In that liminal space between asleep and awake, between dreaming and seeing, we hear voices. Music to intrigue the mind, move the heart, and lift the spirit. Live performances, curated collections, interviews, and more.
Reading the feed…
I Scream Sunday is back today with a program about history and memory. Skroink is getting involved in a beautiful and difficult oral history project in the American South. Without getting into details (because I can’t), it’s going to be fraught to say the least. The conversations so far have been great, and open, and vulnerable, and I’m honored to be part of this amazing project. So today I’m exploring memory and history — the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. As children, we remember things a child’s way; elders may remember very differently. 4T Thieves: “Past Inside the Present”
Today is Mother’s Day in the United States. Our relationships with our mothers can be complex, or beautiful, or comforting, or even nonexistent. But one fact remains: we are only here because of them. We often take that for granted. A mother’s hands are always busy; they do so much. They provide comfort, they create things, they cook, they pray, they demonstrate affection, sometimes discipline… or harsher actions. And for those who think of the earth as Mother, her hands are everywhere, in every creature, every plant, every breath of air. Let’s hold hands with the Mothers today. Questions in D
This long overdue episode highlights the music of Norwegian composer Erik Wøllo, whose album Snow Tides was released in early March of this year. He has been composing and performing since 1980, and his musical range is wide indeed -- from rock and jazz to experimental electronic and classical music. His works have been used in film, theatre, ballet, and art exhibitions. Although he has composed for strings, woodwinds, and larger orchestras, his primary instrument is guitar, and he uses it in extraordinarily imaginative and expressive ways. Today we will hear a sampling from his new album as w
It takes an extraordinary team of people, with technology that defies imagination, along with exceptional courage, to send humans into space. Each time we do, we contribute to something greater than our individual selves. The successful Artemis II journey reminds us that together we are capable of great achievements when we focus on collaborating, working toward a common goal. Today we celebrate space travel. Cypress Rosewood: “Live at the International Spaceflight Museum Part 8” (Live at the International Spaceflight Museum) brokenkites: “Waystations in Space” (A Desaturated Version of Tomorr
Wind finding its way through and under doors, window, and other gaps, can be incredibly eerie. This episode explores the wind. ʞu¡0ɹʞS: “Ghosts” (Over. Tone.) This track was crafted from the sound of high wind through heavy steel doors in a studio that ʞu¡0ɹʞS had in Los Angeles years ago. The sound was so bizarre! You hear us exclaiming at the beginning of the track (we were in a recording session at the time), and we decided we had to let the wind do its thing before we could resume. I then processed the sound using Paulstretch and other effects, layered my voice over the track, and this is
Fear and hope often live together in an uneasy collaboration. Today we explore both emotions, and the boundaries between the two. John DuVal: “River of Fear (slight reprise)” (Heavy Water) Nettless: “The Lurking Fear” (From Beyond) Gypsy Witch: “Hopes, Fears and Longing” (Unspoken) Simon Slator: “One Man’s Hope” (Halo) Michael Brückner: “A Greater Hope” (The Undercurrent) Lutz Thuns & Wolfgang Gsell: “Hope” (The Moon Is Low) In the second hour, the live set is called Fear and Hope.
Last week we did a show called Cold Sun, and in the course of the show I was asked if I were going to play anything by the project called Cold Sun. I confess I had forgotten about this particular project (shame on me!), and we didn’t have any of the music in our library… until now. This week I’m making up for it by playing tracks from Cold Sun, also known as Simon Slator, a longtime ambient artist based in the UK. Antarctica Mount Erebus Antarctica Rain Piano in the Rain L’arc-en-ciel In the second hour, the live set will be called Colder Sun and is inspired by the sounds of Cold Sun.
