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PGM 1211R ‘ELECTRON TRAVELER 4’ : dec.16-jan. 6

Flying and floating in electronic soundscapes

Flying…and Floating. As a literal description of the experience, it goes back to the early days of popular electronic music and the early days of Hearts of Space. Over the years we’ve done programs called Floating Whispers, Floating Worlds, Floating Gardens, Floating Reveries, Floating Waves, Floating Winds, and yes, Flying and Floating 1, 2, and 3.

Back then I said “flying music is rhythm-powered and moves through space, heading for worlds beyond; floating music is goal-free—ethereal, static, and timeless.” You know, I can’t really add anything to that; we still enjoy expanding into unlimited virtual spaces, and yearn for the quiet pleasure of weightless suspension in time.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another journey in our electronic touring series, on a program called “ELECTRON TRAVELER 4.” Music is by ASCENDANT, KEVIN KELLER, ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT, DWIGHT LOOP, MASSERGY, and ERIK WØLLO.

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PGM 1412 ‘SACRED HYMNS and TIMELESS MELODIES’ : dec. 19-26

Western sacred music was created for use in monastic religious rituals and the liturgies of the early Christian church. Plainsong or Plainchant developed during the early centuries of Christianity, influenced by the music of the Jewish synagogue and by the Greek modal system. Plainchant, and later Gregorian chant, was simple, monophonic, and vocal.

With the patronage of the Catholic church, it existed in the rare and heightened atmosphere of spiritual belief. In the awe-inspiring reverberant spaces of stone churches and cathedrals, it evolved into the diverse sacred choral repertoire of today.

Western classical art music began around the 9th century A.D. with the introduction of Polyphony and a practical system of notation. It was also influenced by the music theories of ancient Greece and Rome, and evolved, with the patronage of the royal courts of Europe, into the diverse classical repertoire of today.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, it’s another winter holiday special from longtime guest producer ELLEN HOLMES, featuring some of the most revered hymns and beautiful melodies from the European classical and sacred choral traditions, on a program called “SACRED HYMNS and TIMELESS MELODIES.”

Music by MOZART, J.S.BACH, HANDEL, PRFAETORIUS, GOUNOD, MORAN, CASSIDY, GERRARD ++

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PGM 1386R ‘LIGHT TIME’ : dec.12-19

In the brief interlude between Thanksgiving and the winter holiday celebrations, we undergo a rapid change in emotional tone. Gone are the fearful ghosts and goblins of Halloween, the somber melancholy of the autumn season, and the quiet gratitude of Thanksgiving. Approaching the shortest day and longest night of the year on the winter solstice, we celebrate the return of the light.

Today, we chase away the gloom and transform our environment with millions of colorful lights and dazzling screens. From the brilliance of our seasonal displays to the hypnotic warmth of a single candle — we embrace the joy of light and color, and the fulfillment of sound and music. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, electronic ambient for the season of light, on a program called ‘LIGHT TIME.’

Music is by DAVID HELPLING and singer MIRIAM STOCKLEY, JOHAN AGEBJÖRN and singer LISA BARRA, ERIK WØLLO, TOM EATON, ROSS CHRISTOPHER, ROBERT RICH & LUCA FORMENTINI, JON HOPKINS & ÓLAFUR ARNALDS, and WILL BANGS. https://bit.ly/HoS-1386R

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PGM 1411 ‘ARCADIA’ : dec.5-12

The name “Arcadia” is associated with a vision of pastoral simplicity and harmony with nature. The term was inspired by the remote, mountainous Greek province ARKADIA, over 2500 years ago. In time it came to symbolize an unspoiled wilderness of natural splendor and harmony—an unattainable, lost Eden—virtuous and uncorrupted by civilization.

For New York composer KEVIN KELLER, Arcadia was a natural extension of his love for “plainsong” or “plainchant”—the medieval sacred vocal music that originated in the early years of Christianity, and led to the development of the more sophisticated “Gregorian” Chant beginning in the 9th century. Keller’s 2023 album EVENSONG included plainchant melodies and Latin texts by HILDEGARD VON BINGEN, who played a key role in the evolution and eventual dominance of the Gregorian Chant in the 12th century.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey from “Contemporary-Medieval” to “Ethereal Electronic Classical,” on a program called “ARCADIA.” Music is by KEVIN KELLER with SOFIA CAMPOAMOR, BRIAN ENO, IMMERSION THEORY, MEG BOWLES, DEBORAH MARTIN & J.ARIF VERNER, BLUETECH, and JEFF PEARCE.

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PGM 1357R ‘AUTUMN TWILIGHT’ : nov.14-21

Of all the seasons, fall is the one that comes with the most mixed emotions: relief at the return of moderate temperatures, pleasure at nature’s autumn color show, and a feeling of melancholy at the darkening of the light.

