SOUNDWAVE : 85 : JOSÉ SOBRANES

SOUNDWAVE : 85 : JOSÉ SOBRANES

Today’s guest deejay is José Sobranes.

I met José through Mauricio Sotelo, AKA Haiteku, who I met through Axel Arturo Barceló, who guest deejayed on Soundwave here and here. Soundwave has been around just long enough that it is beginning to form a rhizome-like network. I like that.

I also like José’s mix. I’m never quite sure where one song ends, and the next begins. The only boundary is the start and end of his mix. It exists in some liminal space that is akin to being awake and being asleep. I’m doing my best to describe José’s mix, but really, you need to let it wash over you and take you where it may.

José is a self-taught composer and recordist based in Mexico. His compositions explore the balance between electronics and environmental sounds, chaining narratives, context, and movement, all based on the felt of direct presence.

He is the current label manager and founder of Nova Fund Recordings an independent label focused on contemporary arts and music. All his productions was released in many countries around the globe for mention some: Whitelabrecs (UK), Faint (ES), Ediciones Éter (CO), Blaq Records (MX), WOS Colectivo (MX), Frente Pulquero (MX), Shimmering Moods Records (NL), USON (ES) and more…

José has some words about his mix below.

Because Soundwave was borne out of the isolation and stress of the pandemic, I feel obligated to mention it on the show. But what is there to say? The pandemic has become part of our lives, and we’ve come to expect the peaks and valleys of infections and deaths. We go about our days trying to maintain some semblance of normality while at the same time incorporating the disruption across the world as part of our new routine. We simultaneously desire to return to our lives before the pandemic while re-evaluating what’s important in our lives and where we want to go next. What will happen?

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

See you then!

 

José Sobranes
José Sobranes

Thanks to Joseph for the invitation, Mauricio Sotelo for trusting in my project, and all my listeners and artists friends who encourage me every day to keep going. Thanks to my girlfriend Brenda for inspiring me every day to keep going ahead on this path.

  1. José Soberanes feat. Kiiote “Fallaos”
  2. Dzyan “Orquídeae”
  3. Alex Bober “Shielded”
  4. Darren McClure “Smooth Manifold”
  5. Francesco Giannico “Litania”
  6. Kate Carr “Under An Ancient Fort”
  7. Machinefabriek “Entrance ”
  8. PCCL + Through “Ehécatl”
  9. William Ryan Fritch “Floats feat. Powerdove”
  10. Booka Shade “Moonstruck”
  11. Brett Nauke “Executable Dreamtime”
  12. Pepo Galán & Lee Yi “Zaragoza Rosa”

SOUNDWAVE : 78 : TRIPLICATE RECORDS

#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.

 

Triplicate Records
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!

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

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SOUNDWAVE : 77 : GERT DE MEESTER

Today’s guest deejay is Gert De Meester.

Gert appeared on Soundwave last year, and I enjoyed his mix so much I invited him back. Today’s show is equally fantastic. Gert can expect another invitation from me in 2022.

Gert says today’s show features a perfect mixture of tracks that have influenced him and tracks that currently influence him. He said they’re all such beautiful tracks, and what’s best, you can find them all on Bandcamp, some of them entirely for free.

Today’s mix also includes a track form Gert’s project, Distant Fires Burning. You’re gong to love today’s mix and you’ll want to hear more music from Gert. Good news! You can find his latest album, Inperspectycon Vol​.​1, here.

 

Gert De Meester
Gert De Meester

One thing that’s interesting about the 21st century is music is so freely available, and it’s nearly endless. Consequently, I don’t think most music gets the attention due, and I’m not wagging my finger. I’m just as guilty. It’s exceedingly rare that I will listen to a song or an album repeatedly. There’s so much I want to listen to, and I’m often impatient to listen to the next song, even while I’m listening to something that very moment.

Take today’s show. It’s spectacular. But you’ll listen to it once. Some of you might even listen to it twice. And then you’re on to the next show. Or the next song. Or the next video.

As the producer of Soundwave, however, I have a very different relationship with the music you hear.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I receive these mixes months before I publish them on Soundwave. I live with these mixes. I marinate in these mixes.

I’ve become very familiar with Gert’s mix. It’s a gorgeous experience. But after repeated listening, I’ve come to appreciate just how dense the songs that appear in today’s show are. I’ve become intimately acquainted with every snap, crackle, and pop. I lose myself in the swooshes, the sizzle, and grit.

Gert’s mix is made for repeated listening. I encourage you to do so.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Michael Southard of Triplicate Records.

See you then!

  1. Taylor Dupree “Everything’s Gone Grey”
  2. Neuro… No Neuro “Blend With Internal Mirror”
  3. Loscil “First Narrows”
  4. Biosphere “Endurium”
  5. For Greater Good “Love You Terrorist (Stockholm Syndrome Mix by Distant Fires Burning)”
  6. Boards Of Canada “XYZ (Peel Session)”
  7. He Can Jog “My (Mother’s) Records”
  8. Umlaut “Audio(bulbs)”
  9. Jon Doe One “Karper”
  10. Autistici “Edall”
  11. Distant Fires Burning & Seigo Aoyama “Or The Horror Of It Now”
  12. Ashtoreth & Stratosphere “The Burning Spirit”
  13. Dadavistic Orchestra “Strung Valve Checkout”
  14. Oubys “ToweringWindTowering”
  15. Roel Funcken “Graydon Margolis AMB”
  16. Sonmi451 “Hippocampus”
  17. Darren McClure “Time Takes It’s Course”

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SOUNDWAVE : 58 : COSMIC CHAMBO

SOUNDWAVE : 58 : DANIEL CHAMBERLIN

Today’s guest deejay is Daniel Chamberlin.

Daniel and I met on Twitter over our shared appreciation of Paleowolf (listen to the Paleowolf mix on Soundwave here). I learned he is the host of Inter-Dimensional Music, a syndicated weekly community radio broadcast of “heavy mellow, kosmische slop, and void contemplation tactics.” After enjoying a couple of his shows, I invited Daniel to guest deejay on Soundwave.

What I love about Daniel’s mix is that his segues are so seamless that I often am unaware that he’s transitioned into another track. Granted, the music featured on Soundwave lends itself to those kinds of segues, but Daniel is particularly deft at it.

The other remarkable thing about Daniel’s mix, for me at least, is that he selected songs that feel very familiar to me. Except that I’ve never heard them before. They feel intimate and worn in.

Finally, Daniel’s mix took me on a sonic and emotional journey. I’d get lost in his mix. When it ended, I was satisfied but would have been just as happy to have it continue indefinitely.

You can find Daniel on InstagramMixcloud, Twitter, YouTube, Bandcamp and his blog, Into the Green.

Before I wrap up today’s show notes, there a couple of things I want to mention.

 

My second Moderna vaccination.
My second Moderna vaccination.

Monday I got my second dose of the Moderna vaccination. I was prepared for the worst: a very sore arm, chills, fevers, body aches, etc. I experienced none of that. I did sleep for over 24 hours, though.

 

Hans-Joachim Roedelis
Hans-Joachim Roedelis

Michael Donaldson was inspired by mix from Krautrock legend Hans-Joachim Roedelius to write a post on Roedelius’s musical career on his blog. It’s a good overview of Roedelius, so please read it if you’d like to learn more about the man.

 

Back to Beyond and Cycle
Back to Beyond and Cycle

Guest deejay protoU has released a new album, Back to Beyond with Alphaxone. Listen to protoU’s mix for Soundwave here. Rhucle, who has also guest deejayed on Soundwave, has released his new album, Cycle. Both albums are fantastic and unique to each artist.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Mauricio Sotelo, AKA Haiteku.

See you then!

 

Daniel Chamberlin
Daniel Chamberlin

Here’s an hour of heavy mellow meditation.

Cosmic Chambo presents a heavy mellow ritual soundtrack for meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness practices in the service of transcending false binaries and dismantling white supremacy. Listen for hypnotic choral music, metal-informed jazz drone, heavyweight ambient dub, and organic industrial rhythms.

