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PGM 985R 'BADLANDS' : aug. 30-sept. 6

Out on the western range, there's places where the deep prairie meets the desert at the end of the line. Places where the tough get going and the outlaws go to hide: where the land's eroded, the water's scarce, the weather's bad, the nights are dangerous, and everything you see is a survivor. It's called..."The Badlands." 

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a program inspired by this hard and beautiful environment, called BADLANDS. Music is by DANIEL LANOIS, ERIC TINGSTAD, CARL WEINGARTEN, BRUCE KAPHAN, EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, JAPANCAKES and DAVID TORN.

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PGM 1155R 'NOCTURNAL TRANSMISSIONS' : aug. 23-30

Would you believe me if I told you that all the sounds you're hearing are made with an analog synthesizer? Strange but true. It's the work of KEVIN BRAHENY FORTUNE, one of the early masters of long-form electronic ambient music. And it's a good story. 

The 1970s were a decade of discovery and development for electronic music. Early analog synthesizer modules by ROBERT MOOG, DON BUCHLA, and SERGE TCHEREPNIN fueled an explosion of creativity. If you were serious, you wound up building your own instruments and creating your own sounds. Then KEVIN BRAHENY (the Fortune came later...) was a talented musician and soprano saxophone player in Los Angeles who worked designing and building electronic instruments with several of the early pioneers of analog synthesis in California. 

The foundations for Ambient electronic music were being created out of the new possibilities opened up by the synthesizer, and the psychological and social changes inspired by psychedelic drugs. This new sensibility lead to the creation of extended musical "journeys" of 30 minutes or more, which could be released on cassette. Later, even longer journeys were possible on CD. 

In 1980 Braheny improvised a live 35 minute "lullaby" to close a HEARTS OF SPACE fundraising special on our home station, KPFA-FM in Berkeley. It turned out so well it was released later that year as "Lullaby for the Hearts of Space," along with a composed companion piece called "After I Said Goodnight. " And that's where we begin this edition of Hearts of Space called NOCTURNAL TRANSMISSIONS.

Music is by KEVIN BRAHENY FORTUNE, CHAD HOEFLER, ROBERT RICH, ALIO DIE, and IASOS.

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PGM 810R 'DESERT DREAMFIELDS' : july 26-aug. 2

In the desert, extremes of sun, wind, temperature and terrain challenge all living things to evolve a strategy for survival. So desert travelers take it slow and steady. But for those who venture into its vast spaces, the promise of discovery awaits: a mythic environment of isolation and introspection, concealed by panoramic expanses. In the words of EDWARD ABBEY, the desert is a "window onto eternity." 

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a deep journey called DESERT DREAMFIELDS. Music is by STEVE ROACH, DWIGHT LOOP, TOM HEASLEY, and the late A.PRODUCE.

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PGM 917R 'SUMMER DRUMMER' : july 5-12

Since time out of mind, drumming has been both a musical practice and a social magnet. In the warm zone cultures of the Caribbean, Africa, the Indo-Pacific, and Latin America — drumming music is king. When the temperature rises, the blood seems to thin and the body wants to move. For most, it's a time for dancing, but for others, it's an invitation to the hypnotic state of dynamic stillness: the use of rhythm to achieve deeper levels of concentration.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we follow the pulse of the season to its quiet heart, on program called SUMMER DRUMMER. Music is by GLEN VELEZ, JON IVERSON, RAVID, STEPHAN MICUS, LAURA INSERRA & DARREN GIBBS, and ED MANN.

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PGM 1105R 'ATMOSPHERIC' : june 14-21

If there's one thing that Ambient electronic music excels at creating, it's the experience of floating in space. And when that space is high, light, and airy, we call it atmospheric.

Atmospheres have qualities — elevation, temperature, brightness, color, density, and a wide range of tones. When we immerse ourselves in sonic atmospheres, our normal sense of time seems to disappear: suspended in space, we lose track of time. Einstein probably had a special theory about that.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, an airy, immersive electronic journey, on a program called ATMOSPHERIC. Music is by KIT WATKINS, JACK HERTZ, CRAIG PADILLA, ROBERT SCOTT THOMPSON, ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT, and DARSHAN AMBIENT.

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PGM 1077R 'WINDS OF CHANGE' : may 17-24

Ahhh, the fullness of Spring! It arrives when we're not looking, concealed by fresh winds, bright clouds, and unpredictable weather. Beneath the superficial chaos beats a steady rhythm, as the natural world acclimates to more light and heat. The flora bloom and change, while the fauna increase their activity after the restrictions of winter. It's a time for production, and reproduction.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space we sound the fullness of spring, on a program called WINDS OF CHANGE. Music is by ERIK WØLLO, ATOMIC SKUNK, ISHQ, FORREST SMITHSON, DAN POUND, YUNOMI, ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT, and LEMONGRASS.

