instrumental – Page 2

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”

Subscribe to SOUNDWAVE on iTunes, Overcast, Castro and Pocketcasts.

Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

January 23, 2022January 25, 2022

SOUNDWAVE : 95 : KIM CASCONE

Today’s guest deejay is Kim Cascone.

I know Kim through his label, Silent Records.

Some of the earliest releases on Silent Records can instantly transport me back to the end of the last century. The From Here To Tranquility compilation series simultaneously turned me on to so many great musicians and blew my mind (check out my interview with Kim for solipsistic NATION here). The 50 Years Of Sunshine compilation album was a delightful celebration of the 50th anniversary of the discovery of LSD. And albums from Psychic TV, Zoviet•France*, Vuemorph, and Heavenly Music Corporation expanded my consciousness and my musical horizons.

When I invited Kim to guest deejay on Soundwave I didn’t expect him to play select tracks from his label, but I was surprised at how much he learned into guitar and instrumental music, which, as of the recording of today’s mix, Kim was immersed in. And it was a welcome surprise because although we celebrate ambient music on Soundwave, the show’s format is ambient and classical, instrumental and experimental. I’m thrilled when guests deejay explores other music forms on the show.

Kim has some words about his mix below.

Before we get to Kim’s mix, I wanted to share that nearly two years into the pandemic, I finally caught COVID. I don’t know if it was because I’ve been vaccinated and received my booster, and I caught the omicron variant, but I was barely sick. I was congested and tired. That was it, thankfully.

I launched Soundwave in the early days of the pandemic to help cope with the stress and isolation of self-quarantine. I spent the last two years moving from dread of the virus to grim acceptance, and once I caught the virus, I barely noticed it.

Of course, I don’t want to suffer from long COVID. Bit if this is the worst of it, I count myself as very lucky.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Harrold Roeland.

See you then.

After many years of programming acousmatic laptop music, I’ve shifted my creative focus to the electric guitar again. This mix is a small sampling of avant-guitar work that has inspired me of late and includes a new work of mine.

Earth “Thrones and Dominions”
Boris “Dronevil 2”
Jozef Van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch “Flowing Light of the Godhead (Bonus Version)”
Tony Conrad “April 1965”
Hash Jar Tempo “Untitled 1“
Khem One “Lunadronus”
Macuinas Ensemble “Long String Choir”

Subscribe to SOUNDWAVE on iTunes, Overcast, Castro and Pocketcasts.

Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

January 2, 2022January 2, 2022

SOUNDWAVE : 92 : IU TAKAHASHI

Today’s guest deejay is Iu Takahashi.

Last May, I discovered Iu on Bandcamp’s The Best Ambient Music blog post and instantly became a fan. Iu’s songs delicately unfold as you listen to them. It feels that her music might immediately unravel with any sudden movement. Calmness and patience are required, which reinforces the experience of Iu’s gentle songs.

Iu herself does not appear in her mix, but I encourage you to listen to her new releases, both of which were released in December.

One release is her “Stay” EP from A RED THREAD. Iu made this work thinking about her grandparents, who have dementia. Both of them are now living in a facility. She stayed for a few days at their house, where no one lived, and was inspired by the clothing, dishes, and plants left there. For the sound source, she used environmental sounds coming from the house’s windows and an old electronic organ that she used to play when she was a kid. In the midst of realizing the changes in her daily life, the sounds of construction, cars, and crows cawing that may otherwise sound like noise make it feel as if time has stopped only in this house.

Iu’s second release is her “Interspace” EP from The Slow Music Movement. In these three tracks, she intentionally created gaps by reducing the number of notes, and she wanted to enjoy the coincidence and awareness with the outside sounds.

I can’t think of a better way to be in the New Year than listening to Iu’s music. And today’s mix, of course.

Before I go, I also ask that you listen to Genius and Soul, a new show that I launched with Soundwave guest deejays Fitz Gitler and Jason Smith.

Genius and Soul is a weekly show featuring jazz, Black classical music, and more, with mixes lovingly selected by our guest deejays. Our first guest is Brian Jackson, an American keyboardist, flautist, singer, composer, and producer. Brian has recorded and performed with everyone from Gil Scott-Heron to Stevie Wonder, and recently released an album with Jazz Is Dead’s Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

You can listen to our first episode on your favorite podcast app or listen here.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Christoph Berg.

See you then.

Grotta Veterano “Bleiweisova Cesta i (as the snow falls)”
Sarah Davachi “Third Hour”
Stijn Hüwels + Tomoyoshi Date Featuring Tadahito Ichinoseki “A Distant Fire, A Distant Cloud (遠き火、遠き雲)”
Masayoshi Fujita “Anakreon”
baechulgi “the breath of the moon”
Satoshi Ashikawa “Still Space”
Emily A. Sprague “Water Memory 1”
Yumiko Morioka “Moon Road”

December 19, 2021December 19, 2021

SOUNDWAVE : 90 : SEAN SLEIGHT

Today’s guest deejay is Sean Sleight.

