It's been a while since we did a program on the music of the America to our south. It's a whole continent, after all, and the scope and variety of music from the distinctive cultures of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil is enormous. Whether it comes from the mountain cultures, the grasslands, the rainforest, or one of the great cities; is based on influences from the native Indians, or from Spain or other European countries — the music of South America has a depth and passion all its own, and genres like Tango have created fans around the world. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we return to the soul and space of South American music, on a program called ROMANTICO. Music is by OSCAR REYNOLDS, INKUYO, TRIO GARUFA, GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA, ASTOR PIAZZOLLA, STEPHAN MICUS, DINO SALUZZI, and EGBERTO GISMONTI. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

As this strange and unprecedented summer rolls on, it's a good time for us to resurrect one of our older, prematurely abandoned series of programs devoted to AMBIENT COOL. What, you may ask, is Ambient Cool? Well, it's a sound and an attitude that traces back to the iconoclastic contemporary trumpet player JON HASSELL—and to the cool jazz of MILES DAVIS before him. Hassell advocated what he called "Fourth World" music, a timely and inevitable fusion he described as "a unified primitive/futuristic sound combining features of world ethnic styles with advanced electronic techniques." Playing microtonal Indian ragas on his electronically processed trumpet is a prime example. It all came together, as these things have often done, under the tender guidance of producer and Ambient Godfather BRIAN ENO, with Hassell's 1980 album Fourth World, Vol.1: Possible Musics. In fact, Brian Eno is the common link and creative touchstone for all the artists in this program. Lay it back, stretch it out, and let it float — and you have the recipe for Ambient Cool. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey in the effortless galleries of Ambient Cool, on a program called AMBIENT COOL 3. Music is by JON HASSELL, ROBERT FRIPP & BRIAN ENO, and ALEX HAAS & BILL LASWELL. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Despite a career in contemporary music that began in the legendary days of the 1960s, the brilliant English guitarist, composer, bandleader, innovator and collaborator ROBERT FRIPP has never become as famous as his friend BRIAN ENO—another brilliant Englishman Fripp worked with on several influential proto-ambient and pop records in the 1970s, with artists like DAVID BOWIE, BLONDIE, PETER GABRIEL, DAVID SYLVIAN and others. Fripp co-founded the seminal progressive rock band KING CRIMSON in 1968, and has been its principal guitarist and fearlessly innovative leader through over 50 years of on-again, off-again activity. As a prog rock guitarist, Fripp can fill arenas with massive walls of sound, but he's also a student of the teachings of the Armenian mystic philosopher G.I. GURDJIEFF, and has a more cerebral, contemplative side. Through his work with Eno, Fripp developed an analog looping system he called Frippertonics. Looping repeats musical phrases with a delay and layers them on top of themselves, turning musical fragments into continuous streams of sound. When combined with Fripp's sophisticated guitar technique, Frippertonics has produced a series of refined electronic soundscapes. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, the sublime soundscapes of ROBERT FRIPP, on a program called MUSIC FOR QUIET MOMENTS. We'll feature the first four releases in a projected series of 50 weekly installments available online at Fripp's website DGMLIVE.com for exactly 99 cents each. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

It's been over 60 years since western musicians began taking Indian music seriously. And no wonder — it's so completely different from western music, it might as well have come from another planet. Nevertheless, beginning in the 1950s, Indian classical musicians led by RAVI SHANKAR and ALI AKBAR KHAN, established a dialog with European and American classical artists like violinist YEHUDI MENUIN, and in the 1960s, famously with pop artists like GEORGE HARRISON of the BEATLES. The last 40 years have seen creative cross-fertilizations in many genres, from film music to rap, folk music to ambient electronic. At the same time, the emotional devotion at the core of Indian music has taken hold in the west with the bhakti tradition of devotional chant, bhajan and kirtan. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, the slow, sensuous sound of Indian devotional chants and ambient instrumentals, on a program called DIVINE SURRENDER. Music is by AL GROMER KHAN, HANS CHRISTIAN, MARK SEELIG, CRAIG PRUESS, BEN LEINBACH, and RAGANI. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Ahhh, the sweetness of early summer, the balm of warm breezes, the pollen, the allergies. It's a good time for electro-acoustic music with gentle rhythms, soft harmonies and seductive melodies. In a word, something "mellotronic." Now, historians of electronic instruments will tell you that the Mellotron was a tape-based, polyphonic, sample-playback keyboard, developed in England in the early 1960s. The instrument achieved classic status for its key role in popular albums by the Moody Blues and the Beatles, and brought violin, cello, brass, flute and choir sounds to innumerable albums from the Progressive Rock era. These days, every laptop can be a sampler, the original Mellotron sound is a menu choice, and the orchestration of electronic music is open to all. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we revisit the romantic-contemplative side of ambient electronica, on a program called MELLOTRONIC. Music is by PATRICK O'HEARN, LUDOVICO EINAUDI, THIERRY DAVID, CRAIG PADILLA, MICHELE IPPOLITO, and FRANK STEINER, JR. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

In the early 20th century, the Theosophists and the Rosicrucians theorized an ethereal plane—a nonmaterial level of reality above the physical plane. When applied to music, ethereal implies subtle, light and airy, immaterial and weightless. It's a word that's often used to describe electronic music, where sounds are not produced by physical instruments and have an abstract, immaterial quality. This music can take us to virtual spaces and imaginary worlds. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, synthetic journeys on the subtle planes, on a program called ETHEREAL ELECTRONIC. Music is by NICHOLAS GUNN, DAVID ARKENSTONE, GILES REAVES, KEVIN BRAHENY FORTUNE, PAUL AVGERINOS, BING SATELLITES, IASOS, and ERIK WØLLO. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

FOR DECADES, globalization has been a fact of life. And even before Covid-19, it was becoming controversial. Now, with critical supply chains being disrupted by the pandemic, we're having a bit of a rethink. Whatever happens with global trade, one thing is certain: the global exchange of music, film, art and media is a cultural fact of life that will remain as vibrant and creative as ever. San Francisco is the home of Six Degrees Records, a company that's been dedicated to crossing musical borders since 1996, with the provocative slogan "everything is closer than you think." They live the idea, releasing a wide range of traditional and progressive music from around the planet. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an Anglo-American ambient journey, on a program called SIX DEGREES OF AMBIENT. Music is by ANOTHER FINE DAY, TOM MIDDLETON, BOB HOLROYD, TOM GREEN, HALFTRIBE, ANDREW HEATH, DARSHAN AMBIENT, JEFF PEARCE, RICHARD NORRIS, and MARK ISHAM. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

The "progressive" label is growing, and it has nothing to do with politics. In music, the term has a history that goes back to Progressive Folk in the 1930s. After that came Progressive Jazz from the 1940s to the 1970s, Progressive Rock, Pop, and Bluegrass in the 1960s, Progressive Country in the 1970s, Progressive Metal in the 1980s, and Progressive Electronic and Progressive House in the 1990s. Progressive is what happens when a genre has matured, and there's an abundance of highly skilled musicians who want to stay creatively challenged. On this transmission of Hearts of Space...if the progressive label means expanding stylistic and conceptual boundaries and synthesizing cultural influences—then I'm gonna say we're overdue for a genre—and a program—called PROGRESSIVE AMBIENT. [ view program page ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

The relentless pace of the modern world just had a global reboot, and the reason wasn't even human. It's beyond ironic that it took a rogue microbe to force the world to take a time out. Sheltered in place, working from home, reaching out with video and electronic messages, we're moving toward a world that's going to be slower, more limited, and less intense than before. After that, who knows? We might like it better. For ambient and contemplative musicians, speed—or to use the musical term—tempo, has always been an artistic choice. And for centuries, a select group of them have chosen to make music that's slow, quiet, and heartfelt. If it sounds better than ever these days, it's because we need it. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey from serene to introspective, on a program called "DEEP SERENITY." Music is by FLOW, PAUL WINTER CONSORT, AUKAI, GINA LENEÉ, KATHRYN KAYE, TOM EATON, PATRICK O'HEARN, and DAVID NORLAND. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Flying. Drifting. Floating. Three kinds of virtual movement we find in ambient music. Flying...is moving through space with speed, purpose, and destination. Flying is active. Drifting...is horizontal. You surrender to prevailing forces and let them move you. Drifting is passive. Floating...is vertical. You hang suspended, neutrally buoyant, in equilibrium with gravity. Like drifting, floating is passive. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we drift wide and quiet, on a program called DRIFTING IN SILENCE. Music is by DRIFTING IN SILENCE, MASSERGY, CLIVE WRIGHT, STEVE ROACH, PHILLIP WILKERSON, VIR UNIS, JOHN FOXX + HAROLD BUDD. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

Even in the early days, the pioneers of electronic music knew they were on to something special. Here was a way of sculpting sound that made it like clay — something you could shape to your own creative vision. Today every artist can have electronic tools of almost unlimited power at their fingertips. We've had several generations of musicians tending the electronic vineyards, and these days the sonic wine is available in many varietals. For example, "downtempo" is a name invented in the 1990s to describe slowed-down, less intense electronic dance music. It's still beat-y but the atmosphere is chilled; rather than pumping you up, it floats you along with a relaxed vibe that leads to pure Ambient realms. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey from Downtempo rhythms to Ambient space, on a program called 'ELECTRON TRAVELER'. Music is by AES DANA, MARCONI UNION, HIBERNATION, HEALER, and RADIANT MIND. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

One of cruel ironies of 2020 is that spring here in Northern California is the loveliest we've seen in years. As we absorb the terrible news about a global pandemic against this lush, verdant background, the "cognitive dissonance" is deafening. The plants and animals don't know about the virus and are having a wonderful time, while the humans have to fight a ruthless bio-terrorist that can turn our fellow citizens into involuntary assassins, and paralyze our whole society. So in this season of hope and rebirth, we celebrate our steadfast first responders, heroic doctors and dedicated nurses, while we mourn our sick, our suffering and our dead. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a program called ELEGIES FOR THE FALLEN. Music by MICHAEL WHALEN, DAVID HELPLING & JON JENKINS, JON HOPKINS, CHARLES B. KIM, A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN, and KEVIN BRAHENY FORTUNE. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

It's a scenario straight out of dystopian fiction: attacked by a killer microbe, disrupted by a changing climate, challenged by economic dysfunction and social inequity, locked down, isolated and afraid — inhabitants of a beleaguered planet leave earth and seek solace in virtual cosmic travel. Who can blame them? On this transmission of Hearts of Space,we leave earthbound troubles behind for a moment and take a cosmic electronic journey, on a program called 'ESCAPE FROM PANDEMICA.' Music is by CSILLAGKÖD, RAMP w/MARK SHREEVE, STEVE ROACH, HAROLD BUDD, MULM, REMOTE VISION, JARGUNA, and PAUL SAUVANET. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ] Continue reading

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