contemporary classical

May 21, 2023May 21, 2023

SOUNDWAVE : 157 : zakè

Today’s guest deejay is Zach Frizzell, AKA zakè.

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.

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.

See you then.

T.R. Jordan “Unsaid”
Pausal “Truth Symbol – False Idolatry”
Dustin O’Halloran “Quartet N.2”
Arvo Pärt “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten”
Eluvium “Indoor Swimming at the Space Station”
willamette “Buried Presidents”
William Basinski “Melancholia II”
Rafael Anton Irisarri “Watching As She Reels”
Stars of the Lid “Even If You're Never Awake”

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Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

May 8, 2022May 12, 2022

SOUNDWAVE : 110 : JAKOB LINDHAGEN

Today’s guest deejay is Jakob Lindhagen.

Sofia Nystrand introduced me to several fantastic musicians after sharing her Vargkvint mix on Soundwave (you can listen to it here). Jakob was one of those musicians, and after I listened to some of his releases, I invited him to guest deejay.

Jakob is an award-winning film composer based in Stockholm, Sweden. His most recent soundtrack is Ziba, a movie about an Afghan woman living in Sweden, struggling with the realisation that she has developed romantic feelings for another woman, and the consequences that will have for her marriage and family. Jakob’s soundtrack for Ziba will be released Thursday, May 12. You can listen to a single from the soundtrack here. It’s a beautiful, moving piece.

Speaking of soundtracks, I listened to Jakob’s mix while playing the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game on Roll20. It lent atmosphere to the game and heightened the experience.

Jakob has some words about his mix below.

Before I leave you, Soundwave guest deejay Alex Haas has released his new album, STRING OF PIECES. His album has become part of my mourning routine as I start my workday. Listen to Alex’s mix for Soundwave here.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Andrew Tasslemyer.

I’ve always found the duo constellation very interesting, as it’s so intimate. Whereas the solo work is the reflection of one vision, and a band can be everything from a fair democracy to a dictatorship, the duo is such a fascinating reflection of two combined minds, often resulting in a synergy effect. The mix contains some of the most inspiring duos I know (of), as well as a couple of examples where I myself have felt elevated by my collaborator.

Aaron Martin & Dag Rosenqvist “Opening”
CEEYS_Brueder Selke “Hiddensee”
Jakob Lindhagen & Dag Rosenqvist “Östersjön”
Hoshiko Yamane & Mikael Lind “Beyond The Hidden”
AVAWAVES “Waves”
Kinbrae “The River Awakens”
Hydras Dream “The Little Match Girl”
Jakob Lindhagen & Vargkvint “Bäckahäst”
Ben Frost & Daníel Bjarnason “Simulacra II”
Klangriket and Sjors Mans “Prinsengracht”
Olec Mün and Michael Sarian “Manaas”
John Hayes & Maxy Dutcher “Arrival”

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Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

January 16, 2022January 16, 2022

SOUNDWAVE : 94 : KAZUYA NAGAYA

Today’s guest deejay is Kazuya Nagaya.

Kazuya is a Japanese artist who creates immersive, ritualized compositions through bronze bells, gongs, and singing bowls. Kazuya’s music is rooted in Buddhist (Zenzhu) philosophy and sensibilities unique to Japan. Kazuya’s work and interests are also contemporary and span many cultures. Kazuya is also an award-winning writer and a connoisseur of Japanese Literature, Buddhist Folktales, and Zen Philosophical Works.

I came across Kazuya’s music at the beginning of the pandemic. At the time, my attention span had been whittled down to a blunt end. I could not read or watch anything. I couldn’t find escape in music because none of the lyrics of the songs I listened to spoke to the new reality in which we all found ourselves. The only thing that provided solace was ambient, classical, instrumental, and experimental music. The kind of music that was essentially free of lyrics. The kind of music you could project your own meaning on or lose yourself in.

I launched Soundwave to cope with the stress and isolation Brough about by the pandemic. I clutched at it like a drowning man grasps a life preserver. Soundwave gave me solace and succor in the months ahead that were far more challenging and heartbreaking than I could have imagined.

Kazuya was one of the first musicians I invited to participate in Soundwave (listen to Kazuya on the second episode of Soundwave). He could not have known when he recorded “Thanatos” from his Dream Interpretation album that I would play that song repeatedly for days. It seemed to sum up everything I was feeling in those early days of the pandemic. It was crucial to me to have Kazuya on Soundwave. It took over a year for Kazuya to find time to prepare his mix, and it took six months before Kazuya’s mix was scheduled to arrive in your ears. But here we are.

Nearly two years into the pandemic, I am in a very different place than I was initially. But Kazuya’s “Thanatos” and today’s mix ia a touchstone to those painful times. At the same time, the way out is through, and Kazuya’s music also served as a form of catharsis.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Kim Cascone.