A year ago, while perusing Boing Boing I read a post about Hollow Earth Radio, a Low Power FM (LPFM) non-commercial DIY radio station based out of Seattle. I was intrigued about the station’s promise of “local music, found sound, paranormal encounters, crank calls, dreams, etc.! 24 hours a day!” and tuned it. The station is a delight, and I became Sean’s show, Aquanautic Frequencies, and invited him to guest deejay on Soundwave.

Aquanautic Frequencies broadcasts every Wednesday from 11 am-1 pm PST. Spinning strange and groovy and tunes from the deep. Featuring clangy krautrock and kosmische musik, brain-melting prog, afrobeat, and jazz from Saturn, pulsing psych, weird Bungley rock, Pacific Northwest favorites, outsider music from Finland and beyond, turntable experiments, avant-metal, random radio transmissions, and even the occasional jangled pop number as long as it fits the mood. His shows are broadcasted live at the station with vinyl only, programmed from his music collection, or home recorded with two turntables and mixer fed into a recording console.

In addition to the radio show, Sean is a scientist and has made music a creative outlet for about 20 years. He is the co-founder of Fringe Biology Recordings (fringebiologyrecords.com), a Seattle-based record label of outsider/self-educated recording artists specializing in experimental rock, avant-electronic music, sci-fi soundtracks, kosmische musik, and science-inspired music.

What I love about Sean’s mix is that it took Soundwave’s instrumental aspect and ran with it. And Sean’s mix obviously showcases some of his obsessions in music. I always welcome music from Secret Chiefs, Sun City Girls, Can, and Sun Ra, and I was happy to be introduced to artists like Bo Hansson, Thomas Dinger, and Diminished Men.

Sean has some words about his mix below.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Alex Haas.

See you then.

Many thanks for the invitation to contribute a mix. I wanted it to have a positive vibe in these weird times and thought of Winter Solstice when daylight is at its minimum. Now that it’s almost the darkest time of the year, I thought maybe it was time to reverse polarity and share some warmth for the days ahead.

Secret Chiefs 3 “Book T: Exodus”
Sun City Girls “The Shining Path”
Diminished Men “Hoarding Light”
Bo Hansson “Excursion With Complications”
Grumbling Fur “Acid Ali Khan”
Cavern of Anti-Matter “Echolalia”
Brian Eno “Golden Hours”
Daniel Brandt “Chaparral Mesa”
Can “Sing Swan Song”
Thomas Dinger “Fur Mich (Excerpt)”
Neu! “Euphoria”
Sun Ra “Sun Song”
Ulver “Shadows of the Sun”

Subscribe to SOUNDWAVE on iTunes, Overcast, Castro and Pocketcasts.

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”

Subscribe to SOUNDWAVE on iTunes, Overcast, Castro and Pocketcasts.

Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

October 24, 2021October 24, 2021

SOUNDWAVE : 82 : PCM

Today’s guest deejays are PCM, who are Francesco Perra (P), Matteo Cantaluppi (C), Matteo Milea (M).

n5MD founder Mike Cadoo put me in touch with PCM when I asked him after guest deejayed on Soundwave who he thought would want to share a mix on the show. PCM has crafted a mix that I adore. There’s so much to love.

One of the things I find exciting about Soundwave is that our guest deejays introduce me to music and artists I’m unfamiliar with. On the other hand, some musicians that I’ve been surprised have made an appearance on Soundwave nearly two years into the show. PCM remedy that with today’s mix. I’m talking about talent like Fennesz, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Coil (I’m surprised Coil aren’t on every show), and Morton Subotnick.

PCM: Francesco Perra (P), Matteo Cantaluppi (C), Matteo Milea (M)

PCM themselves make an appearance at the end of today’s show. You’ll want to hear more of their music. You can listen to their latest album, Macro, which came out earlier this year. Macro is equal parts expansive and constrained, and the magic happens between those two extremes.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Wife Signs.

See you then.

Fennesz “Liminality”
zakè “Infinite Ocean”
Takehisa Kosugi “Wave Code #E-1”
Nils Frahm “Talisman”
Rafael Anton Irisarri “Empire System”
Coil “Red Birds Will Fly Out Of The East And Destroy Paris In a Night”
Boards Of Canada “Everything You Do Is A Balloon”
loscil “Drained Lake”
Valentino Mora “Morphosa”
John Foxx “Oceanic II”
William Basinski “Melancholia”
Morton Subotnick “Touch. Pt. 1”
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra “Promises”
Perry Frank “Janas”
Global Communication “9:25”
PCM “Macro”

October 10, 2021October 12, 2021

SOUNDWAVE : 80 : LECU

Today’s guest deejay is Lecu.

I discovered Lecu a few months ago when Soundwave guest deejay Ishmael Cormack asked folks on Twitter for musical recommendations. Lecu suggested Sebastian Mullaert and Erland Cooper. Those were both great recommendations. Who was this Lecu? I checked out how Twitter profile, which led me to his Bandcamp page and listened to his albums. I extend an invitation to join us on Soundwave, and here we are today.

