winter

PGM 1416 ‘WINTERTRONIC 5’ : feb 20-27

As winter weeks turn into winter months, and recurring storms disrupt travel and disorder the familiar patterns of everyday life—even hardy cold-weather enthusiasts begin to long for the relative ease, efficiency, and comfort…of spring.

Yet…hidden in the diminished activity of the natural world and enforced limitations on the human one, is an opportunity for quiet reflection and contemplative solitude. Fueled by sullen skies and monochromatic landscapes, it’s an opportunity that’s also embraced by ambient musicians. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE…the chilled tones and solitary electronic soundscapes of winter ambient, on a program called “WINTERTRONIC 5.”

Music by ROBERT RICH & MARCUS REUTER, JEFF GREINKE, BARRY CLEVELAND, BRUNO SANFILIPPO, MAX CORBACHO, BARRY SCHRADER, R.L. HUBER, KENT SPARLING, and ISOSTATIC.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ]

PGM 1308R ‘NORTHERN NIGHTS 3’ : feb. 13-20

The heart of a long, cold winter is a good time to return to the far north folk music of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. While not as celebrated as the music of its Celtic neighbors to the south, it’s every bit as warm and soulful.

Originally distinguished by traditional instruments like the Finnish box zither called the kantele, and the Norwegian hardanger fiddle with its sympathetic strings — like other folk genres, in recent years electronics and studio recording techniques have been added to enrich and modernize the sound.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, traditional and contemporary winter music from Scandinavia, on a program called NORTHERN NIGHTS 3. Music is by BUKKENE BRUSE, ANNBJØRG LIEN, PRISCILLA HERNANDEZ, SINIKKA LANGELAND, ARJA KASTINEN & PETER PHIPPEN, TRINA OPSAHL, LAKKI PATEY, and ØYSTEIN SEVÅG.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ]

PGM 1032R ‘POLAR VORTEX’ : jan. 30-feb. 5

Chicago during the polar vortex

This week a frigid mass of North Pole air spun south and descended on the United States. In addition to sub-zero temperatures, disruption of travel and general misery, it introduced a new phrase to describe extreme winter weather.

We were working on an Ambient electronic winter show and we already had a pretty good title for it, but this new phrase, well, it just blew it away.  On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a super-chilled winter journey called “POLAR VORTEX.”  Music is by IAN BODDY & ERIK WOLLO, SIMON LOMAX, STORMLOOP, DILATE, TUU, and NETHERWORLD.

[ view playlist ]  [ view Flickr image gallery ] 

PGM 1414 “FROZEN TIME 3” : jan.23-30

We’re descending into the winter soundscape with MAX RICHTER’s “recomposed” version of “Winter” from Vivaldi’s Baroque masterpiece “The Four Seasons.”  It introduces a program of new “atmospheric classical” and electronic music from Europe, featuring the superb Polish pianist, composer, and singer HANIA RANI.

Full disclosure here……we missed Hania Rani’s debut album in 2019 and never caught up.  Since then, she’s created an enormously impressive body of work—11 solo albums, 25 singles and collaborations, and a dozen film soundtracks, including her infinitely subtle music for Norwegian director JOACHIM TRIER’S film “Sentimental Value”—winner of the 2025 Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE…an atmospheric classical journey to the quiet heart of winter, on a program called “FROZEN TIME 3.”  Big Thanks to listeners DAVID S. FAY, FRED STRILEY, and BILL G. from Atlanta for their tactful reminders, and we’re finally on to HANIA RANI six years late—with a great supporting cast including MAX RICHTER, EYEDÍS EVENSEN, ÓLAFUR ARNALDS & TALOS, ELDBJØRG HEMSING, HILDUR GOdNADÓTTIR, GABRIEL ÓLAFS, FEDERICO ALBANESE, and LUDOVICO EINAUDI.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ]

PGM 898R “ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS” : jan.16-23

The winter skies are a broad, constantly changing panorama: flat, gray shadowless light… chilled fogs with subtle, desaturated colors… dramatic dark storm clouds… and brilliant clear days, with infinite horizons of the deepest transparent blue.

The ambient music inspired by these environments displays a corresponding range of tones, textures, and techniques: from foggy soundscapes and dark drones, to crystalline percussion and ethereal harmonics.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a program inspired by the winter skies called “ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS.” Music is by RUSSEL WALDER, JEFF GREINKE, KEVIN KELLER ENSEMBLE, PETER GARLAND, STUART DEMPSTER, TOM HEASLEY & ERIC GLICK RIEMAN, JOHN LUTHER ADAMS, and TIM STORY.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ]

PGM 1135R “OVERCAST” : jan. 2-9/

The typical winter atmosphere is muted and monochrome, under a sky of dense grey-blue clouds. Above, chilled vapor waits to return to earth as cold rain, sleet or snow. On the ground, it’s a world of desaturated colors and diffuse shadows, punctuated by storms and relieved briefly by short bright days. Nature sleeps, awaiting the awakening of spring.

The sound of winter is slow, ethereal, subtle, with occasional accents of brilliant white or deep black. Bell sounds and the metal strings of the piano ring across the landscape, supported by profound dark drones.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we ride the sounds of winter to a place of deep calm, on a program called OVERCAST.

Music is by BEN LUKAS BOYSEN, JANNE HANHISUANTO, LIBRARY TAPES (DAVID WENNGREN), BRUNO SANFILIPPO & MATHIAS GRASSOW, BIOSPHERE, and SIGUR ROS.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ]