hearts of space | news

PGM 1386 'LIGHT TIME' : dec.6-13

In the brief interlude between Thanksgiving and the winter holiday celebrations, we undergo a rapid change in emotional tone. Gone are the fearful ghosts and goblins of Halloween, the somber melancholy of the autumn season, and the quiet gratitude of Thanksgiving. Approaching the shortest day and longest night of the year on the winter solstice, we celebrate the return of the light.

Today, we chase away the gloom and transform our environment with millions of colorful lights and dazzling screens. From the brilliance of our seasonal displays to the hypnotic warmth of a single candle — we embrace the joy of light and color, and the fulfillment of sound and music. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, electronic ambient for the season of light, on a program called 'LIGHT TIME.'

Music is by DAVID HELPLING and singer MIRIAM STOCKLEY, JOHAN AGEBJÖRN and singer LISA BARRA, ERIK WØLLO, TOM EATON, ROSS CHRISTOPHER, ROBERT RICH & LUCA FORMENTINI, JON HOPKINS & ÓLAFUR ARNALDS, and WILL BANGS. https://bit.ly/HoS-1386

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]   

PGM 996R 'ILLUMINATION' : nov. 29-dec.6

After the Thanksgiving holiday the chilled months of the winter season begin in earnest, and with them the celebration of light itself, conjoined with the year-end religious celebrations. From the pre-Christian and Pagan festivals of the sun, to Christian, Jewish and Hindu celebrations of light, we chase away the gloom of the season with a special radiance.

The music of midwinter embodies this transition from the dark harmonies of late autumn to the festive atmosphere of the year-end solstice and religious celebrations: lyrical, optimistic, and heartwarming. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient chamber music for the transition to the season of light, on a program called ILLUMINATION. Featured artists are KEVIN KELLER, JENNIFER ZULLI, TIM STORY, and RUSSEL WALDER.

 [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

After the Thanksgiving holiday the chilled months of the winter season begin in earnest, and with them the celebration of light itself, conjoined with the year-end religious celebrations. From the pre-Christian and Pagan festivals of the sun, to Christian, Jewish and Hindu celebrations of light, we chase away the gloom of the season with a special radiance.

The music of midwinter embodies this transition from the dark harmonies of late autumn to the festive atmosphere of the year-end solstice and religious celebrations: lyrical, optimistic, and heartwarming. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient chamber music for the transition to the season of light, on a program called ILLUMINATION. Featured artists are KEVIN KELLER, JENNIFER ZULLI, TIM STORY, and RUSSEL WALDER.

 [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

PGM 963R 'GIVING THANKS' : nov. 22-29

We live in a complex and ever-changing world. When things go wrong, it's all too easy to fall back on cynicism, worry, even despair. In difficult times, we tend to forget that despite our problems and injustices, our world is still supporting more people, at a higher standard of living, than at any time in human history.

That's why the Thanksgiving holiday is a welcome respite. From its origins as an after-harvest celebration, it evolved into something more: an opportunity to convene family and friends; share comfort food and conversation; and at the heart of the holiday, the simple act of pausing, looking back, and expressing gratitude for what life has brought us this year.

Like prayer, the attitude of thanks is quiet, reflective, and humble. But while prayer is normally personal, giving thanks is something we like to share — an expression of the spirit of abundance, inclusion and generosity.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, music for acceptance and gratitude, on a program called "GIVING THANKS." Music is by JONATHAN ELIAS, ELENI KARAINDROU, KEVIN KELLER, PULUSHA, HECTOR ZAZOU and DAVID DARLING.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

PGM 1385 'UNDERSCORE 3' : nov.15-22

The impulse to combine music and film goes back to the very beginning. The Lumiere brothers first silent film screening in Paris in 1895 was accompanied by a pianist. When films were added to vaudeville theaters at the beginning of the 20th century, music was provided by an in-house musician or organist, small ensembles, and even full orchestras.