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PGM 763R 'QUIET PRAYERS' : april 19-26

Every year at Easter, we take the opportunity to catch up on the finest sounds in sacred choral music. There's something mysterious and majestic in the sound of voices in harmony. As often in the past, we turned to guest producer ELLEN HOLMES of Adagio Recordings, who brought us a bouquet of sublime pieces from the repertoire. 

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, our common theme is QUIET PRAYERS. Not only Easter sacred music — but sacred music that sounds right at Easter. It comes from many countries and spans several centuries: from medieval hymns to 21st century art songs. 

QUIET PRAYERS...a sacred choral collection for Easter, on this edition...of Hearts of Space.

Music is by DOBRI CHRISTOV (Sophia Orthodox Choir), JEAN RICHAFORT (Huelgas Ensemble), G.POPESCU-BRANESTI and PAUL CONSTANINESCU (Kontakion Choir), RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (Bulgarian Voices Angelite), ANONYMOUS (Trio Medieval), JOHN TAVENER (Anonymous 4), MORTEN LAURIDSEN (Nordic Chamber Choir), NIKOLAI KEDROV SR.(Kitka), ALEXANDER SHEREMETIEV (Academy Chorus), JOSEF KETCHAKHMADZE (St. Petersburg Chamber Choir), TOMAS LUIS de VICTORIA (Voices of Ascension), PEROTIN (Choeur Gregorien de Paris-Voix de Femmes), GUILLAUME BOUZIGNAC (Les Arts Florissants), MAURICE DURUFLÉ (Corydon Singers), ARVO PÄRT (Hilliard Ensemble and Christoph Maria Moosmann).

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PGM 762R 'INSIDE LOOKING OUT': A Mark Hollis Retrospective — apr. 5-12

The story of English singer/songwriter MARK HOLLIS is an inspiration to serious musicians and listeners everywhere — a lesson in 'following the muse' to a place of true creativity. 

Born in London in 1955, Hollis came of age in the 1970s and embarked on the mythic road to fame and fortune by starting a rock band. After a few false starts it worked, and the group TALK TALK began a short, brilliant pop music career that included several gold records in England and Europe in the 1980s. 

But Mark Hollis' artistic yearnings pulled him off the beaten track and into a subtle, moving and deeply contemplative space — influenced by jazz, blues, ambient and chamber music, yet sounding unlike anyone else, before or since. 

The two final TALK TALK albums—SPIRIT OF EDEN from 1988 and LAUGHING STOCK from 1991—plus a 1998 solo album titled simply MARK HOLLIS, are all quiet masterpieces and timeless works of art, graced by profoundly poetic lyrics and vocals from powerfully emotional...to evanescent.  On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a MARK HOLLIS Retrospective called INSIDE LOOKING OUT.

Mark Hollis hung up his guitar for the last time in February 2019, aged 64. This program is dedicated to his music and his memory. 

Info: http://users.cybercity.dk/~bcc11425 (fan site) 

SPIRIT OF EDEN Lyrics
LAUGHING STOCK Lyrics
MARK HOLLIS (solo album) Lyrics

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PGM 904R 'THE TURNING TIDE' : march 15-22

Every year at the threshold of spring, we return to the joy and heartache of Celtic music. 
We celebrate a culture whose roots go back to Iron Age Europe, that became one of the foundations of western European folk music, and by virtue of waves of Irish and Scottish immigration, a major element in American folk music as well.

During the last 20 years we had a bit of a boom in Celtic music. These days things have quieted down, but the genre is still abundant with talented musicians and superb recordings. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE it's a timely journey in the Celtic soundscape called THE TURNING TIDE.

Music is by JEFF JOHNSON & BRIAN DUNNING, singers MAEVE McKINNON, KAREN MATHESON and CATRIONA WATT, fiddler ATHENA TERGIS, Celtic harpist AINE MINOGUE, and the bands ALTAN and SOLAS.

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PGM 971R 'WINTER HARMONIES' : feb.22-mar.1

It seems the farther north you go, the warmer the music. It's a generalization to be sure, but whether the genre is North Country folk music, classical, jazz, electronics, or some creative hybrid — northern musicians have a history of chasing away the chill with melodies and harmonies that please the ear, warm the heart, and nourish the soul. More often than not those harmonies are consonant, derived from the great European romantic tradition, and extended with love and care.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a midwinter collection of acoustic instrumentals that bring us that sought-after feeling of warmth and space...on a program called WINTER HARMONIES.

