Slow Sequences

 

This mix is pretty straightforward - it's a collection of Berlin-school style tracks where the arpeggio is relatively slow. I don't know what the actual BPMs are but these tracks are not the driving sequences usually associated with Berlin-school music. They unfold at a more languid, chill pace.

I was very happy to be able to include the track "Wenn der Südwind weht" by Roedelius in this mix as it's one of my favorite electronic tracks of all time. 

LINKS TO ALL THE MSUIC USED IN THIS MIX:

https://arstraumur.bandcamp.com/album/deep-space-travellers

https://phelios.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-time

https://open.spotify.com/album/1LkfDTSn7UnbYXA4yFVPPN?si=wkk9zxYNS3-BzQuQbld_lg

https://roedelius-official.bandcamp.com/album/wenn-der-s-dwind-weht

https://domeniquedumont.bandcamp.com/album/people-on-sunday

https://balmat.bandcamp.com/album/psychic-geography

https://lornadune.bandcamp.com/album/sequential-dreaming

https://2fel.bandcamp.com/album/stranger-flow

https://ultimae.bandcamp.com/album/onwards-system

https://grauglanz.bandcamp.com/album/hasardeur

https://abstrakce.bandcamp.com/album/una-teor-a-del-ritmo

https://rudyadrianongroove.bandcamp.com/album/concerts-in-the-usa

https://jonhopkins.bandcamp.com/album/ritual

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   Árstraumur - Europa Clipper (Deep Space Travellers 2024)
• 05:15   Martin Stürtzer - Radiance (Dawn of Time 2024)
• 10:15   ObukhovAUDIO - Soft Landing on Nowhere (Kosmische Musik 2025)
• 16:00   Roedelius - Wenn der Südwind weht (Wenn der Südwind Weht 1981)
• 19:57   Domenique Dumont - Rituals (People on Sunday 2020)
• 22:43   DoVs - Psychic Geography (Psychic Geography 2025)
• 26:40   Lorna Dune - Arising (Sequential Dreaming 2025)
• 30:03   2fel - revisited (stranger flow 2024)
• 36:36   CELL - Fugitive Perpetuity (Onwards System 2022)
• 41:24   Grauglanz - schmelzwasser (hasardeur 2026)
• 49:33   Mecánica Clásica - Agógica (Una Teoría Del Ritmo 2026)
• 53:00   Rudy Adrian - Turquoise(Dunedin, New Zealand) (Concerts In The USA 2003)
• 57:10   Jon Hopkins & Vylana - part ii - palace / illusion (RITUAL 2024)
• 64:20   end

The Joy of Trains by Paul Asbury Seaman

Another train mix? Another Berlin-school mix? Yes and hell yes! I've been struggling to keep up with creating new mixes and then, like a train pulling into the station right on time, Paul comes to me with a new mix. Perfect timing!

This one has tunes that are all fairly recent so it was fun to hear new stuff or discover new artists. I'm always up for new Berlin-school music and this set from Paul does that with long, evolving tracks that suck you in and keep you going. Here's what Paul says about his latest collection:

"I expect that for people who commute to work by train, there’s not much novelty in it. But most of my train-themed mixes imagine a long-distance trip where the journey itself is the experience and the destination somewhere in your imagination. As I’ve said before, sequencer-based “Berlin School” synthesizer music is a natural fit to evoke the subtle, hypnotic rhythms of travel by train. The six artists in this set were all new to me this year—and what a joy it has been to discover them."

Thanks again, Paul, for this wonderful collection of train tracks.

LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

https://jimkirkwood.bandcamp.com/album/souls-that-dance-on-the-edge-of-a-sword

https://lvmorris.bandcamp.com/album/darkstar

https://albaecstasy.bandcamp.com/album/berlin-school-reveries-vol-1

https://grantbeasley.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-in-deep-space

https://dask.bandcamp.com/album/transitions-2025-24-bit

https://dtime.bandcamp.com/album/birth-of-a-constellation-album

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   Jim Kirkwood - Tenebrae-The Moonbeam Road (Souls That Dance on the Edge of a Sword 2021)
• 09:27   L.V. Morris - Rings Around the Sun (Darkstar 2025)
• 18:25   Alba Ecstasy - Reverie One (Berlin School Reveries, Vol. 1 2025)
• 28:50   Grant Beasley - Observing Time (Dreams in Deep Space 2025)
• 37:47   DASK - Transitions (Transitions 2025)
• 55:00   DTime – In The Crystalline Light (Birth Of A Constellation 2024)
• 70:20   end

Step into my Time Machine

 

I bought a new mac mini recently and I have been transferring a ton of music to the new system. While cruising through the old files I discovered an old forgotten folder called "NETLABELS." It's a fascinating collection of music the 2000s that was released on what were then known as "netlabels". I had a ball listening to some of it so I decided to make a mix. 

There was a lot of music to sort through so I decided to focus on two of my favorite labels - Thinner & Autoplate. Thinner, based in Frankfurt, Germany, released music from 2001 to 2009. They were one of the most consistent and successful netlabels. Thinner’s catalogue includes releases from artists such as Digitalverein, Marko Fürstenberg, Benfay, Pheek, krill.minima, Vladislav Delay, Christian Bloch and many others. As of September 2006, Thinner productions had accumulated over two million MP3 downloads. Thinner had a sublabel called Autoplate, focusing on experimental and ambient music. 

Thinner on Archive.org

Thinner on Scene.org

Autplate on Archive.org

Autoplate on Scene.org

I hope you get a kick out of this trip back to the aughts. 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   Benfay - Mein Entschluss anders zu leben (Crossways 2005 Thinner)
• 04:12   arrial - Shiver(marsen_jules_rework) (this is my beauty, show me yours  2004 Autoplate)
• 08:00   tlon - while my tears swept away (Crossways 2005 Thinner)
• 12:45   color by numbers - Hyacinth Miasma (The Transitions 2004 Autoplate)
• 15:30   Danny Kreutzfeldt - Core_3-digitalis_remix (recore:02 2003 Thinner)
• 20:08  Tlon - Torch Number (Acoustic Lazy Dolls 2003 Autoplate)
• 27:20   krill.minima - Die Reflexion Des Projektors (Zwischen Zwei Und Einer Sekunde 2003 Thinner)
• 34:27   Lomov - Hochwaldregen (Holzwege 2005 Autoplate)
• 42:55   Falter - Taumelflug_1 (Taumelflug 2003 Thinner)
• 49:10   Lou Teti - Stroll (Night P{pieces 2005 Autoplate)
• 53:43   Martin Jarl feat Jon Ericsson - Inidimman (Crossways 2005 Thinner)
• 61:33   Marsen Jules - Lazy Sunday Funerals (Lazy Sunday Funerals 2003 Autoplate)
• 65:46   end

You're In An 80s Film Driving At Night

 

This mix started via a Spotify playlist with the same name - "You're in an 80s Film Driving at Night." I really liked the synth vibes so I created my own folder at home and began collecting tracks.

The mix has a great retro vibe even though many of the tracks are from the last 10 years. But, of course, I had to include some cuts from the time period with songs from Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter & Vangelis.

Hop in your Delorean and head back to the 1980s for some retro electronic goodness.

