Headphone Commute

Headphone Commute episodes:

• 01.31.2024

  Mathias Van Eecloo - eisOtones 16

  It's 2024, and Mathias Van Eecloo of LAAPS is back with another instalment (his 16th) of the eisOtones series, where he hand-selects and celebrates 50 pieces from 50 releases of the year. As is the case with other regular contributors to Headphone...

  
• 01.23.2024

  A Strangely Isolated Place - Reflection on 2023

  Yes, folks, I am still rejoicing in last year. What can I say – I love to listen to great music, especially when it’s picked by someone else. And not just anyone – a trusted source! Ryan Griffin and I go back...

  
• 01.06.2024

  Optic Echo Presents Best Vinyl of 2023

  This has been an ongoing tradition for over a decade (by my count, this is the 13th year). This time, I didn’t even reach out with a friendly reminder. Mike Jedlicka of Optic Echo just let me know that he’s already on it, and...

  
• 12.27.2023

  Warmth - Archives 2023

  Good morning, and welcome to the quietest week of the year. Did you have a good holiday? Before I sign off for the year, I think I’ve got one more gem to share with you. This is a wonderful label...

  
• 10.03.2023

  LAAPS+IIKKI (2022-2023)

  Good morning, and welcome to your Tuesday. I have a special entry in Headphone Commute’s Podcast series for you today. And if you’re just getting around to enjoying these, let me remind you that we have 325+ others available directly...

  
• 09.26.2023

  Roel Funcken - Gorreliann Plasebant [Part 6 of 6]

  Today, we conclude the 9+ hour mix by Roel Funcken with its sixth and final part. It's been a real journey, exactly as predicted, connecting time in a single, comforting, and beautiful stretch of sonic weave. If you pay attention...

  
• 09.19.2023

  Roel Funcken - Gorreliann Plasebant [Part 5 of 6]

  Arriving at part five of a 9+ hour ambient mix by Roel Funcken, I am exactly with it as intended. This is a continuous ambient journey, serving as a bridge between fragmented times, uniting days and months into a single voyage....

  
• 09.14.2023

  Roel Funcken - Gorreliann Plasebant [Part 4 of 6]

  We’re almost halfway through the series, and today, I’m publishing the fourth instalment of this 6-part mix by Roel Funcken. How are you getting on with it? Don’t forget that I’ll share the full, uninterrupted, 9+ hour continuous journey once this...

  
• 09.05.2023

  Roel Funcken - Gorreliann Plasebant [Part 3 of 6]

  September’s upon us, and just as predicted, this third part of the 9+ hour Gorreliann Plasebant mix by Roel Funcken serves as a type of bond, creating continuation in a somewhat fragmented turn of events. As if on cue, the temperature dropped,...

  
• 08.29.2023

  Roel Funcken - Gorreliann Plasebant [Part 2 of 6]

  It is Tuesday morning, and perhaps you’re on your way to work. Or maybe you’re already in front of the computer reading through those emails that can surely ruin your day. Or perhaps you’re just waking up to all the...

  
• 08.22.2023

  Roel Funcken - Gorreliann Plasebant [Part 1 of 6]

  Summer is almost over. I just took some time to travel a bit again, and as usual, when I return, it’s always difficult to get back into the swing of things. Thankfully, I have an easy task ahead of me...

  
• 08.08.2023

  Mike Lazarev - Soundwave Mix

  I think I met Joseph sometime in 2008 when he was running his Solipsistic Nation podcast. We shared the same taste in electronic music, and in 2010 I prepared a mix called “DSM-IV-TR“. This seems to be a long time ago now,...

  
• 06.21.2023

  Fields We Found - Looking Beyond the Trees

  Fields We Found is the moniker of an artist and the newly-launched quiet details label founder, bathing our ears with ambient bliss. In the last few years, we were gifted with deep-evolving soundscapes appearing on Ambientologist, Seil Records, and Handstiched Recordings, with the most recent album, Paths,...

  
• 05.03.2023

  Vargkvint - Headphone Commute Mix

  Sofia Nystrand is a Stockholm-based composer with an anticipated new album M​å​nens Hav, due out on June 2nd, 2023, via the German LEITER imprint. This follow-up to her 2019 record Hav, is deeply influenced by her childhood experiences growing up in the Swedish archipelago...

  
• 03.23.2023

  Brueder Selke - Q3Ambientfest 2023

  I am always happy to bring new sounds to your ears [and mine!], and today I’ve got a mix showcasing some special selections from the upcoming boutique music festival named Q3Ambientfest, which will take place this year in June. Creating a...

  
• 03.14.2023

  Fields We Found - chroma

  I've got an exceptional podcast for you today, folks. It's not a mix but rather a continuous, single, long-playing track composed by Fields We Found. I'm sharing this fantastic music as an opening to an introduction to a brand new label, quiet...

