Low Light Mixes

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Morning Sun in Winter

This is one of those mixes where there's not much to say about it because there is no theme. It's just a nice collection of wonderful ambient tunes. Most of the tracks are fairly slow and drifty. A few of these I just discovered at the end of 2024 by browsing end-of-the-year lists.

One of those is Gems III by Celer which as an absolutely beautiful record. Another one that was new to me is the closing track - "Il Mare Cancella, Di Notte(II)," a long, slow cut that I wish could go on forever.

Here's to the start of 2025 and looking ahead to a year filled with excellent music.

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 James Murray - Feverfew (Weeds 2024)
06:40 Yoyu - The Indigo Space Around Us (It's All Gonna Be Ok Somehow 2024)
10:33 Lantscap - Fragile Peaks (Fragile Peaks 2025)
15:55 Celer - Gems III.I (Gems III 2024)
20:27 Last Days of Living - Where The Bay Becomes The Sea (. 2024)
25:30 Calm Whale & Mik Kosma - Ocean Calling (TwoGather 2024)
31:15 David Cordero - Alquézar (Postales 2024)
35:03 Andrew Heath & Halftribe (feat. Anne Chris Bakker) - Garden Leave (Illuminations III 2024)
42:06 Alaskan Tapes - Random Sequence (Something Ephemeral 2024)
45:08 Marine Eyes - In The Spaces (To Belong 2024)
48:18 Lamasz & come le onde - Il Mare Cancella, Di Notte(II) (Il Mare Cancella, Di Notte 2024)
66:00 end

Friday, January 03, 2025

We Did It Again by Andy McNeill(Maple Mountain Sunburst)

What a great way to start the new year! Jumping right in with this excellent mix from friend of the show, Andy McNeill. Andy records as Maple Mountain Sunburst and he released a wonderful album last year - https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic He also did a guest mix for us last year which you can find here - Mixcloud & Low Light Mixes Blog.

My favorite discovery in this mix is the third track, "My Dog's Eyes" by Zammuto. I am blown away each time I hear it. One of my favorite track of 2024 is also included in the mix - Andy's own "Pop-a-matic." So good! The rest of the mix a great as well.

Here's what Andy says about his latest creation:

"Cycles, patterns and joy in repetition. I’ll paraphrase redditer Waves_of_awesome who said strongly repetitive music has the ability to transport the listener to a meditative state. “… repeating passages echo like a mantra, almost hypnotizing you”. It’s a fundamental yet unpremeditated element in my musical endeavours.

A lot of different genres represented here — not really intentionally, I just wanted to include some favourites and influential tracks. But wait where’s O Superman? It’s Gonna Rain? I guess we’ll have to do a part two. I hope you all enjoy the journey." - Andy

>>>Links to all the music used in this mix<<<

Thanks Andy, for creating this most excellent mix.

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 Chapterhouse/Global Communication - Gamma Phase edit (Pentamerous Metamorphosis 1993)
05:01 Uakti - Japura River (Philip Glass) (Aguas da Amazonia 1999)
09:51 Zammuto - My Dog’s Eyes (Veryone 2016)
12:50 George Mukabi - Kuoa Utaoa (Furaha Wenye Gita 2017)
15:38 Maple Mountain Sunburst - Pop-a-matic (Ecstatic 2024
19:37 The Books - Cello Song ft. José González (Music For A French Elevator… 2013)
23:28 Sobanza Mimanisa - Kiwembo (edit) (Congotronics 2 2005)
27:15 Juana Molina - Salvese Quien Pueda (Tres Cosas 2004)
32:41 Christina Pluhar and L’Arpeggiata - Ciaconna (Youtube)
36:40 Maple Mountain Sunburst - Age of Steam (MMSTO 2010)
39:52 Faust - Lauft… (aka Giggy Smile) (Faust IV 1973)
43:06 Maple Mountain Sunburst - Without Fear (Ecstatic 2024)
47:51 Seefeel - Climactic Phase 3 (edit) (Quique 1993)
53:38 Soft Machine - We Did It Again (Soft Machine 1968)
55:50 Air - Universal Traveler (Talkie Walkie 2004)
60:09 Maple Mountain Sunburst Triolian Orchestra - The Ruby Yacht (MMSTO 2010)
62:25 Leo Kottke - Doorbell (My Father’s Face 1989)
67:24 end

Friday, December 27, 2024

Jazz Trax 2024

This year, like last year, I listened to more jazz than I have in a long time. It should come as no surprise that a lot of my listening tends towards atmospheric jazz. My favorite jazz record of the year, Nala Sinephro - Endlessness, definitely falls into that ambient jazz category. Or as a Pitchfork reviewer called in - Jazz, Not Jazz.

