Under a Heat Dome

 

It's been hot as hell here lately thanks to what the meteorologists are calling a "heat dome." Add in some smoke drifting in from Canadian wildfires and it makes being outdoors no fun. I wondered about hot weather music and thought slightly twangy, acoustic and electric guitar fits the mood. There's just something about these tracks that feels right for an oppressively hot day.

I like this collection because it covers a wide range of years from 1984 to 2026, with stops in 1998, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2014, 2024, & 2025. I hope you enjoy the mix and stay cool.

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   Ry Cooder - No Safety Zone (Paris, Texas 1984)
• 01:33   Tommy Guerrero - Water In Your Hands (Perpetuum 2014)
• 04:52   Hermanos Gutierrez - Cielo Grande (El Bueno Y El Malo 2022)
• 07:38   Six Organs Of Admittance - Oak Path (Dust & Chimes 2000)
• 11:17   Dirty Three - Black Tide (Ocean Songs 1998)
• 15:40   Marisa Anderson - Pair of Duduk (The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music 2026)
• 20:10   Earth - Left in the Desert (Hex 2005)
• 21:03   Joe Harvey-Whyte & Geir Sundstøl - Tista lengter (Langeleik 2026)
• 23:53   Barry Walker Jr. - Under Leaf Hill (Paleo Sol 2026)
• 26:27   Steve Roach & Roger King - Gone West (Dust to Dust 1998)
• 30:20   Sam Wilkes, Craig Weinrib, and Dylan Day - Standing in the Doorway (Sam Wilkes, Craig Weinrib, and Dylan Day 2026)
• 35:53   Daniel Lanois - New Smoke (Purple Vista 2008)
• 38:07   Yo La Tengo - Leaving Home (Old Joy 2025)
• 43:30   Calexico - Dueto De Ivonne Y Tino (Road Atlas 2011)
• 45:02   33. Bruce Springsteen - A Prayer By The River(Instrumental) (Tracks II: The Lost Albums 2025)
• 46:46   Ry Cooder - Brothers (Paris, Texas 1984)
• 48:44   Luke Schneider - midafternoon classic (Across the Horizon Vol.1 2024)
• 51:20   Woody Jackson - It Should Have Happened a Long Time Ago (Cowboy Yoga 2024)
• 57:55   Earth - Mirage (Hex 2005)
• 59:24   end

Favorite Instrumental Rock Albums of 2025

 

One of my favorite genre rabbit holes that I went down in 2025 was instrumental rock music. That title covers a lot of styles from post-rock to stoner rock to prog rock to cosmic country to fusion to psych rock etc. I've always listened to music that falls into this category whether it's Khruangbin or Causa Sui or Oren Ambarchi but this year my interest in this genre exploded. 

So I thought I would create a mix of some of my favorite instrumental rock albums from 2025. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the heavy stuff. This mix has a nice blend of a few heavy tunes with some Khruangbin-like tracks, a couple kraut rock style tracks, a jam band cut, a prog tune, even a dub track, and a bunch of other difficult to categorize music. 

>>>LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX<<<

01 - https://actiontensionspace.bandcamp.com/album/new-dimensions

02 - https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/yawning-man-pavement-ends

03 - https://ambarchiberthlingwerliin.bandcamp.com/album/ghosted-iii

04 - https://elparaisorecords.com/product/causa-sui-in-flux/

05 - https://piotrkurek.bandcamp.com/album/songs-and-bodies

06 - https://elparaisorecords.com/product/edena-gardens-dispossessed/

07- https://barrywalker.bandcamp.com/album/barry-walker-unit-at-the-13th-moon-gravity-well

08 - https://jeffthebrotherhood.bandcamp.com/album/magick-songs

09 - https://kungensman.bandcamp.com/album/resande-i-rockmusik

10 - https://markusreuter.bandcamp.com/album/truce-3

11 - https://re-stoned.bandcamp.com/album/the-loom-maxi-single

12 - https://townportal.bandcamp.com/album/grindwork

13 - https://holmisanisland.bandcamp.com/album/behind-curtains

14 - https://yuuf.bandcamp.com/album/alma-s-cove

15 - https://eliwinter.bandcamp.com/album/a-trick-of-the-light

I know this isn't the usual LLM ambient fare but it is still somehow trance inducing. I hope you enjoy this deviation from ambient bliss.

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 :

01)  00:00   Action & Tension & Space - Folkemusikk fra Kvala (New Dimensions 2025)
02)  04:47   Yawning Man - Bomba Negra (Pavement Ends 2025)
03)  09:45   Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin - Chahar (Ghosted  III 2025)
04)  15:49   Causa Sui - The Circus is Back (In Flux 2025)
05)  17:32   Piotr Kurek - Nothing Holds Still (Songs And Bodies 2025)
06)  22:26   Edena Gardens - Fills The Well (Dispossessed 2025)
07)  27:50   Barry Walker Unit - High in the Hummocks (At the 13th Moon Gravity Well 2025)
08)  32:51   Jeff The Brotherhood - Many Moons Dub (Magick Songs in Dub 2025)
09)  37:27   Kungens Män - Resande i rockmusik  (Resande i rockmusik 2025)
10)  42:40   Markus Reuter - We Have Your Back (Truce <3 2025)
11)  47:20   The Re-Stoned - The Loom (The Loom 2025)
12)  52:24   Town Portal - Gold-Plated (Grindwork 2025)
13)  56:18   Holm - Behind Curtains (Behind Curtains 2025)
14)  60:08   Yuuf - Alma’s Cove (Alma's Cove 2025)
15)  63:37   Eli Winter - A Trick of the Light (A Trick of the Light 2025)
       67:16   end

Chill Summer Guitars 2025

It's hot and muggy & I just want to sit on the deck with a Paloma or a Michelada and listen to some cool music. That's what this mix provides - a soundtrack to hanging out and chilling out during these hot summer days.

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   Yo La Tengo - Leaving Home (Old Joy 2025)
• 05:06   Mick Turner - Moth Part 3 (Moth 2002)
• 07:42   Hedvig Mollestad Trio - Lamament (Bees In The Bonnet 2025)
• 12:18   Jonny Nash - The Way Things Looked (Once Was Ours Forever 2025)
• 15:22   Los Days - The Lonely Sky (Dusty Dreams 2024)
• 18:50   Trio Kleine Ahnung - Ripples (Laniakea 2020)
• 22:35   Pan American - Point Harbor (Across The Horizon 2024)
• 25:42   Löwenzahnhonig - Moonwalk (Löwenzahnhonig 2023)
• 29:24   Gilad Hekselman - Do Re Mi Fa Sol (Ask For Chaos 2018)
• 34:40   Dave Easley - Stardust (Ballads 2023)
• 36:26   Barry Walker Jr. - Dawn On The Urkontinent (Diaspora Urkontinent 2018)
• 40:35   The Bird's Companion - A Liquid Moon (The Edge of the Sea 2023)
• 36:00   Naci Oğuz - Son Vapur (Kirpi İkilemi 2023)
• 48:00   Suwi - Backstreet (Playing for Oscar 2024)
• 53:42   Yo La Tengo - Leaving Home - Alternate Version (Old Joy 2025)
• 58:41   end

 

End of Summer Noise by Black Brunswicker

 

This mix is another great example of why I enjoy guest mixes so much. This collection of tunes starts off rather noisy, hence the title. It's a style of music that I don't go to very often. But it's very cool to hear in this mix.

Our guest this time is Ethan Helfrich, who records under the name Black Brunswicker. They have a new album out called "Been Around Here Before" and you can find it here:

https://blackbrunswicker.bandcamp.com/album/been-around-here-before

Here's what Ethan says about the mix:

"This is a collection of some music that I've been listening to recently, as well as some old favourites. Having spent 2 months in the US this past summer visiting family and traveling for gigs, I spent a lot of time on the road. It brought me back to music I used to play on my daily commute, when my days were soundtracked by the incessant humming of Chicago's highways (listen to "I Think This Heat is Getting to My Head" off my new album for the reference). While most of this isn’t what people might consider ambient — and I don’t really listen to ambient music much anymore — it’s instrumental guitar music that shares a similar feeling. It transports you to different worlds and headspaces or, at the very least, keeps you company on your morning drive."

