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Ambient music mixes for a chaotic world
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Sunday Oct 02, 2022
Sunday Oct 02, 2022
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
Sunday Sep 25, 2022
Sunday Sep 25, 2022
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
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
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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.”
- 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
Sunday Sep 11, 2022
Sunday Sep 11, 2022
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
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
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/
- 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
Sunday Aug 21, 2022
Sunday Aug 21, 2022
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
Sunday Aug 14, 2022
Sunday Aug 14, 2022
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
Sunday Aug 07, 2022
Sunday Aug 07, 2022
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.
- 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
- 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