It was a breath of fresh air after last week’s mix from Line Spectrum. Don’t get me wrong, last week’s show was great, but listening to it on my AIrPod Pro with transparency mode felt more like an auditory hallucination than a mix. Lecu’s mix feels whimsical by comparison but no less fantastic than Line Spectrum’s mix.

If you’d like to hear more music from Lecu, check out show on 1020 Radio, every first Thursday of every month from 10 PM – 11 PM Pacific.

Lecu has some brief words about his mix below.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Inner Travels.

I’m happy to share my mix with you today. Lots of nice textures, both abstract and familiar, with some lush tracks along the way — one of which is a new one from me, which feels like the start of a new record and a new direction for me as an artist.

It was really fun to make, and I’m so honoured to be in very good company with your other guests

Much love from Plymouth, England, and wishing you all the very best.

Leo / Lecu

H. Takahashi “Absorption (Granulated)”
H. Takahashi “Absorption”
Bubble Keiki “Network Gardening”
KMRU “Inter Alia”
Julius Theory “SSRI Prophet (excerpt)”
Dane Law “Southbound To Denshaw”
Morimoto Naoki “A Day”
Lecu “Familiar i*”
Phexionensystem “Water Resonance”

Field Recordings & Sounds

Listen In “Watering The Garden”
Four Tet “Parallel 5”
Lecu “Water Bowl Through Nebulae”
Lecu “Field Recording: Interacting with Woodland Leaves”

Subscribe to SOUNDWAVE on iTunes, Overcast, Castro and Pocketcasts.

Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

September 26, 2021September 26, 2021

SOUNDWAVE : 78 : TRIPLICATE RECORDS

Today’s guest deejay is Michael Southard of Triplicate Records.

A couple of months ago, Soundwave guest deejay Ishmael Cormack (listen to his mix here) asked for musical recommendations from his followers on Twitter.

Ismael got a lot of responses, and I listened to every suggestion on Spotify. If I heard something I liked, I’d invite the musician to guest deejay on Soundwave. Anthéne, for example, appeared on the show back in August. And today’s show, of course, features Triplicate Records.

I remember back in the 80’s listening to the soundtrack to Birdy by Peter Gabriel and wishing some musicians would record music for imaginary soundtracks. Such music existed, but I wasn’t aware of it until the following year when I was turned on to Brian Eno’s Ambient 4: On Land and Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. Finding Eno, and musicians like him, was everything I hoped for and more.

Over the decades, I’ve seen more and more record labels dedicated to ambient, modern classical, experimental and instrumental music. 12k comes to mind, as does n5MD and Ultimae Records.

Music from Triplicate Records was already popping up on my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist and music I was discovering on Bandcamp. When Triplicate Records was recommended to Ishmael on Twitter, it felt like the universe was telling me to invite them on the show.

Triplicate Records is a boutique record label working primarily with instrumental electronic music. They are 100% artist-run, by producers Michael Southard (Time Rival), Bryan Kraft (BVSMV), and George Ernst (Suncastle). Despite the pandemic, they have gained a following with their unique musical tastes, striking artwork, and consistent output.

You’re going to love today’s mix. If you want to hear more from Triplicate Records, listen to their Spotify playlist here.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Oleg Puzan of Line Spectrum.

See you then!

Belly Full of Stars “Pattern 3”
Building a Building “As an Animal I Roamed Fearless and Free Over The Hills In The Warmth of the Sun”
Ian Hawgood “Flutter Echo Refrain”
Gary Rees “Flora & Fauna”
Hverheij “Inklings”
Time Rival “Light Pollution”
Belial Pelegrim “The Trillings of Nightingales”
BVSMV “Rubicon”
Survey Channel “Seppy Divide”
Crest of the Syndicate “The Orchard”
Devras Plexi “Radii Central Source”
Suncastle “Boutique”
Glass Roots “The Daily Male”
Chris Randall “Twisted Airwaves”
Chaircrusher “Freue Mich”

Subscribe to SOUNDWAVE on iTunes, Overcast, Castro and Pocketcasts.

Logo by Rik Oostenbroek

August 29, 2021August 29, 2021

SOUNDWAVE : 74 : ANTHÈNE

Today’s guest deejay is Bradley Sean Alexander Deschamps, AKA Anthéne, curator of Polar Seas Recordings.

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.

Mary Lattimore “Sometimes He’s In My Dreams”
Drape “Solo In High Dreary”
Sylvain Chauveau “Et peu à peu les flots respiraient comme on pleure”
Keeley Forsyth “Photograph”
Sarah Neufeld “Stories”
Gia Margaret “No Sleep No Dream”
Yasmin Williams “Juvenescence”
Havenaire “Beta”
Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron “Real Lost Wisdom”
Leo Svirsky “River Without Banks”
Slow Reels “Lakka”

Subscribe to SOUNDWAVE on iTunes, Overcast, Castro and Pocketcasts.

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.