hearts of space | news

PGM 1089R 'TWILIGHT MESA' : sept.30 - oct.7

Somewhere on the way from ethnic specialty music to the therapeutic edge of popular culture, the Native American flute took on a new mission. Originally used only by a few southwestern tribes like the Anasazi and the Lakota Sioux, the buttery tone and serene energy of these soft cedar instruments opened up a new audience for meditation and stress reduction.

For a few years in the 1980s and 90s, the Native flute found itself within the then-burgeoning new age genre, but as new age faded became a specialty music once again. It's a story that helps separate musicians who are called to the instrument, from those who merely follow popular trends.

In the hands of a master, the cedar flute creates a world of sound that evokes the vast spaces of the American West, opens the heart and summons the spirit. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another journey in the gentle world of the Native American flute, on a program called TWILIGHT MESA.

Music is by SCOTT AUGUST, DEBORAH MARTIN, GARETH, ANN LICATER, COYOTE OLDMAN, RANDY GRANGER, MICHAEL BRANDT DE MARIA, and PETER KATER & R.CARLOS NAKAI.

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PGM 1123 'MOBY :: AMBIENT WORKS' : sept.23-30

MOBY is the stage name of musician RICHARD MELVILLE HALL. Herman Melville of Moby Dick fame is a distant relative, which accounts for the nickname.

Moby emerged as a New York DJ in the early 1990's and went on to create a string of increasingly successful albums of electronic dance music, including the 10 million selling downtempo hit PLAY.

But there was always a softer, spacier side of Moby. His fascination with ambient electronic sound led to individual pieces, a double album with one pop and one ambient disk, and in 2016 — a free, four-hour long set of downloadable pieces called LONG AMBIENTS 1: CALM. SLEEP. As you'll hear, Moby's ambient music has evolved from downtempo rhythms to orchestral electronic soundscapes, and become ever deeper, more ethereal and profound.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we journey through Moby's ambient soundscapes and settle into his extended pieces, on a program called MOBY :: AMBIENT WORKS.

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PGM 1122 'SUMMER'S END : sept.16-23

It's only three short months from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox, and we make the most of them: travel, vacation, backyard parties, fun at the beach or the lake, and sports and water activities of every description. All that plus balmy nights, and the hypnotic rhythm of the crickets to lull us to sleep. Summer can be a magical respite in our complicated lives, but when mid-September comes, we know it's drawing to a close.

Instrumental music can express our complex feelings about the end of summer—good memories, a sense of nostalgia, a tinge of melancholy, and quiet acceptance. Acoustic instruments like piano, guitar and cello are perfect for the job, especially when enhanced by electronics. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, music for the summer/fall transition on a program called SUMMER'S END. Music is by HELEN JANE LONG, JEFF PEARCE, KATHRYN KAYE, ANGELO RABAN, and DAVID DARLING.

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PGM 1047R 'ANDALUSIA 2' : sept. 9-16

The unmistakable sound of flamenco...or rather, Flamenco Fusion: a mix of traditional Flamenco and electronics from the German/Spanish group B-Tribe.

From its medieval roots in 8th century Al-Andalus after the Muslim conquest of the Iberian peninsula, the music of the Spanish region of Andalusia has been a cultural melting pot, joining Moorish influences from North Africa, Sephardic Jewish songs and European music. With the addition of Romani gypsy influences in the 18th and 19th centuries, the music we now call Flamenco. with its fiery rhythms, dark harmonies and passionate emotions, was born. It's a genre with a signature ambience and feeling that's attracted devoted fans all over the world.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we return to Flamenco, on a program called ANDALUSIA 2. Music is by B-TRIBE, JESSE COOK, PRIYO, ARMIK, MURIEL ANDERSON, ADAM HURST, JOSÉ LUIS MONTÓN, ZSOFIA BOROS, and the AL-ANDALUS ENSEMBLE.

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PGM 1121 'DESERT REFLECTIONS' : sept. 2-9

AFTER TWO CENTURIES of novels and a century of films, the endless desert spaces of the American southwest have taken on a mythic identity. The desert has become a metaphor for expansion, infinite opportunity, and the wild frontier — the scene of rough justice and adventure, and a place for self-discovery and reinvention.

For Ambient musicians, the desert has long been a prime source of inspiration, a visual and spatial touchstone, a realm of vast vistas and profound silences. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another journey in the sun-dried spaces of the American Southwest, on a program called DESERT REFLECTIONS. Music is by STEVE ROACH, DAN POUND, D LOOP, BRIAN PARNHAM, and RUDY ADRIAN.

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