The long-running ambient - space - contemplative music series. We can't legally podcast the entire program (blame the RIAA!) but we offer our weekly 30 second promos to give you a quick sample. You can stream the new shows free all day Sunday at www.HOS.com. http://www.hos.com Music © 2006-9 Hearts of Space en-us Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:43:08 -0700 stephen.hill@hos.com (Stephen Hill) Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -0700 webmaster@hos.com FeedForAll Mac v2.0 (2.0.0.2); http://www.FeedForAll.com/ slow music for fast times Weekly 30 second promo for the long-running ambient/space/contemplative music series. Since we can't legally podcast the entire program (hey, blame the RIAA!) we offer our weekly 30 second promos to give you a taste. Stream the whole show at < http://www.hos.com >. Stephen Hill, Host/Producer stephen.hill@hos.com Stephen Hill no http://www.hos.com/images/logo.jpg http://www.hos.com slow music for fast times 181 56 border-crossing ambient/trance meets world music http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0921 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0921.mp3 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:41:28 -0700 border-crossing ambient/trance meets world music Brian Eno once said that "the problem with computers is that there is not enough Africa in them." It's a problem that electronic dance music artists tried to solve back in the 1990s, when the exotic sounds and kinetic polyrhythms of what we now call world music were added to the mix by hyper-creative DJs and studio producers. From beaches in India to dance floors around the world, the style has morphed into a thousand colors and variations, and things have never been quite the same since. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we ride the good-time vibe of summer with a program of beat-y, border-crossing ambient/trance music called EXOTRONICA. Music is by SHPONGLE, ALVIN KRAMER, DREAM JUNGLE, LUMIN, and GUNNARD DUBOZE. 0:30 ambient, space, trance, techno, world music, fusion, hybrid Produced by Steve Davis and Stephen Hill no a journey on the water planet http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0736 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0736.mp3 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a journey on the water planet Here's a show about water. Salt or fresh, almost 3/4 of our planet is covered by it, and it makes up to 65 percent of our bodies. It's our most important nutrient — we simply can't live without it. No wonder it's a common theme for ambient music. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, spacemusic that celebrates water, on a program called HYDROLOGY. From the primordial ocean, the source of all life — we'll navigate rivers and streams, lakes and marshes — tracing the water cycle. Music is by VANGELIS, LISA WALKER, JEFF GREINKE, ROBERT RICH, TIM GERWING, RUSTY CRUTCHER, DAVID PARSONS and KIT WATKINS. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, summer, water, ocean Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no the lyrical world of Indian devotional music http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0920 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0920.mp3 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -0700 the lyrical world of Indian devotional music In the gentle world of Indian music, a _bhajan_ is a Hindu devotional song. The word is derived from the Sanskrit_bhakti_ meaning worship. A bhajan can be sung by a single person or a group. It can be vernacular language with rudimentary music, simple folk tunes, or sophisticated poetry and music based on classical ragas. The common expression of bhakti is spiritual feeling, lyricism and love for the Divine, which could apply to any religion. In India, the history of bhajan has a political dimension: from the 14th to the 17th centuries, saintly musicians like KABIR created bhajans and tried to reform Hinduism as an all-inclusive faith for the common people, during a period when India was ruled by the Mughal Empire and Islam. The bhakti movement offered a path to the divine through direct experience. Today the tradition lives on in India...and around the world. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an hour of Indian devotional music by western musicians, on a program called BHAJAN. Music is by TY BURHOE, RASA, DEVA PREMAL, SHANTALA, BEN LEINBACH, SHAFQAT ALI KHAN and ANNAPURNA, and STEVE GORN. 0:30 ambient, space, India, Indian music, bhajan, chant, devotional Produced by Steve Davis and Stephen Hill no flying and floating spacemusic for summer http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0770 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0770.mp3 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -0700 flying and floating spacemusic for summer Flying and floating: two weightless activities we associate with the airy skies and watery delights of summer. Of course, spacemusic allows you to fly and float all year 'round, but somehow it's even more enjoyable in the warm weather months. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we ride the air currents and float on blissful waves...on a program of ambient electronics for summer called THERMALS. Music is by MARCONI UNION, ASHERA, GULAN, STU JENKS, and A PRODUCE. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, summer, environment Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a steamy summer night in the swamplands http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0919 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0919.mp3 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a steamy summer night in the swamplands Gather 'round all you swamp fans. This one's for you. Yes, the great Mississippi Delta, home of deep Southern blues, Cajun, Dixieland, jazz, funk (and let's-not-forget "sludge metal") is callin' you, on a program called BAYOU MOON. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we wade into a hot and humid zone with a unique culture and a sense of place you can feel on your skin. Like a thick mist drifting out of the marsh, wetlands and barrier islands, bayou country has its own ambience, a sound that blends blues, creole, Indian, Cajun and jazz — and seasons it with a heavy coat of swamp sauce. It's one of the most distinctive cultural blends you'll find anywhere. Music is by TOM NEWMAN, MICHAEL BROOK, RY COODER, DANIEL LANOIS, PATRICK O'HEARN, HAMMOCK and TINO IZZO. 0:30 ambient, space, blues, swamp, bayou, slide guitar Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a cooling draft of ambient electronica for summer http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0918 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0918.mp3 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a cooling draft of ambient electronica for summer With record temperatures all around the northern hemisphere this summer, there's no escaping the fact that our environment is getting warmer. As the mercury creeps toward 100 in almost half the US, whether you're in the desert sunbelt, the western plateau, the stormy plains or the simmering cities, hyperthermia is the new normal, and we all need to get good at living with the heat. A nice cold drink with a touch of mint is the classic solution, and of course, there's a trip to the air conditioned mall or the local pool — but for comprehensive relief, we also need music that soothes the mind and cools the blood. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we aim to provide that...with an hour of ambient electronica for midsummer, on a program called HEATWAVES. Music is by PAUL ELLIS, NATURAL FREQUENCIES, DAN POUND, DAN BARRIO, AGITATION FREE, PALANCAR, STEVE ROACH, and STEVE BRAND. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, electronica, summer Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no riding the rhythms of the heat to a place of stillness http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0917 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0917.mp3 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:00:16 -0700 riding the rhythms of the heat to a place of stillness Since time out of mind, drumming has been both a musical practice and a social magnet; in the warm zone cultures of the Caribbean, Africa, the Indo-Pacific, and Latin America, drumming music is king. When the temperature rises, the blood seems to thin and the body wants to move. For most, it's a time for dancing, but for others, it's an invitation to the hypnotic state of dynamic stillness: the use of rhythm to achieve deeper levels of concentration. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we follow the pulse of the season to its quiet heart, on program called SUMMER DRUMMER. Music is by GLEN VELEZ, JON IVERSON, RAVID, STEPHAN MICUS, LAURA INSERRA & DARREN GIBBS, and ED MANN & BRIAN HAND. 0:30 ambient, space, drumming, hand drums, trance rhythms, world percussion Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no slow music for those fast summer nights http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0773 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0773.mp3 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0700 slow music for those fast summer nights What's fast on the surface, but slow and deep underneath? It's not a trick question, rather, an attribute of those short, balmy summer nights we're having. Underneath the superficial activity, there's a deeper rhythm, one scientists will tell you is tuned to the cycles of light and dark. On these long days and short nights, plants, animals, insects, and humans all adapt — right down to the genes in our cells. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE we adapt, and ride those rhythms with summer night sounds, on a program called CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS. Music is by PATRICK O'HEARN, PAUL ELLIS, JEFFREY KOEPPER, AMONGST MYSELVES, J.ARIF VERNER and DEUTER. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, summer, environment Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a nostalgic journey inthe American acoustic soundscape http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0916 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0916.mp3 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a nostalgic journey inthe American acoustic soundscape This week we gather for our yearly July 4th celebration of American independence. It's a festive affair, with food, fun and fireworks. In the last few years, the celebration has often been tempered by continuing national, global and planetary challenges, and this year is no exception. Somehow, it all seems to make the day more precious — a haven from cares...and reconnection with friends and family on a fine summer day. We take comfort in familiar food, games, and music. The summer concert season is in full swing: from neighborhood bars and county fairs to giant festivals, the panorama of celebratory American music is all around us, punctuated by dazzling visions in the night sky. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we look back at the quiet roots of American music — folk tunes, hymns and ballads — and the simple purity of traditional acoustic instruments, on a program called AMERICAN REFLECTIONS. Music is by DAVID MODICA, THE BEYMAN BROTHERS, BRUCE KAPHAN, TINGSTAND & RUMBEL, SPIRIT JOURNEY, TREVOR STEWART & EARTHLINES, MARJORIE DE MUYNCK, WILL ACKERMAN, GEORGE WINSTON, CRAIG URUQUHART, JONATHAN ELIAS, and MARK O'CONNOR's APPALACHIA WALTZ TRIO. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, acoustic, American, July 4th, hymns, ballads Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no the unpredictable, vigorous world of musical fusions http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0915 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0915.mp3 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:53:13 -0700 the unpredictable, vigorous world of musical fusions In biology and genetics, hybrids are the offspring of two different subspecies, genera, or families of plants or animals. Nature creates hybrids randomly as part of natural selection; humans do it deliberately and call it "selective breeding." Often the hybrids that result are stronger than the natural offspring, and we call that hybrid "vigor." In music, hybrids or fusions result from thinking outside the box, creating new combinations of genres, styles and instruments. As you'll hear on this transmission of Hearts of Space called HYBRIDS, the results are often surprising, satisfying and...vigorous. Music is by BRUCE KAPHAN, ROBERT RICH, NELSON FOLTZ & TOM LYNN, MICHAEL BROOK, JAZZCOMPUTER.ORG, BILL LASWELL & TOSHINORI KONDO, FORREST FANG, JON HASSELL, and TONY LEVIN. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, percussion, fusion, pedal steel Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a neo-shamanic, techno-tribal journey http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0914 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0914.mp3 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a neo-shamanic, techno-tribal journey For several decades, a small group of Western musicians have studied the ancient practice of shamanism and shamanistic music, as a way of deepening their art and their connection to the natural world. In aboriginal and tribal cultures from the Arctic to Australia, the role of the shaman was to bridge the human and the spirit world for guidance and healing. Today, neo-shamanism and neo-shamanistic music express a longing for direct spirituality, wholeness and harmony with nature that some find lacking in our culture. Starting from prehistoric forms of music and aboriginal instruments like the rattle, the drum, the bone whistle and the didgeridoo, they added the ambient dimensions of electronic sound and created a new genre called "techno-tribal." Earthy and trance-inducing, it rescued electronic music from ethereal abstraction, grounded it in the sounds and rhythms of the natural world, and influenced the ecstatic electronic dance music of today. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we beat the drum and rattle the bones on a journey called DREAM TRACKER. Music is by METCALF/KHALSA/ROACH, TERRA AMBIENT, CHAD KETTERING, STEVE ROACH, SCOTT AUGUST, and TUU. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, tribal, shamanistic, percussion Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a summer journey in the Mediterranean soundscape http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0769 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0769.mp3 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a summer journey in the Mediterranean soundscape The Balearic Islands — Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza, and Formentera — occupy prime real estate in the Mediterranean Sea, just off the eastern coast of Spain. In ancient times, it was a tough neighborhood; the islands were invaded successively by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, and finally, the Aragons. These days things are lively, but a lot quieter — they're all popular tourist destinations, home to a tapestry of musical cultures that matches their multi-cultural past, and an up-to-date vibe that runs from acoustic to electronic, sensual to chilled. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey into the Mediterranean soundscape new and old, called BALEARICA. Music is by CANTOMA, BLISS, B-TRIBE, ANOUAR BRAHEM, SAVINA YANNATOU, DINO SALUZZI, SACRED SPIRIT, and ZEUS FABER. 0:30 ambient, contemplative, space, spacemusic, electronic, electronica, Mediterranean, Flamenco, fusion Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a journey along the Silk Road http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0913 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0913.mp3 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:00:00 -0700 a journey along the Silk Road The term "The Silk Road" was invented by a German geographer in 1877. He was describing trade routes that go back to the Han Dynasty of China over 2000 years ago, connecting Europe with the major cultures of the ancient Asian world by land and by sea. The driving force was commerce, but like the Internet today, it also enabled the spread of social communication, technology, culture, food, and music. In 1940 American anthropologist ALBERT KROEBER came up with a fancy name for the process. He called it trans-cultural diffusion. In music, traditions from many countries and intersecting influences over many centuries make sorting it out a challenge. There are common instruments, rhythms, scales and approaches to making music. Each country added its own distinctive elements, and the process continues today — at electronic speed. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE… music derived from those cultural way stations on the Silk Road, on a program called TRANS-ASIAN DIFFUSION. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, India, China, Middle East, fusion Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no an ambient excursion for the spring/summer transition http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0912 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0912.mp3 Fri, 28 May 2010 19:51:32 -0700 an ambient excursion for the spring/summer transition As spring slowly morphs into summer, the music becomes more energetic and expansive. In the long days and mild nights,the sounds and rhythms of the warm weather cultures call to us. For ambient musicians, a brighter palette and hotter beats are in order, along with the changing sounds of an environment moving into overdrive. On this transmission of Hearts of Space...an ambient excursion for the spring/summer transition called WARM FRONT. Music is by TWILIGHT ARCHIVE, YAGYA, LEO ABRAHAMS & JON HOPKINS, ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT, CYBERCHUMP, STEVE ROACH and ERIK WOLLO. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, electric guitar, spring, summer, environment Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no the contemplative minimalism of LUDOVICO EINAUDI http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0840 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0840R.mp3 Fri, 21 May 2010 18:55:21 -0700 the contemplative minimalism of LUDOVICO EINAUDI Italian composer LUDOVICO EINAUDI has enjoyed a long and very successful career in Europe, marked by a dozen albums, fifteen film scores, hundreds of concerts and a retrospective performance at the famous opera house La Scala in Milano. Einaudi began in the 1970s as a student of Italian avant-garde composer LUCIANO BERIO at the Conservatory of Milan. He came to the U.S. on a scholarship in 1982, where he absorbed the language of classical minimalism, American popular and ambient music — and laid the foundations for his own warm, delicate, melodic style. Like fine Italian food, fashion and design, Einaudi's music has a humanized opulence and sensual appeal. The elements are simple and often repetitive; the effect is subtle, contemplative, satisfying, even profound. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a LUDIVOCO EINAUDI retrospective called DIVENIRE. We have music from across his career, including selections from STANZE, LE ONDE, I GIORNI, EDEN ROC, our title album DIVENIRE or "Become," and his lush soundtrack for the film SOTTO FALSO NOME. 0:30 ambient, contemplative, piano, string quartet, minimalism Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no cosmic chimes, colossal chords, soaring flights, gentle weeping http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0911 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0911.mp3 Fri, 14 May 2010 18:00:00 -0700 cosmic chimes, colossal chords, soaring flights, gentle weeping When LEO FENDER re-designed the solid body electric guitar in the 1950s, he wanted to make it louder, cheaper and less fragile than existing instruments. Fender called his first guitar the Broadcaster, renamed it the Telecaster, and followed it up a few years later with the soon-to-be classic Stratocaster. It seems he was thinking of electronics and…clouds. But he couldn't have anticipated that future guitarists would take the instrument out of the atmosphere completely and into deep space, adding layers of electronic distortion, echo and reverberation to create a sound that can only be called cosmic. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a tribute to Leo Fender on another installment of our long-running Space Guitars series called GALACTICASTER. Music is by CLIVE WRIGHT & HAROLD BUDD, HAMMOCK, MONO, FORREST FANG & CARL WEINGARTEN, JEFF BECK, JONSI, and JEFF PEARCE. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, electric guitar, cosmic Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no an auspicious journey in electronic sound http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0910 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0910.mp3 Fri, 07 May 2010 18:00:00 -0700 an auspicious journey in electronic sound Ambient music can evoke subtle feelings, take us on journeys, and create soundscapes in our imagination — sometimes all three at once. Take this introduction: start with the sound of distant gulls and soft bells, add floating voices, electronic ornaments, resonant harmonics, and a slow pulse. As we follow the sound, we find ourselves in another world. That's the thing: today's electronic music delivers more information. In addition to the classic trio of melody, harmony and rhythm, we now have the added dimension of space or ambience. And in our diverse, electronically connected world, we can merge sounds, styles and instruments from other cultures into our music — a gesture that says "respect"...without words. This week on Hearts of Space, more high-information electronica for the season, on a program called CLOUD OF PROMISE 2. Music is by ATOMIC SKUNK, MOTIONFIELD, NEMESIS, TRISTAN FELDBAUER & FRIENDS, KUUTANA, BRUNO SANFILIPPO & MATHIAS GRASSOW. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, contemplative, landscape, environment Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no searching for the sound of emptiness http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0909 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0909.mp3 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:15:13 -0700 searching for the sound of emptiness This time, the sound of Far East contemplative music from Japan. Despite the ferocious adoption of all things motorized and digital in East Asia, their sophisticated music traditions continue to reward the discerning space traveler. In fact, one of the principal instruments of Japan, the end-blown bamboo flute called the shakuhachi, was popularized by itinerant Zen Buddhist monks. Originally called komoso or "straw mat monks" for the mats they carried to sleep on, beginning in the 13th century, they traveled the country soliciting alms—while playing the shakuhachi. By 1600 they began to play with straw baskets covering their heads, to show lack of ego and detachment from the world. After this they were called komuso or "monks of emptiness and nothingness." On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we listen for the sound of emptiness on a program called KOMUSO. Music is by KITARO, HONOKA, NANAE YOSHIMURA, RILEY LEE, MANEKI NEKO, and THE LUMINOUS WORLD ORCHESTRA. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, contemplative, Japan, Japanese, shakuhachi, koto Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a terrestrial-ambient-future journey http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0908 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0908.mp3 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a terrestrial-ambient-future journey The sound of a verdant landscape on a bright spring day. It reminds us of the natural environment that's nurtured us since the beginning of life on earth. Looking out, our eyes come to rest on the horizon, the distant sky and delicate clouds. These are worlds that composers of environmental ambient music bring to us, melding sounds of the natural world into their music, and creating atmospheric soundscapes for us to travel in. In the last 50 years, we've begun to recognize our responsibility to the environment — for ourselves and for generations to come. Forest, mountain, jungle, grassland, desert, tundra, ocean: whatever your favorite, environmental music sends a message beyond ideology or politics — to cherish our relationship to the natural world and expand our hope for the future. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a terrestrial-ambient-future journey called CLOUD OF PROMISE. Music is by ATOMIC SKUNK, CHAD KETTERING, MICHAEL STEARNS, RESONANT DRIFT, MAX CORBACHO, and DAN POUND. 