Pipe organs for theaters—at the time the most wide-ranging and loudest instruments available—were built by the American musical instrument company Wurlitzer. The famous "Mighty Wurlitzer" theatre organ was introduced in 1910, and was installed in theatres, museums, and churches around the world.

Romantic-Classical styles and orchestration dominated the early years of sound films, and an emotional language of film music became widely understood. As film subject matter expanded, jazz and other "modernist" genres were added. Powerful rhythms, memorable melodic themes, and repeated motifs were common, as well as more subtle, quiet music to create mood and atmosphere. What we call ambient music today, was—and still is—a major part of film music, and came to be called the "underscore."

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient and atmospheric music for film, on a program called "UNDERSCORE 3."  Music is by TIM STORY, LISA GERRARD & PIETER BOURKE, LUDOVICO EINAUDI, HANS ZIMMER, MYCHAEL DANNA, ENNIO MORRICONE, TOM HOLKENBORG, and featuring BRIAN KEANE'S score for DANTE: INFERNO TO PARADISE.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]   

PGM 868R 'INTO THE STORM' : nov. 8-15

In good times, life moves swiftly, with little time for reflection. Warnings of impending disaster may go unheeded — until it's too late: confusion and chaos rule the day.

In stormy times, the wise remain calm, even when the world around them is in turmoil. Turbulence may destroy structures that lack a firm foundation, but this is necessary to build stronger ones. In nature and in society, excess must be corrected. Destruction...is also a path to renewal.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an electro-ambient journey for turbulent times called INTO THE STORM. Music is by MARCONI UNION, ADHAM SHAIKH & TIM FLOYD, MICHAEL STEARNS, DAN BARRIO, RUBEN GARCIA, IAN BODDY, PHILIPPE EMANUEL GEUBLE, and KIT WATKINS.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

PGM 1384 'AUTUMN TRANSIT' : nov.1-8

Descending into the autumn soundscape, we return to the slow, dark, electro-acoustic sounds of the season—strings, horns, acoustic and electronic keyboards.

It's a time for descending progressions, dark drones, somber tone colors and minor key harmonies, as the music echoes the cooler days and waning light following the autumn equinox, culminating in the shocking loss of “Daylight Saving Time.”

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, it’s an ambient-atmospheric-classical journey for early fall, on a program called "AUTUMN TRANSIT." Music is by the indispensible MAX RICHTER, JÓHANN JÓHANSSON, WILLIAM ST.HUGH, BOB HOLROYD, and KEATON HENSON.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

Recent press, and an unusual podcast interview with Stephen Hill

BE IT PRINT, DIGITAL, SOCIAL, AUDIO, or VIDEO, our media is so dominated by "news" that long running shows like Hearts of Space—now in our 41st year of national Public Radio broadcasting and 23rd year of online streaming—get little or no press. We're just not "new." Why bother?

So I was pleasantly surprised to receive two interview requests in the last six months, one from DANIEL BROMFIELD, a music journalist who also writes features for the local Marin Independent Journal newspaper, and another from TOM PARISH, a podcaster who covers AI from Austin, Texas.

Dan first contacted me in January for comment on the passing of New Age composer IASOS. He had thoughtful questions, and I must have had thoughtful answers, because he got back in touch in April asking for a full length interview for a Sunday feature on Hearts of Space. The article was published in August and titled "Plenty to Contemplate." 

The interview with Dan was done on Zoom and was completely normal. Dan transcribed it, did some minor editing, done. The interview with Tom  Parish of "AI for Lifelong Learners" began with a routine email request and turned out to be anything but normal.

Why would a podcast focused on AI be interested in Hearts of Space?  It turned out that Tom was a long time listener to the radio program and a subscriber to the online streaming service—a Space Fan. He's a lovely guy who's been patiently building an audience for AI-related content via a podcast and a Substack newsletter. If you have any interest in AI, his show is excellent. He thought his audience had a better-than-average chance of enjoying Hearts of Space, so...let's talk.

