I Scream Sunday

Today is Mother’s Day in the United States. Our relationships with our mothers can be complex, or beautiful, or comforting, or even nonexistent. But one fact remains: we are only here because of them. We often take that for granted. A mother’s hands are always busy; they do so much. They provide comfort, they create things, they cook, they pray, they demonstrate affection, sometimes discipline… or...

This long overdue episode highlights the music of Norwegian composer Erik Wøllo, whose album Snow Tides was released in early March of this year. He has been composing and performing since 1980, and his musical range is wide indeed -- from rock and jazz to experimental electronic and classical music. His works have been used in film, theatre, ballet, and art exhibitions. Although he has composed f...

It takes an extraordinary team of people, with technology that defies imagination, along with exceptional courage, to send humans into space. Each time we do, we contribute to something greater than our individual selves. The successful Artemis II journey reminds us that together we are capable of great achievements when we focus on collaborating, working toward a common goal. Today we celebrate s...

Wind finding its way through and under doors, window, and other gaps, can be incredibly eerie. This episode explores the wind. ʞu¡0ɹʞS: “Ghosts” (Over. Tone.) This track was crafted from the sound of high wind through heavy steel doors in a studio that ʞu¡0ɹʞS had in Los Angeles years ago. The sound was so bizarre! You hear us exclaiming at the beginning of the track (we were in a recording sessio...

Fear and hope often live together in an uneasy collaboration. Today we explore both emotions, and the boundaries between the two. John DuVal: “River of Fear (slight reprise)” (Heavy Water) Nettless: “The Lurking Fear” (From Beyond) Gypsy Witch: “Hopes, Fears and Longing” (Unspoken) Simon Slator: “One Man’s Hope” (Halo) Michael Brückner: “A Greater Hope” (The Undercurrent) Lutz Thuns & Wolfgang Gse...

Last week we did a show called Cold Sun, and in the course of the show I was asked if I were going to play anything by the project called Cold Sun. I confess I had forgotten about this particular project (shame on me!), and we didn’t have any of the music in our library… until now. This week I’m making up for it by playing tracks from Cold Sun, also known as Simon Slator, a longtime ambient artist...

It’s interesting how random remarks in life cause crazy inspiration. This past week I read a weather update from our local (very skilled) meteorologist who referred to the “cold sun” — and that hooked me. So here’s a very chilly show about the sun in winter, and other types of cold light. playman54: “Misty Light Through Skeleton Trees” (Reflections of Winter Landscapes) Christopher Short – Guitart...

Today is the full “Snow” moon, shining its cold light on the winter world. Loneward: “Hush Upon the Wind” (Moongate) Conni St. Pierre: “Setting Moon” (Between the Branches: Legends Of The Wild) Roy Mattson: “Melancholy Moon” (Melancholy Moon) Jack Hertz: “Late Last Night We Played With The Moon” (FOURTH WORLD IS – Jon Hassell Tribute) James Shain: “Did the Moon Shine” (Windowless Journey) In the s...

A large swath of the US is covered in dangerous ice and freezing rain this weekend. The ʞu¡0ɹʞS household has taken refuge outside the worst of it, but we know that some others of the RadioSpiral family are stuck in it. So today’s program is all about the ice, and we’re keeping good thoughts about all the folks stuck in the cold. No live set today — I didn’t bring the right gadgets to play a live...

January and February tend to feel disproportionately long after the lights and anticipation of the winter holidays. But there is beauty in the bleakness, too — the quiet and stillness a good reminder that we can slow down for a while, and look inward. Today we feature a variety of artists from the RadioSpiral library: Sydalesis: “Bleak Landscape” (Living Machine) Altus: “Winter Embrace – Part II”...

It’s an odd thing: the title of the live set for today came to me in a dream, with no other guidance. So I’m making today’s show about vibrancy, electricity, vitality, and joy. Bing Satellites: “Electricity” (The ambient world of Bing Satellites, volume one: 2008 – 2010) Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder feat. Raughi Ebert & Thomas Kagermann: “Electric Chess” (Repelen Revisited) Spheric Lounge: “Ele...

The twelve nights of Yule begin around the solstice, which was last Sunday. These days are a liminal time when the veil between worlds is thin, and spirits, gods, and ancestors should be honored. It is also the time to welcome the return of the sun, who slowly wakes from his winter slumber. Our time starts in darkness, and then turns to greet the light. Welcome, one and all, to our Yuletide celebr...

Today is the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere. During these darkest days (and that has more than one meaning of late), it is easy to forget that the sun will return, that the light will come again. We’ll hear tracks from Edges of Solstice, a compilation created for Winter Solstice 2019 for a previous iteration of this show. VÆRNA: “Winter’s Flight” Mr. Spiral: “Cold Blue Night 1 – Prelud...