  
• 03.01.2023

  Mathias Van Eecloo - eisOtones 15

  50 pieces from 50 releases of the year – this is the ongoing theme of the eisOtones series that we have been featuring on the Headphone Commute podcast, and this is our 15th entry (previous mixes can be found here). Once again, Mathias Van Eecloo,...

  
• 02.15.2023

  zakè - Past Inside the Future Mix

  Zach Frizzell's Indianapolis (US) based label, Past Inside the Present, has been an incredible force in the last couple of years in the ambient community. So much so that when I was putting the finishing touches on my own album and...

  
• 02.01.2023

  Stationary Travels - Annum 2022

  Yes, it’s already February, and yes, I’m still looking back at all the music from last year. But music can’t be “dated” – wouldn’t you agree? I’ve said that many times before, so let us practice what we preach. Today...

  
• 01.13.2023

  Optic Echo Presents - Best Vinyl of 2022

  I look back at 2022 and realize that I didn't put out the "usual" amount of mixes for the HC podcast. This is indeed because right after the celebration of the music from the year before, I was utterly preoccupied...

  
• 06.07.2022

  Spatial x Headphone Commute

  I’ve got something slightly different for you today than the usual fair. How are you feeling about atmospheric drum & bass this morning? To be fair, this is not the first time that I’ve showcased this genre on these pages...

  
• 05.25.2022

  PvC - For Ukraine Mix

  I honestly wish that I could stop promoting this benefit compilation, titled For Ukraine, which is now on its second volume (see links below). I’d stop promoting because we wouldn’t need the funds which would all be donated to International Rescue Committee (rescue.org)...

  
• 03.24.2022

  Stationary Travels - For Ukraine (Reprise)

  About a week ago, in collaboration with Hollie Kenniff who curated the roster of artists, Headphone Commute released the first volume of the benefit compilation For Ukraine with 100% of all proceeds being donated to the International Rescue Committee (rescue.org). This is one of...

  
• 02.15.2022

  Mathias Van Eecloo - eisOtones 14

  How would you like to hear 50 tracks from 50 releases from last year? Well, in this 14th instalment, Mathias Van Eecloo, of [previously] Eilean Rec. and [currently] LAAPS [for which he also made a very special mix], returns for his annual tradition of masterful selection...

  
• 02.01.2022

  Stationary Travels - Annum 2021

  By now it’s no secret that I’m a fan of Brian Housman‘s labour and his Stationary Travels site. Two years ago I even unveiled a brand new Best of the Year list, dedicated to his very own selections, appropriately titled “Music For Your...

  
• 01.05.2022

  Optic Echo Presents - Best Vinyl of 2021

  The current Best of the Year feature is well underway, and besides dragging you through all of the amazing albums that you’ve missed, I also think that you should be able to hear some, or, in this case, specifically the best vinyl...

  
• 12.29.2021

  LAAPS 2020-2021

  So only a few more days left to this year, but, more importantly, a few more days before I announce my Best of 2021 lists [which, just like you, I have been looking forward to], but before we wave another...

  
• 12.15.2021

  Night Gestalt - Headphone Commute Mix

  Some words about the mix from Night Gestalt: "My album "Thousand Year Waves" is all about waves - and the end of the world. Sailors have long known about ’rogue waves’ in the ocean but it’s only recently researchers have been...

  
• 11.30.2021

  Clima - Headphone Commute Mix

  After listening to a lot of music in the very same genre, sometimes you just need a headcleaner. You know? Today is a perfect day for that. Oh, and do you remember Sirat‘s Noir mixes? Those dark and beautiful concoctions, paying tribute to...

  
• 11.03.2021

  Clarice Jensen - Headphone Commute Mix

  I’ve recently covered some newly released soundtracks and mentioned a brand new film score by the New York-based cellist and composer, Clarice Jensen for an independent Mexican feature film, titled Identifying Features. This was released as an EP on October 29th by the ever-amazing 130701 imprint which continues to...

  
• 09.01.2021

  Ocoeur - Headphone Commute Mix

  And there you have it, folks – the 300th episode of Headphone Commute Podcast! The very first mix was published exactly twelve years ago (about a year after the site was officially launched), and I simply used the platform to...

  
• 08.10.2021

  130701 - A 20th Anniversary Mix by Dave Howell

  On July 13th, 2021, one of my all-time favourite labels, named after its inception date, 130701 celebrated its 20th birthday. What can I say about its output, its delicate curation, and its monumental impact on our lives? Just look at the roster...

  
• 06.02.2021

  Sirat - Noir 2

  About, oh, eight years ago now (jeez!) I featured a Noir mix by Sirat, a DJ from Spain who hand-picked his favourite downtempo and trip-hop tracks to create a tribute to film-noir, “with its characteristic anti-heroes, femmes fatales, gangsters and dirty dealings”. It...

  
• 05.12.2021

  James Heather - Moving Sounds

  James Heather is a pianist, composer, and publicist for Ninja Tune that has appeared on these pages on numerous occasions – most recently with a track premiere for his upcoming release Modulations: EP2. James and I have a mutual passion for sharing the...

  
• 04.27.2021

  Joachim Spieth - Affinities

  I always welcome new music, new connections, new friendships that then come along. In this example, a track premiere by Joachim Spieth at the end of last year made me relisten to his works on Wolfgang Voigt’s  Pop Ambient series, taking me to releases on his...

  
• 04.06.2021

  Ambientologist - Sustain Series, Vol. 1

  In November of 2020, Amsterdam-based label Ambientologist released a compilation titled Sustain Series, Vol. 1. It’s an impressive gathering of ambient artists and their music, showcasing some of the most delicate sides of the genre. The proceeds from the release have been donated...

  
• 03.24.2021

  Matt Emery - Cello Mix

  In anticipation of Matt Emery‘s upcoming six-track EP on Injazero Records, titled Spotlight Series : Cello, I have asked him to put together a thematic mix prominently featuring the instrument. As many of you may already know – I’m a big fan of...

  
• 03.09.2021

  A Strangely Isolated Place - 2020 | Label Compilation

  In December of 2020, one of my favourite imprints released a gorgeous label compilation! Ryan Griffin has been lovingly curating every single release on A Strangely Isolated Place since 2012. He’s also compiled sublime Reflection mixes, which I have happily syndicated on Headphone Commute....

  
• 02.16.2021

  Mathias Van Eecloo - eisOtones 13

  What’s this? Somehow, last year, both Mathias Van Eecloo and I completely forgot our annual tradition to publish another eisOtones instalment, in which this prolific French musician and label(s) owner collects 50 tracks from 50 releases of the prior year. How did that happen?...

  
• 01.26.2021

  Optic Echo Presents - Best Vinyl of 2020

  More than a couple of weeks late, but here we are, with the long-awaited vinyl mix, still marking down, bookmarking, and closing off a year we won't surely miss... but at least there was a lot of awesome music, and...

  
• 12.23.2020

  noition - kôrʹəl pēs

  Well, it’s almost the end of this dreadful year, and I’ve got one more mix for you before I sign off… This one is episode number 290. Can you believe it? By the way, I was recently forced (by my...

  
• 12.08.2020

  Sergio Díaz De Rojas - Contemplative Classical Mix

  In case you haven’t heard already, I’ve taken over the Contemplative Classical community, which curated an outstanding Spotify Playlist, hosted a podcast with Matt Emery, and offered the platform for artists to feature a mix. I intend on keeping all of the above going...

  
• 11.25.2020

  Shimmering Moods - Headphone Commute Mix

  Shimmering Moods is an independent boutique ambient label based in Amsterdam. In the last couple of years, it has released albums by Halftribe, Andrew Tasselmyer, Anthéne, øjeRum, Purl, and Olan Mill, among the many recognized names in its quickly growing...

  
• 11.10.2020

  James Murray - Slowcraft Radio

  On today’s Headphone Commute podcast, we’re syndicating an episode of James Murray‘s Slowcraft Radio (episode 4, to be exact), on which this London-based composer and Slowcraft Records label boss showcases some of his favorite pieces. These, of course, include selections...

  
• 10.28.2020

  Kit Grill - Headphone Commute Mix

  Kit Grill is a London-based producer and a host at NTS Radio, dabbling in various genres, ranging from Krautrock to New Wave to Post-Punk and Ambient. On November 6th, Grill is releasing his new album, titled Ride, on his own...

  
• 10.13.2020

  James Norman - Micro Record Label Mix

  For this 285th Headphone Commute Mix, James Norman puts together a selection of tracks as a companion listening session to his recently published book, titled “Micro Record Label: A love letter for music fans; a how-to for the hopeless; a...

  
• 09.17.2020

  Leah Kardos - Bigo & Twigetti Mix

  Bigo & Twigetti is a London based label which, in recent years, has brought us an eclectic selection of artists ranging from ambient to electronic to contemporary classical genres and everything in between. Most recently, I’ve been inspired by Ben...

  
• 07.28.2020

  Fragmented Dialogue (Low Light Mixes / Ambientblog Mix)

  Peter van Cooten of Ambientblog is no stranger to Headphone Commute. We have been musing on our discoveries for almost a decade now, exchanging mixes and words in a tightly knit musical network. His first mix for Headphone Commute podcast...

  
• 07.07.2020

  Morgen Wurde - Dominions Of Our Time

  On today’s episode of Headphone Commute, we’re featuring an eclectic selection of tunes curated by a German composer, J. Wolfgang Röttger, who records under his moniker Morgen Wurde. About three years ago, I was completely mesmerized by his "Assassinous Act"...

  
• 06.23.2020

  Orangewarrior - Retro 97 Mix

  In order to understand the present, sometimes one must look into the past. It is, after all, the memories that make up the “you” of who you are. If you are to erase them, and your past, would you be...