hearts of space | news

PGM 938R2 'WAITING' : feb.23-mar.1

If ever there was a part of everyday life that almost everyone hates, it's waiting.

It's a shame because waiting is unavoidable, like death and taxes — and just about as popular.

Waiting in line...is barely tolerated. God help the person who tries to cut in.

Waiting while driving is even worse, breeding dangerous, irrational behavior.
We have a name for that: road rage.

Waiting causes impatience, anger, and stress. We have drugs for that.

We have special rooms for waiting. They're rarely happy places.

In short, waiting is almost always considered a waste of time. A bad thing.

But it doesn't have to be that way. If you have a smart phone, you've already discovered the joys of "continuous episodic computing." It makes waiting productive. Just please...not while you're driving.

With a change in attitude, waiting becomes an opportunity for exploration, a time for discovery.  A time to read, play, watch or listen, connect with friends, write. Or simply a quiet space to catch up with yourself. A good thing.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an hour of ambient electronics for exploration and discovery, on a program called (wait for it)........WAITING.

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PGM 1365 'EUROJAZZ' : feb.16-23

The British jazz saxophonist and clarinetist JOHN SURMAN has a style that's described as "intensely lyrical," a quality he attributes to his time as a choirboy, and his upbringing in the verdant landscapes of rural west England. Surman sees the 20th century origins of jazz by black musicians in the U.S. as a melting pot of world music, with African, Creole, Spanish and other influences. These were eventually transformed into the speed and virtuosity of Bebop, which dominated jazz at mid-century.

Between the world wars, Europe had become a major venue for American jazz musicians. The genre took on influences from European folk and classical music, as well as a wider range of world influences from the Middle East, Central Asia, and South America. As a result, European jazz tended to be less abstract, more melodic, and more atmospheric than American jazz. The essential German jazz and New Music label ECM, founded in 1969, continues to document this repertoire in a catalog of over 1800 superb recordings, from which this program is drawn.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, lyrical jazz from Europe with a focus on Norway, a small country that produces a remarkable amount of great music, on a program called EUROJAZZ. Music is by the TORD GUSTAVSEN QUARTET, TERJE RYPDAL, JOHN SURMAN, ARVE HENRIKSEN & HARMEN FRAANJE, THOMAS STRØNEN, CRAIG TABORN, and KRISTJAN RANDALU with BEN MONDER and MARKKU OUNASKARI. 

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PGM 1101R 'NORTHSCAPES' : feb.9-16

THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE THE STILLNESS of a frigid winter night. Sensible humans retreat to their heated homes and warm beds, while the normal hyperactivity of the natural world is reduced to almost nothing by cold and dark. Even busy nocturnal creatures and insects take some time off, while flowing water turns to silent ice.

It's an environment that finds expression in a rarified genre of electronic music, which runs the gamut from cool, to chilled, to frozen. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, Ambient electronic music for quiet winter nights, on a program called NORTHSCAPES.

Music is by SOUNDS & SILENCE, SIMON LOMAX, CONNECT.OHM, MEG  BOWLES, STEVE ROACH, MARK BANNING, JAJA, and BLISS.

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PGM 1364 'ATMOSPHERIC CLASSICAL' : feb.2-9

The evolution of western classical art music is a story of evolving cultures, developing instruments, and continuous musical innovation. Over the course of some twelve centuries, acoustic strings, winds, horns, keyboards, and percussion instruments evolved into the symphony orchestra, as well as smaller groups: string orchestras, horn and wind ensembles, and intimate string quartets, trios, and duos. Each group was designed for a specific kind of music and social occasion.

The arrival of electronic instruments in the 20th century was a disruptive innovation that stimulated a different response than the slow evolution of acoustic instruments. Electronics promised the composer freedom from acoustic limitations, the ability to design completely new tones and new instruments, create spatial sound images and virtual environments. In time, these new capabilities led to new genres like Electronic Space and Ambient, with expansive cosmic spaces, infinite floating worlds, and subtle textures.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we explore the intersection of classical form and ambient electronics, on program called ATMOSPHERIC CLASSICAL. Music is by MAX RICHTER, A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN, CHRISTIAN WITTMAN, HAMMOCK, JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON and JONAS COLSTRUP, WILLLIAM ST. HUGH, and BOB HOLROYD.

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