Overtones & Nocturnes

I've mentioned many times that a mix often starts with a single track that interests me and takes off from there.  In the case of this classical mix, the track is "In Spe" by Arvo Part.

I first heard the piece via YouTube & loved it right from the start.  As far as I can tell it has not been recorded for official release so the version in this mix is the performance I heard on YouTube.  You can find the original ten minute track here... In Spe, Arvo Pärt, Georgian Sinfonietta

Creating a classical mix right now works nicely because I just bought the excellent new piece by John Luther Adams - Become Ocean.  It's basically an orchestral drone piece & it's beautiful.

One of my favorite recordings of 2014, Atmos by A Winged Victory for the Sullen, makes two appearances in the mix.  It's a gorgeous record that fits perfectly in this mix.

A couple of other tracks that I was happy to squeeze into the mix are "Odi Et Amo" by Jóhann Jóhannsson and The Dublin Guitar Quartet's version of Philip Glass' "String Quartet No. 3 Mishima V."  I've always loved the Philip Glass soundtrack "Mishima" and this guitar quartet version is sublime.

I guess this will be my last mix for 2014.  I'll start a new mix right off the bat in 2015.  

I'd like to thank everyone who has been following this blog for almost 9 years now.  I've always said that I'd make mixes just for my own amusement, even if nobody else ever heard them.  But when other folks get some enjoyment out of them it makes it more fun and meaningful.  Plus it's just plain cool to have connected to people all over the world through these mixes.  Thanks!

Enjoy & Happy New Year!

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T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Jonny Greenwood - Overtones(The Master OST)
• 02:00    Arvo Part - In Spe(Georgian Sinfonietta recording)
• 07:20    A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Atmos XII
• 10:45    Valentin Silvestrov - Symphony No. 5(excerpt)
• 14:18    Christina Vantzou - vhs
• 18:46    Islands of Light - Goerde
• 21:55    Ólafur Arnalds - Highway
• 24:10    Jóhann Jóhannsson - Odi Et Amo
• 27:10    Hildur Gudnadottir - Unveiled
• 30:33    Vieo Abiungo - Insincerity Peeked Through Cloudlessly(Upward Arrows Remix)
• 33:55    John Luther Adams - Become Ocean(excerpt)
• 44:00    Nest - Far From Land
• 48:40    A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Atmos VIII
• 52:10    Dublin Guitar Quartet - String Quartet No. 3 Mishima V
• 55:30    Steve Reich - Electric Counterpoint I Fast
• 1:02:30    John Luther Adams - Become Ocean(end)
• 1:07:09    end

Overtones & Nocturnes by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

Best ambient/instrumental albums of 2014

Even though I don't listen to quite as much electronic & ambient music as I used to, I still listen to an awful lot of it.  And just like many other genres, it's difficult to keep up with all the new music.  I'm sure I missed some good releases but here is my attempt at a best of 2104 ambient/instrumental list.

It's no surprise that Loscil, Kyle Bobby Dunn and 36 are on the list.  They've all made lists in the past.  The Dirk Serries and tonepoet albums made the list because they are great examples of guitar ambient and I'm a total sucker for that style.

Full Circle by The Circular Ruins was a late season discovery thanks to the good folks at the Hypnos forum.  The first cut is a killer track.  The Janek Schaefer album, Lay-by Lullaby, is a gentle combo of road noise, field recordings, minimal music and found sounds.  

Two records here approach new age territory but manage to be engaging without being cheesy or too sweet.  One is eternell - Kalimba Ambience which uses improvisations on kalimba as the sole source material.  It's very peaceful & relaxing.  The other recording is Jordan De La Sierra - Gymnosphere: Song of the Rose.  It's a re-issue of an album originally released in 1977 at the dawn of the new age movement.  The music uses alternate piano tunings to create long, hypnotic pieces.  It's quite good.

Speaking of quite good...a unique album on the list is Dylan Howe - Subterranean - New Designs on Bowie's Berlin.  It is a collection of jazz versions of Bowie instrumentals form his Berlin period.  Freakin' excellent music!

