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PGM 991R 'THE FADING LIGHT : sept.26 - oct.3

This week we pass the official beginning of the fall season and the autumnal equinox. Here in the northern hemisphere, the sun has descended from the lofty heights of summer halfway to the low point of winter, and the days and nights are approximately of equal length: more accurately, the equilux.

​Musically, we return to the complex tones of traditional acoustic instruments — the piano, the guitar and the cello. It’s a time for minor keys, descending progressions, and deepening harmonies, as we explore the sound of the season. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, an ambient-acoustic journey for early autumn called THE FADING LIGHT. Music is by JEFF PEARCE, HANS CHRISTIAN & HARRY MANX, WILL ACKERMAN, KEVIN KELLER, HELEN JANE LONG and others.

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PGM 1055 'ROMANTICO' : sept.19-26

It's been a while since we did a program on the music of the America to our south. It's a whole continent, after all, and the scope and variety of music from the distinctive cultures of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil is enormous.

Whether it comes from the mountain cultures, the grasslands, the rainforest, or one of the great cities; is based on influences from the native Indians, or from Spain or other European countries — the music of South America has a depth and passion all its own, and genres like Tango have created fans around the world.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we return to the soul and space of South American music, on a program called ROMANTICO. Music is by OSCAR REYNOLDS, INKUYO, TRIO GARUFA, GUSTAVO SANTAOLOLLA, ASTOR PIAZZOLLA, STEPHAN MICUS, DINO SALUZZI, and EGBERTO GISMONTI.

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PGM 1054 'WEIGHTLESS WAITING : sept.12-19

 

 The slow heartbeat rhythm and cooling electronic harmonies of England's MARCONI UNION. In 2011 they were commissioned to create a piece of relaxing music in collaboration with the British Academy of Sound Therapy. The resulting 8 minute single you're hearing was called "Weightless." Against the odds, it became a worldwide hit.

In fact, the feeling of weightless floating was nothing new for electronic music, with examples going back to the 1920s. When combined with a goal-less, extended style of composition, you have the elements of this transmission of Hearts of Space — an hour of zero-gravity Ambient for inspiring patience, on a program called WEIGHTLESS WAITING.

Music is by MARCONI UNION, BRYAN CARRIGAN, SIMON LOMAX, AMIR BAGHIRI, STEVE ROACH, and HAROLD BUDD.

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PGM 1053 'SPACE GUITARS 12' : sept.5-12

The inventors of the electric guitar were originally motivated by the need for volume, to compete with drums, brass, and other loud instruments. But it didn't take long for reverb and special effects to transform the electric guitar into a vehicle for space exploration.

Beginning in the 1960s, technically inclined improvisers used tape recorders to create live repetitions, essentially reinventing the Baroque canon, where a musical phrase or melody is repeated at fixed intervals. The need for more portable effects led to the invention of compact tape loop echo processors, and today's electronic "loopers," which make possible a more precise and flexible style of contemplative improvisation.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, recent work in this ambient sub-genre, with another installment of our long-running "space guitars" series, on a program called SPACE GUITARS 12. Music is by JEFF PEARCE, STEVEN GRAHN, CLIVE WRIGHT, HAMMOCK, and introducing PETER JACK RAINBIRD.

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