Today’s guest deejay is Mike Cadoo, the founder of n5MD, a much loved and respected independent record label based out of Oakland, California. n5MD focuses on ambient, modern composition, post-rock, and experimental electronic music.
As a long-time fan of n5MD, I showcased Mike’s label on solipsistic NATION, my electronic music show, years ago. Mike guest deejayed on Soundwave in 2021 and returns today with a much-needed mix for me.
I can’t go into the details, but last week I nearly died. You’d never know it by looking at me. Physically I’m fine. But I’m shaken. I find that I quickly get emotional about things. Sometimes I have a profound respect for life, all lives. Sometimes I’m filled with existential despair. I’m told this will pass in a few months. In the meantime, I’m having these overwhelming experiences.
Mike doesn’t know this, but his mix helped get me through the week.
Mike has some words about today’s mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Giulio Aldinucci.
See you then.
My song, “Sunrise at Ironhorse Trail,” included in today’s mix, is from a release that I will be releasing on my personal Bandcamp page on World Alzheimer’s Day. My father passed this January in what can best be described as complications due to mixed dementia. All proceeds will be donated to Hope Hospice, which was very integral in the comfort of my father in the last days of his life, as well as, and maybe even more importantly, my mother’s grief counseling after his passing.
Today’s guest deejay is Michael Jakucs, AKA Sunwarper.
After hearing Michael’s music in both Brian Sangmeister and Forest Robots’s mixes for Soundwave, I invited Michael to share a mix. Based on Michael’s music, I knew we were in good hands. But I did not anticipate the surprising directions he took his mix and yet felt utterly familiar.
Let me explain.
The focus of Soundwave is ambient, classical, experimental, and instrumental music, with an emphasis on the ambient. And that’s fine. I’m all about that ambient life. But for me, it’s always a delight when a guest shares a mix that leans into the show’s classical, experimental, and instrumental aspects. Christian Sager’s doom metal/math rock/hip hop mix comes to mind. As does Charles Hazlewood’s mimimalist/modern classical/free jazz mix.
What makes today’s show special, for me, is that it’s very much steeped in shoegaze and dream pop. So while I only know several of the artists in Michael’s mix, I already feel well acquainted with the music I’m unfamiliar with. It’s very déjà vu. I keep asking myself, “Isn’t this a 4AD release?”
Michael Jakucs, AKA Sunwarper
Michael just released a track composed for the season finale of the webcomic The Eagle and the Snake called “Forever Becoming.” He also has a full-length album, Radiant Visage, that will be released on October 14 and available for pre-order on September 9.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be n5MD founder Mike Cadoo.
Today’s guest deejay is Johan de Reybekill, AKA Phaedrus.
I discovered Johan through Quasi, the album collaborated on with Dronny Darko (listen to Dronny’s mix for Soundwave here). I was swept away by the experience and listened to Johan’s projects and concerts. Of course, I invited Johan to guest deejay on Soundwave, and he’s shared something wonderful with us.
I have a routine for my four-year-old grandkid when it’s time to sleep. I tell him a story that includes events from his day and his friends, the Little Old Mouse and Purple Monster. Then I play some ambient music for him to drift away to, usually Brian Eno, whom we call Uncle Eno. My go-to’s are Eno’s Ambient 4: On Land and The Pearl, an album he recorded with the late Harold Budd. I’ve listed to a lot of Brian Eno since becoming a Dziadzia (that’s Polish for “grandpa”), and as much as I love Eno’s music, sometimes that means switching things up. Johan doesn’t know it, but I’ve used today’s mix to send my grandkid off to Sleepytime on more than one occasion.
Johan has words about today’s mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Sunwarper.
See you then.
Johan de Reybekill, AKA Phaedrus
In this mix I have worked with subtle contrasts like: “noisy / minimalistic”, “melodic / droning”, “dark / gentle”, “static / volatile”. A majority of the pieces on the mix is from some of my favourite Scandinavian artists.
The process of creating the mix made me realise just how much I love listening to music in that special way, where I am actively listening to the music in depth; its composition, qualities and details.
I found myself going for long walks just to listen to the mix in its entirety, go home and make adjustments, go for another walk, and so on. I loved the process of working with my own and others’ music as an integral part of what came to be the mix. It was a pleasure and an honour to contribute to Soundwave.
Today’s guest deejay is Matt Donatelli, AKA Survey Channel.
I met through Francisco Dominguez. After Francisco shared his fantastic mix earlier this year, I asked him who he thought would want guest deejay on Soundwave. Francisco recommended Matt, and after doing a deep dive on Matt’s music, I wholeheartedly agreed.