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   All India Radio - Rust (Solo Electronique 1984 2017)
• 02:47   Tangerine Dream - Dr. Destructo (Thief 1981)
• 05:45   Sinoia Caves - 1983 Main Theme (Beyond the Black Rainbow 2014)
• 08:15   Emmx - The Nation (The Nation 2022)
• 11:00   A.L.I.S.O.N - Subtract (Signal Flow 2019)
• 15:45   John Carpenter - He's Still Alive/Romero (Escape From New York 2005)
• 17:55   Harold Faltermeyer - Logo-Bakersfield (The Running Man 1987) 
• 20:50   Baldocaster - Map to the Stars (Part II) (Solare 2019)
• 22:25   Tangerine Dream - Love on a Real Train (Risky Business 1984)
• 26:00   Volkor X - Outlaws (Heart Wired, Pt. 1 2019)
• 31:51   Baldocaster - Shadow Figures (Memorie 2022)
• 36:17   John Carpenter - Night (John Carpenter's Lost Themes 2015)
• 39:45   Vangelis - Blade Runner(End Titles) (Blade Runner 1994)
• 44:08   Cliff Martinez - Bride of Deluxe (Drive 2011)
• 46:47   Disasterpeace - Detroit (It Follows 2015)
• 47:52   Inhmost - Gravity(feat. Nashira) (Dragbacks on Dockweiler State Beach 2015)
• 53:16   Tangerine Dream - Beach Scene (Thief 1981)
• 59:11   end

Berlin School Electronic Music 2024

I have continued my recent bingeing of berlin-school electronic music. Devouring old and new music. So I was very excited when guest mixer Erwin Broers reached with a new berlin-school mix. Woo hoo! It's all new music, some of Erwin's favorites from 2024. I was familiar with about half of the artists some it was great to discover new music.

I'll let Erwin tell you about the mix:

"I was inspired by LLM end of the year mixes on ambient and jazz. I came up with the idea of doing something similar for the Berlin School subgenre. So I checked a few blogs and searched specialized web shops for the most interesting releases of 2024. The result is a near-2hr foray with lots of different styles and atmospheres, ranging from dark to uplifting, retro analog to modern digital, occasionally with a touch of electric guitar and percussions, but almost always with typical layers of sequencers and soundscapes. The influence of the pioneers of the genre, Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream, is still very much alive in some tracks, almost 50 years after their prime. Filtercafe and Sequentia Legenda obviously draw from that heritage. Most listeners will not like all the tracks, but it is a good introduction to what is being created in the contemporary Berlin School."

Thanks for another great electronic mix. Look for another mix from Erwin coming next month.

LINKS TO ALL  THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

http://paulellisperthomhav.bandcamp.com/album/orpheus

http://perge.bandcamp.com/album/la-roue

http://gertemmens.bandcamp.com/album/elektra-25th-anniversary-edition

http://manikinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/106

http://cosmicground.bandcamp.com/album/area-24

http://thombrennan.bandcamp.com/album/othadiegra

http://pyramid-peak.bandcamp.com/album/kontinuum-2

http://sphericmusic-shop.de/de/schroeder-robert/1816-schroeder-robert-observer.html

http://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/solastalgia

http://moonsatellite2.bandcamp.com/album/motions-of-ethereal-lunar

http://awenson.bandcamp.com/album/awenson-faith

http://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/veiled-portraits-cyd-0118

http://sequentia-legenda.bandcamp.com/album/galactic-crystals

http://emmensboots.bandcamp.com/album/lost-in-dephts-of-desolation

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 :

• 00:00:00   Paul Ellis & Per Thomhav - Orpheus (Orpheus)
• 00:06:11   Perge - La Roue (La Roue)
• 00:11:21   Gert Emmens - Elektra Part 1 (Elektra 25th Anniversary Edition)
• 00:18:38   Filtercafé - Kaltwasserhahn (106)
• 00:32:00   Cosmic Ground - Area 24 Part 4 (Area 24)
• 00:37:02   Thom Brennan - Othadiegra Part 5 (Othadiegra)
• 00:43:51   Pyramid Peak - Aquamarine (Kontinuum)
• 00:51:13   Robert Schroeder - Observer (Observer)
• 00:58:57   Erik Wöllo - Forever River (Solastalgia)
• 01:06:42   MoonSatellite - Motion Part 3 (Motions Of Ethereal Lunar)
• 01:15:00   Awenson - Van Halen (Faith)
• 01:25:58   Paul Ellis & Pabellón Sintético - Synonymous (Veiled Portraits)
• 01:31:31   Sequentia Legenda - Crystal Of Light (Galactic Crystals)
• 01:41:40   Gert Emmens & Ron Boots - Lost In Dephts Of Desolation (Lost In Depths Of Desolation)
• 01:56:09   end

THE BOTTNA MIX by Dött ljus

 

We have a special treat for this mix - an upbeat collection with an ambient house music vibe. I have a folder on my hard drive that is labeled "gentle house music." It contains tracks that have a definite 4-on-the-floor style but aren't hardcore, fill-the-dance-floor tunes. Something like Kiasmos. I have avoided making a mix of these tune because, truthfully, I suck at beat matching. I don't use professional software that would do it for me and I don't have quite the musical ear to pull it off on my own, at least for an entire mix.

That's where Johan Kisro and Petter Lindhagen come to the rescue. Johan and Peter record as Dött ljus and they have a new EP coming out on February 5th called Bottna. You can find it here - https://slowcraft.bandcamp.com/album/bottna  The EP is on Slowcraft Records which says "the irrepressible energy of their hybrid electronica finds itself subtly grounded in a tenderly ambient melancholy."

I was immediately taken by the vibe of the new EP so I was over the moon when Johan suggested doing a mix for LLM. Perfect! I've always wanted a mix that sounds like this.

Here's what Johan says about this collection of tracks:

"This mix is a collection of songs we love—some of which may have influenced our upcoming EP, Bottna (out February 5th via Slowcraft Records). Bottna is a refuge, a place where anything can become something, where color breaks through the cracks in the pavement, hidden from the intensifying hum of a world unraveling. The songs exist at the intersection of rhythm and droning textures, and we wanted this mix to follow that same path—from fragments to flourish."

Thanks to Johan and Peter for curating 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   Kejser audiovisual - EMO TREE 3.0, pt.1 (EMO TREE 3.0 2024)
• 00:46   Bonnie Beecher - Come Wander with me (1964) 
• 02:21   Dött ljus - Förr (Bottna 2025) 
• 07:06   The XX - VCR (Four Tet Remix) (2010) 
• 15:22   Sofia Kourtesis - Vajkoczy (Madres 2023) 
• 19:14   Radiohead - Everything in its Right Place (Gigamesh Remix 3.0) (2024)
• 23:40   Menke - Nattskärran (Christian Löffler Remix) (2018)
• 26:56   Kelly Lee Owens - Dreamstate (Dreamstate 2024)
• 32:16   Colin Stetson - All the days I’ve missed you (ILAIJ I)
• (New History Warfare Vol 2: Judges 2011)
• 33:09   Brian McBride - Prelude (When the Detail Lost its Freedom 2005)
• 34:46   Fred again…, Delilah Montegun - Delilah (pull me out of this)
• (Actual Life 3 [January 1 - September 9 2022] 2022)
• 38:50   Caribou - Honey (Honey 2024)
• 43:13   Abul Mogard - Half Light of Dawn (Circular Forms 2015)
• 49:20   Donnie & Joe Emerson - Baby (Dreamin’ Wild 1979)
• 52:48   Dött ljus - Bottna (Bottna 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<<<

• https://open.spotify.com/album/6eUPFGpUKBafZKPpif4i1f?si=PJ4A6c8DR5WHr2z80vb_Ew
• https://philipglass.com/recordings/aguas_da_amazonia/
• https://zammuto.bandcamp.com/album/veryone
• https://mississippirecords.bandcamp.com/album/furaha-wenye-gita
• https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic
• https://books.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-a-french-elevator-and-other-oddities
• https://crammed-discs.bandcamp.com/album/congotronics-2-buzznrumble-from-the-urbnjungle
• https://juanamolina.bandcamp.com/album/tres-cosas 
• https://open.spotify.com/track/7jOnhe335cbTJyTiZoPkxg?si=6b8e76be504245d4
• https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/the-maple-mountain-sunburst-triolian-orchestra
• https://open.spotify.com/track/65niHA7Rhd3oboXFpJ2Ah9?si=5c0b329838dc46ef
• https://maplemountainsunburst.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic
• https://open.spotify.com/track/7hRG2HYhxsffbK2Iz2zlex?si=cff26a4af10c43e8
• https://open.spotify.com/track/6maBIgAWIxANaZlftqeYUA?si=2e50a4e857aa4487
• https://open.spotify.com/track/2q0WFOsFc7Gd9cujpPmZMC?si=a674dbcee6cf4337

