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PGN 1395 'OF SOUND AND SPIRIT' : apr.18-25

THE MUSIC OF EASTER—with its traditional themes of death and rebirth—touches the extremes of the emotional spectrum, from deepest anguish to radiant joy.

Over the past 40 years, Hearts of Space has often celebrated this special holiday with the help of our longtime guest producer for classical and sacred music, ELLEN HOLMES. This year, once again, Ellen brings us a collection of sublime choral and instrumental music for Easter, on a program she calls “OF SOUND AND SPIRIT.” 

“Traditionally,” she says, “on Easter Sunday and during the week before Easter—concerts of majestic music are performed all over the world…celebrating the miracle…of life’s eternal renewal. This special Easter program follows that tradition, featuring exceptionally beautiful pieces and performances from ancient to contemporary.”

With music by FRANZ SCHUBERT, HENRIK ØDEGAARD, JORDI SAVALL, J.S. BACH, SIGVALDI KALDALÓNS, GUSTAVE MAHLER, MAX RICHTER, CHARLES GOUNOD, and others. 

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PGM 1394 'AMBIANCE FRANÇAISE : mar.28-apr.4

The story of French electronic music over the last hundred years is one of artistic and technical innovations that changed the course of contemporary music.

The late 19th century stylistic inventions of GABRIEL FAURÉ, MAURICE RAVEL, and CLAUDE DEBUSSY led to the emergence of Impressionism and Minimalism in the 20th century—while the revolutionary innovations of ERIK SATIE laid the foundation for ambient background music and personal music for solo piano.

At the same time, the invention of playable French electronic instruments like the “Ondes Martenot” in 1928, accelerated the arrival of live electronic performance, and the French brilliance in style and design produced exceptionally refined sonic and textural quality in recordings after mid-century.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a look at French ambient and electronic music from the 1970’s to now, on a program called "AMBIANCE FRANÇAISE."  Music is by DEBUSSY via TOMITA, JEAN MICHEL JARRE, THIERRY DAVID, CHRISTIAN WITTMAN, PAUL SAUVANET, and AIR.  https://bit.ly/HOS-1394.

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PGM 1393 'DEEP TONES — David Parsons tribute, Part 2 of 2' : mar.14-21

NEW ZEALAND MUSICIAN DAVID PARSONS—in retrospect one of the greatest (though less well-known) world-ambient-electronic musicians—passed away in February 2025 at 80. His recorded legacy is so innovative, extensive, and important, that we are doing a two-part tribute. Last week we repeated our first Parsons retrospective from 2003—"LONG TONES." This week we focus on music from the later years of his innovative musical career, on a program called "DEEP TONES."

Parsons was one of the earliest western musicians to embrace North Indian classical music, traveling to India in the late 1970s to study the sitar with female master KRISHNA CHAKRAVARTY.  Fascinated by the sound of drones and “long tones” in Indian music, Parsons was one of the first to recognize the connection between Indian classical and electronic music, and pioneered popular fusions between the genres.

In the late 1980s he went digital, incorporating samples of ethnic instruments, ambient sounds, and the chanting and ceremonial instruments of Tibetan Buddhist monks into his music. In the 1990s Parsons’ music became deeper, more abstract, and purely electronic. He released a series of albums using only synthesizers and custom electronic sounds he produced from basic oscillators and filters. He said he was trying to create "atmospheric and surrealistic landscapes into which the listener can place their own thoughts and images."

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, "DEEP TONES"— Part 2 of our 2-part tribute to David Parsons.

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PGM 1392 'METALLOPHONIC 2' : feb.28 - mar.7

At the nadir of winter, the time of deepest cold and lowest natural activity, the sound of the resonant percussion family of instruments takes on a special appeal. The metallophones—bells, bowls, gongs, chimes, and cymbals—speak eloquently in the chilled, quiet air.

Whether used for religious ceremonies in ancient Buddhist mountain cultures like Tibet; for sound healing and therapeutic work; or for creative experimental music—these instruments have a sublime elegance and power.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, another winter journey for  resonant percussion, on a program called "METALLOPHONIC 2". Music is by SHAWN FEENEY, LAURA INSERRA, HANG MASSIVE, THOMAS BRETT, ED MANN, and KARMA MOFFETT.

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PGM 1390 'SILO' : jan.31-feb.7

In 2016, Icelandic film composer ATLI ÖRVARSSON was having a great career — working with industry heavyweights, scoring dozens of movies and TV series, and winning awards. But after more than a decade in Los Angeles, he was moved to return to his small hometown in the north of Iceland, build a film-scoring studio, create a record label for Icelandic artists, and help establish the scoring orchestra “Sinfonia Nord.”

All this has made tiny Iceland a new center for film and television scoring, helping to meet the expanded demands of the video streaming era. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we have a great example: a journey into a post-apocalyptic dystopian future world, based on HUGH HOWEY’s “Wool” trilogy of science fiction novels, and inspired by the APPLE TV Plus Sci-Fi Series “SILO.”

We feature ATLI ÖRVARSSON’s brooding, powerful score from “SILO,” plus related music from HANS ZIMMER’s score for “INCEPTION" — on this transmission of Hearts of Space. 

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PGM 1389 'ISOLATION' : jan.17-24

Last year, the Surgeon General of the United States released a report warning about “an epidemic of loneliness.” What’s being called “an anti-social century of self-imposed solitude” was becoming a social fact, with negative effects on health equivalent to tobacco or obesity.

In 2020, over half of Americans were unmarried, separated, divorced, or widowed. Of those, two thirds had never been married. In 2023, 38 million Americans were living alone—more than 30% of households—and three quarters of all restaurant business...was take-out. For those who did eat in a restaurant, dining alone had increased by 29%.

At the same time, the highly social entertainment business was moving to digital home delivery: video was booming, while theaters and clubs were closing. For those who did venture out, thanks to ear buds, music consumption on mobile phones created a class of “audio-isolated” individuals.

in the wake of these developments came an ambient music sub-genre called “Isolationist Ambient.” It creates a sense of being alone in vast, empty spaces. It’s an experience that has both positive and negative aspects: it can immerse listeners in sublime natural or virtual environments, with powerful psychological and physical benefits. Like meditation, it can lead to increased self-awareness, and respect for the natural environment. It can also deepen feelings of loneliness, depression, and despair.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, an ambient winter journey in solitary spaces, on a program called ISOLATION.

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PGM 1388 'WINTERTRONIC 4' : jan. 3-10

Smooth...chilled...and mysterious: the electronic orchestrations of the late German electronic music pioneer KLAUS SCHULZE — just one of the new styles to emerge from the hyper-creative incubator that was Berlin in the 1960s and 70s.

Electronic synthesizers ultimately fueled dozens of new genres, the most famous being “Kraut Rock.” But the confluence of cosmic electronic soundscapes and the classical music of Europe led to a widely popular genre that came to be known as “spacemusic.”

It was well-suited to the winter months, when listeners could easily make the perceptual leap from the new sound to the frigid vacuum of interstellar space—a natural conjunction that was recognized by the first generation of academic electronic musicians, like German composer KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another interstellar flight on electronic wings, on a program called WINTERTRONIC 4. Music is by KLAUS SCHULZE, MARK DWANE, ANDREW LAHIFF, DREAMSTATE LOGIC, ISOSTATIC, OXIA PALACE, and HOLLAN HOLMES.

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PGM 1387 'STARLIGHT NORTH 2' : dec.20-27

This week we honor our pagan ancestors and celebrate the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. We journey over the snow-covered mountains, frozen forests, and blue-gray fjords that inspire the music of northern Europe and Scandinavia.

In a land of dark and cold, the focus turns within, and the music of this frigid region warms the heart and nourishes the soul. Classical, jazz, and traditional folk sounds stretch from majestic and powerful, to intimate and ethereal—with brilliant timbres, gorgeous melodies, and rich harmonies.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another winter solstice celebration, on a program called "STARLIGHT NORTH 2." Music is by ORCHESTRA INDIGO, DEAD CAN DANCE, STEPHAN MICUS, TRINE OPSAHL, ANNBJØRG LIEN, BUKKENE BRUSE, CANTUS, ANNE DUDLEY, HEILUNG, HAGATHORN, SKÁLD, SHIGERU UMEBAYASHI, and ÁINE MINOGUE.

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PGM 1386 'LIGHT TIME' : dec.6-13

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-1386

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PGM 1385 'UNDERSCORE 3' : nov.15-22

The impulse to combine music and film goes back to the very beginning. The Lumiere brothers first silent film screening in Paris in 1895 was accompanied by a pianist. When films were added to vaudeville theaters at the beginning of the 20th century, music was provided by an in-house musician or organist, small ensembles, and even full orchestras.

Pipe organs for theaters—at the time the most wide-ranging and loudest instruments available—were built by the American musical instrument company Wurlitzer. The famous "Mighty Wurlitzer" theatre organ was introduced in 1910, and was installed in theatres, museums, and churches around the world.

