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PGM 1170 'MAGIC METALS' : jan.26-feb.2

Locked in the cold embrace of winter, under leaden clouds relieved by dazzling clear days, we return once again to the otherworldly sounds of the resonant percussion family — bells, bowls, gongs and cymbals. 

Developed over thousands of years by native cultures in Tibet, the Far East and Indonesia, gongs and bells were used primarily in religious ceremonies, and later for utilitarian purposes like broadcasting the time. 

In the 20th century, they were rediscovered in the west as a vehicle for meditation and sonic journeys. These sublime metal instruments are unequalled in subtlety and psychoactive power. In the hands of a dedicated contemplative musician, they create sounds that live in the profound realm we call The Deep Zone. 

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a wintry resonant percussion journey, on a program called MAGIC METALS.

Music is by DEUTER, KARMA MOFFETT, HANS CHRISTIAN, TONY GERBER, and A PRODUCE.

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

PGM 1169 'NORDIC WINTER SONGS' : jan.19-26

There's a fine line between the epic folk songs and the medieval hymns of Scandinavia and far northern Europe.

In the Middle Ages, the folk ballads and the sacred music of the early Christian church evolved from the same mix of cultures, addressed the same audiences, and employed some of the same instruments—like the 8 or 9 stringed Hardanger fiddle and the Baltic box zither called the Kantele. Warm and melodic with vibrant string overtones and beguiling vocals, traditional Nordic music creates the perfect atmosphere on cold winter nights. 

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, the brilliant cold world sounds of Norway, Sweden and Iceland, on a program called NORDIC WINTER SONGS.

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

PGM 1135R 'OVERCAST' : jan.12-19

 

The typical winter atmosphere is muted and monochrome, under a sky of dense grey-blue clouds. Above, chilled vapor waits to return to earth as cold rain, sleet or snow. On the ground, it's a world of desaturated colors and diffuse shadows, punctuated by storms and relieved briefly by short bright days. Nature sleeps, awaiting the awakening of spring.

The sound of winter is slow, ethereal, subtle, with occasional accents of brilliant white or deep black. Bell sounds and the metal strings of the piano ring across the landscape, supported by profound dark drones.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we ride the sounds of winter to a place of deep calm, on a program called OVERCAST.

Music is by BEN LUKAS BOYSEN, JANNE HANHISUANTO, LIBRARY TAPES (DAVID WENNGREN), BRUNO SANFILIPPO & MATHIAS GRASSOW, BIOSPHERE, and SIGUR ROS.

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

PGM 1168 'POLAR FLIGHT 3' : jan.5-12

WINTER DESCENDS...a contractive force that drains the color from the landscape, leaving a world of subtle monochromes, softened by chilled blue-gray mist and fog. As the temperature drops, movement slows, challenging every species to adapt and survive, while winter storms bring cutting winds, freezing rain, sleet, and the white fantasy world of snow. 

Winter inspires Ambient musicians to change their tonal palette and create sonic images of cold wind and stormy skies. The sound of the season is darker, denser, colder, slower—with restrained melodies and crystalline accents. It's native territory for musicians from the northern countries of Europe, Iceland, Canada, and kindred spirits in the United States. 

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey across the Arctic north, on a program called POLAR FLIGHT 3.

Music is by BANCO DE GAIA, BRYAN CARRIGAN, BRIDGE TO IMLA, SEETYCA, SIMON LOMAX, ALTUS and PANGAEA PROJEKT.

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