low light mixes

  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...

    I've done Halloween mixes in the past but never one quite like this. I decided to take some of the Latin guitar sounds found in my Guitarissimo mixes, tilt them slight off kilter and give the mix a slightly sinister vibe.  It's not too dark, and some of it is kinda of fun, just the way Halloween should be. There are a few artists I was familiar with or have played before like David Lynch, SUSS...

    Sometimes I get so wrapped up in themed mixes or guest mixes that I forget about doing a nice straightforward ambient mix. So that's what this is - a mix featuring ambient tracks from 2023. No story to tell, no underlying theme, just excellent ambient tracks to drift away on. Links to all the music used in this mix: https://willebrant.bandcamp.com/album/leaving-space https://homenormal.bandcam...

  I have been having a hard time keeping up my mix output lately. There are many reasons, from too much work to too many concerts and social things to a pennant run in baseball. Also playing a part is me getting a little burned out on ambient music. There is so much of it released every week, every month that it becomes a bit overwhelming and it all starts to blend together after a while. I end up...

    I haven't done a quiet indie songs mix since this time last year. This one started when I heard the latest Peter Gabriel track, Love Can Heal, which I adore. And the timing is good as I'll be seeing him in concert on Oct. 2nd. I've heard that in his live show he plays a lot of the new tracks he's been releasing monthly. Several months ago that would have given me pause because I didn't much ca...

      I just got back from a week in Iceland so naturally I had to make a mix with music from Icelandic artists. The usual suspects are here - Sigur Ros, Johann Johannsson, Bjork, Olafur Arnalds, along with some new additions.  It still boggles my mind that the tiny island has produced such amazing music. But now, having been there, I guess it makes a bit more sense because the place is unique. Th...

  One of my favorite ambient albums from the first half of 2023 is "Intrapersonal Experience" by Saphileaum. It's a great combination of atmospherics and percussion, reminiscent of 90s Steve Roach tribal ambient. After hearing this album I needed to do a drum/percussion-based mix and "Summoning The Spirits" is the result. Another recent discovery makes its way into this mix - The Rain Dogs. So far...

    The trip through the electronic music of the 70s continues with a stop in 1972. As with '70 & '71, this is a mix with some tracks that are very electronic, like the Wendy Carlos tunes, and others that are more electronic adjacent, like the Cluster or Pick Floyd tracks. But I think it gives a good sense of where things stood at the time. I purposely stayed away from cheesy electronic versio...

  Photo by Alan Seaman (Paul’s father) in Raiwind, Lahore District, Pakistan, c.1966.     Another train-themed mix? Yes, because they are awesome! This one comes from the mind of Paul Asbury Seaman, as have several other train mixes. As per usual, it's a great collection of familiar and unfamiliar artists, to me at least.  Here's what Paul says about this latest trip down the tracks: “On this one—...

  I guess the title of this mix is as straightforward as it gets. This one is a collection of tracks from my favorite ambient albums from the first half of 2023. There's some really good stuff in there and a nice variety.   First I'll give my list of favorites with links and then the tracklist of the mix. Cheers to a great second half!   Alva Noto - Kinder der Sonne (From Komplizen) [Noton] https:...

    This mix is pretty just as the title describes - a set of long ambient pieces, perfect for sleeping. There's not much else to say other than the tracks are all fairly new with most of them from 2023. I was happy to use a longer version of the Crows Labyrinth track in this mix. I used it in my Blade Runner mix earlier in the year but it was the short version. I have been listening to the long v...

    I love getting guest mixes from creative artists. I love hearing excellent segues as the music flows seamlessly across the set. And I love discovering new music. So I'm excited about this latest offering from Fragile X. https://soundcloud.com/fragilex https://fragilex.bandcamp.com/ https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/being-human-by-fragile-x/   There so much good stuff in this mix I could go on...