First, let me give my best wishes for 2010 to all of you!!
What better way to start the new year than with a brand new mix ánd a brand new design (thanks Ingmar from Planet KL!)?
The design change is symbolic, in a way: after publishing a lot of mixes in 2009, all of wich were created for radio broadcast, it is now time to take a further step and start publishing new mixes.
“Miserere” is the first of these brand new mixes to be published.
“Miserere” has taken its name from the concluding piece: Gregoria Allegri’s Miserere, as performed by the Tallis Scholars.
For me, this polyphonic church music, written in 1638 for two choirs (positioned on opposite sided of the church), is an example of music close to perfection.
It may not be an obvious choice for an “ambient-electronic” mix – but if you have heard my previous mixes you know that I like to stretch the boundaries a bit and “ambient” as well as “electronic” are definitions that may not always fit the style.
While working on this mix, I soon felt that this piece had to be the conclusion, and that it should not be combined with other pieces of music or environmental sounds.
It is the coda of the mix before, where human voice seems to struggle to be heard in threatening, artificial landscapes: Meredith Monk‘s wordless syllables in the beginning, Jónsi and Alex‘ boys choir in the middle and finally the concluding Miserere. Inbetween, the sounds are dark, brooding, threatening.
This mix turned out to be quite dark, compared to the others published before – maybe due to the winter days of year it was created in. But, in a way, it is also quite “romantic”.
The landscapes are artificial and fearsome, the dream sometimes comes close to a nightmare.
But in the end, there’s always hope..
This mix was created in november/december, 2009.
MISERERE PLAYLIST
- 0:00 Robert Hampson – Ahead Only the Stars
– Vectors, 2009 Touch TO:71 - 0:10 Meredith Monk – Liquid Air
– Mercy, 2002 Ecm 1829 - 1:14 Don Peyote – The Guardian
– Eternal Now, 2009 Don Peyote Recordings DPY1CD004 - 3:02 Martin O’Donnell, Michael Salvatori – The Rookie
– Halo 3 ODST Soundtrack, 2009 Something Else - 6:47 Kreng – Slaapliedje
– L’Autopsie Phénomenale de Dieu, 2009 Miasmah MIALP010 - 7:16 The Caretaker – I Saw Your Face in a Dream
– We’ll all go riding on a Rainbow, 200x v/VM Test records VVMTCD15 - 7:29 Thomas Köner – 31 46 N 35 12 E Hour Ten
– La Barca, 2009 Fario cd09 - 9:43 Nigel Samways – City of Gas Streetlamps
– Veilleur de Nuit, 2009 Experimedia EXP051 - 10:09 Rafael Anton Irrisarri – Still
– Musique Pour Statues Menhirs, 2009 Arbouse recording arbou26 - 12:58 Michel Banabila – Tape (Mix 2)
– Changing Structures, 2009 soundcloud - 13:22 Jóhann Jóhannsson – The Flat
– And in the endless Pause there came the sound of Bees, 2009 Type Type64LP - 16:02 Jónsi & Alex – Sleeping Giant
– Riceboy Sleeps, 2009 Parlophone 5099996300220 - 17:00 Michel Banabila – Zeer Duister (voor Peter van Cooten)
– Not on album, 2007 unreleased - 17:29 Kreng – Mythobarbital
– L’Autopsie Phénomenale de Dieu, 2009 Miasmah MIALP010 - 19:06 Benjamin Dauer – Murmur
– Ceci N’Est pas une Pipe, 2009 Public Space Labs PS010 - 21:20 Taylor Deupree – 6 A.M.
– Favourite Places 1, 2007 Audiobulb 2007 AB016 - 22:33 Robert Hampson – Ahead
– Only the Stars – Vectors, 2009 Touch TO:71 - 24:04 Franz Hautzinger – Deep T.
– Gomberg II, 2007 Loewenhertz 018 - 25:25 Franz Hautzinger – Fahne
– Gomberg II, 2007 Loewenhertz 018 - 26:20 Murcof – Isaías IV
– La Sangre Illuminada, 2009 Intolerancia Records - 28:11 Exuviae – Wane and Flicker
– Intrinsic Luminance, 2009 Endless Ascent ea007 - 30:15 Jónsi & Alex – Boy 1904
– Riceboy Sleeps, 2009 Parlophone 5099996300220 - 33:22 Sleep Research Facility – Dark Side of the Lune
– Au Clair de La Lune, 2009 Infrequency 005 - 34:05 Else Marie Pade – Illustrations – The Palace of the Sea King
– Water-colours of the Sea, 2009 Dacapo Records 8.226544 - 34:44 Netherworld – Jostedaal
– Zaum, 2009 Psychonavigation Records PSY029 - 37:02 Else Marie Pade – Illustrations – The Palace of the Sea King
– Water-colours of the Sea, 2009 Dacapo Records 8.226544 - 37:41 Ronald van der Meijs – Under the Dream
– Private collection, 2009 unreleased - 39:05 Lawrence English – Quiet Planigale
– Favourite Places 2, 2009 Audiobulb AB026 - 43:27 Clint Mansell – We’re Not Programs, Gerty, We’re People
– Moon OST, 2009 Black Records CMCD001 - 44:15 Elegi – Fandens Bre
– Varde, 2009 Miasmah MIACD009 - 45:18 Hildur Gudnadottir – Unveiled
– Without Sinking, 2009 Touch TO:70 - 45:31 Hildur Gudnadottir – Elevation
– Without Sinking, 2009 Touch TO:70 - 47:35 Last Days – Thoughts of Alice
– The Safety of the North, 2009 n5MD MD166 - 50:12 Wixel – Jotunheimen
– Norway, 2009 (august) 2009.bandcamp.com - 51:08 Scanner – Leoni
– Consegnaci, Bambina, I Tuoi Occhi, 2009 Horus Music - 51:37 Robert Henke – Indigo_Transform
– Indigo_Transform, 2009 Imbalance Computer Music ICM 08 - 52:46 Mathew Adkins – Sea Soundscape
– [60] Project, 2008 Impreintes digitales IMED0898 - 55:00 Roland Etzin – On the Bus
– Recorded in the Field by…, 2006 Gruenrekorder Gruen033 - 55:13 Elian – It was over, just like that
– And Then, One Day, It was over, just like that, 2008 Trans>Parent Radiation Trans012 - 55:20 Murcof – Eugenio
– La sangre Iluminada, 2009 Intolerancia Records - 56:30 The Caretaker – Past Life Regression
– Persistent Repetition of Phrases, 2008 History Always Favours the Winners HAFTWDL003 - 57:07 The Gentleman Losers – Oblivion’s Tide
– Dustland, 2009 City Centre Offices TowerblockCD043 - 57:50 Aaron Ximm (The Quiet American) – Starboard
– Maritime Suite, 200x self-released - 58:00 The Tallis Scholars – Gregorio Allegri – Miserere (3 fragments)
– Allegri: Miserere, 2005 Gimsell Records GIMSE401
I almost forgot how great ISAIAS IV by Murcof is… this mix is full of gems
Listening now. Very good flow…
Very elegant composition. I usually prefer mixes (also when mixing myself) that keep most of the tracks, to retain their natural development, but here the chopping and multitracking is done in a very effective and, well, amazingly graceful manner )) Big up!
44 tracks in 60 minutes? (That’s how you sing) amazing grace.
Instant sonic nostalgia! Great work
A Soundtrack for a day of sorrow in Norway
Hello, Boris. It is sad to here you have a poor health, i wish you felt better soon.
And frankly speaking i was shocked when heard that ambientblog files moved so soon! Subscribed to e-mail notifications! Take care!
Thanks:) I’m doing great now. Got a few lingering issues, the main one being I’m diabetic now, but that’s not bad for what I went through:)
I’m speechless after reading this and your blog post. What can I say? I wish you good health and long life. For me, Miserere will sound different from now on.
Well it seemed weird and for ambient music your blog is the best out there IMO so I wanted to see what was happening.
Was very sick in 2010. Full details on my mess of a blog if you care to scroll back to the end of 2010 for a very long read that has bought many people to tears. That blood transfusion was the final of about 40 I had that year due to being seriously ill.
And yes, I’m awesome now thanks:) Though given what I went through I really have no right to be.
I was laying there in a hospital bed listening to that one mix of yours on loop. It was the first one I downloaded from here and I’m very fond of it.:)
As for download speeds, iTunes does it all for me anyway so I won’t notice the speeds.:) But if I ever host a podcast you’ve warned me away from Podbean.
Hello Boris
Glad you found out about the migration.
Thanks for letting me know.
I was afraid of some confusion…. Today the old podcast was removed from ITunes so I just hope that subscribers will check here like you did, or search for “ambientblog” on iTunes to resubscribe to the new podcast.
The reward will be that the files will download MUCH faster and start playing instantly.
I’m impressed to hear about your blood transfusion. Six hours…!
I am very glad and flattered that Miserere has helped a bit, hope you are in good health now!
Tunes started throwing an error requiring a login and I assumed you’d gone private. Glad I decided to look into it and find out you’d moved.
Your Misiere (I may have misspelled that) mix saw me through a six hour long blood transfusion in late 2010. Thanks for that:)
Just wanted to drop by and say cheers for including my track among such incredible talent! I appreciate you taking the time to listen to my music and am glad you enjoyed it enough to place it in this mix. And without knowing, you posted this on my birthday too! Thanks again
Thanks a lot for all your reactions!
Still can’t stop listening to this mix. So good.
Dank voor de mooie Miserere mix.
Hieronder een Greg Haines mix-tip met eveneens het Miserere.
http://subvertcentral.blogspot.com/2010/01/subversion-stop-60-subversion.html
For non-dutch readers: Subversion features a mix by Greg Haines also featuring Allegri’s Miserere. Check it here:
http://subvertcentral.blogspot.com/2010/01/subversion-stop-60-subversion.html
yeah peter, great mix….!
and thanks a lot for the detailed tracklisting….
Very nice mix!
I’ve had your music player going all evening, excellent stuff. I’ll be back for more!
I have listened to Miserere which I enjoyed. I thought when looking at the track listing there could be too many pieces in it, but they all fitted together really well and I will listen again to it tonight.
I think it must have taken some time to get the sequencing right.
Listening to it right now. Fantastic. Dark and spooky. Loving it.
Loved this mix, especially hearing Hildur’s brilliant Unveiled in it… Thanx, keep up this great work and have a good 2010!
Terrific. Made a great soundtrack for my morning musings. Thanks, S
absolutely fantastic mix! I’m totally inspired by “Miserere”. It really makes me want to sit down & work on something new.
een betere 2010 start kan ik moi niet wensen qua muziek, danku!