Descending into the dark season, we find music that portrays human emotions at their most vulnerable: music of pathos, loss and remembrance. These are some of our most powerful and affecting feelings, and they call for music that reaches into the depths of our souls. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a special program of choral, vocal and instrumental music for the dark season from guest producer ELLEN HOLMES called LAMENTO. A lament is a cathartic song or poem expressing grief or mourning. Many of the oldest and most enduring poems in human history have been laments; they're found in the Iliad and the Odyssey, the Hindu Vedas, and in ancient Near Eastern religious texts, including the Old Testament. Music is by GEORGE ROCHBERG, ARVO PÄRT, GARRETT FISHER, SAVINA YANNATOU, SILVIA NAKKACH, ZBIGNIEW PREISNER, NIKOLAI KARETNIKOV, VICTOR KALINNIKOV, ALEXANDER KASTALSKY, URMAS SISASK, and SANCTUARY. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

In dark and dangerous times, we're confronted with depressing and painful emotions. Irrationally, when we consciously immerse ourselves in fear and dread, we can emerge stronger. Music has mysterious restorative powers that come from the emotional confrontation with deep and challenging feelings. The Ancient Greeks called it...catharsis. At the other end of the emotional spectrum, in dark times we crave light and hope—balm for battered souls. Here music brings beauty and peace, inspiration and joy. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey in the fragile lightscape of the psyche, from dark, to translucent, to luminous—on a program called TRANSLUCENT MUSIC. Featuring LISA GERRARD & JEFF RONA, ELENI KARAINDROU, ARVO PÄRT, VALENTIN SILVESTROV, and KARL JENKINS. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Since the mid-1990's Italian composer and pianist LUDOVICO EINAUDI has quietly become the most ubiquitous contemporary classical artist in the world. His music has been heard on hundreds of soundtracks, advertisements, solo albums, and live concerts. We've programmed his music on Hearts of Space since 2004, with a retrospective show in 2008. His music is often described as minimalist, meditative, and introspective. All true, but his style of minimalism is profoundly lyrical, emotional and sensitive, in the great humanistic tradition of European Romantic music. In the winter of 2018, Einaudi began to compose music inspired by solitary walks in the Italian Alps, which ultimately became a seven-album box set of impressions, soundscapes, and variations. I'm STEPHEN HILL, and on this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a selection of highlights from the set, on a program called SEVEN DAYS WALKING. Einaudi plays a Steinway nine foot concert grand piano, with FEDERICO MECOZZI on violin and viola, and REDI HASA on cello. Ludovico Einaudi's musical journey in the Italian Alps: SEVEN DAYS WALKING — on this transmission...of Hearts of Space. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Every year on the threshold of spring, we celebrate the memory of St. Patrick and the sublime music of the Celtic lands on the western edge of Europe. For folk music fans, it's a visit to one of the key sources of American music; for lovers of the ethereal ballad, it's a deep drink from the well; and for anyone who appreciates fine acoustic music and great vocalists, it's an unending delight. For Celtic music renews itself in every generation, embracing the present while honoring its long and brilliant expression of essential human emotion. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, another journey in the Celtic soundscape, on a program called CELTIC LEGACY 2. Music is by MIKE OLDFIELD, CLANNAD, DAVID ARKENSTONE & CHARLEE BROOKS, KATE PRICE, JOHN DOAN, AINE MINOGUE, and BRIAN KEANE. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

In esoteric cosmology, a plane is a region of reality corresponding to a level of being. The concept is found in many religious and esoteric teachings extending back for thousands of years. The concept of an "astral" plane dates from the Neo-Platonic era in the 3rd century AD, and is said to be occupied by the soul and spirit before birth and after death, as well as all consciousness. In an era where truth and science are under attack, it's hard to dismiss metaphysical ideas about the organization of reality. They provide an important framework for personal spiritual beliefs in an increasingly secular age. Ambient and electronic musicians have long been drawn to these themes because of the ability of electronic instruments to create subtle vibrations and imaginary worlds of sound. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey in the subtle planes and celestial spheres, on a program called ASTRAL TRAVELER 2. Music is by JONN SERRIE, TELOMERE, CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, JIM OTTOWAY, IMMERSION THEORY, MEG BOWLES, JAJA, and DAVE LUXTON. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Some of the most dynamic and exciting contemporary music is made by jazz musicians. They combine absolute mastery of traditional acoustic instruments with the unpredictable language of improvisation. But along with this powerful creative music, there's always been a slower, more contemplative side of jazz, which led to a much-loved repertoire of mellow, relaxed jazz with high musical standards. When combined with the spatial sensibility of contemporary ambient, we call it "spacejazz." On this transmission of Hearts of Space, the space where jazz meets ambient—on a program called SPACEJAZZ 8: ATMOSPHERES. Music by SHAI MAESTRO, JAKOB BRO, GERHARD DAUM, TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO, MARCIN WASILEWSKI TRIO, TIGRAN HAMASYAN, and EIVIND AARSET. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

