low light mixes

  I like making these favorites mixes because it reminds me of why I liked certain albums in the first place. The perfect example is Abandoned Spaces by OdNu & Ümlaut. It's so good and I'm glad I can share with folks via these mixes. This mix, Part 2, has a little different vibe than Part 1. More sequencer driven tracks, some percussion here and there, generally a bit more active than the firs...

Another year, another ton of releases to sift through. I could keep adding and subtracting albums for weeks and still not be entirely satisfied with the final list. But here it is - my Favorite Ambient Albums of 2024. As I was creating this part 1 mix, I kept questioning my choices. And then, when the mix was done and I listened to it, I was like "Wow, this turned out really well." I really like h...

    I have hosted more guest mixes than ever this year, which I love because it exposes me to new artists and new mix concepts. Many of these mixes have come through the fine folks at  Nettwerk Music Group . It's appropriate then that this final guest mix of the year comes from one of their artists - Hollie Kenniff. I absolutely love the way this mix ebbs and flows, the tracks blend together perfe...

  At the beginning of September when I posted my " Sequencer City " mix, I said I'd been on a berlin school bender. Well, now three months later I'm still on that sequencer synth kick. At the end of October the analog synth itch was scratched by a stellar guest mix from Erwin Broers called " Capturing The Voice Of A Galaxy ." It featured tracks from the Klaus Schulz label, "Innovative Communicatio...

    Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Just hanging out all day with family, eating and drinking. Perfect. The songs in this mix were all chosen for the titles, which all fit the Thanksgiving theme. Besides the obvious titles with the word "thanks" my favorite track titles are "my dad's famous potatoes", "Give me cornbread when I'm hungry", and "An Awkward Conversation at a Family Gathering." Pl...

  I'm not exactly sure how this mix started. I think I was listening to the track, Outlook Remains Untouched, by |||||||||||||||||||| , yes that's the actual name the artist goes by. |||||||||||||||||||| on bandcamp   I like the jazzy vibe the tune has. It reminds me of similar tracks from the heyday of glitch and idm that also have a jazz feel to them. Sort of Jazz-ish.   So I grabbed some older...

    Thanks goodness election season is almost over. Election night can be a stressful time so here's a mix of new ambient tunes to help us all get through the night. Cheers!   T R A C K L I S T : 00:00   Logic Moon - Lifelines (Lifelines 2024) 03:15   Bruce Brubaker - Music For Airports, 1/2(Bows Version) (Eno Piano 2 2024) 07:00   Feeling Flying - Shimmer (Spirit Level 2024) 13:15   Andrew Lang -...

  Another stellar guest mix comes our way courtesy of loyal listener, Erwin Broers. He asked if I was interested in a mix of  electronic music from Innovative Communication, the label founded by Klaus Schulze in the late 70s. Yes, please! Here's what Erwin says about this fantastic mix: "I was in my teens when I got in touch with Electronic Music by means of well-known artists such as Jean-Michel...

This mix is a continuation of a trend I noticed several years ago - the use of sax or other wind instruments in ambient music. I think I've done 3 other mixes that feature wind instruments.  This one came together fairly quickly as there is a lot to choose from. Most of the tracks are 2023 or 2024 with 4 of the 14 a bit older. I really like the flow of this set, one song bleeds right into the next...

    I fell in love with the music of Andy McNeill, who records as Maple Mountain Sunburst, back in 2010 with the release of the album The Maple Mountain Sunburst Triolian Orchestra. Combining a wide variety of instrumentation, electronics, loops and samples to create a unique album and listening experience. The album was one of my favorites of 2010. When I found out that, after a long hiatus, ther...

    I have a whiteboard on the wall outside my office at work where we compile random lists of things - "Best Pizza Topping", "Favorite Kitchen Utensil", "Best First Track of an Album", etc. Recently the category was "Songs for Fall/Autumn." I posted about the list on Mixcloud here -  https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/posts/songs-about-fall-autumn-fall-colors/   So I grabbed a few tracks from the...

    This mix is another great example of why I enjoy guest mixes so much. This collection of tunes starts off rather noisy, hence the title. It's a style of music that I don't go to very often. But it's very cool to hear in this mix. Our guest this time is Ethan Helfrich, who records under the name Black Brunswicker. They have a new album out called "Been Around Here Before" and you can find it he...

    This is a collection of tribal ambient tunes. Think frame drums and synth washes. Think Steve Roach & Robert Rich - "Strata." Think Byron Metcalf.  There's really not much else to say, if you like the sounds mentioned above, you'll enjoy this mix. Cheers!   T R A C K L I S T : 00:00    Louigi Verona - Geothermal Rising (Abiogenesis 2024) 06:30    Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri - Remai...

  I have been on a huge sequencer/Berlin-school bender for the last few months. I think it goes back to Paul's train mix back in May. Through that mix I found the music of Gert Blokzijl -  https://gertblokzijl.bandcamp.com/ .  I gobbled up a number of his albums immediately. Then last month I discovered the music of Martin Stürtzer -  https://phelios.bandcamp.com/   He's got a ton of stuff out the...

    Sometimes a mix comes along at just the right time. This new mix from Paul comes as summer has ended and the weather, at least around here, has turned a bit chilly. There's something about this collection of tracks that seems to work well with this change of seasons.   This mix is different from the usual LLM fair and definitely a change in direction for Paul, a temporary change but a welcome...

  Sometimes I go off on tangents with nostalgia mixes, guest mixes, jazz mixes, etc. and I can lose sight of the fact that this is primarily an ambient mix site. So now it's time for a straightforward ambient mix.  All the tracks in this set are from summer 2024, with a couple not even released yet. So super fresh. Here are some links to all the music used in this mix: https://whitelabrecs.bandcam...

    When I was in college, a million years ago, I worked at the student radio station. There were some cool people there that turned me onto all sorts of new music. I had cassette tapes of several of the albums they introduced me to and I played them for years. I can't remember to put my garbage out on time but I can still picture the handwritten spines of cassette cases for albums like David Sylv...

  The guest mix hits just keep coming! This set come to us courtesy of Old Amica, a two-person band originally from Norrbotten, Sweden. Today they are separated by 1864km with one part in Stockholm, the other in Genève.  https://oldamica.bandcamp.com/ I was familiar with their work on the Whitelabrecs label: https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/taiga https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/fyr...

    One of my favorite albums this year is Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal by Adam Wiltzie. https://adamwiltzie.bandcamp.com/album/eleven-fugues-for-sodium-pentothal   Adam has an extensive discography of work - ranging from solo albums & soundtracks to work in the groups Aix Em Klemm, The Dean Texan, and A Winged Victory For The Sullen. But he is most well known for his work as part of Sta...

    This year we've had quite a variety of mixes here at LLM headquarters. From underwater ambient to space rock guitar to alternative soundtracks to Thai funk/soul/psychedelia/surf rock. Now we take another turn, this time to atmospheric jazz.  I've done similar mixes in the past with Halloween sets and the original Mysterioso mix 7 years ago -  https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/mysterioso/ This...

    After the road trip music of Khruangbin, it's time to get back to some ambient tunes. There's not much to say about this mix other than I was going for a vibe of sitting outside on a warm summer night, gazing at the stars. That's it simple, straightforward ambient music. Most of the tracks are from 2024. Here are links to all the music used in this mix: https://innesti.bandcamp.com/album/conte...

  I've been following the rise of Khruangbin since 2018 when they released their album "Con Todo El Mundo." Khruangbin is a musical trio that mixes global influences, including Thai funk, soul, psychedelia, and surf rock, into their mostly instrumental music. The New York Times has described their sound as "extremely slippery, genrewise." It's been crazy to watch them go from relative obscurity to...

    While playing random tracks from my hard drive full music, I stumbled upon several tunes I hadn't heard in forever. I was filled with feelings of nostalgia. That can happen quite a lot when you're as old as I am, certain albums will always remind me of times and places. I remember wearing out a cassette copy of Tangerine Dream's "Hyperborea" on an old boom box when I first started my current j...

    This mix was an accident. Well, the mix itself wasn't an accident but the vibe and theme was. I was listening to some new music and heard a new track - A Flock Of Birds Part 1 by Motionfield, and decided to start a new mix with it. Not having any idea where I was headed, I tossed the track on my timeline and went looking for more music. I grabbed one, then two, then three, four, five tracks an...

  I've been listening to the music of Rafael Anton Irisarri for a long time. The oldest album of his that I have is 2007's Daydreaming. I'm listening to it as I type this and wow, I'd forgotten how excellent it is. His music has changed a bit since then - now using drones, symphonic washes, tape loops, layers of distortion and "bleached out textures." So I was excited when he offered to do a guest...