Thanks, Ethan, for the trip this mix takes us on.

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 CK L I S T :

• 00:00    Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Fire at Static Valley (G_d's Pee AT STATE'S   END! 2021)
• 05:44    Russian Circles - Ghost on High (Blood Year 2019)
• 07:55    Wolves In The Throne Room - Dia Artio (Two Hunters 2007)
• 13:25    Sleep - The Sciences (The Sciences 2018)
• 16:10    Grouper - I Saw A Ray (A I A: Dream Loss 2011)
• 20:20    Black Brunswicker - Down at the Creek (Been Around Here Before 2024)
• 23:25    William Tyler - Highway Anxiety (Modern Country 2016)
• 32:20    Jack Rose - Miss May's Place (Dr. Ragtime & His Pals 2008)
• 34:53    John Fahey - America(Re-Recorded Version) (Death Chants, Breakdowns And Military Waltzes 1964)
• 39:48    Black Brunswicker - The Cave (Been Around Here Before 2024)
• 43:27    Fripp & Eno - Evening Star (Evening Star 1975)
• 50:45    Bobby Lee - Walking with Trees(Live) (Cosmic Country Revue Live at PDV 2023)
• 54:41    end

Electric Highway - Khruangbin Mood Mix Vol. 1

I've been following the rise of Khruangbin since 2018 when they released their album "Con Todo El Mundo." Khruangbin is a musical trio that mixes global influences, including Thai funk, soul, psychedelia, and surf rock, into their mostly instrumental music. The New York Times has described their sound as "extremely slippery, genre-wise." It's been crazy to watch them go from relative obscurity to a band that now has nearly 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Check out their stuff here... https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/

I've always wanted to do a mix with the vibe and feel of Khruangbin. And here it is. I have collected enough tracks to make several of these "Khruangbin Vibes" mixes, so more could be on the way. There is a creator on Mixcloud that has a ton of mixes under the banner of "Khruangbin Vibes" so I've decided to go with "Khruangbin Mood Mixes."

Here links to all the music used in this set:

1. https://katzroar.bandcamp.com/album/invocation
2. https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/a-la-sala
3. https://thecactuschannel.bandcamp.com/album/stay-a-while
4. https://balthvsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/macrocosm
5. https://cymande.bandcamp.com/album/cymande
6. https://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-003-musique-originale-de-films
7. https://skinshape.bandcamp.com/album/filoxiny
8. https://itsmegacat.bandcamp.com/album/mega-cat
9. https://balthvsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/macrocosm
10. https://arielpink.bandcamp.com/track/baby-featuring-d-m-funk
11. https://godtet.bandcamp.com/album/godtet
12. https://qwalia.bandcamp.com/album/sound-reason-2
13. https://mexicansummer.bandcamp.com/album/self-discovery-for-social-survival
14. https://pedalsteelnoah.bandcamp.com/album/texas-madness-ep
15. https://panamerican.bandcamp.com/album/pan-american
16. https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/a-la-sala

This mix is perfect for sitting outside with a cold Chelada.

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    KATZROAR - Pomegranate Seeds (Invocation 2021)
• 01:21    Khruangbin - Pon Pón (A LA SALA 2024)
• 04:14    The Cactus Channel - Stay a While (2017)
• 08:24    BALTHVS - Siente (MACROCOSM 2020)
• 12:24    Cymande - Dove (Cymande 1973)
• 22:42    Ahmed Malek - La Ville (Musique Originale De Films 2016)
• 34:34    Skinshape - After Midnight (Filoxiny 2018)
• 29:12    mega cat - Worm Rider (mega cat 2024)
• 31:50    BALTHVS - Johanna's Dream (MACROCOSM 2020)
• 34:10    Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Baby (Mature Themes 2012)
• 38:33    GODTET - Ensueño (Godtet 2017)
• 42:22    Qwalia - Electric Highway (Sound & Reason 2023)
• 44:18    Allah-Las - Raspberry Jam (Self Discovery for Social Survival 2019)
• 47:57    Pedal Steel Noah - Head Over Heels (Texas Madness EP 2024)
• 51:55    Pan•American - Starts Friday (Pan•American 1997)
• 57:21    Khruangbin - Les Petits Gris (A LA SALA 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

Cosmic Guitar

 

I've been thinking about a couple of guitar mixes for a while, collecting tracks as I find them but not really sure of the direction the mix would take. Then fellow mixologist Paul Asbury Seaman turned me on to the track "Franky's Floyd" from "An Evening With Friends" by Ron Boots. The heart of the track is a guitar solo homage to David Gilmore & Pink Floyd. It's fantastic! When I heard it I decided to split the guitar mix in two - one would be louder where the occasional guitar solo would be right at home. The other mix would be a bit more spacey, more ethereal.