Technical interventions like Daylight Saving Time can’t hide the fact that the amount of daylight is decreasing. In the northern hemisphere, we’re counting down to the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year, around December 21st.

For ambient musicians, fall offers a darker palette, more somber harmonies, and a call to explore deeper feelings. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we descend into the dimming light of fall, on a program called “AUTUMN TWILIGHT.”’

Music is by TOM EATON, BOB HOLROYD, SUBDREAM, DEEPSPACE, STEVE ROACH, and RUSSEL WALDER.

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PGM 1409 ‘ADAGIETTO’ : nov.7-14

Sublime melodic classics for string orchestra and small ensembles

The language of music notation is Italian, and the Italian word “adagietto” calls for a musical tempo that falls between adagio—”slow and stately”—and andante—”at a walking pace” — calm, flowing, relaxed.

By far the best known adagietto in the classical repertoire is the gorgeous 4th movement of GUSTAV MAHLER’s Symphony No. 5, which due to its length and beauty is often performed as a standalone concert piece. We’ll be hearing it on this transmission of Hearts of Space from longtime guest producer for classical and sacred music, ELLEN HOLMES, on a special program of much-loved orchestral and chamber classics called ADAGIETTO.

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PGM. 1331R ‘CELLO ELEGIES 2’ : oct.31-nov.7

Mournful…plaintive…melancholy…somber…sonorous…resonant.

The cello is all this and more — a compact, versatile string orchestra in one instrument, with a four-octave range that comes fully alive in the dark days of autumn. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, it’s an autumn journey featuring the plangent tones of the cello, on a program called “CELLO ELEGIES 2.”

Music is by DAVID DARLING, HANS CHRISTIAN, MAYA BEISER, BLACK TAPE for a BLUE GIRL, ERALDO BERNOCCHI & HOSHIKO YAMANE, JESSE AHMANN, MAX RICHTER, and MARCELLO DE FRANCISCI.

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PGM 1108R ‘VERNAL TRANSIT’ : apr.25-may 2

THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING is, as they say about the future, “unequally distributed.” While our friends in the northern states and upper elevations are enjoying 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.

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

PGM 1391 ‘NORTHERN LIGHTS 5’ : feb.15-22

For ambient and electronic artists, the music of the winter season holds a special appeal. Dense drones, chilled harmonies, bright bells and percussion, and the psychoactive power of minimalist patterns — add up to a powerful palette of musical elements.

The small but artistically mighty countries of Scandinavia and the Arctic north produce far more than their share of world-class music across a wide range of contemporary genres and music for film. Nourishing it all is the influence of the extraordinary natural environment: the cold North Sea and volcanic islands, the dramatic coastal mountains and fjords, the vast boreal forests, the visual magic of fog, mist, and snow, and the otherworldly spectacle of the auroras—the famous northern lights.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, wintry ambient from Scandinavia and the Arctic north to Northern California, on a program called “NORTHERN LIGHTS 5.” Music is by ROBERT JÜRJENDAL, ERIK WØLLO, PHILLIP WILKERSON & CHRIS RUSSELL, SNOWDROPS, TERJE ISUNGSET & EIVIND AARSET, MARK BANNING (RIP), and JEFF PEARCE.

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

PGM 1377 ‘SEQUENCER AIRLINES’ : jul 26-aug 2

THE ARRIVAL OF PRACTICAL ELECTRONIC SYNTHESIZERS in the late 1960s and early 1970s caused a sensation around the world, but nowhere more than Germany. Postwar German artists were restless, intent on leaving behind all forms of traditional German music, as well as the Rhythm & Blues roots and song structure of popular Anglo-American rock.

An innocent feature of early modular synthesizers called a “step sequencer” provided a tool that led to the development of an original style called “Kosmische Musik” or “Cosmic Music” in Germany, and—more playfully—“KrautRock.” The step sequencer made it easy to create hypnotic rhythm loops with up to 32 notes or steps, set a tempo, and mix them over flowing electronic drones. The effect was to “float” the listener through endless terrestrial or cosmic space: it was addictive.

Seminal groups and individuals like CAN, KLAUS SCHULZE, TANGERINE DREAM, KRAFTWERK, CLUSTER, ASH RA TEMPEL, HARMONIA and others, created an enduring style that has influenced genres from Minimalism, Ambient and Electronic Dance Music, to New Age and Techno. Today we call it the “Berlin School.”

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another timeless flight on electronic rhythms, on a program called SEQUENCER AIRLINES. Music is by ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT, STATE AZURE, STEVE HAUSCHILDT, STARTERRA, MARTIN STURTZER, SYNTH REPLICANTS, STRAY THEORIES, NILS FRAHM, and EDGAR FROESE.

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