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PGM 988R 'STRATOSPHERIC" : aug.30-sept.6

Miles above our summer droughts, heat waves, fires and thunderstorms is a serene layer of earth's atmosphere called the stratosphere. Here the air is always blue, calm and cold — turbulence free and dynamically stable. And while jet planes can touch the lower edge of the stratosphere, the easy way to travel there is on ambient electronics.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we ride the deep blue jet streams of high summer to the middle layer of the atmosphere...on program called STRATOSPHERIC. Music is by STEVE ROACH, DIRK SERRIES, DAVID HELPLING & JON JENKINS, PHILLIP WILKERSON, HAR, DAVE LUXTON and JUTA TAKAHASHI.

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

PGM 919R2 'BAYOU MOON' : aug 23-30

Gather 'round all you swamp fans. This one's for you...

Yes, the great Mississippi Delta, home of deep Southern blues, Cajun, Dixieland, jazz, funk (and let's-not-forget "sludge metal") is callin,' on a program called BAYOU MOON.

On this encore transmission of Hearts of Space, we wade into a hot and humid zone with a unique culture and a sense of place you can feel on your skin. Like a thick mist drifting out of the marsh, wetlands and barrier islands, bayou country has its own ambience, a sound that blends blues, creole, Indian, Cajun and jazz — and seasons it with a heavy coat of swamp sauce. It's one of the most distinctive cultural blends you'll find anywhere.

Music is by TOM NEWMAN, MICHAEL BROOK, RY COODER, DANIEL LANOIS, PATRICK O'HEARN, HAMMOCK and TINO IZZO.

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

PGM 1020 'SUFI SOUL 2' : aug 16-23

There's hardly anything more controversial than Islam these days, but there's one branch of Muslim culture that by philosophy and practice is peaceful and apolitical. Even so, it has been subject to persecution by other sects.

The mystical, inward-facing order of Sufism goes back to the very beginning of the Islamic religion in the 8th century. It has parallels to the venerable traditions of Buddhist and Hindu mysticism, and aims for direct union with God by purifying the heart.

The work of the Persian Sufi poet RUMI has achieved worldwide popularity for its beauty and insight, and a body of Sufi music evolved to accompany religious practices and meditation — the most famous being the whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order in Turkey. It's a genre that's not only alive today, but producing new strains of contemplative music.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space...we return to the gentle, passionate world of Sufi-influenced music, on a program called SUFI SOUL 2. Music is by MERÇAN DEDE, NIYAZ, HANS CHRISTIAN, YUVAL RON, OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK, MICHEL BANABILA, ELIYAHU SILLS, GARY STROUTSOS, and CHRISTOFFER HYLANDER.

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

PGM 1019 'OCEANIC REALMS' : aug 9-16

What's the biggest thing on earth? It's the World Ocean — the total salt water of all the named oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic.

The world ocean is the largest part of the hydrosphere— the system of water, atmosphere and time that gives rise to the water cycle, weather and climate. Over 70% of earth is covered by the oceans, with an average depth of over 12,000 feet. That...is a lot of water. So though we're not an all-ocean planet, we're definitely a water planet.

Everything about the ocean is almost incomprehensibly vast, deep and powerful. Little wonder then, that it's a major inspiration, theme and metaphor for Ambient musicians.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space...we journey across oceans of electronic sound, on a program called OCEANIC REALMS. Music is by MEG BOWLES, MOODSWINGS, DAN POUND, MAX CORBACHO, STEVE ROACH, IGNEOUS FLAME, and PATRICK O'HEARN.

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

PGM 987R 'AFROSPACE' : aug. 2-9

The polyrhythmic music of sub-Saharan Africa has a character all its own. Originally tribal and tied to the events of everyday life, as a result of the African diaspora it became a strong influence on music of the western world, including blues, R&B, jazz, and rock. These days it works both ways: western instruments and recording techniques now influence sub-Saharan music.

A case in point: this music by KOUAME SEREBA, an African musician from Ivory Coast who now lives in Norway, with Norwegian electronic musician ERIK WOLLO. They call it "African Ambient."

But there's always been a softer, slower side to African music, featuring melodic rhythm instruments like the kora, the kalimba, the mbira and the talking drum, and gentle vocals with an infectious lilt. On this transmission of Hearts of Space we look for the ambient and contemplative sounds of sub-Saharan Africa, on a program called AFROSPACE.

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