I was introduced to zakè's captivating music by the talented Luke Entelis (listen to Luke’s mix four Soundwave here), and I'm excited to share his unique sonic tapestries with you.
Zach is the stateside label boss of the Past Inside the Present record label. Zach is also a multi-talented musician, composer, and sound artist. With a deep passion for exploring the intersection of sound and emotion, zakè weaves intricate sonic landscapes that transport listeners to ethereal realms. His musical journey began at a young age, as he discovered his love for experimenting with various instruments and sound manipulation techniques.
Zach Frizzell, AKA zakè
The songs in this collection share a common thread of introspection, contemplation, and a sense of profound emotional depth. Each composition invites the listener into a world of deep reflection, where silence and subtle nuances create powerful moments of introspection. Zach’s mix has been my companion during grey mornings. With my cup of coffee in hand, his music eases me into my work day, infusing even the most mundane tasks with intrigue.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Tim Dwyer.
I had the pleasure of meeting Enrico through Giulio Aldinucci, who also guest deejayed on Soundwave (listen to Giulio’s mix here). Enrico’s work combines beautiful and challenging sounds, and I’m excited to have him on the show today to share his unique perspective on music.
Enrico’s mix takes us on a journey through a diverse array of experimental and ambient music. It’s a beautiful mix that evokes different emotions and landscapes and is a lovely way to start the new year.
Enrico is an environmental sound recordist and sound artist from Italy. His work has been featured by some of the most respected labels in the genre, such as Crónica, Gruen Rekorder, taâlem , and many more. He also runs the digital label Galaverna, with Leandro Pisano, Nicola Di Croce, and Vernalis, in collaborate with Krisis Publishing.
Enrico has some words about his mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Petter Lindhagen.
See you then.
Enrico Coniglio
Here is a mix I made some time ago on a CD-R that has yet to be released on the internet anywhere. A selection of post-folk & ambient songs coming from the past, with a strong, wintery, and intimate vibe and some evanescent vocals here and there.
Thomas’s music kept popping up on Soundwave mixes. It wasn’t until I asked Andrew Tasselmyer whom he knew, who might share a mix on the show, and he said Thomas that I understood the universe was trying to send me a message: get Thomas on Soundwave. At least, that’s how I interpret it.
Thomas’s music is warm and intimate. I’m listening to the Communiqué album he recorded with Jogging House as I write this, and it’s perfect listening for a crisp winter night. I was curious to hear who’d include in his mix. When I saw Jason Corder’s offthesky project in his playlist, I knew I was in good hands. Whereas Thomas’s music is warm fire to rub your hands to, his mix feels like stepping out to a bracing day with magical side quests. Again, my subjective interpretation.
I’m glad I listened to the universe.
Speaking of Thomas’s music, he has a new vocal album called Eidetic coming out on Morr Music in March 2023. He also has a Bandcamp subscription with lots of exclusive music, and it is constantly evolving.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Ian Wellman.
Last month I shared a retrospective mix from the Ambient Dub compilation series. It was a fantastic experience revisiting those albums, which also served as a touchstone to some beautiful times. Inspired, I reached out to as many of the musicians on the compilation album as possible, leading me to Glyn, whom I’ve always known as one-half of Original Rockers.
Glyn’s mix re-introduced me to gems from Durutti Column and Faust and introduced me to new favorites such as Chassol and Khotin. And Glyn’s mix is chock full of his music projects, such as Biggabush.
Glyn has some words about his mix below.
Join us next weekend when our guest deejay will be Rubén Tamayo.
See you then.
Glyn Bush
It was really nice to be asked to do an ambient mix as it’s a genre I always enjoy even if I don’t normally listen to it that much.
With Original Rockers/Rockers Hi-Fi, we were asked to do an “ambient dub” track by Mike Barnet from Beyond Records around 1992. We just went with our gut and very quickly produced “Sexy Selector.” I suppose we defined ambient dub as being quite lush, with deep chords, lots of space, sequences, and odd bits of vocal. At the time I was listening to The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld and going to a club called Oscillate in Birmingham and hearing quite a bit of what you might call ambient electronica, seeing people like Autechre play live, Alex Paterson on the decks and of course the Higher Intelligence Agency who ran the night.
So I’ve delved back into that era a bit in my mix and checked out some more contemporary stuff with tips from my daughter, re:ni, plus an ambient track we made together a couple of years ago using the sounds of glaciers crumbling, rainfall, and suchlike.
The opener by Richie Hawtin alias F.U.S.E. is one of my all-time fave tracks, just a slowly unfurling 303 looping over and over in its inimitable way.
I dropped a couple of bits from Chassol who makes really beautiful music, not necessarily defined as “ambient” but lush and interesting and full of surprises. He does incredible stuff with recordings of voices where he literally turns all the inflections of speech into musical notes. Check out his Barack Obama track too.
I included a track from my Sunken Foal Stories album, possibly my favourite release and unlike anything I’ve done before or since, with lots of random juxtapositions and happy accidents.
re:ni recommended a lovely track by MLO called ”Sleeper”, which didn’t make the cut, but I used a nice Wagon Christ remix of one of his tracks which I’d not heard before. I’m always happy to crowbar a Luke Vibert track into any mix.
Ghost Power is a collab between Tim Gane of Stereolab and Jeremy Novak of Dymaxion who do some really interesting stuff, mostly nothing like the track I used but all good.
Neotropic is Riz Maslen, who made lovely stuff in the early 90s. This was a fave on cassette back in the day.
Beak> is a Geoff Barrow from Portishead side project, doing a mix of krautrock-ish, motorik beats, plus some excellent synth work, quite soundtrack-y vibes.
Durutti Column was making ambient guitar stuff in the early 80s, of which this is a fine example and always makes me think of sunshine.
PLO Man and C3D-E are on the coveted Acting Press label, which I’d not heard of before re:ni gave me a tip, but it’s high-quality stuff. Likewise, Khotin – is a Canadian producer doing some lovely things on Bandcamp.
Faust was a bunch of crazy German guys who lived in their studio, recorded shedloads of improvisations, and wrote some beautiful songs. The two Faust tracks are from the The Faust Tapes, another all-time fave album of mine compiled from their unreleased tapes from the early 70s.
A couple of Bigga Bush tracks, one called “The Bells,” written in the mid-90s, and the collab mentioned above with re:ni, which was written for a DJs for Climate Action campaign using natural found sounds.
I met Peter through Harrold Roeland and I invited Peter to guest deejay on the show (listen to his mix here). I did not anticipate that a mix from Peter would be something of an event. Peter’s mixes are more like epic tone poems that contain both the cosmic and the mundane in one listening experience.
Cloudwatching Sequence
Furthermore, Peter meticulously crafts his mixes. Peter might use a passage once from a song or as a leitmotif. His mixes are dense and multilayered. Peter’s skill is that despite the complexity of his mixes, they are seamless and fluid. You don’t need to know the immense effort that produced the mix you are listening to appreciate its beauty and artistry.
Because Peter mixes feel like an event, it felt appropriate to release today’s show for Halloween as we celebrate the darker half of the year.
Peter has some words about his mix below.
Join us next week when out guest deejay will be Mike Lazarev.
See you then.
Cloudwatching
Most (if not all) previous Ambientblog mixes always had some dark moments; they are never “just” relaxing. You can only feel release if you also feel tension.
This time, I wanted to avoid the darkness and create a “lighter mood mix.” Not of the “Ibiza Chillout Lounge” kind, but one that can be played in the background and is still exciting enough to listen to. I hope I succeeded, but of course, you’re the one to decide about that!
With two hours, Cloudwatching is longer than usual. Only a few tracks are included in their full length, but most are heavily edited or even just short fragments. Also, they are often overlayed, so you’ll hear the music in a different context. The extensive playlist below may help you track down the original in their full-length versions.
I hope you’ll enjoy watching these -imaginary- clouds!
Today’s guest deejay is Stefan Beck, AKA Golden Brown.
I met Stefan through Steve Targo from Inner Islands after he guest deejayed on Soundwave. I asked Steve, whom he knew would share a mix on the show, and he recommended Stefan. I listened to Stefan’s music and lost myself in his gentle guitar playing, swathes of warm sounds, and field recordings. So we have Steve to thank for today’s gorgeous mix.
