hearts of space | news

PGM 1002R 'AMBIcon 2013' : apr.26 - may 3

In the early days of 2013 we celebrated some big milestones for Hearts of Space — the 40th anniversary of the program, our 30th year of national broadcasting, and our 1,000th show. Next weekend we're going to have another kind of milestone celebration: our first-ever live concert event.

The inspiration was simple: many of our awesomely loyal followers have been listening to the program for 20 years or more, and for whatever reason, have never been to a real Ambient, Space or Contemplative music concert. Not only that, you've been hearing my voice all this time and...we've never met.

So we decided to do something about it, and produce a weekend conference and concert event called AMBIcon 2013. It will be held on May 3rd, 4th and 5th 2013, near our home base here in San Rafael, California. For complete information, see our web site at www.HOS.com.

We've invited 8 core Hearts of Space artists to perform at AMBIcon: musicians who've been associated with the program for many years. Not only that: the man who literally wrote the book on Ambient, English music writer MARK PRENDERGAST, author of THE AMBIENT CENTURY, will be flying in from London to do a special presentation.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a preview of the music you'll hear, on a program called...AMBICON 2013.

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In addition to the conference, you can now buy tickets to the individual concerts:

CONCERT 1 : JEFF PEARCE / ROBERT RICH
SATURDAY May 4th, 2PM   INFO and TICKETS

CONCERT 2 : TIM STORY / MICHAEL STEARNS
SATURDAY May 4th, 8PM   INFO and TICKETS

CONCERT 3 : STEPHAN MICUS / STEVE ROACH
SUNDAY, MAY 5th, 2PM   INFO and TICKETS

CONCERT 4 : HANS CHRISTIAN / STELLAMARA
SUNDAY MAY 5th, 8PM   INFO and TICKETS

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

PGM 1010 'SPACE GUITARS 10' : april 19-26

The guitar...has a history measured in centuries, but it wasn't until about 60 years ago that some clever Americans figured out how to use it for space exploration. Here at Hearts of Space, we've been documenting that discovery with a series of programs called SPACE GUITARS, and this week we have a new installment.

Whether the guitar is acoustic, electric or electronic, it's really the sensibility of the player that matters when it comes to creating and exploring space with the guitar. On this program, we'll hear the whole panorama: from acoustic guitar with electronic keyboards, to electric guitar, to electronically echoed, expanded, looped, phased, imported, distorted and reverberated guitars — on a program called SPACE GUITARS 10.

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

AMBIcon Update: New Low Cost Ticket Tiers!

With less than 2 weeks to go before the event, we're busy tying down all the many details of the production, and focussing on selling the rest of the tickets!

SINGLE CONCERT SALES : Most of the people who will be attending the full conference have already registered and made their travel arrangements, so we are zeroing in on ticket sales for the 4 "double" concerts over the weekend. To that end, the word is going out on multiple performance mailing lists, print and online publications that cover Northern California.

To help this effort we've established NEW LOW COST TICKET TIERS FOR THE CONCERTS. In addition to the $65 Premium Seating, we now have $35 General Admission for the first three concerts, and a $25 General Admission for the final one.

We've created new pages on our ticketing site for each of the 4 double concerts:

CONCERT 1—DEEP AMBIENT : JEFF PEARCE / ROBERT RICH
SATURDAY May 4th, 2PM   INFO and TICKETS

CONCERT 2—DEEP SPACE : TIM STORY / MICHAEL STEARNS
SATURDAY May 4th, 8PM   INFO and TICKETS

CONCERT 3—DEEP JOURNEY : STEPHAN MICUS / STEVE ROACH
SUNDAY, MAY 5th, 2PM  INFO and TICKETS

CONCERT 4—DEEP WORLD : HANS CHRISTIAN / STELLAMARA
SUNDAY MAY 5th, 8PM   INFO and TICKETS

GENERAL CONFERENCE INFO: http://ambicon.hos.com

A Rave Review for Stephan Micus

The Guardian (UK) has reviewed the latest album and London concert by AMBIcon performer Stephan Micus. Any musician would die happy for press like this. For Stephan, it's almost routine:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/apr/11/stephan-micus-review

Stephan will open Concert #3 of the conference on Sunday afternoon, May 5th, followed by STEVE ROACH. This will be a unique occasion by two of the most prolific and accomplished Ambient artist in the world.

    CONCERT 3 : STEPHAN MICUS / STEVE ROACH  :  SUNDAY, MAY 5th, 2PM   INFO and TICKETS   

 All four AMBIcon concerts on one page:

    http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/371527

 

PGM 828R 'DEEP WORLD' : april 12-19

We live in a time of extreme contrasts: while one part of the world enjoys unlimited material comfort, another suffers strife, hunger and disease. High tech magic is just a border away from descendents of stone-age tribes. Ancient conflicts divide neighbors, while a global economy links nations half a world apart.

Propelled by these contrasts, today music floats freely around the globe, cross-pollinating and gene-splicing the sounds of cultures from primitive to sophisticated. In the midst of this astonishing diversity sits a new breed of composer: conscious of tradition but not limited by it, transmitting the deep soul messages of their culture across time and space with a new freedom of creative expression.

Classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, for example, draws musicians from an array of Asian and Middle Eastern cultures into fluid collaborations with the orchestra, while solo artists from many countries invent new contexts for the ancient instruments of their homelands.

On this edition of Hearts of Space, music by STEPHAN MICUS, DJIVAN GASPARYAN, KAYHAN KAHLOR, HANS CHRISTIAN and LUDOVICO EINAUDI, on a program called DEEP WORLD.

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

PGM 1009 'SOUNDCLOUDS' : april 5-12

Since the time of CLAUDE DEBUSSY at the turn of the 20th century, composers have sought to go beyond the conventions of the Western classical tradition. Debussy revolutionized writing for orchestra with floating harmonies, exotic Eastern melodies and non-traditional orchestration, and made the leap from Impressionist painting to Impressionism in music.

We begin with one of his signature compositions "Nuages" or "Clouds" from his "Three Nocturnes." Today it sounds like harmless film music — or more likely, film music sounds like it — but in 1899 it was revolutionary.

If he were alive today, Debussy would be a happy man: electronic instruments, studios and computers have opened up new impressions and vast new worlds of sound, and Ambient composers are creating never-before-heard images of time and space.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we ride those images to high and nebulous realms, on a program called SOUNDCLOUDS.

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