It’s interesting how random remarks in life cause crazy inspiration. This past week I read a weather update from our local (very skilled) meteorologist who referred to the “cold sun” — and that hooked me. So here’s a very chilly show about the sun in winter, and other types of cold light. playman54: “Misty Light Through Skeleton Trees” (Reflections of Winter Landscapes) Christopher Short – Guitartronics: “Strange Lights in the Mist” (Winter Soundscapes 2014) ontol: “the sign of a sideways winter never showing you should” (photocopies) Darkened Soul: “Winter’s Cold Stare” (Seasons of Dark and L
Today is the full “Snow” moon, shining its cold light on the winter world. Loneward: “Hush Upon the Wind” (Moongate) Conni St. Pierre: “Setting Moon” (Between the Branches: Legends Of The Wild) Roy Mattson: “Melancholy Moon” (Melancholy Moon) Jack Hertz: “Late Last Night We Played With The Moon” (FOURTH WORLD IS – Jon Hassell Tribute) James Shain: “Did the Moon Shine” (Windowless Journey) In the second hour, the live set is called Snow Moon, and is inspired by the Winter Embrace series by Altus, which is one of the sets of works that got ʞu¡0ɹʞS into ambient music in the first place, and has b
A large swath of the US is covered in dangerous ice and freezing rain this weekend. The ʞu¡0ɹʞS household has taken refuge outside the worst of it, but we know that some others of the RadioSpiral family are stuck in it. So today’s program is all about the ice, and we’re keeping good thoughts about all the folks stuck in the cold. No live set today — I didn’t bring the right gadgets to play a live show today. There’s also no video stream today. Janne Hanhisuanto: “Icescapes Movement 1” (Icescapes) Bing Satellites: “On The Ice” (The Visitor) Chris Kuborn: “Ice Caves” (Static Movement) Somnarium:
January and February tend to feel disproportionately long after the lights and anticipation of the winter holidays. But there is beauty in the bleakness, too — the quiet and stillness a good reminder that we can slow down for a while, and look inward. Today we feature a variety of artists from the RadioSpiral library: Sydalesis: “Bleak Landscape” (Living Machine) Altus: “Winter Embrace – Part II” (Winter Embrace (15th Anniversary Edition) George L Smyth: “The Heavy Winter Sun Appears” (Haiku Music – Volume 2) Cousin Silas: “The Stream Never Froze In Winter” (Festive) Lily Pond Orchestra: “Wint
It’s an odd thing: the title of the live set for today came to me in a dream, with no other guidance. So I’m making today’s show about vibrancy, electricity, vitality, and joy. Bing Satellites: “Electricity” (The ambient world of Bing Satellites, volume one: 2008 – 2010) Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder feat. Raughi Ebert & Thomas Kagermann: “Electric Chess” (Repelen Revisited) Spheric Lounge: “Electrically Charged Air” (Session 67 19.11.2006) Church of Hed: “Electric Sepulcher” (Electric Sepulcher) Indigo Symbol: “Electric Temple” (Parallel Worlds) Robert Carty: “Electric Skies” (Ethereal Dese
The twelve nights of Yule begin around the solstice, which was last Sunday. These days are a liminal time when the veil between worlds is thin, and spirits, gods, and ancestors should be honored. It is also the time to welcome the return of the sun, who slowly wakes from his winter slumber. Our time starts in darkness, and then turns to greet the light. Welcome, one and all, to our Yuletide celebration! Wolcum Yole! Crows In the Garden: “It’s Growing Dark” (Atom) Michael Brückner: “Ancient Darkness” (Servant Of The Secret Fire (Drones, Atmospheres and Dreamscapes Vol. 1)) Franck Martin: “Dark
Today is the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere. During these darkest days (and that has more than one meaning of late), it is easy to forget that the sun will return, that the light will come again. We’ll hear tracks from Edges of Solstice, a compilation created for Winter Solstice 2019 for a previous iteration of this show. VÆRNA: “Winter’s Flight” Mr. Spiral: “Cold Blue Night 1 – Prelude in Fugue (Machine)” Robert Scott Thompson: “A Winter’s Sojourn” playman54: “earthlight” Museleon: “Rainbirds” Karl Fury: “Wind, Stars, Ice” In the second hour, the live set is called Darkest Night.
We continue the theme of snow for this week’s I Scream Sunday, with lots more great tracks from the RadioSpiral library. George L. Smyth: “A Snowflake, A Cobweb” (Haiku Music Volume 5) Conni St. Pierre: “Snowfields” (Mountain Spirits) Spheric Lounge: “Snow” (Session 84 06.12.2007) Bing Satellites: “Song for a Snow Day” (Snow Day) John DuVal: “Snowflakes at Dusk” (Onward Through the Fog) Cousin Silas: “30 Years” (The Snow Imposed Silence) Syndromeda: “Snowflakes” (On Demand) Jarguna and Nicola Serena: “Snow on the Concrete” (Amongst Jungles) Fringo Chills: “Falling Snow” (…cooled) sp3ct3rs: “wh
Snow has many characters, depending on humidity, temperature, wind, and so on. Light and fluffy, wet and heavy, cutting, comforting… Today we stand in the first snow of the season (yes, I know, it’s already snowed in many places)… Scott Lawlor: “Midnight Ice Crystals” (Reflections of Snow) Shane Morris: “Walking in the Snow” (Silver Storm) Subtle Sift: “Forsta Sno (First Snow)” (Somber Frequencies) poemme: “falling snow on a silent night” (Frozen Passages) playman54: “Snow drops Frozen midwinter night” (Reflections of Winter Landscapes) Plexus: “Cascades in Snowflakes Blue” (The Music of Plexu
We’re looking to the stars on this edition of I Scream Sunday, hosted by ʞu¡0ɹʞS. Especially as the nights grow colder and the skies clearer, the stars feels as though they’re closer. Journey with us as we look outward. Phillip Wilkerson: “Among the Nebulae – Ambient Mix” (The Stars and Afterward) Robert Logan: “Binary Star” – (Sculptor Galaxy) Simon Wilkinson: “Birth of a Distant Star” (Birth of a Distant Star) Robert Carty: “Galaxy Dreams” (Starlight Volume 2) Ishq: “Arcadian Star” (Moonflower) Carbonates On Mars: “Omega Centauri” (Cosmic Connections One: Stars, Clusters & Nebulae) Bing Sate
Today’s I Scream Sunday will be I Whisper Sunday, as I, Whispering Cosmos, takes over the radio broadcast instead of Skro!nk as she cannot do her show. Leading with this beautiful view of the city where I grew up, Málaga, focusing on the horizon, that will be our theme for today. Gaze upon where land, sea and sky join together while we listen to the music of artists like Kuutana, Sevish, Chromadrift, Dreamhub, Luna Firma, Jack Hertz, Cousin Silas, Thom Brennan and Robert Rich. And for the second hour we will have a live section by Whispering Cosmos. Hope to see you all there!
Our lives constantly test us, and if we still breathe, we have passed the test. Existence is a beautiful balance of pain and joy, and having our mettle tested over and over again makes the joyful moments all the more precious. Today’s program explores strength in several forms: Cousin Silas: “Crystallized Steel” (The Snow Imposed Silence) Giles Reaves: “Uruz (Strength)” (Wunjo) Bing Satellites: “Tall Trees” (Song of the Hummingbird) Saul Stokes: “Slowing into Shimmering Steel” (Metacollage) Tange: “Steel Waves Part 3” (Steel Waves) Der Spyra: “Tired Steel” (Live In Berlin.de (Elevator To Heave
The darkness closes in as Autumn advances and Winter approaches. We explore the descending darkness that happens both within and without. m00m: “Into the Dark” (Sun Rise) Alpha Wave Movement: “Dark Meridian” (Kinetic) Darkened Soul: “An Ominous Fall” (Seasons of Dark and Light) Cousin Silas: “Down the Darkening Hills” (The Sound of Silas) Dan Pound: “Darkness Falls” (Dreams that Take You) Altus: “Umbra” (Dark) Headzic: “Waiting for the Dark” (Safe Harbour) The live set in the second hour is called Descending Dark, and is an exploration of the inner darkness that sometimes keeps pace with the o
The Veil is thin this time of year, and especially around the end of October and early November. We say goodbye to those we have lost, and honor all the ancestors who have gone before. Different Skies: “The Voices Behind the Veil” (Strange Lines and Distances) Michael Brückner: “My Veil of Darkness” (Ombra – Revisited) Tony Gerber: “Ancestors Across the Bridge” (Sound Medicine for Now) Peter Phippen: “Beyond the Veil” (Into the Ancient) Arcanum: “Shadowland” (The Ancient Saga) In the second hour, the live set is called The Thinning Veil.
The light in autumn is its own phenomenon: on crisp days or hazy, it takes on a golden hue. Reflecting from the changing leaves, and as an effect of the lengthening shadows, it feels… precious. Nature gives us this fleeting gift of gold before her grey cloak settles across the land for winter. RadioSpiral artists have been inspired by autumn over the years, and composed some truly great music, so today’s program celebrates them. Bing Satellites: “The Colours of Autumn” (Twilight Sessions Volume 8) Altus: “Green to Gold” (Autumn Breeze) Cobalt Rabbit: “autumn hymn” (fall apart beautifully) Luce
Focusing on a single point in space can help establish visual perspective; the same is true of mental perspective, and musical as well. Today we examine the centers of things — earth, movement, one’s own heart. Vir Unis & Saul Stokes: “Kinetic Center” (Thermal Transfer) SPACECRAFT: “Center of the Earth” (Inside the Inside) Carbon Entity: “The Center of Nowhere” (Within the Cosmic Void) Spheric Lounge: “The Heartbeat Centers While In a Dream” (Session 69 14.12.2006) Robert Scott Thompson: “Center of It” (Alphabet of the Trees) Different Skies: “Snap to Focus” (Arcs & Angles) In the second hour,
Cats large and small are an endless source of fascination — and sometimes entertainment! (But don’t ever tell them that; they rarely have a sense of humor about themselves.) Today’s episode explores the cat: Endorphin: “Running Cats” (Red EP) QX#55: “Cats Could Catch Cough” (After Technic There Was Music) usr sbin: “Cats Paw” (Unreleased [Live in Second Life]) jarguna: “Twilight, Grasshopper, Cat…” (A Peaceful Granular Day) m00m: “Cat That Ate the Stars” (Sun Rise) Ma Ja Le: “Alley Cat Sings Midnight Blues” (Dreams In the Orchards of Saturn) ontol: “Small Black and White Cat, Missed.” (photoco
A circle can be a metaphor for many things. As a noun, “circle” can refer to one’s orbit of friends, or the planets, or protection; as a verb, it can be an embrace, a threat, or a comfort. Today we explore many different circles. Kit Watkins: “Circle of Rain” (Circle) Different Skies: “Circle for Position” (Arcs & Angles) Max Corbacho: “Three Circles” (The Talisman) Erik Wøllo: “Circle Dream” (Different Spaces) Robert Rich: “Circle Unwound” (Echo of Small Things) Robert Scott Thompson: “Stone Circles and Carin” (As First Star Wakes, She Wanders There) Arcanum: “Circle of Dreams” (Man In The Mi