If you love today’s mix, and you will, then you’ll be happy to know that Matt spins on CAMP Radio. His show is called Aural Dogma. Tune in!
Matt has some words about his mix below.
I am increasingly grateful for Soundwave. I initially launched the show to help cope with the stress and isolation of the first months of the quarantine lockdown. I told myself that I would wrap the show up once the pandemic was reasonably under control: Soundwave would have severed its purpose. But the pandemic is not done with us. Over the last few months, I’ve seen more and more people who are frayed and exhausted. I’m a bit worn out myself, and Soundwave continues offering respite and delight. I hope you feel the same.
The Metallic Ratio by Eva Kierten
Before I go, I want to let you know that Other Forms of Consecrated Life (listen to their mix for Soundwave here) just released Eva Kierten’s new album, The Metallic Ratio. Kierten continues to gently plumb emotional depths.
Lately, I’ve been seeking out a variety of cleansing soundwaves in countless flavors. From the oddly contemporary sounds of “early” electronic group Syrinx, the the folksy-pivot of ex-Sneaker Pimps vocalist Kelli Ali, to the wonderfully weird Iasos. I find myself constantly visiting old favorites, as well. This mix is a snapshot in time of the tunes that spoke to me; working through me as I built it. I’ve added a few minor soundbytes to a couple of the tracks — I find the mixes with a personal touch that can tell a story to be the most successful.
Overall, I hope this mix acts as an inspiration for listeners to continue to seek out music in any genre; there is always something waiting to be heard.
I met Hessel through Soundwave guest deejay Harrold Roeland (listen to Harrold’s mix here and here). I asked Harrold who he thought would share a mix on Soundwave, and he recommended Hessel. I would have extended an invitation to Hessel based solely on Harrold’s word. However, listening to Hessel’s albums on his Bandcamp page merely confirmed Harrold’s regard for Hessel’s music.
Hessel is a musician, composer, and producer. In the 60s, Hessel’s fascination with electronic audio devices, in combination with a preference for writing and performing extremely idiosyncratic music, created a wide range of experimental electro-acoustic music, sound-poetry, and contemporary music radio productions.
Hessel ran a private cassette label Exart from 1982 to 1995 and released work under various pseudonyms such as Y Create, Forbidden Photographs, and Gorgonzola Legs. More recently, he has released Ymuiden, EPoX with Martijn Comes, and has a track featured in the Daredevil Meditations compilation album.
Hessel has some words about his mix below.
Join us next weekend when our guest deejay will be Survey Channel.
Musician, composer, and publisher Peter Rehberg unexpectedly passed away at 53 on 22 July 2021. Peter Rehberg was born in the UK in 1968 and returned to his family roots in Austria after growing up in Hertfordshire. He subsequently became a crucial figure in the world of contemporary electronic ‘underground’ music after making his debut in 1995. He achieved this mainly through the Viennese label Mego, renamed Editions Mego in 2005. Rehberg made his debut as Pita on the Mego label with the 12-inch Fridge, a collaboration with General Magic. A year later, his debut album Seven Tons For Free was released. The Mego label, especially after Rehberg took over as curator, grew into an influential label for new developments in electro-acoustic music. Mego became the catalyst for the musical adventures of artists such as Christian Fennesz, Jim O’Rourke, Stephen O’Malley, Russell Haswell, and Florian Hecker. Later, under Editions Mego, the label regularly released leading works by artists such as Oneohtrix Point Never, Kevin Drumm, Bruce Gilbert, Mark Fell, Oren Ambarchi, Bill Orcutt, and Emeralds. Peter Rehberg also continued to compose, produce and publish his music, often in collaboration with others. The collaboration with Stephen O’Malley under the name KTL resulted in several albums, of which KTL’s ‘VII’ from 2020 is the most recent.
Rafael Anton Irisarri “Mellified”, Peripeteia Label: DAIS. (2020)
Irisarri’s album Peripeteia fuses drone, electronic and ambient music. His immersive compositions are visual, panoramic, and cinematic as sceneries and films inspire them. Some of his music would suit artistic sci-fi or horror movies. Irisarri’s newest album, Peripeteia is based on a sudden change of circumstances in his life.
Eli Keszler “The Basement”, The Scary Of Sixty-First (OST) Label: Deeper Into Movies Records. (2021)
For the past five years, the London / NYC film collective Deeper Into Movies has been screening essential contemporary cinema, overlooked gems, and rarely seen documentaries in reparatory cinema and DIY spaces. In December 2021, they launched the new label Deeper Into Movies Records, which promises to continue Deeper’s mission into sonic form by releasing recent scores from emerging filmmakers and lost or rereleased soundtracks. This first release from the new label is Eli Keszler’s score for Dasha Nekrasova’s notorious award-winning debut feature film The Scary of Sixty-First.
Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones “Huis Chevêchette”, Astrild Astrild Label: Denovali. (2017)
The characteristics of Astrild Astrild are classic drone soundscapes mixed with deep tone saxophone parts that became Dale Cooper Quartet’s trademark since the release of their debut album in 2006. Slowly paced, the new tracks follow the Quartet’s basic structure and classical sound. The new full-length conceals more live takes, including guitars, bass, and Rhodes keys. With these new elements, the songs of Astrild Astrild are pushed further into a large tunnel of deafening rhythmic parts and field ambient textures.
Claire Rousay “Peak Chroma”, A Softer Focus Label: American Dream Records. (2021)
A Softer Focus, released on American Dreams Records, is a leap towards a neatly holistic perspective of music-making. American percussionist and sound artist Claire Rousay is an archaeologist. She digs and sifts. Different layers overlap different substrates of meaning, emotion, and compositional complexity. Dirt gets in the way, requiring a gentle brushing aside to unveil whatever unstable nugget lies beneath. “Peak Chroma” is one of the two non-instrumental tracks on the record. With its collage feel, it generates beauty in buzz.
Cortini is best known as a longtime member of Nine Inch Nails. While NIN keeps him busy, he has also developed a reputation for collaborating with luminaries from the dimmer worlds of ambient, drone, and noise. The album Scuro Chiaro centers on one specific instrument, created by Cortini himself: the Strega. It is a semi-modular synth and effects box. With bass, percussive treble, and a flute-like whisper, Nessuno is one of Scuro Chiaro’s highlights. Cortini integrated his favorite features from various cult-legendary modular systems into one small unit. He uploaded his musical consciousness into this machine and subjugated it to his will.
Loscil “Orta”, Clara Label: Kranky. (2021)
On the album, Clara composer Scott Morgan takes the source material and breaks it down to its most basic essences. With this foundation, he paints deep colored sound-beds. Morgan uses a three-minute composition performed by a 22-piece string orchestra in Budapest for this album.
The final piece mixes Sanctuary, Hessel Veldman, and Andy Stott.
Composer Jose A. Parody says: “In my mind, ‘In Absolute’ is a very visual piece. Much like a close-up shot in a film, slowly zooming out to reveal an intricate scene, ‘In Absolute’ embodies the same feeling. A simple idea ever-expanding. Without the brilliant string and woodwind ensembles we recorded in Iceland last summer, it would not have been possible.”
Ymuiden is an experimental audio sound map of IJmuiden (1876), Noord-Holland, The Netherlands; a city where Hessel grew up and still lives today. A place that has seen much happen has seen many changes, a place of hard labor and knows a short raw history. The album, comprised of seven experimental dark ambient soundscapes, is laced with industrial elements, creating a hypnotic, dark undercurrent of sound.
Andy Stott “How It Was”, Faith In Strangers Label: Modern Love. (2014)
Faith In Strangers may be body music (in the broadest sense); it invariably favors the dripping, pulpy atmosphere over the vestigial pulse of Stott’s earlier work. “How It Was” exemplifies this approach: though a small army of drums gallops beneath the surface, we only hear the rattling of the metal wall they seem to be running into. Subdued pads carry the melody, and while they’re quieter than the stomping rhythms, they have the power to dominate the mix, smothering us with sweetness. I’m glad we published this on Production because it revealed some problems that were not apparent tint he developer device emulator.
Sasha’s been on Soundwave twice as protoU (listen to her mixes here and here). Sasha accepted my invitation to guest deejay a third time and shared a mix celebrating Pride. No ethereal mixes on today’s show; we’re all about getting a groove on.
Sasha Puzan, AKA Robocat
Last weekend I spent the day with my grandkid. We had plans to go to our favorite playground, but there was no parking to be had. I decided to take him to the beach instead. We got caught up in Pride traffic on the way there, which seemed like the perfect time to play Sasha’s mix. People dressed in rainbow gear, butterfly wings, and leather chaps darted between cars as we slowly inched forward. It was a magical afternoon.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Hessel Veldman.
Alisú included Riz Maslen in her mix for Soundwave last fall, which led to me spending hours re-visiting the music Riz recorded as Neotropic, as well as her work with 4hero and The Future Sound of London. I invited Riz to share a mix with us, and it’s something else.