In the last ten years, podcasts have become the natural medium for long-form, in-depth interviews and documentary audio content. Unlike radio, podcasts are available on demand, can address esoteric, niche, and special interest subject matter, and can be any length. Therein lies one of the differences between interviews for print vs. audio: podcast interviews typically run an hour or more.

Tom was mystified when I told him I didn't think I'd be able to speak for an hour. He was familiar with the program voiceovers. They sounded OK. What was the problem?  (Note: Ironically, the interview turned out to be only about 30 minutes.)

I explained that I'd been dealing with the slow deterioration of my voice for almost ten years. Originally I attributed it to age, but in 2016 I was diagnosed with Parkinson's, a common neurological disease that also affects voice quality. The story of this and what I've done about it became the main subject of the interview.

It's a situation I've resisted going public about for eight years due to the risk of being misunderstood. At this point it's overdue for transparency, and the podcast format allowed me the time I needed to tell the full story. There's also a second, more positive story about how I used AI "voice cloning" to solve my voiceover problem. I haven't gone public about that either, until now, and it became a fascinating part of the interview. 

My deep and sincere thanks to Tom Parish for his extraordinary patience and understanding—a true collaborator.

LISTEN FREE AT THE LINKS BELOW:

"Slow Music, Fast Tech" episode page on Substack.com (most information here)

Apple Podcasts

Spotify Podcasts

 

 

 

PGM 1383 'DESCENDING DARK 4' : oct 18-25

Even in these days of extreme and unpredictable weather, our astronomical position in the Northern Hemisphere of a tilted planet all but guarantees that October is the month we finally descend into autumn. The Fall Equinox has come and gone, the days grow ever shorter, the light grows ever dimmer. In the natural world, it's a time of withering flora and busy fauna preparing for winter's chilled embrace.

For ambient musicians, it's a time for dark drones, descending progressions, and minor key harmonies, a realm of muted colors, bittersweet melodies, and a bit of melancholy for the lost days of summer.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we follow the dimming light to a realm of quiet acceptance, on a program called DESCENDING DARK 4. Music is by RUDY ADRIAN, DRIFTING IN SILENCE & TINEIDAE, ROBERT RICH & LUCA FORMENTINI, STEVE ROACH & LINDA KOHANOV, JEFF PEARCE, ANDREW LAHIFF, CHRIS RUSSELL, and SERENA GABRIEL.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

PGM 1262R 'MYSTIC CANYONS' : oct 11-18

The gentle tones of the Native American cedar flute have propagated far beyond their origin — a rare case of a humble ethnic instrument succeeding on natural charm and sonic appeal.

Resurrected from decades of cultural neglect by native musicians in the mid 20th century, it proved to be a versatile and satisfying instrument for both amateur and professional musicians. We like to revisit it in the fall, when its pentatonic minor scale seems to magically express the deepening energy and complex colors of the season.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a Southwest autumn journey featuring the Native American flute, called MYSTIC CANYONS. Music is by COYOTE OLDMAN, JONN SERRIE & GARY STROUTSOS, SCOTT AUGUST, JOHNNY WHITEHORSE, JAMES MARIENTHAL, SHERRY FINZER, JOHN HULING, and KENNETH HOOPER.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

PGM 1382 'LOVING EVERY NOTE' : oct 4-11

At the elevated heights of musical skill, we encounter different styles of virtuosity.

In classical and jazz, playing fast and furious commands the attention, raises the energy, and concentrates the mind; while playing slow, deep, and intense focuses hearing, and opens up a world of subtle timing and melodic sensitivity. This is the perception that underlies ambient, space, atmospheric, and contemplative music.

For centuries the small Scandinavian country of Norway has exceled at slow, patient, intensely melodic music. It's not about how many notes you play, but how beautifully you play them. Unlike the virtuosity of fast tempos, says one of these musicians, “it’s about loving every note.”

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we  revisit the lyrical, atmospheric world of Eurojazz, on a program called LOVING EVERY NOTE.

Music is by ØYSTEIN SEVÅG and LAKKI PATEY, THE TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO, RUSSEL WALDER, KETIL BJORNSTAD & DAVID DARLING.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]