Friday, December 29, 2023

2023 Rewind - Favorite Ambient Albums of the Year

 

These end-of-the-year lists are usually labeled "Best Albums of the Year" - Best Ambient, Best Jazz, Best Indie, etc. I have been doing that for years. It has been pointed out that calling a list the "Best of the Year" is not only a bit snobby, it's also a little ridiculous because there is so much ambient music released every week that it's impossible to keep up. Plus this list is just my opinion, how can it possibly qualify as the "best"?

With that in mind I was moving towards labeling these as my favorite albums of the year. In this case I called it "2023 Rewind" simply because I found a cool stock photo for the cover art. Anyway, on to the mix.

These lists and mixes are tough to compile. It's so easy for even good albums to get lost in the shuffle. The ones that definitely did not get lost are my top 5 albums:

  1. Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I - Granular Dreams
  2. Brendan Eder Ensemble - Therapy
  3. Eli Keszler - LIVE [LuckyMe]
  4. The Green Kingdom - Ether Hymns [Dronarivm]
  5. Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Glow World [13]

I probably listened to that Crows Labyrinth album more than any other ambient album this year. It had the advantage of being used as a sleep album...a lot. The album has a great Blade Runner vibe that is retro yet fresh. I love it. 

The Brendan Eder Ensemble was a new discovery for me. He self described his music as “meditative woodwind arrangements." That would have been enough to get my attention but then toss in a few Aphex Twin covers and I was hooked.

Eli Keszler has shown up on my lists before but this one is my fav. It is all live percussion, some sparse, some frantic but somehow it all feels ambient. Even when there's a lot going on it feels like it fits more in the ambient genre than jazz. So good.

Michael Cottone has been creating music as The Green Kingdom for a long time. I can always count on him for good quality ambient tracks. "Ether Hymns" is light and beautiful without ever being syrupy or overdone. It sets a perfect tone.

"Glow World" from Rod Modell & Taka Noda is pretty much what you would expect from Modell. Lots of synth washes with some buried bass lines and rhythms. It may be nothing new but it's done so well that the atmospheres suck you right in. 

Here's the full list of my favorite ambient albums of 2023 in alphabetical order:

  • Alex Albrecht - Violet Visionary [ASIP]
  • Alva Noto - Kinder der Sonne (From Komplizen) [Noton]
  • ARROWOUNDS - In The Octopus Pond [Lost Tribe Sound]
  • Bill Seaman, Tim Diagram, Stephen Spera - The World Was Turning Before [Laaps]
  • Brendan Eder Ensemble - Therapy [2023]
  • Claire Deak - Sotto Voce [Lost Tribe Sound 2023]
  • Courtney Barnett - End Of The Day OST [Milk Records]
  • Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I - Granular Dreams
  • Crows Labyrinth- Pulse Mandala - Astral Solstice [Valley View Records]
  • cv313 - Plays Sequential Space [2023]
  • Drawing Virtual Gardens - 22-22 [Lost Tribe Sound]
  • Eli Keszler - LIVE [LuckyMe]
  • Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - Subterranean Environments [Dune Alter]
  • Hainbach - Voice Magnetic [Seil]
  • Loneward - Willoweald [Stereoscenic]
  • Michael Scott Dawson - Find Yourself Lost [We Are Busy Bodies]
  • Mount Shrine - Lost Loops Collection [Cryo Chamber]
  • Nico Less - Still
  • North Americans - Long Cool World [Third Man Records]
  • Pan American - in daylight dub [Foam On A Wave]
  • Prins Emanuel - Diagonal Musik II [Music for Dreams]
  • PURELINK - Signs [Peak Oil]
  • Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Glow World [13]
  • Saphileaum - Intrapersonal Experience [Good Morning Tapes]
  • Sigur Rós - ÁTTA [Krúnk]
  • Snufmumriko - Havstrakt [Sun Sea Sky Productions]
  • Tapani Rinne - Grey [Signature Dark]
  • The Green Kingdom - Ether Hymns [Dronarivm]
  • Toki Fuko - Spirit Medicine [Astral Industries]
  • William Ryan Fritch - Cohesion [Lost Tribe Sound]

Links to each album:


I am pretty proud of myself that I managed to squeeze in all 30 albums into this one 2-hour mix. Next up a 2023 jazz favorites mix.

Cheers! And here's to a good 2024!