Kazuya Nagaya “Mother Wading In The River”
Jóhann Jóhannsson “A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder”
Arvo Pärt “My Heart’s In The Highlands”
Jóhann Jóhannsson “A Deal With Chaos”
John Cage “In a Landscape”
Jóhann Jóhannsson “A Song For Europe”
Kazuya Nagaya “Thanatos”

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Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

November 28, 2021November 28, 2021

SOUNDWAVE : 87 : TEXTERE ORIS

Today’s guest deejay is Ilya Fursov, AKA Textere Oris.

Ilya is yet another guest deejay that comes to us by way of the Cryo Chamber music label. I’m sometimes reluctant to feature musicians from Cryo Chamber because I showcase artists from their roster a lot. But that’s because the label’s releases are so good that why would I not invite them on Soundwave?

I was introduced to Ilya after listening to Reflections at the Sea, an album he released with Vladislav Sikach, AKA SiJ. Like most albums on Cryo Chamber, I was immersed in the world they unfolded through their music. I often listen to music while working or doing chores, but I often found myself pausing what I was doing as I got lost in Reflections. Ilya’s mix for today’s show is equally mysterious and magical.

Here in the States, we celebrated Thanksgiving. As I write this, I’m in Boston. This is the first time my father, uncle, brother, and sister have been under the same roof in decades. It wasn’t without family drama, but I suspect that’s part of the Thanksgiving tradition. I also got to spend time with some of my oldest and dearest friends.

I admit to being reluctant to travel to Boston. Mingling with people at the airport and flying with more people in a metal tube with people for five hours was unsettling. I certainly don’t want to catch the virus, and I wouldn’t want to pass the virus on to my family. My father and uncle are in their seventies, and I’m all too aware that my time with them shortens each year.

Like most people, I was able to put the pandemic out of my mind for a while and enjoy myself. But the Coronavirus is not done with us, and now we have to Omicron variant to contend with. Soundwave is my way of coping with the pandemic, and each time I think the show has served its purpose, there is yet another reason to continue sharing mixes with you. And here we are.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Dead Melodies.

See you then!

Mayer Julcsa “Szundikál”
Atrium Carceri, Cities Last Broadcast, God Body Disconnect “Quiet Days On Earth”
Textere Oris & Montren “Warehouse”
Runar Blesvik “Window”
kj “Caro”
Claustrum “Penitential”
Textere Oris “Temple of Insomnia”
Atrium Carceri “Reborn”
Textere Oris “Encased (tribute version)”
SiJ & Textere Oris “The City That Fell Asleep in the Fog”
Textere Oris “New Hope”

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Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

August 15, 2021August 17, 2021

SOUNDWAVE : 72 : VARGKVINT

Today’s guest deejay is Sofia Nystrand, AKA Vargkvint.

For months, Sofia’s music kept appearing on my Spotify Discover Weekly playlists. If I didn’t find Sofia’s music there, she’d pop up on someone else’s playlist. Or I’d find her music on Bandcamp. In fact, Brueder Selke (CEEYS), played Sofia’s “Utåt” on their mix for Soundwave a few weeks ago.

There’s a reason for this, of course. Sofia has that magical ability to trasnport you to a world that is uniquely hers yet utterly familiar though her songs. Sofia deftly weaves folk, contemporary classical, pop, experimental music, and ambient. It’s a gorgeous thing to experience and I’m delighted to share her mix with you on today’s show.

If you’d like to hear more music from Sofia, she is featured on the Realismo Mágico compilation album from piano and coffee records. Some of the artists you’ll find on Sofia’s mix can also be found on the album (Klangriket, Sjors Mans, Jakob Lindhagen, Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres, Simeon Walker, Ceeys). Sofia has also just released a rework of the first track, “Pomegranate,” by Sergio Diaz de Rojas.

Sofia has some words about her mix below.

Before I get out of Dodge, I’m happy to report that this weekend I briefly had my wife and kids in the same house. It was short lived, though. My wife headed back to work Sunday evening, and the kids will be visiting their dad next week. But after months and months of being apart, it was a small blessing.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Jonathan Ammons.

See you then!

When I was working on this mixtape, I wanted it to be centered around collaboration and how music can change when being transformed by another person’s creativity. I’ve just released a rework album where people have reimagined my songs from the album Hav (I have two of them included in the mixtape), and it made me inspired to find other remixes or reworks to include. One of my favorite songs of this year is the rework that Alexandra Hamilton-Ayes have made of Frances Shelley’s ”Evening Star”. Apart from the amazing reworks, I have included a few newly released songs, and a couple of my personal favorites from artists who I really admire.