountains: Circular C
• 69:00 Jasper TX & Anduin: Walking in snow