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

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

Capturing The Voice Of A Galaxy

 

Another stellar guest mix comes our way courtesy of loyal listener, Erwin Broers. He asked if I was interested in a mix of  electronic music from Innovative Communication, the label founded by Klaus Schulze in the late 70s. Yes, please!

Here's what Erwin says about this fantastic mix:

"I was in my teens when I got in touch with Electronic Music by means of well-known artists such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk and Vangelis. Searching for more similar music in the local library, I came across an LP with on its sleeve just a mysterious picture of a huge radio telescope. The album was Robert Schroeder's "Galaxie Cygnus-A" ! Liner notes on the back of the sleeve explained that the music was commissioned by the Austrian Broadcasting Service (ÖRF) and performed live at the 1982 ARS Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria. The idea behind the project consisted of capturing sound waves coming from the Cygnus-A galaxy with the help of the Effelsberg 100 meter radio telescope, the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world at that time. Schroeder used those sound waves as basis and inspiration, and created a magical soundtrack for stargazing and floating in outer space. Needless to say, I was blown away by this album, and from then on I fanatically sought out other releases on the Innovative Communication label, which - by the way - was founded in 1978 by the late Klaus Schulze, one of the godfathers of Electronic Music.

To honour my memory of that exciting period, I chose to start this label retrospective with the first two tracks of this special album - including some of the white noise straight from space ! The mix is rather heterogeneous and gives a good impression of the kind of EM that was published on IC in its heydays, ie. the 80s. From the early 90s the label quickly became more commercial edging towards mellow new age and average electro-acoustic instrumental fusion (aka NAM)."

Thanks, Erwin, for this trip back in time.

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   Robert Schroeder - Galaxie Cygnus-A Part 1 & 2 (Galaxie Cygnus-A, 1982)
• 12:08   Klaus Schulze - Silent Running (excerpt) (Trancefer, 1981)
• 19:26   Peak - Nightmist (Ebondàzzar, 1982)
• 25:30   P'Cock - The Prophet (The Prophet, 1980)
• 31:15   Peter Seiler - Serengeti (Sensitive Touch, 1987)
• 36:00   Mind Over Matter - Paradise: 1st. Movement: Being One (Air) (The Colours Of Life, 1988)
• 42:09   G.E.N.E. - Taste Of Dawn (Life Is A Melody, 1988)
• 47:42   Software - Syn-Code-Z: 1st. Movement: Code-Ocean (Syn-Code, 1987)
• 53:45   Patrick Kosmos - Airgasm (Cosmic Resonance, 1991)
• 63:16   end

Sequencer City

I have been on a huge sequencer/Berlin-school bender for the last few months. I think it goes back to Paul's train mix back in May. Through that mix I found the music of Gert Blokzijl - https://gertblokzijl.bandcamp.com/.  I gobbled up a number of his albums immediately. Then last month I discovered the music of Martin Stürtzer - https://phelios.bandcamp.com/  He's got a ton of stuff out there and it's all good. I'm not sure how I missed him until now, but I'm glad I found him. 

While listening to all this music I just knew I had to create a mix full of sequencer or Berlin-school tracks. Most of the tunes are new with 5 of them from 2024, a few more from 2019 to 2022. And one golden oldie from 1983 by Edgar Froese. I really enjoyed putting this one together so look for another before the end of the year.

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

https://gertblokzijl.bandcamp.com/album/upgraded-from-the-past

https://phelios.bandcamp.com/album/dyson-sphere-alpha

https://www.amazon.com/Pinnacles-Edgar-Froese/dp/B000025JRO

https://jfitoussi.bandcamp.com/album/plein-soleil

https://open.spotify.com/album/5RRCLKU2zA5aUV68mFdeXV?si=b9G9HLZFShq3DgesJXyDEw

https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B09GW384VC?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_cjTbSCQAjo8lzOi3OXvrbvGhh

https://thombrennan.bandcamp.com/album/eventide

https://synphaera.bandcamp.com/album/wave-interference

https://tronestamjohan.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-far-away

https://phelios.bandcamp.com/album/lander-modules

https://the-rosen-corporation.bandcamp.com/album/icy-nights-awakening

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    Gert Blokziji - Upgraded From The Past 1 (Upgraded From The Past 2019)
• 06:52    Martin Stürtzer - Uncharted Systems (Dyson Sphere Alpha 2021)
• 14:00    Edgar Froese - Specific Gravity Of Smile (Pinnacles 1983)
• 22:00    Jonathan Fitoussi - Rayons solaires (Plein Soleil 2020)
• 27:12    Just a Human - Pulse (2024)
• 29:37    Pye Corner Audio - Earthwork (Entangled Routes 2021)
• 33:24    Thom Brennan  - Eventide Pt. 3 (Eventide 2022)
• 38:20    Lars Leonhard - Wavelength Dreams (Wave Interference 2024)
• 44:22    Johan Tronestam - The Castle Above The Clouds (Somewhere Far Away 2024)
• 50:00    Martin Stürtzer - The Last Outpost (Lander Modules 2024)
• 57:42    The Rosen Corporation - Part Two (Icy Night's Awakening 2024)
• 63:23    end

Communiqué '77 - '86

 

When I was in college, a million years ago, I worked at the student radio station. There were some cool people there that turned me onto all sorts of new music. I had cassette tapes of several of the albums they introduced me to and I played them for years. I can't remember to put my garbage out on time but I can still picture the handwritten spines of cassette cases for albums like David Sylvian - Gone To Earth and Tangerine Dream - Hyperborea.

A few of my prized cassettes were from more obscure artists such as the 3 that start this mix - Clara Mondshine, Baffo Banfi, and Bernard Szajner. After listening to these albums recently, I decided to make an entire mix of artists from that cassette era. The result is a nostalgic trip back to the late 70s and early 80s for some electronic goodness. 

The tracks range from more obscure artists like Lilienthal, Clara Mondshine, Baffo Banfi, and Bernard Szajner to more well known like Phil Mazanera & Richard Pinhas to the very well known Jean Michel Jarre & Al Di Meola. This collection takes me back to a specific time and works well as a cohesive mix. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did.

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    Clara Mondshine - Landing At Full Moon (Luna Africana 1981)
• 05:19    Baffo Banfi - Astralunato (Ma Dolce Vita 1979)
• 09:00    Bernard Szajner - The Memory (some deaths take forever 1980)
• 13:15    Richard Pinhas - Melodic Simple Transition (L'Ethique 1981)
• 16:45    Al Di Meola African Night (Scenario 1983)
• 21:00    Craig Leon - Region of Fleeing Civilians (Visiting 1982)
• 25:20    Phil Manzanera - Criollo (Primitive Guitars 1982)
• 30:10    Jean Michel Jarre - Magnetic Fields Part IV (Magnetic Fields 1981)
• 35:40    Michael Shrieve & Klaus Schulze - Communique (Transfer Station Blue 1986)
• 48:15    Roedelius - Weilchenwurzeln (Wenn der Südwind Weht 1981)
• 52:55    Michael Brook - Midday (Hybrid 1985)
• 58:41    Lilienthal - Gebremster Schaum (Lilienthal 1978)
• 64:50    end

Top 20 Electronic Albums Of All Time

This was a tough list to compile. What criteria do I use? Influential albums? Ones I play the most? Critics favorites? Do I include ambient albums? Vocal albums? Oof, this was hard.