As is my habit, I reacquaint myself with the mixes sent my way two weeks before I share them with you. Stefan provided the soundtrack for hurricane Kay which hit Mexico this week. In the evenings, when it was cooler, I’d go for an hour-long walk and listen to Stefan’s mix. Wednesday was a very sensual night. There was a moment as I was walking past a canyon when a rivulet of sweat ran from my temple and behind my right ear. It cooled and evaporated immediately. There was a hint of sage in the air. And Stefan’s mix played over my AirPods. Delicious.
Friday, San Diego was awash with the rain from hurricane Kay. It was very dramatic. The sky was gloomy, the wind gusted from my patio door, and occasionally raindrops would land on my shoulders from my skylight window above me, all while Stefan’s mix playing in the background.
I hope Stefan’s mix provides an equally wonderful experience.
Stefan has a few words about his mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Serge Timmers.
See you then.
Stefan Beck
The songs selected here don’t have any unifying theme apart from that they inspire me and put me in a certain 🌀zone🌀
I think they all have a lot of heart in them and make elegant use of space. Jerry Garcia appears here twice under the radar as well. I can’t resist.
Today’s guest deejay is Mike Cadoo, the founder of n5MD, a much loved and respected independent record label based out of Oakland, California. n5MD focuses on ambient, modern composition, post-rock, and experimental electronic music.
As a long-time fan of n5MD, I showcased Mike’s label on solipsistic NATION, my electronic music show, years ago. Mike guest deejayed on Soundwave in 2021 and returns today with a much-needed mix for me.
I can’t go into the details, but last week I nearly died. You’d never know it by looking at me. Physically I’m fine. But I’m shaken. I find that I quickly get emotional about things. Sometimes I have a profound respect for life, all lives. Sometimes I’m filled with existential despair. I’m told this will pass in a few months. In the meantime, I’m having these overwhelming experiences.
Mike doesn’t know this, but his mix helped get me through the week.
Mike has some words about today’s mix below.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Giulio Aldinucci.
See you then.
My song, “Sunrise at Ironhorse Trail,” included in today’s mix, is from a release that I will be releasing on my personal Bandcamp page on World Alzheimer’s Day. My father passed this January in what can best be described as complications due to mixed dementia. All proceeds will be donated to Hope Hospice, which was very integral in the comfort of my father in the last days of his life, as well as, and maybe even more importantly, my mother’s grief counseling after his passing.
Today’s guest deejay is Matt Donatelli, AKA Survey Channel.
I met through Francisco Dominguez. After Francisco shared his fantastic mix earlier this year, I asked him who he thought would want guest deejay on Soundwave. Francisco recommended Matt, and after doing a deep dive on Matt’s music, I wholeheartedly agreed.
If you love today’s mix, and you will, then you’ll be happy to know that Matt spins on CAMP Radio. His show is called Aural Dogma. Tune in!
Matt has some words about his mix below.
I am increasingly grateful for Soundwave. I initially launched the show to help cope with the stress and isolation of the first months of the quarantine lockdown. I told myself that I would wrap the show up once the pandemic was reasonably under control: Soundwave would have severed its purpose. But the pandemic is not done with us. Over the last few months, I’ve seen more and more people who are frayed and exhausted. I’m a bit worn out myself, and Soundwave continues offering respite and delight. I hope you feel the same.
The Metallic Ratio by Eva Kierten
Before I go, I want to let you know that Other Forms of Consecrated Life (listen to their mix for Soundwave here) just released Eva Kierten’s new album, The Metallic Ratio. Kierten continues to gently plumb emotional depths.
Lately, I’ve been seeking out a variety of cleansing soundwaves in countless flavors. From the oddly contemporary sounds of “early” electronic group Syrinx, the the folksy-pivot of ex-Sneaker Pimps vocalist Kelli Ali, to the wonderfully weird Iasos. I find myself constantly visiting old favorites, as well. This mix is a snapshot in time of the tunes that spoke to me; working through me as I built it. I’ve added a few minor soundbytes to a couple of the tracks — I find the mixes with a personal touch that can tell a story to be the most successful.
Overall, I hope this mix acts as an inspiration for listeners to continue to seek out music in any genre; there is always something waiting to be heard.
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 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.
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
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.
