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PGM 1147 'REMINISCENCE' : may 26-june 2

At the top of the list of the things that make us human — along with language and opposable thumbs — is memory. Yet for all our progress in understanding human psychology and neurophysiology, memory remains complex and mysterious. French novelist MARCEL PROUST famously wrote about the enigma of memory and the necessity of reflection in his epic novel Remembrance of Things Past. Today the relentless pace and information density of daily life makes this more necessary than ever.

One of the most enjoyable practices of memory enhancement is personal storytelling, or "reminiscence therapy." It brings families closer together, and has been used to treat older patients with depression, stress, isolation, and degenerative memory disorders including Alzheimer's.

Like perfume and other distinctive smells, some kinds of ambient music can trigger forgotten memories. On this transmission of Hearts of Space from Canadian guest producer DAVID EGAN, we immerse ourselves in the pleasures of sonic nostalgia and recollection, on a program called REMINISCENCE.

Music is by GOLDMUND, PATRICK O'HEARN, MICHEL BANABILA, JONN SERRIE, ROBIN GUTHRIE & HAROLD BUDD, ANTHENE, IZZARD, ADZUKI, COPPICE HALIFAX, STROM NOIR, INSOMNIA, and SLOW MEADOW.

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PGM 1146 'HELIOS' : may 19-26

Let's hear it for The Sun, ladies and gentlemen. It's impossible to think of anything more important—to our very existence, our history, our evolution, and our future as a species. So it's a big subject: the sun is responsible for super-basic stuff like day and night, the year, the weather, and the climate. It's the key to almost all life on earth, the source of all our energy (one way or another), the key ingredient in everything we eat, and the indispensable element in our vacations. I mean, who wants to vacation in the rain?

Astronomically speaking, the sun is our home star, a member of the "yellow dwarf" class. It's 4.6 billion years old, over a hundred times bigger in diameter than earth, and weighs 330,000 times as much, despite being 98% hydrogen and helium—two of the lightest materials in existence. The sun is a bright sphere of superheated plasma; at its core is a nuclear furnace, where fusion of hydrogen atoms creates temperatures of almost 30 million degrees Fahrenheit, while the surface of the sun is a relatively balmy 10,000 degrees. We're 93 million miles away, and it still feels hot! 

The sun has been central to many human cultures and religions since prehistoric times. It's been worshipped as a deity and celebrated in myth, art and literature, especially in ancient Egypt. Those days are gone, but ambient electronic artists are still inspired by it. On this transmission of Hearts of Space...a tribute to the sun and its season, on a program called HELIOS.

Music is by SOLAR FIELDS, AES DANA, STEVE ROACH, ISHQ, ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT, ERIC WØLLO, MAX CORBACHO, and HOLLAN HOLMES.

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

PGM 1145 'ASIAN WINDS' : may 12-19

The contemplative music of China and Japan comes from their classical traditions. In both countries, unique string and wind instruments evolved, along with virtuoso playing techniques. Centuries of patronage by the imperial court produced a classical repertoire.

Today, traditional artists continue to perform the classics and create new pieces, while a new generation of multi-cultural and ambient artists create hybrid variations based on the genres. As with the traditional music, the goal is to immerse the listener in a slow, deep, magical soundscape.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, the gentle world of Chinese and Japanese contemplative music, on a program called ASIAN WINDS. Music is by CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, KITARO, YANG YING, ANGELA JUI LEE, ANN LICATER, GARY STROUTSOS, RILEY LEE, YUVAL RON, and MIZUYO KOMIYA.

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

PGM 1044R 'ETHNOTRONIC' : may 5-12

THE TRIBAL MUSIC TRADITIONS of Asia, Africa and the Americas stretch back to the mists of pre-history. For perhaps a hundred centuries, music was made with simple, even primitive instruments: flutes, rattles, drums and percussion; lyres, harps and strings; and wind instruments of various sizes and tones. It was an all-acoustic world, where music and instruments evolved slowly.

Then in the late 19th and 20th centuries, electricity and electronics began to transform the world and transform music. First came the telegraph and the telephone, then radio, then recordings, and then the instruments themselves. Guitars and pianos became electric...and then electronic. And finally, purely electronic instruments of dazzling variety and unlimited potential to create new sounds.

After the electronic music revolution of the 1960s and 70s, the entire studio became a musical instrument, and the sound of recordings has never been quite the same. Today, ethnic instruments and genres can be set in new Ambient soundscapes, a fusion of the old world and the new.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ethnic instruments join electronic ambient, on a program called "ETHNOTRONIC."  Music is by TUU, GREEN ISAC, SACRED EARTH, CHINMAYA DUNSTER, MANEESH DE MOOR, ARCHETRIBE, LOREN NERELL & MARK SEELIG, STILLPOINT and MICHEL BANABILA..

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