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SOUNDWAVE : 120 : RIZ MASLEN

SOUNDWAVE : 120 : RIZ MASLEN

Today’s guest deejay is Riz Maslen.

Alisú included Riz Maslen in her mix for Soundwave last fall, which led to me spending hours re-visiting the music Riz recorded as Neotropic, as well as her work with 4hero and The Future Sound of London. I invited Riz to share a mix with us, and it’s something else.

 

Riz Maslen
Riz Maslen. Photo by Rebecca Brooker Photography.

Riz mix begins with a piece by Freddie Philips, a British composer known for his work on television music, particularly the theme for Camberwick Green. It’s what I imagine a mix from Wes Anderson might sound like, and I would have been completely satisfied if Riz stayed within that genre. But Riz pivots to Egyptian jazz-inspired psychedelic rock, shifts to trip-hop, and never looks back. And yet, Riz’s mix never feels incongruous. Each track seamlessly blends into the next.

You’re in for quite the journey.

Each mix shared on Soundwave is special. When I say that, I’m not equivocating; they are unique. But some resonate with me more than others, and Riz’s mix is one of those mixes. As the pandemic continues to disrupt our lives, I’ve found Riz’s mix to sometimes act as a balm and other times a needed distraction.

I envy you. I wish I could hear Riz’s mix again for the first time.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Robocat.

See you then.

  1. Freddie Philips “Opening Music from Camberwick Green”
  2. Peter Schickele “The Space Fleet”
  3. John Berberiam and The Missile Eastern Ensemble “The Oud and the Fuzz”
  4. Digital Bled “Jo”
  5. Daniele Principato Arne Hiorth “Cuckoo Clock”
  6. Mike Lazarev “Where You Are”
  7. Alieno de Bootes “Sending the Clouds”
  8. Pole “Weit”
  9. Anne Garner & Mike Lazarev “Dust Devil (Mike Lazarev Pent Up Rework)”
  10. D Rothon & O Cherer “Silver Haze Dusk”
  11. Mark Beazley “Four Thirty Six”
  12. Alfred Deller & Elizabeth Harwood & Choirs Of Downside And Emanuel Schools & London Symphony Orchestra & Benjamin Britten “A Midsummer Night’s Dream / Act 2 – A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 2: ‘On The Ground, Sleep Sound’”
  13. Ryuichi Sakamoto “Dolphins”
  14. Ekki Hugsa “Amsterdam”

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SOUNDWAVE : 119 : COMPLEX HOLIDAY

SOUNDWAVE : 119 : COMPLEX HOLIDAY

Today’s guest deejay is Robert Farrugia, co-founder of Complex Holiday, an itinerant label for inside-out ambient and sound art tomfoolery.

Robert was our guest deejay last fall, and he returns to Soundwave sharing another lustrous mix.

For me, Robert’s mix captures the essence of ambient music, as explained by Brian Eno, who compared ambient music to a painting. You can enjoy a painting on two levels. On one level, you engage with the painting, looking at it, studying it, and reacting to it. But on another level, the same painting is on the periphery of your consciousness. But it’s still there, subtly affecting you.

I’d find myself immersed in Robert’s mix and then be distracted by an email or text message, lost in thought, and slowly becoming aware that Robert had shifted the territory in his sonic landscape. And then the cycle began again.

 

Robert Farrugia, Photograph by Chris Vella / Storbju
Robert Farrugia, Photograph by Chris Vella / Storbju

Robert has included a few releases from Complex Holiday on today’s show. Ben Mifsud Joslin album, New Life (Robert was involved in the recording process and performed additional instrumentation on Ben’s album), and Daniel Vujcic’s album, Palinopsia, will be released later this year. Robert himself makes an appearance with “Iota.”

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Riz Maslen.

See you then.

  1. Warmth “Guiding Light”
  2. Robert Farrugia “Iota”
  3. Tone Color “Half-Remembered, Half-Forgotten”
  4. Ben Mifsud Joslin “New Life”
  5. Taylor Deupree “Twirl”
  6. Robert Farrugia “Digital Droplets”
  7. Daniel Vujcic “Quiblis Ark”
  8. Andrew Tasselmyer “Our Own Private Libraries”
  9. Daniel Vujcic “Volovod”
  10. David Allred “Potato”

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SOUNDWAVE : 118 : STEVE SWARTZ

SOUNDWAVE : 118 : STEVE SWARTZ

Today’s guest deejay is Steve Swartz.

I met Steve through Jason Engling, who guest deejayed on Soundwave a couple of years ago. Steve shared a magical mix that I have listened to many times. Today’s show is no less resplendent in its emotions and sounds. It’s a journey.