The latter days of winter bring a special kind of fatigue mixed with impatience. For residents of snow-crossed parts of the country, winter has begun to overstay its welcome; while here in California the trees are blossoming, and February feels like spring. As the sound of the season evolves, music of the far north and Arctic countries still resonates, connecting with contemplative acoustic mainstays like the cello and the piano. From deep minimalist patterns to Romantic melodicism, we find the soul and comfort to endure. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, wintry acoustic spacemusic for the season on a program called WINTERTONES 2. With Icelandic musicians OLAFUR ARNALDS and HILDUR GUTHNADOTTIR, cellist DAVID DARLING with SYLVIA NAKKACH and JACQUELINE TSCHABOLD BHUYAN, MICHAEL HOPPE & HAROLD MOSES, BRUNO SANFILIPPO, and RALPH ZURMUHLE. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Liminal Space — the in-between place where dreams and desires are born. A threshold of consciousness — between dream-inspired sleep and rational wakefulness. A time of transition — between what was and what will be. A place where healing and transformation can occur. The most important liminal space is the present moment: a space of pure possibility. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient adventures in transition zones, on a program called LIMINAL WORLDS. Music is by KEVIN BRAHENY FORTUNE, JARGUNA, HOWARD GIVENS & CRAIG PADILLA, BRIAN ENO, REMOTE VISION, and PAUL AVGERINOS. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

There's a complementary relationship between classical string instruments and the extended winters of northern Europe, where the string family evolved. In the chilled, wet, gray winters north of the Mediterranean, the rich harmonies and bright overtones of the string family pierce the cold and dark, and touch our souls. Whether the music is noble and expansive, somber and melancholy, or quiet and contemplative—it nourishes the spirit and warms the heart. Today, a new breed of classical composer/performers in Europe and the U.S. are combining strings, electronics and studio techniques to create a contemplative ambient music for the 21st century. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, warm winter strings and cool electronics for the season, on a program called FROZEN TIME 2. Music is by MARTIN TILLMAN, HANS CHRISTIAN, DAVID DARLING, CHRISTOPHER TIGNOR, JOAN JEANRENAUD, and MAX RICHTER. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Winter days bring us extremes of weather—from challenging storms with snow, sleet, and freezing rain—to brilliant clear days with endless vistas. Winter nights bring us a very different aspect of the season; as the temperature drops, time seems to slow and activity stops. Even the wind rests, while the cosmic panorama wheels slowly overhead—complex patterns of ancient light from a vast universe. For those hearty souls who venture out, it's an experience of contemplative stillness. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient soundscapes for quiet winter nights, on a program called WINTER : STILL. Music is by ROBERT JÜRJENDAL & MIGUEL NOYA, GEORGE WALLACE, DARSHAN AMBIENT (R.I.P.), IGNEOUS FLAME, MAX CORBACHO, JUHA-MATTI RAUTIAINEN, STEVE ROACH, and ROBERT SCOTT THOMPSON. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

In a time of cold and dark, we instinctively move toward warmth and light. So the winter songbook that comes down to us from Northern and Eastern Europe is replete with warm harmonies and brilliant timbres. From Norway, Bulgaria, Moldavia, Germany and Austria, music of the folk and classical traditions is wonderfully alive and resonant at this time of year. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, cold day hymns, songs, lullabies, and the immortal music of BACH...on a program called WINTERSONGS 2. Music is by IRARI, IREN LOVASZ, MEDIAEVAL BAEBES, LISA HAMMER, JOSEPH HEBERT & MERRILL COLLINS, KITKA, TRIO MEDIEVAL, JOHANN HEINRICH SCHMELZER, and JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

