Tag: minimal

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

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 : 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.

 

Jakob Lindhagen
Jakob Lindhagen

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.

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

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SOUNDWAVE : 97 : ROBOT KOCH

Today’s guest deejay is Robert Koch, AKA Robot Koch.

Robert Koch is a German, Los Angeles-based artist, composer, and record producer. Koch made a name for himself as a member of the band Jahcoozi before launching a solo artist. His electronic music sound has been called “Wonderful and strange – pop music from the future” by John Peel.

Robert has woven a gorgeous mix that includes music from artists such as the late Harold Budd; Berlin-based musician, composer, and producer Midori Hirano; and Canadian instrumental music producer Jay Cliffen and select tracks from Robert’s new project Foam and Sand.

Foam and Sand is an ambient soundscape and visual endeavor inspired by Robert’s daily meditation habit.

The project took shape during the pandemic lockdown of 2020. Robert used tape recordings of slowed-down pianos, modular synths, and other sonic sources. The signature sound is created with loops that magnify the irregularities and imperfections of cassette recordings and that are then shaped by Robert into hazy meditative journeys. Through the process, the grainy subtleties of sound give way to vast and lush atmospheric soundscapes, making audible the complex interplay of micro and macro and highlighting the interconnectedness of these two spheres in life.

 

Robert Koch, AKA Robot Koch
Robert Koch, AKA Robot Koch

You can listen to Foam and Sand on Spotify.

You can find Robert on Instagram . You can also find his Foam and Sand project on Instagram.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Forest Robots.

See you then.

  1. Harold Budd “Rosetti Noise”
  2. J Foerster / N Kramer “Entrance”
  3. Foam and Sand “Circle 26”
  4. Midori Hirano “Patterns (Foam and Sand Remix)”
  5. Foam and Sand “Circle 20”
  6. Rosales “Nest”
  7. Robot Koch “Movement I with Julien Marchal”
  8. Diskret “Dazed (Foam and Sand Remix)”
  9. Foam and Sand “Circle 7”
  10. Foam and Sand “Circle 5”
  11. Foam and Sand “Circle 6”
  12. Jay Cliffen “Inure“

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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 Takahashi
Iu Takahashi

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.

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

SOUNDWAVE : 84 : protoU

Today’s guest deejay is Sasha Puzan, AKA protoU.

Oleg Puzan of Line Spectrum, AKA Dronny Darko (listen to Dronny’s mix here and his Line Spectrum mix here), recommended his partner guest deejay on the show last year, and Sasha’s mix was beautiful and sublime. I invited Sasha back on Soundwave, and she’s delivered another fantastic mix.

 

Sasha, AKA protoU
Sasha, AKA protoU

While Sasha’s first mix for Soundwave was elemental and cosmic, today’s mix feels cozy and intimate. I’m listening to it as I write today’s show notes, and I wish San Diego would not be so characteristically warm and sunny, and a chilly and overcast day seems more appropriate for Sasha’s mix.

I’ve also been listening to Sasha’s mix while I work at the office. It has been an interesting experience because I launched Soundwave to cope with the stress and isolation of the early days of the pandemic. I’ve been working remotely and listening to Soundwave mixes for nearly two years, and it feels unsettling to listen to the mixes at my office. I’m sure I’ll adjust, but presently it feels out of context.

Where do you listen to Soundwave?

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be José Sobranes.

See you then!

  • 12k “march 10, 2015 (march 3 ice rain)”
  • Connect.Ohm “Fossil”
  • Purl & protoU “Morning Light”
  • Sustainer “Prisma”
  • Miyuki “Ghostly Vibes”
  • protoU “Believe”
  • Dronny Darko “Circuits”
  • Dirk Serries “The Sleep Of Reason”
  • Venture “Autumn Sun”
  • loscil “Gymnote”
  • Shuttle358 “Models of Life”
  • Dronny Darko & protoU “Riparian Forest 300 million years ago ”
  • Fingers in the Noise “Drone Break”
  • protoU “Lucid Sequences”
  • Taylor Deupree “A Little Ecosystem”

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    SOUNDWAVE : 83 : WIFE SIGNS

    Today’s guest deejay is Kellen Perry, AKA Wife Signs.

    Daniel Chamberlin turned me on to Wife Signs with his Cosmic Chambo mix for Soundwave. As is my want, I asked Daniel who he know that would want to share a mix on Soundwave and he suggested Kellen. Daniel was spot on, because Kellen’s mix is a delight.

     

    Kellen Perry, AKA Wife Signs
    Kellen Perry, AKA Wife Signs

    I mentioned last month how Line Spectrum’s mix blended so seamlesslessly with the sounds of my environment that caused me no small amount of anxiety. Kellen’s mix also merged with the sounds around me, but it was so ephemeral that it was a soothing experience. It made the sound of clanking flatware musical. Some of the mixes heard on Soundwave are sublime, and some, like Kellen’s, make the mundane seem magical.

    While you can stream Kellen’s new album, Beneath the Weight of Care, on Spotify, I encourage you to pushase his album on Bandcamp. You can also follow Kellen on Twitter.

    I hope you have a Happy Halloween. I know I will, because I’m taking my grandkid on his first trick or treating he’ll remember. Talk about magical!

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

    See you then!

    1. Klara Lewis “Seascape”
    2. More Eaze “Leave”
    3. Offthesky & The Humble Bee “Fallen Fruit to Navigate By”
    4. Wife Signs “Burning Off the Nuance”
    5. Austin Rockman “Kissed By Her Witness”
    6. Vanessa Amara “Manos”
    7. Lusine ”Without Standing”
    8. Wife Signs “Small Art and Love”
    9. Listening Mirror “Outside Heaven”
    10. Tom James Scott “Green Wren”

    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.

     

    Leo, AKA Lecu
    Leo, AKA Lecu

    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

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

    Field Recordings & Sounds

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

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    SOUNDWAVE : 79 : LINE SPECTRUM

    Today’s guest deejay is Oleg Puzan of Line Spectrum.

    Oleg, AKA Dronny Darko, was our guest deejay over a year ago. Dronny mix was drenched in atmospherics and utterly enchanting. It was like looking through the glass darkly. It was a no-brainer to ask Oleg to return to Soundwave with yet another mix, this time as Line Spectrum.

    Line Spectrum is a sound art project that expands sonic boundaries through sound manipulations often in a form of severe minimalism using a vast palette of microscopic sounds. Line Spectrum blends deep ambiences, musique concrète, avant-garde elements and silence. It is recommended that you listen to Line Spectrum with high quality headphones.

    Yeah, about that…

    Last week I took my dog for her evening walk. I find that’s the best time to listen to music and so I played Oleg’s mix. Ordinarily, Oleg’s Line Spectrum mix would have been a relaxing experience, but I used the transparent mode on my Apple AirPods Pro, which lets outside sound in. I use it when I walk my dog because I like to be aware of my surroundings. In this case in induced a state of anxiety because I couldn’t tell what I was hearing was from the Line Spectrum mic or from the outside world. Were the crickets I heard part of Oleg’s mix or my environment? Was that a jet flying overhead or what I was hearing over my AirPods? Were the chatter of people talking coming from a nearby house or from the mix I was listing to?

    It was an unsettling experience. I couldn’t trust what I was hearing. It was what I imagine having auditory hallucinations would feel like.

    Don’t let my experience detract from your enjoyment of Oleg’s mix. It’s truly wonderful. But please be wary if you should listen to the mix with Transparency mode on.

     

    Oleg Puzan, AKA Line Spectrum
    Oleg Puzan, AKA Line Spectrum

    Before I get out of Dodge, if you want to hear more music from Oleg, head over to Bandcmap and purchase his new album, Bruma, available through the Shimmering Moods Records.

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

    See you then!

    1. France Jobin “D orbital”
    2. Line Spectrum “Other People’s Thoughts”
    3. Eleh + Richard Chartier “LINELEH II”
    4. Francisco López “Untitled #372”
    5. Simon Whetham “Part First (An Uncertain Distance)”
    6. Line Spectrum “A Set of Events at the Shore”
    7. Yann Novak “San Marino”

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    SOUNDWAVE : 69 : FROM OVERSEAS

    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
    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.

    1. 36 & awakened souls “Guide Me Home (awakened souls – Shoegaze Version) ”
    2. Lucy Gooch “Ash and Orange”
    3. Emily A. Sprague “Woven”
    4. Chuck Johnson “Raz-de-Marée”
    5. Illuvia Iridescence”
    6. Ilyas Ahmed & Jefre Cantu-Ledesma “Ocean Blue”
    7. From Overseas “Rêve”
    8. Christina Giannone “Untitled111”
    9. Alex Somers “Sooner”
    10. Mogwai “Dry Fantasy”

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