We’re excited to present an audio interview with Chicago-based recording duo and multi-instrumentalists Al Jewer & Andy Mitran. They’ve just released an album called Perihelion, which features collaborations with several notable musicians in the new age, world and contemporary instrumental genres. We’ll discuss the inspiration behind the album’s concept and metaphorical connection to its astronomical title, as well as play some music and touch on their past releases. So please tune-in for some conversation, fun and a musical journey around the sun!
We’re proud to present an audio interview with renowned world percussionist, ambient composer and shamanic practitioner Byron Metcalf. Based in Prescott, Arizona, Byron has an extensive history in the music industry with many albums he’s worked on and recorded to his credit. In this segment, we’ll be discussing his new album entitled Inner Rhythm Meditations Vol. II, which features Norwegian guitarist and electronic music composer Erik Wøllo, along with world flutist Peter Phippen. We’ll also discuss his recent collaboration with Jennifer Grais for an album entitled They Were Here, as well as his other recent works with Erik Wøllo on the albumsEarth Luminous and Inner Rhythm Meditations. So please tune-in for some conversation, music and shamanic musings!
We’re honored to present an audio interview with ambient/electronic music composer and guitarist David Helpling. Based in San Diego, California, David has released a handful of widely-acclaimed solo and collaborative albums over the years on the Spotted Peccary label, as well as produced works for other recording artists. Some of the highlights in this segment include discussion about David’s recent work with ELEON, who just released his debut album Dreams Beyond Terra on Heart Dance Records. We'll also talk about David’s most recent solo album A Sea Without Memory, as well as his work with fellow Spotted Peccary label mates Jon Jenkins, Sverre Knut Johansen and more! Additionally, we’ll hear a piece by ELEON that David co-produced and performed on, as well as two additional pieces throughout the conversation.
We’re excited to debut our first audio interview with renowned flutist, composer and Heart Dance Records label founder, Sherry Finzer. A versatile musician who currently resides in Anthem, Arizona, she’s released several solo and collaborative albums, with her signature style spanning ambient, world, new age and contemporary instrumental musical genres. In this enjoyable segment, we’ll learn more about Sherry Finzer, as we delve into her musical background, discuss current projects and various collaborations, as well as play some of her music!
Sherry Finzer's music is available at Amazon, Bandcamp and other music retailers.
2002 began as the husband/wife duo of Randy and Pamela Copus who released their widely successful debut album Wings in 1992. Initially making their mark on the scene with a traditionally ‘new age’ style in the vein of Herb Ernst or Liquid Mind, the band gradually evolved over the years to adopt more symphonic and neoclassical signatures, such as on their notable 2000 release River of Stars, which employed classical strings and wordless ethereal vocal layers reminiscent of Enya. Evolving ever still, 2002 started incorporating gentle progressive rock elements (as heard on their 2012 album Believe) with Randy’s lyrical-vocal style impressively recalling that of Jon Anderson’s. By the time their 2014 album Trail of Dreams rolled around, Randy and Pamela’s daughter Sarah Copus had joined the line-up as lead vocalist, officially becoming the band’s third member. Comprised of ten alluring compositions, 2002’s latest album entitled A World Away is themed around a cosmic love story of kindred spirits traveling together among different worlds and time periods, becoming lost along the way until eventually reuniting, as if the music were playing out like the soundtrack to a fantasy romance novel. Together the trio not only provide vocals, but play a variety of Celtic, classical and acoustic instruments plus keyboards/synthesizers.
From the opening piece “Dream of Life” the listener is seemingly swept up on a magical night-flight guided by the song’s choral-pop vocal arrangement, which is feathered among a richly cinematic soundscape likewise mirrored on other compositions such as “Butterfly”, “Stars and Moon” and “Strings of Your Heart”. One of my favorite pieces is “Finding You”, which unfolds like a Celtic lullaby with its tender harp and gentle guitar. Randy’s progressive rock influences are especially noted on “To Live Again”, which he beautifully sings to a gentle arrangement of piano and symphony. “Memory of Tomorrow” is perhaps the ultimate highlight for me; the most haunting piece on the album due to its mysterious, minor key affections along the way, it enchantingly lulls the listener into a dreamlike haze.
Collectively, the lyrical vocal portions on this album are somewhat reminiscent of the male/female ‘new age’ music duo Llewellyn of whom I’m also a longtime fan. Additionally, the gorgeous CD booklet includes the songs’ inspiringly romantic and celestially poetic lyrics accompanied by stunning fantasy-nature artwork. Overall sweet and sparkling yet rich in depth, A World Away is, unsurprisingly, another top-notch album from 2002 that will likely appeal to fans of Enya, Llewellyn and Jon Anderson, as well as lovers of Celtic, ethereal and fantasy music! ~Candice Michelle
Available at Amazon and other music retail & streaming platforms. For more information please visit the artist's website.
White Sun is a California-based musical trio comprised of television and film composer Adam Berry, Gurujas Khalsa and Harijiiwan Khalsa. The band’s previous album entitled White Sun II was one of my favorite vocal/world releases of 2016 with its exquisite musical blend of east-meets-west that showcased Gurujas’ stunning ethereal vocal arrangements. Since their self-titled debut release in 2015, White Sun has organically evolved their sound with each successive album – and their newest installment entitled White Sun III is already proving to be my favorite release from this band thus far. A double-album comprised of twenty-three prepossessing compositions, White Sun returns with their signature ensemble of Gurujas on vocals, Harijiwan on gong and multi-instrumentalist Adam Berry on bass, guitar and synthesizer. Other musicians joining the trio on various tracks provide additional instruments such as fiddle, guitar, kora, tablas and other world-percussive elements. Following along a musical path carved out by Deva Premal in the late 1990’s (and shortly thereafter Rasa in the early 2000’s) White Sun likewise creates enchanting melodies from heartfelt mantras which are accompanied by gentle atmospheric arrangements – all while pushing new boundaries and establishing a clear musical identity of their own. Though often lending an orchestrally cinematic touch to the compositions, White Sun never once ventures off into overelaborate spectacles of musical excesses. Rather, their sound always retains a simplistic beauty about it that allows for plenty of breathing room – and as such – effectively transfers a relaxing and rejuvenating effect upon the listener.
One of my favorite pieces herein is “Wah Yantee One”, which imparts a velvety atmosphere around Gurujas’ layered and reverberating voice. In fact, on several pieces the infusion of delicate classical strings and ethereally echoing vocal layers somewhat resembles an Enya-esque soundscape – albeit laced with Indian rather than Celtic overtones. Another pristine highlight is “Mere Lal Jio”, which atmospherically recalls Sheila Chandra or Lisa Gerrard with its haunting vocal intonations and shadowy minimal soundscape. In a complimentary contrast, “Ram Ram” gets a nice groove going with its emphasis on Indian tablas, swirly guitar accents and catchy vocal melody.
Ethereal yet earthy and always heavenly blissful, White Sun III is an impressively beautiful, nurturing and comforting album which is certain to further grow the devoted listener following that White Sun has already garnered in just a couple of years! ~Candice Michelle
Dreams Beyond Terra is the debut album from electronica recording artist ELEON who co-produced this project with guitarist and ambient musician David Helpling. Comprised of twelve engrossing compositions, Dreams Beyond Terra is a sonically epic and soulfully elevating listening excursion into euphoric ‘chill’ and downtempo-trance. Likewise, some cuts feature Helpling on electric guitar, which he ethereally weaves into these lushly majestic soundscapes.
Sounding off this fantastical journey is “Species Communicating”, a piece that immediately conveys a rapturous sense of travel by flight with its pronounced bassline and steady trance-dance rhythm. Seemingly unbounded by any specific locality, it’s as if one is viewing oceans and landscapes while soaring high above the earth. Moving next into “Terra Sanctuary”, breathy vocal intonations add another element of intrigue to what could be described as a ‘chill-trance’ anthem. Tracks like “Carbon Beings” and “Bionic Travelers” employ the kinds of digital sequencing and heavy downtempo beats that often characterize ‘psybient’ music, except that the overall mood here tends to the more euphoric and extrospective as opposed to the psychedelic and introspective. My favorite composition herein is the mesmerizingly beautiful “Earth to Heavenly Places”, with its title perfectly summarizing the overall feel of the album. Sensually trippy and fantasy-like, softly-uttered female vocals lightly scattered among the piece lends it an extra dimension of mystifying intrigue. “Will Your Heart Dance with Mine” is the most subdued and light-bodied track on the album, with its subtle rhythm and ethereal synth-pads conveying a floating airiness that pleasantly recalls some material from Bryan Carrigan’s Inspired album.
Integrating trance, downtempo and ambient musical concepts for an end-result that will appeal to a wide-range of electronic music lovers, Dreams Beyond Terra easily makes the short-list for this year’s finest electronica albums! ~Candice Michelle
Available at Amazon, Bandcamp and other music retail & streaming platforms.
David Arkenstone is unquestionably one of the most important and versatile
recording artists in “new age” and related genres of music – having released
over 60 studio albums over three decades. Very few musicians have so profoundly
mastered the plethora of styles that Arkenstone has – his musical endeavors
encompassing everything from classic 80’s-style “new age” – to ambient,
electronica, cinematic, neoclassical, world, pop and soundtrack music. If I were
asked to name my favorite Arkenstone album, his 2010 magnum opus, Ambient
World, would be in the top-running for that title. And that’s way I’m
ecstatic to announce that his latest release, titled Colors of the Ambient
Sky, is like Ambient World’s long-awaited sequel that I’d be
yearning for, yet which I thought would never arrive. Comprised of 9
compositions spanning 47 minutes, Colors of the Ambient Sky is a
stunning sonic venture into the best that ambient, downtempo and chill-trance
music have to offer – all composed in Arkenstone’s unmistakably familiar style.
The spellbinding
first track, “Parallel World”, opens with deep space drones before transitioning
into signature Arkenstone ambient territory. A keyboard figure enters that feels
equal parts Tangerine Dream and Patrick O’Hearn, followed by a bouncy
chill-trance rhythm. Right away, this cut signals that Arkenstone has picked up
– with ease – right where his landmark Ambient World album left off.
“Red Sun” opens with sequenced bells over synth pads that soon lead into a
serene meditation before a slow groove appears. There’s also a beautiful section
in this piece where the rhythm disappears for a moment – hence, seemingly no one
can create musical drama like Arkenstone. Although “Starlight, Starbright” may
bring-to-mind a children’s nursery song, on this album, the third track that
bears this title is a sensually gorgeous and moody composition, which
encompasses different eras of electronic, ambient and space music. Throughout,
lonely piano notes hover amid mesmerizing chords and a sexy downtempo rhythm,
while a keyboard solo at the end of the piece is an exercise in beautiful
restraint. “Darkness
Descending” majestically lives up to its title, as one can easily envision the
stars appearing one-by-one in the encroaching night sky in tandem with the
pulsating sequencer patterns that Arkenstone begins the song with. Blissfully
reminiscent of the music of Carbon Based Lifeforms, this composition’s main
pattern of notes never disappears, as additional layers are brought in, which
are set to a hypnotic ambient-trance rhythm. Where this track has us looking
upon descending darkness, the next one, “Rainbow Galaxy”, is a truly
multi-colored piece of music. Here, synth figures move back-and-forth in the
stereo field, as a slow groove supplies a beautiful backdrop for glittering,
dance-like chords. “Blue Lightning” conveys a great mystery, as if one is
contemplating the vastness of space and time. I can almost detect a touch of
old-school Depeche Mode in this piece, as percolating bass brings us back to
earth just in time for an instant chill-trance beat.
“Lonely Satellite”
is perhaps the most visually evocative piece on the album and aptly conveys a
solitary satellite floating high above earth while listening. Unlike the other
tracks herein, there’s no rhythm on this free-floating composition – just
beautifully drifting spaces and subtle melodic keyboards. The somewhat
foreboding “Visitors” – of which its title might suggest extraterrestrial
visitation – starts off with a most haunting synth pattern along with what
sounds like gentle rain in the background. One of my favorites on the album, the
strong element of mystery is certainly palpable in this song, as a hypnotic beat
propels it into new territory. The final track, “Ascension”, begins with a
classic new age choral feel – ala Constance Demby or Vangelis – before a
sequenced series of notes introduces the main rhythm and melodic theme. As the
title implies, it’s an uplifting song, yet nevertheless retains the mysterious
mood that Arkenstone has created throughout the previous compositions. The song
seemingly concludes with a musical question mark conveyed by its closing chords
floating in the air, unresolved. A brilliant sonic
masterpiece from start to finish, Colors of the Ambient Sky easily
places in the running for the top album of the year. Likewise, an essential
traveling companion due to its addictive juxtaposition of simultaneously
relaxing and rhythmic elements, I’ve found that not since the release of
Enigma’s The Fall of a Rebel Angel have I listened to an album this
often while driving. Not only is Colors of the Ambient Sky an absolute
must-have for fans of David Arkenstone, but fans of Enigma and Carbon Based
Lifeforms – as well as ambient-electronica and chill-trance in general – are
especially likely to relish this album! ~Candice Michelle For more
information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available on Amazon, iTunes
and Google Play.
Ambiscend is the recording alias of Texas-based electronic music composer Darren Rogers, who’s previously released several albums ranging from ambient-space to new age. Comprised of five compositions spanning approximately eight to ten minutes each, Darren’s latest album, titled Tranquility, occupies a serene sweet-spot between the two styles, as subtly melodic synthesized textures are enhanced throughout by field recordings of ocean waves and nocturnal forest environments.
The album opens with the aptly-named and beautiful piece, “Time of Tranquility”, which is characterized by subtle major-key transitions comprised of metallic shimmers that seemingly evoke a blue sky streaked by cirrostratus clouds. Spanning a little under ten minutes, the composition is slightly reminiscent of the music of Deuter or Liquid Mind, as accompanying sounds of glassy chimes and singing birds enhance its lulling atmospheric tranquility. “Floating Enchantment” follows along a similar path with slowly-shifting synthesized tones, although this time accompanied by the nocturnal sounds of chirping crickets and gentle ocean waves that aptly convey a scenic nightfall. The tantalizing and mysterious, “Earth Sings its Song”, is easily my favorite – clocking in at ten minutes even. Here, shimmering swells and rolling waves allude to an underwater paradise that pleasantly reminds me of music from the album Journey to Atlantis by Kevin Kendle and Llewellyn. “The Night is Calling” continues with cascading waters washing upon glistening tones – until finally concluding with “Earth’s Bedtime”, on which chirping crickets return to the dreamy accompaniment of celestial chords and sparsely-spaced wind chimes.
An essential relaxation album, Tranquility would make a perfect aural accompaniment to massage, healing baths or other spa therapies, and easily joins the ranks of other top-notch contemporaries in the field! ~Candice Michelle
No. ARTIST – TRACK
01. Stellardrone – Rendezvous with Rama
02. Polished Chrome – True Love
03. Evenus – A Moment With You
04. Translippers – Full Moon Kiss
05. C.M.I. – Moments In Love (Milews Chill mix)
06. Electrotete – I Love You (Bug-Eyed Bears from Venus Mix)
07. Sean Hayman – Sea Of Love (Whisper mix)
08. Vangelis – Love Theme (from Blade Runner)
09. Song Sung – I'm Not In Love (Exclusive 10cc cover version)
10. Darshan – Ambient Kissing Crust
11. Love Potion – Beauty Sleep
Thank you for your interest in getting your music played on Journeyscapes Radio!
We currently accept submissions from recording artists, record labels and music promoters.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
If you would like to submit your music for airplay consideration on our 24/7 streaming station and/or weekly Mixcloud shows, you may do so via the following:
Please familiarize yourself with our station’s format and general atmosphere of our broadcast before submitting your work. Journeyscapes plays a human-curated and varied mix of chillout, ambient and atmospheric world music, spanning electronic and global rhythms to floating space soundscapes, with some lush vocal tracks sprinkled throughout.
Once your music has been previewed to determine if it’s a good fit for the program, hand-picked tracks may be added to our 24/7 streaming station and/or featured at some point on a Mixcloud show.
You may submit single tracks, extended plays or full-length albums.
We can also create smooth radio edits of 'long-form' ambient tracks/albums. Whenever a track plays, the artist name and song title is displayed in our web player (or Mixcloud player if included there). DIGITAL FORMAT:
Please do not send us streaming-only links since we need the actual files in order to play your music.
We accept digital files in MP3 format at 320 kbps. We can also convert WAV or M4A files although we strongly prefer that you already have your music radio-ready. Please do not send files in AIFF or WMA format. Please use a file transfer service when submitting your music.
You're also welcome to provide a redemption code to Bandcamp so that we may download the files from there.
When submitting your files, please make sure all your tracks are properly tagged with the artist and song titles entered in the correct places to help expedite the inclusion process. CD FORMAT:
We also welcome physical media via snail mail. If you would like to send us your CD, please inquire via email for the physical mailing address and provide a brief description of what you’re submitting.
For all music submissions please send an email to JourneyscapesRadio@gmail.com Airplay is totally free – if your music fits and we like it, we'll play it!
Urban Metta, Vol. 2 is the anticipated second installment in the Urban Metta series by electronic music composer Phil Strickland, who records under the project name of Anaamaly. Comprised of eleven compositions spanning nearly 70 minutes, this album, like its predecessor, was conceived with the intent of inducing blissful states of relaxation, and is likewise well-suited for massage, mediation and yoga practices. Stylistically part ambient and part “new age”, each composition is titled after a positive affirmation that all begin with “I”. Although on its surface this notion may strike some listeners as being a bit too typically “woo-woo”, Phil’s extensive background in the chill-out, downtempo and instrumental hip-hop genres effectively help to keep these compositions firmly anchored in compositional depth and delightfully free of excessive syrup. Filled with churning textures, humming chords and organic/environmental samples throughout, the compositions mostly adhere to similar sound patterns, with each possessing individual nuanced attributes.
“I Am Ready to Forgive” introduces the album with billowing tones, swishing chimes and ethereal synthesizer washes – immediately signaling an immersive experience that defines the rest of the compositions. Following next is “I Am Inspired by Possibility” – one of my favorite pieces on the album. Here an oscillating and slowly-shifting drone underscores a beautifully drifting aquatic synth melody. The ensuing “I Am a Co-Creator” is also a notable highlight; weaving softly melodic bell-tones and the sound of running water into a mesmerizing soundscape, it feels like a rejuvenating bath or spa experience.
Another noteworthy composition is “I Give My Truth” with its heavy fog of synthesizers that seemingly convey a transparent veil of luminously streaming colors. “I Affirm All That is Good” is easily the album’s most mysterious and spacey passage, as well as perhaps my personal favorite of the lot. Comprised of synthesized vocal textures that shift along a hypnotic chord sequence, the piece effectively elicits images of a vast cosmic expanse. “I Have All That I Need (Album Version)” perfectly wraps things up in a blanketing gossamer haze, from which a more overtly shiny keyboard melody beautifully emerges.
An excellent follow-up to volume one, listening to Urban Metta, Vol. 2 feels like entering the idyllic repose of a tranquil Zen Garden. Serving as the perfect soundscape for eliciting a calmer, quieter state of being, listeners who enjoyed Anaamaly’s first album are sure to find this one to be equally rewarding! ~Candice Michelle
Available from Amazon, Bandcamp and other music retailer & streaming platforms.
Deep Space Blue is the latest album from Jim Ottaway, an electronic music composer based in Gold Coast, Australia. Having released several albums in the ambient, space and electronica genres, Deep Space Blue is a classic ambient-space recording much in the style of Jim’s early 2016 album, Southern Cross, with the two albums being separated by a late 2016 release of dynamic electronic music called Timeless e-Motion. By the time that album was released, I sensed that Jim was well on his way to achieving much greater recognition among the electronic-space music scene and my instincts were proven right; he has since received notable airplay in the U.S. on terrestrial radio programs such as Star’s End, Echoes and Hearts of Space. On Deep Space Blue (which is comprised of six compositions spanning an hour in total), Jim crafts and shapes his illustrious cosmic soundscapes using a plethora of top-notch electronic musical equipment to achieve a highly dimensional and realistic-seeming sonic experience.
Opening the album is the nebulous “Astral Voices” – a drifty and subtly melodic composition characterized by shimmering soundwaves and ethereal vocal intonations. “In Search of the Lost Star” follows next – a contemplative and immersive piece comprised of undulating textures and a free-floating semblance that seemingly carries the listener throughout space in slow-motion. Spanning at over eleven minutes, “39.5 Light Years (Trappist -1)” effectively conveys a notion of traversing unfathomable distances across the cosmos – its underlying rhythmic current highlighting synthesized vocal tones and creaking sound effects evoking the cold vastness of space. Imbued with a touch of Kevin Braheny’s classic Galaxies album, “Stars of Ice” is the perfect piece for winter stargazing – its glistening icicles and foreboding drones seemingly conjuring images of an ice palace located somewhere in the abode of an alien world. The title track, “Deep Space Blue”, is a comparatively more digitally dynamic piece that conveys a feeling of interstellar space-travel and zipping through wormholes. Concluding the album is the nearly 16 ½ minute long “Interplanetary Panspermia” – a darkly retro-futuristic piece of resonating deep space signals and spooky sci-fi effects that effectively convey an extraterrestrial presence.
A mesmerizing cosmic voyage from beginning to end, Deep Space Blue is definitive ambient-space music that plays out like the perfect soundtrack to a sci-fi movie or astronomy documentary. Certain to appeal to listeners who enjoy the many classic space music works by artists such as Jonn Serrie and Kevin Braheny, this fantastic album marks another “stellar” win for Jim Ottaway! ~Candice Michelle
Available at Bandcamp, Amazon and other music retail & streaming platforms. For more information, please visit the artist's website.
Chronotope Project is the recording alias of Oregonian ambient/electronic music composer and cellist Jeffrey Ericson Allen. His seventh recording, titled Ovum, is likewise his third release on the prestigious Spotted Peccary Music label, following his excellent Passages and Dawn Treader albums. Comprised of seven compositions spanning fifty-one minutes of organic-electronic bliss, Allen creates deeply immersive, lushly ambient soundscapes that juxtapose synthetic tones and textures with natural instruments such as cello, flute and Irish whistle. Most notably, as with Chronotope Project’s previous albums, the Haken Continuum Fingerboard is frequently featured as a solo instrument where it often takes precedence as a key signature element. Conveyed by visually captivating artwork intended to represent a primordial state of being, each composition audibly illustrates a subtle emergence from either an earthly seed or cosmic source, which gradually unfolds into a continuously evolving and metamorphosing journey.
Inspired by our distant ancestors, the opening piece, “Olduvia Dreams”, effectively transports the listener to remote islands in the Pacific or Indian ocean. Guided along by churning textures and ethno-tribal percussion, the composition eventually blossoms into a luxuriantly flowing arrangement of sensual earthly delight. Exuding the essence of a tropical rainforest, Gamelan-like timbres, ethereal tones and fluttering flutes further paint a surreal and primeval paradise. Deeply meditative and supremely mesmerizing, the title track, “Ovum”, slowly unfurls into an all-encompassing environment permeated by haunting glissando throughout, as the piece effectively evokes subtle shapes and colors that seemingly morph into suspended liquid formations. Illustrating the transitional process of metamorphosis, “Mariposa” (Spanish for ‘butterfly’) ensues with soaring glissando and a drifty bassline amid lightly rhythmic Berlin-School sequencing. The particularly spellbinding, “Primordial”, seemingly evokes a biotic alien world of primeval oceanic lifeforms and nocturnal bioluminescence. In an ode to scientific discovery, “Starry Messenger” perfectly concludes the album with an encircling illuminated environment comprised of iridescent bell-timbres in tandem with prolonged arcs of cello and flute. An indescribably beautiful piece that perceptively alters one's state of mind, it seemingly leaves the listener with a feeling of elevated awareness and conscious expansion.
Destined to become one of this year’s favorite albums, Ovum is easily Chronotope Project’s most impressively cutting-edge work to date. Although distinct unto itself, stylistic and atmospheric parallels to artists such as Ishq and Robert Rich as well as the album Ambient 4: On Land by Brian Eno can be drawn. Feeling simultaneously rooted to earth yet linked with the cosmos, Ovum is certainly not to be missed, undoubtedly earning Jeffrey Ericson Allen a spot at the round table of ambient music’s finest!
