low light mixes

    As with many other mixes this one has a specific track that was the inspiration. The tune is called "Franky's Floyd" from the album "An Evening with Friends" by Ron Boots. It's a live album by Boots and his friends. The track is called "Franky's Floyd" because Frank Dorittke plays a nine minute variation of David Gilmour's solo from Comfortably Numb. It all sounds so familiar but with enough v...

  I am fortunate enough to occasionally have labels or artists connect with me about new music they have coming out. Sometimes those discussions result in a guest mix. Which brings us to this latest mix. Daniel Field, owner/founder of Imaginary North, reached out about some new music coming out on his excellent ambient label. He has a new album out under his Kilometre Club moniker so we figured it...

    Time for some fresh ambient tracks. This is a simple, straightforward mix featuring all very new music. These new tracks work very well together to create a nice, flowing listening experience. There's not much else to say other than enjoy the peace and tranquility. Links to all the music used in this mix, although the Braulio Lam album & the einwandeins album have not been released yet so...

  I love getting a sequencer mix from Paul! I don't seek out Berlin school, sequencer based music very much anymore which is strange because I really enjoy it when I hear it. But I don't need to seek it out because I know the best sequencer music researcher - Paul Asbury Seaman. And he regularly provides me with my Berlin school fix. Every track included in this mix is top notch sequencer bliss. I...

  We've had more guest mixes than usual the last 6 months and that is a great thing because it means we all get to hear some amazing music and amazing mixes like this one.  This new mix comes from Matthew Ramolo, who records as Khôra. There is a new Khôra album that just dropped in April called "Gestures of Perception" and is described this way - "The album weaves ritualized instrumentals with ali...

  This was a tough list to compile. What criteria do I use? Influential albums? Ones I play the most? Critics favorites? Do I include ambient albums? Vocal albums? Oof, this was hard.   The list I came up with was sort of a bit of everything. All these albums are personal faves but I also couldn't help thinking about things from a historical standpoint. Also, I couldn't help but view them from a p...

  I am a big fan of the ambient artist Robert Davies. You can find his music here... https://dataobscura.bandcamp.com/ Most of his music is connected to nature which you can see in the album titles such as A Distant Glade, Lakeside Haven, Earthen Burrows, Tide Pools, Forest Mosaic, and on & on. The tracks are immersive, pastoral ambient journeys that sometimes use subtle natural sounds mixed i...

    I occasionally get music submitted for consideration to be used in mixes. I don't seek out submissions but if artists or labels are so kind as to send me some music I will take a listen. Last month I got a totally blind email with a link to a new album from Tewksbury. I fell in love with the album instantly. Well, not instantly as the full album is over 3 hours long.  Check it out here...  htt...

    It's always a good day when we get a new mix from Paul Asbury Seaman. Not only because it will be a well thought out collection of tunes but also because that collection is different than what I crank out every week. So it's a nice change of pace and good exposure to new artists and styles. Here is what Paul says about this new mix: “Seventh entry in my ‘Mystical Ambience’ series, I think this...

  I could kick myself for not planning for this eclipse. I should have booked a room in Austin, TX two years ago. But I did not, so I'll be here in Wisconsin with a still pretty good 90% eclipse and a sketchy forecast. No matter where you are for the eclipse, you'll need a good soundtrack. As with past celestial events you can count on Low Light Mixes to provide an accompaniment for your viewing....

    Pretty straightforward ambient mix here. All the tracks in this set are 2024 releases, many within the last few weeks. There are definitely some fine albums in this group, a few of which might make it on a best of list at the end of the year. Here are Bandcamp links to all the music used in this mix: https://sixmissing.bandcamp.com/track/balloons https://polarseasrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/...

    Thanks to our good friends at Nettwerk Music we have another wonderful guest mix to share. The mix is called "Infinitely Small", expertly curated by Htennek Niwhsa. Piano is the main instrument throughout this lovely set. I don't listen to quite as much piano music as I used to so it was a great to hear so many track featuring the instrument. This would be a great mix to listen to on a Sunday...

  At last we return to the "Electronic Music of (insert year)" series. That's obviously not the actual title of the series but since I don't have a title that will do for this post. I really enjoyed putting together mixes for for 1970, '71, and '72 but then I got distracted and lazy, and I almost forgot about the series.  Now we're back to 1973 to continue our journey through the electronic music...

    Denis Villeneuve's eagerly anticipated continuation of the Dune saga has arrived. I am definitely psyched about seeing it this weekend. So ramp up my excitement even more I made an alternative soundtrack mix. This set features tracks that sound like they might fit the film but are not from either of the two actual soundtracks. There's not much else to say other than enjoy the mix and then go s...

  I love hosting guest mixes here on LLM and especially love it when they come at the right time. I have been super busy so this curated set comes at the perfect time. This mix comes to us from Portland-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Eli Goldberg, aka Ann Annie. He has a new album coming out in June and a new single, Cottonwood, out now. You can listen to “Cottonwood” on all digital reta...

  Apricity(a-PRIS-i-tee)(n.) - The warmth of the sun in winter. I stumbled upon this word while doom-scrolling Threads or Instagram last week. I like the idea that there is a word that describes that feeling of soaking of the limited rays of the sun on a winter day. I had already started a straightforward ambient mix and this word just seemed to fit the vibe.  All the tracks in this mix are new, w...

  I've been thinking about a couple of guitar mixes for a while, collecting tracks as I find them but not really sure of the direction the mix would take. Then fellow mixologist Paul Asbury Seaman turned me on to the track "Franky's Floyd" from "An Evening With Friends" by Ron Boots. The heart of the track is a guitar solo homage to David Gilmore & Pink Floyd. It's fantastic! When I heard it I...

    I've had enough of winter. So let's go from the freezing snows of Wisconsin to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia courtesy of this excellent mix from Paul Asbury Seaman. I love the "night/walking/hiking" theme of this set. Here's Paul's thoughts on the mix: “One of my best memories, in my whole life, was taking an all-night hike by myself in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, arriving at...

  Wind whips over ice, Fingers numb, breath clouds the air, Sun a pale, cold eye.   First comes the snow, then the cold. Bitter cold. Ugh, remind me again why I live here. I couldn't resist a quick following up the snow mix with a frozen mix. Just like the snow mix, all the tracks here have cold words in their titles. I really liked putting two tracks from Harry Towell back-to-back. One new one fr...

  It's hard to believe that in Wisconsin we had to wait until the second week of January before we finally got snow. And, of course, now we are going to get dumped on three times in a week. So I figured this is the perfect time for a snow themed mix. There's not much to say except that the word "snow" is in every track in this mix and the vibe does go well with staying inside with some hot coco or...

    I was doing a lot of work around the house, like painting, back in October and I was growing tired of my usual playlists. So I was happy when I stumbled on some 2023 jazz releases I hadn't heard. That set me off on a jazz binge over the last three months of the year which was so fun because I discovered all sorts of new stuff, enough that I could make a year-end list and mix. I hope to continu...

  These end-of-the-year lists are usually labeled "Best Albums of the Year" - Best Ambient, Best Jazz, Best Indie, etc. I have been doing that for years. It has been pointed out that calling a list the "Best of the Year" is not only a bit snobby, it's also a little ridiculous because there is so much ambient music released every week that it's impossible to keep up. Plus this list is just my opini...

    This mix started with the latest album by Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang - Last Two Inches of Sky. It has this great late-night vibe that I immediately latched onto. From there I returned to The Rain Dogs, an artist I had used in an earlier mix called Summoning the Spirits. And then one thing led to another and I ended up with an ambient mix with a fair amount of organic percussion. The final mi...

  The nice folks at Nettwerk Music Group reached out about the possibility of doing some guest mixes and I am pleased to present the first one. This mix comes to us from TJ Dumser who releases music under the moniker, Six Missing. He has a new album coming out in December so the timing is perfect. I'll let TJ tell you about his mix: "Listening to music always makes me transport to another place. A...

    Paul is back with some of the mystical ambience he does so well. He brings us a hour of tunes that straddle the fine line between new age and ambient music, perfect for the waning days of autumn.  Here is what Paul says about this mix: “Mystical ambient atmospheres meet New Age relaxation. Lots of bells, minimalist piano, acoustic guitar and flute to celebrate the austere, liminal quality of l...