We continue the theme of snow for this week’s I Scream Sunday, with lots more great tracks from the RadioSpiral library. George L. Smyth: “A Snowflake, A Cobweb” (Haiku Music Volume 5) Conni St. Pierre: “Snowfields” (Mountain Spirits) Spheric Lounge: “Snow” (Session 84 06.12.2007) Bing Satellites: “Song for a Snow Day” (Snow Day) John DuVal: “Snowflakes at Dusk” (Onward Through the Fog) Cousin Sil...

Snow has many characters, depending on humidity, temperature, wind, and so on. Light and fluffy, wet and heavy, cutting, comforting… Today we stand in the first snow of the season (yes, I know, it’s already snowed in many places)… Scott Lawlor: “Midnight Ice Crystals” (Reflections of Snow) Shane Morris: “Walking in the Snow” (Silver Storm) Subtle Sift: “Forsta Sno (First Snow)” (Somber Frequencies...

We’re looking to the stars on this edition of I Scream Sunday, hosted by ʞu¡0ɹʞS. Especially as the nights grow colder and the skies clearer, the stars feels as though they’re closer. Journey with us as we look outward. Phillip Wilkerson: “Among the Nebulae – Ambient Mix” (The Stars and Afterward) Robert Logan: “Binary Star” – (Sculptor Galaxy) Simon Wilkinson: “Birth of a Distant Star” (Birth of...

Today’s I Scream Sunday will be I Whisper Sunday, as I, Whispering Cosmos, takes over the radio broadcast instead of Skro!nk as she cannot do her show. Leading with this beautiful view of the city where I grew up, Málaga, focusing on the horizon, that will be our theme for today. Gaze upon where land, sea and sky join together while we listen to the music of artists like Kuutana, Sevish, Chromadri...

Our lives constantly test us, and if we still breathe, we have passed the test. Existence is a beautiful balance of pain and joy, and having our mettle tested over and over again makes the joyful moments all the more precious. Today’s program explores strength in several forms: Cousin Silas: “Crystallized Steel” (The Snow Imposed Silence) Giles Reaves: “Uruz (Strength)” (Wunjo) Bing Satellites: “T...

The darkness closes in as Autumn advances and Winter approaches. We explore the descending darkness that happens both within and without. m00m: “Into the Dark” (Sun Rise) Alpha Wave Movement: “Dark Meridian” (Kinetic) Darkened Soul: “An Ominous Fall” (Seasons of Dark and Light) Cousin Silas: “Down the Darkening Hills” (The Sound of Silas) Dan Pound: “Darkness Falls” (Dreams that Take You) Altus: “...

The Veil is thin this time of year, and especially around the end of October and early November. We say goodbye to those we have lost, and honor all the ancestors who have gone before. Different Skies: “The Voices Behind the Veil” (Strange Lines and Distances) Michael Brückner: “My Veil of Darkness” (Ombra – Revisited) Tony Gerber: “Ancestors Across the Bridge” (Sound Medicine for Now) Peter Phipp...

The light in autumn is its own phenomenon: on crisp days or hazy, it takes on a golden hue. Reflecting from the changing leaves, and as an effect of the lengthening shadows, it feels… precious. Nature gives us this fleeting gift of gold before her grey cloak settles across the land for winter. RadioSpiral artists have been inspired by autumn over the years, and composed some truly great music, so...

Focusing on a single point in space can help establish visual perspective; the same is true of mental perspective, and musical as well. Today we examine the centers of things — earth, movement, one’s own heart. Vir Unis & Saul Stokes: “Kinetic Center” (Thermal Transfer) SPACECRAFT: “Center of the Earth” (Inside the Inside) Carbon Entity: “The Center of Nowhere” (Within the Cosmic Void) Spheric Lou...

Cats large and small are an endless source of fascination — and sometimes entertainment! (But don’t ever tell them that; they rarely have a sense of humor about themselves.) Today’s episode explores the cat: Endorphin: “Running Cats” (Red EP) QX#55: “Cats Could Catch Cough” (After Technic There Was Music) usr sbin: “Cats Paw” (Unreleased [Live in Second Life]) jarguna: “Twilight, Grasshopper, Cat…...

A circle can be a metaphor for many things. As a noun, “circle” can refer to one’s orbit of friends, or the planets, or protection; as a verb, it can be an embrace, a threat, or a comfort. Today we explore many different circles. Kit Watkins: “Circle of Rain” (Circle) Different Skies: “Circle for Position” (Arcs & Angles) Max Corbacho: “Three Circles” (The Talisman) Erik Wøllo: “Circle Dream” (Dif...

Tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere so, predictably, we’re doing a show about it. In the Southern Appalachians, the nights are cooling and the days are pleasant. The leaves are starting to turn and we’re trying to find our balance in a world gone crazy. The equinox is a perfect time to seek that balance and focus on finding both personal and collective equilibrium. Music is a...