Romantic-Classical styles and orchestration dominated the early years of sound films, and an emotional language of film music became widely understood. As film subject matter expanded, jazz and other "modernist" genres were added. Powerful rhythms, memorable melodic themes, and repeated motifs were common, as well as more subtle, quiet music to create mood and atmosphere. What we call ambient music today, was—and still is—a major part of film music, and came to be called the "underscore."

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient and atmospheric music for film, on a program called "UNDERSCORE 3."  Music is by TIM STORY, LISA GERRARD & PIETER BOURKE, LUDOVICO EINAUDI, HANS ZIMMER, MYCHAEL DANNA, ENNIO MORRICONE, TOM HOLKENBORG, and featuring BRIAN KEANE'S score for DANTE: INFERNO TO PARADISE.

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PGM 1384 'AUTUMN TRANSIT' : nov.1-8

Descending into the autumn soundscape, we return to the slow, dark, electro-acoustic sounds of the season—strings, horns, acoustic and electronic keyboards.

It's a time for descending progressions, dark drones, somber tone colors and minor key harmonies, as the music echoes the cooler days and waning light following the autumn equinox, culminating in the shocking loss of “Daylight Saving Time.”

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, it’s an ambient-atmospheric-classical journey for early fall, on a program called "AUTUMN TRANSIT." Music is by the indispensible MAX RICHTER, JÓHANN JÓHANSSON, WILLIAM ST.HUGH, BOB HOLROYD, and KEATON HENSON.

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PGM 1383 'DESCENDING DARK 4' : oct 18-25

Even in these days of extreme and unpredictable weather, our astronomical position in the Northern Hemisphere of a tilted planet all but guarantees that October is the month we finally descend into autumn. The Fall Equinox has come and gone, the days grow ever shorter, the light grows ever dimmer. In the natural world, it's a time of withering flora and busy fauna preparing for winter's chilled embrace.

For ambient musicians, it's a time for dark drones, descending progressions, and minor key harmonies, a realm of muted colors, bittersweet melodies, and a bit of melancholy for the lost days of summer.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we follow the dimming light to a realm of quiet acceptance, on a program called DESCENDING DARK 4. Music is by RUDY ADRIAN, DRIFTING IN SILENCE & TINEIDAE, ROBERT RICH & LUCA FORMENTINI, STEVE ROACH & LINDA KOHANOV, JEFF PEARCE, ANDREW LAHIFF, CHRIS RUSSELL, and SERENA GABRIEL.

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PGM 1382 'LOVING EVERY NOTE' : oct 4-11

At the elevated heights of musical skill, we encounter different styles of virtuosity.

In classical and jazz, playing fast and furious commands the attention, raises the energy, and concentrates the mind; while playing slow, deep, and intense focuses hearing, and opens up a world of subtle timing and melodic sensitivity. This is the perception that underlies ambient, space, atmospheric, and contemplative music.

For centuries the small Scandinavian country of Norway has exceled at slow, patient, intensely melodic music. It's not about how many notes you play, but how beautifully you play them. Unlike the virtuosity of fast tempos, says one of these musicians, “it’s about loving every note.”

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we  revisit the lyrical, atmospheric world of Eurojazz, on a program called LOVING EVERY NOTE.

Music is by ØYSTEIN SEVÅG and LAKKI PATEY, THE TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO, RUSSEL WALDER, KETIL BJORNSTAD & DAVID DARLING.

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PGM 1381 'ELECTRON TRAVELER 7' : sept 20-27

One of the most durable program concepts in the now 41 years of Hearts of Space is the experience of virtual space travel on electronic waves. And like our "Space Guitars" series—now up to lucky number 13—we've been working on another series for electronic touring called "ELECTRON TRAVELER." This week, we arrive at number seven.

Whether flying effortlessly across vast cosmic spaces on the kinetic rhythms of electronic sequencers and the fractal patterns of loop echoes, or floating peacefully in star-crossed fields of cosmic gas and dust, we celebrate the awe and wonder of the celestial spectacle.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, it's another cosmic-electronic journey, on a program called ELECTRON TRAVELER 7.  Music is by ASCENDANT, TIME BEING, JAJA, JUTA TAKAHASHI, JIM OTTOWAY, and DREAMSTATE LOGIC.

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PGM 1380 'PLANETARY RHYTHMS' : sept. 6-13

THESE HOT SUMMER DAYS inspire a more energetic music, born out of ancient rituals, festivals, and religious ceremonies, and featuring primitive instruments whose descendants are still with us—flutes, rattles, drums, and other members of the global percussion family.