Music is by BILL DOUGLAS, SECRET GARDEN, WILLIAM ZEITLER, JEFF PEARCE, KETIL BJORNSTAD & DAVID DARLING, FRANCOIS COUTURIER, THE TYTINGVAG ENSEMBLE, and introducing M.K.SOL.

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PGM 1099R 'POLARIS' : feb.1-8

WINTER BRINGS CRYSTALLINE BELLS and metallic tones reverberating in chilled electronic soundscapes. In the far north, the long night sky fills with the hypnotic lights of the auroras, while infinite stars sparkle in the frigid air. Warm harmonies and fire in the hearth bring a sense of peace in an uncertain world.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space we set a course on the north star, with a wintry journey to the electronic north, on a program called POLARIS.

Music is by GEORGE WALLACE, ERIK WØLLO, BRYAN CARRIGAN, CHRISTEL VERAART, KLAUS SCHULZE & LISA GERRARD, OÖPHOI & PAUL VNUK JR., and JEFF PEARCE. 

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PGM 1132R 'POLAR FLIGHT 2' : jan. 4-11

We're flying over the north polar icecap — in winter, a dazzling wonderland of white and deep blue. It's a vast glacial world of snow and ice, fractal patterns shot through with veins of melting water. Ambient electronic music, with its chilled harmonies, slowly changing rhythm patterns and endless reverberant sound images, creates the perfect soundtrack for this spectacular landscape.

In the polar night above the Arctic Circle, the winter sun never rises above the horizon; only the hypnotic ion curtains of the auroras relieve the darkness, while the sounds of moving water and breaking ice punctuate the solitude. It's a contemplative environment of sublime majesty and depth.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey to the Arctic north, on a program called POLAR FLIGHT 2. Music is by ASCENDANT, YAGYA, BANCO DE GAIA, SIMON LOMAX, WINGS OF AN ANGEL, and EASYCHORD.

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PGM 1064R 'MAGNIFICAT' : dec.21-28

The great tradition of choral singing has a glorious history extending over thousands of years. Even in these diverse, multicultural, often secular days, the tradition endures because there is something deeply satisfying and essentially human in the sound and the practice of group singing.

Choral groups range from trios to 200 voice chorales; they're often unpaid and done purely for the love of it. The genre has attracted specialist composers in every era, some working within churches and religious institutions, others as solo artists. During the winter holiday season, we enjoy choral classics like The Messiah and traditional hymns and carols in sacred spaces from cathedrals to street corners.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another sacred music journey from our longtime guest producer for classical and sacred music ELLEN HOLMES, on a program called 'MAGNIFICAT.'

From the Western Christian tradition, we have music by MOZART, HANDEL, CHARPENTIER, COUPERIN, GUERRERO, ANDREA GABRIELI and JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH; from the Eastern Orthodox sacred service, music by ANONYMOUS MASTERS, by ARCHBISHOP IONAFAN, NIKOLAI KEDROV SR., DIVNA and the MELODI CHOIR, N.FRUNZA, ANATOLY LIADOV, and OTTO OLSSON.

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PGM 1130R 'TOWARDS THE LIGHT' : dec.7-14

In the early days of December, we leave behind the trials and tribulations of the year past and focus on the annual rituals of the holiday season. In the shortest days and longest nights of the year, light itself becomes the theme, and an integral part of the year-end religious celebrations.

Whether it's traditional, commercial or spiritual, the music of the season takes on a festive, energetic air, culminating in the dazzling celebrations of the new year. It's a time for generosity, optimism, and hope.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space we celebrate the spirit of the season, on a journey called TOWARD THE LIGHT.

Music is by MATTHEW STEWART, SUBDREAM, FORT FAIRFIELD, DAVID HELPLING, TRENTEMØLLER, JUTA TAKAHASHI, STEVE ROACH & ROBERT LOGAN, BRIAN ENO, and MAX RICHTER.

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PGM 1028R 'SHADOWLANDS' : nov.23-30

Now there's a winning combination: the classic floating keyboard sound of German synthesist KLAUS SCHULZE, and the cor Anglais or English horn — actually neither English nor a horn, but an alto oboe, a member of the double reed family. They go together like peaches and...well, just pick your favorite food analogy.

While earlier artists often drew purist lines between electronic and acoustic instruments, today it's all fair game for the architects of space and Ambient music. And why not? It brings us the magic combination of unlimited electronic sound design, and traditional instrument expression.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space...a journey in the dark forests and electro-acoustic soundscapes of late autumn, on a program called SHADOWLANDS. Music is by KLAUS SCHULZE, HAROLD BUDD, CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, FRORE, DIATONIS, MARK BANNING, and DAVID HELPLING & JON JENKINS.