  1. Wife Signs “Void Contemplation Tactic”
  2. With Great Care “Bloodflow”
  3. Anna von Hausswolff “Dolore di Orsini”
  4. David Hykes and the Harmonic Choir “Solstice Kyrie”
  5. itta “Moonlight”
  6. Kevin Richard Martin “Back to where i belong”
  7. Divide and Dissolve “We Are Really Worried About You”
  8. DEAFKIDS & PETBRICK “O Antropoceno”
  9. Azu Tiwaline “Terremer”
  10. KMRU “behind there”
  11. Ancestral Duo “Trajesty”
  12. Dedekind Cut “The Crossing Guard”
  13. Jamire Williams “God’s Morning Invitation (featuring Chassol & Carlos Niño)”
  14. Path of the Sun “Aquatic Sun”

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Your Dream

Your Dream

I’ve been a deejay for more than half my life.

I don’t hear music the way you hear music.

When I listen to a song, there’s always a part of me thinking how that song would work in a mix. What song would go before it? What would go after it? What would be the shape of the mix?

I can’t turn that part of me off.

Today, on a whim, I listened to my Liked Songs playlists on Spotify while running errands. I dug what I was listening to (I did like the songs, after all). And as is my way, I heard songs in the playlist that just felt right together. It’d be a shame not to share it.

So here it is. I hope you like it.

Oh, and you can also find the playlist for today’s show here on Spotify.

  1. Kim Jung Mi “Your Dream”
  2. Yamasuki Singers “Yamamoto Kakapote”
  3. Gaye Su Akyol “Laziko”
  4. Flo Morrissey & Matthew E. White “Govindam”
  5. El Michels Affair “Zaharila”
  6. Kelly Lee Owens “8”
  7. Don Cherry “Malkauns”

SOUNDWAVE : 55 : INNESTI

SOUNDWAVE : 55 : INNESTI

Today’s guest deejay is Innesti.

Innesti’s mix concludes my deep dive of musicians I’ve discovered on Bandcamp and invited to deejay on SOUNDWAVE.

 

Innesti
Innesti

When I found Innesti on Bandcamp, I immersed myself in their music. I think it was Brian Eno who described ambient music in a metaphor of a painting: you can either have the painting as something that’s part of your background and enjoy it on that level, or you can choose to shift your focus to the painting and experience it at that level. Innesti’s music definitely fulfills those categories but awards active listening.

I’m listening to some of Innesti’s music as I write this. It’s the golden hour, and the kitchen I am writing you from is magically lit, and Innesti is providing the soundtrack to this enchanting moment.

I’ll most definitely feature more artists on Bandcamp on the show in the future, but not at the same volume.

If you’re unfamiliar with Bandcamp, it’s a service that sells music and gives musician and music labels a fair percentage of money generated from sales on Bandcamp.

 

The pilgrimage to Amoeba Music
The pilgrimage to Amoeba Music

Speaking of buying music, yesterday we took our son to Amoeba Music in Los Angeles. He recently got into vinyl, so and I’m happy to indulge him. California has leveled off on COVID-19 infections enough that the state is opening business to the public. Even so, there was a long line to get in the building because they can only admit people in at lowered numbers for everyone’s safety.

Our son picked up Tomahawk‘s Tonic Immobility and Crazy Horse and Neil Young‘s Zuma. I had a list of five CDs I was hoping to find but turned up nothing. When I got home, I found them all on eBay and Amazon. On the other hand, I did discover Killing Joke’s Malicious Damage, an album that includes some tracks I’m not used to seeing on their live albums, and Solti‘s Wagner‘s Götterdämmerung boxed set.

As soon as you feel safe enough, I encourage you to head out to your local music store and pick up some albums for yourself or someone as a gift. You or they deserve it, and your local music store needs your support.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be John Shanahan, host of the Hypnagogue Podcast.

See you then!

  1. Innesti “Parenthetical Moments”
  2. In the Branches and Neglect “Stepping into the Past“
  3. echospace plays michael mantra “Sea Shell City (morning)”
  4. Eternell “cove (meditation)”
  5. Billow Observatory “Pankalia”
  6. Andrew Lahiff “This Side of Winter”

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SOUNDWAVE : 53 : AMBIENTBLOG

SOUNDWAVE : 53 : AMBIENTBLOG

Today’s guest deejay is Peter van Cooten, host of Ambientblog and DreamScenes on Concertzender.

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.
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.
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.
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.

Thanks to Joseph Aleo for inviting me!

  1. Jos Smolders “Plate 7”
  2. Mia Zabelka & Icostech “The Final Stop”
  3. Robert Scott Thompson “Still The Syllables Of Water Whisper”
  4. Charley van Veldhoven & Túrion “Hemellichaam IV (Henrik Meierkord Recycle)”
  5. FM Einheit & Susie Green “Joyful Pleasure”
  6. Joey Largent “Below Diorite Waters”
  7. Barbara Ellison “De Auflaan de Pussychat”
  8. Jana Winderen “The Listener”
  9. Grace Ferguson “Barnumbirr”
  10. C-drík “An Imaginary Place Inhabited By Those Who Are Asleep”
  11. James Osland & Finn Kelvin “Things That Have Form Will Alway Disappear”
  12. Daniel Thomas Freeman “Crawling Out Of The Void”
  13. William Basinski “For Whom The Bell Tolls”
  14. Morgen Würde “Mittsommer”
  15. Biosphere “Stordjupta”
  16. Randal Collier-Ford “Eyes Of The Temple (feat. Northumbria)”
  17. Merope “Alma”
  18. Space Whisper “Park Date”
  19. Innesti “Dark Describes An Arc”
  20. Joost Lijbaart “Twinkling Night”
  21. Pinkcourtesyphone “Another Interior”
  22. f5point6 “Natural Selection”
  23. Andrew Heath “I Sleep Above The Forest”
  24. Lustmord “Journey Of The Dead Man”
  25. Bow Quintet feat. Aidan Baker “Bryanbaum Variation”
  26. Aase Frejadóttir “Saying It”
  27. James Rushford “Musica Callada, Book I – Angelico”
  28. Nick Luscombe “Tokyo Spring Birdsong”
  29. Akropolis Reed Quintet “Homage to Paradise Valley: I. Ghosts of Black Bottom”
  30. Kate Carr “I Spotted Some Backyard Dancing”
  31. Olivier Alary “Khaltoum”
  32. Kazuya Nagaya “the Book Of Sunken Memory”
  33. Jos Smolders “Plate 5”
  34. A Winged Victory For The Sullen “Every Solstice & Equinox”

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SOUNDWAVE : 51 : RHUCLE

SOUNDWAVE : 51 : RHUCLE

Today’s guest deejay is Rhucle.

Rhucle is yet another amazing talent I discovered on Bandcamp.

Typically I’ll do a deep dive on Spotify to discover musicians who explore ambient, classical, experimental, and instrumental music. The last few months, I’ve been searching for new music on Bandcamp. The original reason was that I know Bandcamp is one of the platforms where musicians and labels can get a more significant percentage of money from sales of songs and albums (nearly all the tracks on today’s show can be purchased on Bandcamp, by the way). While I stream my share of music through Spotify, I still purchase music to support the artists, so I decided that as long as I’m buying music on Bandcamp, I should see what they have to offer.

It’s been a rewarding experience because I’ve spent many hours listening to fantastic music. Bandcamp seems to attract musicians and labels who offer a higher caliber of releases. I don’t know why that is so, but in general, it appears to be true.

As I delved into Bandcamp, I came across Rhucle and his lovely music.

Rhucle’s albums will forever feel like a Sunday winter afternoon walking my dog in Sacramento because that’s how I first experienced his music.

There’s a bike path not far from where I’m living. One Sunday, I took my dog, Blossom, for a walk down the path so we could play ball. I listened to Rhucle’s albums on my phone, and his music became the soundtrack for our stroll. We went through fields, saw ducks and egrets in the stream and turtles sunning themselves. At some point, I stopped being aware of Rhucle’s music, it was simply part of the environment.

Naturally, I invited Rhucle to guest deejay on SOUNDWAVE. It’s beautiful and taps into the same magic I got listening to Rhucle’s album that Sunday spent walking my dog. I hope you’ll have a delightfully similar experience when you listen to it.

Rhucle had a few words about his mix below.

