I came across Room of Wires on the ever-reliable Igloo Mag. They occupy that space where industrial grit meets the sharp edges of intelligent dance music. My curiosity piqued, I turned to Bandcamp and their latest album, Floodplains. Four tracks in, I was captivated. I reached out to have them guest deejay on Soundwave.
The two Andrews hail from the UK. They conjure dark, delicate melodies with synths, field recordings, and software. They’ve never met, choosing instead to work alone, sharing their sonic ideas across the vast ether of the internet. One among tangles of hardware and wires, the other adrift in software and virtual cables.
Room of Wires
Their discography is spread across labels like ant-zen, Rednetic Recordings, Section 27 and PingDiscs. They’ve left their mark on numerous compilations and film scores, like Shifter and Versus. Now, they’re crafting their third album for ant-zen, set for release later this year.
Philippe shared a mix with us last summer. Philippe didn’t know it, but his mix was tailor-made for me. Beastie Boys? Scorn? Rockers Hi-Fi? Yeah, I’m all about that stuff.
So. Invited Philippe back for another show, and of course, he did not disappoint. This time, Philippe is dropping dopamine bombs with the likes of Ben Frost, Sunn O))), and The Bug. He gets me. Bonus: Philippe turned me on to a bunch of musicians I know nothing about, so I’ll be going down that rabbit hole. Thanks, Philippe! If you see me nodding and swaying in the summer streets of Chicago, that’s me listening to Philippe’s mix.
Want new Neau? You can pick up his new album, “Before and after silence”, recorded with Anja Kreysing and Hans Castrup, here. Not enough for you? Fine. Then there’s “V.A. – r I ɘ (2024)”. That should do you.
Today’s guest deejay is Martyn Palmer AKA Broken Chip.
I came across Martyn while scouring Bandcamp for new music, a modern treasure hunt. Immersed in his album The Quiet Garden, I found myself drawn into its depths. I asked Martyn to share a mix with us.
Martyn is an Australian musician and sound artist, a creator of serene soundscapes. His works have graced labels such as Flaming Pines (UK), Feral Media (AU), King Deluxe (CA), and A Future Without (UK). His music, often built on looped sounds, crafts a tranquil, contemplative atmosphere. His latest work, Landscapes, exemplifies this gentle electronic ambience, captivating listeners with its peaceful stillness.
Martyn Palmer AKA Broken Chip.
The name “Broken Chip” arose from his trials with a malfunctioning Roland Juno 106 synthesizer. The 80017a VCF/VCA voice chips began to fail, producing a detuned, raspy sound. Martyn wove this brokenness into his music, finding beauty in imperfection. Though the synthesizer eventually became unusable, the broken sound it produced inspired the name of his project.
Martyn hopes his music serves as ambient background sound, suitable for homes, planes, or trains. Once released, he seldom reflects on its reception, preferring to let listeners discover and experience it on their own. His initial promotion is brief; he avoids persistent self-promotion, letting the music speak for itself.
Martyn has two albums coming out on Home Normal later this year. You can look forward to them, and perhaps, find solace in the quiet moments he creates.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Philippe Neau.
Today’s guest deejay is Tim McManus, the had honcho of Island House Recordings, a little label based on a little island in the East river, Roosevelt Island, NYC.
How did I cross paths with Tim, you ask? Oh, the usual circuitous route.
A few years back, Stefan Beck, who moonlights as Golden Brown, took over the turntables on Soundwave (you can check out Stefan’s mix here). I asked him who might be keen to share a mix on an upcoming show, and without missing a beat, he recommended Tim. Stefan said he curious to hear what Tim put together. After doing a deep dive into Tim’s label, I was curious, too.
Tim did not disappoint. He kicked off his set with a track from The The — talk about a curveball. That unexpected twist set the tone for the entire mix. From there, Tim kept the surprises coming, weaving through tracks from Gastr De Sol (I’m a longtime David Grubbs fan) to Nimbudala. You’re in for a treat!
Naturally, I’m already primed to ask Tim who he thinks should helm the decks on Soundwave next.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Broken Chip.
Drew is the Mastering Engineer for Past Inside the Present, an ambient label and the home of a passionate, collaborative artistic community pursuing the world’s most inventive and engaging quiet music. They aim to moor the listener in changing tides with a captivating sense of permanence, blurring the ephemeral with the eternal.
I thank Zach Frizzell, AKA zakè, or putting me in touch with Drew. After Zach shared his mix on Soundwave (you can and should listen to it here), I asked him who he knew who might also want to guest deejay on Soundwave. Zach recommended Drew, who also records under the monicker Slow Dancing Society.
Drew Sullivan
Drew is a Washington-based musician/producer and nostalgist extraordinaire. If ever there was an artist who truly expressed themselves in a way that defies everything music and art expect and, at times, demands, then Slow Dancing Society would be that artist. As with Brian Eno’s finest moments and David Sylvian’s ambient explorations, Drew’s music manages to dissolve its temporal markers and speak about moments removed from time.
Drew, in his modesty, didn’t include his own music in his mix. However, I strongly recommend you purchase his latest album, Do We Become Sky? Drew suggests experiencing the album in its 86-minute entirety, as it’s a spiritual successor to Priest Lake Circa ‘88. This album is inspired by the namesake location, evoking visions of childhood freedom and innocence, family road trips through northern Idaho, and a yearning for a simpler past.
Soundwave has become possible based on the network the show has created. Each guest deejay leads to another guest deejay.
In January, Radboud Mens dropped a devastating set, which you can listen to here. Afterward, I asked Radboud who he thought would share a mix on Soundwave, and he thought I would share a mix on Soundwave. Radboud suggested Marc, saying, “his stuff is quite diverse, from sound art to ambient drone.” Uh-huh. That doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of Marc’s sonic explorations.
Marc is a multidisciplinary fine arts, music, theatre, and literature artist. He explores electronic and concrete music, installation, performance, photography, text, and video. He has over 30 music albums released since 1989 and has exhibited and performed internationally. Marc is known for radio dramas like Progress (2013) and Nachtsprache (2021) and collaborated on the album Bauteile (2014) with Atom™. Marc is a member of DEGEM, ran the label Animal Art (1989–1993), and founded Availabel in 2014. Marc has also taught at various institutions and mentored young artists.
Whew! And that’s just a brief bio of Marc. And today’s show is a snapshot of Marc’s work. Marc’s creativity is unrelenting. If you love today's mix, and I know you will, then you’ll be thrilled to know that you can look forward to his recent and fetching releases. They are Our Tongues in Your Ears, which was released in April on Marc’s label, Availabel. Marc’s albums Aiear and Clould will be released on Crónicaon May 21 and June 25, repesctively.
Marc has some words about his mix below.
See you next week.
Marc Behrens. Photo by Joana Machado.
This Podcast for Soundwave features music from different periods of my work and includes some unreleased material from the archives, never before played publicly. Thanks to Radboud Mens, who recommended me to Joseph Aleo.
“Feet or Fist” (1989) A piece from the cassette album Entomo from 1989, my third-ever release, played with a Casio SK-5 Sampling Keyboard, a bamboo clarinet, and some percussion.
All sounds were generated from the recording of a fever delirium in the Summer of 1988, processed with the Cconfin software by Ennio Mazzon. They were produced for the project Quark: How Does the Invisible Sound?, by invitation of Fabio Perletta.
“I was Never (Long Version)” (2004) “A Disco Boy (Long Version)” (2004) Longer versions of two short pieces that were released on the split-10" EP Product 04 on Crónica, Portugal. Original sound material generated from remixes of music beyond the human listening range, originally by the Japanese artist *0. Voices culled from a presentation of the remixes.
“eeaiooaeieeaiooaei (2011)” Part two of a cycle of three pieces composed with recordings of voices made in 1990 (solo voice: Kerstin Menz), and voltage-controlled car horns made in 2002.
“Paiva Players (2011)” Entirely composed with field recordings of the landscape, animals, people and supposedly supernatural beings of the Paiva River in Portugal (and, oh yes, the electronic church bell of Nodar village!). Recordings made during a residency at Binaural in 2010, a place devoted to sound art, art in rural areas, and also rural culture. This is an unreleased alternate mix of material from my album Recurrent.
“Mamori (2008)” Composed with field recordings made in the Amazon rainforest while on a residency at Mamori lake, a project led by Francisco López at the time. Mostly birds, insects, frogs and tree frogs – and a howling monkey. Some elements and sounds from this track ended up in my radio piece Bushdesertrainforest for WDR 3 culture radio in 2009.
Adriano is a connection I’m sure I made through Sanderson Dear, the founder of Stasis Recordings (listen to Sanderson’s mix here). Adriano was generous enough to share his fantastic mix with us. Still, I’m only just now sharing it with you today. Life has been pretty hectic, and I injured my arm a few weeks back. After working all day, my arm would throb, and I was sapped of all energy. The last thing I wanted to do was sit in front of my laptop and write show notes. My apologies to Adriano.
Adriano Mirabile
Let’s talk about his mix, because it’s full of surprises. Let me hit some of the highlights.
Adriano kicks things off with a remix that hits you like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. Julie H’s vocals ride the wave of Sanderson Dear’s beats, setting the tone for what’s to come. This is where the surprise kicks in. Robert Cray steps into the spotlight with “This Man,” a soulful ballad that cuts straight to the bone with his raw vocals and emotive guitar work. The surprise keeps coming with Arab Strap’s “Fabel of the Urban Fox,” a track that captures the gritty reality of city living. And then there’s Jarvis Cocker. What the hell? But that’s the ride Adriano is taking us on. Cocker channels the spirit of French chanson with “Elle Et Moi,” a romantic ballad that oozes charm and sophistication; the song transports listeners to the streets of Paris. We close things out with Mita Gami’s “What If It’s All Alright,” a track that’s as hopeful as introspective. Everything will be all right in the end.
There’s more to Adriano’s mix, but I wanted to share some of the curve balls he threw out. I’m sure it’ll delight you as much as it did me.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Marc Behrens.
Today’s guest deejay is Mark Van Hoen. I know him as Locust.
Let me back up. Late last century, Astralwerks released the Excursions in Ambience compilation series. Excursions touched and changed many lives. Last year, I shared my Excursions in Ambience Retrospective mix on Soundwave. I fell back in love with the compilation series and reached out to as many of the musicians featured in the series to share a mix on Soundwave. This leads us to Mark, who recorded under the name Locust and appeared on the Excursions in Ambience 2: Second Orbit album. And you know what? The man said yes and sent us the mix we’re listening to today!
Mark Van Hoen
Mark kicks off his set, paying homage to the legend, Damo Suzuki. Then he throws in some new stuff he’s been cooking up, you know, keeping it fresh. But that’s not all, folks. We’re taking a trip down memory lane, pulling out some classics from the last 70 years. It’s a sonic time machine. Here’s where it gets real interesting. Mark has got this exclusive, unreleased track from a young gun, straight fire, I’m telling you. We also hear some surprise tracks from Flying Lotus and XXXTENTACION. Plus, he dug up a couple of hidden gems, stuff that’ll blow your mind. And just when you think it can’t get any better, Mark hits us with some Egyptian and Turkish vibes, topping it all off with a little Terry Riley magic. Yeah, that's how we do it. That ‘sjust how Mark rolls.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Adriano Mirabile.
The good folks at Igloo Magazine turned me on to Civilistjävel! When they reviewed his latest album, Järnnätter. I was so taken with the album that I immediately extended an invitation to Civilistjävel! To share a mix with us. And what a mix it is!
Civilistjävel!
I’ve been hosting Soundwave since the pandemic began, and I’m constantly astonished at the music and artists our guest deejays introduce me to. I’m well traveled in ambient and experimental music, but I’m unfamiliar with nearly all the work featured in Civilistjävel!’s mix. If you’re like me, you’ll spend the next few weeks going down the rabbit hole inspired by his mix. Oh, and Civilistjävel!’s mix. If you’re like me, you’ll spend the next few weeks going down the rabbi ends today’s show with a track by The William Fairey Brass Band, a person favorite of mine.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Mark Van Hoen.
Today’s guest deejays are Potsdam-based Brueder Selke, brothers Sebastian and Daniel Selke (CEEYS).
Sebastian and Daniel shared a gorgeous mix on Soundwave a few years ago which you can listen to here. Today’s mix is equally beautiful, and features musicians who will appear at the Q3AMBIENTFEST. Sebastian and Daniel have more information about the festival below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Civilistjävel!
See you then.
Q3AMBIENTFEST
The boutique Q3AMBIENTFEST is a musical happening that brings together established and emerging artists from various genres and diverse origins.
It is carefully curated by Brueder Selke, East Berlin-born, Potsdam-based, polyinstrumental composers Sebastian and Daniel Selke, who have become an insider tip as an award-winning cello-piano duo under their pseudonym CEEYS. Throughout the work that has come from this long-term collaboration between the two brothers who grew up on the other side of the Berlin Wall, the essential elements are encounter and exchange.
“We mixed smooth and silent with bright and intense pieces and invite open-minded music lovers to discover today’s contemporary composers and performers featured on Q3A.“ – BS
