“Utsura-Utsura” is a japanese expression indicating the ‘fluctuation between alert wakefulness and a state of half-sleep’. Or at least: I was told that it means something like that…can anyone confirm this?
True or not, this is exactly what this hour-long mix is about: between being awake and half asleep. Sigur Rós, Arve Henriksen and Helios may be your grip to reality in this somewhat abstract, sometimes hallucinatory sound.
Like it’s companion mix (“Strange Birds“, published last week) this mix was also broadcast in April 2008.
It’s a further walk in the same landscape. Sometimes the tension may rise somewhat, but the view remains spectacular.
This mix is concluded by the Soccer Committee song ‘True’ that also gave this mix it’s title.
In her search for quietness, Mariska Baars (Soccer Committee) has proven that ‘ambient’ music does not necessarily involves ‘electronics’.
The central thematic piece in this mix is Christina Kubisch‘ “Tea Time (Autumn Leaves Mix)“, from Gruenrecorder’s “Autumn Leaves” – male singers communicating as if they were birds, twittering words like “Who’s awake?“, “Me Too!” and “Who cooks for you?“.
This spring-like chatter evokes a strange and hypnotic landscape sometimes unnerving, sometimes comforting.
This mix was created february – march 2008, together with “True“. It was definitely an early spring that year!
According to my dictionary, ‘Allegaar‘ translates to ‘Hotchenpotch‘ – but I can imagine there may be a better word for that!?
Just like the previous mix (“Leftover Mix“), this 2008 mix has no special theme, it’s just a collection of tracks mixed together fairly randomly. But in their new context the tracks seem to start to tell their own new story!
Though the title may give the impression that this mix consists of ‘second choice music’, that is definitely nót the case!
These tracks did not find their way to a 2007 Folio radio show, but were too good to stay unnoticed. So I used them in this ‘2007 end-of-year’ mix. It serves these tasty ‘leftovers’ as one uninterrupted delicate stew.
No special theme for this mix…just flowing, quiet music…
This mix was broadcast paired with ‘Final Sleep‘ in june, 2007.
In this mix the title is taken from the Adrian Klumpes track.
No special theme for this mix…just flowing, quiet music…
The title obviously comes from the track by Svarte Greiner.
(This mix was broadcast paired with ‘Be Still‘‘ in june, 2007, which will be published next week).
“Ring” is the second part of the two part auditive “guided fantasy” from 2006 (“Wave” being the first part). A mix of ambient music, soundscapes and other musical surprises, created in 2006.
The first of these four programs was a compilation of the (magnificent) album ‘Spellewauerynsherde‘ by Akira Rabelais, the fourth part was a compilation of music from Iceland. (Since these programs are not ‘ambient mixes’ they are not included in this collection).
The four parts were called “Spelle”, “Wave”, “Ring” and “Sharde”, which together is also the full title of Akira Rabelais’ “Spellewauerynsherde” album. Tracks and fragments of this album are present throughout all four programs. I’m very grateful to Akira for sharing some of the unreleased shardes from his magnificient Spellewauerynsherde project!
BTW – the pictures shown above are from Helga Kvam.
No one ever captured the mysterious Icelandic nature better than she does.
“Wave” is the first of a two part an auditive “guided fantasy” (“Ring” being the second part).
A mix of ambient music, soundscapes and other musical surprises, created in 2006.
No track is played completely, but the interaction of the fragments creates a completely new structure…. Which, in fact, is true for all ambient mixes of course…
These two mixes were part of a 4-hour radio broadcast that were thematically related to Icelandic music. At least: the first and the last were mostly. The first of these four programs was a compilation of the (magnificent) album ‘Spellewauerynsherde‘ by Akira Rabelais, the fourth part was a compilation of music from Iceland.
I guess it’s safe to assume that this also probably is the first (and possibly single) ambient music collage containing Venetian Snares music!
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