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PGM 870 'TRANSPARENT SPRING' : week of march 25-31

The transition between winter and spring is never predictable. After a time of darkness and confinement, we long for light, air and freedom. We seek change: space and openness, movement and flow.

Filled with new purpose, we clean out old structures. In uncertain times, we shine the light into dark places, and prepare for the challenges ahead. Transparency is the new watchword, the key to trust.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a collection of freshly grown and gracefully aged electronica for the season, on a program called TRANSPARENT SPRING. Music is by GENERAL FUZZ, TRISTAN FELDBAUER and friends, HILLTON FM, JOHAN AGEBJORN, ISHQ, MYCHAEL DANNA and TIM CLEMENT, GLEN DARCEY, and MINOR.

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

PGM 941 'EQUINOX' : march 18-24

The Vernal or March equinox is one of two very special days of the year. Not because humans say so, although many cultures have celebrated them for centuries. No, it's more cosmic than that. Whether by accident or design, the earth's axis tilts — a little more than 23 degrees relative to the sun.

Our cosmic tilt is the reason we have seasons: as we orbit the sun, the earth's axis tilts toward it, and then away from it. In March and September, the axis is right in the middle, and the sun points directly at the equator -- so night and day are almost exactly the same length everywhere on earth.

In the northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox is the official tipping point between winter and spring. After this, the days grow longer until the summer solstice, then shorter until they're equal again on the autumn equinox, then shorter still until the winter solstice in December.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we mark this moment in our yearly orbital journey with ambient electronics for the seasonal transition, on a program called EQUINOX. Music is by HOLLAN HOLMES, JONN SERRIE, MEG BOWLES, RUDY ADRIAN, CLIVE WRIGHT, and TELOMERE.

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

PGM 940 'THE CELTIC BALLAD' : march 11-17

In our quest for ambient sounds and spaces around the world, each year at this time we return to the Celtic homelands on the western edge of Europe. Here, amid the great cliffs, sodden bogs, rocky fields and green meadows, a unique folk music emerged — and it's very much alive today.

Imagine living there 400 years ago in the time of itinerant musicians like the blind Irish harper and poet TURLOUGH O'CAROLAN. These travelers criss-crossed the land, casting spells on their listeners with the beauty of their music, the simplest of instruments and the purest of human voices. With the wire-strung harp, the whistle and the drum, they spun out spirited jigs and reels, delicate faerie dances, ethereal chants, and deep, plangent ballads that define the term 'heartfelt.'

On this transmission of Hearts of Space....we celebrate the land and the artists who keep this musical tradition alive and vibrant today, on a program called THE CELTIC BALLAD. Music is by MAIRE BREATNACH, CLANNAD, T WITH THE MAGGIES, AOIFE, DAVID HELFAND, AINE MINOGUE, DAVY SPILLANE, BRUCE MITCHELL, and JEFF JOHNSON.

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

PGM 939 'ENDLESS' : march 4-10

Some seasons seem longer than others — but one can seem eternal.
In the waning days of winter, time seems to stretch, while the spirit yearns for release.

In his epic poem "The Waste Land," T.S. ELIOT wrote:

April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.

After endless storms and tempests, every extra day delays the arrival of sun and freedom, and adds more weight to the soul. It's the season of depression, impatience, rebellion; fueled by memory and desire, made more urgent...by signs of change.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, music to carry us through the down days of winter, on a program called ENDLESS. Music is by STEPHAN MICUS, HOMELESS BALLOON, MICHAEL ATHERTON & JAMES ASHLEY FRANKLIN, NANAE YOSHIMURA, and THE PAUL WINTER CONSORT.

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