Earlier this week, I was telling a friend about Soundwave and Steve’s mix. I explained that because Soundwave was created to help me cope with stress and isolation during the first few months of the pandemic, it is a touchstone to those fearful and uncertain times. For me, Soundwave has become a weekly meditative act of reflecting on those early days and the impact of the pandemic on nearly everything in our lives. While I go back to that emotional space weekly, my thoughts and feelings about those times have changed.

As I write this, it is a beautiful day in San Diego, and I can see the ocean from where I sit. I’ve seen this view many times, and while the view is the same, I’m not the person I was at the beginning of this pandemic. I’ve changed. We’ve all changed. I find myself asking who this person is I’ve become and what will I do? Where do I go from here? Steve’s mix provides the soundtrack for the journey.

Steve has some words about his mix below.

Join us again next week when our guest deejay will be Robert Farrugia, co-founder of Complex Holiday.

See you then.

 

Steve Swartz
Steve Swartz

I often feel misplaced. Out of tune with much of the goings on of the world around me. As a result, sound and nature have always been a source of refuge. As a child raised around fields and Great Lakes, I’m always drawn to music and sound that drifts, billows or breathes. And so it is with this mix of music. It’s intended as a reflection of my lack of place but also my sense of solitude, refuge and wonder. For me, these are the underscores of moments of abandon out on the road or a morning walk in my neighborhood. Moments of solitude where my mind surveys the landscape of hardships and joys. Spaces where my thoughts drift to someone I deeply miss. Or during the exhale at the end of a long day. To me, these pieces of music are boundless and internal. Drifting like a breeze or a trace of a memory. Something otherworldly but familiar. Nostalgic and grateful. The spirit of a land but not a place.

  1. William Tyler “Slow Night’s Static”
  2. Suso Saiz “Healthy Digestion”
  3. Bremer McCoy “Mit Hjerte”
  4. Hara Noda “Night Swimmer”
  5. Kenji Kihara “Flowering Quince”
  6. Björn Meyer “Provenance”
  7. Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm “20:17”
  8. Carrie Carlton Quartet “City Morning Views”
  9. Benoit Pioulard “Stone In Focus”
  10. zakè “Night Shineth As The Day”
  11. Philip Wilkerson “The Edge of Being”
  12. Bark Psychosis “Pendulum Man”

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SOUNDWAVE : 117 : NANEUM

SOUNDWAVE : 117 : NANEUM

Today’s guest deejay is Jon Solo, AKA Naneum.

Jon last guest deejayed on Soundwave a year ago. Since then, he’s released a new album entitled Autumn, and it just reached #7 on the NACC Chill charts.

I just wrapped up 45 minutes of playing Halo: Reach, and I’m playing Autumn to chill out and get me in the headspace to write today’s show notes. I’m a New Englander, and Autumn is chock full of songs titled with cities in Massachusetts, such as Boston, Salem, and Swampscott, so I’m already inclined to like this album. That I love the album is a forgone conclusion because Jon’s music never fails to evoke delicate emotions and memories intimately. But it’s also transporting me to various times spent walking along the Charles River in early fall as a young man. It’s been a magical evening revisiting those memories.

Thanks, Jon.

 

Jono Solo, AKA Naneum
Jono Solo, AKA Naneum

Jon does us the favor by opening today’s show with a track from Autum. Go to Jon’s Bandcamp page if you’d like to hear more of this music. Maybe send a few dollars and pick up a few songs or albums while you’re there.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Steve Swartz.

See you then.

  1. Naneum “Leaves”
  2. Frededrico Albanese “By The Deep Sea”
  3. Nils Frahm “Forever Changless”
  4. Hania Rani “Eden”
  5. Hidden Orchestra “Spoken”
  6. Javi Lobe “Lost Time”
  7. Ólafur Arnalds “Zero”
  8. Yann Tiersen “Ker Yegu”
  9. Eydís Evensen “Dagdraumur”
  10. Jacob David “Blåregn”

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SOUNDWAVE : 116 : JOSEPH ALEO

SOUNDWAVE : 116 : JOSEPH ALEO

This mix has been gestating for decades.

A year ago, I was rooting around my bins of CDs, gathering music I wanted to use in a future mix on Soundwave. There was a herculean amount of labor finding those CDs. It meant going into the garage, pulling out 75-100 lbs bins of CDs, and sorting through every CD to find what I needed. I have literally put sweat into this mix.

