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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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PGM 1368 'SACRED SONGS of DEVOTION' : mar.29-apr.5

This week on Hearts of Space "SACRED SONGS OF DEVOTION" — a special program of choral and instrumental music for Easter, from our longtime guest producer for classical and sacred music ELLEN HOLMES. The show includes choral selections from Ellen's compilation "SACRED SONGS of MARY: Devotion"—the third in her series of albums showcasing music honoring the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. "In Western culture," writes Ellen, “Mary is the personification of tenderness, compassion, forgiveness, protection, and unconditional love—emotions reflected in music praising her or beseeching her comfort and help.”

This wide-ranging program includes sacred choral music from the Russian Orthodox mass, a 12th Century song by HILDEGARD VON BINGEN, 17th century sacred music from Spain by ALONSO LOBO, sacred works by 19th and 20th century composers JOHN TAVENER, SERGEI RACHMANINOFF, PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY, and MAURICE DURUFLÉ, and contemporary works by SIGUR RÓS, LISA GERRARD, DAVID DARLING, MAX RICHTER, and ARVO PÄRT. 

Choral and instrumental music for Easter: SACRED SONGS OF DEVOTION…on this transmission of Hearts of Space.

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PGM 1367 'VIBRAPHONICS' : mar.15-22

The Vibraphone is an instrument in the metallophone family with a colorful history of American invention and competition.

Metallophones evolved from the wooden marimba. The predecessor of the vibraphone called the steel marimba, was invented by the J.C. DEAGAN company in Chicago around 1916. The first "vibraphone" was introduced in 1924 by LEEDY Manufacturing in Indianapolis. It was based on the Deagan steel marimba, and featured a vibrato effect created by a motor-driven fan inside the resonator tubes below each note. Not to be outdone, three years later the Deagan Company introduced an improved vibraphone, with better sounding tuned aluminum bars, and a damper mechanism operated by a foot pedal. It was an immediate success and became the model for all subsequent vibraphones.

By the 1930's the instrument was well-established in the burgeoning jazz scene at the hands of virtuoso players like Lionel Hampton. In addition to jazz, the vibraphone became part of the standard classical orchestra percussion section, and the standard college-level percussion performance curriculum. In the 1970's this led to use of vibraphones and marimbas in contemporary Minimalist music by Philip Glass and Steve Reich, and later in New Classical and Ambient. That's where we're going on this transmission of Hearts of Space, called VIBRAPHONICS.

Music is by GARY BURTON & CHICK COREA, PETER GARLAND, JASPON TREUTING, HANG MASSIVE, MICHAEL JON FINK, OLIVIÉR ALARY, OCEAN MOON, and GARY BURTON & PAUL BLEY.  

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PGM 1366 'ELECTRON TRAVELER 6' : mar.1-8

The current boom in "immersive media" includes computer-assisted VR or Virtual Reality, AR or Augmented Reality, AR and VR glasses and headsets, immersive video games and films, panoramic projections, spatial audio systems, and specially designed theaters and concert venues, like The Sphere in Las Vegas. Regardless of size or complexity, they all have a similar purpose: to augment our existing world, or transport us to fantastic new synthetic worlds.

Interactivity and connectivity are the focus of these new technologies, but there's an older, simpler, more passive technology that can transport listeners to virtual worlds just by listening—electronic music.

It's been over a hundred years since the invention of practical electronic instruments, and the power of electronic sound to take us to exotic tonal and even cosmic environments is well-known to both musicians and listeners. On Hearts of Space, we've been documenting it for over 40 years, with hundreds of programs dedicated to the art of virtual travel on electronic waves. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, it's another journey in our electronic touring series, on a program called ELECTRON TRAVELER 6. Music is by THIERRY DAVID, MARTIN STÜRTZER, DREAMSTATE LOGIC, SUBDREAM, CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, STEVE ROACH, and ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT.

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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 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.

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PGM 1363 'WINTERTONES 3' : jan.19-26

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 an uncanny appeal. The metallophones—bells, bowls, gongs, chimes, and cymbals—speak eloquently in the chilled, quiet air.

Bells have been with us for over four thousand years. Besides everyday functions like sounding the time, they’ve played an essential role in religious ceremonies around the world. For hundreds of years, Christian churches used them for both. 

More recently, metallic and quartz crystal bells, bowls, and gongs have become central to Sound Healing and group meditation practices, as well as personal rituals. Simple, relatively inexpensive, powerful tools for creating sacred space, bells are adapting to the changes in religion and personal spirituality.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a meditative journey for resonant percussion, on a program called WINTERTONES 3. Music is by SHAWN FEENEY, SCOTT LAWLOR, TRYSHE DHEVNEY, 33 BOWLS, and featuring veteran San Francisco bell ringer KARMA MOFFETT.

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PGM 1362 'WINTER CALM' : jan.5-12

WINTER brings a special challenge for ambient musicians—a wider range of atmospheric, visual, and sonic themes than other seasons. In the northern hemisphere, the chilled arctic latitudes and mountain heights see powerful storms with snow, sleet, and ice, creating a frozen world of winter white; on the temperate coasts, we have cycles of rain — a fertile world of winter wet; while in the southern latitudes, it’s a cool world of winter green.

On clear winter nights, as the temperature drops, activity slows and stops. Nature rests...in a quiet world of meditative stillness, under the slowly changing cosmic panorama.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, chilled ambient soundscapes for quiet winter nights, on a program called WINTER CALM. Music is by PANGAEA PROJECT, ISOSTATIC, ÓLAFUR ARNALDS, ARIN AKSBERG, BIOSPHERE, NETHERWORLD, AMONGST MYSELVES, JEFF GREINKE, and STORMLOOP. 

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PGM 1361 'WINTERSONGS 3' : dec.15-22

Those of us who live in the temperate zone between the polar and tropical latitudes, are used to distinctive seasons, and the biggest distinction of all is between summer and winter.  The differences—in weather, in the natural world, and in the animal kingdom—are dramatic, and they add up to a completely different sonic atmosphere in winter.

For composers of sacred music for the winter religious celebrations, it’s led to a seasonal repertoire with special sounds, like bells and chimes; special instruments, like the pipe organ; and massed singing, in choral groups of all sizes. While for ambient composers, a new world of chilled sound design and thematic expression opens up in winter.  

In the 1970s, composer ARVO PÄRT from far north Estonia, abandoned rigid academic avant-garde formulas, and invented a new compositional system called tintinnabuli, inspired by bells, Medieval plainsong, Gregorian chant, Renaissance liturgical music, and contemporary Minimalism.

The combination of slow, unchanging tempos, consonant harmonies, and minimalist simplicity created a sublime sacred atmosphere, which seemed to fill a spiritual void in the audience. Pärt’s music became so popular that he inspired a new genre called mystic or sacred minimalism, which remains a powerful influence on classical and ambient musicians worldwide.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, sacred choral and instrumental music for the season, on a program called 'WINTERSONGS 3.' Music is by DAVID ARKENSTONE, ARVO PÄRT, LIBERA, VOCES8, OLA GJEILO. and PAUL AVGERINOS.

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PGM 1360 'EVENSONG' : dec.1-8

Unless you've studied medieval history, it's hard to imagine how different life in Europe must have been in the 1100's—a pre-scientific, pre-industrial world of manual labor, general illiteracy, baffling pandemics, and short lives—dominated from birth to death by the Catholic church.

In this environment, one figure stands out, not least because she was a woman—the great German composer, writer, philosopher, visionary, mystic, and saint HILDEGARD VON BINGEN.

Her music is beautiful, elegant, and sounds surprisingly modern. In addition to her music, she founded two monasteries, invented the scientific study of natural history, wrote books on theology and medicine, and composed hymns, chants, poems, and liturgical dramas. 

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a Contemporary-Medieval journey, featuring interpretations of 12th century sacred vocal music by HILDEGARD VON BINGEN, plus original music inspired by her work, on a program called EVENSONG.

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PGM 1359 'HEALING WINDS' : nov. 10-17

THE FLUTE is perhaps the oldest musical instrument—a primitive but effective technology for turning breath into resonant sound, and eventually turning structured sound into music.

Flutes arrived about 50,000 years ago in diverse cultures around the prehistoric world. In Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, ancient artisans made early flutes from reeds and grasses, and the hollow bones of animals and birds. The Anasazi tribes of the American Southwest made simple end-blown flutes from the soft, aromatic wood of western cedar trees. They were said to be used for courtship and healing. Typically tuned to a pentatonic minor scale, their plaintive sound seems to resonate with the wistful emotions of the fall season and the endless spaces of the Southwestern desert.

