guest mix: mote

Every so often I run across something that has me completely frozen, hanging on in anticipation of the next transition and trying to find the seams within the mixes. There are certain DJ's that seem to be able to take a very gigantic musical mixing pot, fill it up with the most diverse sounds and moods, and create a sonic template within a universe of emotion.  MOTE is one such individual. He has, to me, the same kind of twisted flair that attracts me to such DJ's like SILAS and FACTION. They just hear things differently and are able to draw upon such a large and diverse library that would seem intimidating to most, and I enjoy the sonic adventure that they weave when they throw caution to the wind. If these guys were cats, I would spend all day marveling how they land on their feet from whatever distance or direction.

Mote is based in Belgrade, Serbia. His mixes consist of deep atmospheres, laced with the laid back minimal warmth of electronic and organic sounds spiced with a wide range of field recordings and movie samples. Listening to his mixes are like watching movies unfold, and his musical guidance is creating the moods that travel in the same manner. I asked him to tell me about the method behind his madness. He provided me with this:

"I don't know how music actually works, but I'm sure that what it represents is a separate, totally autonomous reality where we can reward ourselves with incredible experiences. I like watching movies, but sometimes I only listen to them; the music, the sounds, the words. In mixing I do the opposite, trying to evoke images and movement, even dramaturgy through my audible experiences. Coming from Belgrade, Serbia where partying is a lifestyle, having slow meditative moments with music is a good thing."

camping under the stars

I've been into the BANDCAMP site for a relatively short while now, and I have to give the site a lot of credit if helping me find some great independent artists. Bandcamp is very instrumental in giving these artists a place to market their original music, and this has become a very valuable asset to those that praise independent musicians (that's me!). The creation of the DIY musician as producer/label/market is a product borne of the music industry's greed, and that benefits us in that we are awarded creations that the music industry would rather ignore. Their loss, our gain......

I've created this amalgamation from artists' music who I've gotten from Bandcamp (one caveat; the Phillip Wilkerson tune I got from Earth Mantra, but I absolutely love the tune and decided to slip it in this mix! I own quite a few from Phillip both by way of Bandcamp as well as Earth Mantra), and their sounds speak loud volumes. This is no means a complete list, just a current list of what I've found so far that has appealed to me. Trust me, I have not even heard a fraction of the unreal music that can be found there. It's quite the event to check back often and see beautiful sounds piling up in the queue. There are certain things that stick out for some reason to me and that comprises what's here. This mix, to me, was one of my favorites to make, as I'm standing on the shoulders of those who have created some masterpieces that really move me. Truly inspiring.

andrew hoffman with the slow drift

As a regular listener and supporter of ANDREW HOFFMAN'S THE SLOW DRIFT broadcast, I get a good fill of weekly mental overhauls. Like many of my favorite mix artists, Andrew consistently amazes me with his musical selections and his flawless transitions. I have to say, most everything that I hear coming from Andrew is new to me, and sends me on a search for the artists' other works that are represented. His latest mix, entitled simply EPISODE 023 (THE WINTER MIX) is the perfect companion for the snowy winter that we've been having here in the Northeastern US states at this time.

guest mix: jon lloyd

I've been a regular follower of JON LLOYD on Mixcloud, getting turned on by (of all things) his mix LIVED IN BARS which is a great outing. His mix THE TEXTURE OF SOUND is another that I highly recommend (you can see my comments on the mix). Jon's a consummate listener of all kinds of music, and shares his thoughts about what really vibes him when he hears it. He's managing to create mixes from whatever draws him in next, and isn't limited to a certain genre or flavor-of-the-month in favor of his own interest or intuition. I enjoy the comments that he leaves (not only for myself, but for others) as it's always evident that he dug way deep into the particular piece to really have the music exist firmly within himself. Inspirational, to say the least. I asked him if I could host a mix, and he obliged (much thanks, man!). For this particular episode, I bring you a different sort of mix that compiles a very good feeling array of positive vibe entitled ANOTHER DAY DRIFTS AWAY. This is not a mix for the sleepers (sorry!), but for the active listening participants. For me, this mix is essential headphone listening that provided me with a very good spiritual lift. While it's not so much ambient, it is an offering that gets your head right and puts you in a better place. If music were medicine (and not just therapy), Jon just filled our prescription correctly.

guest mix: sofamixes

For this episode of Spaceman's Transmissions, I'm proud to present the appropriately named SOFAMIXES. I was given this (upon request, natch) quite a long time ago, and have let its beauty saturate my mind upon many occasions. Well, now that we've had quite a bit of snow in Maryland and having spent the last few hours outside making snowballs and running around with the kids, I came in to thaw out with some hot chocolate, a hot potato, and this mix. Got to say, I'm having a very difficult time trying to figure out the best part of getting warm. I'm guessing the music.

As I stare out the window at the snow outside on this graciously clear (but cold!) day, this mix is providing the perfect backdrop to my current mental state. The picture on the left is from my dining room, overlooking a portion of the field where my kids and I build snowmen, make snow angels, and beat each other down with snowballs. Honestly, I really don't know how or why the picture is actually snowing. I shot some video, but I didn't think that it came out until I looked in my queue of pictures to post and saw this. How does that happen?

review: '=' by ylowknfe

I've recently found an amazing new release on Bandcamp that warrants an intensive listening. '=' by YLOWKNFE is to me, a breath of fresh air among all of the things that I've been watching come through the new ambient artist queue on Bandcamp, and the moment I heard the first song I was completely drawn in by rich harmonic soundscapes. According to Ylownkfe, his interest lies in creating music for films and documentaries and these releases serve as a springboard to this venture at some point. The problem all of this is that, with music this good, I would even forget to concentrate on the film and use more of my brain power to take in this incredible music.

sight becomes sound

It's pretty obvious that one thing that attracts us to music is that it's a marker for events in our lives. How many times have we heard a song from the past and been transported the that particular time and place that brands a moment to the music? There's no better way to recreate the sense of experiences than from music that surrounds particular events, so that we can recall and relive these special periods again and again. And film makers know this. They create the anxiety, elation, pride, and so on that envelopes character's actions.
With this offering, I've chosen to create a mix of offerings from films. A lot of times, I'll really tune into the music in a film, and make it a point to search the music out. I have a lot of soundtracks, and I do listen to them quite often. I didn't put a lot of things on this that I would have liked, as I tried to stick with a particular format. Some of my favorites soundtracks that didn't make the cut are Devdas, Purple Rain (I have every Prince album!), The Truth About Charlie, Sprout, Oceans Eleven or Twelve, A.I., A Beautiful Mind, Amelie, Hair, etc., and so on. I purposely tried to steer clear (as well as I could) from the very dark and orchestral heavy soundtrack music that exists more prominently, and chose pieces that ebbed and flowed with organic transitions.

eye of the beholder

A video to celebrate our Mother Earth. Enjoy.

 

guest mix: southern depot

For this episode, I'm choosing to host a beautiful downloadable mix by SOUTHERN DEPOT. Like many DJ's that I post, Southern Depot is an avid artist-photographer. I got to peek as some really amazing shots (and inquired about the editing, natch) at his FLICKR site and his INSTAGRAM site. Like me (but way better), he is all about shooting pics with the trusty old camera phone (in my case, a Samsung S4; in his case, an HTC One). I really like to see how good of a picture that I can get with such simple means (and affordability). While I'm taking pictures of nature and land, SD prefers to take pictures of gloves. While some might think that this is odd, I think it's a very unique and individual taste that shows a certain dedication to a specific form of art. That's called focus. I don't have that (unfortunately).

review: '+' by Bubble

I try to keep my ear to the wire and check out new artists from Bandcamp, and a lot stuff I review a lot before I even think about making a purchase (more often than not, I prefer the cheap route!). I just recently had the opportunity of discovering a new artist whose music I've used on the last mix ([SLOWLY DRIFTING] LIGHT YEARS AWAY) named BUBBLE. Bubble is capable of weaving a sonic tapestry that encompasses the universe, bringing in dark moments to the light and casting shadows on the heat. With his minimal approach, he is nonetheless able to cover a lot of ground. Like most of the ambient that really draws me in, one easily takes in a lot of depth from heady but soothing harmonic passages. Simply put, this is a thinking man's (or woman's) ambient.