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PGM 1160R "ARCHAIC CONCERTS' : nov. 2-9

Hearts of Space was born and raised during the formative years of electronic music in the 1970s and 80s. Because we've been covering the ambient side of its evolution for over forty years, the program has often been associated primarily with electronic music. 

But since the very beginning, we've always given almost equal time to traditional, purely acoustic forms of contemplative, space-creating music, as well as "electro-acoustic" hybrids. The reason was simple: long before electronics, there were centuries of music from dozens of world cultures that not only offered profound listening experiences — they defined and set the standard for what music can be. 

To be sure, electronics opened up vast new tonal and expressive dimensions for contemporary music — but we still return to traditional acoustic music, sit in virtual palace halls on ancient nights, and drink from the source of musical language. 

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, contemplative sounds on venerable acoustic instruments, on a program called ARCHAIC CONCERTS. The title is taken from the 1976 debut album of the unique German musician STEPHAN MICUS, who inspired, and is featured, in this program. 

Music is by STEPHAN MICUS, MYSTIC JOURNEY, MICHEL BANABILA & MEHMET POLAT, HANS CHRISTIAN, DJIVAN GASPARYAN, and SHUNSUKE MIZUNO.

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PGM 1022R 'TIMELESS STRINGS' : oct. 5-12

From the prehistoric days of musical instruments, we have the flute, the rattle, and the drum; later, primitive trumpets and reeds; and from ancient Mesopotamia more than 4,000 years ago, early members of the chordophone family of plucked strings — lyres, zithers, harps, and lutes.

Stringed instruments have come a long way since then. In Europe, bowed strings were refined into the violin family we know today, while lutes evolved into the guitar. Music for strings developed along with the instruments, and Western classical music is rich with variations.

Among stringed instruments, perhaps the most versatile is the cello: a virtual solo string orchestra. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, contemplative music for strings with a focus on the cello, on a program called TIMELESS STRINGS. Featured cellists are JAMIE SIEBER, DAVID DARLING, JONATHAN HUGH, and MARTIN TILLMAN.

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PGM 1023R 'FALLING DARK 4' : sept. 28 - oct. 5

Descending into the autumn soundscape, we return to the slower, darker, burnished electro-acoustic sounds of the season: cello, piano, electronic keyboards. It's a time for descending progressions, dark drones and minor key harmonies, as the music echoes the shorter days and declining light after the fall equinox.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an ambient journey for early autumn, on a program called FALLING DARK 4.

Music is by TIM STORY & HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS, JEFF GREINKE, HAROLD BUDD, HERION, JEFF PEARCE, RICHARD BONE,  and from Finland, JANNE HANHISUANTO.

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PGM 1119R 'SUMMERTRONICA 7' : aug.31-sept.7

GLIDING IN in on sleek electronic waves, marking time with a subtle four-note sequence, drifting across ethereal atmospheres, and riding off on the solar wind. Yes, spacefans, we've arrived at that timely combination of chilled electronics and the season we call... SUMMERTRONICA.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient electronics to cool your summer, on a program called SUMMERTRONICA 7. Music is by ASCENDANT, ROBERT RICH, BLUETECH, LEMONGRASS, and STEVE BRAND.

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PGM 922R 'SONG OF AFRICA' : aug. 24-31

The Zulu harmonies of LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO from South Africa have a special place in the history of contemporary music. Established in the 1960s, their fame in their homeland attracted the attention of American pop singer/songwriter PAUL SIMON, who went to South Africa to record with them in 1986. The resulting album GRACELAND sold 16 million copies, and arguably kicked off the 'world music' trend in the United States.

Of course, there's a lot more to African music. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we immerse ourselves in the buoyant rhythms, earthy sounds and charming melodies that make African music such a delight, with songs by LADYSMITH BLACK MOMBAZO, HABIB KOITE & BAMADA, WILL RIDENOUR & BETSY BEVAN, SAMITE, KEVIN NATHANIEL, DAVID GILDEN, AYUB OGADA, and DANIEL BERKMAN.

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PGM 1121R 'DESERT REFLECTIONS' : aug. 17-24

After two centuries of novels and a century of films, the endless desert spaces of the American southwest have taken on a mythic identity. The desert has become a metaphor for expansion, infinite opportunity, and the wild frontier — the scene of rough justice and adventure, and a place for self-discovery and reinvention.