T R A C K L I S T :
  • 00:00    Alva Noto - Kinder der Sonne(Intro) (Kinder der Sonne(From "Komplizen")
  • 03:18    Hainbach - Voice Magnetic (Voice Magnetic)
  • 06:20    Brendan Eder Ensemble - #20(Lichen) Aphex Twin cover (Therapy)
  • 10:06    Michael Scott Dawson - Evening Constitutional (Find Yourself Lost)
  • 13:45    Courtney Barnett - Floating Down (End Of The Day OST)
  • 15:05    North Americans - Western Town, With Road to Mountain (Long Cool World)
  • 18:50    The Green Kingdom - Tradewinds (Ether Hymns)
  • 22:10    Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - In the Lair of the 5-Sided Serpent (Subterranean Environments)
  • 25:08    Alex Albrecht - Forest Dance (Violet Visionary)
  • 28:28    Saphileaum - Plum (Intrapersonal Experience)
  • 32:52    Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Untitled #2 (Glow World)
  • 38:25    Nice Less - Nice & Quiet (Still)
  • 44:10    Snufmumriko - Skärgårdskväde (Havstrakt)
  • 47:42    Purelink - 4k Murmurs(feat. J) (Signs)
  • 53:05    Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I: Granular Dreams (Single Version)
  • 56:27    Loneward - Light Blossom (Willoweald)
  • 01:01:52    Claire Deak - Dolce Tormento (Sotto Voce)
  • 01:04:27    Bill Seaman, Tim Diagram, Stephen Spera - Far Away (The World Was Turning Before)
  • 01:09:15    Drawing Virtual Gardens - Be aware there is a goat hidden in the trees (22:22)
  • 01:22:47    Tapani Rinne - Tuokio (Grey)
  • 01:27:07    William Ryan Fritch - Timescale (Cohesion)
  • 01:29:15    ARROWOUNDS - Blue Entombed (In The Octopus Pond)
  • 01:25:00    Pan•American - Renzo (In Daylight Dub)
  • 01:28:55    cv313 - Forever In The Sky (Plays Sequential Space)
  • 01:36:27    Toki Fuko - Part Two (Spirit Medicine)
  • 01:42:40    Eli Keszler - Manhattan Part IV (LIVE)
  • 01:46:46    Prins Emanuel - Paia (Diagonal Musik II)
  • 01:50:25    Crows Labyrinth, Pulse Mandala - Astral Solstice (Astral Solstice)
  • 01:54:00    Mount Shrine - Raining Indoors (Lost Loops Collection)
  • 02:02:07    Sigur Rós - Blóðberg (ÁTTA)
  • 02:09:05    end

Posted by Low Light Mixes at 8:11 AM 2 comments
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Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Invisible Topologies

 

This mix started with the latest album by Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang - Last Two Inches of Sky. It has this great late night vibe that I immediately latched onto. From there I went back to The Rain Dogs, an artist I had used in an earlier mix called Summoning the Spirits. And then one thing led to another and I ended up with an ambient mix with a fair amount of organic percussion.

The final mix has a bit of Jon Hassell 4th world feel, some of that late night vibe I mentioned and a dash of Lost Tribe Sound strangeness. I think it all comes together rather well.

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    Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang - City Never Sleeps (Last Two Inches of Sky  2023)
  • 03:27    The Rain Dogs - From Abydos To Dendera (From Abydos To Dendera 2021)
  • 10:35    anthéne & simon mccorry - unreflecting pool (florescence 2023)
  • 14:06    Robbie Robertson - Too Much Dynamite (Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
  • 16:54    Toki Fuko - Spirit Medicine Pt. 1 (Spirit Medicine 2023)
  • 19:12    Jarvus - Noisetones (Farasan 2023)
  • 23:02    M. Sage - Evenin' Out (Paradise Crick 2023)
  • 25:48    William Ryan Fritch - Timescale (Cohesion 2023)
  • 28:50    From the Mouth of the Sun - The Herd(Murmuration) (Valley of the Hummingbirds 2023)
  • 32:44    The Rain Dogs - Wassu (From Abydos To Dendera 2021)
  • 37:41    ARROWOUNDS - Phosphene Silver Abyss (In The Octopus Pond 2023)
  • 42:20    Friðþjófur Johnson - Images in Ice Land
  • 47:45    Darkroom - Water like mbira (Water like mbira 2023)
  • 52:20    Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang - Hush Now (Last Two Inches of Sky  2023)
  • 57:40    arovane - Clavnt (Seismograf 2023)
  • 62:13    end


Posted by Low Light Mixes at 10:32 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Misty Morning by Six Missing

 

The nice folks at Nettwerk Music Group reached out about the possibility of doing some guest mixes and I am pleased to present the first one. This mix comes to us from TJ Dumser who releases music under the moniker, Six Missing. He has a new album coming out in December so the timing is perfect.

I'll let TJ tell you about his mix:

"Listening to music always makes me transport to another place. And whenever a piece of music can make me travel to a place that elicits a vivid scene within my mind, I love it even more. Every time I sit and write a piece of music, I am always allowing it to take me somewhere, and then my goal is to try to capture that like a polaroid and develop it as quickly as I can so that the imagery is imprinted firmly within the makeup of the piece. 