The Native American flute was revived in the 1960s by the pioneering native label Canyon Records, who released hundreds of albums by native artists, including flute recordings by R.Carlos Nakai and others. The instrument became popular in the burgeoning New Age genre in the 1970s and 80s, and new age artists expanded into electronics, guitars, and other popular instruments. Today, the native flute scene is less active, but a core group of committed artists continue to extend the artistic dimensions of the genre, while the cedar flute is increasingly popular for therapeutic applications.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an autumn journey in the gentle world of the Native American flute, on a program called HEALING WINDS. Music is by COYOTE OLDMAN, JOHNNY WHITEHORSE, JONN SERRIE & GARY STROUTSOS, KENNETH HOOPER, KIRK MONTEUX, JENN STEEGE, and ANN LICATER.

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PGM 1358 'DARKTIME ATMOSPHERES' : oct.27-nov.3

The Dark Ambient genre evolved out of the Industrial, Experimental, and Noise genres of the 1970s. The arrival of affordable synthesizers, samplers, and effects units in the 1980’s led to more complex styles like Ritual Industrial, Black and Doom Metal, Dark Wave, Gothic, and who can forget the reverberating chains and tortured screams of Dungeon Synth?

Our yearly immersion in the morbid emotions of fear, death, and horror at Halloween, provides an insight into the more aesthetic and environmental qualities of Dark Ambient. Whereas the horror genres aim to shock and terrify, Dark Ambient seeks merely to disturb, evoke feelings of isolation, melancholy, and confinement, and reflect an atmosphere of gloom and darkness. 

I'm DR. DARKO, and on this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a subterranean underworld journey for Halloween, on a program called DARKTIME ATMOSPHERES. Music is by BRANNAN LANE, CHRISTIAN WITTMAN, SUN'S MUSE, SHIBALBA, REMANENCE, YEN POX, INSECTARIUM, and TOR LUNDVALL.

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PGM 1357 'AUTUMN TWILIGHT' : oct.13-20

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 1355 'SUMMER'S END 2' : sept.15-22

After the burn of our increasingly intense summers—now featuring epic fires and floods in the wake of biblical storms and record-breaking heat waves—we emerge into the relatively cooler, quieter atmosphere and deflationary energy of early autumn. It's a time to regroup, recharge, rebuild, harvest, and prepare for the challenges of the winter season to come.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space from Canadian guest producer DJ EGAN, a journey down the endless monochromatic hallways, complex timbres and metallic overtones of Ambient Cool, on a program called SUMMER'S END 2. Music is by YAI, AGING + LAND TRANCE, POLIDO, NIKOS FOKAS & ARVE HENRIKSEN, JON HASSELL, JOSEPH, PHIL STROUD, RONU MAJUMBAR + RY COODER, JON HASSELL & ABHIJIT BANERJEE, and CHRISTIAN WITTMAN.

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PGM 1354 'WILD SANCTUARY' : sept.1-8

Trick question: Before recordings, before electronics, even before history, what was the original form of ambient music? Here’s a hint: it’s not what we normally call music, but it has a lot in common with music.

​The answer is the natural soundscape: a combination of the geophony—non-biological natural sounds like wind, waves, water, and weather, and the biophony—the sounds produced by all the non-human organisms in a given habitat.

​Documenting the natural soundscape has been the life work of “soundscape ecologist” BERNIE KRAUSE, who’s been recording and archiving natural soundscapes from around the world since 1979. Our 3-D sound localization ability is based on the evolutionary advantage of being able to identify the location, direction, and distance of ambient sounds—and it’s this sensibility we use when we listen to ambient music.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, the magical combination of ambient nature sounds and ambient music...on a program called WILD SANCTUARY.

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PGM 1353 'DOWNTEMPO NIGHTS' : aug. 18-25

In these now hotter summer nights, an ambient music fan may crave a bit more rhythm in their chilled sonic cocktail, and for that we have Downtempo—an electronic sub-genre characterized by an atmospheric sound and slower beats than typical electronic dance music.

Legend traces the origin of Downtempo to the English city of Bristol in the late 1980’s and the emergence of “trip-hop”—a psychedelic fusion of hip-hop and electronics by popular artists like PORTISHEAD and MASSIVE ATTACK. By the early 1990’s, dropping the vocals and adding rhythmic influences from dub reggae gave rise to a melodic, instrumental chill-room genre that came to be known as Downtempo Electronica, or just Downtempo.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a nocturnal summer journey called DOWNTEMPO NIGHTS. Music is by PARALLAX-5, ONE ARC DEGREE, LAUGE, ASC, CHRISTOPHER WILLITS, MARCONI UNION, JOHAN AGEBJÖRN, and CONNECT.OHM.

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PGM 1352 'ANCESTRAL ECHOES' : july 4-11

The Techno-Tribal genre of electro-acoustic ambient emerged in 1988, the fruit of a remarkable act of musical anthropology by American electronic musician STEVE ROACH, who journeyed from Los Angeles to the Australian outback to collaborate with native aboriginal musicians and absorb their mythology of The Dreamtime. The result was a revolutionary and still influential album: DREAMTIME RETURN. Writing about its descendants in 1993, I said:

"The natives are drumming tonight on the cyber-tribal frontier.
It's a worldwide movement; composers on every continent/
exploring the boundaries of world music as it evolves into our techno-tronic culture.
It's a deliberate collision—between the vital spirit of the ancient tribal world,
and the rational logic of the electronic age."

Three decades later, the renamed Tribal-Ambient genre continues to refine the sound, while maintaining the spirit of the original innovation.On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey through space and time, tribal energy and digital technology, on a program called ANCESTRAL ECHOES.

Music is by BYRON METCALF & SHANE MORRIS, FRORE, ALIAS ZONE, ROBERT RICH, RESONANT DRIFT, and NUMINA.

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PGM 1351 'MINARETS OF THE SOUL 2' : july 21-28

THE MUSIC OF THE MIDDLE EAST includes the Arabic-speaking countries of the Arabian peninsula and North Africa, Persian music from Iran, Jewish music from Israel, plus Armenian, Kurdish, Azeri, Cypriot, Turkish, traditional Assyrian, and Coptic Christian ritual music. It's a complex mixture of history and tradition, innocence and wisdom, longing and heartache, passion and desire.

With its quarter note scales, propulsive rhythms, common instruments and melismatic vocals, Middle Eastern music is distinctive and widely appreciated. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey in the inner landscapes of the Middle East, on a program called MINARETS OF THE SOUL 2.

Music is by OPIUM MOON, ZIKR PROJECT, RAFAEL KRUX, ANOUAR BRAHEM, KAYHAN KALHOR, ELIYAHU SILLS, NAIRUZ, and DHAFER YOUSSEF. 

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PGM 1350 'KYLA DAWN' ; june 7-14

If you ask KYLA DAWN who she is, she’ll say a yoga instructor, dancer, and transformational guide. That sounds like someone from Northern California, doesn’t it?

If you ask me, I’ll say she’s also a talented music curator with perfect taste in the latest ambient, contemplative and therapeutic music for her classes, where she focuses on what she calls “the inward journey experience.” And since the inward journey experience is exactly what we’ve been doing for over 40 years on the radio and now online, it makes sense that Kyla is our guest producer for this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE called…wait for it…KYLA DAWN.

Music is by TIM SCHEUFERT+SHWIN, LIAM THOMAS, KUMEA SOUND, CALM WHALE, EIRLYS, ESSIE JAIN, JANE WINTHER+RAMAN MAHARJAN, ELIJAH RAY, JACK DT, and SEA OLEENA.

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PGM 1349 'OCEANIC REALMS 2' : june 23-30

It's been over 50 years since electronic music emerged from academic laboratories and embarked on the road to mainstream popularity. One of the most influential early artists was Greek musician EVANGELOS PAPATHANASSIOU—mercifully shortened to VANGELIS—who began as the keyboard player of the biggest rock band ever in Greece (APHRODITE'S CHILD), then quit and moved to London, where he began scoring films and documentaries.

While the Germans focused on technology, Vangelis adapted the Romantic Classical genre to electronic keyboards, created lush, melodic, emotionally expressive music, and became an A-list film composer. It's a style that still reverberates today.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, inspired by a classic Vangelis album celebrating the world's oceans, a deep blue journey called OCEANIC REALMS 2. Music is by VANGELIS, THE AMNIS INITIATIVE, APOCLIPTIC & ROMERIUM, LOSCIL, JEAN-MICHEL JARRE, RUDY ADRIAN, and LIQUID MIND.

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PGM 1348 'AMBIENT TRAVELER 3' : june 16-23

In retrospect, it was inevitable. When high quality portable tape recorders became available after World War II, ethnomusicologists took them into the field to document the living folk music traditions of Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and beyond.

Then came the 12" LP record in 1948, and these recordings began to circulate around the world, as specialty labels like the Nonesuch Explorer Series inspired an era of cross-cultural influences and collaborations. Ethnic artists traveled west to perform and record, while western musicians traveled far and wide to engage with these genres. Ambient and electronic artists who created music for virtual travel were highly receptive to these influences, and in time they evolved the sophisticated World/Ambient styles we have today.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we return to the place where world music meets ambient, on a program called AMBIENT TRAVELER 3. Music is by ROBERT RICH, FORREST FANG, AL GROMER KHAN, LOREN NERELL & MARK SEELIG, and STEPHAN MICUS.

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PGM 1347 'TRANSLUCENT GUITARS' : june 9-16

Consider the guitar, spacefans. it's arguably our most ubiquitous instrument. These days, it comes in many varieties: acoustic and electric, folk and classical, nylon and steel string, slide and electronic—to name a few. And when it comes to creating ambient music, the kind of guitar matters quite a bit.

Acoustic guitar tends toward classic tunings and slow tempos, with conservative use of effects; electric guitar is almost the opposite, with aggressive use of effects, feedback, and modifiers. And though the results vary widely, it's still recognizable as a guitar. But with the electronic guitar, you might never know the sound came from a guitar at all—the instrument has been redefined, dematerialized, and effectively disappeared. The guitar becomes a playable "user interface"—a familiar way to control synthesizers and other electronics.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, the evolving world of the ambient guitar, on a program called TRANSLUCENT GUITARS. 

Music is by TOM CAUFIELD, COLIN EDWIN & JON DURANT, CRAIG PADILLA & MARVIN ALLEN, JOHN GREGORIUS, DARSHAN AMBIENT, ROBIN GUTHRIE, HAMMOCK, CARL WEINGARTEN, JUHA-MATTI RAUTIAINEN, JEFF PEARCE, and DELAY TACTICS.

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PGM 1346 'INDIA NAVIGATION 2' : may 26-june 2

It’s been almost seventy years since the arrival of Indian classical music in Europe and the United States. Starting in 1956, English violinist YEHUDI MENUHIN’s interest in Indian music led to collaborations and concert tours with two of the then hottest young musicians in India—sitar master RAVI SHANKAR and sarod master ALI AKBAR KHAN. It was the beginning of a period of cross-fertilization of Indian and Western classical music. And in the 1960’s, the famous adoption of the Indian sitar by GEORGE HARRISON of THE BEATLES brought awareness of Indian music to the mainstream.

Today, recordings, films, videos, and digital networks have led to a broadening of cultural communication, where influence and interaction occur across many genres simultaneously. Western musicians study Indian microtonal scales, play Indian instruments, and create new hybrid styles—while Indian musicians study western tempered scales, harmony, and orchestration, play electronic instruments, and extend the traditions of Indian music to an international audience.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, contemporary, traditional, and sacred sounds of India, on a program called INDIA NAVIGATION 2.

Music is by sitarists JASDEEP SINGH DEGUN, ANOUSHKA SHANKAR, and NILADRI KUMAR, bansuri flutists MARK SEELIG and VIRGINIA NICOLI, sarod and santur by CHINMAYA DUNSTER, and producer CRAIG PRUESS and the great devotional singer ANURADHA PAUDWAL.

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PGM 1345 'THERAPEUTIC MUSIC' : may 12-19

For thousands of years, music has been used for therapy and healing. From the ancient lyre, the harp, and other stringed instruments, to the resonant percussion sounds of bells, bowls, gongs and cymbals, it’s long been known that music has the potential to heal both the physical body, and the psyche.

So it should be no surprise that from the earliest days of New Age music, some artists made claims for the therapeutic, stress-reducing, or healing qualities of their music. Here, language matters: therapeutic and stress-reducing express both the intention of the artist and the function of the music; healing is a much larger claim, more subjective, and much harder to prove.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE—we explore these stress-reducing sounds, and on a program we’ll call (conservatively...) THERAPEUTIC MUSIC. We have selections by English musician ESSIE JAIN, therapeutic music pioneer STEVEN HALPERN, MOSHI MOSHI DESU, MAUREEN-JI & UNIVERSAL SYMPHONIES, Norwegian musician EIRLYS, the Los Angeles duo BIOMUSIQUE, and crystal bowls by TRYSHE DHEVNEY.

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