For Ambient musicians, the desert has long been a prime source of inspiration, a visual and spatial touchstone, a realm of vast vistas and profound silences. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another journey in the sun-dried spaces of the American Southwest, on a program called DESERT REFLECTIONS.

Music is by STEVE ROACH, DAN POUND, D LOOP, BRIAN PARNHAM, and RUDY ADRIAN.

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PGM 1086R 'SUMMERFLIGHT' : aug. 3-10

One of the most successful innovations of the early days of popular electronic music was the "sequencer" — an easy way to make repeating electronic patterns. Beginning in the 1940s as a crude electro-mechanical device, it was refined in the 1960s by DON BUCHLA as part of his modular analog synthesizer. The sequencer was so musically useful that it was quickly adopted by ROBERT MOOG and soon became a standard feature of analog synthesizers.

Moog's legendary instruments were snapped up in the 1970s by cutting edge European musicians. In Berlin the artist behind (the music you're hearing), a young drummer named KLAUS SCHULZE, was a founding member of several early electronic bands before going solo.

The rest is electronic music history. The hypnotic rhythms that Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream and others created with their sequencers were so influential that the "Berlin School" style lives on today and enjoys periodic revivals. It's addictive, enjoyable music: for some, a descendant of Baroque counterpoint; for others, an infinite playground of music for virtual flight across electronic soundscapes; and for listeners, an appealing rhythmic music...without drums.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space...flying and floating on electronic rhythms, on a program called SUMMERFLIGHT. Music is by KLAUS SCHULZE, ASCENDANT, DITHMAR, CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, NATURAL FREQUENCIES, PETE NAMLOOK & DR. ATMO, ISHQ, and ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT.

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PGM 978R 'FLOATING WAVES' : july 6-13

Of all the psycho-physical sensations produced by ambient music, perhaps the most widely enjoyed is the feeling of weightless floating.

Of course, there are other ways to achieve this sought-after state: scuba diving, for example, is an exercise in "neutral buoyancy," where the diver floats suspended in the water column, weightless and serene. And scientist JOHN LILLY and others famously promoted "floatation tanks" filled with body-temperature salt water for floating psychonauts.

At the extreme sports end of the weightlessness experience, we have roller coasters, tethered drops like bungee jumping, high pressure air columns, and diving planes with padded interiors.

But let's face it spacefans — music is safer and more accessible than all the others. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we take an anti-gravity journey in the ambient soundscape called FLOATING WAVES. Music is by THOUGHT GUILD, CARL SAGAN's GHOST, JONN SERRIE, COYOTE OLDMAN, STU JENKS, and CONSTANCE DEMBY.

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PGM 1148R 'INNER RHYTHMS' : june 8-15

The trance rhythms of the Middle East, Asia and Africa are steady, continuous, and slowly changing. Rather than driving you forward like the ubiquitous military march beats of western rock, they patiently insinuate themselves on your nervous system, steady the breath, slow the pulse, and ultimately...transform your awareness. Psychologists call it "entrainment" or "dissociation." The rest of us call it enchantment, rapture, ecstasy, or euphoria. It's all part of the wide world of trance.

Trance rhythms have been used by priests and shamans in non-western cultures for centuries. More recently they've been rediscovered by western musicians seeking an alternative to conventional beats, used by so-called "minimalist" classical composers, and adopted by experimental musicians around the world for their psychoactive power and popular appeal. Trance is also a major genre of Electronic Dance Music, with mind-altering beats heard on dance floors around the world.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space...we're going to insinuate ourselves on your nervous system — in a good way — with soft summer trance music, on a program called INNER RHYTHMS.

Music is by JAMES HOOD, BYRON METCALF, LOREN NERELL, DREAM JUNGLE, and DON LI.

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PGM 1019R 'OCEANIC REALMS' : may 18-25

What's the biggest thing on earth? It's the World Ocean — the total salt water of all the named oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic.

The world ocean is the largest part of the hydrosphere— the system of water, atmosphere and time that gives rise to the water cycle, weather and climate. Over 70% of earth is covered by the oceans, with an average depth of over 12,000 feet. That...is a lot of water. So though we're not an all-ocean planet, we're definitely a water planet.

Everything about the ocean is almost incomprehensibly vast, deep and powerful. Little wonder then, that it's a major inspiration, theme and metaphor for Ambient musicians.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space...we journey across oceans of electronic sound, on a program called OCEANIC REALMS. Music is by MEG BOWLES, MOODSWINGS, DAN POUND, MAX CORBACHO, STEVE ROACH, IGNEOUS FLAME, and PATRICK O'HEARN.

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