Author: joseph

Today’s guest deejay is Max Würden.

I discovered Max on one of my deep dives on Spotify. It was Max’s Format that captured my imagination. The album is warm and wistful. It feels like a ray of luxurious sunshine on a cold winter day. I don’t know. It’s subjective. Maybe you’d get something different from your listening experience, but that’s what it was like for me.

 

Max is known for diverse soundscapes and soundtrack production . Proficient as a drummer, he crafts sounds from silence. His works span various awards, including nominations for the Peer Raben Music Award. Max boasts a prolific discography across labels like Kompakt Records and Farfield Records. His recent endeavors involve album releases like Landmark and Script, alongside exhibitions and contributions to the renowned Pop Ambient series. Max’s versatility shines through collaborations, and film soundtracks.

So naturally I invited Max to guest deejay on Soundwave. I was delightfully surprised.

Max sent me a mix steeped in jazz. I thought there’d be a lot more jazz (or Black classical music) on Soundwave, but sadly, it’s a genre that is neglected on this show. Until now, that’s it. Max digs deep and serves up rarities that should become part of your daily rotation. But it’s not all jazz, either. Max included the ambient and instrumental music you’ve come to expect on Soundwave and deftly weaves it with jazz that’s seamless.

See you next week.

1. Eberhard Weber “Moana I”
2. Jack DeJohnette “Journey To The Twin Planet”
3. Yamamoto, Yuize “To Drift Like Clouds”
4. Ralph Towner & Gary Burton “1 x 6”
5. Mike Nock “Ondas”
6. Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto “Emspac”
7. Biosphere “Fall in, Fall Out”
8. Contemporary Noise Sextet “Morning Ballet”
9. Louis Sclavis “Seconde”
10. Brian Eno “Fickle Sun”
11. Miroslav Vitouš “Direvision”
12. McCoy Tyner “Contemplation”

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Several decades ago, I was a deejay at WMFO. The radio station’s format is freeform, and we were encouraged to interpret what freeform meant on each show and play a diverse selection of music. That was the perfect environment for a curious listener such as myself.

Because of our freeform format, the music sent our way was incredibly diverse. One compilation album that caught the attention of many deejays at WMFO: The Myths Collection Part Two. For me, initially, the appeal of the album was the tracks from William S. Burroughs and Jon Hassell. Still, I came to treasure a piece performed by Claude Debussy and captured on a wax cylinder and the field recordings of Belgium, Turkey, India, Tibet and, Nepal.

The intimate, dreamlike quality of the album caused me to purchase every release in the series. The albums were dedicated to the likes of Gilles Deleuze and Ilya Prigogine and included work from COIL, Harold Budd, and Genesis P-Orridge. Who the hell was releasing these fantastic albums?

Sub Rosa, was founded in ’84 in Belgium, blazing trails in experimental soundscapes. They're the mad scientists of music, pushing the boundaries and throwing conventional norms out the window.

Their catalog? It's a wild ride through the musical wilderness. They've got everything from electronic experiments to industrial chaos, ambient soundscapes, contemporary classical masterpieces, and avant-garde jazz that'll blow your mind. But what really makes Sub Rosa stand out is their love for the rebels—the artists who dare to challenge the very essence of what music should be.

And they don't stop at just albums, oh no. Sub Rosa goes all out with multimedia projects that'll make your brain do somersaults. They're all about musicians teaming up with visual wizards and sound art installations that'll mess with your head in the best way possible. These guys don't just make music; they create intellectually stimulating masterpieces.

And their following? Let’s just say it’s a tribe of fearless adventurers and collectors who appreciate life’s finer, weirder things. Sub Rosa’s got ’em hooked on their complex and thought-provoking works, and rightfully so.

But that's not the end of the story. Over the years, Sub Rosa has been a launchpad for groundbreaking artists, thrusting them onto the global stage. They've cemented their legacy as pioneers in the world of experimental and avant-garde music, introducing the world to the sonic revolutionaries.