Riz mix begins with a piece by Freddie Philips, a British composer known for his work on television music, particularly the theme for Camberwick Green. It’s what I imagine a mix from Wes Anderson might sound like, and I would have been completely satisfied if Riz stayed within that genre. But Riz pivots to Egyptian jazz-inspired psychedelic rock, shifts to trip-hop, and never looks back. And yet, Riz’s mix never feels incongruous. Each track seamlessly blends into the next.
You’re in for quite the journey.
Each mix shared on Soundwave is special. When I say that, I’m not equivocating; they are unique. But some resonate with me more than others, and Riz’s mix is one of those mixes. As the pandemic continues to disrupt our lives, I’ve found Riz’s mix to sometimes act as a balm and other times a needed distraction.
I envy you. I wish I could hear Riz’s mix again for the first time.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Robocat.
Today’s guest deejay is Robert Farrugia, co-founder of Complex Holiday, an itinerant label for inside-out ambient and sound art tomfoolery.
Robert was our guest deejay last fall, and he returns to Soundwave sharing another lustrous mix.
For me, Robert’s mix captures the essence of ambient music, as explained by Brian Eno, who compared ambient music to a painting. You can enjoy a painting on two levels. On one level, you engage with the painting, looking at it, studying it, and reacting to it. But on another level, the same painting is on the periphery of your consciousness. But it’s still there, subtly affecting you.
I’d find myself immersed in Robert’s mix and then be distracted by an email or text message, lost in thought, and slowly becoming aware that Robert had shifted the territory in his sonic landscape. And then the cycle began again.
Robert Farrugia, Photograph by Chris Vella / Storbju
Robert has included a few releases from Complex Holiday on today’s show. Ben Mifsud Joslin album, New Life (Robert was involved in the recording process and performed additional instrumentation on Ben’s album), and Daniel Vujcic’s album, Palinopsia, will be released later this year. Robert himself makes an appearance with “Iota.”
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Riz Maslen.
I met Steve through Jason Engling, who guest deejayed on Soundwave a couple of years ago. Steve shared a magical mix that I have listened to many times. Today’s show is no less resplendent in its emotions and sounds. It’s a journey.
Earlier this week, I was telling a friend about Soundwave and Steve’s mix. I explained that because Soundwave was created to help me cope with stress and isolation during the first few months of the pandemic, it is a touchstone to those fearful and uncertain times. For me, Soundwave has become a weekly meditative act of reflecting on those early days and the impact of the pandemic on nearly everything in our lives. While I go back to that emotional space weekly, my thoughts and feelings about those times have changed.
As I write this, it is a beautiful day in San Diego, and I can see the ocean from where I sit. I’ve seen this view many times, and while the view is the same, I’m not the person I was at the beginning of this pandemic. I’ve changed. We’ve all changed. I find myself asking who this person is I’ve become and what will I do? Where do I go from here? Steve’s mix provides the soundtrack for the journey.
I often feel misplaced. Out of tune with much of the goings on of the world around me. As a result, sound and nature have always been a source of refuge. As a child raised around fields and Great Lakes, I’m always drawn to music and sound that drifts, billows or breathes. And so it is with this mix of music. It’s intended as a reflection of my lack of place but also my sense of solitude, refuge and wonder. For me, these are the underscores of moments of abandon out on the road or a morning walk in my neighborhood. Moments of solitude where my mind surveys the landscape of hardships and joys. Spaces where my thoughts drift to someone I deeply miss. Or during the exhale at the end of a long day. To me, these pieces of music are boundless and internal. Drifting like a breeze or a trace of a memory. Something otherworldly but familiar. Nostalgic and grateful. The spirit of a land but not a place.
Jon last guest deejayed on Soundwave a year ago. Since then, he’s released a new album entitled Autumn, and it just reached #7 on the NACC Chill charts.
I just wrapped up 45 minutes of playing Halo: Reach, and I’m playing Autumn to chill out and get me in the headspace to write today’s show notes. I’m a New Englander, and Autumn is chock full of songs titled with cities in Massachusetts, such as Boston, Salem, and Swampscott, so I’m already inclined to like this album. That I love the album is a forgone conclusion because Jon’s music never fails to evoke delicate emotions and memories intimately. But it’s also transporting me to various times spent walking along the Charles River in early fall as a young man. It’s been a magical evening revisiting those memories.
Thanks, Jon.
Jono Solo, AKA Naneum
Jon does us the favor by opening today’s show with a track from Autum. Go to Jon’s Bandcamp page if you’d like to hear more of this music. Maybe send a few dollars and pick up a few songs or albums while you’re there.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Steve Swartz.
