Hearts Of Space Promo Podcast

As another massive storm disrupts the Eastern United States, there can be no doubt that winter is upon us with all its power. A gray-white tempest of snow, sleet, ice and freezing rain, punctuated by periods of intense cold — winter slows us down and challenges us to maintain our lives in its wake. Music of the northern countries provides a respite, with melodies and harmonies that wrap us in a feeling of warmth and space. On this transmission of Hearts of Space we focus on the piano and strings, on a program called WINTER HARMONIES 2. Featured artists include LUDOVICO EINAUDI, KATHRYN KAYE, KEVIN KELLER, DAVID LANZ, BLOW UP HOLLYWOOD, CHAD LAWSON, DARSHAN AMBIENT, and KETIL BJORNSTAD & SVANTE HENRYSON. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

WINTER brings a special challenge for ambient musicians—a wider range of atmospheric, visual, and sonic themes than other seasons. In the northern hemisphere, the chilled arctic latitudes and mountain heights see powerful storms with snow, sleet, and ice, creating a frozen world of winter white; on the temperate coasts, we have cycles of rain — a fertile world of winter wet; while in the southern latitudes, it’s a cool world of winter green. On clear winter nights, as the temperature drops, activity slows and stops. Nature rests...in a quiet world of meditative stillness, under the slowly changing cosmic panorama. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, chilled ambient soundscapes for quiet winter nights, on a program called WINTER CALM. Music is by PANGAEA PROJECT, ISOSTATIC, ÓLAFUR ARNALDS, ARIN AKSBERG, BIOSPHERE, NETHERWORLD, AMONGST MYSELVES, JEFF GREINKE, and STORMLOOP. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

Consider, dear listeners, the unresolved interval between Christmas and the New Year. 
Some of us work, some don't. Some socialize with friends and family, some enjoy a good book. A fortunate minority take vacations in warm places; the rest of us return unwanted gifts, make resolutions for the new year, clean out closets, take in a movie, and keep busy to disguise the lack of normal purpose. In general, it's an ill-defined and unsettled week in our national calendar until New Year's eve parties and a massive day of football bring some all-American clarity back to the picture. In the week to come, we start the new year and whatever the 'new normal' is. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE we wish you a stellar new year, and bring you a soundtrack for this phantom period on a program called INTERLUDE. Music is by JEFF OSTER, MARK ISHAM, KATHRYN KAYE, TIM STORY, LUDOVICO EINAUDI, BOB HOLROYD, DARSHAN AMBIENT, and introducing cellist JONATHAN HUGH. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 seco

As we pass the winter solstice and begin the end of the year holidays, the sounds of the season take on a celebratory and spiritual air. In the far northern country of Norway, it's always a white Christmas, and the music strikes a balance between the somber isolation of the long Arctic nights, and the cheerful lights and rituals of the holiday season. Northern European folk and classical music covers a wide range of emotion. In Norway, it's often plaintive and austere, yet full of intense feeling; a fusion of darkness and light — from joyful hymns and lovely wedding marches, to melancholy songs and solitary prayers. The resonant bite of the Hardanger fiddle, the rich cushion of the organ, the soft tones of the harp, and the extraordinary vocals — create a musical experience that's been refined and deepened for hundreds of years. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a Nordic holiday journey from our longtime guest producer ELLEN HOLMES of ADAGIO RECORDINGS, on a program called STARLIGHT NORTH. Music is by

IN WINTER the kinetic rhythms, crystalline tones and subtle timbres of the synthesizer seem to resonate with the chilled landscape. Whether flying over silent fields, frozen lakes and snow-covered hills, evoking the latent energy of the sleeping flora, or sounding the deep notes of a cold and barren world—electronic music creates a soundscape for the season. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an hour of superchilled winter electronica, on a program called ELECTRONIC NORTH. Music is by MARCONI UNION, CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, CONNECT.OHM, OOPHOI & PAUL VNUK, JR., and PATRICK O'HEARN. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

Unless you've studied medieval history, it's hard to imagine how different life in Europe must have been in the 1100's—a pre-scientific, pre-industrial world of manual labor, general illiteracy, baffling pandemics, and short lives—dominated from birth to death by the Catholic church. In this environment, one figure stands out, not least because she was a woman—the great German composer, writer, philosopher, visionary, mystic, and saint HILDEGARD VON BINGEN. Her music is beautiful, elegant, and sounds surprisingly modern. In addition to her music, she founded two monasteries, invented the scientific study of natural history, wrote books on theology and medicine, and composed hymns, chants, poems, and liturgical dramas. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a Contemporary-Medieval journey, featuring interpretations of 12th century sacred vocal music by HILDEGARD VON BINGEN, plus original music inspired by her work, on a program called EVENSONG. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second

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. [view playlist ] [view Flickr image gallery] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

In the 1950s and 60s, the new sounds of electronic music emerged from academic laboratories in Europe and the United States. The motivations were self-consciously experimental, artistic, and technical. In Cologne, Germany, one great innovator was the powerful theorist and teacher KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN. One of his surprising early discoveries was that unlike acoustic instruments, abstract electronic sounds seemed to create the impression of cosmic space. "In my imagination," Stockhausen said, "I can fly anywhere—to the stars—use the music as a flying device, to unify with the cosmic forces. I think it's important that...we are instruments ourselves, and that cosmic vibrations create sounds through us." It was the beginning of what we now call Electronic Spacemusic. Today, inexpensive instruments and recording software allow anyone to create electronic music, and the sounds of space are all around us — in music and film, games and video. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another cosmic-electronic journey

THE FLUTE is perhaps the oldest musical instrument—a primitive but effective technology for turning breath into resonant sound, and eventually turning structured sound into music. Flutes arrived about 50,000 years ago in diverse cultures around the prehistoric world. In Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, ancient artisans made early flutes from reeds and grasses, and the hollow bones of animals and birds. The Anasazi tribes of the American Southwest made simple end-blown flutes from the soft, aromatic wood of western cedar trees. They were said to be used for courtship and healing. Typically tuned to a pentatonic minor scale, their plaintive sound seems to resonate with the wistful emotions of the fall season and the endless spaces of the Southwestern desert. The Native American flute was revived in the 1960s by the pioneering native label Canyon Records, who released hundreds of albums by native artists, including flute recordings by R.Carlos Nakai and others. The instrument became popular in th