Anne’s music is a beautiful blend of ambient, experimental, and modern classical styles. I was introduced to Anne’s through Soundwave guest deejay Peter van Cooten (listen to his mix here and here), host of Ambientblog and DreamScenes on Concertzender.
Anne Bakker
Based in the Netherlands, Anne Bakker is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer. Her music often incorporates field recordings, found sounds, and electronic elements to create unique and immersive soundscapes.
Anne has released several albums and EPs on labels such as Dronarivm, Whitelabrecs, and Rusted Tone Recordings. Her music has been described as “a delicate and hypnotic work that shines with an inner light” and “a moving and atmospheric experience.”
Many of the tracks in Anne’s mix feature minimalistic arrangements and slowly evolving textures, often exploring the sonic nuances of single notes or simple harmonic progressions. Using drones and sustained tones is also prevalent, creating a sense of sonic stasis or timelessness. Several pieces also feature acoustic instruments, such as piano, guitar, and strings, woven into the electronic soundscapes to create a delicate interplay between the organic and synthetic elements.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be zaké.
Soundwave guest deejay Steven Howard introduced me to Austin. I’ve known Steve for decades. If he recommends someone, I listen. And, as always, Steven didn’t disappoint. Neither did Austin.
Austin’s mix introduces his ambient productions to a broader audience and highlights the work of two other exceptional artists, Dan Rosen and Denver Bon, who create art through music.
This set was created to present my ambient productions to an audience beyond my Facebook friends, and to highlight two wonderful musical artists who create art with music, Dan Rosen and Denver Bon. My ambient productions are created with an intent to go beyond the drone productions that can be created on a grid in a digital audio workstation. These songs pollute the current atmosphere of Ambient music. I like adding live, improvised instrumentation to breathe life into the productions and hopefully create mesmerizing digital and analog music soundscapes. I also hope there is accessibility available to the listener, some very slight, almost Pop, or familiar tone that draws people in so that it can be listening music or background music depending on the listener's intention. It's a live recorded mountain stream in one song, a live Martin acoustic guitar, a live Fender Strat, and a live human voice in another. The only borrowed samples are drums or percussion.
The line between Art and Craft has been interesting to me lately. If everything someone "makes" is art, we live in an art wasteland. My music, for example, is mostly craft, given enough time, or maybe already, someone has probably done or will do something very similar without ever having heard it, simply because they have the method down. The same cannot be said for May Family Reunion and Drank November. Like all great art, their efforts and creations come from an intangible realm of creativity. It is something only they could ever create. I hope you and your listeners enjoy the juxtaposition of these two sources of inspiration and that these songs create an interesting tapestry to lay back and introspect to.
This is Jon’s third time sharing a mix with us. I keep having Jon back because his mixes are like his own music: delicate, ephemeral, evoking rich and complex emotions. As I write this, it’s another grey day in a month we in San Diego are now calling Greypril. Jon’s mix is the perfect soundtrack for this morning. Everything in my neighborhood looks fragile in the cast of this grey illumination. Maybe Jon’s playlist will provide you with your own moment of serenitiy and tranquility, a sonic escape to a peaceful and introspective space.
Jon Solo, AKA Naneum.
Want to hear more music from Jon? You’ll be delighted to learn that his new album, Ollopa Othello, will be released this July through Electrofone Music.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Austin Hill.
Simon is a Swiss musician, producer, and sound artist who has released several albums and EPs. His music is known for its experimental and ambient soundscapes. Simon combines field recordings and electronic sounds to create unique sonic environments.
I discovered Simon Grab through his album Anthropocene Panic, a sonic artwork exploring human activity’s environmental impact. It’s a sinister and muscular piece of music that vividly depicts what the Anthropocene era feels like.
Simon has some words about his mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Jon Solo.
See you then.
Simon Grab
“Gargle Ceremony” has been published in Mensa Sonora, a book with cooking recipes and sound. Your invited to gather with your friends to gargle with raw fruit or vegetable juice while listening to the track. Find the recipe here.
The rest of the mix are left over files from longer recording sessions I did a while ago. At that time I categorised them with colour titles, which was more of an attempt to get out of file management chaos than a synesthesia moment. Funny enough, as I got used to the naming, nowadays I actually find the colour titles fit quite well. Those are all unpublished tracks. I might release them one day, or just leave it here at Soundwave.
Billow Observatory has appeared on several mixes on Soundwave, and I’m excited to have Jonas share his mix with us. Jonas says he selected music that inspired them since day one and some more recent discoveries.
In addition to his musical endeavors, Thomas runs the label Azure Vista Records. He has released two Billow Observatory albums, one of Jonas’s solo work and an album from Jason’s band, Auburn Lull. I eagerly anticipate their soon-to-be-released new album.
Billow Observatory
Jonas’s carefully curated selection of tracks in this mix all center around the interplay of ambient, electronic, and experimental music, woven together to create a dreamy and ethereal atmosphere. You can expect lush soundscapes, intricate melodies, and beautiful collaborations between artists like Harold Budd and Brian Eno with Daniel Lanois and Robert Fripp and Brian Eno. He also includes standout tracks from electronic music pioneers like Biosphere and Boards of Canada.
As I sit down at my kitchen table to begin another day's work, I can't help but feel grateful for the simple pleasures in life — a cup of coffee, the view of the world from my rooftop, and of course, Jonas’s mix playing in the background. It’s been a constant companion as I ease into my daily routine. I know you’ll feel the same way too. So grab your coffee, find a comfy spot, and let Jonas’s mix transport you to a world of sublime soundscapes and dreamy melodies.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Simon Grab.
I was introduced to Hekla through the kind folks at Phantom Limb (listen to their mix for Soundwave here). Hekla is known for her explorations into the depths of sound, blending influences from her Icelandic roots with experimental electronic sounds. Her album, Á, was breath taking, as is her more recent album, Xiuxiuejar, both of which I encourage you to experience.
Hekla
In her mix for Soundwave, Hekla takes us on a journey through the themes of nature, spirituality, and human connection. Her selection of songs includes works by the Estonian composer Veljo Tormis, whose choral music draws on ancient folk traditions, as well as Ghédalia Tazartés’ haunting “Un amour si grand Qu’il Nie Son Objet” and Meredith Monk’s playful “Cow Song.” Hekla also includes a selection from the French composer Olivier Messiaen’s “O Sacrum Convivium,” which explores the theme of spiritual communion.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Jonas Munk.
Welcome to Soundwave, where we dive deep into the experimental, electronic, and ambient soundscape.
Today’s episode takes us on a nostalgic journey with a retrospective mix of the groundbreaking Excursions in Ambience compilation series. These albums played a pivotal role in shaping the ambient music genre. From the first volume in 1993 to the final fourth installment in 1996, the Excursions in Ambience series explored the intersection of dance music and ambient sounds, capturing the essence of a musical movement that continues to influence artists today.
As a former deejay at WMFO 91.5 FM, these albums were a constant presence in my playlists, providing the perfect soundtrack to my late-night walks home after spinning records at the radio station.
We dedicate this week’s show to the memory of Michael Kandel, who made several appearances on the Excursions in Ambience series and passed away in 2015.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Hekla.
Each track from Sanderson’s mix carries its distinct tone and texture, yet they all resonate with a shared melancholy and longing.
Sanderson has over a decade of experience pushing the boundaries of electronic music. His productions are like a carefully crafted time machine, transporting the listener to otherworldly realms of sound and sensation. At least, that’s what my experience is like.
If you enjoy today’s mix, as I’m sure you will, and want to hear more music from Stasis Recodings, you can look forward to an album from Glo Phase this Where We At…, the label’s third compilation, will be released this May. Don’t want to wait that long? SubDan’s 12” EP, They Shine, is fresh off the presses.
Sanderson has some words about his mix below.
Join us next week when for our Excursions in Ambience compilation retrospective.
See you then.
Sanderson Dear
It’s often difficult to distill the ethos and mantra of an imprint into 60mins while still maintaining a purposed ebb and flow. That was my challenge with this mix. My name is Sanderson Dear. I’m the label manager for Stasis Recordings, a Canadian electronic label operating out of Toronto with an international cast of musicians lending their talents to shape our sonic character. We’ve been releasing music since 2010. This mix highlights and focuses heavily on the chilled-out side of the music ledger. Most of the tracks are from our catalog, but I’ve also snuck in a couple of gems from the crew on other labels I am a fan of.
“After” is one of those pieces by Louis which never fails to leave me speechless. The strings, the spatial dynamics, and just the overall emotional tone. Appears on his vinyl release for Indigo Aera, in my opinion it is the standout track.
“Breathing-In” is Louis’ contribution to our 2020 7” box compilation. The compilation is a decade celebration of releasing music. It’s a project we took 4yrs to organize, and it’s the release I’m most proud of us realizing.
“Entwine (reprise)” is from our upcoming 2023 vinyl LP by Glo Phase.
“Rising Tide” to this day, Urenga’s “Floating Island” release is my favourite out of all the titles we’ve released by him on Stasis Recordings.
“Caju (extended version)” is part of a special vinyl companion to our Time Capsule compilation we’re organizing and planning to calendar soon. It’s a tune by Adriano Mirabile which describes his downtempo chillin’ sound.
“Mistpouffers” a new Off Land jam, appears on our next label compilation hitting digital shops this May.
“Flow” is from our recent vinyl release by SubDan. a 4-track EP bonding 90s D&B elements with ambient chillage vibes.
“Ambrosia” label debut by Mellonius One. Best way to describe his sound, ambient scapes, and soundtrack composing meets downtempo breaks.
“Horizons” by Diahgonal. The production alias of Ruben Alonso Tamayo.. super proud to have some Mexicali techno representation on our little international imprint.
“The Detective” is a jazzy, downtempo track from my first long player.
I was first introduced to Jolanda through her captivating work in Peter van Cooten’s mix for Soundwave (listen here), and I’ve been hooked ever since. I invited Jolanda to share a mix with us.
Jolanda’s mix features artists whose works are marked by their unique approach to sound and a profound sense of introspection. It is a haunting and deeply introspective exploration of the mystical power of sound.
Hailing from Italy, Jolanda has been making waves with her unique blend of organic and electronic soundscapes, drawing inspiration from her love of nature and the cosmos. Her album, Full Moon Session, was just released earlier this month, which includes live performances of songs from her Nine Spells album.
Jolanda also led the folk band She Owl, delivering two full-length albums and performing more than 300 concerts across Europe and the US. But in the past two years of isolation, Jolanda focused on a deeply personal project, one that connects her to her ancestral roots and promotes healing.
Jolanda has some words about her mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Sanderson Dear.
See you then.
Jolanda Moletta
When I started working on my debut solo album Nine Spells, I wasn’t aware of other artists doing ambient/neoclassical/experimental music except for a few names. I didn’t know how my album would fit into these genres. I just had a vision of wanting to create something with only vocals and I imagined something meditative that was like a prayer, or an invocation. In months following the release of the first singles, it became clear that there was actually a community, and a scene, of these genres. My mix aims to put a spotlight on the many incredible women who are also creating beautiful music within this community. I am happy to now call some of these artists my friends, and others I would love to meet one day and maybe even collaborate with. So I truly do hope that you’ll warm to this mix and come to love their music as much as I have.
Antti Tolvi is a visionary musician hailing from Finland, who has been making waves in the underground music scene with his exploration of ambient and experimental soundscapes.
I was introduced to Antti Tolvi through his remarkable album, Spectral Organ / Feedback Gong, available from the always-reliable room40 label. And let me tell you, it was a revelation. His approach to music blendis elements of drone, ambient, and free improvisation to create a sound that is simultaneously intimate out of this world.
Antti Tolvi
Antti’s mix for this episode includes three captivating tracks that perfectly capture his unique style. “in all the cold” by John Franek is a haunting piano piece that creates a sense of space and distance, while “nachtstück” by Eva-Maria Houben invites the listener to engage in a meditative reflection on their innermost thoughts and feelings. Finally, Taku Sugimoto’s “Quintet (2017) – Berlin, 2017.08.06” uses silence and understatement to create a sense of vastness and infinite possibility.
All of these tracks share a common theme of introspection and self-reflection, evoking a sense of quiet contemplation that is perfect for those long winter nights.
Join us next week when out guest deejay will be Sanderson Dear.