Before I wrap things up, I wanted to share my last weekend with you.

My wife and I met some friends in Napa Valley to celebrate her birthday. We ate some great food and drank some spectacular wine. Everyone was having such a great time. It was undoubtedly due to the wine and the beauty of Napa Valley. I can’t help but think that there was a certain buoyancy because we all know we’re turning the corner on this pandemic.

The last year has been long and hard. Some of us were ill. Some of us lost family and friends to the virus. But we’re close to the end. While we can’t yet congregate and be with our loved ones, that day is near.

Join us next week when our guest deejay will be Robin Rimbaud AKA Scanner.

See you then!

 

Rhucle
Rhucle

These tracks get close to my feelings recently. When I am tired of my work and any bad news, these sounds help me with my stress. I think that ambient music is more important for people than ever. This mix applies to a contemporary person.

  1. Loris S. Sarid “Orizzontale verticale”
  2. Inner Travels “Sirao”
  3. Chie Otomi “Cardamom”
  4. Gallery Six “Her Gentle Smile”
  5. Kyle Bobby Dunn “Grab (And It’s Lost Legacies)”
  6. Harold Budd “Campanile”
  7. Bålsam “You’ll Be Safe Here (Long Version)”
  8. Rhucle “Gardenia”

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SOUNDWAVE : 50 : EMIL ZAPFFE

SOUNDWAVE : 50 : EMIL ZAPFFE

Today’s guest deejay is João Guimarães, AKA Emil Zapffe.

If you’ve been listening to SOUNDWAVE for the last few weeks, then it will come as no surprise that I discovered João on Bandcamp.

When SOUNDWAVE comes up in conversation with those unfamiliar with ambient music, I sometimes have to explain that not all ambient music is swathes of pretty sounds. Ambient can be haunting and discordant. Or, in João’s case, it’s grand in scope. If you want to experience it yourself, go to João’s Bandcamp page and play any of his songs with the volume cranked to 11. His music will shake your windows and vibrate dishes off your table. You’ve been warned.

But if you’re expecting that kind of experience on today’s show, then you’ll be just as surprised as I was. João’s mix covers quite the gamut. Yes, there is that big sound, but it’s also delicate, mournful, and lovely. It’s precisely the kind of mix I’d share with people I have to explain the depth and complexity ambient music offers.

Oh, and I also appreciate that João and I appreciate Peter Wessel Zapffe’s nihilist essay, “The Last Messiah” (listen to an excerpt from the essay on my October 2020 mix). I usually embrace Nietzche’s existential exuberance, but it’s easy to waffle and settle into existential dread, something Zapffe (Peter Wessel, not Emil) explores in his essay. As long as I don’t fall into Emil Cioran’s existential disgust, I guess I’m doing okay.

João has some words regarding his mix below.

Before I wrap this up, I feel the need to mention that it was this time last year that California went under lockdown. Like most people, I’ve gotten along with my life. I work from home, I rarely go out, and when I do, I wear a mask even when I don’t need to. Vaccinations for the entire U.S. are just around the corner. But a year ago, we were all white-knuckling it, and every day was filled with angst. I’m relieved that we’re about to turn the corner.

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

See you then!

 

João Guimarães, AKA Emil Zapffe
João Guimarães, AKA Emil Zapffe

For this mixtape, I tried to make a selection of compositions that touched me this past year and permitted me to escape reality for a while. Our world outside changed, but our inner world changed too, with lots of questions about the nature of existence, the fabric of society, our strengths, and our deepest fears. Through these sounds, I could cope with reality and dream outside its claw, making my mind and spirit expand beyond self-imposed barriers. I hope the listeners can expand their senses and spirits, and for a while, inhabit their inner world, free of any form of limitation or weakness. In times of fear, all we have is our imagination.

Thanks to Joseph Aleo for this invitation, it’s an honor.

  1. Giulio Aldinucci “Phoenix”
  2. Emil Zapffe “Fragmented Anchors”
  3. SVLBRD “The Void”
  4. Mono Tape “Origin”
  5. Mount Shrine & Alphaxone “The Realms of Madmen”
  6. David Cordero “Tras la tormenta (feat. Carles Guajardo)”

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