Misty Morning is a collection of tracks both old and new that allow my mind to travel. Within this mix I've included pieces from not only myself (and an unreleased sneak peak), but from other artists I respect and love. Each track on here hits you with emotion and vibe instantaneously. There is no build-up for these. With each new piece you are gently guided along what I envision being the most perfect and slow morning with a cup of coffee as you watch the mist and fog rise up from the serene mountains behind your home. Or perhaps you are drifting in and out of sleep on an airplane or in a car. But you could also be seated and just merely listening. Regardless, these pieces aim to lift you up and out of your thinking mind and usher you into the beloved "in-between." 

While making my latest record "Here For Now," which comes out December 15th via Nettwerk, I was listening to artists that use sounds masterfully - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Visible Cloaks, and Nils Frahm all are within complete and total control of their voices and I found that incredibly inspiring as I was working to find my own voice. 

It is with great humility that I place my own music amongst artists such as Mort Garson and Ólafur Arnalds as well as the ever blissful Eydís Evensen. But thankfully, it seems to all feel like they belong there. 

I had a great time designing this curated vibe-adventure for you and hope you find some new artists you've never heard before as well as some old favorites. 

Thank you for listening."

Six Missing Links:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube


Thanks for providing this Misty Morning. 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 :

  • 00:00-02:27 - Possibility - Six Missing
  • 02:16-05:12 - Dreamy - Hania Rani
  • 05:06-06:13 - Unity - Ryuichi Sakamoto
  •  06:05-11:06 - Dustlight - Alaskan Tapes, Moshimoss
  • 10:42-15:13 - Waves - Six Missing
  • 15:03-18:49 - Terrazzo - Visible Cloaks, Motion Graphics
  • 18:43-23:08 - An Ending (Ascent) - Brian Eno
  • 22:52-27:21 - Wandering I - Eydís Evensen
  • 27:16-32:10 - Envelop - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
  • 31:54-37:11 - Loving Kindness - Six Missing
  • 36:54-39:47 - brot - Ólafur Arnalds
  • 39:47-43:22- Sunflower Dance - Green-House
  • 43:12-47:12 - Tranquility (For Sidney) - Clariloops
  • 46:55-50:15 - Deja Vu - Ataraxia, Mort Garson
  • 49:53-53:43 - Foreshadowed - Harold Budd, Brian Eno
  • 53:25-57:45 - Cleanse - Six Missing (Unreleased until 12/1/23)
  • 57:29-62:54 - Music for 18 Musicians: Pulses - Steve Reich
  • 62:25-65:48 - Alpha 1 - Ami Shavit
  • 65:30-70:55 - Seah Jahan - Paul Horn
  • 70:50-77:53 - Statum - Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima, Satsuki Shibano
  • 77:42-88:18 - Sunson - Nils Frahm

Posted by Low Light Mixes at 7:53 AM 2 comments
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Wednesday, November 08, 2023

November Moon (for sleep and meditation) by Paul Asbury Seaman

 

Paul is back with some of the mystical ambience he does so well. He brings us a hour of tunes that straddle the fine line between new age and ambient music, perfect for the waning days of autumn. 

Here is what Paul says about this mix:

“Mystical ambient atmospheres meet New Age relaxation. Lots of bells, minimalist piano, acoustic guitar and flute to celebrate the austere, liminal quality of late autumn—my favorite season. All tracks are from albums released this year, except the two ‘guest appearances’ by George Winston and Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman. As a side note, I generally avoid familiar tunes on my sleep and meditation mixes, as their specific associations might disrupt the listener’s mental or spiritual flow into a specific direction. But the ‘Ave Maria’ featured here, by Larkenlyre, is one of the most sublime renditions of this classic tune by Franz Schubert I’ve ever heard.”

Here are links to all the music used in this mix:

Thanks, Paul, for another excellent collection of tracks!


[ 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    Anantakara - After The Rain (Before Completion 2023)
  • 05:35    Arin Aksberg - Virtuality (It Flows Between Us 2023)
  • 10:07    The Lovely Moon - The Crescent Moon in Twilight (Drifting with the Crescent Moon 2023)
  • 15:15    Max Jeschek- Drifting Off to Sleep (The Awakening 2023)
  • 19:36    Sherry Finzer & Joseph Akins - Eventide (Earthbeat 2023)
  • 23:18    Larkenlyre - Ave Maria (Magical Majestical 2023)
  • 26:40    George Winston - Some Children See Him (December 1982)
  • 30:15    Will Ackerman - Singing Crocodile (Pure Will Ackerman 2006)
  • 33:24    Jarguna & Nicola Serena - The Forest Does Not Sleep (Amongst Jungles 2023)
  • 38:51    The Living Earth Show - Music for Hard Times pt 6 (Music for Hard Times 2022)
  • 42:31    Lorenz Weber - pulsing the current (earth beats 2023)
  • 46:10    Aarktica - A Leaf's Prayer (Paeans 2023)
  • 53:53    Robert Scott Thompson - Distance Breathes a Final Dream of Bells (Dragging The Sea With Dreams (2023)
  • 60:27    end



Posted by Low Light Mixes at 8:16 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Dia de Los Muertos

 


I've done Halloween mixes in the past but never one quite like this. I decided to take some of the Latin guitar sounds found in my Guitarissimo mixes, tilt them slight off kilter and give the mix a slightly sinister vibe. 

It's not too dark, and some of it is kinda of fun, just the way Halloween should be. There are a few artists I was familiar with or have played before like David Lynch, SUSS, The Phonometrician, Shakey Graves, Ry Cooder, and Tommy Guerrero. The rest are all new artists I discovered while looking for tracks that fit this theme. It was a lot of fun discovering all of that new music.

Grab some mezcal, turn the lights out and enjoy. 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    Via Mardot - Portal (2022)
  • 01:58    Sun City Girls - Blue West (Funeral Mariachi 2012)
  • 04:55    Combustible Edison - Carnival of Souls (I, Swinger 1994)
  • 07:50    Shakey Graves - Chupacadabra (Deadstock 2023)
  • 09:25    The Focus Group - Bells Hazes (Sketches And Spells 2011)
  • 10:14    Tommy Guerrero - Signals from Points Beyond (Perpetual 2015)
  • 13:10    Ry Cooder - Paris, Texas (Paris, Texas 1985)
  • 15:45    SUSS - Gunfighter (Ghost Box 2018)
  • 20:09    Topaz Rags - Sightings (Capricorn Born Again 2009)
  • 22:55    Pram - Track of the Cat (Dark Island 2003)
  • 26:58    Last Ex - Hotel Blues (Last Ex 2014)
  • 29:43    The Phonometrician - Death Rides a Horse: Part II (Cóiste Bodhar 2022)
  • 34:25    Ben Von Wildenhaus - The Knife Thrower II (II 2015)
  • 36:57    Louie Zong - Ghost Duet (2023)
  • 37:54    David Lynch - The Night Bell With Lightning (Crazy Clown Time 2011)
  • 42:47    Via Mardot - Towers (2023)
  • 44:52    Shakey Graves - Who Died (Deadstock 2023)
  • 48:44    Guano Padano - A Country Concept (Guano Padano 2009)
  • 53:21    Tommy Guerrero - Embers of Memory (Perpetual 2015)
  • 56:16    Via Mardot - Pining (2023)
  • 58:13    Ry Cooder - No Safety Zone (Paris, Texas 1985)
  • 59:33    Wilburn Burchette - Birth of a Witch (Guitar Grimoire 1973)
  • 64:38    end

Posted by Low Light Mixes at 8:10 AM 3 comments
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Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Now That's What I Call Ambient - October '23

 

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in themed mixes or guest mixes that I forget about doing a nice straightforward ambient mix. So that's what this is - a mix featuring ambient tracks from 2023. No story to tell, no underlying theme, just excellent ambient tracks to drift away on.

Links to all the music used in this mix:

Coming next week - a Halloween mix. Cheers!




T R A C K L S T :
  • 00:00    Crows Labyrinth & Willebrant - Leaving Space (2023)
  • 03:35    David Cordero & Rhucle - Micnight Breeze (Summer Chronicle 2023)
  • 07:03    Pulse Mandala & Distant Fires Burning - R Abacus Lndr (R Abacus Lndr 2023)
  • 12:29    Jon E.K. - Golden Hour (As Water In A Foutain Flows 2023)
  • 16:50    Innesti - Whereto (The World We Knew 2023)
  • 20:50    Rod Modell - Side A excerpt (Ghost Lights 2023)
  • 26:33    David Tagg - Cyrene IV (Cyrene 2023)
  • 32:32    Courtney Barnett - Eternity Repeat (End Of The Day 2023)
  • 33:40    Tatsuro Murakami - In Her Absence (An Imaginary Autumn 2023)
  • 41:45    Purelink - 4k Murmurs(feat. J) (Signs 2023)
  • 48:04    Crows Labyrinth & Pulse Mandala - Astral Solstice (Astral Solstice 2023)
  • 51:45    Carbon Based Lifeforms - Starfish (Seeker 2023)
  • 56:50    Inhmost - Don't Go Quiet Now (The Feeling Of..... 2023)
  • 61:38    end


Posted by Low Light Mixes at 8:07 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Train No. 8: Autumn Excursion by Paul Asbury Seaman


I have been having a hard time keeping up my mix output lately. There are many reasons, from too much work to too many concerts and social things to a pennant run in baseball. Also playing a part is me getting a little burned out on ambient music. There is so much of it released every week, every month that it becomes a bit overwhelming and it all starts to blend together after a while. I end up with little motivation to find another theme for yet another ambient mix. 

I'm sure I'll snap out of this funk but for now Paul Asbury Seaman comes to the rescue! Just when I needed it, Paul delivers a fantastic berlin-school, train-themed mix. As I've said many times before, I like Paul's mixes because sometimes they go in directions I normally don't go with my own mixes. That's the case again here with these berlin-school tracks. I like sequencer based music but it's not a style I reach for often. And then I hear one of Paul's mixes and I'm like - "Why don't I listen to this music more often?" Whatever the reason, I'm glad Paul is here to remind us about how cool this style can be.

Here's what Paul has to say about this collection:

“No powerful locomotives this time. No high-speed rail or epic cross-country journey. Just a relaxed excursion through autumn foliage. All but three of these tracks are from 2023. Watch for the REAL guitar on ‘In the Fading Starlight.’ Synth Replicants was one of my big/happy discoveries this past year. (This was one of the milder tracks!) Enjoy.”

Thanks Paul!

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    Wil Bolton - Yellow Morning (So​̈​dermalm In Autumn 2023)
  • 09:09    Erik Wøllo - Motion Picture (Cloud of Strings 2023)
  • 12:50    Thom Brennan - Wavemaker pt. 2 (Wavemaker 2023)
  • 21:12    Mac Of Bionight - Memory Has No Conscience (COORDINATES volume 11 2023)
  • 28:12    Nils Frahm - #2 (All Melody 2018)
  • 36:25    Steve Roach The Weaving Way (The Weaving Way 2023)
  • 42:18    Node - The Traveller (Node 2 2014)
  • 47:18    Synth Replicants - In The Fading Starlight (Time of Legends 2023)
  • 53:30    Alpha Wave Movement - Lattices of Light (Cerulean Skies 2017)
  • 61:20    Larkenlyre - Sometimes Hope Comes Wrapped In Dark Skies (You and I and Every Sky 2023)
  • 65:18    end 
 
Posted by Low Light Mixes at 10:46 AM 2 comments
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Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Quiet Indie Songs - Fall '23

 

I haven't done a quiet indie songs mix since this time last year. This one started when I heard the latest Peter Gabriel track, Love Can Heal, which I adore. And the timing is good as I'll be seeing him in concert on Oct. 2nd. I've heard that in his live show he plays a lot of the new tracks he's been releasing monthly. Several months ago that would have given me pause because I didn't much care for the first few new tracks. But they have been getting better and better with each new song.

The rest of the mix is just what it says it is - a collection of quiet indie tracks, all of them released in 2023. It includes some old faves like Neil Young, Kevin Morby, Slowdive, & Julie Byrne along with new to me artists like Scott Orr, The Finks, This Is The Kit, & Jörgen Kjellgren. 

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    Jörgen Kjellgren - Bluebird Waltz (Bluebird 2023)
  • 04:09    Scott Orr - Horiszon (Horizon 2023)
  • 07:45    Peter Gabriel - Love Can Heal(Darkside Mix) (2023)
  • 12:57    Silvana Estrada - Milagro y Desastre (2023)
  • 16:54    Julie Byrne - Flare (The Greater Wings 2023)
  • 20:14    This Is The Kit - Careful of Your Keepers (Careful of Your Keepers 2023)
  • 23:01    The Finks - Marco Polo (Birthdays at Solo Pasta 2023)
  • 27:06    Arborist - Dewdrop Cherryoak (An Endless Sequence of Dead Zeros 2023)
  • 32:19    Kevin Morby - Like a Flower (Music From Montana Story 2023)
  • 35:30    Dean Johnson - Faraway Skies (Nothing For Me, Please 2023)
  • 39:00    Neil Young - Star of Bethlehem (Chrome Dreams 2023)
  • 41:35    DeYarmond Edison - Ragstock (Epoch 2023)
  • 44:04    Allegra Krieger - Lingering (I Keep My Feet on the Fragile Plane 2023)
  • 47:21    Indigo de Souza - Younger & Dumber (All of This Will End 2023)
  • 51:50    JFDR - The Orchid (Museum 2023)
  • 56:00    Slowdive - prayer remembered (everything is alive 2023)
  • 60:30    end


Posted by Low Light Mixes at 10:20 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, September 06, 2023

For the Love of Iceland

 


I just got back from a week in Iceland so naturally I had to make a mix with music from Icelandic artists. The usual suspects are here - Sigur Ros, Johann Johannsson, Bjork, Olafur Arnalds, along with some new additions. 

It still boggles my mind that the tiny island has produced such amazing music. But now, having been there, I guess it makes a bit more sense because the place is unique. The landscape and spirit seeps into your mind and body like hot water through porous volcanic rock. It's impossible not to fall in love with the people and the natural beauty.



Hopefully this mix can be your own mini vaca to Iceland. 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    Sigur Rós - Blóðberg (ÁTTA 2023)
  • 07:03    Jóhann Jóhannsson - A Prayer to the Dynamo pt. 1 (Spectral Symphony 2023)
  • 13:50    Friðþjófur Johnson - Black Sand Blues
  • 19:10    Rökkurró - Svanur (Í Annan Heim 2010)
  • 24:20    Björk - Vokuro (Medulla 2004)
  • 27:18    Ólafur Arnalds feat Ella McRobb - And we'll leave it there (2023)
  • 30:47    Valgeir Sigurðsson - Eva's Lament (Kvika 2021)
  • 32:17    Kiasmos - Looped (Kiasmos 2014)
  • 36:00    Friðþjófur Johnson - Sambólúsí
  • 40:50    Yagya - The Downpour (Faded Photographs 2023)
  • 44:33    Múm - Faraway Swimmingpool (Finally We Are No One 2002)
  • 47:00    Frakkur - Dream Fyrir John (Pling pong)
  • 52:33    Ruxpin & Stafrænn Hákon - Dark Rift (Meet Me In Forever 2023)
  • 56:14    Jóhann Jóhannsson - Stuk (Elegy for Lost Time 2023)
  • 58:35    Ólafur Arnalds - Spiral (some kind of peace 2020)
  • 61:54    end

Posted by Low Light Mixes at 7:29 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Summer's End by The Lonely Bell

 

I've been busy with important things like going to baseball games, drinking beer, sitting on my back deck doing nothing, and getting ready for an trip at the end of the month. So this guest mix comes a perfect time. It's also a perfect mix for sitting on the deck and doing nothing.

This mix comes to us from Ali Murray who records as The Lonely Bell. "Kingdoms of the Deep" by The Lonely Bell was one of my favorite ambient albums of 2022. https://thelonelybell.bandcamp.com/album/kingdoms-of-the-deep

Here's what Ali says:

"My name is Ali Murray. I’m a songwriter and musician from the Isle of Lewis, which is a small remote island in the north of Scotland. I write and release dark introspective ambient music under the name The Lonely Bell.

As the title suggests, this is an ambient guest mix to mark the end of the summer season, and the coming of autumn. It’s a dreamy and eclectic selection of dark ambience, haunting drones, fuzzy electronica, cinematic modern classical, immersive sound art and ethereal soundscapes - bookended by the two songs that comprise my brand new EP - ‘The Outer Banks’. ‘The Outer Banks’ is out now on the label Frosti, and is available both digitally and on limited edition cassette tape.

You can check it out at the following link :

https://frostilabel.bandcamp.com/album/the-outer-banks

And you can find the rest of my discography at :

www.thelonelybell.bandcamp.com


As I've said many times before, one of the reasons I like guest mixes is they go in a direction that I usually don't take myself and that is the case here. I am very hit and miss with darker ambient tracks and the same goes for drone ambient. But I really like the way The Lonely Bell treats those styles so it's no surprise that I enjoy what Ali did with this mix. I know you'll like it too.

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  :

  • 0:00    The Lonely Bell – The Outer Banks
  • 8:00    Claire Deak – A Million Cloaked Ghosts
  • 10:58    Barley & Blush To The Snow – The Eternal Note of Sadness In (excerpt)
  • 14:42    Broken Chip – Yellow
  • 19:06    Karen Vogt – Amidst The Sea Fog
  • 21:48    Glacis & Adrian Lane – A Flower In The Mind
  • 26:42    CLAIR – Queen Bee Prelude
  • 31:40    Patrick Corcoran – GEN 2
  • 34:20    Mollbury Medical Research Centre – Temporary Amnesia
  • 37:10    Leonard Donat – Fog Horn Deer Trap
  • 43:40    The Lonely Bell – Fires of Dawn
  • 52:46    end

Posted by Low Light Mixes at 8:09 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, August 09, 2023

Summoning The Spirits

 

One of my favorite ambient albums from the first half of 2023 is "Intrapersonal Experience" by Saphileaum. It's a great combination of atmospherics and percussion, reminiscent of 90s Steve Roach tribal ambient. After hearing this album I needed to do a drum/percussion-based mix and "Summoning The Spirits" is the result.

Another recent discovery makes its way into this mix - The Rain Dogs. So far I only have one of their albums but I plan on buying many more. I have to pace myself though. Their album, From Abydos To Dendera, has shades of Jon Hassell and other 4th world styles that I love. The tracks fit perfectly in this mix.

I hope you enjoy the atmospheres and the rhythms.

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    The Rain Dogs - Market Day (From Abydos To Dendera 2021)
  • 05:33    Saphileaum - Dear (Intrapersonal Experience 2023)
  • 09:45    The Chi Factory - Part One (Travel In Pece 2020)
  • 14:40    Benjy Wertheimer & John de Kadt - Underwater (One River 2012)
  • 21:08    Byron Metcalf - As Clouds Dance (Inner Rhythm Meditations 2016)
  • 29:50    Chi - Before The Mountain (The Original Recordings 2016)
  • 36:50    The Rain Dogs - Dawn Over Qurna (From Abydos To Dendera 2021)
  • 40:54    Eli Keszler - Barcelona Part VI (LIVE 2023)
  • 44:40    D.K. - Summoning the Spirits (The Goddess Is Dancing 2019)
  • 50:00    Saphileaum - Remote (Intrapersonal Experience 2023)
  • 54:40    The Chi Factory - Part Two (The Kallikatsou Recordings 2017)
  • 57:43    Night Sky Pulse - Luminescence (These Possible Lives 2021)
  • 61:03    end
  •  
Posted by Low Light Mixes at 1:04 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Electronic Music 1972

 

The trip through the electronic music of the 70s continues with a stop in 1972. As with '70 & '71 this is a mix with some tracks that are very electronic, like the Wendy Carlos tunes, and others that are more electronic adjacent, like the Cluster or Pick Floyd tracks. But I think it gives a good sense of where things stood at the time.

I purposely stayed away from cheesy electronic versions of classical music like "The Electronic Spirit Of Erik Satie" or "The Unusual Classical Synthesizer." I'm just not a fan of that type of electronic music. I understand it's place in bringing synths to mass attention, I just don't like those recordings.

Enjoy 1972, I have a feeling 1973 will sound fairly similar. But things will start to change in '74 & '75.

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    A.R. & Machines - Wie Ich Mir So Ich Dir (AR3)
  • 02:12    Cluster - Im Suden (Cluster II)
  • 08:10    Galactic Explorers - Lunarscape (Epitaph For Venus)
  • 14:22    Terry Riley - Persian Surgery Dervishes
  • 18:40    Klaus Schulze - Last Not Least (La Vie Electronique, Vol. 2)
  • 25:15    Kraftwerk - Klingklang (Kraftwerk 2)
  • 34:00    Wendy Carlos - Country Life (Clockwork Orange)
  • 38:40    Tangerine Dream - Zeit (Zeit)
  • 43:20    Pink Floyd - Absolutely Curtains (Obscured by Clouds)
  • 45:55    Neu! - Im Glück (Nue!)
  • 49:35    Wendy Carlos - Fall (Sonic Seasonings)
  • 60:00    end


Posted by Low Light Mixes at 7:11 AM 1 comments
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Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Last Train Home by Paul Asbury Seaman

 

Photo by Alan Seaman (Paul’s father) in Raiwind, Lahore District, Pakistan, c.1966.

Another train-themed mix? Yes, because they are awesome! This one comes from the mind of Paul Asbury Seaman, as have several other train mixes. As per usual, it's a great collection of familiar and unfamiliar artists, to me at least. 

Here's what Paul says about this latest trip down the tracks:

“On this one—my seventh train-themed mix for LLM—I’m going for the feeling of exhilaration and weary melancholy of travel, as much as the clickety-clack rhythm associated with trains. Plus a twinge of the mystical that can be experienced while crossing between worlds. Once again, drawing from 40 years of music… a couple of new artists, some perennial favorites (of mine), and some classics of the genre.”

Thanks, Paul, for delivering once again.

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    Christian Fiesel - A Train And No Final Destination (The New Voyages Of Little Nemo 2023)
  • 03:29    Frolin - Afterthought (Morrowtide 2022)
  • 07:26    Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 7 (Oxygene 7-13 1997)
  • 15:05    Johan Tronestam - Reveals the Invisible (Cosmic Drama II 2023)
  • 22:14    Fritz Mayr - Breath of the Wind (Mythical Worlds 2022)
  • 28:40    Cristian Richet - Sansucy (Life Is But A Dream 2023)
  • 35:05    Cosmic Ground - Phasing 76 (Entropy 2023)
  • 42:40    The Soviet Space Dog Project - Star City (Star City 2021)
  • 51:45    Vangelis - Life Of Antarctica (Antartica 1983)
  • 57:19    LAD - Starburst (Andromeda 2023)
  • 62:42    Robert Rich - Loom Of Origins (Travelers' Cloth 2023)
  • 69:30    Patrick O'Hearn - Traveler's Rest (So Flows the Current 2000)
  • 75:33    end


Posted by Low Light Mixes at 8:36 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, July 06, 2023

Favorite Ambient Albums of 2023, so far

 


I guess the title of this mix is as straightforward as it gets. This one is a collection of tracks from my favorite ambient albums from the first half of 2023. There's some really good stuff in there and a nice variety.

First I'll give my list of favorites with links and then the tracklist of the mix. Cheers to a great second half!

Alva Noto - Kinder der Sonne (From Komplizen) [Noton]
ARROWOUNDS - In The Octopus Pond [LostTribe Sound]
Between - Low Flying Owls [12k]
Brendan Eder Ensemble - Therapy
Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I- Granular Dreams
Crows Labyrinth- Pulse Mandala - Astral Solstice [Valley View Records]
Eli Keszler - LIVE [LUCKYME]
Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - Subterranean Environments [Dune Alter]
Hainbach - Voice Magnetic[Seil]
Loneward - Willoweald [Stereoscenic]
Michael Scott Dawson - Find Yourself Lost [We Are Busy Bodies]
Mount Shrine - Lost Loops Collection [Cryo Chamber]
Nico Less - Still
Pan American - in daylight dub [Foam On A Wave]
Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Glow World [13]
Saphileaum - Intrapersonal Experience
Sigur Rós - ÁTTA
this floating world - floatings [Whitelabrecs]
Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan - The Nation's Most Central Location
Wil Bolton - Swept [Audiobulb]
William Ryan Fritch - Cohesion [Lost Tribe Sound]
 
Cheers!
 
 
 
 
T R A C K L I S T :
  • 00:00    Rod Modell & Taka Noda - Untilted 1 [Glow World (13)]
  • 05:40    Nico Less - Try a Little Kindess [Still]
  • 09:40    Pan American - Renzo [in daylight dub (Foam On A Wave)]
  • 13:50    Eli Keszler - Manhattan Part III [LIVE (LUCKYME)]
  • 20:10    Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - Cenote Meditation [Subterranean Environments (Dune Alter)]
  • 25:30    Michael Scott Dawson - Almanac Pages [Find Yourself Lost (We Are Busy Bodies)]
  • 32:00    Brendan Eder Ensemble - #20 Lichen Aphex Twin Cover [Therapy]
  • 35:40    William Ryan Fritch - Futiles Heaves [Cohesion (Lost Tribe Sound)]
  • 39:33    this floating world - winds I [floatings (Whitelabrecs)]
  • 40:50    Between - Pushed [Low Flying Owls (12k)]
  • 46:38    Sigur Rós - Blóðberg [ÁTTA)]
  • 53:25    Alva Noto - Sehnsuchtsvoll [Kinder der Sonne(From Komplizen) (Noton)]
  • 1:06:00    Hainbach - Last Song of Summer [Voice Magnetic (Seil)]
  • 1:03:05    Mount Shrine - Ghostly [Lost Loops Collection (Cryo Chamber)]
  • 1:06:50    ARROWOUNDS - Tree of Disciples [In The Octopus Pond (LostTribe Sound)]
  • 1:12:42    Loneward - Delicate Illusions [Willoweald (Stereoscenic)]
  • 1:21:30    end


Posted by Low Light Mixes at 10:04 AM 2 comments
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Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Longform Sleepy Time

 

This mix is pretty just as the title describes - a set of long ambient pieces, perfect for sleeping. There's not much else to say other than the tracks are all fairly new with most of them from 2023.

I was happy to use a longer version of the Crows Labyrinth track in this mix. I used it in my Blade Runner mix earlier in the year but it was the short version. I have been listening to the long version a lot this year and using it as a sleep soundtrack quite a bit as well. So I knew I had to use more of the 39 minute track in this mix. That album will make my best of the year list for sure.

Speaking of best of the year lists - head over to Mixcloud Posts to see my favorite albums of 2023, so far - MIXCLOUD Best of 2023(so far)


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    Loscil - Alta (Alta 2023)
  • 10:20    Loneward - Light Blossom (Willoweald 2023)
  • 18:00    Crows Labyrinth - Neon Scenes I (Neon Scenes I: Granular Dreams 2023)
  • 27:45    Milieu - Beside a Green Window (Beside a Green Window 2023)
  • 37:07    Katharina Schmidt - Particles (Particles 2022)
  • 46:44    Spectrical - Distant Rain (Fleeting visions into sleep 2023)
  • 55:10    Mount Shrine - Foghorn (Lost Loops Collection 2023)
  • 1:12:25    Robert Davies - Diffused Meadow (Delicate Terrain 2022)
  • 1:26:30    cv313 - Star Alignments (Plays Sequential Space 2023)
  • 2:00:00    end


Posted by Low Light Mixes at 8:23 AM 1 comments
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