These days, ambient music can come from anywhere, and England has been a particularly rich source for significant atmospheric and electronic music. But it was still a bit surprising for one of the most popular and productive electronic bands of the last 20 years to emerge from the 19th century industrial city of Manchester, a former textile center in the English midlands with a checkered history going back to Roman times. Today, it's a growing, cosmopolitan city considered second only to London, and the home of MARCONI UNION. Starting as the duo of RICHARD TALBOT and JAMIE CROSSLEY in 2002, they became a trio in 2010 with the addition of keyboardist DUNCAN MEADOWS. In 18 years they've produced what they describe (with typical understatement) as "an explorative body of instrumental work that's shifted between electronica, dub, minimalism, avant-jazz and ambient music." It's also subtle, beautiful, melancholy, serene, occasionally dark and sinister, and thoroughly enjoyable music. With the release of their 10th album in 2019, we thought it was high time to take a look back. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, A MARCONI UNION RETROSPECTIVE. We'll focus on their ambient, electronic and minimalist work, starting with their second album DISTANCE, from 2005, and continuing with ambient explorations from BEAUTIFULLY FALLING APART, DIFFERENT COLOURS, WEIGHTLESS—rated "the most relaxing music ever" by neuroscientists--and their latest, DEAD AIR, from 2019. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

The polar night…deep, still, and silent. As our world warms, it's punctuated by sounds of ice melting, cracking and falling. Overhead the auroras paint the sky with ghostly green light, as charged particles from the sun interact with the earth's magnetic field. It's a vast, solemn environment that inspires ambient and electronic musicians to create vast, chilled soundscapes. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, ambient nocturnes from the Arctic north, on a program called NORTHERN NIGHTS 2. Music is by JANNE HANHISUANTO, MATHIAS GRASSOW & MICHAEL BRÜCKNER, SEETYCHA, ERIK WØLLO, STORMLOOP, BIOSPHERE, RETINA.IT, and ILUITECH. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

It doesn't sound all that unusual today, but this is one of the styles of electronic music created in the late 1970's by German musician KLAUS SCHULZE, a man who literally launched a thousand imitators. Whether they know it or not, just about everyone making popular electronic music today owes a big debt to Klaus Schulze. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we look back at some great music created by Klaus Schulze at the peak of his early career in 1978, on a program called TEUTONIC ELECTRONIC. He got an early start as a drummer at the end of the 1960's, when he was one of the founding members of two bands that later became institutions in German spacemusic: ASH RA TEMPEL and TANGERINE DREAM. After a few years he was on his own, with a series of solo albums that advanced and defined the state of the art. For his tenth solo album in 1978, he created his masterpiece: an epic double album of six "musical biographies" of great figures from German history, literature, and music. It was called simply "X" or, if you prefer Roman numerals, "TEN." On this project Klaus Schulze not only defined several styles of rhythm-based popular electronic music; he also realized a long-standing dream of many electronic musicians—to work with a real symphony orchestra. As you'll hear, the music he created—exciting, brooding, hypnotic, and powerful—has never been exceeded in its seamless integration of electronic sounds and orchestra. We'll be hearing selections from his "biographies" of GEORG TRAKL, LUDWIG II, and HEINRICH VON KLEIST, and related German spacemusic by PROJEKT ERDE from 11:11, and HORIZONT from WHITE CLOUDS. It's a journey to the historic epicenter of German spacemusic: TEUTONIC ELECTRONIC...on this transmission...of Hearts of Space. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image... Continue reading

Winter settles in to the Northern hemisphere bringing powerful storms, but also radiant clear days with azure skies and deep vistas. Unlike most sensible animals, human activity seems to increase as the temperature drops, and we fill the brief days leading up to the new year with all manner of hustle and bustle. Holiday lights twinkle in the crisp air, and while the traditional sounds of the season are warm, rich and harmonious, it's also a perfect time for intricate electronic rhythms that echo the activity, and crystalline tones that ring in the chilled atmosphere. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an Ambient/Electronic journey for early winter, on a program called COLD AND BRIGHT. Music is by BRYAN CARRIGAN, BLUETECH, FORREST SMITHSON, NATURAL FREQUENCIES, PHILLIP WILKERSON, and JUSTIN VANDERBERG. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