So this mix, Cosmic Guitar, is the later style - ambient, atmospheric, cosmic. The timing for this mix is great because two new albums coming in February fit perfectly. They are "Abandoned Spaces" by OdNu + Ümlaut  and "Astral Gold" by Dean McPhee. Keep an eye/ear out for them next month.

• https://ab-odnumlaut.bandcamp.com/album/abandoned-spaces
• https://deanmcphee.bandcamp.com/

LINKS TO THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

• https://deanmcphee.bandcamp.com/
• https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000002GGS
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E5N634/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
• https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/the-edge-of-the-sea
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQKWA6S/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006XY3J6E/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
• https://kakiking.bandcamp.com/album/modern-yesterdays
• https://marenostrumlabel.bandcamp.com/album/cold-space-symmetry-2
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005F2EHJI/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr
• https://ab-odnumlaut.bandcamp.com/album/abandoned-spaces
• https://foreignbodysensation.bandcamp.com/album/subterranean-environments
• https://thenationalpool.bandcamp.com/track/solace
• https://nacioguz.bandcamp.com/album/kirpi-i-kilemi

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 T :

00:00    Dean McPhee - The Second Message (Astral Gold 2024)

02:55    Andy Summers & Robert Fripp - Guide (Bewitched 1984)

04:48    Brian Eno + David Byrne - Solo Guitar With Tin Foil (My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts 1981)

06:22    The Bird's Companion - A2: A Liquid Moon (The Edge of the Sea 2023)

10:18    Pink Floyd - Things Left Unsaid (The Endless River 2014)

12:42    Cyber Zen Sound Engine - Foreboding (Cooperation 2012)

16:32    Kaki King - Sanitized Alone (Modern Yesterdays 2020)

20:25    Ghost In The Loop - Cold Space Symmetry (Cold Space Symmetry 2022)

24:35    Dean McPhee - Ether (Astral Gold 2024)

29:30    Manuell Göttsching - Echo Waves (Inventions for Electric Guitar 1971)

35:10    OdNu + Ümlaut - Abandoned Spaces (Abandoned Spaces 2024)

44:04    Foreign Body Sensation & Justin Maranga - Cenote Meditation (Subterranean Environments 2023)

47:28    The National Pool - Solace (2018)

49:36    Naci Oguz - Jakob (Kirpi İkilemi 2023)

55:12    Manuell Göttsching - Quasarsphere (Inventions for Electric Guitar 1971)

61:36    end

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

Guitarissimo Vol. 3

 

I made the first Guitarissimo mix 5 years ago. I followed it up a year or so later. But then for some reason it took me 4 years to get to volume 3.

This version is similar to the others the vibe is a bit spaghetti western and dusty, moody, twangy with a little Latin feel. But of course much of it has an ambient vibe.

One of my favorite discoveries while making this mix was Hermanos Gutiérrez. As the name implies the band is brothers - Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez. They create beautiful Latin landscapes with their guitars. Check out their stuff here - https://hermanosgutierrez.bandcamp.com/

Here are links to the two previous Guitarissimo mixes:

• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/guitarissimo/
• https://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2017/04/guitarissimo.html
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/in-a-languid-mood-guitarissimo-2/
• http://lowlightmixes.blogspot.com/2018/06/guitarissimo-2-in-languid-mood.html

Links to the albums used in this mix in order of appearance:

