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PGM 1179 'TRANCE PLANET 2' : april 27-may 4

SPRING: it arrives in the Northern Hemisphere in fits and starts. It takes several months before we're all on the spring page. In the meantime, we can take a hint from our pagan ancestors, who went in for big parties around the vernal equinox to let the gods know they were ready for spring.

In those days, drummers got everyone moving around the communal bonfires. These days, hand drummers tap out mesmerizing rhythms on new melodic percussion instruments like the PanArt Hang and the Halo handpans. On this transmission of Hearts of Space...we follow the sound of the Hang, on an ethno-tronic journey for spring called TRANCE PLANET 2.

Music is by JAMES HOOD, HANG IN BALANCE, HANG MASSIVE, LAURA INSERRA & DARREN GIBBS, CHRISTOPHER OF THE WOLVES, and PETER GARLAND.

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PGM 1108R 'VERNAL TRANSIT' : april 20-27

The arrival of spring is, as they say about the future, "unequally distributed."
While our friends in the northern states are enduring a last round of snow, the seasonal transition has been underway here in California for over two months.

Whatever your weather, after the grey skies and dark drones of winter, we're due for some spring spacemusic: light, airy, energetic, ready to venture out and enjoy the world around us. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an hour of sparkling Ambient electronics for spring,on a program called VERNAL TRANSIT.

Music is by ASCENDENT, CONNECT.OHM, STATE AZUR, RAY SAMMARTANO, CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, and ISHQ.

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PGM 1178 'BIOSONIC 2' : apr.13-20

Exploring the remote tributaries of the great river of ambient sound, we come upon music inspired by the natural world and the micro-organisms that inhabit it. Recent research shows that the so-called "micro-biome" — the vast community of microbes in the environment, in animals, and in us — is essential for life.

According to musician ROBERT RICH "we imagine ourselves to be individuals, but in fact we're a collective, a network of organisms with a unique microbiome of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and organelles." Rich calls it "the Biode, a biomic node, the gathering place where a community of organisms combines to become a unit of individuality."

For these ambient musicians, the Biode inspires electro-acoustic metaphors of the natural world, a complex, inter-dependent community of sounds. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, the organic sound in ambient electronics, on a program called BIOSONIC 2.

Music is by ROBERT RICH, JARGUNA, APOCRYPHOS, KAMMARHEIT & ATRIUM CARCERI, FORREST FANG, ISHQ, ROBERT DAVIES, and STEVE ROACH & ROBERT LOGAN.

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PGM 981R 'FINGERSTYLE 2' : apr.6-13

The complex, resonant harmonies of the acoustic guitar. Emerging out of Central Asia by way of North Africa, Spain and Italy, the modern Spanish-style guitar has become the world's most popular musical instrument. What, you might ask, is so special about six strings on a medium size box?

Well first, size matters. The guitar has a four octave range; it's flexible, yet small enough to be portable. Second, the acoustic guitar promotes a certain intimacy. Like the harp, it's an instrument that wants to be caressed. It's generally played with the fingers, which are always right where you need them. Finally, the guitar is versatile; it plays notes and chords with equal grace, can be simple or complex, and melts into the music of many cultures. In short, the acoustic guitar has made itself indispensable.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another exploration of the acoustic guitar, on a program called FINGERSTYLE 2. Music is by DOUG YOUNG, TOMMY EMMANUEL, WALL MATTHEWS, STEVE GRAHN, RICH OSBORN, WILLIAM ACKERMAN, ALEX DE GRASSI, ESPEN JØRGENSEN, JOHN DOAN, and MURIEL ANDERSON.

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