Whether played for practical communication on hunts, for social and military occasions, or to accompany artistic performances, percussion music served many functions in cultures all over the ancient world. According to Grateful Dead drummer MICKEY HART in his essential book PLANET DRUM:

“World Music—and the percussive impulse that drives it—reaches past the needs of the marketplace, into emotional and spiritual dialogue with older oral traditions. Underneath the world’s extraordinary musical diversity is another, deeper realm, in which there is no better or worse, no modern or primitive, no art music or folk music—no distinctions at all—but rather an organic compulsion to translate the emotional fact of being alive into sound, into rhythm, into something you can dance to.”

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE—an ambient/trance/world percussion journey—on a program called PLANETARY RHYTHMS. Music is by JAMES HOOD, SPACE DRUM MEDITATION, DON PEYOTE, JAMES ASHER, MICHAEL SHRIEVE, HANG MASSIVE, SHAMANIC DRUMS, BYRON METCALF, and MICKEY HART.

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PGM 1379 'VISIONS of PARADISE : A Iasos Retrospective' - aug.23-30

IASOS—one of the inventors of New Age music, passed away in January, 2024, three days before his 78th birthday. Born in Greece, raised in upstate New York, he moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1968, adopted the stage name Iasos, and began a nearly 50 year solo career as an independent musician. Brilliant, exuberant, and completely original, he advocated for what he called “paradise music,” and claimed that what he heard in his head was sent to him by a being from a “distant dimension” named VISTA.

His debut album from 1975 was called "Inter-Dimensional Music."  Where other New Age composers promoted music that was relaxing or healing, Iasos’s mission was nothing less than raising the “vibratory frequency” of all humanity!!  And though he often made claims that were impossible to substantiate, there could be no doubt of his absolute conviction and utter sincerity. Because of his metaphysical beliefs, and his ability to invent new methods of music production to realize them, he was able to create a body of work that was widely influential yet virtually unequaled.

His music ranged from languid technicolor tropical to intensely dramatic, with lush textures and cosmic chords; from heavenly harmonies and angelic realms, to ethereal meditations with shimmering translucent curtains of sound. The overall impression is optimistic and positive, with a sense of unbounded potential.

In addition to his music, Iasos was a tireless advocate for Visionary Art. His web site featured an online gallery of paintings and videos by kindred visual artists. He also published two DVDs of his own video art and original music—"Crystal Vista" and "Realms of Light."

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a Iasos retrospective called VISIONS OF PARADISE.

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PGM 1378 'DEVOTION 3' : aug 9-16

IN THE LAST FOUR DECADES, the ardent world of Indian devotional music has been transformed by an international group of world and ambient musicians. Inspired by this venerable heart-centered vocal tradition called bhakti, working with both traditional and progressive Indian musicians, they've stretched the boundaries and expanded the atmosphere of the genre with electronics, echoes, reverberations, overdubs, and studio magic. Slow, deep, and meditative, with vocals in classical Sanskrit, you don't have to know anything about Indian music or religion to enjoy it.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, devotional chants and contemplative instrumentals inspired by the bhakti religious tradition of India, on a program called DEVOTION 3. Music is by WHITE SUN, RUSSILL PAUL, SHANTALA, SERENA GABRIEL, DAPHNE TSE & MIKE PSZONAK, SIVAKUMAR, and MANISH VYAS.

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PGM 1376 'TRIBAL AMBIENT 2' : july12-19

The primal sound of prehistoric hand drums, brought to the present by space-defining ambient electronics. In the 1980s, elements of ancient indigenous music were embraced by electronic musicians searching for an earthy, vital sound to balance the dematerialized tones of electronic instruments, ground the atmospheric soundscapes of ambient, and gain the power of ritual experience.

The new genre was originally called "Techno-Tribal," but as the Techno label became associated with electronic dance music, it was renamed "Tribal Ambient." Today, the period of discovery is long past, but a dedicated group of electro-acoustic artists with a taste for rhythm-powered trance continue to explore the sound and release new music.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another ethno-tronic journey on psychoactive rhythms, on a program called TRIBAL AMBIENT 2. Music is by STEVE ROACH & ROBERT RICH, BYRON METCALF + ARI URBAN & MARK SEELIG, FRORE & SHANE MORRIS, SERENA GABRIEL, SOLITAIRE, and STEVE ROACH solo.

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PGM 1375 'AMERICAN HORIZON' : jun 28-july 5

The yearly anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, has become a festive national holiday with food, music, and fireworks, celebrated by millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds, in every part of the United States.

It’s a good time to revisit the roots of Ambient Americana—influences from American folk songs, blues, jazz, and country, classics from the American songbook, and the pan-diatonic harmonies of AARON COPLAND. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE we celebrate the spirit of American Independence, on a program called AMERICAN HORIZON.

