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PGM 1322 'PHRYGIAN PHANTOMS' : july 29-aug. 5

In traditional music, a mode is a set of notes or tones that go together to create a distinctive, culturally valued ethos or character.

Modes go back to ancient Greece, and have been redefined over the centuries. In Greece the 5th harmonic minor mode was originally called the Dorian or Aeolian mode, and later the Phrygian mode, inspired by the passionate people of the kingdom of Phrygia in the wild Anatolian mountains of modern day Turkey. It was part of the modal music system of the Medieval Catholic church; and in the folk and classical music of Spain, the Phrygian dominant mode is known as the “Spanish gypsy scale,” because it’s found in Flamenco, and the hypnotic Berber rhythms of North Africa.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we return to the distinctive sound of the Phrygian mode as it echoes down the centuries to the contemporary Spanish-Moorish soundscape, on a program called 'PHRYGIAN PHANTOMS.' Music is by guitarists MILOŠ, OTTMAR LIEBERT, ADAM HURST, BENEDETTI & SVOBODA, JOSÉ LUIS MONTÓN, and the fusion group AL-ANDALUS.  

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PGM 1080R 'CEREMONY' : july 22-29

The subtle, melodic rhythms of the PANArt "hang" — arguably the first new musical instrument of the 21st century. It's a descendant of the steel pan drum, the product of Swiss craftsmanship and perfectionism. And in the hands of a musician with the right sensibility, it's a vehicle for innerspace travel.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, summer spacemusic for the hang and some of its siblings in the resonant percussion family, on a program called "CEREMONY." Music is by JAMES HOOD, LAURA INSERRA & DARREN GIBBS, CHRISTOPHER OF THE WOLVES, TRYSHE DHEVNEY, and RAVID GOLDSCHMIDT.

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PGM 1151R 'SUMMER VISIONS' : july15-22

Summer...invites us to relax, take a break from work, and have a bit of fun. I know, it's hard to tune out the noise of our contentious politics these days, but even the most ardent partisans need to rest and recharge for the battles ahead. So in summer we travel, we explore, we play, we dance, we celebrate with family and friends.

The music of summer is lighter, happier, more active. And for some ambient composers, it's an opportunity to envision a better world by creating idealized sonic environments. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient atmospheres for the perfect summer, on a program called SUMMER VISIONS.

Music is by AMBIENTALISM, PETER CALANDRA, EDAMAME, PETE KUZMA, TAKASHI SUZUKI, ASHANEEN, ISHQ, and IASOS.

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PGM 1084R 'TRANCE PLANET' : july 8-15

It doesn't take much: a quiet drone, soft skin drums, and hand claps in this case — but it opens up an immersive perceptual world that's encoded in the word "trance."

Trance music has a surprisingly long provenance, stretching back from the electronic beats of today to the mists of prehistory. Whether fueled by psychoactive substances, ecstatic group experiences, or just applied boredom, the world of trance music has proven both durable and adaptable. There's acid trance, epic trance, euro-trance, tech and progressive trance, vocal trance, and dream trance — just to mention the electronic dance variations.

From the traditional acoustic drumming of North Africa/ to the relentless pounding of 140 beats per minute on the electronic dance floor, repetition and the power of extended, slowly changing rhythms are the foundation. Add infinite feedback guitar and Ambient electronics, and you have a sonic vehicle for travel to exotic virtual spaces.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an ethno-tronic journey on psycho-active trance rhythms, on a program called TRANCE PLANET. If the name sounds familiar, it was used in the 1990s for a series of World Music compilations on the late Triloka Records label.

Music is by TIM GERWING, FRORE & SHANE MORRIS, MICHEL BANABILA, ROBERT RICH, JON HASSELL, MA JA LE & VIR UNIS, and STILLPOINT.

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PGM 1321 'VANGELIS 2' : july 2-9

We continue our tribute and retrospective for the singular recording artist and film composer VANGELIS, who joined the immortals in May 2022 at age 79.

EVANGELOS ODYSSEAS PAPATHANASSIOU was born in Greece in 1943. He showed a natural early talent for music and was entirely self-taught. In his 20s he was the keyboard player in the hugely successful Greek progressive rock band APHRODITE’S CHILD, but he chose to abandon a conventional pop music career and began working as a film composer in Greece.

In the early 1970s he moved to Paris, where he worked with French film director FREDERIC ROSSIF creating lush electronic scores for animal documentaries. They became so popular they helped establish him as a solo recording artist. In 1975 he relocated to London in and built Nemo Studios, where he created his Academy Award-winning electronic score for CHARIOTS OF FIRE, and classic scores for BLADE RUNNER, MISSING, ANTARCTICA, THE BOUNTY, 1492: CONQUEST OF PARADISE, ALEXANDER, the 1980 PBS documentary series COSMOS, and many others.

His gift for opulent melodies and a retrogressive style based on 19th century Romantic classicism was balanced by his early embrace of the tools and techniques of electronic music—a highly effective combination of old and new.

Vangelis never learned to read or write music, but he and his engineers pioneered a virtuoso working method and technical setup that allowed him to compose, play, and record simultaneously, often in one “take.”  On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we celebrate the second half of his stellar career, on a program called VANGELIS Part 2.

=    We'll feature music from his solo albums SPIRAL, OCEANIC, NOCTURNE, JUNO TO JUPITER, and ROSETTA;
=    and film scores for OPERA SAUVAGE, 1492 CONQUEST OF PARADISE, and BLADE RUNNER.

It’s Part 2 of our posthumous retrospective of VANGELIS, on this transmission…of Hearts of Space.

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