Here are my favorite jazz albums of 2024:

Bill Laurance & Michael League - Keeping Company
Charles Lloyd - The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Quiet in a World Full of Noise
Eli Keszler - LIVE 2
Emile Londonien - Inwards
Flock - Flock II
Fuubutsushi - Meridians
Jasmine Myra - Rising
Kika Sprangers - (In)finity
Kinkajous - Nothing Will Disappear
Nala Sinephro - Endlessness
Prefuse 73 - New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 1
Shay Hazan - Wusul
SHOLTO - Letting Go of Forever
Slowly Rolling Camera - Silver Shadow
The Bad Plus - Complex Emotions
The Sorcerers - I Too Am a Stranger
Total Blue - Total Blue

Not every album made into the mix plus I added a couple of tracks not on my album list. I hope you enjoy the jazz vibes. I'd love to know if listeners had any jazz favs from 2024. Leave a comment with some of you favorites.

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 Kika Sprangers - Winter ( (In)finity )
02:27 Slowly Rolling Camera - Desert Sun (Silver Shadow)
05:55 Nala Sinephro - Continuum 8 (Endlessness)
09:28 Jasmine Myra - How Tall the Mountains (Rising)
16:43 The Sorcerers - Bebaynetu (I Too Am a Stranger)
20:43 SHOLTO - Moki, Pt. II (Letting Go of Forever)
23:27 Work Money Death - The Fast Flowing River (People Of The Fast Flowing River)
29:00 Kinkajous - Pulses (Nothing Will Disappear)
32:10 Total Blue - Heart of the World (Total Blue)
39:06 Shay Hazan - Shimo Kitazawa (Wusul)
42:20 Prefuse 73 - The End Of Air (New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 1)
46:47 Fuubutsushi - Circulating Air (Meridians)
50:04 Emile Londonien - Jundo (Inwards)
54:10 Joel Ross - What Am I Waiting For! (Nublues)
56:45 Bill Laurance & Michael League - Yours (Keeping Company)
59:25 Flock - Edge Of Empty (Flock II)
64:55 Nala Sinephro - Continuum 3 (Endlessness)
68:50 Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Try (Quiet in a World Full of Noise)
74:06 end

Sunday, December 22, 2024

2024 Favorite Ambient Albums Part 2

I like making these favorites mixes because it reminds me of why I liked certain albums in the first place. The perfect example is Abandoned Spaces by OdNu & Ümlaut. It's so good and I'm glad I can share with folks via these mixes.

This mix, Part 2, has a little different vibe than Part 1. More sequencer driven tracks, some percussion here and there, generally a bit more active than the first mix. At least the first half is more active, then we slow down & space out. I hope you enjoy this one as much I do.

You can find the full list of favorite ambient albums of 2024, and links to each album, in the post with Part 1 - https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2024/12/2024-favorite-ambient-albums-part-1.html

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 Martin Stürtzer - The Last Oupost (Lander Modules)
06:50 Extraworld - Axial Precession (Perihelion)
13:40 Civilistjävel! - VI(feat. Thommy Wahlström) (Brödföda)
17:00 OdNu + Ümlaut - Unforseen Scenes (Abandoned Spaces)
23:00 2fel - Stranger Flow (Stranger Flow)
27:25 Altus - Origin Extract (Ultraviolet)
32:27 The Green Kingdom - New Constellations (Horizons)
37:10 Michael A. Muller - Mirror 2 (Mirror Music)
41:50 Heavenchord - Atmospheres & Soundscapes 1 (Atmospheres & Soundscapes)
49:55 v e n n - Long Farewell Pt. 1(v e n n & Brannan Lane) (XIII)
54:06 Ulla & Ultrafog - Jesses Car (It Means A Lot)
59:13 end

Thursday, December 19, 2024

2024 Favorite Ambient Albums Part 1

Another year, another ton of releases to sift through. I could keep adding and subtracting albums for weeks and still not be entirely satisfied with the final list. But here it is - my Favorite Ambient Albums of 2024.

