Low Light Mixes: June 2024

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Deep Currents

This mix was an accident. Well, the mix itself wasn't an accident but the vibe and theme was. I was listening to some new music and heard a new track - A Flock Of Birds Part 1 by Motionfield, and decided to start a new mix with it. Not having any idea where I was headed, I tossed the track on my timeline and went looking for more music. I grabbed one, then two, then three, four, five tracks and before I knew it the mix had a watery vibe.

Some of the tracks have that great dubby, watery synth wash sound I love. We take a little detour in the middle with a more acoustic sound on the Humble Bee & Offthesky track. But we eventually comeback to the deep sounds when we get to the Variant track. All the tracks are from this year except for the cut by Evitceles from 2019.

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 Motionfield - A Flock Of Birds Part 1 (A Flock Of Birds 2024)
05:22 Akmuo Lamiaceae (Dreamwalker 2024)
12:50 unknown - Whispers of the Deep (2024)
14:48 Demetrio Cecchitelli - Each (Jump 2024)
16:25 Evitceles - ArmsAround (Somnambulant Fog 2019)
20:20 Ulla & Ultrafog - pm filter (It Mens A Lot 2024)
23:00 Henrik Lindstrand - Hvid(Remodelled by Alva Noto) (2024)
30:50 Humble Bee & Offthesky - Senses (Here In, Absence 2024)
38:00 Philippe Deschamps - In a Silent Sea(Bahrambient Rework) (What The Sea Promises 2024)
40:20 Warmth - Night Away (The Black Sand 2024)
42:40 Variant - Cosmic Currents[Expansion] (Cosmic Currents 2024)
52:45 Heavenchord - Atmospheres & Soundscapes 1 (Atmospheres & Soundscapes 2024)
61:26 end

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Solstice Prelude, Fading Spring by Rafael Anton Irisarri

I've been listening to the music of Rafael Anton Irisarri for a long time. The oldest RAI album that I have is 2007's "Daydreaming." I'm listening to it as I type this and, wow, I'd forgotten how excellent it is. His music has changed a bit since then - now using drones, symphonic washes, tape loops, layers of distortion and "bleached out textures." So I was excited when he offered to do a guest mix. Um, yes please!

This mix is everything that I love about guest mixes because it takes twists and turns that I normally do not. It kept me engaged to whole way through.

Here's what Rafael has to say about this set:

"I crafted this mix as Spring gently dissolves into Summer, drawing inspiration from perennial favorites like Arvo Pärt and Harold Budd. It features the work of many dear friends and colleagues such as Sylvain Chauveau and Federico Durand, as well as some favorite tracks I've mastered at my Black Knoll Studio in New York. This includes pieces from William Basinski, Eluvium, Michael Muller, and Julia Kent, along with contributions from Grand River, Animated Matter (Hannah Elizabeth Cox), Concepción Huerta, Christina Giannone, Pepo Galán, and Karen Vogt. Adding a personal touch, I've included a piece from my latest album, released on my newly minted Black Knoll Editions, in collaboration with the esteemed Italian producer Abul Mogard. There's also a special collaborative piece I created with the brilliant Julianna Barwick a couple of years ago. Hope you enjoy!

Looking forward to playing some shows this summer, starting in Italy on July 7th with Abul Mogard in Rome at Halfdie Festival, then later on September 14 at Ametric Festival in Chania, Greece. Stay tuned for more announcements by following on Instagram @blackknoll or at www.irisarri.org."

Thanks Rafael for this amazing mix!

Here are 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 Grand River - This Was Us (VA: Thousands of Eyes in the Dark, 2019)

01:53 Animated Matter - Follow (Selkie, 2021)

04:28 Federico Durand - Flor Imaginaria (Flor Imaginaria, 2020)

06:41 Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Roger Eno - Signals (Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, 1983)

08:16 Michael Muller - Glyph II (Julia Kent Rework) (Lower River Reworks, 2020)

12:52 William Basinski & Janek Schaefer . . . on reflection (four) (“ . . . on reflection “, 2022)

15:12 Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri - Place of Forever (AM Radio edit) (Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close, 2024)

21:52 Arvo Pärt - Fratres For String Quartet (Fratres, 1977)

31:22 Sylvain Chauveau - La Lettre Qu'il N'Envoya Jamais (Un Autre Décembre, 2003)

32:56 Eluvium - Vibration Consensus Reality(for Spectral Multiband Resonator) ((Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality, 2023)

41:06 Julianna Barwick + Rafael Anton Irisarri - Thalasso (For Ukraine Vol. 2, 2022)

46:21 Harold Budd - Sandtreader (Lovely Thunder, 1986)

51:32 Pepo Galán feat. Karen Vogt - It's All Around You (Family Harmony, 2023)

56:13 Concepción Huerta - Solastalgia (Harmonies from Betelgeuse, 2022)

59:37 Christina Giannone - Immortality (Glazed Vision, 2021)

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

In Space No One Can Hear Your Guitar Scream

UPDATE: When I posted this on June 12th I accidentally uploaded an earlier version of the mix. Mixcloud got the correct one but here the downloadable version was wrong. But it has been fixed. So now the tracklist matches the mix.

As with many other mixes this one has a specific track that was the inspiration. The tune is called "Franky's Floyd" from the album "An Evening with Friends" by Ron Boots. It's a live album by Boots and his friends. The track is called "Franky's Floyd" because Frank Dorittke plays a nine minute variation of David Gilmour's solo from Comfortably Numb. It all sounds so familiar but with enough variation to make it interesting. Thanks to Paul Asbury Seaman for giving me the heads-up on this track. I am in awe of it every time I listen.

https://ronboots.bandcamp.com/album/an-evening-with-friends

The title of this mix is a bit misleading, while there are a couple of screaming guitars here, most of the mix is just loud-ish guitar tracks that lean towards a spacey vibe. I think this set does a good job combining new and old tracks, going from 1975 & '77 to the 2010s and then 2020 & '21.

I've definitely been in a guitar mood lately with this one and a couple more guitar-based mixes in the works. One of them will have a Khruangbin vibe because they have a new album out and they are one of my favorite artists on the music scene right now.

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 Steve Hillage - Meditation Of The Snake (Fish Rising 1975)
03:03 Sunburned Hand Of The Man - Flex (Pick A Day To Die 2021)
06:51 Frank Dorittke, Harold Van Der Heijden, Ron Boots & Stephan Whitlan - Franky's Floyd (An Evening With Friends 2017)
13:55 Moon Duo - Square of the Sun (Hexadic III 2018)
19:55 Roy Buchanan - Fly…Night Bird (Sweet Dreams: The Anthology 1992)
24:30 Gov't Mule - Tomorrow Never Knows (Dub Side Of The Mule 2015)
28:50 Tangerine Dream - Impressions of Sorcerer (Sorcerer 1977)
31:24 Steve Hillage - The Glorious Om Riff (Green 1978)
37:42 Spencer cullum - Dieterich Buxtehude (Spencer Cullum's Coin Collection 2020)
44:53 Grails - Chalice Hymnal (Chalice Hymnal 2017)
48:50 Dans Dans - Shell Star (Zink 2021)
52:50 Dan Phelps - Cumulonimbus (MODULAR 2011)
59:30 end

Wednesday, June 05, 2024

Ghosts of the Gardiner Expressway by Kilometre Club

I am fortunate enough to occasionally have labels or artists connect with me about new music they have coming out. Sometimes those discussions result in a guest mix. Which brings us to this latest mix.

Daniel Field, owner/founder of Imaginary North, reached out about some new music coming out on his excellent ambient label. He has a new album out under his Kilometre Club moniker so we figured it would be a great time for a guest mix.

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

"I am so excited to share my new triple album, An Alphabet of Distance, and wanted to create a mix that reflects the idea of closeness. As a result, I looked to music being made in and around my hometown Toronto, thinking about some of our growing ambient community, as well as reflecting on the past. While putting this together, I quickly began to notice themes and trends that have permeated local ambient, electronic, and experimental music from this vast and vibrant city.

More than anything, the vast array of instruments used across this mix feels like a connect-the-dots of the diverse, complex, and cosmopolitan nature of the city. In 100 minutes, on top of the usual guitars and synthesizers, you'll hear harp, bass clarinet, saxophone, kulintang gongs, kalimbas, horns, a bridge, and so many more components that come together beautifully. The title of the mix is named after Toronto's most annoying and traffic-filled major thoroughfare, one that has recently undergone partial demolition and multiple lane closures, but is still such a pivotal artery of the city.

An Alphabet of Distance is out now as a digital download or double CD from Imaginary North."

Here's the link to the new Kilometre Club album:

https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/album/an-alphabet-of-distance

Imaginary North Bandcamp page:

https://imaginarynorth.bandcamp.com/

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

Thanks to Daniel & Imaginary North for this 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 Kilometre Club & Lutes Jennings - Stoplight (from An Alphabet of Distance, Imaginary North 2024)
02:28 Moonwatcher - Echo In The Hollow Of My Skull (from Impressions, Age of Leisure, 2024)
06:11 JICS - come back to me (from Nostalgia, Imaginary North, 2024)
08:44 shn shn - first light (from Form(s), independent, 2023)
13:22 Kilometre Club & Sun Rain - Zone of Harmony (from An Alphabet of Distance, Imaginary North 2024)
16:28 Grace Scheele - pomposity (from Landings, independent, 2023)
18:28 Joseph Shabason - Forest Run (from Anne, Western Vinyl, 2018)
22:52 Piers Oolvai - Materia (from Solace Shards, independent, 2021)
27:29 Do Make Say Think - A Tender History in Rust (You, You’re A History in Rust, 2007)
32:34 Kilometre Club & Gollden - Fragments (from An Alphabet of Distance, Imaginary North 2024)
38:26 Erin Corbett - All You Can Think About Is How Good It Feels (from Other Rooms, mainstream x Imaginary North 2024)
45:54 Pick a Piper - Kalimbas and Chimes (from Imaginary North Transmission 004, 2023)
51:49 Kilometre Club & Astrolope - All/Flax (from Outside Choices, Imaginary North, 2023)
58:06 Broken Social Scene - Capture the Flag (from You Forgot it in People, Arts and Crafts, 2002)
1:00:12 Pantayo - Bakal Bote (from Ang Pagdaloy, Telephone Explosion, 2023)
1:02:28 Nick Storring - Sleepwalking Through Lambton Woods [excerpt] (from Sleepwalking Through Lambton Woods, Avant Lard, 2023)
1:09:00 Fan Wu - Yarrowly (from touch the Ten Thousand Things without dependency, Second Spring, 2024)
1:13:40 Aidan Baker - Twilight [excerpt] (from Field of Drones, Arcolepsy Records, 2004)
1:18:11 anthene - beneath the trees (from Held, Oscarson, 2021)
1:21:52 dreamSTATE - Northern Ark (Feat. Kurt Swinghammer) (from The Drone Cycle, independent, 2024)
1:27:30 Polmo Polpo - Farewell (from Like Hearts Swelling, Constellation Records, 2003)
1:32:29 Kilometre Club - The Longest Time [excerpt] (from The Longest Time [coming soon], Imaginary North, 2024)

Sunday, June 02, 2024

Contemporary sequencer music on Bandcamp

Berlin School is alive and well and living . . . on Bandcamp. (And mostly in and all over Europe, it appears.) After the positive responses to his latest train-themed sequencer extravaganza on Mixcloud for Low Light Mixes, Paul Asbury Seaman has compiled a list of “OUTTAKES,” as well as links to other albums and artists to check out for further exploration.

https://gertemmensruudheij.bandcamp.com/album/on-higher-ground

https://lisabelladonna.bandcamp.com/album/afterimages

https://fdproject.bandcamp.com/track/stars-landscape-and-collision-part-five-final

https://gertblokzijl.bandcamp.com/album/attic-sessions

https://fritzmayr.bandcamp.com/album/utopia

https://cosmicground.bandcamp.com/album/melt

https://hollanholmes.bandcamp.com/album/prayer-to-the-energy

https://macofbionight.bandcamp.com/album/concoctions-vol-01

https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/sanctuary-of-desire

https://ronboots.bandcamp.com/album/an-evening-with-friends

https://grooveunlimited.bandcamp.com/?from=btl

See also Sequentia Legenda, Thom Brennan, Radio Massacre International, Redshift, Spiral Dreams, Soviet Space Dog Project, Johan Tronestam, Lars Leonard; basically anything on the European labels, Groove Unlimited and Syngate. (The former has a larger and more diverse roster of better known and lesser known high-quality em artists.)

And if you like ELECTRIC GUITAR with your sequencers, check out these fabulous albums:

https://synthreplicants.bandcamp.com/album/time-of-legends-album

https://pollarddanielbooth.bandcamp.com/album/ix

https://brendanpollard.bandcamp.com/album/two-roads-2

https://ronboots.bandcamp.com/album/an-evening-with-friends

https://gertemmens.bandcamp.com/album/nearest-faraway-place-vol-3

https://davidwrightmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-lost-colony

https://radiomassacreinternational.bandcamp.com/album/ts11

https://fritzmayr.bandcamp.com/album/ruins-of-the-third-system

https://fritzmayr.bandcamp.com/album/elisora

Cheers!