Now, let's dive into Myths Foundation, a treasure trove of four LPs and three EPs that marked their artistic inception. Starting a record label was the furthest thing from their minds back then. These folks were all about crafting intricate and mysterious creations tha

The journey was no cakewalk, my friend. Broke students, they were trying to keep the artistic flames burning while drowning in academia. So, they took it slow and steady, releasing one record per year. It might’ve seemed impractical, but through a series of life-changing encounters, they stitched together these sonic marvels.

These early records? They weren’t just music but mysterious artifacts waiting to be unraveled. With each release, Myths Foundation delved deeper into the abyss of creative exploration. Against all odds, these records marked the beginning of an epic adventure, setting the stage for a remarkable journey that defied expectations.

See you next week.

1. William S. Burroughs “Burroughs called the law”
2. Cheb Mami “Maniche Aadouk”
3. Genesis P-Orridge & The Angels Of Light “Supermale”
4. Hula “Torn Silk”
5. Paul Lemos & Joe Papa “Under Heaven”
6. COIL “Another Brown World”
7. Jon Hassell “Map Of Dusk”
8. Harold Budd “Strange Thunder”
9. Martyn Bates & Peter Becker “Sun-Like-Gold (Part I)”
10. Steven Brown “Gone With The Winds”
11. SPK “Romanz In Moll”
12. Current 93 “Some Morning When The Moon Was Blood”
13. Camberwell Now “For Those in Peril on the Sea”
14. Claude Debussy “d’un cahier d’esquisses”

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In a dimly lit underground club, the audience gathered, a congregation of the techno-faithful. The night was young, but the atmosphere was charged with a palpable sense of anticipation. The curtain of reality was about to be drawn back, revealing glimpses of the sublime and the chaotic. As the stage lights flickered to life, Skinny Puppy took their positions. It was a peculiar, chilly autumn evening when the temperature outside seemed to mirror the eerie chill that permeated the venue. “Spahn Dirge (Live)” began its haunting journey, a sonic invocation that pulled the crowd into a trance. Images of distorted realities flashed across screens, intertwining with the hypnotic soundscape. It was as if the audience had stepped through a tear in the fabric of the universe, a glimpse into a surreal and phantasmagorical realm. The live performance was not merely a concert but a communion with the otherworldly.

Meanwhile, outside in the drizzle-laden night, a solitary pilgrim embarked on a personal odyssey. With headphones clamped firmly in place, they ventured forth, their every step synchronized with the mournful strains of God’s “Lord, I’m On My Way.” The lyrics became a mantra of longing and existential uncertainty, the perfect accompaniment to their solitary voyage.

In a world consumed by noise and chaos, two friends sought solace in the simplicity of nature. Their canoe sliced through the tranquil waters of a remote river, and Andy Hawkins and Bill Laswell’s “Headwaters” played softly on a portable speaker. The music harmonized with the rustle of leaves and the gentle gurgle of the river, forging a profound connection between man and the natural world.

Back within the subterranean club, Echthros unfurled “Iyov” upon the eager assembly. The song was a tempest of aggression and discord, a sonic maelstrom that mirrored modern existence’s chaotic pulse. It became a cathartic release, a collective purging of pent-up frustrations and societal dissonance.

In the solitude of his studio, Justin Broadrick embarked on a sonic experiment. “Guitar Two” emerged as a mesmerizing composition, distorted guitar sounds woven together in a hypnotic haze. It was a journey into the depths of sound, an exploration of the boundaries of creativity and expression.

These diverse musical vignettes, seemingly disjointed in their tonalities and emotional cadence, converge without incongruity.

See you next week.

1. Skinny Puppy “Spahn Dirge (Live)”
2. God “Lord I'm On My Way”
3. Andy Hawkins & Bill Laswell “Headwaters”
4. Echthros “Iyov”
5. Justin Broadrick “Guitar Two”

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Today’s guest deejay is Chuck Soo-Hoo, AKA Ki Oni.

We have Mark Trecka to thank for today’s show. After Mkl Anderson, AKA Drekka, shared a mix with us (listen to it here), I asked him who he knew would want to guest deejay on Soundwave, and he highly recommended Mark. Mark had to pass, but he mentioned that he is helping Ki Oni with publicity for his new forthcoming record on AKP, and I wondered if I’d be interested in inviting him. I luxuriated in Ki Oni’s A Leisurely Swim To Everlasting Life album, and here we are today with an exquisite mix for you to enjoy.

 

Now that I think about it, we have Drekka to thank for today’s show because he’s the one who got this ball of wax rolling. And these connections are one of the unexpected delights of Soundwave in the last few years. Four people are the furthest the degrees of separation of guest deejays on Soundwave. It’s only a matter of time before that extends to five people. As I said, unexpected delight.

Another unexpected delight: Chuck chose his pseudonym, Ki Oni, as an homage to a Japanese monster movie creature of the same name — a tree with a human face that spews flower pedals from its mouth. Sublime.

On a personal note, I’ve enjoyed listening to Ki Oni’s mix while walking my dog, particularly around a lovely community spot at a nearby cliff during the golden hour. It was a nice moment.

Join us again next week. I’ll be behind the virtual wheels of steel.

See you then.

1. Raum “Daughter”
2. Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe “Fraud Callout”
3. Purelink “Stadium Drive”
4. Patricia Wolf “The Juncos’ Nest”
5. Audrey Carmes “Tout est déjà là”
6. Lisa Lerkenfeldt “With water up to her knees”
7. Dania “Sprinting Toward The Sun”
8. Yuri Urano “awa”
9. KMRU “Along A Wall”
10. Gregg Kowalsky “Fragile Water”
11. Pauline Anna Strom “Quiet Joy”

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Today’s guest deejay is Garek Druss.

Garek is another musician I was introduced to through Mkl Anderson AKA, Drekka (listen to Mkl’s mix for Soundwave here). I asked Mkl who he thought would share a mix on Soundwave, and he highly recommended Garek. I didn’t doubt Mkl for a second, but I wantto get a feel for the artists I plan to invite on the show. I listened to Garek’s OHR EYN SOF – Youth Eternal album, and Iknew I was in good hands.

The album was crafted during Garek’s battle with cancer, but it isn't a comprehensive reflection of that experience. The album serves as a personal effort to counter the challenges of treatment and create a sense of warmth and joy during his recovery at home. It also incorporates sounds from the treatment facilities, making it a very intimate you-are-there experience.

 

Garek is a Los Angeles-based sound and visual artist who delves into the delicate balance between the physical and the ethereal. He crafts immersive listening environments that provoke deep self-reflection and heightened awareness. Through watercolor drawings, video, and vibrant soundscapes, he orchestrates fleeting ambient interactions that dissect the human experience.

Garek’s mix is disparate yet strangely cohesive. In its way, it reflects Garek’s journey, an exploration of the human condition. Meaning is elusive, lurking just beyond the edge of perception. I could be projecting, of course.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Ki Oni.

See you then.

1. Minamo & Asuna “Purkinje Fluctuations”
2. Garek Druss “The Emotional Addictions of the Body”
3. lucy gooch “Chained To A Woman”
4. Richter Band “Líbivá”
5. J. Campbell “Memorial Drive Tunnel”
6. Jac Berrocal, David Fenech, Vincent Epplay “Rock ’n Roll Station”
7. nimu “Ultramarine”
8. Petteril “His Breath Makes a Cloud in Front of His Mouth”
9. Popol Vuh “Strofa 2”
10. Inhmost “Trees”
11. Jean-Claude Vannier “Bombarde Lamentation (Reprise)”
12. Kenji Kihara “Nagi”
13. Hamza El Din “ Ashranda (The Beautiful)”
14. Croatian Amor “Any Path to Touch the Stars (feat. Jeuru & Alto Aria)”
15. Lustmord “Conclusion”
16. Mecánica Clásica “En Otra Ocasión”
17. Philip K. Dick “The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick Unabridged Part 4”

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Today’s guest deejay is Riz Maslen.

Riz’s last mix for Soundwave is what I imagine a mix from Wes Anderson might sound like at first. But then Riz pivoted to Egyptian jazz-inspired psychedelic rock, to trip-hop, and moved on. And yet, it all hung together seamlessly.

I was so delighted with Riz’s mix that I invited her to share more beautiful music. And, wow, did Riz Maslen deliver!

Riz’s mix is a fusion of both contemporary and classics, but I was instantly smitten with Arooj Aftab’s “Inayaat” (check out my mix featuring Arooj). Riz’s mix will swaddle you in an immersive listening experience. It’s been the soundtrack to my morning commutes for the last few weeks, and it’s a pleasure to share it with you.

 

Riz’s new second album will be released in 2024 from Aircooled, her new band born out of lockdown with Oliver Cherer, Justin Welch, and Katherine Wallinger.

Catch Aircooled at The Shacklewell Arms in London on October 18.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Garek Druss.

See you then.

1. Arooj Aftab “Inayaat”
2. Volume Group “Rapid Ascent”
3. James Murray “Evolver”
4. Boards of Canada “Happy Cycling”
5. D Rothon & O Cherer “Godwits”
6. Spiritualized “Symphony Space”
7. Daniele Bogon “Under This Heavy Sky”
8. The Attendant “Untitled”
9. Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra “Movement 9”
10. Mogwai “Tracy”
11. Peter Kruder & Roberto di Gioia “Kusine Limusene”
12. North Americans “Bleeding Heart Tetra”
13. Woodcraft Folk “Blokflute”
14. Kyron “Loop of Mirrors”
15. Sinead O’Connor “Trouble of the World”

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Today’s guest deejay is Adam Parks.

Adam is a Virginia-based artist and musician with two main music projects: timber rattle and Lightning White Bison. timber rattle is his primary endeavor, exploring the connection between primordial sound, landscape, and human relationships with space. Lightning White Bison is more abstract and experimental, incorporating field recordings and improvisations.

I met Adam through Mkl Anderson, AKA, Drekka, after Mkl shared a mix on Soundwave. As is my want, I asked Mkl who he knew would also share a mix with us, and he highly recommended Adam Parks. Mkl said Adam is his spirit animal, and it is anyone’s guess what kind of mix he might come up with.

Mkl was dead on.

I often describe Soundwave as a show where each track in the guest deejay’s mix is lovingly handpicked. Adam’s devotion and adoration are evident, from rare tracks to found sounds to field recordings. The first words in Adam’s mix describe it best: “Oh, beautiful. Wow!”

Adam has some words about his mix below.

Join us next week when our returning guest deejay will be Riz Maslen.

See you then.

 

This mix seeks to dissolve into a more contiguous “piece,” composed of music that is often inherently contemplative, recursive, ritualistic, and, hence, meditative, music that willfully allows itself to act as a canvas for environmental sounds (some of which are contained therein, others of which are warmly invited from wherever one may be listening), and music that embodies the notion of “fidelity” as faithfulness to the spirit of sound, process, place and/or moment.

1. jb rochefort “07.11.23”
2. m.evans & a.parks “a.f. chapman’s childhood home”
3. winter lull “glacier" (redux)”
4. Pillars of Light “the seeing head severed”
5. hahwistaas “shenandoah 3”
6. Brian Markham “Medical Professional”
7. lyle quass & mkl anderson “untitled”
8. water is the sun “mask off”
9. ASCENSIONS CREST “Lavender for Devotion”
10. walter evans and congregation “guide me, oh thou gracious savior”
11. friends of sleep “circles" (edit)”
12. acoustic guitar “nothing screams america" (excerpt)”
13. lavanah byler “A2”
14. lightning white bison “mute master, mute mare”
15. Tomáš Niesner “Laguny Zp​ě​vu”
16. timber rattle -“will i have too much joy?”

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Today’s guest deejay is Mark O’Shea, founder of Winter-Light, a label specializing in ambient, experimental, and drone soundscapes.

Winter-Light kept turning up in my life. Musicians for the label would appear in mixes from guest deejays on Soundwave, or I listen to on Spotify. After hearing Electronic Death Black Dogs’ Hinterland album and discovering it was yet another excellent release from Winter-Light, I took it as a hint from the universe that I should invite the label’s founder to guest deejay on Soundwave.

Mark’s mix is fantastic, and while most of it is new to me (always a delight), there were some tracks my musicians I’m quite fond of. Kloob made two appearances in Mark’s mix and was a guest deejay on Soundwave back in 2021. And RNGMNN? Wow, that takes me back to an inspired mix I did in 2008! And Hessel Veldman shared an enthralling mix on Soundwave just last year. Everyone who appears in Mark’s mix are new favorites. And I hope they are for you, too.

Mark has some words about his mix below.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Adam Parks.

See you then.

 

I have curated tracks from some of our Winter-Light label releases in this mix session. A wonderful opportunity to discover some artists and their unique musical styles that may have eluded some of Soundwave’s listeners.

The mix highlights the finer details within the music while creating a space for reflection and solitude. I like to blend percussive elements, lighter shades of ambient interwoven with darker tracks, and accentuated with more harsh soundscapes. A bit of everything to enrich the mix and keep it dynamic.

There is a hidden beauty to the darker side of ambient music that really shines when mixed with slightly softer tones. Light and dark coexist in the same air space. A perfect harmony. I hope you appreciate the experience.

1. Nam-Khar “Sab Dak”
2. Rapoon “On An Even Keel”
3. Kloob “Dali’s Universe”
4. Argyre Planitia “The Gate Of Osiris”
5. Gydja “Ór Élivágum stukku eitrdropar”
6. RNGMNN “The Dawning Of Falsehood (Nam-Khar & Sielwolf Re-Shape)”
7. Ajna & Onasander “Routing The Empusa”
8. Hessel Veldman “Rauw 0:18:76/Sluisgelag”
9. RNGMNN “Nebula”
10. Kloob & Onasander “The Malefici”
11. Ashtoreth & Onasander “Inferis”

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Today’s guest deejay is Aidan Baker.

I came across Aidan on one of my deep dives on Bandcamp and was struck by his music. Aidan, a Canadian musician currently residing in the creative hub of Berlin, has an impressive repertoire that spans solo work and collaborations with notable groups like Nadja, Hypnodrone Ensemble, and WERL

Baker’s musical ingenuity is particularly evident in his experimental guitar playing style, which draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists, including Caspar Brötzmann, James Plotkin, Steve Albini, and Justin Broadrick. It’s a pleasure to have him curate this episode’s mix, a captivating compilation that showcases his unique musical sensibilities.

Want to hear more beautiful music? Just last week, Aidan released his new album, Tense Surfaces. I’ve been listing to it while I write today’s show notes while an ocean breeze wafts its way through my windows. It’s a lovely experience.

Aidan has words about his mix below.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Mark O’Shea of the Winter-Light music label.

See you then.

 

This mix features tracks from musicians who contributed to my Trio Not Trio series, which began in 2022 as a collaborative recording project and is being released over the course of 2023 by Gizeh Records. Some of these players are based in Berlin, as am I, others elsewhere around the world, and while I knew some of them personally before we started working together, I had never played with them before. I wanted a diversity of sound and instrumentation for this project while remaining within the ambient/experimental/jazz genres, and this mix should display that.

1. Plotkin & Wyskida “Improv 6”
2. Man Forever “Catenary Smile”
3. PinkishBlack “Away Again”
4. Sarff “Wild Flesh”
5. Point No Point “Museum Der Angst”
6. Tara Nome Doyle “Crow”
7. My Disco “Third Place”
8. MJ Guider “Lit Negative”
9. Ayami Suzuki “Claro”
10. Sofía Salvo, Gustavo Obligado, Marcelo von Schultz “Granada”
11. Aidan Baker “Blood Like A Chorus of Insects”

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