• https://panamerican.bandcamp.com/album/a-son
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M06S0DW/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
• https://richardthompson.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-grizzly-man
• https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/a-calf-born-in-winter
• https://hermanosgutierrez.bandcamp.com/album/el-camino-de-mi-alma
• https://www.amazon.com/Then-Nothing-Turned-Itself-Inside-Out/dp/B00004C4OA
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004C4OA/ref=ntt_mus_dp_dpt_5
• https://www.amazon.com/Simpatico-Gary-McFarland/dp/B00164POE6
• https://bwaarecords.bandcamp.com/album/suwi
• https://supergombozprod.bandcamp.com/album/sigi-tolo
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L8D3DZ7/ref=ntt_mus_dp_dpt_15
• https://www.amazon.com/Voodoo-Shivaya-Bobby-BeauSoleil/dp/B07D98NK9L/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1656255539&refinements=p_32%3ABobby+BeauSoleil&s=music&sr=1-2
• https://suss.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-box-expanded-2
• https://hermanosgutierrez.bandcamp.com/album/hijos-del-sol-2
• https://panamerican.bandcamp.com/album/the-patience-fader

Cheers!

[ 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 Pan American - Sleepwalk Guitars (A Son 2019)
• 03:24 Brightblack Morning Light - Miwok Shapes (Brightblack Morning Light 2006)
• 09:00 Richard Thompson - Glencoe (Grizzly Man 2005)
• 10:40 Khruangbin - A Calf Born in Winter (2014)
• 13:37 Hermanos Gutiérrez - Hombre Honrado (El Camino de mi Alma 2018)
• 17:13 Yo La Tengo - Tired Hippo (And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out 2000)
• 21:51 Gary McFarland Gabor Szabo - Simpatico (Simpatico 1966)
• 26:29 SUWI - Dessert (Sumi 2020)
• 30:52 Supergombo - Le reve de Kovacks (Sigi Tolo 2020)
• 35:10 David Sylvian - The Stigma Of Childhood(Kin) (Rarities 1988-1993)
• 42:26 Bobby Beausoleil - Saundaria Lahari (Voodoo Shivaya 2018)
• 50:40 SUSS - Laredo (Ghost Box 2018)
• 54:20 Hermanos Gutierrez - Railroad Vista (Hijos Del Sol 2020)
• 56:49 Pan American - Outskirts, Dreamlit (The Patience Fader 2022)
• 63:16 end

Chill Summer Guitars

 

I few weeks ago the good folks over at The Slow Music Movement sent me a couple tracks by Wiki Chaves. After listening I immediately knew I had to construct a mix around the laid back guitar style. A style The Slow Music Movement calls - "Perfect for all your beach lying, garden barbecuing, hammock slouching, sunbathing, holiday taking soundtrack needs."

Here's a link to the latest Wiki Chaves release: https://wikichaves.bandcamp.com/

From there I listened to guitar music for a couple of weeks, collecting tracks with a similar vibe. There were some artists I knew right away that I would include like Khruangbin, Bill Frisell & William Tyler. Some were new discoveries like Tommy Guerrero & Jeffrey Silverstein. While others were older tracks I was happy to rediscover such as Steve Hiett, Pat Metheny, Durutti Column and Yo La Tengo.

I like how the mix takes a more acoustic turn about half way through. Starting with new music from The Phonometrician then an old track from Calexico to even older tracks from Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny and Yo La Tengo.

Many of the mixes I do tend to focus on new music because that's what I'm listening to at the time. This mix, however, hits on 5 decades of music and it's pretty cool how they mesh together.

Artist/album links:

• https://wikichaves.bandcamp.com/
• https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/mordechai
• https://williamtyler.bandcamp.com/
• https://tommy-guerrero-too-good.bandcamp.com/
• https://jeffreysilverstein.bandcamp.com/
• https://theslowmusicmovement.bandcamp.com/album/future-folk-friendly-faces-different-spaces
• https://trondkallevag.bandcamp.com/album/bedehus-hawaii
• https://thephonometrician.bandcamp.com/
• https://casadecalexico.bandcamp.com/
• https://yolatengo.bandcamp.com/
• https://thegreenkingdom.bandcamp.com/
• https://efficientspace.bandcamp.com/album/down-on-the-road-by-the-beach
• https://store.unseen-music.com/album/eingya

Cheers!

