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Week of July 28th...

Whilst fanning ourselves and reaching for our drink, we recalled this program from 1997 that seemed to capture the moment perfectly. Frankly, it was too hot to do much else and we'd never repeated this show.

EQUATOR takes you on a journey around the red hot midsection of the planet, with images of steamy jungles and trackless deserts, all driven by trance-like rhythms. Music is by an all star cast of heatseekers, including JON HASSELL, STEVE ROACH and VIDNA OBMANA, TUU, MO BOMA, O YUKI CONJUGATE, ROBERT RICH and ALIO DIE.

More cool music from hot places...

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Week of July 21st...

As summer heats up we're enjoying the weather while keeping an ear on the vernal soundscape. This week the crickets started their nightly broadcasts, and we're celebrating with a program that mirrors the surface activity with a slow, deep rhythm underneath, as plants, animals, insects and even preoccupied humans adapt to the long days and short nights.

Music is by PATRICK O'HEARN, PAUL ELLIS, JEFFREY KOEPPER, DEUTER, J. ARIF VERNER, and Mr. Steve Roberts, aka AMONGST MYSELVES (sounds a bit crowded...) on a program of summer night sounds called CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS.

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Week of July 14th...

This week we dig into our pile of Indian fusion for another exotic warm-weather journey. The focus is on the sensual, devotional quality of this venerable genre, from a group of artists working patiently to update the tradition.

Music is from Holland by MANEESH DE MOOR, by ANOUSHKA SHANKAR (Ravi's daughter), bansuri flutists STEVE GORN and JOHN WUBBENHORST, and esraj virtuoso BENJY WERTHEIMER, plus lovely collaborations by LISA MOSKOW and MIHAI MANOLIU, and by TIM WHEATER with vocalist NATALIE SHAW and producer DAVID LORD of Peter Gabriel fame.

The program is called ANJALI -- inspired by the familiar anjali mudra: a gesture of greeting, respect and reverence.

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Week of July 7th...

Hope you enjoyed the short holiday week. We took some time off to enjoy the fantastic weather here and decided to rerun a popular program about a very popular kind of music -- the vocal fusion sound created by ENIGMA on their 1990 hit "MCMXC a.D." (For the Romanumerically challenged, it means 1990 A.D.)

This brilliantly addictive mash-up of Gregorian sacred chant, drum-machine-fueled dance beats, and lyrics about the Marquis de Sade -- must have launched 10,000 variations and followup albums in its wake. We explore some of its finest progeny, including tracks by the German male choir LESIEM (with Pink Floyd-influenced guitar riffs), OPERATICA, PILGIMAGE, VANGELIS, CRAIG ARMSTRONG, AZAM ALI, and CONSTANCE DEMBY.

Fine singing and great summer energy on ENIGMATIC CHILDREN.

[ view playlist ]    [ play 30 second audio promo ]