Writing today’s show notes was a head trip. Carmen shared his first mix for Soundwave three years ago. That’s not a significant amount of time, but it feels like it. That was our first pandemic summer. You never knew if your next visit to the grocery store was going to be the one that exposed you to COVID and could kill you. Three years later and we’ve gotten along with our lives. Yes, COVID is still a threat, but now it’s manageable. Yes, we’ve all been changed by the experience, but hopefully, we’ve all grown somehow.
That’s where my mind went when I thought about what to say for today’s show notes.
Carmen Rizzo
I hope that Carmen takes this in the spirit intended. Camrens music has been part of the soundtrack for my pandemic. I was already a fan of his before launching Soundwave, and he was on my list of people I wanted to guest deejay on the show. During that time, Carmen’s music has appeared on mixes from other guest deejays and in shows and mixes I listen to on Mixcloud and Spotify. Carmen’s music has been a constant presence in my life for the last three years.
No words from Carmen on his mix. No playlist. Carmen’s mix is personal and lovingly hand selected. You’ll have to experience it. I’ve been listing to it as I write these show notes, and I assure you, you’re in for an emotional journey.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Henrick Öhberg.
I had the good fortune to meet Cole through Yann Novak (listen to Yann’s mixes four Soundwave here). I asked Yann who he thought would share a mix with us, and he highly recommended Cole. I could have sent Cole an invitation to guest deejay on Soundwave without listening to a note of his music. I trust Yann’s taste in music and artists that much. But of course, I listened to Cole’s music. Yann was spot on.
Cole’s mix is a unique blend of electronic and organic elements, creating a captivating sonic landscape that will take you on a mesmerizing journey. It’s okay if you lose yourself. That’s part of the journey, too.
Be sure to lose yourself in Cole’s latest album, Traces Blurs Signs, where he continues to eschew categorization.
Cole has much to say about the mix you’re about to experience, so I will get out of his way, except to mention that next week’s guest deejay is Carmen Rizzo.
See you then.
Cole Peters
I realized not long ago that so much of my work in music over the past 20+ years has been based on the practice of collage. When I started assembling my own music in the early 2000s, it was awful techno cobbled together out of random samples scavenged off the internet. In the mid-2000s, I’d transitioned into producing instrumental hip hop, composed from samples pulled from old vinyl records. From 2010–2013, my work took more experimental turns, and sampled material merged with my recordings of effects-laden guitar. Collaged electronics and field recordings were the recipes that helped me find my way back to music and sound art in 2019, and these have remained at the core of my work since then.
Through all of these eras, assembling mixes of other artist’s work has been a constant practice alongside creating my work (though often, these mixes have remained a private exercise). A mix is, to varying degrees, also an exercise in collage. In some ways, I view my approach to constructing mixes and assembling my work as complementary and mutually instructive.
I’ve always been somewhat obsessive about the transitional moments that string a mix together — those passages where one work seeps into another, the interplay of compositions that, for a short time, enter into an unexpected dialogue. These moments largely guide me in the composition of a mix, as opposed to selecting tracks first and then determining their sequence. I work best when starting with a single piece of work and letting that piece’s tone, texture, pace, dynamics, and nuances inform my following selection and onwards until the mix feels complete.
Often, this leads me to identify previously unrealized sympathies between otherwise unrelated works, such as the complementary tonalities between Alyssa Moxley’s “Night smoke over the caldera” and Chloe Alexandra Thompson’s “Glass Bits” or crys cole’s “A Piece of Work” and Ayami Suzuki’s “Glade.” I found that these pairings especially seemed to merge hypnotically. Similarly, I appreciated how well B.P. and Masaya Ozaki’s pieces on this mix came together — both titled by GPS coordinates, both exploring textures between the subtle and the barely contained.
Of course, a mix doesn’t need to be composed solely of perfectly seamless transitions. I quite like the sudden shift between “Glass Bits” and B.P.’s field recording and the melodic tension between “Glade” and Philip Samartzis & Eugene Ughetti’s “Katabatic Winds Part 1,” where Ayami’s voice and the electronic tone in “Katabatic” seem to drift awkwardly in and out of harmony. Elsewhere: I hadn’t initially intended to place John Bence’s “Disquiet Part 1” immediately after Lawrence English’s “Evocation at Peron,” but the transition between the caustic layers of wind and the soft choral voices turned out to be an unexpectedly haunting shift in texture and intensity. And I never would’ve expected that “Disquiet” would flow so perfectly into Jeremiah Cymerman and John McCowen’s “Gospel Hill” — this was truly the happiest of accidents. (I was also amused that “Disquiet,” being based on reconstituted choral voices, matched so well with a track titled the word “gospel.")
For me, these moments where previously unrelated works come together to form new and complementary statements are something truly fascinating and worthy of considered enjoyment — not because of any cleverness on the part of the mixer, but because of the sheer delight and beauty of unexpected synchronicity.
Today’s returning guest deejay is Raziel Panic. You can listen to Raziel’s previous mix for Soundwave here.
Raziel’s last mix defied my expectations. I naively assumed he would share a mix much like the music Raziel records and performs as YouShriek. Einstürzende Neubauten and Kraftwerk was not a surprise. Arvo Pärt was unexpected. Kitaro caught me entirely off guard.
And yet, where we are again, Raziel has delightfully baffled me.
Today’s mix is full of hypnotic melodies, haunting atmospheres, and evocative compositions. But those are just words. You have to experience Raziel’s mix for yourself. Headphones are perfect. But if you are one of those fortunate few with a decent sound system, crank that sucker and let Raziel’s mix rattle your windowpanes.
Raziel has a few words about his mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Cole Peters.
See you then.
Raziel Panic
Karl is from Angelspit is one of my most recent acquaintances. Drekka is one of my oldest, and Charles from Cathode Ray Tube was my randomly-selected college roommate / dorm flood survivor.
I met Tim through Sanderson Dear, who get deejayed on Soundwave a few months ago (listen to Sanderson’s mix here). As is my want, I asked Sanderon who he thought would share a mix on Soundwave and he highly recommended Tim.
As it happens, both Tim and I are fellow devotees of the Excursions in Ambience compilation album series (listen to my Excursions in Ambience compilation retrospective here). That may explain why Tim’s mix, which features songs completely new to me, feels so familiar. It’s a delight to share Tim’s mix with you.
Tim has words about his mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Raziel Panic.
My 2021 album Excursion was a release born through influence. It was inspired by improvised live electronics, a deep love of electronic music from the 1990’s, and even the compilation series Excursions in Ambience, of which the album was named after. I wanted to revisit those influences for this mix, crafting a similar sonic tapestry, through a different lens. I’ve included the inspiring music that influenced me to start making music, as well as some new works that elicit that same emotional frequency. Enjoy the journey.
I was introduced to zakè's captivating music by the talented Luke Entelis (listen to Luke’s mix four Soundwave here), and I'm excited to share his unique sonic tapestries with you.
Zach is the stateside label boss of the Past Inside the Present record label. Zach is also a multi-talented musician, composer, and sound artist. With a deep passion for exploring the intersection of sound and emotion, zakè weaves intricate sonic landscapes that transport listeners to ethereal realms. His musical journey began at a young age, as he discovered his love for experimenting with various instruments and sound manipulation techniques.
Zach Frizzell, AKA zakè
The songs in this collection share a common thread of introspection, contemplation, and a sense of profound emotional depth. Each composition invites the listener into a world of deep reflection, where silence and subtle nuances create powerful moments of introspection. Zach’s mix has been my companion during grey mornings. With my cup of coffee in hand, his music eases me into my work day, infusing even the most mundane tasks with intrigue.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Tim Dwyer.
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.
