Author: joseph

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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Today’s guest deejay is Philippe Neau.

The kind folks at Igloo Magazine introduced me to Philippe when they reviewed his 2022 album, A Quiet Place. Philippe explores tranquil environments, blending bird sounds and water with electronics to create meditative soundscapes. Simple and captivating. I was so enchanted that I invited Philippe to share a mix with us.

Some of the themes in Philippe’s mix revolve around rebellion, introspection, darkness, electronic experimentation, and sonic exploration. There is an emphasis on societal and personal struggles, expressed through the Beastie Boys’ cheeky anthem of defiance, “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party),” and the politically charged “Can’t Truss It” by Public Enemy. David Lynch’s “Noah’s Ark” and Scorn’s “Slumber:” delve into introspective and atmospheric territories, while Painkiller’s “Trailmarker” and the DJ Spooky’s “12 Nihilismus Dub” offer a glimpse into the experimental and industrial aspects of the mix. The presence of artists like Rockers Hi-Fi brings electronic elements and dub-inspired sounds, adding depth and dimension to the overall sonic landscape. Additionally, Philippe’s mix includes tracks by Robert Rich and B. Lustmord, Ø, and :zoviet*france:, which explore the ambient and textural side, creating a sense of mystery and darkness. I love all these songs, and you will, too.

Philippe has words about his mix below.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be tttlllrrr.

See you then.

 

"the crows would like to sing"

I offer you a long experimental track where,

tangle, intertwine, overlap entire tracks,

sometimes just voices, sounds that have marked out, marked

in recent years in the workshop, the car, the house, the garden …

Far from being an inventory, I tried to create a sound / sonic walk,

a contemplative drift with these tracks that resonate in me,

in my head on a background of birdsong

recorded in the garden, hence the title crows

 

"les corbeaux voudraient chanter"

je vous propose un long track expérimental où se cotoient,

s'enmêlent, s'entrecroisent, se superposent des tracks entiers,

parfois juste des voix, des sonorités qui ont jalonnés, marqués

ces dernières années dans l'atelier, la voiture, la maison, le jardin …

Loin d'être un inventaire, j'ai essayé de créer une promenade sonore / sonique,

une dérive contemplative avec ces tracks qui résonnent en moi,

dans ma tête sur fond de chants d'oiseaux

enregistrés dans le jardin, d'où les corbeaux du titre

1. Beastie Boys “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)” (excerpt)
2. David Lynch “Noah's Ark”
3. Painkiller “Trailmarker” (excerpt)
4. Scorn “Slumber”
5. Peace Orchestra “Shining”
6. Brian Eno with Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno “Stars”
7. Rockers Hi-Fi “Going Under (Kruder & Dorfmeister Evil Love And Insanity Dub Version)”
8. The Young Gods “Attend”
9. DJ Spooky “12 Nihilismus Dub”
10. Kim Gordon / Ikue Mori / DJ Olive “Neu adult”
11. Public Enemy“Can't Truss It, 1991” (excerpt)
12. Material “Intime (Featuring Ramm Ell Zee)”
13. Pole “Stadt”
14. Robert Rich & B. Lustmord “Elemental Trigger”
15. Ø “Metsän Sydän”
16. :zoviet*france: “Ularhan”
17. philippe neau “Osecret (rework)”
18. Depeche Mode “Enjoy The Silence” (excerpt)

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Today’s guest deejay is Mkl Anderson, AKA, Drekka.

One of the delights of Soundwave is the people I continue to meet through the guest deejays that appear on the show. Take Mkl. I met Mkl through Raziel Panic after the last mix he shared on Soundwave. Raziel highly recommended Mkl. There was no doubt that I would invite Mkl to share a mix with us, but that didn’t stop me from spending a delightful afternoon experiencing his music.

I’m still emotionally processing Mkl’s mix. I know that sounds pretentious as hell, so hear me out. Most times, someone sends me a mix, and I have an immediate reaction to it. But with Mkl’s mix, I feel like I keep unpacking stuff from it, which is why I’ve listened to it so damn much.

I love it, though, and I’ve also found that Mkl’s mix is the perfect soundtrack to play while telling my grandson fairy tales as he drifts off to sleep. I can’t think of a better compliment than that.

Mkl has words about his mix below.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Philippe Neau.

See you then.

 

This mix was done with fresh thoughts of my recent tour of California this past April with my spirit animal, Timber Rattle. I hope it evokes cinematic landscapes and drifting thoughts of driving California’s long, open stretches of desert and tight, winding coastal roads.

Mixed alongside a field recording of ocean waves and pebble beach I made on my trip, I have included some deep, long-time essentials like Cindytalk and Simon Fisher Turner, alongside cherished friends and recent discoveries. Plus, a brand new Drekka track in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Sascha Stadlmeier’s Emerge project.

1. Mkl Anderson “33°02'02.1"N 117°17'30.3"W, 23.IV.23, 17:39 (unreleased, 2023)”
2. Cindytalk “In This World”
3. John B. McLemore “Before Winter's Death (Excerpt)”
4. Lightning White Bison “03.”
5. Obay Alsharani “Sleep”
6. Luciano Cilio “Secondo quadro da ‘Dialoghi dal presente’”
7. An Heap “Singing Dawn Chorus”
8. Vört Limpa “Pauling Meadows (unreleased, 2023)”
9. Simon Fisher Turner “Rushing Forgotten Secrets”
10. Yara Asmar “Sleeping in church (tape 1) on a warm day I turned to tell you something but there was nothing there (excerpt)”
11. Dropsy “Part 5”
12. Drekka “Une nostalgie relativement inconnue”
13. Ascensions Crest “Love is Limitless”
14. Kali Malone “Arched In Hysteria”
15. Whirled Music “October Third”
16. Matthias M.D. Hemstock + Katrín Elvarsdóttir “Hlykkur”

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Today’s guest deejay is Henrik Öhberg, AKA, Tvärvägen.

I had the good fortune of meeting Henrik through Soundwave guest deejay Petter Lindhagen (listen to Petter’s mix here). After each show, I ask my guests who they think would share a mix on Soundwave, and Petter highly recommended Henrik, which led me to listen to Henrik’s music for an evening. The experience was everything I had hoped, and I extended an invitation to Henrik, and here he is today with his delightful mix.

Henrik’s fifth and latest album A Great Circle Route was released in January. The album was picked as New and Notable by the tastemakers at Bandcamp Daily. While A Great Circle Route owes a debt to Steve Reich’s American minimalism and the street compositions of Moondog, those influences are distilled through Henrik’s unique signature of soft, vaguely Nordic, melodic lines.

Tvärvägen began as Henrik’s experimental side hustle back in when he was part of the indie act Ironville and hip hop duo Amok. Soon enough, Tvärvägen was his main endeavor. Henrik’s been dabbling with post-classical music for string quartet and ethereal soundscapes. His songs have been featured in numerous TV and radio shows, documentaries, news programs, children’s shows, and more.

Henrik has some words about today’s mix below.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Mike Lazarev.

See you then.

 

With these songs, I've tried to capture a very subjective sense of physicality in sound, which I find highly appealing. No matter if the sounds' origins are of the real world or ethereal, I feel that they're present in the room at a scale 1:1, leaving breathing space whilst simultaneously reaching the outermost corners of the surroundings. It's music to touch and be touched by.

1. Ichiko Aoba “opening”
2. Tvärvägen “A Great Circle Route (Variation forSaxophone Quartet)”
3. Plommehagepartitur “Oår 2”
4. Autorhythm “Oxytocin”
5. Ichiko Aoba “to the red room”
6. Andrew Oda “Song of Absence”
7. Rick Deitrick “Morningstar”
8. Atte Elias Kantonen “Main Character”
9. Tvärvägen (feat. Beem) “A Scene UnderWater”
10. Ichiko Aoba “chocolate (cookies)”
11. Time Wharp “Mixo World”
12. Trio Ramberget “E dur – Fält”
13. Dialect “Flame Not Stone”
14. Ichiko Aoba “my brother”

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