The mix features songs I’ve played many years ago when I deejayed at WMFO. From there I’d segue from one cluster of songs to the next. I know from experience that these songs slot together like sonic LEGOS. Okay, maybe not the most elegant analogy, but you get the idea.

These songs mean things to me.

Take Coil, for example. When Love’s Secret Domain was released, my fellow deejays at WMFO loved the album. I didn’t get it. But I had spent money on the CD, so I gave the album a few listens. And after a while, I came to see the genius in that album and became a fan of Coil.

I discovered C-Schulz on the Extreme Records’ X-X Section compilation album in the stacks of new CDs in the main studio at WMFO. I’d play “Fir” on repeat on my Discman and lose myself in itself Bladerunnerish beauty.

Z’EV, rest in peace. He left us five years ago, and we’ll not see his like again. I have RE/SEARCH to thank for turning me onto Z’EV and his percussive explorations of sound.

I’m a fan of Justin Broadrick and Kevin Martin. When they collaborated on Techno Animal, it was everything I had hoped for. “The Dream Forger” has particular significance to me for getting me through one long, heartbroken night. Listen to Justin’s mix for Soundwave here.

My buddy Steven Howard introduced me to Mono Pause and many other great bands from the fantastic America The Beautiful compilation album from RRRecords. Listen to Steven’s mix four Soundwave here.

Steven “Jesse” Bernstein was another WMFO find. There are many fantastic tracks from his Prison album, “More Noise Please” is the one that gets me all blubbery contemplating alienation in what sometimes seems like a madhouse of a world.

The Anti Group’s “A.A.A.A. (Accelerated Audio Alpha Activity)” from the Total – Volume One compilation album never fails to creep me out even after all these decades.

:Zoviet*France: is much loved, and “Voice Print Identification” is perhaps the song I love most from their wonderful and extensive catalog. I encourage you to listen to Zoviet’s A Duck in a Tree show.

Pornosect also appeared on Total – Volume One album, and like “A.A.A.A. (Accelerated Audio Alpha Activity)”; I still find “Media Termination” just as unsettling after all this time.

I hope you enjoy today’s show.

I discovered that when my CDs were in storage, nearly all the songs featured in today’s mix are no longer published. They’re rare gems.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Naneum.

See you then.

  1. Coil “Corybantic Ennui”
  2. Coil “Dismal Orb”
  3. C-Schulz “Firn”
  4. Z’EV “Superballed”
  5. Techno-Animal “The Dream Forger”
  6. Mono Pause “Come Into the Future”
  7. Steven Jesse Bernstein “More Noise Please”
  8. T.A.G.C. (The Anti Group Communication) “A.A.A.A. (Accelerated Audio Alpha Activity)”
  9. :Zoviet*France: “Voice Print Identification”
  10. Pornosect “Media Termination”

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SOUNDWAVE : 115 : YANN NOVAK

SOUNDWAVE : 115 : YANN NOVAK

Today’s guest deejay is Yann Novak.

Yann guest deejayed on Soundwave last year, and it’s a delight to have him back on the show. And it’s not just because his mix is utterly fantastic, but because today’s show reminds me that I’ve known Yann since 2009 when I showcased his label, Dragon’s Eye Recordings, on solipsistic NATION.

Not that I know Yann besides what I see him post on social media. But when I launched Soundwave, I reached out to many people through solipsistic NATION, and Yann was one of them. I like his label, and I respect Yann’s thoughts about music. The mix he shared on Soundwave was beautiful and unexpected. Today’s show is no less lovely and surprising.

So, no, I don’t really know Yann. But it’s good to know people are creating, releasing, and sharing music because it needs to be heard.

 

Yann Novak
Yann Novak

Yann included “A Trembling of Light” in his mix, which is from his recently released album, Reflections of a Gathering Storm. It sets the tone for today’s show. If you like it, you might consider giving his album a listen, maybe even spend a few bucks on it. Maybe play it loud enough that the neighbors can hear it, like I did.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Ishmael Cormack.

See you then.

  1. Yann Novak “A Trembling of Light”
  2. Robert Takahashi Crouch “An Emotional Rescue”
  3. Laraaji, Carlos Niño & Superposition “Infinite Sun (Instrumental)”
  4. Rafael Anton Irisarri “Vanishing Points”
  5. Leo Wolf “You Appear in Dreams”
  6. BJ Nilsen “Black Light”
  7. Ben Frost “Theory Of Machines”
  8. Aho Ssan “Blind Power (ft. The Mensah Imaginary Band)”
  9. Joel St. Julien “La Grande Finale”
  10. ROSALÍA “I See A Darkness (feat. Raül Refree)”

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SOUNDWAVE : 114 : RAZIEL PANIC

SOUNDWAVE : 114 : RAZIEL PANIC

Today’s guest deejay is Raziel Panic.

I know Raziel from way back. We’re talking about the days when people would send cassette singles to radio stations for airplay. My memory is hazy, but I think I was aware that Raziel was part of the Boston music scene with his band You Shriek in the late 80s. Crazy.

When I say know, I mean more win the sense I knew of Raziel. The circles we traveled overlapped. I even had You Shriek perform on my show on WMFO. But we never really knew each other.

But thanks to social media, I get glimpses into Raziel’s life through his Instagram account, usually in beautiful black and white photos.

I extended Raziel an invitation to guest deejay on Soundwave and I was curious what I’d hear. Raziel is know for goth and industrial music, but that of course doesn’t encompass all the music he listens enjoys. It’s no incongruous that his mix ranges from Arvo Pärt to Einstürzende Neubauten to Kitaro. Marvelous stuff. But still a surprise.

 

Raziel Panic
Raziel Panic

The You Shriek track Raziel included in his mix was never released on digital. Contact me if you’d like a download Raziel’s track.

Raziel has a digital release in the wings, and I’ll let you know when it’s available.

I still don’t know Raziel, but I hope to hang out with him next time I’m on the East Coast.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Yann Novak.

See you then.

  1. Arvo Pärt “Cantus In Memory Of Benjamin Britten”
  2. zero zero island “From Pure Air… We Have Descended”
  3. Jon Hopkins “Abandon Window”
  4. Einstürzende Neubauten “Fiat Lux B) Maifestspiele”
  5. You Shriek “14: overexposure (200 Röntgens)”
  6. Takeshi Nakamura “River In The Ocean”
  7. Delia Derbyshire “Ziw-zih Ziw-zih oo-oo-oo”
  8. German and Japanese Commuter Trains, Found Sounds I
  9. Kraftwerk “Transistor”
  10. Kitaro “Aqua”
  11. German and Japanese Commuter Trains, Found Sounds II
  12. Tangerine Dream “Resurrection”
  13. Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook “Finally”

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SOUNDWAVE : 113 : JAMES VELLA

SOUNDWAVE : 113 : JAMES VELLA

Today’s guest deejay is James Vella.

We have Robert Farrugia from Complex Holiday to thank for James’s mix. I asked Robert who he knew who he thought would share a mix on Soundwave, and he recommended James. Oh, listen to Robert’s mix for Soundwave here.

Robert had not steered me wrong. James runs Phantom Limb, a record label, a music publishing, and touring and label management company. I dipped into his roster of artists, which ranges from everything from experimental hip hop to music inspired by Pre-Columbian Central and South American myths and folktales.

James’s mix explores a lot of terrain and includes a song he recorded under the name A Lily that’s beautiful. There’s also a track in James’s mix that is almost too painful to listen to. You’ll know when you hear it.

I know you’ll love today’s show. If you’d like to hear more music from James, you’ll be delighted to learn that he has new music coming out soon on the Bytes label.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Raziel Panic.

See you then.

  1. Visible Cloaks & dip in the pool “Valve (Reanimated Feat. Miyako Coda)”
  2. UCC Harlo “Lyricist of Panic”
  3. Tralala Blip “Castles of Golden Sound”
  4. Waclaw Zimpel “Lines”
  5. Nate Scheible “With Any Kind of Luck”
  6. Wayne Phoenix “I Gave You Power”
  7. Dear Laika “Ubi Sunt”
  8. A Lily “Mbira Heart”
  9. NIAGARA “Dia 1, Parte 2, Música 3”
  10. David Darling & The Wulu Bunun “Mataisah-hik Sagan”
  11. Ki Oni “Dream World”
  12. Volkan İncüvez “Black Hole”
  13. Ulla “leaves and wish”
  14. Throbbing Gristle “Still Walking”

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SOUNDWAVE : 112 : MACHINE RECORDS

SOUNDWAVE : 112 : MACHINE RECORDS

Today’s guest deejay is Dan Haines Cohen, founder of Machine Records.

Last year Machine Records celebrated 20 years of releasing new electronic/experimental music, mostly from Wales. Described as “Cardiff’s number one underground electronic imprint” (Buzz Magazine), Machine was the winner of Best Label at the Welsh Music Awards in 2005.

 

Dan Haines Cohen
Dan Haines Cohen

Dan also records as Stereo Minus One since 2001 and currently based in Wellington, New Zealand. As well as recent mixes and remixes, his eighth album will be released in June 2022.

I met Dan on Twitter. After he turned me on to new releases from his label, I asked if he’d be interested in sharing a mix on Soundwave. Happily, he said yes.

Dan’s mix showcases some recent releases and includes exclusive, as-yet-unreleased tracks. Dan’s mix also includes a new, never before heard remix by Cape Canaveral of Dan’s 2001 track “Alarums’ which features on Lodestone, as well as an exclusive track from Cape Canaveral’s upcoming new release in 2022 (“Far”).

Every morning this week, I’ve listened to Dan’s mix while drinking coffee and beginning my workday. And every morning, while Dan’s mix plays, a squirrel will sit on the railing of my roof deck, munching on nuts. Later, a blackbird will swoop down and peck through the succulents in their flower pots. We have a nice routine going.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be James Vella.

See you then.

  1. Untiled “Void Pulse III” (Unreleased)
  2. Cape Canaveral “Unknown”
  3. Stereo Minus One “Alarums (Cape Canaveral remix)”
  4. Anatomist “Drifting”
  5. James Richards “Do You still see your son?”
  6. Cape Canaveral ”Far”
  7. Stereo Minus One “Switched (John Barnes remix)”
  8. Valley Lines “Salvage”
  9. Starlings “Four”
  10. Lifting Gear Engineer “Oped”
  11. Oddskool and BitBasic “Clog”
  12. Starlings “Six-Two, Minus One (Stereo Minus One remix)”

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SOUNDWAVE : 111 : ANDREW TASSELMYER

SOUNDWAVE : 111 : ANDREW TASSLEMYER

Today’s guest deejay is Andrew Tasselmyer.

I met Andrew through Robert Farrugia, co-founder of Complex Holiday. After Robert guest deejayed on Soundwave (listen to his mix here) I asked him who he thought would share a mix on the show and he suggested Andrew. I listened to some Andrew’s many releases and extended an invitation immediately.

Andrew is a musician from Baltimore currently living in Philadelphia. He utilizes samplers, field recordings, and lo-fi recording techniques to make textured and tactile sounds. In addition to his solo catalog on labels such as Laaps, Seil Records, Eilean Recs, Constellation Tatsu, Home Normal, and more, he is a member of Hotel Neon, Gray Acres, and Mordançage.

Andrew has a new album coming on June 17 called Music for Nonexistent Films on Somewherecold Records.

Andrew’s mix for today’s show has everything I love to hear on Soundwave. However, what surprised me was his inclusion of Julie Byrne’s “Wisdom Teeth Song” in his mix. Julie’s appearance in his mix isn’t incongruous. It feels inevitable.

I was so delighted to hear Julie’s music in Andrew’s mix that I was inspired to put together my own mix, which includes one of Julie’s songs. You can listen to that mix here.

Andrew has some words about his mix below.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Dan Haines Cohen, founder of Machine Records.

 

Andrew Tasslemyer
Andrew Tasslemyer

“Music for walking through piles of dead leaves.”

For this mix, I was inspired to focus on the specific time and place I was in: the peak of autumn in the northeastern US.

I love this time of year when mornings are cold, but not brutally so… just enough to smack you with a jolt of heightened awareness when you step outside. And for some reason, the sunshine feels better when it’s filtered through the exploding colors of the leaves. I have no scientific basis for saying this but trust me, it’s a fact. It also seems that the calendar has progressed far enough at this point in the year that people start to reflect on months past and look forward to the new year ahead. Everyone feels a little more thoughtful, I suppose.

For this mix, I chose songs that could accompany someone on a wooded walk through the forest (or a nap in bed, whatever), with lots of textural analog sounds like hissing tape and shaky vibrato. The idea is that cracking leaves and snapping twigs can enhance the character of these recordings, which all feature a healthy dose of guitar (acoustic and electric), lo-fi beats and rhythms, and nostalgic timbres. I would encourage listening while walking and using earbuds/headphones that don’t completely isolate you from the world… let it filter in a bit.

  1. The Humble Bee & Benoît Pioulard “Honest”
  2. Kane Ikin “Slow Waves”
  3. borealism “forged by the water”
  4. loess “Brumal”
  5. Casino Versus Japan “Dielectric Saints”
  6. The Remote Viewer “Last Night You Said Goodbye, Now It Seems Years”
  7. Earthen Sea “Shallow, Shadowless”
  8. Perila “Fallin Into Space”
  9. Julie Byrne “Wisdom Teeth Song”
  10. Shuttle358 “Scrapbook”
  11. Janek Schaefer “Coda (for Sir John Dankworth)”

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