[ 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    Wiki Chaves - Pleasure Point (Raiz 2021)
• 04:16    Khruangbin - Father Bird, Mother Bird (Mordechai 2020)
• 07:17    Steve Hiett - Blue Beach (Down on the Road by the Beach 1983)
• 11:21    Bill Frisell - The Shortest Day (Guitar in the Space Age! 2014)
• 14:05    William Tyler - Highway Anxiety (Modern Country 2016)
• 19:27    Tommy Guerrero - Sun Rays Lie Stilts (Perpetual 2015)
• 21:15    Jeffrey Silverstein - This and Also (Future Folk: Friendly Faces; Different Spaces 2021)
• 25:15    Durutti Column - Sara E Tristana (Amigos Em Portugal 1983)
• 28:03    Bexar Bexar - n.r.o.t. (haralambos 2003)
• 31:17    Trond Kallevåg Hansen - Bedehus og Hawaii (Bedehus & Hawaii 2019)
• 36:15    The Phonometrician - Campos de Trigo (El Mar Convertido en Oceano 2021)
• 39:45    Calexico - Above the Ranch (Tool Box 2007)
• 42:50    Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny - Cinema Paradiso (Beyond The Missouri Sky 1997)
• 46:33    Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow (I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One 1997)
• 51:40    The Green Kingdom - Sol 1 (Solaria 2021)
• 55:09    Steve Hiett - Standing There (Down on the Road by the Beach 1983)
• 58:27    Helios - Emancipation (Eingya 2006)
• 60:50    Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - September Fifteenth (As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls 1980)
• 62:47    end

Guitarscapes 2020

This mix doesn't need a lot of introduction or explanation. It's a collection of tracks with swells of sound and long, slow washes of beautiful ambient guitar.

Some of the tracks came from ideas found in this thread on Mixcloud. Feel free to add any other tracks to the discussion.

https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/posts/ambient-guitar/

Enjoy the ambient guitarscapes.

Cheers!


[ 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    Wayne Robert Thomas - A Grey Morning, Later Lovely Sunshine (2019)
06:29    Wil Bolton - Night Paths (2017)
10:22    Stijn Hüwels - untitled IV (2016)
13:18    Sean Curtis Patrick - If This (2019)
16:50    Chihei Hatakeyama - Wilderness (2018)
21:45    Ben Rath - Wait For It (2019)
30:45    Noveller & thisquietarmy - Reverie 1 (2014)
35:23    The Green Kingdom - Dripstone (2019)
39:39    Pan American - Nightbirds (2019)
46:53    M. Grig - h (2019)
51:36    Pausal - One Watery Lens (2010)
56:40    Wayne Robert Thomas - Well Now You Know (2019)
60:20    end

Ambient Twang

I remember the first time I heard the Daniel Lanois tunes From Eno's Apollo album, I didn't really care for them. I didn't like the pedal steel guitar. I absolutely hated country music back then and I associated the sound of pedal steel with country and nothing else. 

Eventually, the tunes grew on me and I've come to love the sound of pedal steel guitar. I also came around on country-tinged music as I fell in love with indie-folk which can make great use of traditional instrumentation minus the pickups trucks, girls & booze of crappy country.

This brings me back around to pedal steel in ambient. There's not a ton of it out there but definitely enough for a good mix. There are four main practitioners of ambient twang - Daniel Lanois, Chuck Johnson, Bruce Kaphan and Chas Smith. I think they all have appeared in earlier Low Light Mixes. All four are in this mix as well as Eno/Lanois tunes, some oddball selections, and some YouTube recordings. Many of the tracks here use an actual pedal steel guitar and some use lap steel.

Up next - synth sequencer heaven.

Cheers!