Definitely check out the rest of the list as well, some very good stuff in there.

Another year and another hard drive full of great music.  Cheers!

BEST AMBIENT/INSTRUMENTAL ALBUMS OF 2014

1. Loscil - Sea Island
2. Dylan Howe - Subterranean - New Designs on Bowie's Berlin
3. Janek Schaefer - Lay-by Lullaby
4. tonepoet - Headspace
5. A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Atomos
6. Dirk Serries - The Origin Reversal
7. The Circular Ruins - Full Circle
8. Kyle Bobby Dunn - Kyle Bobby Dunn and the Infinite Sadness
9. Jordan De La Sierra - Gymnosphere: Song of the Rose
10. Benoît Pioulard - Hymnal Remixes
11. 36 - Dream Tempest
12. Locust - After the Rain
13. Thomas Koner - LA BARCA complete edition
14. Steve Roach - The Delicate Forever
15. ASC - Truth Be Told
16. eternell - Kalimba Ambience
17. Christopher Willits - opening
18. Brian Reitzell - Auto Music
19. Dirty Beaches - Stateless
20. Tangerine Dream - Sorcerer(Cinematographic Score)

Best albums of 2014

2014 was another year where I continued to listen to more "normal" music than ambient or electronic music.  

Part of the shift in my tastes can be directly attributed to Spotify.  I listen to Spotify at work a lot and I have used it more and more to discover new music.  I keep a playlist called "2014 albums worth listening to" that now has 3874 tracks in it.  Not all the albums in there are great or even good, really.  The playlist is just a collection of things in my wheelhouse.  I'm constantly on the prowl for new things to add to it.

On Tuesday when new music is released, I go here... http://www.allmusic.com/newreleases  to find out what's new and if it looks interesting I sample it on Spotify & maybe add it to a playlist.  Finding new music has become close to an obsession over the past couple of years and with so much stuff out there and ease of access, it's a great time for music lovers.

Most of the albums on this list you can probably find on lots of other indie lists like NPR, Consequence of Sound, Pitchfork, etc.  A couple records not on the national lists are from Wisconsin bands, Phox & Field Report.  Both record for the fine label, Partisan Records, as does Sylvan Esso which came in at #9 on my list.  Another album with a Wisconsin tie is Paradise Outlaw by Pieta Brown.  A beautiful, ethereal album recorded at Justin Vernon's studio in Wisconsin.

Another odd ball selection is the awesome album by Dylan Howe - Subterranean - New Designs on Bowie's Berlin.  It is a collection of jazz versions of Bowie instrumentals from his Berlin period.  I love this record!  Find it & buy it here... http://dylanhowe.bandcamp.com/album/subterranean-new-designs-on-bowies-berlin

I included Loscil - Sea Island on this list, even though it's electronic not indie, because it's very, very good and deserved to be on both lists.

The only other album that doesn't fit under the indie umbrella is Piers Faccini & Vincent Segal - Songs of Time Lost.  It's a subtle record of soft vocals, guitar and cello.  If you like Nick Drake you will love this record.

The rest of the list is all variations of indie music, some loud, some soft, some electric, some acoustic, some straight forward and some a bit more odd - all of it good stuff worth the effort of seeking out.

What were your most played albums this year?  Please post any favorites in the comments.  I'll also be posting a list of ambient/electronic favs.

BEST OF 2014:

  1. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
  2. Damien Jurado - Brothers & Sisters of the Eternal Son
  3. Field Report - Marigolden
  4. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Mended with Gold
  5. Phox - Phox
  6. Strand of Oaks - HEAL
  7. Dylan Howe - Subterranean - New Designs on Bowie's Berlin
  8. Pieta Brown - Paradise Outlaw
  9. Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso
 10. Phantogram - Voices
 11. The Antlers - Familiars
 12. Saintseneca - Dark Arc
 13. Damien Rice - My Favourite Faded Fantasy
 14. The Barr Brothers - Sleeping Operator
 15. Real Estate - Atlas
 16. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
 17. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
 18. Eno & Hyde - Someday World
 19. Blaudzun - Promises of No Man's Land
 20. Bill Callahan - Have Fun With God
 21. Loscil - Sea Island
 22. Warpaint - Warpaint
 23. Piers Faccini & Vincent Segal - Songs of Time Lost
 24. Gem Club - In Roses
 25. alt-J - This Is All Yours

Cartridge - an ambient 8-bit adventure

I am very excited about this mix.  It comes from Josh Furey, the man the excellent indie label Nocturne Records.

The mix consists of ambient and slower vintage 8-bit video game music.  It starts off with a cut from Disasterpeace from the album FEZ.  I had just recently bought the album and was thinking about doing an 8-bit type of mix myself when Josh sent me his Cartridge mix.  Wow, am I glad I didn't bother with my mix because Josh's blend of 8-bit music and video game sounds and tunes is perfect.

Thanks to Josh for his work on this fantastic mix.  Check out is excellent latest album PETALS.



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T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00 • Disasterpeace - Beacon [FEZ]
• 02:34 • Pixel - Balcony [Cave Story]
• 04:03 • Martin Galway - Green Beret [Green Beret]
• 06:08 • Magyari András, Brian Coburn, Spencer Nilsen - Medusa Bay [Ecco The Dolphin]
• 08:03 • Brain Wash - Stage Four [Pulseman]
• 10:04 • Motoi Sakuraba - Map [Arcus Odyssey]
• 11:29 • Koji Kondo - Forest Temple [Ledgend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]
• 11:29 • Rob Hubbard & Ben Daglish - Auf Wiedersehen Monty [Auf Wiedersehen Monty]
• 15:48 • Tim Follin - Ghouls n Ghosts [Ghouls n Ghosts]
• 16:39 • David Wise, Eveline Ascher & Robin Beanland - Aquatic Ambience [Donkey Kong Country]
• 19:57 • Kenji Yamamoto & Minako Hamano - Lower Brinstar [Super Metroid]
• 22:56 • David M. Hanlon - Druid II Enlightenment [Druid II Enlightenment]
• 25:47 • Michael Land - Goodsoup Family Crypt [Curse Of Monkey Island]
• 27:28 • David Wise, Eveline Ascher & Robin Beanland - Misty Menace [Donkey Kong Country]
• 29:43 • Hiroki Kikuta - Innocent Sea [Seiken Densetsu 3]
• 30:56 • Martin Galway - Wizball [Wizball]
• 34:29 • Wally Beben - Darkside [Darkside]
• 37:09 • Disasterpeace - Spirit [FEZ]
• 38:58 • Kev Bruce - Stage Atlantis Ruins [Porky Pigs Haunted Holliday]
• 41:14 • Kazunaka Yamane - Doppelganger [Double Dragon II]
• 42:58 • Junko Tamiya - Ichirou's Death [Sweet Home]
• 44:32 • Neil Brennan - Way of the Exploding Fist [Way of the Exploding Fist]
• 45:13 • Masami Ueda - The Second Floor [Resident Evil II]
• 48:04 • Masaki Hashimoto - Title Screen [Kabuki Quantum Fighter]
• 49:56 • Naoki Kadaka - Mothership Defeated (Game Clear) [Fester's Quest]
• 50:24 • Masaki Hashimoto - Opening [Kabuki Quantum Fighter]
• 50:56 • Mitsuhiko Takano - File Select Screen [Ledgend of Zelda: Minish Cap]
•  

 
 
 
 

Cartridge - an ambient 8-bit adventure by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

Fluid Sketches - a Loscil tribute

I love the music of Loscil.

I have been listening to Loscil for ten years and I look forward to new releases more than ever.  Loscil made it into my mix of favorite ambient artists and my mix of favorite ambient albums of all time.  I consider Loscil music to be perfect ambient/electronic music.

Scott Morgan is the man behind Loscil and he has just released a new album - "Sea Island".  I knew I was going to like it even before I heard it and I was right.  This new recording is everything you'd expect from a Loscil album with some new twists.  In addition to the familiar electronics, the tracks here also utilize vibraphone, voice, violin and piano.

You can stream the album here... SEA ISLAND STREAM.

You can buy it here... SEA ISLAND at KRANKY RECORDS.

The first track on the mix is from "Sea Island".  I only included 3 Loscil tunes because posting on Mixcloud only allows 3 tracks from the same artist per mix.  So to get around that, sort of, I included a bunch of Loscil remixes in addition to songs that just sounded like they fit.

I hope you like the mix and if you do, support Scott by buying a shitload of his music. :)


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T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Loscil - Catalina 1943
• 06:20    Rezo Glonti - Sun of Tibati
• 11:00    Heathered Pearls - Beach Shelter(loscil grind remix)
• 14:15    Loscil - Zephyr and Zephyr with wind and strings 
• 18:50    Anjou - Readings
• 23:40    Fieldhead - I'm fond of maps
• 26:30    Benoit Pioulard - Florid(Loscil remix)
• 31:35    Marconi Union - Weightless #2
• 38:00    Deep Chord - Red Lantern part 3
• 40:55    Dakota Suite - Things We Lost(Loscil remix)
• 46:50    Ethernet - Into The Woods(Loscil remix)
• 52:05    Loscil - Endless Falls
• 59:08    end

Fluid Sketches - a Loscil tribute by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

Sunday Morning Music vol. 9 - Fall Back

Here's another entry in the Sunday Morning Music series.  This follows the template fo earlier mixes - mostly instrumental, some vocals, some jazz, some old some new.  I called it Fall Back because it was intended to be posted last weekend when daylight saving came to an end but stuff always seems to get in the way.

My favorite cut in the mix is "Art Decade" by Dylan Howe from his excellent album, "SUBTERRANEAN - New Designs On Bowie's Berlin."  The album is a set of jazz covers of Bowie's Berlin instrumentals and it's awesome.  You can get it on Bandcamp here... SUBTERRANEAN - New Designs On Bowie's Berlin.  

The King Crimson instrumental is from the Elements tour box set which I picked up when I saw Crimson in Madison.  It was easily one of the best shows I've ever seen.  Their music has been such a part of my life for such a long time that at times the music was almost overwhelming.  I nearly cried when they played Schizoid Man for the encore.

Other excellent new music in this mix comes from Bill Frisell, Piers Faccini and Vincent Segal, Daniel Lanois and one of my favorite ambient albums of the year, "Headspace" by Tonepoet, which you can find here... Headspace.

Enjoy


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T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Bill Frisell - Lift Off
• 02:00    Dylan Howe - Art Decade(Bowie cover)
• 06:27    King Crimson - Fallen Angel(instrumental)
• 07:56    Steve Tibbetts - Kuladzokpa
• 09:05    Piers Faccini and Vincent Segal - The Closing of Our Eyes
• 11:25    Tonepoet - With a Whisper It's Gone
• 14:30    Bill Frisell - Reflections from the Moon
• 17:35    The Antlers - Parade
• 22:05    Land Observations - From the Heights of the Simplon Pass
• 26:35    Masayoshi Fujita - Snowstorm
• 29:50    Hopper and Gowen - Morning Order
• 36:15    El Fog - Flip and Dub
• 40:28    Daniel Lanois - Iceland
• 42:52    Devotchka - The Winner Is
• 45:53    Mahavishnu Orchestra - You Know You Know
• 50:30    The Six Parts Seven - Now Like Photographs
• 54:44    Islands of Light - Praeludium
• 56:15    Wave Temples - Birds of the Looking Jar No. 3
• 56:30    Alejandro Franov - Pasando el Mar
• 1:00:05    end

Sunday Morning Music vol. 9 - Fall Back by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

Slowcoustic

This mix grew out of a collection of vacation songs.  I wanted to put some tunes together for relaxing on the pier or around the fire.  Once I started finding songs I decided to make all of them vocal acoustic tunes and the rest just fell into place.  The whole mix is nice and slow and quiet.  And of course acoustic.

