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PGM 947R 'ETHEREA' : april 26-may 3

PYTHAGORAS was the ancient Greek philosopher who taught that the cosmos is constructed of spheres, and that air (or a transparent mist called "aether") was the "arche" or substratum of everything — thus the word archetype. In 19th century Victorian science, the "luminiferous ether" was a medium for the propagation of light. In the early 20th century, the Theosophists and Rosicrucians theorized an "etheric plane" — a nonmaterial level of reality above the physical plane.

When applied to music, ethereal means subtle, airy and light — immaterial and weightless. It's a word often applied to electronic music, where the sounds are not produced by physical instruments and have an abstract, immaterial quality.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we push off from the bright spaces and watery sounds of spring, journey into rarified realms of light and space, and return to verdant images of spring — on a program called ETHEREA. Music is by ISHQ, KUUTANA, MOTIONFIELD, IASOS, JEFFREY KOEPPER, and AMONGST MYSELVES. 

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

PGM 1370 'TRANSLUCENT GUITARS 2' : apr.19-26

If you've driven an electric car, you've experienced the feeling of smooth, silent power that conveys you almost effortlessly to your destination. Something similar happened to the venerable Spanish guitar when it got an electronic upgrade in the 20th century. In just a few years, a charming but limited folk instrument became a powerhouse — a vehicle for everything from heroic flights to subtle meditations.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we ride our favorite six string transporter to ethereal realms, on a program called 'TRANSLUCENT GUITARS 2'  Music is by ERIK WØLLO, DAVID HELPLING, HAMMOCK, JOHN GREGORIUS, JEFF PEARCE, CLIVE WRIGHT & HAROLD BUDD, CHUCK JOHNSON, and TOM CAUFIELD. 

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

PGM 1369 'TOTALITY' : apr.5-12

It's being called the "astronomical event of the decade." If you live in the middle third or the northeastern quarter of the United States—on a line from Texas to Maine—there's a good chance that a total solar eclipse of the sun will be visible on the afternoon of April 8th, 2024. Depending on the exact location, the darkening and cooling within the moon's shadow or "umbra" only lasts from two to seven and a half minutes, because the umbra moves across the earth's surface at over 1100 miles per hour.

Surprisingly, solar eclipses are not that rare. There are at least two, and up to five, somewhere on earth each year. For millennia, solar eclipses were attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as evil omens. Modern astronomers have taken most of the mystery and superstition—but not the strangeness and thrill—out of eclipses. They can now be accurately predicted hundreds of years into the future, but they still have a cosmic appeal that attracts millions of viewers and a worldwide community of "umbraphiles."

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, music for a total eclipse of the sun, on a program called TOTALITY. Music is by CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, SUBDREAM, STELLARIUM, LONEWARD, ZENON MARKO, ROBERT RICH, and STEVE ROACH.

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