0:30 ambient, space, electronic, contemplative, landscape, environment Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no ambient electronics meet tribal rhythms http://www.hos.com Produced by Steve Davis and Stephen Hill [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0671 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0671.mp3 Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:07:49 -0700 ambient electronics meet tribal rhythms What's in a "tribe"? The word returned to popular culture in the 1960s and has been in and out of fashion ever since. Of course, in most of the so-called "third world," it's not fashion: tribal societies are still the day-to-day reality, and musicians from sophisticated Western countries have been finding inspiration and vitality in tribal music for hundreds of years. It makes sense: all of us have roots in tribal culture *somewhere.* On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a report from the intersection of ambient electronics and tribal rhythms called TRANS-TRIBAL EXPRESS. Music is by ERIK WOLLO, RUDY ADRIAN & RON BOOTS, REMANENCE, ANTONIO TESTA & ALIO DIE, SATORI, MO BOMA, STEVE ROACH, and BYRON METCALF. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, tribal, world, electronic, electronica Produced by Steve Davis and Stephen Hill no a South Indian ambient journey http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0907 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0907.mp3 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a South Indian ambient journey This week we update our "Phantom India" series, a group of programs dating back to the first year of Hearts of Space in 1983. The title comes from the seven-part BBC television documentary series on India by French filmmaker LOUIS MALLE. The rich traditions of South Asian and Indian music provide an endless source of creative inspiration for new ambient music. Over the years, many western musicians have traveled to India or become students of classical Indian masters. Adapting what they've learned to today's world of digital audio, synthesizers and software, they've brought us a new hybrid: touched by the sinuous sounds, buoyant rhythms and distinctive instruments of India, while attuned to the musical languages of today. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a South Indian ambient journey called PHANTOM INDIA 6. Music is by KARMA FREQUENCY, ROBERT RICH, CHINMAYA DUNSTER, BENJY WERTHEIMER, AL GROMER KHAN, and DRALA. 0:30 ambient, space, contemplative, fusion, India, Indian music, sitar, sarod, bansuri flute Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a light, airy journey for spring http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0906 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0906.mp3 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:00:00 -0700 a light, airy journey for spring After the confinement of winter, the winds of spring arrive as a liberating force. Fueled by rising temperatures, they sweep across the landscape with a message of renewal. Of all the wind instruments, flutes are perhaps best at expressing this sense of expansion and possibility. Add airy electronics and ethereal voices, and you have the perfect vehicle for flying on the winds of change. It's a sound that's associated with new age music at its best: relaxing, optimistic, and expansive. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we echo the spirit of the season with an airy journey for flutes and electronics called A BREATH OF SPRING. Music is by DEUTER, GARY STROUTSOS, DAVID DARLING, ETHEREAL JOURNEYS, and MICHAEL DIAMOND. 0:30 ambient, space, contemplative, new age, spring, water, flutes, electronics Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no ambient hydrology for early spring http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0905 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0905.mp3 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:00:00 -0700 ambient hydrology for early spring As winter unlocks its icy grip, we enter a transitional time energized by the sound of water on the move. Melting...dripping...flowing...draining; raining. In spring, water completes a journey that begins in the ocean, ascends to the clouds, falls back to earth, and ends, once again, in the sea. It's one of the core movements in the yearly cycle of life, and a powerful metaphor for the eternal cycles of stasis and flow, contraction and release. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, ambient hydrology for early spring called RAINING. Music is by YAGYA, BIOSPHERE, DAN BARRIO, ROBERT RICH, JEFF PEARCE, and ALPHA WAVE MOVEMENT. 0:30 ambient, space, contemplative, spring, water, melting, ambient dub Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a tuneful excursion in the Celtic soundscape http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0904 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0904.mp3 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:00:00 -0800 a tuneful excursion in the Celtic soundscape Every year at the threshold of spring, we return to the joy and heartache of Celtic music. 
We celebrate a culture whose roots go back to Iron Age Europe, that became one of the foundations of western European folk music, and by virtue of waves of Irish and Scottish immigration, a major element in American folk music as well. During the last 20 years we had a bit of a boom in Celtic music. These days things have quieted down, but the genre is still abundant with talented musicians and superb recordings. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE it's another journey in the Celtic soundscape called THE TURNING TIDE. Music is by JEFF JOHNSON & BRIAN DUNNING, singers MAEVE McKINNON, KAREN MATHESON and CATRIONA WATT, fiddler ATHENA TERGIS, Celtic harpist AINE MINOGUE, and the bands ALTAN and SOLAS. 0:30 ambient, space, contemplative, Irish, Celtic, St. Patrick's Day, ballads Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no slow-turning spacemusic for inspiring patience http://www.hos.com Produced by Steve Davis and Stephen Hill [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0421 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0421.mp3 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:00:00 -0800 slow-turning spacemusic for inspiring patience Patience — a quality once taken for granted in a slower world. Now we speak of it as a virtue, with a mixture of admiration and something like disbelief. How does one find the time, the focus, and the generosity...for patience? On this edition of Hearts of Space, we cultivate the elusive quality of patience with music that asks only for your time — and gives back a deeper sense of concentration. Music is by OYSTEIN SEVAG & LAKKI PATEY, JEFF PEARCE, TIM STORY, and KIT WATKINS. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, winter, jazz, space jazz, cosmic, electronic, electronica Produced by Steve Davis and Stephen Hill no an interstellar flight on electronic wings http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0903 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0903.mp3 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:38:05 -0800 an interstellar flight on electronic wings Since the earliest days of electronic music, composers have developed the natural relationship between electronic sounds and images of cosmic space. Free at last from the limits of physical instruments, they could create vast stereo spaces and sustain tones endlessly with an unlimited palette of pitch, timbre, modulation, and resonance. In time, the electronic studio became a vehicle for virtual space flight. 
It's a theme we've been pursuing since our 23rd program back in 1983. The waning days of winter are a particularly good time to take a cosmic vacation. Restless from too much time indoors, we seek expansive sounds and galactic spaces, filled with dark drones or floating harmonies, a sense of adventure and discovery. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, an interstellar journey called COSMIC TRAVELER, with spacemusic by Atlanta composer JONN SERRIE from THOUSAND STAR; by New Zealand musician DAVID PARSONS, from EARTHLIGHT; by electronic musician PHILLIP WILKERSON from SUN TRACER, and by composer MEG BOWLES from BLUE COSMOS. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, cosmic, electronic, deep space, astronomy, stars, galaxy Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no the resonant realm between sound and music http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0902 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0902.mp3 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:14:00 -0800 the resonant realm between sound and music Gongs, bells and bowls. This trio of metal instruments pack a sonic and psychological punch way out of proportion with their utter simplicity. Long revered for their role in religious ceremonies, almost magical in their ability to delight and entrance, they stand virtually alone in the resonant space between music and pure sound. They've been joined in recent years by the synthesizer. It's not simple, but it can create sounds unconstrained by the physical limitations of vibrating materials. As you'll hear...it's a marriage made in heaven. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, another journey in the resonant space of bells, bowls, gongs — and synthesizers, on a program called SACRED SINGING METALS. Music and sound experiences are by XUMANTRA, HUMAN METRONOME and 33 TETRAGAMMON, STEVEN HALPERN, LIQUID BELLS, DEUTER, and KLAUS WIESE. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, bells, bowls, gongs, resonant percussion Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a midwinter piano/chamber/electronic journey http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0901 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0901.mp3 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:44:46 -0800 a midwinter piano/chamber/electronic journey Under the gray skies and chilled atmospheres of winter, we attune to a slower pulse. Activities curtailed for the moment, there's time to dream a bit, and for that we revisit our old standby, the grand piano. Though large and massive in the physical world, in the world of music, the piano can fly and float...on weightless waves of sound. And when combined with ambient electronics, we have a potent vehicle for travel...to deep and distant dimensions. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a piano/chamber/electronic journey called FLOATING REVERIES. Music is by LUDOVICO EINAUDI, ELENI KARAINDROU, BRUNO SANFILLIPO, ASHLEY/ROEDELIUS/STORY, and MICHAEL JONES. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, electronic, piano, chamber music Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no electronica meets chilled-out jazz http://www.hos.com Produced by Steve Davis and Stephen Hill [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0690 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0690.mp3 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:35:24 -0800 electronica meets chilled-out jazz With eerie clarity, JOHN SURMAN's soprano saxophone rings out across a chilled, silent soundscape. It could be tundra, steppes, fjords, ice fields, or mountain valleys. The very ambiguity of the space of this music is part of its power. Judging by recent NASA photos and a little imagination, it could even be a sound heard on Mars. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a late winter report from the intersection of electronica and chilled-out jazz...called MOUNTAINS OF MARS. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, winter, jazz, space jazz, cosmic, electronic, electronica Produced by Steve Davis and Stephen Hill no classical / electronic / world-fusion film music http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0900 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0900.mp3 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:00:54 -0800 classical/electronic/world-fusion film music And it has come to pass in the year two thousand ten, dear spacefans, that we reach another numeric waypoint in our journey together. For our 900th program special, we bring you music that fulfills what one of our artists calls "the quest for the acoustics of emotion beyond any cultural or geographic limits." On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we consider the mainstream of popular film music today: a muscular, melodic ambient fusion of classical, electronic, and ethnic "world music." Our story starts in the 19th century with DEBUSSY, who broke through the conventions of classical orchestration with impressionistic sound paintings like "The Engulfed Cathedral." We have an electronic version by Japanese musician TOMITA from 1974. Then, almost 100 years ago in Paris, 1913, Russian composer IGOR STRAVINSKY's music for the ballet The Rite of Spring famously caused a riot at its premiere. It was too early for electronic instruments, but his scandalous combination of the symphony orchestra with primal dissonances and intense "pagan" rhythms set the stage for what has become the music of epic movies today. The pivotal figure in the development of this style of film score was Greek composer VANGELIS. Beginning with CHARIOTS OF FIRE in 1981, he extended "pagan classical" into "symphonic electronica" — merging synthesizers, rock and ethnic rhythms, and Greek folk melodies. And from there, spacefans, you can draw a straight line to JAMES HORNER'S music for AVATAR. On this 900th transmission of HEARTS of SPACE...a program called CINEMATRONIC. Music is by VANGELIS, ADIEMUS, HANS ZIMMER & LISA GERRARD, AUSTRALIS, KARL JENKINS, JAMES HORNER, IMMERSION THEORY, CONSTANCE DEMBY, PAUL AVGERINOS, LIQUID MIND, and FRANK VAN BOGAERT. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, electronic, cinema, soundtrack, score Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no the evolving world of electronic sound http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0899 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0899.mp3 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:00:00 -0800 the evolving world of electronic sound The history of electronic music extends across most of the 20th century, and continues to evolve in the 21st. And it's not just technology; electronic instruments and the electronic studio have rejuvenated old styles of music and helped create many new ones. The common thread in the story is *sound*. Never before have musicians had so much control over this crucial aspect of music. From the early experimenters and electronic simulations of classical music, through the renaissance of so-called "tone-color" music in the 1970s and 80s, the infinite variations of electronic dance music (starting with Disco), to the personal music of thousands of individual artists and composers — electronic sound provides an infinite palette for creative expression. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we borrow our title from a hot web service for electronic musicians called soundcloud.com. It's a journey in the ever-evolving world of electronic music called SOUNDCLOUD. Music is by ESA KOTILAINEN, ERIK WOLLO & BERNARD WOSTHEINRICH, PATRICK O'HEARN, IGNEOUS FLAME, SLEEPING ME, OOPHOI, and STEVE ROACH. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, winter, chilled, electronica Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no subtle winter skyscapes http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0898 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0898.mp3 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:00:00 -0800 subtle, dynamic winter skyscapes The winter skies are a broad, constantly changing panorama: flat, gray shadowless light....chilled fogs with subtle, desaturated colors.... dramatic dark storm clouds... and brilliant clear days, with infinite horizons of the deepest transparent blue. The ambient music inspired by these environments displays a correspondingly wide range of tones, textures, and techniques: from foggy soundscapes and dark drones, to crystalline percussion and ethereal harmonics. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a program inspired by the winter skies called ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS. Music is by RUSSEL WALDER, JEFF GREINKE, the KEVIN KELLER ENSEMBLE, PETER GARLAND, DEMPSTER-HEASLEY-RIEMAN, JOHN LUTHER ADAMS, and TIM STORY. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, winter, chilled, chamber, electronica Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no Classical/Ambient exploration of the feeling of longing http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Anna Turner [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0004 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0004.mp3 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:15:51 -0800 Classical/Ambient exploration of the feeling of longing This week we return to the very first month of the national Hearts of Space program in 1983. While the memories of those days may be growing a bit hazy, the musical concept we were introducing then is still unusual: a fluid mix of electronic, classical, world folk music, the unfortunately named 'new age' genre, and what BRIAN ENO had only recently defined as "ambient" music. Also unusual was the theme of the show, which focused on the emotion of longing. As we said then: "We'll be moving in the dimension of feeling, on an inward journey...to the spaces of the heart." Emotions are energy-in-motion...fast changing and often hard to define. So we generally leave it to composers to "encode" them within their works. On this program we looked for a feeling, found a group of pieces that shared it, and put them together. They were all, or have become, classics. On this archive edition of HEARTS of SPACE, a program called THE LONGING. Music is by HAROLD BUDD & BRIAN ENO, CONSTANCE DEMBY, SAMUEL BARBER, and PACHELBEL/KOBIALKA. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, winter, hammered dulcimer, strings Produced by Stephen Hill and Anna Turner no chilled electronica for the winter passage http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0897 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0897.mp3 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:00:00 -0800 chilled electronica for the winter passage Happy New Year, Spacefans! Here's one of life's imponderables: while our culture reaches some kind of high point during the end-of-the-year holiday celebrations, for those of us in the Northern hemisphere the natural world is at the low point, or perigee in its yearly cycle. Beneath all the celebration, in the short, chilled days that follow the winter solstice, we find a quiet passage on the long journey to spring. We reflect on the year just past, and make plans and resolutions for the one to come. It's a period of active reflection, a time for looking both inward and outward…at once. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we aim to help that reflection, with a wintry electro-ambient journey called PERIGEE. Music is by SENSITIVE CHAOS, BLUETECH, PAN ELECTRIC & ISHQ, RICHARD BONE, GLEN TARACHOW, GLEN DARCEY, BETWEEEN INTERVAL, GULAN, REMKO ARENTZ, and KLAUS SCHULZE. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, winter, chilled, electronica Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no the warm and brilliant sound of wire-strung instruments http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0614 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0.614.mp3 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:00:00 -0800 the warm and brilliant sound of wire-strung instruments Descending into the cold days and long nights around the winter solstice, our longing for warmth and need for light brings the wire-strung instrument family to the foreground. For centuries, the lyre, the harp, and the dulcimer have brought us comfort and expressed our deepest feelings. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we once again visit the rich and brilliant world of wire-strung sounds on a program called STRINGWAY TO LIGHT. Music is by CHERYL ANN FULTON, CAROL TATUM, GILLIAN SHAW & SHAUN ELDER, LISA LYNNE, MAGGIE SANSONE, RUDIGER OPPERMANN, JOHN ROSE, AINE MINOGUE, and ANGELS of VENICE, 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, solstice, winter, holiday, Celtic, Celtic harp, hammered dulcimer Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no sacred songs for treble voices, choirs and orchestra http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0896 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0896.mp3 Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:48:03 -0800 sacred songs for treble voices, choirs and orchestra n our year-end festivals of sacred music, we touch a human ritual whose origins are lost in time. For millennia, we've gathered in churches and sanctuaries to sing, worship, listen and renew our spirits. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a year's end celebration of the treble voice, the massed chorus and the sublime world of sacred sound, on a program called HYMNS and PSALMS. Music is by LIBERA, STATE OF GRACE, GIORGIA FUMANTI, HAYLEY WESTENRA, LUMINOUS WORLD ORCHESTRA, KEVIN KELLER, ARVO PART, and ALFRED SCHNITTKE. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, winter, sacred, holiday, Christmas, hymns Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no cold day songs from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0895 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0895.mp3 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:00:00 -0800 cold day songs from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia 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. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, winter, folk, medieval, mediaeval Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a winter celebration of the wirestrung harp http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0545 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0545.mp3 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:00:00 -0800 a winter celebration of the wirestrung harp There's something that goes well beyond the rational in the sound of the wire-strung harp: the accumulated tradition of centuries, of course — and the ability to set loose waves of joy and sorrow with just a touch. And when you hear its clear and delicate overtones in the crisp December air, well, it becomes almost irresistible. On this early December transmission of Hearts of Space, an hour of lyrical spacemusic for this venerable and much-loved instrument...on a program called CELTIC HARPESTRY. Music is by RUDIGER OPPERMAN, JOHN DOAN, KIM ROBERTSON, DEBORAH HENSON-CONANT, LISA LYNNE, AINE MINOGUE, DEREK BELL, HECTOR ZAZOU, and LOREENA McKENNITT. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, Celtic, harp, clarsach Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no an ambient acoustic journey for late autumn http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0894 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0894.mp3 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:15:17 -0800 an ambient acoustic journey for late autumn The quiet days after the Thanksgiving celebration are an interlude to rest, regroup, and prepare for the busy holiday season ahead. We turn from the dark times of Scorpio to the season of light; internalize the spirit of gratitude we feel for friends and family and the good fortune we have...and perhaps watch a bit of football while we polish off the last of those endless turkey sandwiches. At Hearts of Space, it's time for us to return to our theme of virtual travel through music. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an ambient acoustic journey for late autumn called IMAGINARY ROADS. Music is by WILL ACKERMAN, PHIL KEAGGY & JEFF JOHNSON, RUSSEL WALDER, WAYNE GRATZ, MICHAEL STRIBLING, BRUNO SANFILIPPO, and the PAUL WINTER CONSORT. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, autumn, fall, piano, acoustic guitar Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no new ambient dimensions in Native American music http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0893 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0893.mp3 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:13:11 -0800 new ambient dimensions in Native American music The story of contemporary Native American music goes back to 1951 and the founding of Canyon Records in Phoenix, Arizona. In the almost 60 years since then, traditional forms have been revived, renewed and celebrated, and new styles have emerged from the creative energy of native and western musicians. From his first Canyon album in 1983, Navajo musician R. CARLOS NAKAI has worked tirelessly to re-establish the Native American cedar flute as an instrument for healing and meditation, extending it far beyond its origins into folk, jazz, country, classical, new age and ambient music. In these new ambient soundscapes, we enter a world of reverence, mystery and ceremony, haunted by the voices of ancient spirits. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we focus on the new ambient dimensions in Native American music...on a journey called TOUCHING THE SKY. Music is by JOHNNY WHITEHORSE, DEBORAH MARTIN & ERIK WOLLO, COYOTE OLDMAN, and SCOTT AUGUST. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, autumn, fall, flute, cedar flute, Native American Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a cello-infused journey for autumn http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0747 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0747.mp3 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0800 a cello-infused journey for autumn In the multi-hued autumn twilight, the rich, coppery tones of the cello resonate naturally with the changing tones of the landscape. Perhaps no western instrument has the musical and emotional range and depth; from its foundational role in the orchestra and the string quartet, to its uncanny vocal emulations and contemplative solo flights — the cello seems to know no boundaries. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a cello-infused journey with piano, strings, and a touch of electric guitar, on a program called NOVEMBER TONES. Music is by the esteemed cellist DAVID DARLING, with Norwegian ambient guitarist TERJE RYPDAL and pianist KETIL BJORNSTAD, MICHAEL GALASSO, JIM FOX, MICHAEL JOHN FINK, and TIGRAN MANSURIAN. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, piano, cello, electric guitar Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no ambient electronics for the waning days of autumn http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0892 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0892.mp3 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0800 ambient electronics for the waning days of autumn No season brings more mixed emotions than autumn. Reluctantly, we say goodbye to the warm, relaxing, active days of summer. It's back to work -- and there's extra work to prepare for the coming winter. The nights grow cool, then cold, and with them the first storms of the season arrive with life-giving rain -- ironically at the very time much of the natural world is withering and dying. In a final irony, nature celebrates with a passing show of wildly intense colors -- a complex palette of reds, oranges, ochres, browns, golds, maroons and purples. The music of the season embraces these contrasts and contradictions, from resolute activity to melancholy resignation. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an ambient electronic journey for autumn called SHADOWFALL 3. Music is by CHAD KETTERING, STEVE ROACH, DAVID PARSONS, A PRODUCE, HAROLD BUDD & CLIVE WRIGHT, and DARSHAN AMBIENT. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, electronic, synthesizer, autumn, fall Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a Halloween journey through sonic underworlds http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0891 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0891.mp3 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:00 -0700 a Halloween journey through sonic underworlds Dark tones echo across a stony gray-green soundscape, ringed by gloom and decay. It's a world of strange smoky atmospheres and floating voices, punctuated by massive attacks and harsh metallic sounds, both chilled...and fiery. Sounds like some kind of trippy video game, doesn't it? Now imagine one that takes you on the journey, but without the game. That, spacefans, is what electronic music was born to do. We mark this All Hallows' Eve transmission of Hearts of Space in the anxious year of 2009, with a journey through sonic underworlds — gray-green and smoky black, adorned with crimson accents and diaphanous silvery sounds — on a program called GHOSTS. Music is by TOR LUNDVALL, HOPE SANDOVAL, RICHARD BONE, BUILDING THE CATHEDRAL, BETWEEN INTERVAL, JOE RENZETTI, MINGO, and TROUM. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, electronic, synthesizer, dark ambient, Halloween Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a chamber/electronic journey for autumn http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0890 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0890.mp3 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:41:48 -0700 a chamber/electronic journey for autumn As we journey deeper into the autumn soundscape the music reflects the progression of the seasons. After the bounty of summer, it's a time of receding, darkening, diminishing…marked by a final blaze of intense color, then desaturation — as life withdraws and retreats. The music of autumn is complex, with foggy timbres, minor key harmonies, descending progressions, and patient suspensions. It's the sound of withdrawl, deflation, and retreat, as the natural world prepares for the rigors of winter. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a chamber/electronic journey for autumn called FADING WORLD. Music is by LUDOVICO EINAUDI, JAMI SIEBER, JEFF GREINKE, AMIINA, and the KEVIN KELLER ENSEMBLE. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, electronic, synthesizer, chamber music, piano, cello, Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a Native flute journey across the great western plateau http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0854 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0854.mp3 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0700 a Native flute journey across the great western plateau Slow, reverent, in tune...and in time...with the rhythms of nature: that's the signature feeling of the Native American flute. Since its revival at the hands of a new generation of native musicians in the 1960s, its gentle tones can now be heard on hundreds of albums and soundtracks. But it seems most resonant during Indian summer and autumn, when the light dims, and smoke settles over the fading tones of the natural world. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a Native flute journey across the great western plateau...called LOST CANYONS. Music is by GARY MALKIN, SCOTT AUGUST, JOHN HULING, R.CARLOS NAKAI, LORAIN FOX, ANTHONY WAKEMAN & MR.SOON, and COYOTE OLDMAN. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, Native American, flute, cedar flute Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no an ambient jazz reflection for autumn http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0889 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0889.mp3 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:00:17 -0700 an ambient jazz reflection for autumn After the fiery days of summer, a spacefan's ear retunes to the mellowing notes and darkening tone colors of autumn. As the sun withdraws and the days grow short, it's time for some laid-back ambient jazz. It's hard to say what makes it ambient. Jazz is generally all about dialogue between great players, but some of them have a contemplative bent, and a taste for larger, slower, deeper spaces. Above all, they listen......for the spaces between the notes. Music is by HERBIE MANN, RON HART, DOUBLE IMAGE, CHICK COREA & GARY BURTON, MARILYN MAZUR & JAN GARBAREK, the MARCIN WASILEWSKI TRIO, and from Norway, the TORD GUSTAVESEN TRIO. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, jazz, space jazz, vibraphone, marimba, piano Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no summer recedes, fall descends http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0888 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0888.mp3 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:42:24 -0700 summer recedes, fall descends Four times a year, the seasons turn. The changes can be subtle or dramatic. These are the times of transition in the natural world — the original, the most pervasive, various and far reaching ambient soundscape of them all. Societies and cultures go through their own transitions. Sometimes they're welcomed; more often, they are resisted, even feared. In nature, the wise, the lucky, and the flexible evolve, and learn to adapt. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we ride the receding energy of summer as it descends into fall, on a program called TIME OF TRANSITION. Music is by JON HOPKINS, BARCELONA, PSICODREAMICS, DAVID HELPLING & JON JENKINS, HAROLD BUDD & CLIVE WRIGHT, BRUNO SANFILIPPO & MATHIAS GRASSOW, DAVID DARLING, and FALLING YOU. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, electronic, electronica Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no the sublime art of Middle Eastern improvisation http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0887 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0887.mp3 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:20 -0700 the sublime art of Middle Eastern improvisation The music of the greater Middle East includes a range of cultures that stretched from Andalusian Spain and North Africa, through Turkish, Arabic, and desert lands to Persia and beyond. While these countries famously have their political differences, they also share a rich history of cultural exchange, common families of instruments, and musical traditions. One of these is the art of taksim or improvisation within the modal system of notes and scales called makam. "Taksim" says Stellamara, "offers the player an infinite language to express the otherwise inexpressible...to travel far beyond imagination into the depths of places intimately known and never before experienced." On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey in Middle Eastern scales and improvisation called TAKSIM. 0:30 ambient, space, space music, contemplative, trance, Middle Eastern, oud, tar, dumbek Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a eulogy for the 20th century...a prayer for the 21st http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0536 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0536.mp3 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:00 -0700 a eulogy for the 20th century...a prayer for the 21st If spring is the season of hope, then it is fitting that in the spring of 1999, Sony Classical released an album by New York composer JONATHAN ELIAS titled THE PRAYER CYCLE. This week we devote the entirety of this 25th Anniversary retrospective transmission of Hearts of Space to this extraordinary recording, which sums up several of the key artistic directions of the program in classical, world, ambient, electronic and vocal music...in a single piece. Jonathan Elias is best known for his work as a composer of music for television commercials and feature films. But nothing in his resume would have hinted at the scope or the depth of this project, which Elias undertook in the period immediately before the birth of his first child. "I was excited by the possibilities for my child," he says, "but I also felt anxiety and sadness about the world she was about to enter. With all the wondrous advances of mankind, it was painful to acknowledge the other defining characteristic of the 20th century, which is more calculated and cold-blooded than any other period of recorded history. Is man's inhumanity to man as common in our nature as other forms of survival? With these thoughts and concerns, I began to write 'The Prayer Cycle.'" The effect of this brilliant multi-cultural, multi-language production is powerfully moving and very appropriate to the underlying message: "Prayer," says composer Elias, "is what we turn to when the only thing we have left...is hope." 0:30 ambient, contemplative, sacred, spiritual, choral, world, masterpiece Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a retro-future-ambient-lounge journey http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0850 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0850R.mp3 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:15:57 -0700 a retro-future-ambient-lounge journey We begin with PAUL HASLINGER's tribute to late 1950s space-age exotica, a genre popularized by creative, eclectic arrangers like MARTIN DENNY and JUAN-GARCIA ESQUIVEL. *Lovingly* revived in the early 1990s under the banner "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music" or just "Space Age Pop," its influences are still with us in the quietly expanding genres of Chill, Downtempo, Ambient Lounge and other variants of laid-back electronic exotica. The appeal is clear: a nice cold cocktail, some cool beats and ambient electronics makes a perfectly relaxing space for socializing. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a retro-future-ambient-lounge journey called TIKITRONICA. Music is by PAUL HASLINGER, TWILIGHT ARCHIVE, MARCONI UNION, EVAN MARC & STEVE HILLAGE, KLAUS HOFFMANN-HOOCK & BERNHARD WOSTHEINRICH, JOHAN AGEBJORN, and AURAH. Turn it up and call your friends... 0:30 ambient, space, space music, electronic, electronica, contemplative, tiki, lounge, exotica, Martin Denny Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a retrospective of the early years of the seminal German electronic band http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0886 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0886.mp3 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:00:00 -0700 a retrospective of the early years of the seminal German electronic band Now *there's* a sound that's sure to warm the heart of any aficionado of vintage analog electronics and classic tape loop echo: the seminal German band TANGERINE DREAM from their celebrated 1974 album "Phaedra." With a name inspired by a then-popular brand of LSD, Tangerine Dream, or T.DREAM to their legions of fans over the last 40 plus years, has probably done more to influence composers of instrumental ambient, space, and electronic dance music than anyone else, in a career that includes almost 100 albums, over 80 compilations, 39 film scores, and hundreds of live concerts all over the world. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a retrospective look at highlights of an epic career that's still going strong, called TANGERINE DREAMING. The only constant of Tangerine Dream has been founder EDGAR FROESE. Under his direction, the group has navigated over three dozen personnel changes and still been amazingly productive. Striking out from the Berlin art school scene in 1967, Froese and his early colleagues KLAUS SCHULZE, CONRAD SCHNITZLER, CHRISTOPHER FRANKE, PETER BAUMANN, and later JOHANNES SCHMOELLING and PAUL HASLINGER, charted just the right course between electronic experimentation, ambient atmospherics, 'classical' minimalism, and melodic popular music. They must have been doing something right, because they took off in the early 1970s and have burned brightly for over 30 years. Writer JOHN BUSH says "the recordings of Tangerine Dream had the greatest impact on the widest variety of instrumental music during the 1980s and '90s, from the most atmospheric new age and space music to the harshest abrasions of electronic dance." With almost 40 years of music to choose from, there's just no way to sum up T.DREAM in an hour, and we're not going to try. So this show is a collection of mostly early pieces (and some 1980s film music) from the era when the dream of unlimited electronic sound, fuelled by mind-expanding chemistry, ambition and commerce, inspired artists to swing for the galaxies with their music. Even if they never got to Alpha Centauri, they pushed the envelope a long, long way. 0:30 ambient, contemplative, space music, spacemusic, electronic, T.Dream, Teutronic Electronic Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no a non-verbal language of the soul http://www.hos.com Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis [love@hos.com] music http://www.hos.com/php/showProgram.php?program=0573 http://www.hos.com/rss/podcast_audio/promo0573.mp3 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:00:00 -0700 a non-verbal language of the soul If the synthesizer freed composers to create new sounds, and the electronic studio enabled them to create new sound images, then the equivalent liberation for singers would be to abandon words...and create a language of pure sound. These are what vocalist LISA GERRARD calls *shapes*: improvised, but precisely felt sounds that meet the emotional demands of the music — but are free from the restrictions of words. But language has been called no less than "the defining characteristic of human civilization,""the one prime mover of human evolution...technology and social achievements." Yet the tradition of singing without words has a long history. It extends deep into ancient cultures, moves though folk, sacred and choral music, and has been reinvented today by jazz and avant garde singers — and a new generation of vocalists, searching for a broadly inclusive spirituality in their music: a non-verbal language of the soul. On this 25th Anniversary retrospective series edition of Hearts of Space, a program called SONGS WITHOUT WORDS. Music is by THOMAS BARQUEE, STEPHAN MICUS, LISA GERRARD, DAVID HYKES and the HARMONIC CHOIR, VAS, and THOMAS OTTEN. 0:30 ambient, contemplative, sacred, spiritual, choral Produced by Stephen Hill and Steve Davis no