On any list of the oldest and most widespread musical forms on earth, the lullaby is going to be close to the top. The sound of a mother singing to her child is about as universal as it gets in human culture. Slow, quiet, with gentle swinging or rocking rhythms, lullabies sooth, teach, help cardiac and respiratory problems, aid bonding and neurological development, reduce stress, and yes — promote sleep. Happily, they turn out to be as good for the singer as for the child. Originally unaccompanied, over the centuries lullabies have become beloved popular songs and folk instrumentals. Classical composers even adapted them for sacred, choral and dramatic works. The lullaby seems to charm everyone it touches. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, timeless folk and choral lullabies on a program from guest producer ELLEN HOLMES called CRADLE SONGS and CHORAL CLASSICS. Folk music is by ENSEMBLE GALILEI, PRISCILLA HERNANDEZ, LIZ MADDEN, CATHIE RYAN, TERESA DOYLE, BARRY PHILLIPS, and ANNBJØRG LIEN, plus choral classics by ARVO PÄRT, RIHARDS DUBRA, ĒRIKS EŠENVALDS, FRANZ SCHUBERT, J.S.BACH, BEYOND, and J. KETCHAHKMADZE. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Christmas carols. Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't avoid 'em during the holiday season. Christmas music has become part of the advertising industry, dedicated to putting you in the mood to buy. Yet underneath the dreamy materialism is a musical tradition with some of the best-loved, most enduring hymns and songs ever created. Acoustic musicians have long made instrumental versions of classic carols, ignoring the words and letting the music take center stage. Ambient musicians normally take a different approach — slowing down the tempos, stretching out the melodies, and expanding the virtual space of the recording. But the most radical approach of all comes from our old friend Ohio composer TIM STORY. Revered for his exquisite ambient chamber music, he's applied his refined tonal sense and electronic power tools to extract the melodic and harmonic essence of recordings of the most popular Christmas carol of all: Silent Night. The result is total transformation, from a familiar hymn to "a slow motion immersive epic." On this transmission of Hearts of Space, slow-floating, harmon-o-gized, spatially-expanded ambient music for the holiday season, on a program called IMMERSIVE CAROLS. Music is by TIM STORY, MATT BORGHI, SAM BRADY LONG, DANNA CUNNINGHAM, and RICHARD STOLTZMAN. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Of all the world's folk musics, the songs of the Celtic lands of Western Europe—Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany and Galicia—have captured the hearts of listeners around the world. The combination of aching melancholy, joyous dances, ravishingly beautiful melodies, brilliant musicianship and great singing have charmed generations in Europe, and played a major role in the evolution of American folk music. The Celtic boomlet at the turn of the century has passed, but great Celtic musicians never stopped performing and recording, and the genre carries on with new innovations. On this early winter transmission of Hearts of Space, warm Celtic ballads to chase away the chill, on a program called CELTIC STARLIGHT 2. Music is by THE CRANNUA COLLECTIVE, JOHNSON-DUNNING-GOODWIN, JEFF BECK(!), MOYA BRENNAN & CORMAC DE BARRA, MICHAEL ATKINSON, ÁINE MINOGUE, JOHN DOAN, BJ COLE & DAVY SPILLANE, and AO MUSIC featuring MIRIAM STOCKLEY. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

It's a beautiful fresh morning in Northern California. The sun is shining, the world is clean and rehydrated after three days of rain, and Hearts of Space has a brand new web site! The transition happened on schedule, everything seems to be working as expected, and people are using the site. Thanks to programmer ALEX BURROWS and his team at BAY INTERACTIVE, and our longtime engineers STEPHEN BROSSEAU and RAINES COHEN who burned gallons of midnight oil to make it happen. Check it out at https://www.hos.com. Continue reading

Goodbye Flash, hello to an all-new website on Tuesday Dec. 3rd! Read all about it: http://bit.ly/2OFEiC7 HEARTS of SPACE VERSION 4 IS HERE On December 3, 2019 we will launch the 4th generation media player and design of our streaming service. We started in 2001 with 100 programs, a Real Audio player, and a rudimentary database-driven website. We migrated to Windows Media Player in 2004, then to Adobe Flash™ Player and Media Server in 2009. For Version 4 we built a custom HTML5 player, an all-new architecture and cloud "back end," a completely redesigned web user interface, and new native iOS and Android mobile apps. It's our biggest upgrade ever! Continue reading

The end of the euphemistically named "daylight saving time" each fall is generally greeted with a chorus of depression. Not only is it clearly the final nail in summer's coffin, it's an all too blatant reminder of the long winter ahead. Our Celtic ancestors gathered around bonfires at this time of year to chase away the gloom and recall the Pagan and pre-Christian festivals of the sun — then looked forward to the year-end solstice and religious holidays and the festive celebration of light itself. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient chamber music for the transition to the season of light, on an early winter program called AFTERGLOOM DELIGHT. Music is by KEVIN KELLER, A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN, HELEN JANE LONG, YUTA NAGASHIMA, and BRUNO SANFILIPPO. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

In the waning days of late autumn, the sun falls ever lower in the sky, the air becomes crisp as the restless wind strips the leaves from the trees, and the nights grow quiet, as the last lovelorn crickets of the season succumb to the cold. The autumn harvest brings a bounty of fruits and flowers, grains and nuts, in a rainbow of complex colors from bright orange pumpkins to deep purple cranberries. The sounds of the season are darker, slower, deeper — a somber interlude before the bright celebrations of the holiday season. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an ambient-electronic journey for late autumn, on a program called SHADES AND SHADOWS. Music is by ASCENDENT, MARCONI UNION, STEVE ROACH, RUDY ADRIAN, APERUS, IAN BODDY, JUTA TAKAHASHI and more. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

THE SUN begins its long withdrawal from the northern hemisphere after the summer solstice in June. After the autumn equinox in September, the transition seems to accelerate. The days grow shorter, the nights grow longer, and the temperature cools, while the natural world changes color and prepares for the winter to come. Since medieval times we've called this season "fall." The word comes from Middle English, with Old English and Old German roots. Falling implies movement downward, and in autumn, declining solar energy brings a feeling of descending or falling into the season. In music it's marked by slowing tempos, descending chord progressions, darkening timbres, and wistful, even melancholy emotions. On this transmission of Hearts of Space...we descend into the autumn soundscape, a program called FALLING. Music is by DAVID DARLING, JOEP BEVING, CHRISTOPHER TIGNOR, HAMMOCK, LUDOVICO EINAUDI, and TOM EATON. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

The fire at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris in April 2019 sent shock waves of distress and sadness around the world. You didn't have to be French, Catholic, or even believe in God...to feel a profound sense of cultural loss. Since the 12th century, Notre-Dame has been both a physical monument and a metaphysical symbol of the deepest aspirations and highest artistic values of humankind, at the center of one of the greatest cities on earth. For it to be destroyed would have been an insult to the global spirit, in a world that's already burdened by unprecedented challenges. When the fire was out, it was clear that it could have been much worse. The spire and most of the oak and lead roof were destroyed and the exterior was badly burned — while the irreplaceable relics, priceless artwork, rose windows, bell towers, and three pipe organs were not seriously damaged. Over a billion Euros have been pledged to rebuild and restore the cathedral — a job that will take twenty to forty years. Our Lady will rise again in the center of Paris, in all her Gothic magnificence. On this transmission of Hearts of Space from longtime guest producer for sacred and classical music ELLEN HOLMES...a TRIBUTE to NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS. Sacred music for chorus, strings and organ is by an all-star cast of French composers from the 16th to the 20th century, including MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER, FRANCOIS COUPERIN, JEAN RICHAFORT, PHILIPPE VERDELOT, JOSQUIN DES PRES, ANTOINE BRUMEL, CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS, CESAR FRANK, CHARLES GOUNOD, LILI BOULANGER, GABRIEL FAURÉ, MAURICE DURUFLÉ, and OLIVIER MESSIAEN. We celebrate the artistic and spiritual legacy of a great cathedral: a TRIBUTE to NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS...on this transmission...of Hearts of Space. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30... Continue reading

This could be the sound of the Sugar Plum Fairies in the netherworld — we're coming up on Nutcracker time, after all — but no: it's the on-ramp to a journey into the cooling, darkening, deepening autumn soundscape. It's time to join the animals and prepare for the long winter ahead; time to focus, plan and complete those lingering projects, and get together with friends you missed over the summer. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a seasonal electronic journey in the autumn soundscape, on a program called DESCENDING DARK 2. Music is by SLEEPY TOWN MANUFACTURE, SOLARIS, PAULINA CASSIDY, DEBORAH MARTIN, KIT WATKINS, KLAUS SCHULZE, ERRANT SPACE, and BOB HOLROYD. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading