the cosmonaut diaries

Ah, dear listeners, you've arrived! Right on time and suited up for our galactic travel into the cosmic realm. Today's episode is one of personal reflection and realization. Dear listeners, I have a bit of a story to tell. One that probably should stay hidden in the shadows, but one that I will share nonetheless. 

Many moons ago, like a lot of moons, there was a cosmonaut named Tunepilot who was a bit of a wandering soul, trapped in an aimless pod that didn't have the best luck dodging comets and debris during skyward ascensions. While the intended pathway imagined was pure and innocent, the pod's trajectory was without purpose as its destination was unrealized. Dear listeners, the sync between the pilot and vessel were in need of extensive calibration. Moreover, the journey required a co-pilot, one with an empathic soul to map a voyage to the zenith of an awakening. 

radiant pastures (tonepoet release)

Dear listeners, I have a unique listening event for you all. Normally, your old boy Tonepoet would not post his own music except by sneakily inserting into an episode. Well, I just released some new music, and I really wanted to share this with you all. I've created a special mix of the album in its entirety. I've sought to build a tapestry for admiring Mother Nature's earthly canvas as best I could. Here is a synopsis from the liner notes:

echoes in the cosmic dust

Shhh..... Dear listener, I hear something.... It's very, very faint. THERE it is again! Did you hear it?? It's an echo of some sort. A repeated signal nuance and sonically degrading follow-on carbon copy of an initial sound (which is perhaps long gone). It appears as though it is a transmission of some sort that seeks to beckon voyagers like us to heed its intended mission chronicles. In effort to set out on this unique voyage of discovery, I will summon upon a well-versed space aficionado from across the pond. The controls of the space pod are now in the hands of LUCA GHERARDI, my trusted co-captain for this flight and a veteran to the universe of sound. Dear listeners, together he and I will forge a lighted pathway beyond the stars which upon you may tread, through the galactic curtain, and deep into the source of the sound that beckons us. Ensure that your immersive headphones are adequately secured as Luca sets the journey with his music as the cosmic runway.

memoirs from the lone voyage

 <<//sysboot//commcheck//==//

<<%sys%lone%voyage%>>

<<dlr8con>><<affirmative>>

<<dr3am s3qu3nc3>>

Dear listeners, are you there? Hello?? I'm not sensing a distant feedback loop from prior transmissions, and I'm beginning to wonder if my comm links have expired. I will have to send this transmission as if I'm being monitored at this time (and, I assume that I am). In the meantime, a recalibration of the dynamic dream mainframe is in order, and I sense that the malfunction has to do the the latest systems upgrades. I definitely explained to the Aural Mechanics engineers that upgrades before missions tend to be problematic and introduce risk. It sucks to say that I was the one that told them this and am still suffering the consequences of a directionless drift. Dear listeners, am I the only one that deals with such a predicament?

the dream factories

Ah, dreams, so bizarre and unexplainable at times. The glorious world where imaginary adventures spring to life and deep seated fears come crawling into your grey matter. Not only do we rely on our sleeping dreams to show us new avenues of inspiration that illuminate the pathways to creativity, we largely seek to focus on our waking dreams. You know, the aspirations and goals that constantly push us deeper into commitment and determination. That, dear listeners, is the goal to today's session.

earthshine

Hāl, wundorlic gehīeran. Ic eom, Tonepoet, þīn freondlīca neahgebūre stēorrīcend. Wē wēn wē sculan forðfēran on ān wēg þæt bringe þā tīda cyme. Gyf þǣr is ān swīþe seon þæt me lǣcað, hit is þæt þǣr sunne is mǣre mægen. Ūre mǣgenda freond, þæt sunne, lēohteð ūre swēte Modor Eorþe and āwende his slǣpende drēamas on ān blīðe and fǽgerne hēafodscēawung.

reminiscence

[Before we get started with today's episode, I wanted to just share that Spaceman's Transmissions has been selected as #3 on the top 10 list of ambient music podcasts on FEEDSPOT. Thank you, dear listeners, for your support and co-piloting expertise.]

Listeners, I have a unique travel itinerary planned for today. First off, let's welcome this episode's esteemed co-pilot REAPZ5, who joins us on this voyage all the way from Malta. He brings along a special blend of vibe and color that we will pipe through the sonic terminal mainframe during our ascent, flight, and descent. Additionally, this journey requires a particular mission statement. We've received special clearances through assiduous processes to arrive at the final planning stages for this remarkable expedition. This assignment was borne through unanimous requests via our call center headquarters. We have diligently amalgamated a journey into the realms of the past which require us to reverse our course back to a time and place of deep and purposeful significance. Although we will begin the journey together, our destinations will be quite different from one another. There is an oasis of memories that will be visited in effort to bathe in viscous waters of gratitude while assembling a paper boat to sail down the streams of reverence in honor of those that have meant so much to us. This gratitude brings us to our mission statement, which is as follows: 

horizons of the mind’s eye

Oh, there you are, dear listener. Welcome aboard Spaceman's Transmissions, your trusted source of cerebral voyages near and far. Our co-captain (and ambient cosmic navigator) ANCIENT ASTRONAUT has made the initial announcement and confirmed our state of cosmic voyage readiness. As a thoroughly qualified flight instructor in progressively challenging galactic star-hopping, it is our honor to have such an esteemed navigator assist us with sailing into the heavenly curtain.

guest mix: silas (spring on the battlefield)

Greetings, dear listeners, and welcome aboard Spaceman's Transmissions intergalactic courier service. Though we never exercise the mandates of viewing our terms of service, I'd like to take a moment to summarize the conditions of said agreement in as few words as possible at this very second. The summary can be summed up into this: turn on, tune in, sleep...

