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!
Sofia Nyland, AKA Vargkvint
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.
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.
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.
I ask each guest to deejay who they know who would be interested in participating in the show with a mix. Harrold Roeland, who was a guest deejay on Soundwave back in December, suggested Peter. I’ve known about Ambientblog for years and have listened to many of Peter’s mixes on Mixcloud. I’m thankful that Harrold made the introduction because Peter’s mix is exceptional.
Peter’s Soundwave mix.
Mix is not the word for what Peter does on today’s show.
It’s more accurate to say that Peter composed a concept album masterfully weaved from a multitude of sampled material. Take a look at the “playlist” below to get an idea of the scope of today’s show. It’s a work of art you get to immerse yourself in for the next hour.
Peter’s mix, like all of his Ambientblog shows, is an experience. Follow Ambientblog on Mixcloud to hear more of his work.
I’ve included an excerpt about today’s show from Peter’s website below.
Today’s show is special because it’s also Soundwave’s one-year anniversary.
I launched Soundwave to help me cope with the stress and isolation of COVID-19.
This close to what we all hope is the finish line of the pandemic its easy to forget that we were all white-knuckling it for the first couple of months. Every day was filled with existential dread. Would this trip to the grocery store kill me or someone I love? It’s exhausting to live that way.
During that time, I could not watch tv or movies or listen to music because they were not speaking to the truth of our new reality. I’d watch a tv show and fret how there was no social distancing and why the cast wasn’t wearing masks. Pop music was particularly difficult to listen to because it was so painfully vapid. How am I supposed to enjoy a love song when I might be a patient or a vector in this pandemic?
The only music that I could tolerate and gave me solace was ambient, classical, experimental, and instrumental music. It was the soundtrack for my stay-at-home lockdown. And if I found some relief with this music, why not share it with others? Any why not ask people I respect to share their mixes?
I’m humbled by everyone’s gift of generosity of time and effort. We’re all going through this together, each in our way. I’m grateful that during this pandemic that each guest deejay lovingly crafted mixes to share with us.
My first vaccination shot.
Today’s show is also special because today, I also got my first shot for the COVID-19 vaccination.
I was shopping for groceries when the Mercy Plaza Pharmacy called me and told me they had extra doses. Could I stop by for a vaccination? Most definitely.
My cilantro stymied the woman who was ringing up my items at the grocery store: were they regular cilantro or organic? She was about to do a price check when I explained that I needed to get the hell out of there to be vaccinated. I didn’t care about the cilantro’s cost; ring me up so I can leave! She understood.
The folks at Mercy Plaza Pharmacy couldn’t be nicer. They’re a family-owned business, and the owner checked up on me after my shot to see how I was feeling. We talked about San Diego, Sacramento, and our kids. This is going to sound weird, but I had such a great time that I can’t wait to go back.
So here we are a year later. We’re almost at the finish line. Hopefully, next year, this will be behind us, and we can all enjoy each other’s company. I’m looking forward to meeting some of you in person. Maybe I’ll even get to meet Peter.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Michał Milczarek.
See you then!
Ambientblog album art.
It’s my honour to open the second year of this series with my contribution. Of course, we can only hope that the series will continue for musical reasons, not because of the pandemic.
Clicking through the list of contributions, you’ll find that most of them are what I call mixtape-style compilations: a head-tail-mix of (full) tracks. Traditionally, my (Ambientblog) mixes are different (which does not mean necessarily ‘better’, by the way) in that they incorporate many sampled parts of tracks (a full-length track is either an exception or a very short track itself), mixed in a layered collage-style. I always try to shuffle the collage’s fragments so that they seem to melt together and thus start telling a different story.
Whether this is successful or not can only be determined by the listener.
This mix is simply named after the podcast Soundwave. It is a happy coincidence that it literally starts with waves—sonically manipulated by Jos Smolders—and ends with the same waves morphing into the sound of a cheering crowd.
Different kinds of soundwaves are all around us, every moment. Sometimes we’re aware; most of the time, we are not. This mix (hopefully) shows that it can be rewarding to take a moment’s rest to really listen and let the sounds affect you.
I discovered Robin last century on a compilation album. At the time, Robin was snatching phone conversations from the ether and incorporating them into his music. It was at once intimate and troubling because the very act of listening to Robin’s music made you complicit in his eavesdropping.
Those tracks, however, are just one area he explores in his music. If you delved into his work, you’d find that it is not incongruous to find him straddling minimalism, classical music, soundtracks and more.
When I showcased Robin’s music and featured one of his performances on solipsistic NATION I was as giddy as a fanboy. I had been listening to his releases since the ‘90s, and I was thrilled to have him on my show. It was only natural that I invited him to be a guest deejay on SOUNDWAVE, and I’m just excited about today’s show as when he was my guest on solipsistic NATION many years ago.
Robin has some words about his mix, which you can read below.
In pandemic news, California, like the rest of the U.S., has stepped up vaccinations. I know people who have been highly diligent regarding COVID-19 safety protocol and were still waylaid by the virus. I’m currently staying in Sacramento, and anecdotally, I can tell you that a lot of people here have stopped giving a fuck. I don’t want to catch the virus when we’re this close to the finish line, so I hope to be vaccinated within the next week or two.
Hopefully, this summer, I will be able to hug some of you who listen to SOUNDWAVE. Who knows, maybe I’ll throw a SOUNDWAVE festival. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
I always find it challenging to know how to begin to choose music from literally hundreds of thousands of pieces of music that I own. Music lives with me from the moment I wake up early in the morning until I go to bed at night (at a very reasonable time). So, I thought it might be of interest to simply make a collage of a few of the many pieces of music that have accompanied me in the last seven days. These are playing as I work on emails, administration, accounts, and so on through my day. A brief picture of a moment in a day for my ears.
Today’s guest deejay is Julie Carpenter, AKA Less Bells.
Several months ago, I did a deep dive on musicians on Bandcamp who explored ambient, classical, experimental, and instrumental music. Julie explores all those genres, so naturally, I invited her to join us on SOUNDWAVE. I expected to be surprised, but I didn’t expect how surprised by her mix. Dirty Projectors? Buddy Sainte-Marie? Big Star? What the hell?!? I’m not complaining. In fact, I’m delighted!
Speaking of delights, I urge you to go on your music streaming platform of choice and listen to Julie’s music. I’ve been listening to her albums constantly since first discovering her music, and I have a feeling you’ll do the same. Better yet, if you like what you hear, and you will, why not spend a few dollars on some of her songs or her albums. You can thank me later.
Julie will talk about her mix below.
I need to wrap this up because my wife will visit me for the next week and I need to tidy up around the house. The pandemic and work have kept us apart for months at a time. While I’m used to a solitary life, I don’t like being apart from her this long. But I have relapsed into my former bachelor ways and need to get things shipshape before she’s back in town.
Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Emil Zapffe, AKA João Guimarães.
See you then!
Julie Carpenter, AKA Less Bells
Putting together a coherent playlist makes me feel like I’m having a party and leaving some of my favorite guests standing outside in the cold. I start with way too many ideas and then eliminate the various contestants. This is how I write music, too. It isn’t until I’m done that I can see what I was trying to do. This list revealed itself as a collection of my favorite sound palettes.
I love music that makes me ask, “how on earth did they do that?” The whole Bitte Orca album from Dirty Projectors is a cabinet of wonders, but this is the crowning gem for me. They hung this beautiful melody on reversed swelling strings, and it’s sculptural.
The Clint Heidorn piece that follows has its own kind of dimensionality but pursues it through timbres. The way the sax, strings, guitar, and upright bass move together creates one gorgeous multi-faceted instrument.
Windy & Carl have such a deep body of work, it was hard to choose, but I love the little chimes that litter the winter landscape of “Snow Covers Everything.” Guitar and vocal sounds are their trademark, but it’s the attention to little sonic details that sets them apart.
“Sleep Walk” is a song I’ve loved my whole life because it’s one of those perfect melodies that embodies yearning and satisfaction in the same moment. Also, it’s got the best reverb.
Christina Vantzou’s piece that follows is from a completely different planet, but the dialogue between the elements she’s chosen is so subtle and warm. It’s a piece you can wrap up in.
The Books take us in yet another direction, a frantic scramble of chopped acoustic bits that comes together in an emotionally resonant way.
Buffy Sainte-Marie is a hero of mine in many ways, but I especially love Illuminations for her experimentation with processing. “Poppies” shows off her acrobatic voice in such a chilling atmosphere.
I debated putting “Kanga Roo” on this list as it’s such a well-known song, but it’s got so many elements that draw me in. It’s the ultimate beautiful mess: distortion clashing with strings, dissonance, and melody, timing fluid to the point of falling apart.
I closed out the playlist with “Queen of Crickets” from the most recent Less Bells album Mourning Jewelry because I feel like its one of our most successful experiments with texture. I loved bringing together the sound of a 120-year-old banjo with synthesizers and strings. In the end, it’s all just vibrations and how they move the listener.
