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PGM 873 "MORE AMBIENT COOL" : Week of April 24th...

We begin with the mysterious "Fourth World" music of trumpeter/composer JON HASSELL: an apparition arising out of the hazy cross-cultural soundscape between classical Indian vocal music, electronics, and cool jazz. It's a sound that's been widely influential in contemporary music for over 25 years — a popular atmospheric hybrid that defies category...by design.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we invoke the spirits of departed masters like cool jazz trumpeter MILES DAVIS, Indian vocalist PANDIT PRAN NATH and electronics pioneer KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN...on a journey called MORE AMBIENT COOL.

Music is by JON HASSELL, TWILIGHT ARCHIVE, PAUL HASLINGER, PAUL SCHUTZE, NELSON FOLTZ & TOM LYNN, TOM HEASLEY, and HAROLD BUDD.

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PGM 805R "EQUILIBRIUM" : Week of April 17th...

We begin with SMADJ...out of Tunisia by way of Paris. He brings together the venerable oud and the sultry rhythms of North Africa...with the latest electronic sounds.

Today the mediasphere is alive with a new kind of "world music." The old masters of the great ethnic music traditions have a global audience, while DJ's sample beats and create new world mixes for the intelligent dance floor. Almost any musician can have their own studio and release their music worldwide online — with photos, video and text — on giant sites like MySpace and Facebook.

The successful ones travel, perform, and build worldwide networks of collaborators and audience. The Internet ties it all together. For these musicians, even in the midst of all the political struggles of today — it really is a new world.

On this 25th Anniversary retrospective edition of Hearts of Space, a journey in the Middle Eastern electronic fusion zone called EQUILIBRIUM. Music is by SMADJ, STELLAMARA, MERCAN DEDE, ELIYAHU SILLS, MICHEL BANABILA, PAUL AVGERINOS, ANOUAR BRAHEM, NADIMI and ERDEM HELVACIOGLU.

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PGM 872 "AMAZING GRACE" : Week of April 10th...

If popularity is the measure, the English hymn "Amazing Grace" must be one of the most beloved songs in existence. We found over 6400 versions of it on just one online music site!

It's been recorded by everyone from Elvis to The 3 Tenors to the Cherokee National Youth Choir, in every style you could imagine — and a lot more you couldn't, including Maori, Reggae, Heavy Metal, and Doo Wop.

The hymn comes with a good story. The words were written around 1772 by an English slave trader turned Christian preacher named JOHN NEWTON. The pentatonic melody first appeared in hymn books around 1829 and was called "New Britain." It's thought to be Scottish or Irish originally, which accounts for the many versions featuring the bagpipes.

On this Easter week transmission of Hearts of Space, we spread the love with a program conceived by longtime guest producer ELLEN HOLMES and devoted entirely to our most popular hymn...AMAZING GRACE.  We have versions by JOHN DOAN, KAREN MATHESON, STATE OF GRACE, WALELA, DANIEL LANOIS, SHANON, JONN SERRIE, MARK O'CONNOR, DAVID TOLK, THE CANADIAN BRASS, NANA MOUSKOURI and more.

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PGM 871 "SAKURA" : Week of April 3rd...

Many aspects of traditional Japanese culture originated in China. The Japanese spring custom of cherry blossom viewing or hanami goes back to the 8th century, but it was inspired by the Chinese aristocracy.

Today the progress of the sakura or cherry blossom wave as it moves north across Japan is a regular feature of the spring weather reports. You gotta love a country that has a cherry blossom report.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we think of cherry blossoms while we journey in the East Asian soundscape on a program called SAKURA.

Music is by XU QING-YUAN, AGATSUMA, YOSHIDA BROTHERS, JIANG TING, DEUTER and more.

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