The staff at Spaceman's Transmissions is dedicated to providing an optimized listening experience as the best in-flight entertainment one can find. Cheating you out of this golden opportunity would be a disservice and would diminish our reputation. Okay, mumble jumble out of the way, let's get on with the purpose of our mission. We'll begin with a very tiny story. Brief, but vital to the mission.

the sky awoke, bringing us light from the heavens

 **yawn**

Oh, there you are, dear listeners. You seemed to have caught me at a moment of residual drowsiness while experiencing my peacefully calm awakening. Give me just a second to open the curtains to let a sliver of morning light into my hovering capsule as I prepare a warm cup of coffee to thaw out my still-wandering grey matter. Would you like coffee, tea, hot chocolate? Name it, and I'll prepare it for you so that our morning routine of our minds slowly blossoming into the day is met with success and gratitude. If you'll allow, I'd love to drop a coin into the cosmic jukebox to get a jingle going. I have just the one. It's a lullaby wrapped in the stars and delivered softly to the transmission tower that beams radiant solace in the form of aural sugar. 

Today, as we climb skyward, you will notice the fog in our minds will give way to clouds that form familiar figures that only our individual imaginations can decipher. These clouds are multi-purpose in that they also form pillowy soft foundations that help us prepare for witnessing the splendor of Mother Earth coming around. Once the sky begins to awake, cherish the moments of viewing blissful colors in the sky, hearing the sounds of earthly gears beginning to rotate, and seeing life flourish once again. This phenomenon happens daily, but every time it's like the first. Bask in the glow that rains down from above, and realize the fortunes you have to be given allow you this luxury. Take time to reflect upon those who are not with us and no longer have this awakening luxury. In their honor, celebrate an appreciation for them that they impressed upon your memory with peaceful reverence. 

the dream awaits

Dear listener, where have you been?!? We are tasked for a mission with an estimated departure time of now! Your old boy Tonepoet simply refuses to set sail into the cosmic horizon as a lone voyager. Our standard operating procedure mandates a strict directive for enlisting a co-pilot; one worthy of commandeering a vessel that bends the horizon while burning the skies, leaving behind a vapor trail of dreams and aspirations. You, my dear listener, are that co-pilot. All aboard!

drifting to the Imaginary North

Guten Morgen/Tag/Abend/Nacht (CIRCLE ONLY ONE, PLEASE), dear listeners. I am ecstatic to be able to deliver to you a uniquely fresh tapestry of solace and beauty. This quest was brought to life from a single entity that ascends skyward to the highest reaches of the IMAGINARY NORTH. You might be asking 'well, what makes THIS particular episode so unique?". Well, it's a celebratory session of the glorious label IMAGINARY NORTH, curated by ambient artist extraordinaire KILOMETRE CLUB (Daniel Field). Having started in 2022 (a mere 2 years since publishing this), the label is already leading the charge in finding unbelievably focused artists that are producing some of the finest ambient moments. Yes, dear listener, all selections (and much more) can be found via a single BANDCAMP page (drift there, thank me later).

the sunbeam (that burns through the shadows)

Dear listeners, I have yet another very important tale for you today, and one of absolute truth! This is above and beyond the tale that I laid upon your mind in the podcast Camping Under The Stars, Vol. 5 (Sanctuary), which was a mere 2 weeks of living off of the land and surviving on hot dogs, bananas, and peanut butter. Dear listeners, this tale stretches across 3 years. 3 long YEARS!! It is not one that was pleasant, but it had a(n eventual) happy ending. How does that tie into today's episode??

guest mix: artificial owl recordings label mix

Hello, dear listeners. Today, I have a special guest mix by a label that I follow and truly love. ARTIFICIAL OWL RECORDINGS is a new and mighty label whose mission is to break down the traditional walls of predictable ho-hum ambient and introduce deeper atmospheres and wider spectrums of sound into our universes. I was fortunate to have been given the opportunity to share with you all quite a few tracks (over 1 ½ hours of music!) from AOR in a stellar mix by the label’s founder and curator, Niko Dalagelis (One Of Them). Dig into the history and mission statement of AOR below as you take in some truly mystical vibes not of this earth. Pay AOR a visit and show them the love. Oh, and their artwork is beyond astounding!

mental drift, vol. 3

My fellow travelers of the aural universe, I'm so very happy to have you all here as we lazily flow into a continuation of the Mental Drift series. As with any amalgamation that is woven, special consideration is given to those of you that may feel alarmed by disruptive and angular sonic anomalies. Our mission here at the Spaceman's Transmissions laboratory is optimized towards the analyzation of our sketches. It is during these rigorous processes that the removal of diluted mish-mash and scratchy, if not, dull and turbulent static are discarded. Dear listeners, we have baked you a morsel of mental release made with only the freshest natural ingredients. All allergy free.

the future is now!