There are a few great covers here, like the Sarah Jarosz & Phosphorescent covers.  I was pleased to be able to finally use "Slumber My Darling" by Alison Krauss & Yo Yo Ma.  It's on my list of the most beautiful songs ever recorded.  

I used some all-time favorite artists in here - Avetts, Sufjan, Andrew Bird, Iron & Wine, Paul Simon.  Mostly this is a mix of older songs with some new-ish cuts.  There's not much else to say other than I really like this mix, and I can see listening to it for years to come.

Enjoy.

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T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    J. Tillman - Under The Sun
• 04:20    The Avett Bros. - The Ballad of Love and Hate
• 09:34    Andrew Bird - Night Sky
• 13:28    Sarah Jarosz - Simple Twist of Fate(Dylan cover)
• 18:15    Iron & Wine - Tree by the River
• 21:39    Bob Dylan - Buckets of Rain
• 24:55    Calexico - When Bellows Crack
• 28:30    Alison Krauss & Yo Yo Ma - Slumber My Darling
• 33:10    Boy & Bear - Fall at Your Feet(Crowded House cover)
• 35:00    The Lumineers - This Must Be The Place(T Heads cover)
• 38:17    Paul Simon - Hearts & Bones
• 43:53    Bon Iver - For Emma
• 47:15    Reigning Sound - Once More
• 49:50    The Low Anthem - (Don't) Tremble
• 54:00    Phosphorescent - Ya Hey(Vampire Wknd cover)
• 59:40    Clem Snide - Find Love
• 01:02:14    Paul Simon - American Tune
• 01:05:55    Walter Martin - Sing to Me
• 01:08:53    Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You
• 01:11:33    Fleet Foxes - Blue Spotted Tail
• 01:14:10    J. Tillman - A Year in the Kingdom
• 01:16:43    Iron & Wine - Sodom, South Georgia
• 01:21:38    Damien Rice - The Rat Within The Grain
• 01:24:24    Andrew Bird - Sovay
• 01:29:00   Calexico - Better and Better
• 01:31:17    The Avett Bros. - Famous Flower of Manhattan
• 01:35:09    end

Slowcoustic by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

16 Life Changing Albums

I just posted this same long note to Facebook and thought it might interest a few folks here.  I friend that I've known since my college radio days, posted 16 albums that were influential in forming his musical identity and nominated me to do the same.  These aren't necessarily my favorite albums of all time(though some are).  Some introduced me to new sounds or artists.These recordings form a timeline of my musical evolution. 

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust (1972)
Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971)
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
Genesis - Wind & Wuthering (1976)
David Bowie - Low (1977)
Brian Eno - Before & After Science (1977)
Tangerine Dream - Sorcerer (1977)
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (1978)
Brian Eno - Music for Airports (1978)
The Police - Outlandos d'Amour (1978)
Peter Gabriel - 3 (1980)
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)
Bryne & Eno - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981)
David Sylvian - Gone To Earth (1986)
Steve Roach - Dreamtime Return (1988)
Avett Brothers - Emotionalism (2007)



I was a high school freshman with mediocre music taste(Beatles, Elton John, Foghat), when my brother changed my life, musically.  In 1974 for my 14th birthday, he gave me 4 albums - David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust, Led Zepplin I, Rod Stewart - Every Picture tells a Story and Jethro Tull - Aqualung.  Bowie & Tull were very important in setting me on a path of musical discovery.

I remember listening to Pink Floyd on headphones, playing it on my parents giant RCA console stereo.  It blew me away & started a love affair with prog rock.  Speaking of prog, my entre to Genesis was "Wind & Wuthering" which is why it's on the list rather than "The Lamb."  I won the album from a local radio station & had no idea what the music was like. 20 or 30 albums later I guess I liked that first taste.