The list I came up with was sort of a bit of everything. All these albums are personal faves but I also couldn't help thinking about things from a historical standpoint. Also, I couldn't help but view them from a personal historical standpoint - such as albums that turned me on to a different style or sound(DJ Shadow, Underworld). Including a few vocal albums might be a bit controversial, I flip flopped on that several times but finally said screw it, it's my list and I can do whatever I want. 

Of course there is also the question of what constitutes an "electronic" album? Some on this list are obviously electronic(Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk) while others are not quite as clear(Air, Postal Service). It would be easy to get pulled into that debate and end up like the "what is ambient music" debate. I decided that I would approach it the way Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart described his test for obscenity - "I know it when I see it." So I just went with whatever I felt worked.

A few other notes on this list - I like how the list spans five decades. I ended up with albums from every decade other than the 2020s. That just feels right. It also felt right to leave off strictly ambient albums. That genre can have it's own list.

I constructed the mix chronologically because it was easier that way and it's cool to listen to the tracks evolve over time.

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   Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear (Stratosfear 1976)
• 07:42   Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene part 1 (Oxygene 1976)
• 13:33    Kraftwerk - The Robots (Man Machine 1978)
• 22:12   Synergy - Phobos & Diemos Go to Mars (Cords 1978)
• 29:03   Roedelius - Wenn der Südwind weht (Wenn der Südwind weht 1981)
• 32:57   Tangerine Dream - Hyperborea (Hyperborea 1983)
• 37:09   Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4 (E2-E4 1984)
• 45:25   Aphex Twin - Actium (Selected Ambient Works 85 - 92 1992)
• 52:37   Vangelis - Blade Runner Blues (Blade Runner 1994)
• 57:18   Underworld - Air Towel (Second Toughest In The Infants 1996)
• 1:04:43   DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World (Entroducing 1996)
• 1:09:34   Air - Le femme d’argent (Moon Safari 1998)
• 1:16:07   Boards of Canada - Roygbiv (Music Has The Right To Children 1998)
• 1:18:30   Plastikman - Consume (Consumed 1998)
• 1:23:00   Saul Stokes - Greys (Outfolding 2000)
• 1:27:00   Jan Jelinek - Drift (Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records 2001)
• 1:32:00   Yagya - Snowflake 3 (Rhythm of Snow 2002)
• 1:37:57   Postal Service - Brand New Colony (Give Up 2003)
• 1:42:06   Loscil - First Narrows (First Narrows 2004)
• 1:50:54   Jon Hopkins - Sun Harmonics (Immunity 2013)
• 2:00:00   end

Electronic Music of 1973

 

At last we return to the "Electronic Music of (insert year)" series. That's obviously not the actual title of the series but since I don't have a title that will do for this post. I really enjoyed putting together mixes for for 1970, '71, and '72 but then I got distracted and lazy, and I almost forgot about the series. 

Now we're back to 1973 to continue our journey through the electronic music of the decade. I went down a Tangerine Dream rabbit hole recently and discovered their album Atem, which I had somehow missed. But I was happy to have found it because it fit in nicely with this '73 collection.

I'm already thinking about 1974 so hopefully there won't be so much time between mixes.

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    Between - Syn (And The Waters Opened)
• 05:45    Fripp & Eno - The Heavenly Music Corporation (No Pussyfooting)
• 16:22    Cosmic Jokers - Galactic Joke (Cosmic Jokers)
• 23:00    Kraftwerk - Ananas Symphonie (Ralf & Florian)
• 28:25    Tangerine Dream - Circulation of Events (Atem)
• 33:45    Vangelis - La Mer Recommencée (Apocalypse Des Animaux)
• 39:09    Klaus Schulze - Symphära (Cyborg)
• 45:58    Jean Michel Jarre - Les granges brûlées (Les granges brûlées)
• 48:48    Bob Callaghan - Noi Due Nel Mondo E Nell'Anima (Instrumental Moog Synthesizer
• 51:27    Neu! - Neuschnee (Neu! 2)
• 55:25    Kraftwerk - Tanzmusik (Ralf & Florian) 
• 61:47    end

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