As I was creating this part 1 mix, I kept questioning my choices. And then, when the mix was done and I listened to it, I was like "Wow, this turned out really well." I really like how the mix evolves with the first half being a bit more electronic and noisy and the second half leaning more orchestral.

Here's the list of my favorite ambient albums of 2024, in alphabetical order:

2fel - stranger flow
Adam Wiltzie - Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal [Kranky]
Akmuo - Dreamwalker [Space of Variants]
Altus - Ultraviolet
Alva Noto - Xerrox, Vol.5 [Noton]
Benoit Pioulard & Offthesky - Sunder [laaps]
Circa Alto - Faint Structures (Whitelabrecs]
Civilistjävel! - Brödföda [Felt]
Dirk Serries - Streams Of Consciousness Compiled [Projekt]
Eli Keszler - LIVE 2 [LuckyMe]
Extraworld - Perihelion [Exosphere]
Hainbach - The One Who Runs Away Is the Ghost Soundtrack [Seil]
Heavenchord - Atmospheres & Soundscapes [Cold Tear]
Humble Bee & Offthesky - Here In, Absence [IIKKI]
Innesti - Contemplate
Jogging House - Live at home
Jonas Munk - Mirror Phase [Azure Vista]
Maps and Diagrams - if all will be lost [Quiet Details]
Maps and Diagrams - Islands [Handstitched]
Martin Stürtzer - Lander Modules [Echo Elberfeld]
mastroKristo - Passage [Lost Tribe Sound]
Max Richter - In A Landscape [Decca]
Michael A. Muller - Mirror Music [Deutsche Grammophon]
OdNu + Ümlaut - Abandoned Spaces [Audiobulb]
Pan American & Kramer - Reverberations of Non-Stop Traffic on Redding Road
Polaroid Notes - Quiet Rooms [Whitelabrecs]
Sumner James, Robert Chamberlain, Volcano Lazerbeam, Saroon - Dive 1- Refraction [Bathysphere Records]
Tewksbury - Floes Volumes I-IV (Tridek]
The Green Kingdom - Horizons [The Slow Music Movement]
Ulla & Ultrafog - It Means A Lot [Motion Ward]
v e n n - XIII
William Ryan Fritch - Adhesion [Lost Tribe Sound]

And here are links to each album:

Stranger Flow | 2fel

Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal | Adam Wiltzie

Dreamwalker | Akmuo | Space Of Variants

Ultraviolet | Altus

Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol. 5 | Noton

Sunder | Benoît Pioulard & Offthesky | laaps

Faint Structures | Circa Alto | Whitelabrecs

Brödföda | Civilistjävel!

Streams Of Consciousness Compiled | Dirk Serries | Projekt Records

LIVE 2 | Eli Keszler

Perihelion | Extraworld | Exosphere

The One Who Runs Away Is the Ghost Soundtrack | Hainbach

Atmospheres & Soundscapes | Heavenchord | Cold Tear Records

Here In, Absence | The Humble Bee & Offthesky | IIKKI

Contemplate | Innesti

Live at Home | Jogging House

Mirror Phase | Jonas Munk | Azure Vista

if all will be lost | Maps and Diagrams | quiet details

Islands | Maps & Diagrams | Handstitched

Lander Modules | Martin Stürtzer

Passage | mastroKristo | Lost Tribe Sound

In A Landscape | Max Richter | Decca

Mirror Music | Michael A. Muller | Deutsche Grammophon

Abandoned Spaces | OdNu + Ümlaut | Audiobulb

Reverberations of Non-Stop Traffic on Redding Road | Pan American & Kramer

Quiet Rooms | Polaroid Notes | Whitelabrecs

Dive 1: Refraction | Sumner James, Robert Chamberlain, Volcano Lazerbeam, & Saroon | Bathysphere Records

Floes: Volumes I-IV | Tewksbury

Horizons | The Green Kingdom | The Slow Music Movement Label

VIII | v e n n

It Means A Lot | Ulla & Ultrafog | Motion Ward

Adhesion | William Ryan Fritch | Lost Tribe Sound

I hope you enjoy part 1. Part two is coming soon. Followed by a mix of jazz favorites from 2024.

What are some of your favorite ambient albums from the past year?

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 Pan American / Kramer - Floating Island (Reverberations of Non-Stop Traffic on Redding Road)
04:22 Maps and Diagrams - Hvar (Islands)
07:35 Jogging House - Live at Home pt. 1 (Live at Home)
13:15 Innesti - Astral Secrets (Contemplate)
16:14 Alva Noto - Xerrox Arc (Xerrox, Vol.5)
20:53 Hainbach - End of Work (The One Who Runs Away Is the Ghost Soundtrack)
22:45 Akmuo - Dreamwalker (Dreamwalker)
26:50 Sumner James, Robert Chamberlain, Volcano Lazerbeam, & Saroon - Euphotic (Dive 1: Refraction)
31:36 Benoît Pioulard & Offthesky - Fed On Lilies (Sunder)
35:48 Jonas Munk - Dawn Layer (Mirror Phase)
40:40 Polaroid Notes - The Night Returns Without A Sound (Quiet Rooms)
45:40 The Humble Bee & Offthesky - Space (Here In, Absence)
52:00 William Ryan Fritch - Gravitropic (Adhesion)
60:10 Adam Wiltzie - Mexican Helium (Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal)
62:44 Max Richter - A Time Mirror(Biophony) (In A Landscape)
66:36 mastroKristo - Waves(Federico Mosconi Rework) (Passage)
73:40 Dirk Serries - the whispering scale (Streams Of Consciousness Compiled)
82:45 Tewksbury - Aperture (Floes Volumes I-IV)
94:23 end

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Inner Landscapes by Hollie Kenniff

I have hosted more guest mixes than ever this year, which I love because it exposes me to new artists and new mix concepts. Many of these mixes have come through the fine folks at Nettwerk Music Group. It's appropriate then that this final guest mix of the year comes from one of their artists - Hollie Kenniff. I absolutely love the way this mix ebbs and flows, the tracks blend together perfectly.

Hollie just released her fourth album, For Forever, which is a lush, melodic ambient record that uses electronic and acoustic instrumentation to create an emotional, ethereal listening experience.

Here's what Hollie says about her mix:

"My intention with this mix is for the listeners to immerse themselves into a soothing soundscape designed to calm your mind and ease your spirit. Each track is meant to flow seamlessly into the next, creating a peaceful atmosphere that helps you unwind, meditate, or simply take a moment to breathe."

I'm a music mix dork who loves a good segue between songs and this beautiful mix from Hollie has a ton of them, an absolute joy to soak in.

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 Hollie Kenniff - Over Ocean Waves (Anita Tatlow Remix)
02:08 Kazuma Okabayashi - Rainfall
04:55 Warmth - Receiver
07:40 Tangent Universes - An Elegant. Disinterested Trance (Field Collage)
10:32 Chihei Hatakayama - Sound of Air
13:54 Black Brunswicker - The World Passing By
16:17 Akira Kosemura - Dear Sunshine
18:10 Alanna Crouch - Repeating Events
21:18 Human Is Alive and Warmth - Spectrum
23:58 Felicia Atkinson - Shall I Return To You
26:46 Antarctic Wastelands - Mysteries
28:46 Hollie Kenniff - Surface
32:10 Jon Hopkins and Olafur Arnalds - Forever Held
34:31 Clariloops - Morning
38:55 Gollden - There Will Be Birds in September
42:36 Kilometre Club - Connect
44:42 Nala Sinephro - Continuum 3
48:33 Markus Guentner - Vanish (Feat. Joachim Spieth)
53:16 Chad Lawson - In Another Place (Helios Rework)
56:16 Ben Lukas Boysen - Alta Ripa

Wednesday, December 04, 2024

Back To The Roots Of Berlin School by Erwin Broers

At the beginning of September when I posted my "Sequencer City" mix, I said I'd been on a berlin school bender. Well, now three months later I'm still on that sequencer synth kick. At the end of October the analog synth itch was scratched by a stellar guest mix from Erwin Broers called "Capturing The Voice Of A Galaxy." It featured tracks from the Klaus Schulz label, "Innovative Communications.

Now we have have a follow up mix from Erwin called "Back to the Roots of Berlin School." Oh man, this is some good stuff! Erwin tells me that "there's a whole sub-category of "Berlin School" out there called "Retro Berlin School". In the mid 1990's "Berlin School" was revived by nostalgic electronic artists who benefited from technological innovations to make the iconic analog synths such as the Mellotron, the ARP 2600 and the big Moog Modular more playable. The result was a huge resurgence of mid 1970's style Berlin School EM which was dubbed "retro" to mark the difference with the classics such as Tangerine Dream's Stratosfear, Klaus Schulze's Timewind and Ashra's New Age Of Earth."

I hope my current obsession with this genre continues because I am loving every minute of it. Thanks for another great mix, Erwin.

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 S I S T :

00:00 Redshift - Redshift(excerpt) (Redshift, 1996)
09:20 Cosmic Hoffmann - Shiva Connection (Shiva Connection, 2000)
15:00 Free System Projekt - And Then There Were Two (Impulse (reissue), 2005)
29:00 Brendan Pollard - Aquarius (Expansion, 2005)
31:17 Ramp - Phasenverzerrung (Nodular, 1998)
42:50 Javi Canovas - North Of Circle (Impasse, 2005)
56:42 Arcane - Dystopian Fictions (Gather Darkness, 1999)
71:02 end

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Gifts at Dinner - an Ambient Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Just hanging out all day with family, eating and drinking. Perfect.

The songs in this mix were all chosen for the titles, which all fit the Thanksgiving theme. Besides the obvious titles with the word "thanks" my favorite track titles are "my dad's famous potatoes", "Give me cornbread when I'm hungry", and "An Awkward Conversation at a Family Gathering."

Play this in the background as you eat way too much food and hopefully not way too much beer.

Cheers & Happy Thanksgiving!

[ 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 Grouper - Thanksgiving Song
02:42 Ólafur Arnalds - Family Stroll
04:30 Massive Attack - Everybody's Got a Family
05:55 Matt Morton - A Special Thank You
08:00 anderegg - thanksgiving
10:14 lawrence - falling down a dam of mashed potatoes
13:33 Lullatone - An Awkward Dinner Conversation at a Family Gathering(piano version)
14:55 TSU! - Dear Stanley, Thank You
17:29 Richard Thompson - Family(guitar version)
20:13 Bill Frisell - Thankful
25:15 Carlos Niño & Friends - Togetherness feat. Jamael Dean & Devin Daniels
28:42 The Circular Ruins & Off The Sky - Giving to You
30:48 Tiny Isles - With Thanks, Petal
34:53 Cliff Martinez - my dad's famous potatoes
37:06 John Fahey - Give me cornbread when I'm hungry
40:13 Loren Connors - Why We Came
41:45 Peter Gregson - Gifts at Dinner
45:42 Hildur Guðnadóttir - Many Secrets in this Family
48:00 Endless Melancholy - Moments We Spent Together
51:51 Sven Laux - Thank You, Goodbye
54:44 Pat Metheny - Last Train Home
59:18 end

Thursday, November 14, 2024

JAZZ - ish

I'm not exactly sure how this mix started. I think I was listening to the track, Outlook Remains Untouched, by ||||||||||||||||||||, yes that's the actual name the artist goes by.

|||||||||||||||||||| on bandcamp

I like the jazzy vibe the tune has. It reminded me of similar tracks from the heyday of glitch and idm that also have a jazz feel to them. Sort of Jazz-ish.

So I grabbed some older tracks from 2001, 2002, 2006, and mixed them with new tunes to come up with this electronic mix that isn't really jazz...more like Jazz-ish.

Links to all the music used in this mix:

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 |||||||||||||||||||| - Outlook Remains Untouched (Outlook Remains Untouched 2021)
05:06 Robag Wruhme - Tulpa Ovi (Thora Vukk 2011)
09:00 Iso68 - Catzen (Mizoknek 2002)
13:40 Triosk - Lost Reprise (The Headlight Serenade 2006)
19:00 Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin - II (Ghosted 2022)
25:36 Prefuse 73 - Clean Up Scene Apprentice (New Strategies For Modern Crime Vol. 1 2024)
28:30 Josiah Steinbrick & Sam Gendel - Mouthfeel 1 (Mouthfeel, Serene 2021)
30:00 Nala Sinephro - Space 5 (Space 1.8 2021)
33:10 Andrew Pekler - you are here (Station To Station 2002)
34:10 Oblong - sketches of staines (Indicator 2006)
37:21 Four Tet - So Blue (Three 2024)
42:02 El Fog - Smoke and Satellites (Reverberate Slowly 2015)
44:35 I’m Not A Gun - Soft Rain in the Spring (We think as instruments 2006)
49:20 Laurence Pike - Prophecy (Prophecy 2020)
53:09 Eli Keszler - Copenhagen Part III (LIVE 2 2024)
60:00 end

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Meditative Music To Get You Thru Election Night 2024

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!

[ 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 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