Headphone Commute

Well, it’s almost the end of this dreadful year, and I’ve got one more mix for you before I sign off… This one is episode number 290. Can you believe it? By the way, I was recently forced (by my host) to take all of my past mixes offline. As a result, I’ve migrated the last year of mixes to Podbean. So if you are experiencing any technical difficulties with downloading, streaming, or anything else, please reach out, and we’ll sort it! Meanwhile, this beautiful selection from noition, who last contributed his child of nature mix back in 2017, should get you smooth sailing into the new year. Just look at that amazing tracklist! It’s been on rotation in Headphone Commute studios for a week now (vinyl crackle and all), so as you play it, you can imagine that we’re sharing this experience together, a better thought than listening alone. Anyway, I wish you all serenity, poised mental strength, and healthy choice in lifestyle! I’ll see you [virtually] next year when I return with my Best of 2020 selections!

In case you haven’t heard already, I’ve taken over the Contemplative Classical community, which curated an outstanding Spotify Playlist, hosted a podcast with Matt Emery, and offered the platform for artists to feature a mix. I intend on keeping all of the above going [more on this one a bit later!], with a bit of cross-pollination with Headphone Commute. Most of you already know that I enjoy solo piano and contemporary classical music, and I’m sure many followers of Contemplative Classical will appreciate my musings on here about ambient and cinematic music. I kind of hate to use the word “synergy” but if there was ever one of an appropriate union, it would be HC + CC.  Today I wanted to introduce you to the outstanding selection of mixes previously appearing on Contemplative Classical, with the syndication of this gorgeous selection of tracks by a Peruvian pianist and a composer, Sergio Díaz De Rojas. He is also responsible for a site and a label called Piano and Coffee, so you’re in good company here! If y

Shimmering Moods is an independent boutique ambient label based in Amsterdam. In the last couple of years, it has released albums by Halftribe, Andrew Tasselmyer, Anthéne, øjeRum, Purl, and Olan Mill, among the many recognized names in its quickly growing roster of artists. It’s easy to get lost in its catalog among the hazy, shuffling, dubbed-out sounds, glinting and shimmering, reflecting the light off the still misty waters. This is a very tranquil and radiant place, slightly subdued in its faint hazy colors. “The music offers the listener a soundtrack for daydreaming, walks around the city or in nature, a creative activity, meditation, or invites them to a fully concentrated listen.” Today I am happy to share these sounds with you in this special label showcase compiled exclusively for Headphone Commute. And if you like what you hear, be sure to visit the label’s Bandcamp shop, where every limited release is lovingly packaged, hand-made, and bespoke, awaiting to meet at your doorsteps and share its wonder

On today’s Headphone Commute podcast, we’re syndicating an episode of James Murray‘s Slowcraft Radio (episode 4, to be exact), on which this London-based composer and Slowcraft Records label boss showcases some of his favorite pieces. These, of course, include selections released on his own imprint, as well as remixes and collaborations [including one with yours truly] on the extended family of labels, such as Subcontinental, Ultimae, and Home Normal. Among the choices, you’d be happy to hear an Alva Noto cover of The Cure‘s “A Forest”, an excerpt from a beautiful long-form track by An Moku & Stijn Hüwels titled Where We Meet (I’ve got some proper coverage on this release coming up!), and a top pick from our very own album, coming out in just a week, titled Suññatā, on November 17th. This particular episode appeared on October 17th at CAMP, a broadcasting platform for artists offering a “diverse array of audible pleasures,” but for my own taste, I’m not gonna lie, there’s only room for Slowcraft… For a mo

Kit Grill is a London-based producer and a host at NTS Radio, dabbling in various genres, ranging from Krautrock to New Wave to Post-Punk and Ambient. On November 6th, Grill is releasing his new album, titled Ride, on his own Primary Colours imprint, exploring new timbres, textures, and field recordings using the Fairlight CMI digital synthesizer from the early 80s. To celebrate the release, Kit has put together a Headphone Commute Mix featuring an eclectic selection of his favorite tunes, including a few from the album. It’s a unique excursion into the sound from around the world, with appearances of some early electronic music from the likes of Steve Reich, Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd among the contemporaries, such as Mica Levi, GAS, and Windy & Carl. Grill’s new album will be streaming on November 12th from Ten Studios in East London, meanwhile, sit back, and enjoy the show… For a more detailed description, full track listing and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

For this 285th Headphone Commute Mix, James Norman puts together a selection of tracks as a companion listening session to his recently published book, titled “Micro Record Label: A love letter for music fans; a how-to for the hopeless; a light-hearted, humorous, self-deprecating detour for the uninterested.” The paperback is both a fun read and an important and earnest bit of advice for anyone who even conceives of venturing into a running a small, or rather, a micro record label. Covering everything from design to packaging to promoting and finally selling your goods, this 144-page diary captures the current state of affairs in the music scene outside of the music business. Along the way, Norman mentions many of his favorite releases across various imprints that just seem to do it right. This mix features many of such pieces quoted in the book and serves as a perfect musical journey and as a soundtrack to his recorded words. There are only 200 of these printed, so I recommend that you grab your copy (I see

Bigo & Twigetti is a London based label which, in recent years, has brought us an eclectic selection of artists ranging from ambient to electronic to contemporary classical genres and everything in between. Most recently, I’ve been inspired by Ben Crosland and his album The Turn as well as captivated by the always excellent Leah Kardos [who still owes me an introduction to her best friend, Dudley]. Leah has previously made us a Headphone Commute Mix, but for this installment, I’ve asked her to compile a sampler of the label’s offerings to showcase the catalog and hopefully discover some new acts. It’s an eclectic selection of tunes, perfect for your WFH commute. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

Peter van Cooten of Ambientblog is no stranger to Headphone Commute. We have been musing on our discoveries for almost a decade now, exchanging mixes and words in a tightly knit musical network. His first mix for Headphone Commute podcast appeared back in 2011, titled Dawn Secrets and it features many of my favorite artists to this day. I think it's only fair to say that Dave Michuda of Low Light Mixes is also part of the said "network", with his first mix for Headphone Commute appearing in August of 2010 (also a decade ago), titled The Landscape Listens. For this special syndicated podcast, Dave and Peter create a cooperative voyage, each taking their turns to conduct and maneuver this ship in complex sonic waters to deliver you safely ashore, while in the process forever tattooing their message on your map of existence. Enjoy! For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

On today’s episode of Headphone Commute, we’re featuring an eclectic selection of tunes curated by a German composer, J. Wolfgang Röttger, who records under his moniker Morgen Wurde. About three years ago, I was completely mesmerized by his "Assassinous Act" for Time Released Sound which is still appearing on my occasional rotations. He has also contributed to the long-running Pop Ambient compilation series, curated by the one and only Wolfgang Voigt. There are a lot of familiar tracks and some new discoveries on this mix, which give you a glimpse into this artist’s influences that inevitably shape his sound. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

In order to understand the present, sometimes one must look into the past. It is, after all, the memories that make up the “you” of who you are. If you are to erase them, and your past, would you be an entirely new person? Perhaps you’ll make the same mistakes again. And buy all that expensive vinyl. In the case of Orangewarrior, the past includes a collection of electronic and ambient music of the mid-90s. And that precisely coincides with my very own “becoming” of the time, which is why I’m very much excited about this special mix. This is a fun journey down memory lane which I hope you will enjoy with us. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

Gavin Miller is back, this time with his worriedaboutsatan project, showcasing some of his favourite pieces, including a few of his own, like the opener taken from his latest release for n5MD. We live in a strange and unstable world, but the only constant that remains is all of this music. So when I find myself overwhelmed with the latest events, I turn to meditation through sound, with a journey curated by someone else. Through this mix, I feel like we are listening together, and as such, connected again. 'I made this mix with not much in mind, to be honest,' says Miller of his selection, 'I’ve been listening to all sorts of music lately, and I just wanted it to be a fair reflection of that more than anything.' For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

Time goes by. Time stands still. Time loops upon itself. And if it wasn’t for the sound, changing as it flows through time, and for the clouds, nudging time as they pass through, we wouldn’t even notice all the changes. Was it really you, a month ago, a year and a decade, and was it really me? Or is it still somewhere out there, in other space, in other time? And as we measure time in colors of the seasons, in the music of the spheres, and in the ever-present change, it’s through transitions of ourselves, in time, that we experience this ‘living’. Today’s mix is inspired by such passages through time. And as time appears to stand still, we may be experiencing an enormous transition for the entire humankind. It’s better with this music. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

Today we have a 3.5 hour showcase by Roel Funcken, who has put together a Sampler Mix from a double-volume Australia Bushfire Compilation, which he has curated for Touched Music. This is a benefit release approaching 70+ tracks selected from the musicians around the world to raise funds 'for the rescue, preservation and safe sanctuary of koalas and other vulnerable wildlife affected by the unprecedented catastrophic fires of the Australian Black Summer (September 2019 – February 2020) resulting in a massive loss of habitable forests.' Yes, during the current global [human] crisis it’s easy to forget about the disaster that has recently occurred on a remote continent, but it’s important to remember and support this endangered species in the time of need. I hope you enjoy and support this endeavor by purchasing the compilation, as 100% of the profits will be donated to Australians for Animals for Koala Habitat. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit

On today’s podcast, we are featuring an exclusive mix by Arandel who has recently released a new album on the French Infiné imprint, titled 'InBach'. As you may have already guessed, Arandel’s work interprets the German composer’s sacred music into an updated formation of modern classical and contemporary electronic sound. In March of 2018, Arandel participated in the Bach Marathon at the Cite de la Musique Hall, Paris with his hybrid live performance and DJ set 'Switched on Bach', named in acknowledgment to the legendary 1968 Grammy Award-winning album by the American composer Wendy Carlos. 'Switched-on InBach' re-engineers the original mix played by Arandel with the perfected and mastered versions from his album 'InBach' alongside some amazing artists, such as Francesco Tristano, Murcof, and Sutekh. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

This mix was originally broadcast on Headphone Commute in December of 2012. It was created to promote the benefit compilation, under the same name, … and darkness came, and in the process showcase the diverse sonic landscape of music featuring just a handful of tracks from the release. Well, it’s been over eight years since those events, but the music is as pungent as ever, especially during these devastating times, when you can find comfort in its sound. In the last couple of weeks, I found myself revisiting these compositions, and after some thought, I decided to reshare this somber mix. I hope that you’ll connect with it again and, in the process, spread the love to those in times of need. And as always, please enjoy responsibly and support the featured artists! For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

For today’s podcast, we are featuring an outstanding label showcase for LINE, mixed by the one and only Richard Chartier. For this mix, which is also available at Name Your Price on Line’s Bandcamp [I highly recommend you grab the lossless version there!], Chartier showcases works from the most recent and back catalog of his monumental label, in the process creating more than just a label sampler, but a journey of its own. If this is your first foray into minimalism, sound art, and microsound spearheaded by LINE, then strap yourself in as you discover the many intimate layers in this most intricate of genres. The loyal followers of this monumental imprint will be happy to discover a few recent inclusions, such as a piece by Six Microphones, or the most recent release from Joaquín Gutiérrez Hadid, as well as some flashbacks to the earlier pieces by Asmus Tietchens, William Basinski + Richard Chartier, and of course, an appearance by Pinkcourtesyphone. A wonderful exhibition, which, once again, I urge you to su

It’s nearly two months into the new decade and yet I’m still celebrating the music of the past year. And why wouldn’t I, especially when the selection of the favorites is put together by Ryan Griffin of A Strangely Isolated Place? In a true Reflection On 2019, Griffin handpicks the tracks that have accompanied him through his journey, including that of his label which has put out some of the best records in of the year. These are all of my loved ones as well, so I couldn’t resist the syndication of this wonderful mix on Headphone Commute. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

On today’s program, Brussels-based Sylvain Chauveau stops by to share his favorite records with the listeners and followers of Headphone Commute. This is an eclectic selection, ranging from acoustic songs to classical and to traditional Japanese music. It’s an hour full of surprises, like a personal mixtape, made lovingly just for you. Chauveau has recently released a new album on FatCat titled Simple featuring music taken from his film scores, collecting atmospheric vignettes in 18 beautiful, lyrical works. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

Boy, do I have a special treat for you! Just as I thought we were finished, and the selections of best of the year came rushing in, I realized that we have more to celebrate at the turn of the decade. So, the ever trustworthy Mike Jedlicka of Optic Echo Presents whipped out his overflowing crates of vinyl and began digging for his favorites to make you another mix! I have to say, there are a lot of surprises on here, and the choices are not that obvious, which makes this unique selection that much more exciting! It’s a trip and a half and is a perfect way to bid farewell to the 10’s of the 21st century. So, turn on, tune in, and of course, drop out... For a more detailed description, full tracklisting, and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com

Good morning and welcome to 2020. We kick off another decade with our annual tradition of celebrating the music of yesteryear, by presenting to you our favourites and recommendations. There will be enough here to fill your shelves and empty your wallets, and all that is coming up in just a couple of days, but we open up our tribute with another vinyl-only mix by Mike Jedlicka of Optic Echo Presents, to tease your ears with his selections of this still-spinning format. For a more detailed description, full tracklisting and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com