I didn't like Bowie's "Low" album when I first heard it.  But it grew on me & it was my introduction to Brian Eno.  I bought Eno's "Before & After Science" just because of his association with Bowie and that lead to a lifelong obsession with all things Eno.

I picked up the Tangerine Dream album because it was used in a William Friedkin film & I liked the Tubular Bell's cut he used in The Exorcist.  "Sorcerer" was probably my first all electronic album and played a big part in my love for synths.

Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians is probably one of the best albums ever recorded.  I was completely amazed when I heard it for the first time.  Totally different from anything I'd heard before.

Eno's "Music for Airports" is crucial to my musical development because of the role ambient has played in my musical life ever since this ground breaking album.

I put the Police album on the list not because it is an all time fav of mine.  It's there because of the way it changed my thinking.  At the time it was released I was heavy into prog rock & I knew very little of punk or new wave.  Then along comes this tight, catchy three piece and I started to realize that music could be more than 5 minute guitar solos.

PG - 3 was a sonic adventure due to Gabriel's use the Fairlight CMI sampling synth.  It is another album that just blew me away.

"Remain in Light," and "Bush of Ghosts" are important because of the different sonic worlds they exposed me to.  

David Sylvian - Gone to Earth is on the list cuz it's awesome.  Steve Roach - Dreamtime continued my love of ambient music & expanded it even further.

The only recent recording on the list is The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism.  Banjo!  Who knew I could love the banjo?!  It's also on the list because it represents a shift in my taste toward more "normal" music, essentially indie music, in recent years.  I still listen to the old stuff and I make ambient mixes, but much of my time is spent tracking down new stuff from artists like Andrew Bird, Alt-J, Deep Sea Diver, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, The Antlers, Strand of Oaks, Phantogram, etc.

If anybody cares to share their list, please do so.

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


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 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 September Ambient Mix by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

Leaving the Station

cinemagraph by Julien Douvier - http://juliendouvier.tumblr.com/

Sometimes I go through phases of music listening.  I'll listen to a bunch of old prog rock for two weeks then move on.  I pull out some old Cantebury Scene stuff from the 70s for awhile.  Then I'll go on an early 80s new wave binge.  Then Americana.  Then ECM jazz.

This mix came out of one such binge.  I've been listening to a lot of Jean Michel Jarre & Tangerine Dream lately.  Jean Michel Jarre was a college favorite of mine.  My girlfriend in college loved JMJ.  Which is probably why I married her - how many college girls like Jean Michel Jarre?!

While bingeing on JMJ & TD I knew that I wanted to use them in a mix and the train theme just seemed to flow naturally from there.  So the first two JMJ tunes I chose specifically because of the train sounds in them.  I think I'd like to do another berlin school mix with all artists and music from the 1970s.

Enjoy.

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T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Tangerine Dream - Love on a Real Train
• 03:40    Jean Michel Jarre - Magnetic Fields pt. 3
• 06:33    Dadub - Arrival
• 09:10    Miktek - Elsewhere(fade edit)
• 14:40    Evan Marc + Steve Hillage - Resurface
• 16:30    Tangerine Dream - Rain and Thunder(Sorcerer Cinematographic Score)
• 23:00    Jean Michel Jarre - Ethnicolor II
• 25:55    Grumbling Fur - Eyoreseye
• 31:33    Mark McGuire - The Instinct
• 37:25    ??? - ???
• 41:20    Mohn - Saturn
• 48:45    Plastikman - Locomotion
• 52:45    Jean Michel Jarre - Equinoxe VII
• 59:10    Tangerine Dream - The Dream Is Always The Same
• 1:02:24    end

Leaving the Station by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

Driving all night

You're driving,

and it's dark and it's raining,

and you're on the edge of the city

and you've been driving all night.

And you took a turn back there

but you're not sure it was the right turn.

But you took the turn anyway,

just kept going in that direction.

And somehow it looks sort of familiar,

so you just keep driving.

Hello. Excuse me.

Can you tell me where I am?

You've been on this road before.

You can read the signs.

You can feel your way.

You can do this in your sleep.

This is a mix I did for the good folks at Intergalactic.FM.  Head over there for this and a ton of other mixes and radio shows.

Like most of my mixes there is a starting point or inspiration that gets the ball rolling.  In this case it was the Laurie Anderson track "Lighting Out For The Territories" from her United States Live album.  The cut is so atmospheric and moody.  It immediately conjures up images of lonely highways, lonely songs and tires thumping on the pavement.

I had a hard time deciding between cuts that have a lonely country, twangy feel and songs that are more pulsating, driving electronic in nature.  In the end I ended up with a little bit of everything.  The two tracks with vocals definitely have a lonely, plaintive quality.  That same feel is also present in the Daniel Lanois tunes and the instrumental from The Antlers(whose new album is fantastic by the way).

The tracks from Prins Thomas and Brian Reitzell are of the more electronic driving type.  Both have an old kraut rock feel to them that I love.  A totally different feel is found in pieces by Terminal Sound System and Talvihorros, sort of weird Twins Peaks vibe.  Which makes sense because the Talvihorros track is actually the Twin Peaks theme.  Most of the rest of the tunes just sort of felt right for a theme of night driving.

Laurie Anderson makes 4 or 5 appearances in the mix.  All are variations of the opening track. Usually with other rhythms or road sounds added in.

Enjoy.

[ s t r e a m ]  [ d o w n l o a d ]   [ i t u n e s ]

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    Laurie Anderson - Lighting Out for the Territories
• 02:20    Sparklehorse - Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
• 07:00    London Grammar - Wicked Game(cover)
• 10:30    Laurie Anderson - New Jersey Turnpike
• 11:53    Brian Reitzell - Auto Music 2
• 18:20    Calexico - Hair Like Spanish Moss
• 22:05    Cowboy Junkies - 200 More Miles
• 27:25    Bexar Bexar - n.r.o.t.
• 30:30    Watter - Rustic Fog
• 35:25    Daniel Lanois - New Smoke
• 37:30    The Antlers - Jupiter
• 42:00    Terminal Sound System - Duchamp Falls
• 46:10    Hidden Orchestra - Strange
• 52:30    Prins Thomas - Kavaler
• 57:45    Cliff Martinez - Driving to the Bonaparte
• 58:40    Daniel Lanois - Bell Toll
• 59:55    Talvihorros - Twin Peaks Theme
• 1:03:20    end

Driving all night by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

Summer sleeps

This is one of those mixes where the title pretty much says it all...Summer Sleeps.  I found that if I keep titles fairly straight forward and clear that plays on Mixcloud go up a bit.

I listen to music every night when I go to bed.  And lately I was getting bored with old sleep mixes so of course the solution is to make a new one.  There's not much else to say about this mix, just lay back and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.



[ s t r e a m ]  [ d o w n l o a d ]   [ i t u n e s ]



T R A C K L I S T :

• 00'00    Stephen Vitiello and Taylor Deupree - From the Fish House
• 06'00    Manual - Last Light
• 10'50    Moon Eye Lids - My Only Moon...
• 18'30    Sonmi451 - Ruis
• 25'20    Budd and Eno - Against the Sky
• 29'00    James Johnson - Entering Twilight
• 37'50    Steinbruchel - Home
• 44'15    Kyle Bobby Dunn - Powers of None
• 48'22    Ruben Garcia - Rainy Day
• 52'20    Tom Heasley - Ground Zero
• 1'00'50    St. Kilda - You Are In Every Dream
• 1'03'53    Tonepoet - So Gently We go
• 1'11'20    Tiny Isles - With Thanks Petal
• 1'15'00    Alio Die and Saffron Wood - The Sleep of Seeds
• 1'18'10    33bowls - Morning
• 1'24'10    James Johnson and Stephen Phillips - Lost at Dunn's Lake
• 1'40'44    end

Summer sleeps by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud