I discovered Anthéne when Ishmael Cormack (listen to his mix for Soundwave here) requested music recommendations on Twitter. There were some great suggrestions, and I listened to everything I could find on Bandcamp or Spotify. Anthéne’s music was warm, dreamy, and organic for all its etherealness. Naturally, I extended to Anthéne to guest deejay on Soundwave.
Last week I drove from San Diego to Sacramento with Jonanathan Ammons’s mix providing the soundtrack for that apocalyptic journey. This week Anthéne’s mix was the music for my night drive back to San Diego. This time there were no abandoned cars, wildfire smoke choked skies, or searing sunlight. Instead, a beautiful, three-quarter orange moon floated on the horizon while the stars came out, one by one. It was a long drive, and I played Anthéne’s mix several times, which got me as far as Los Angeles.
If you feel like sharing, please tell me where you listened to today’s show.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Complex Holiday.
Jonathan guest deejayed on the show last October. Jonathan’s mix was so moving that I invited him back to Soundwave. Today’s mix is equally remarkable. I had the unique opportunity to listen to it while driving from San Diego to Sacramento to visit my wife this weekend. It’s wildfire season in California (it’s always wildfire season), and Jonathan’s mix provided the soundtrack to my apocalyptic drive. The skies were tinted dirty brown from the ashes from the wildfires, but somehow the sun managed to blast the landscape with glaring light: grass and trees parched from California’s megadrought. Every 20 miles or so, I’d pass an abandoned car to the side of the highway. And yet, Jonathan’s mix somehow lent some beauty to such desolate scenery.
Jonathan has some words about his mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be anthéne.
See you then!
Jonathan Ammons
I think that my past year has looked like many people’s lives during the middle of one of the largest global pandemics in history. A lot of isolation, a lot of finding ways to busy yourself or occupy your mind. In the past, as someone who worked from home, I had enjoyed drone, ambient, and all of those experimental genres for the way they occupied a space without dominating it. If ambient music was created to generate music that did not evoke strong and tumultuous emotions — as Brian Eno claims— that was exactly what I wanted droning on in the background of my house while I pecked away at a keyboard for work. As a journalist, it provided this stoic, emotionless wallpaper for the background of my daily existence.
Covid changed a lot of that. They daily monotony left me just craving a change of emotion. But I didn’t want words; I didn’t want lyrics that would remind me of how things were when we were able to go places, meet people, kiss strangers at a bar… I wanted the same stability that the drone I’d come to love gave me, but I wanted something a little more expressive.
I also noticed that the more I used any streaming platform, the more the algorithm would eventually whittle things down to the same handful of artists. I wanted new things. I wanted variety in a locked-down life with no chance of spontaneity. So I decided to cut all algorithmic music out of my life. I stopped listening to Spotify or Pandora or any of those generated playlists and dialed back in to the radio.
I have to give a giant shoutout to Noods Radio out of Bristol, England, because they have been a major lifesaver. A station dedicated to the wild and weird sounds of Bristol. You never know what you’ll find, but the rich spread of creativity has introduced me to a slew of new artists. Props to BBC6’s great ambient show, as well.
Northern England’s A Beautiful Burning World make’s gorgeous sounds using very simple gear and tape loops. They even have a subscription system for $15 a year, and you can get their entire discography for cheaper than that! Much of this mix comes from artists discovered through the radio or combing around Bandcamp.
Seamstress makes delightful chill-out beats. Scanner gorgeously blends drone and ambient with deep arrangements that are so subtle, but meaningful. And I don’t know why it took me till now to notice Garth Stevenson’s incredible compositions. We really are in a golden age for the reinvention of modern classical music. Just look no further than Tristan Perich’s fantastic work.
I also have to give a shoutout to Kimathi Moore. Kima is an incredibly talented sound artist here in Asheville. His style’s shift between ambient, drone, and Edgard Varèse-like tone poems. I got the chance to work with him on a music video he shot for my latest album, and got to see just what a meticulous worker he is.No wonder his sounds are so precise and pristine.
Of course, I had to include some Harold Budd. I included a selection off of his album the Serpent (In Quicksilver) because I remember hearing an interview with him in which he claimed that it was his favorite record that he’d made. A major loss for the ambient music world, losing one of the original masters to this damned virus.
And lastly, the original tracks are two previously unreleased compositions. I started messing around with more tape loops in my studio this winter, and really decided to dive into it, which is how “The Same River” originated. The closing track is actually from a much larger piece I have coming out in the Fall. “A Certain Kind of Light” is a 40-minute piece in five movements. It was an experiment to see just how far I could go using only a single chord. The incredibly talented Olivia Springer performed all of the string parts for that piece. I’ve included the final movement of that piece to close out this mix as its debut.
Endless thanks to Joseph for having me back for another Soundwave mix. It’s been a pleasure to follow along and hear what everyone is listening to these days!
Today’s guest deejays are Potsdam-based Brueder Selke, brothers Sebastian and Daniel Selke (CEEYS).
Over the years, I’ve gotten quite good at jotting down notes on how I meet people. But sometimes, I forget to capture that information, and in this case, I don’t recall how I met Sebastian and Daniel. If I had to guess, I believe I discovered them while perusing Bandcamp for new music.
CEEYS’s albums explore and combine experimental, minimalist, avant-garde, pop, jazz, ambient, and classical chamber music. I love all that stuff, and Sebastian and Daniel distill all those forms of music into a heady listening experience, something you can lose yourself in. I’ve had “Yes, Brick By Brick” on repeat for few hours, for example.
Their mix for today’s show was a surprise. I trusted they would craft a mix worth hearing, and while it captures their musical sensibilities, it also subverted my expectations. And the mix is dense. In the space of 40+ minutes, you’re going to hear music from 28 different artists.
Sebastian and Daniel have some words about their mix below.
Paleowolf’s Cenozoic album
Before I wrap things up, I want to mention that Paleowolf has released a new album, Cenozoic. Paleowolf continues to create music inspired by totems of prehistoric animals and describes Cenozoic as the spiritual successor to Megafauna Rituals. It’s impressive how much material Paleowolf has churned up within his self-created genre. Listen to the Soundwave Paleomix here.
Joins us next week when our guest deejay will be Roel Funcken.
See you then!
Brueder Selke (CEEYS)
For us, two brothers coming from beyond the Iron Curtain, the Wall, with a strikingly serene sense of modesty and humility, rooted in the daily improvisation to manage and resolve shortcomings during Communist-era GDR times and the later reunion of Germany, the most intrinsic part of being a musician is the encounter with like-minded friends and fellows.
The aim of this handpicked list of talent is to blend established and emerging artists from diverse genres and origins. Some even shared already the stage with us while others are invited to come over to our little filmtown Potsdam, in the future.
Thanks to Joseph, who gave us the opportunity to curate this cozy playlist.
This week’s deejay is Kévin Séry, AKA From Overseas. Kévin is also the label manager for Past Inside the Present, a label, and resource for the ambient listener.
From Overseas is Kévin’s ambient project. Using his guitar as his tool of expression and looping techniques, he creates a multiplicity of layers, intense drones, and mesmerizing soundscapes both in the studio and in live performances.
Originally from the tiny French Overseas Department and Region, Reunion Island, he routinely bounces between his home island, a small port town on the east coast of the US, and continental Europe, picking up fresh ideas and inspiration along the way.
Kévin’s mix is very familiar, even though I’m unfamiliar with every song and musician featured in his mix. There’s something about Kévin’s mix that evokes the sound and feel of 4AD, a label that was known for alternative rock, post-punk, gothic rock, and dream pop albums. But if I had to narrow it down, I’d say that Kévin captures the spirit of 4AD’s This Mortal Coil. There’s something haunted in the selection of his songs but still quietly triumphant.
Kévin has some words below about his mix.
Join us next week when our guest deejays will be brothers Sebastian and Daniel Selke of CEEYS.
Kévin Séry, AKA From Overseas
It’s an honor to be part of the Soundwave series. I love doing mixes like this. It’s a great way to go on a unique journey and to immerse yourself in the work of amazing and influential artists. This mix was made on February 23rd, 2021, when winter was slowly giving space to spring. Hopefully, people feel what I feel and can discover a few gems.
Today’s guest deejay is Sietse van Erve, AKA Orphax.
I discovered Sietse on Bandcamp and, through him, his music label, Moving Furniture Records. Both Sietse’s music the artists on his label focus on drones, experimental ambient, minimalist, microtonal, and field-recordings music. Their music provides yet another example of the scope of ambient music, which is precisely why I invited Sietse to join us on today’s show.
Sietse’s mix continues his fascination who those areas of ambient music. What struck me about his mix, however, was the physical sensations it invoked. I wasn’t aware of it at first, but after repeated listening, I gradually became conscious of a gentle pulse in my ears while Sietse’s mix played over my headphones. That realization was delicious. And when I played Sietse’s mix through my speakers, I slowly noticed a delicate pressure ebbing and flowing through my body.
Furthermore, what was also remarkable was that I wasn’t playing Sietse’s mix particularly loud. Even so, I felt the music. I hope you have the same experience when you listen to today’s show.
Sietse has some words about his mix below.
The Universal by The Penitential Station
Before I go, I want to alert you that one of my favorite music labels, Other Forms Of Consecrated Life (listen to their mix for Soundwave here), will be releasing a new album by The Penitential Station: The Universal by The Penitential Station. Like the album before it, The Cloud of Forgetting, The Penitential Station continues to delve into the music of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. The liner notes to The Universalexplains that the “interleaving of polyphonic voices explores German mystic Eckhart von Hochheim’s pantheistic notion of a ‘Universal Soul.’” That’s a philosophically heady description of The Penitential Station’s music. Mine is much simpler: it is an extended moment of grace.
Join us next week when our guest deejays will be Kévin Séry, AKA From Overseas.
See you then!
Sieste van Erve, AKA Orphax
When I am asked to make a mix, I always think about what to do. First of all, I am not a DJ. I’m a musician with a record label. And additionally, should I go for some music of the musicians on my label, should I go for some of my favorite tunes, or should I do a mix of both?
Lately, I turn more to the first, as I love the music these people do, and I think they deserve to be heard. And even with a catalogue of over 90 releases, this is a rather difficult task, especially when limited to only 60 minutes.
For this mix, I first selected from 20 of the albums that we’re released on Moving Furniture Records, followed by trying out a combination of tracks and, in such a way scrapping nine selected tracks. The mix ended up somewhere between minimalist drones and warm ambient sounds with some weird excursions to more abstract works.
I hope you enjoy listening.
And who knows, maybe next time I will do a mix with some personal (none-Moving Furniture Records releases) music. There is so much lovely work out there.
Corey was on Soundwave last summer, and his mix was unique because it was an extension of his show on AshevilleFM, where he played instrumental soundtracks. Sadly, Corey no longer produces that show. Fortunately for us, Corey kept to that format for today’s mix.
When I invite guest deejays on Soundwave, I’ll ask them to write up a description of their mix: the reason they chose songs, if there was a theme or story they wanted to convert through their mix, etc. The mixes speak for themselves, but I think it adds another level of appreciation for understanding their intentions.
If they don’t send me a description, I’ll usually write my impressions of their mix. But for today’s show, I decided to call Corey and hear in his own words the motivations behind his mix.
Corey Parlamento
Corey’s mix is built around the kernel of Black to Comm’s “Stolen Androgens.” Corey said he listened to this track repeatedly long before he assembled today’s show. The song begins so abruptly and then loops itself around some fascinating accompaniment. He liked how voice is used in this track.
Corey has had Yasuaki Shimizu’s Music for Commercials album for quite some time and incorporated it into his radio show for segues. The faint sound of water drops is what attracted him to Shimizu’s “Seiko 2.”
Fatima Al Qadiri’s “Souleiman’s Theme” is taken from the Atlantic film score, Corey’s current favorite soundtracks of the last couple of years, and transitions nicely into Kali Malone’s “Hagakyrka Bells,” from her album, The Sacrificial Code.
Corey also selected a track from the remastered soundtrack for Lady Macbeth by Third Ear Band, followed by Mary Steele’s “Al Rosana (My Rose),” which is available through Canary Records. This label specializes in archival music. “Al Rosana (My Rose)” is recorded from the 1920s in New York City and features a sonic blend of many cultures. Corey told me this piece is eery and conveyed a sense of decaying time.
Loren Connors takes it down a notch after Gordon, who is one of Corey’s favorite guitarists.
Corey wanted to follow Connors with a longer track from Sean McCann’s “Puck” but settled on “Nightfall.” Corey describes the album that track was taken from as having a lot of space, weird vocalizations, subtle noises, drones, and crashing sounds.
Corey closes his mix with a track of his own which he recorded under the name Livingdog. The track is taken from his album, The Four Times, released by Cold Moon Records out of New York City. This is the one-year anniversary of The Four Times, and Corey says the album was inspired by Le Quattro Volte. The movie has no soundtrack, but Corey’s imagination was capture by the meditations on a goat farmer who is reincarnated into a goat, then reincarnated into a tree which then turns into smoke.
And there you have it, Corey’s mix.
Oh, and Corey wanted me to tell you that he’s got a new album coming out on July 23 called Many Aways. I will, of course, remind you when the album is released
Jon Hassell
Before I leave you to Corey’s wonderful and mysterious mix, I have some sad news. When I launched Soundwave, I didn’t anticipate having to say farewell to so many talented and wonderful musicians in one short year. Today it saddens me to tell you that Jon Hassell, a trumpet player pioneering electronic musician, left planet earth last week. Jon played with everyone, from Brian Eno to Peter Gabriel to Techno Animal. I first became aware of Jon on his appearance on the Myths 3 : La nouvelle sérénité compilation album, and he’s been part of the soundtrack to my life ever since. You owe it to yourself to make Jon part of the soundtrack to your own life. I encourage you to purchase his music or stream him on your favorite streaming service.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be felt body.
I discovered Yann’s label through Mike Lazarev’s music blog, Headphone Commute (if you enjoy Soundwave, you’re going to love Headphone Commute).
Yann curates a heady offer of music through Dragon’s Eye Recordings featuring notable artists such as Pinkcourtesyphone (Richard Chartier), Genrietta, and Lawrence English. Some of the label’s releases are whimsical, some challenging, and some so ephemeral that you might imagine you dreamt of hearing it. But all the releases on his label are lovingly selected and demands to be listened to just as Yann’s mix demands to be heard.
Yann Novak Photo Credit: Robert Crouch
A few highlights.
The hairs went up on the back of my neck when I instantly recognized Geinō Yamashirogumi’s score for the cyberpunk classic, Akira. Back in the 80s, the movie was considered as imponderable as 2001: A Space Odyssey, but Akira has influenced culture to such a degree that it seems straightforward by our current standards. Incidentally, you can purchase Kaneda’s jacket, who is the film’s protagonist.
Yann’s inclusion of Billie Eilish & ROSALÍA’s was an unexpected delight. Eilish is kind of cyberpunk herself, having sung about our anthropogenic doom and interviewed by an AI bot.
The Future Sound Of London make yet another appearance on Soundwave via Yann’s mix. So much of the electronic music that was fasionalble in the late 80s seems dated but The Future Sound of London still feel timeless.
Lloop was also a surprise. I first heard Lloop when I showcasedThe Agriculture label on solipsistic NATION (mumbles) 15 years ago.
I know it isn’t true but I can’t help but feel that Yann made this mix specifically for me. It’s uncanny.
Yann modestly didn’t include his own music in his mix but I wanted to mention that Friday he released his new album, Lifeblood of Light and Rapture., available through Room40 (streaming starts July 2). Yann is really proud of this album and he can’t wait for everyone to experience it! He hopes it’s just the kind of lightness… or darkness you need right now.
Frank Riggio’s Empreinte Musicale 3 LP
Before I wrap this up, there are two things I need to mention.
Frank Riggio just released the third and last installment of his new trilogy, Empreinte Musicale 3. It’s just as weird and wonderful as his previous two albums. Go listen to it, and then buy it, and afterwards, listen to Frank’s Soundwave mix.
Lastly, I believe I’ll wrap up Soundwave sometime in 2022. I launched Soundwave to cope with the stress and isolation of the pandemic. I told myself that once COVID-19 is no longer the threat that grinds nations to a halt that the show willhave served it’s purpose and that I’d bring it to an end. Unless the pandemic spirals out of control again or unless I change my mind, I will release all the remaining mixes our generous guest deejays have provided for us.
And on that note, please join us next week when our guest deejay will be Corey Parlamento.
I discovered Pierre while listening to his 2019 album, You Disappeared, recorded under the monicker Beyond the Ghost. You Disappeared felt like a soundtrack to a China Miéville novel. In fact, Miéville’s definition of weird fiction perfectly describes Pierre’s music; it “evokes a sense of the numinous.” His follow-up albums, Eternal Drift and his recently released The Last Resort continue to induce feelings of mystery and awe.
Inviting Pierre to be a guest deejay on Soundwave was a no-brainer. I was surprised, however, to hear his selections for today’s show.
When I extend invitations for guest deejays to participate in the show, I allow them latitude to explore the format of ambient, classical, experimental and instrumental music. Some of the guest deejays will play tracks of their own music, and that’s perfectly fine, but what I’m hoping for is a mix of songs from other musicians they love.
Pierre Laplace
I expected Pierre’s mix to feature songs that are much like his own in feeling and tone. I was delighted to find his mix explored a different sonic landscape.
To begin with, he opens his mix with a track from Deru. I knew immediately that Pierre had something unusual in store for us. I’ve been a fan of Deru for over a decade (hear my interview with Deru and his live set for solipsistic NATION), so I was eager to go whatever journey Pierre was going to take me on.
There are many twists and turns.
Pierre’s inclusion of Morphine caught me by surprise but in context completely makes sense. Brian Eno and David Byrne’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is one of my favorite albums, and I was thrilled to hear a track from it included in Pierre’s mix. The appearance of Ennio Morricone was also a welcome surprise. I’m also a fan of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble and The Mount Fuji Doommjazz Corporation and have wondered when someone would play them on Soundwave. The Cinematic Orchestra makes perfect sense within Pierre’s mix, and David Bowie pops up once again on Soundwave, making him the show’s perhaps most featured artist.
Stock up on provisions because Pierre is about to take you on a dark vision quest.
Join us again next week when our guest deejay will be Sean Hocking.
I met Brian on Twitter, but I’m not sure how. I’m sure it had something to do with our mutual love for guitars, ambient music, and horror. I recall listening to and enjoying his music but other than that, I don’t know much about Brian, which is why I’m going to interview him briefly on Instagram today. If that goes well, you can expect to watch more interviews with guest deejays on Soundwave on Instagram.
You’re going to dig Brian’s mix. It’s of the caliber you’ve come to expect from Soundwave. There are some surprises, like a track from the Pat Metheny Group, and a track from guest deejay Roedelius’s Cluster project with Brian Eno (listen to Roedelius’s Soundwave mix here). You’re in good hands.
If you want to hear more music from Brian, he has a new song that is included in a charity album available on June 21, 2021, on Bandcamp from Audionautic Records. The label will donate all proceeds to Project Hope, which sends relief to South Asia and people worldwide. Several of the artists in today’s mix will also be on the compilation.
Brian has some words below about today’s music.
Before I leave you, I have a few things I want to mention.
Frank Riggio’s Empreinte Musicale 2 album
Firstly, Frank Riggio recently released Empreinte Musicale 2, which is part of his ongoing trilogy. I’ve been listening to Frank’s music for years, and listening to his evolution as a musician has been a delight. I’m listening to Empreinte as I write today’s show notes, and I’m enjoying the sonic territory he’s trailblazing. Be sure to also listen to Frank’s mix for Soundwave here.
Secondly, Friday, my wife and I took our 11-year-old cousin to see Cruella. I had low expectations for Cruella, but the movie was surprisingly good and a whole lot of fun. Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was trash; I was just excited to go to a movie theater for the first time in over a year.
Okay, it’s time for me to head out.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Pierre Laplace.
See you then!
Brian Sangmeister
For me, music has always been about a journey. It transports you through time and space like nothing else can. Listening to music is like listening to your life story. It is full of peaks and valleys, personal moments and reflections. And above all else, emotions. I created this mix as a soundtrack to that journey. The best part is that you, the listener, will embark on your own unique voyage. A voyage that will take you through your imagination, and your soul. Each individual will experience something different. So I hope you enjoy these pieces of music, that when tied together, tell a bigger story. Your story.
Carmen Rizzo introduced me to Naneum when he was a guest deejay on Soundwave. Carmen’s mix was gorgeous and I invited each musician he featured on his mix to guest deejay on Soundwave as well.
Jon’s mix is equally gorgeous. Whenever I listen to it I’m transported from sunny San Diego to a snow morning in the woods of Massachusetts when I was a boy. I can’t explain why but there is something about the delicacy of the music Jon selected that evokes that experience. That’s the beauty of the mixes on Soundwave, they take you on a journey. I’m curious to know where Jon’s mix takes you.
Naneum: solo piano
If you want to hear more music from Jon, you can begin with his January 2021 release, Solo Piano. You can hear more of his music here.
I’m going to keep today’s show notes brief. I just drove over eight hours to Sacramento to spend the next few weeks with my wife. I’m looking forward to catching up, having a nice meal, and getting some shuteye. I want to get up early so we can go kayaking.