[ 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    Brian Eno - Weightless
• 04:15    Bruce Kaphan - Outpost
• 11:55    Chas Smith - Santa Fe
• 14:00    Chuck Johnson - Balm of Gilead
• 21:05    Daniel Lanois - In Crystal
• 24:22    Will Van Horn - Aphex Twin - Avril 14 on pedal steel
• 26:18    Joe Carolino - Ambient drone with lap steel & guitar
• 32:53    Youth - Lotus Rhubarb(Colliding Sky Whale Dub)
• 34:18    The National Pool - Solace
• 36:15    Ryan Lutton - Ambient Improv XXIII
• 39:03    Brian Eno - Deep Blue Day
• 42:28    Xploding Plastix - Ritalin For Four Pedal Steel Guitars
• 49:05    Chuck Johnson - Eye on the Sparrow
• 55:42    Brian Eno - Last Step from the Surface
• 59:31    end

Guitarissimo

I love moody guitar music with a bit of dust and twang. In an earlier mix, Mysterioso, I included a cut by Dead Combo.  Their music was new to me.  I was interested to learn from a listener that they are from Portugal and have achieved cult status there. 

That listener directed me to a mix he'd done with a Dead Combo track.  I love the mix, you find it here...  https://www.mixcloud.com/jorgempaulino/here-it-begins/   His other mixes are excellent as well.

After hearing that mix I just knew I had to create a guitar based mix that was a bit spaghetti western and dusty, moody, twangy with a little Latin feel.  The result is this new mix - Guitarissimo.  I stole that title from an album by Roxy Music guitarist, Phil Manzanera, who also has a track in the mix.  I tried not to steal too much from the "Here It Begins" mix but I just had to use the Yo La Tengo song from that mix in this one too.

I really like how this turned out and I hope to do a follow up sometime.

Cheers!

[ 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    Dead Combo - Aquele Beijo Eterno
• 01:50    Ry Cooder - Paris, TX
• 04:15    Daniel Lanois - Satie
• 08:14    Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow
• 13:18    Ocelote Rojo - Untitled #1
• 15:55    Phil Manzanera - Criollo
• 20:42    Calexico - The news about William
• 23:10    TSU! - The Sun Club
• 26:10    David Sylvian - Silver Moon Over Sleeping Steeples
• 27:55    Matt Borghi - Truth and Being
• 32:20    The MDH Band - Bathtub
• 33:15    Eraldo Bernocchi and Prakash Sontakke - From Star to Star
• 38:15    Dead Combo - Quando a alma nao e pequena
• 40:50    Brian Eno - Weightless
• 45:00    Cyber Zen Sound Engine - No East, No West
• 50:30    Danial Lanois - Plains of Abraham
• 52:43    William Ryan Fritch - Siri Song
• 54:38    Peals - Blue Elvis
• 59:03    Calexico - Amor Adolescente
• 59:40    Dead Combo - Ana
• 61:55    TSU! - Dadebe
• 63:50    One Mile North - Parents Arrive
• 69:22    end

Guitar-scapes

I believe I have professed my love for ambient guitar in previous posts here.  So a mix like this is no surprise.  Just as many of the artists collected in this mix are no surprise. Dirk Serries, Scott Solter, David Tagg, Windy & Carl, Kyle Bobby Dunn, Fripp & Eno - these are all artists that have appeared in many of my mixes over the years.

The music here is fairly straightforward - ambient tunes where the guitar is the most prominent instrument.  Some of the cuts are beautiful, others a bit darker, but all will easily transport the listener to a favorite meditative place.

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    Tonepoet - Headspace
• 07:00    Chas Smith - False Clarity
• 10:50    A Lily - Hunter and Sky
• 13:45    David Tollefson - Pattern of Islands
• 16:45    Jasper Tx - Embers
• 21:10    Fripp and Eno - Heavenly Music Corp(half speed)
• 26:20    Dirk Serries - The Lament Broke
• 36:40    Kyle Bobby Dunn - The Hungover
• 46:25    Robin Guthrie - Misty
• 49:45    Matt Borghi - The Elysian Plain
• 54:27    Sleep Robot - Prayer Wheel
• 1:00:37    Windy and Carl - Ode to a Dog
• 1:04:50    Gareth Hardwick - Five Points
• 1:14:14    David Tagg - Wolf Suite III
• 1:17:55    Hakobune - A Distant Loss
• 1:24:10    Shaula - Sea of Trees
• 1:27:27    Manual - Always Alone
• 1:33:36    Brian Siskind - Graham Bell
• 1:38:00    Koda - Moment on the South Shore
• 1:42:10    Scott Solter - The Palace Wedding
• 1:46:10    Dirk Serries - Radiant Down
• 1:54:36    end