Music is by BRIAN KEANE, MARK ISHAM, JEFF OSTER & VIN DOWNES & TOM EATON, SPENCER BREWER & PAUL McCANDLESS, GEORGE WINSTON, CHAD LAWSON, BARRY STRAMP, JOHN WILLIAMS, ("Ambient country" band) SUSS, CHUCK JOHNSON, and MARK PRESTON.

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PGM 1374 'ENCHANTED LANDS' : june 14-21

Armed with a studio full of synthesizers and powerful production software, many electronic musicians will create sonic images of vast, cold, cosmic space. Others will conjure up infectious sequencer rhythms, and attract a high energy crowd with electronic dance music. Still others, following the great European symphonic tradition, will electrify the orchestra, or create ambient electronic soundscapes.

A smaller group find inspiration in the environment, incorporating the sounds of nature in their music. But perhaps the most unusual are inspired by the supernatural—the worlds of myth and legend, literature and folklore. They create music for spirits, fairies, sprites and elves, wood and water nymphs, elementals, and other invisible denizens of the magic forest.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, it's a magical journey in supernatural spaces, on a program called "ENCHANTED LANDS." Music is by LEMONGRASS, ISHQ, DESENSITIZED, KEVIN BRAHENY FORTUNE, THE AMNIS INITIATIVE, RICHARD ROSS, and ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT. 

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PGM 1373 'CHANTRESS SEBA' : may 31-apr.7

If there's a contemporary musical group that demonstrates the enormous changes that have overtaken the music business in the last 20 years, it's the husband and wife team of singer GEMINI FOWLER, and guitarist & "handpan" player FINN MILBURN, together known as CHANTRESS SEBA.

They emerged from the north England city of Leeds, a vibrant area, but not one known for musical innovation. Nevertheless, they've been able to attract a worldwide audience of millions--and they've done it while completely ignoring the established music business.

Their main publishing and streaming platform is YouTube, where by mid-2024 they have 22 one-hour-plus "long form" videos available, which have attracted from a few hundred thousand to 3.9 MILLION views!

By taking full advantage of the internet, they've reinvented New Age music. Streaming on YouTube and promotion on social media have replaced all the functions of a conventional record company, providing a worldwide platform for their entrancing live performances, without the compromises and loss of control of a conventional recording contract.

Their music is peaceful, harmonious, and contemplative. Here's how they describe it:

"CHANTRESS SEBA, Singer of the Stars, a voice to guide us home to our hearts. Gemini's powerful ethereal vocals and channeled light language from the shining stars above, combined with Finn's earthy, spacious instrumentation, create an atmosphere of deep remembering, allowing the divine to speak to the listener through mind, body, and soul." "We create music, host ceremonies and gatherings, and provide 1 to 1 shamanic sound healing."

It's a long-form journey from one of the new frontiers of new age music: CHANTRESS SEBA...on this transmission...of Hearts of Space.

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PGM 1372 'ELECTRON FLOW' : may 17-24

Electronic music has come a long way in the last 50 years. Beginning in the 1960s, the arrival of affordable mass-produced analog and digital synthesizers liberated electronic music from the rigidity of academic laboratories, the iconoclasm of avant-garde theories, and the dogmas of experimental music. Equipped with powerful instruments and their own recording studios, electronic musicians were free to take ideas and influences from all kinds of popular and historical music, leading to a fruitful period of cross-fertilization, invention, and collaboration.

Early electronic instruments were notably lacking in musical expression, but they proved to be exceptionally good at creating the impression of flying and floating in vast virtual spaces. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we fly on electronic winds and float on electronic clouds, on a program called ELECTRON FLOW.

Music is by GEORGE WALLACE, CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, COPAL RIVER, ROBERT SCOTT THOMPSON, STEVE ROACH, ANDREW LAHIFF, STEVE BRAND, and ADHAM SHAIKH.

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PGM 1371 'HARMONIC WORLD' : may 3-10

"In turbulent times, ambient world musicians project calm and harmony."

It's an instinctive response to our super-charged environment, a way to transmute chaos and instability into order, reduce anxiety, restore regular breathing, and take down the temperature. Perhaps more remarkable, even in our electronic era, they do it mainly as they have for centuries — with traditional acoustic instruments and consonant harmonies.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a transcultural acoustic fusion of influences from South America, Jamaica, North Africa, the Middle East, Indonesia, and India — on a program called HARMONIC WORLD. Music is by SUZANNE TENG & GILBERT LEVY, STEPHAN MICUS, AUKAI, SHANTALA, CHANTRESS SEBA, and MIRABAI CEIBA. 

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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. 

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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.

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