It's hip, it's new, it's here, it's now, it's the FUTURE, dear listeners!! Now, I have an idea what you might be thinking of when you ponder what the future actually is. Machines, robots, automation, absence of the human element? Or, is it the ability to harness the means of connecting diverse sets of people with common goals, aspirations, and creative energy to develop a communal sense that encompasses much more than what we envision? I'm going with the latter.

It would be so easy to bury our heads in the sand and ignore what some might call 'progress'. You're not incorrect with stating that this constant perpetual forward motion becomes cumbersome, requiring us to constantly evolve to fit the need. Now, for many, the future is not always so bright. It's an unfortunate thing that we often choose to ignore that populace and persist in our own bubbles of contentment and comfort. That's not living, dear listeners. Living is sharing the light in your universe with a soul whose subsisting on shadows and sorrow. Dear listeners, since I've been sending out the transmissions, I've been working to bring a brighter sun into your sonic universe. It's up to you now to spread your positive energy to those that need it, to provide the shade over their burnt ambition and water the barren field of their failures. Provide the minerals of belonging to those unlike you and watch their fields of admiration turn into a fertile land of giving.

...and we slowly drifted into another tomorrow

Hello, beautiful listeners and travelers of the cosmic tapestry. We've have had some relaxing times while wandering around the peaceful forests of aural canyons. We've dipped our toes into a calm, yet vibrant, stream of brilliantly blissful moments. There comes a time when the spacecraft must align the controls for yet another destination in search of the vivid beauty from echoing dreams. While it's blissfully effortless to lay in the pasture of calm, pillowy thoughts and star gaze while recalling worlds unique to ourselves, we have to slowly and softly uproot ourselves in effort to keep on truckin'. This minor disruption is but a very momentary displacement into yet another realm of as-of-yet unseen and unfelt bliss. Our goal is to seek the optimal oasis. All that I ask of you, dear listener, is to ensure that your belt buckle is firmly fastened for another journey into the unknown. Taking mental snapshots of comet tails and celestial dust is highly recommended as we drift sweetly into our new destination. Save these snapshots within your scrapbook of dreams.

bloom

Hello, dear listeners, travelers of the celestial realm, and co-pilots. This new session evolves around the ethos of an album that I just put out entitled 'Bloom', and is one that ushers in a re-invention and reinvigorating of our mental and physical being. As we weather the storms of life's turbulent forces, we need enlightenment and encouragement so that we can pick ourselves up, knock of the dirt and negative vibes, and bring in a rebirth and passion for not only living but striving. That's it, dear listeners, striving!! And THRIVING!! It rhymes, and now all of a sudden I feel like Dr. Seuss. Working to be better tomorrow than we are today requires incremental steps. We hear the expression 'Rome wasn't built in a day' and, well, neither were we. Take the time in planning your re-entry into the world as a better version of yourself every single day. It requires mental energy to develop the creative means to plan our re-entry into our proposed new world, and it takes physical energy to implement those changes around us. But, the biggest and most effect change is within us, in our minds and hearts. Work to calibrate and synchronize these with your new mission. Expend the mental energy so that the task of pushing through your boundaries is well rewarded. This session is your comforting pillow of that much needed mental reset.

camping under the stars, vol. 5 (sanctuary)

Dear listeners, I have a tale for you!! One that is not only true, but also equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. The best/worst thing to happen to me brought on by our sweet Mother Nature. I had been planning a camping trip for 1 whole year with a high school buddy (who only knows me only as a metalhead, shhhhhh......). He had never been to the mid-west, in any place like South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, or Idaho. I had, but for work-related travel, which was a soul sucking endeavor and left me devoid of any potentially wonderful life altering experiences. Our plan went from imagining to planning, and would take us to The Badlands, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, Devil's Tower, Bighorn National Forest, Yellowstone Park, and beyond. It was going to be fantastic. I bulked up some snivel camping gear and I was ready. Imagine that: me, a sissy novice camper, eating barbaric foods over a fire and having a flexible agenda while listening to nature at night in a tiny tent. What could go wrong?

as the light moves through the air

It is that time of year, dear listeners, where we once again set sail in the celestial sea of diamonds in search of a better tomorrow, and seek the renewal of our mental energy and creative awakening. I'm here to assist you in your voyage, as you know that your old boy Tonepoet would never expect you to navigate blindly through the ether. It is you who will guide this ship through the pathway of stars, and I am more than happy to be your severely relaxed co-pilot.