For some strange reason I have not been listening to as much pure ambient music as I normally do. I've been playing a lot of jazz lately. And I am still devouring a ton of electronic/berlin school music. So it's perfect timing that friend of the show, Erwin Broers, has come up with a pair of awesome mixes in the genre.

I'll let Erwin tell you all about this new mix:

"Here's a follow-up on my Fall 2024 mix "Back To The Roots Of Berlin School". As you recall it featured a collection of electronic music tracks from the 1990s, that were inspired by the patterns, sounds and analog instruments of the 1970s and early 1980s. Back then, nobody talked about "Berlin School Electronic Music". That label would only appear somewhere mid 1990s, probably to honour the place where the genre was born. Fans in the early days would rather use the term "Kosmische Musik" (German for "Cosmic Music"). An explanation for the "cosmic" element is to be found in the use of the step sequencer, which made it easy to create hypnotic rhythm loops with up to 32 notes or steps, set a tempo, and mix them over electronic drones, soundscapes, soloing, washes, white noise and space sounds. The effect was to “float” the listener through endless terrestrial or cosmic space. For those not keen on using illicit substances, it was an interesting and harmless alternative "trip"!

So I thought about creating a mix of some classic pieces from that first era, but soon found out one mix would not be enough to do justice to all the fantastic "Cosmic Music" that was made back then."

This is an amazing trip that couldn't be contained in a normal hour-long mix so we get 2hours of electronic bliss. Thanks Erwin!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

I've fallen behind a bit on creating and uploading mixes. But have no fear, it's Daniel Hawkins to the rescue! He's come up with a guest mix at just the right time. You'll remember Daniel form his previous mix, "Metallic Memories" - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/metallic-memories/ 

For this set he takes us into the modern classical realm. Here's what Daniel has to say about this new mix:

"I was thinking about some of the nice Neo-classical/crossover stuff I like and then got to thinking about the way having a label for a style of music can actually be a limiting factor.  The best creative work in any field so often transcends genres and labels and breaks new ground - Issak Dinsen said “A work of art is a thing of infinite loneliness and the least to be understood through criticism.”  I remember back in the 1970’s playing Keith Jarret’s solo piano albums and my friends asking what kind of music it was.  What do you say?  Back then they stocked it in the jazz section of the record store with the other ECM releases, but I have never thought of that body of work as jazz.  Music continues to evolve - Ambient?  Chillout?  Drone?  Electronic?  Tribal?  Names and more names.  So what do you call this collection of cello music?  Is it classical because it features an instrument that is typically found in an orchestral setting?  Personally I don’t think we need a label.  I know good music when I hear it.  The mix leans to the somber side - something strings do so well - deep and evocative.  Explorations of the dark night of the soul."

Thanks, Daniel, for another excellent mix!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

Oh man, this is a good one. Well, all the mixes here are good but for some reason this one resonates with me right now. Two years ago I posted a mix called "Walk Softly Upon This Earth" that featured the handpan as the main instrument - https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/walk-softly-upon-this-earth/

I love that mix and have always wanted to do a follow up. Then in April a new EP dropped that I immediately fell in love with and it prompter me to create this mix. The EP is called "Kalima" from Lab's Cloud in collaboration with Falvio Salvaje. Check it out here - https://labscloudmusic.bandcamp.com/album/kalima

The rest of the mix is collection of some truly excellent handpan music with my favorite, other than the tracks from "Kalima," being "Passage IV" from Laura Inserra. It combines handpan and electric guitar in a beautiful way. 

Links to all the music used in this mix:

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

This is straightforward ambient mix. Nothing fancy, just good music. The one unifying trait of this mix, other than all the tracks being awesome, is that everything is from this year.

I started the set with a track from Alio Die. Every so often I need a reminder why I love an artist I've been listening to forever. And stumbling upon this new album definitely brought back why Alio Die is one of my all-time favs.

LINKS TO ALL THER MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

Seascape mixes are some of my favorite ambient mixes. The genre seems to perfectly suited to floating and drifting on an endless sea. Two of my favorite ambient tracks of all time are "sea" ambient - 

https://marsenjules.bandcamp.com/track/submarine-poetry

https://infraction.bandcamp.com/track/the-most-beautiful-blue

I absolutely love those two tracks! 

I'm always up for a new seascape mix and that's what we have here - a new collection of tracks mostly from 2023 & 2024, with one from 2020 and one from all the way back in 2008. Put the oars back in the boat, kick your feet up and drift away.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

Here's what Erwin has to say about this mix:

"The theme this time is "Electronic Gems From The Lowlands", the lowlands being Belgium and the Netherlands. Both countries are neighbours of Germany, where Electronic Music took off in the early 1970s. It was therefore inevitable that many local progressive artists became fascinated by synthesizers and inspired by this new genre known as "Kosmische Musik" (cosmic music). Influence of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze is obvious, but there's also a hint at prog rock and a few tracks come close to melodic synth pop similar to Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre."

Thanks for a great set, Erwin!

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

It's World Piano Day! I've made several mixes over the years for Piano Day and each time I wonder if I'll find enough tracks for an interesting mix. And every year it comes together and surprises me with how much I like the finished set.

This mix starts with a tune everyone should be familiar with - Eno's Music For Airports 1/2. This recording is by Bruce Brubaker from his fine EP - Eno Piano 2. To make things interesting I played two tracks from it simultaneously and I think it worked pretty well. 

While collecting tracks for the mix I was happy to find a piano album from Daniel Lanois. It's from 2022 and I had no idea it existed. I'm a big fan of the Necks so I was also excited to use one of their tracks for the first time. At least I think I've never used their music in a mix before. 

LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX:

I hope you enjoy this latest installment in celebration of the piano.

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

Talk Talk is an interesting band. Their musical style evolved significantly over time, moving from synth-pop to a more experimental art rock and post-rock sound, particularly with the albums 'Spirit of Eden' and 'Laughing Stock'. I like every phase of their career but I especially love the album 'Spirit of Eden'.

Those last two albums have grown in stature and influence over the decades, inspiring countless musicians with their innovative use of space, silence, and unconventional song structures. It's no wonder that an ambient focused person like me would glom onto Talk Talk when you consider band leader, Mark Hollis's often-quoted sentiment about the importance of silence in music – "Before you play two notes, learn how to play one note... and don't play one note unless you've got a reason to".

Recently a favorite podcast of mine, Discord & Rhyme, dedicated an episode to 'Spirit of Eden'. It's totally worth a listen. You can find here - https://discordpod.com/listen/155-talk-talk-spirit-of-eden-1988

After listening to that episode I decided to make a mix of tracks with a 'Spirit of Eden' feel. I used a few tracks recommended by the guys in the podcast - Bark Psychosis, Van Morrison, and Mile Davis. And combined those with 7 other cuts that fit the vibe. I always knew that Rain Tree Crow/Sylvian/Jansen/Barbieri would be a perfect fit. I was excited to use one of my favorite albums of 2022 - 'The Great Awakening' by Shearwater. I had forgotten how much I love that record.

Are there any Talk Talk fans out there? What do you think of this collection of Talk Talk inspired tunes?

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :

Another stellar guest mix comes our way with this excellent set from longtime listener, Daniel Hawkins. He reached with an idea for a mix and once I heard the theme I was all in. Daniel curated a playlist of tracks & I put them together to create this new mix.

Here's what Daniel has to say about Metallic Memories:

"So I've loved world music since before that term existed, and always had an inordinate fondness for the metallophones - gamelan, vibraphone, glockenspiel, Tibetan bowls - should we include tubular bells? Of course! I don't know if the kalimba and marimba are technically in the category, but they are in my mind. Wind chimes, tingshas, koshis, steel drum, handpan, gongs, avant-garde stuff done with trash cans and pipes - it's all good. This playlist leaves out a ton of music that Dave has covered over the years that is near and dear to me - but I wanted to do what he does so well - bring new artists to everyone's attention and still make a killer playlist. I'd thought for a looooong time about putting something together for Low Light Mixes and was so pleased with Dave's gracious response."

Thanks, Daniel, for this excellent collection of metallophone music!

Links to all the music used in this mix:

Tom Green - Music for Tai Chi

T. Raumschmiere

Peter Bark - Astral Ecotone

Ethereal Planes - Moonlit Passage

Willebrant - The Pilgrim

Snufmumriko - Havstrakt

Daniel Lentz - Lascaux

Brian Eno - 77 Million Paintings

Cheers!

T R A C K L I S T :