syndae - podcast on fine electronic music

[treibklang]

So I had some more comforting music on the show lately, and this week is no different. Especially, as it's easter holidays at my place, best known for chocolate bunnies and hidden eggs. Well, kinda. So, of course, you get music fitting to some days of solace. Finally some time for ourself to stay at home and... err... well. Stay at home, again. Not so different from the days before and after, except no work. Well, if you have to work or are going to, thanks for keeping life running. This edition sees several new names but regulars as well, but I am sure you will have some quality time with tracks by Andreas Baaden (Home), Fiona Joy Hawkins (Bushfire Moon), Paul Speer (Sonoran Odyssey), Shoshana Michel (Impressions), Andy Pickford (Nemesis 2020), Solace Road (Silence Within).

Home again on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/895-episode-517

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

I recently watched a video tutorial about mixing music. Well, there are gazillion of such videos out there, and I merely watch some for fun. The one I picked this time was making its point on not overdoing it, not throwing in all the EQ, Filter, Limiter etc. one owns, but to carefully find the right balance between all instruments involved. And he recommended one easy test: head bobbing. So when you are listening to your song and your head keeps bobbing to its flow, you got the mix right. Now, it's a bit oversimplifying, but I can live with the "if it feels right, it is right". At least for you it is. And following this advice, I chose to have several tracks tonight to test the head bobbing thesis. So best to pick up your favourite headphones, and start bobbing with Stefan Erbe (Nachtlichter), Youth & Gaudi (Astronaut Alchemists Remixes), Sonic Jay (Digital Family Vol. , Javiis (Reality), Nikavo (Yummy Miami), K.I. Companion (Music for Cars).

Plug and bob on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/896-episode-518

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

U.F.O.s! No, not really. As there are very few airplanes around recently, those bright shining and fast moving objects to be seen at the night sky a few days ago were very eye-catching. A chain of sattelites crossed our hemisphere and made lots of people wonder. And they really appeared to be very fast, well, meant for high speed internet, that's why. Haha. Ok, seriously. What would it be like to live on such a sattelite or the ISS for a while? I'd guess mostly quiet and peaceful? Or would there be lots of debris pelt against the hull making it sound like hard rain hitting the roof of ones home? Well, I am sure one would find some comfort in listenting to some music of tonight's edition. But no need to rocket into space, you can listen comfy sitting in your favourite chair. Have some ambient moments with tracks by Jarguna (The Morning Star), Mäläskä (First Day of Spring), Bernhard Wöstheinrich (Wishes Follow One), Eisenlager (Anime Comp), Cousin Silas & Glove of Bones (Cousin Silas & Friends Vol. 8 Pt. 1), Whalt Thisney (Quiethism).

A cup of sunshine on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/897-episode-519

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

Last weekend, we had a fantastic online live show with ATB sending from the Planetarium of Bochum. Quite a number of artists are going "on-air" this way recently to entertain and get in contact with their fans and audience. On the other hand, several live events had to be cancelled for this year. Watching a live stream surely is great, but not the same. Still, I and I think many others enjoyed the show. And there is another one coming up tomorrow (that is May 2nd) with Stefan Erbe doing a premiere stream on his album Nachtlichter. And surely we have several more fresh releases these days to celebrate and listen to, some of which you will get listening to tonight's podcast edition. Chilling times are on with tracks by Yaary & Scholl (Delta Evolution), Juli Morán (LibitVm), IcingWolf (From Inside), Backstage Gurus (Mediterranean Odyssey), Stefan Erbe (Nachtlichter).


The sky is no limit with
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/898-episode-520

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

When thinking about tonight's edition, I coincidentally stumbled upon the photo used as teaser. It depicts quite perfectly the association to the music picked for this show. Cyberpunk is a genre that mixes modern technology with an adventurous age. The stories told are most gripping and fascinating, providing a playfield for the most unusual inventions in a not so technological advanced time of history spiced with todays knowledge of the possible and beyond. Kind of the same holds for modern takes on traditional electronic music, as you will get to hear. One can think of it as the artists looking back on the golden ages of the 70s and 80s and having their take on a historic musical view with modern knowledge. The time travellers telling their stories tonight are Remy (The Other Side), Space Art (Entrevues), Lisa Bella Donna (Portals), The Garwin Project, TM Solver (Oxymoron).

Punk meets tradition on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/899-episode-521

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

There is a saying that some people cannot seen beyond the end of their nose. Well, for music, would the limit be the helix of their ear? However, when I started syndae back in 2008, it was about musical styles from within my comfort zone. Meanwhile, for once I broadened my own taste in sound but also sometimes visit the outer rim of ambient and electronic music that is well known to me and people I know. Tonight, I am up for some sounds and rhythms you do not hear that often on my show. And it's also great as I like a change in style so the show stays interesting and actually my mind visits different places. Well, it's no radical change tonight and definitely very cool music by Weldroid & Room of Wires (The Deep Blue Knight), Amotken (Life's a Glitch), Ombra Obscvra (La Nit Eterna), Ben Cox (Consciousness, and Other Tricks of the Light), Erratic (Acre, Aged 10), Soul Flask (The Cassandra Complex).

Sounds spilling all over the plate on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/900-episode-522

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

Trees are fascinating creatures, none like the other but still the same. A tree takes several years to grow and its blossoms come and go. Some even exist for hundreds, some rare ones several thousand of years. Imagine being a tree that old having seen the world around you change quite a lot. Well, a tree does not see much of the world though, as it does not move. But it would be fascinating anyway. Why am I talking about trees? No particular reason, actually. Ambient music, however, does share some features with trees. For once, an ambient track usually grows over time, it simply takes a while until it unfolds and shows its beauty. Unlike popular music which quickly shows its hooks and lines repeatedly, as if to get over with it. So, this edition does not provide quick and busy stuff but evolutionary aural journeys in form of tracks by Blue is Nine (A Pool Appears), Mark Seelig (The Disciple's Path), Anantakara (Serenity Despite the Storm), Michael Brückner (Servant of the Secret Fire).

Let sound carry you on at
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/901-episode-523

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

So, last time I was talking about trees and ambient music. There is another style of electronic music that is quite similaro with respect to building up its beauty: traditional electronic music of Berlin School. These simply take their time to come to a point, or multiple points. And often times with sound arcs not to be expected. Well, if we are back to trees, you can see them bend and twisted occasionally and usually never growing straight up. Long lasting sequences build the thread here on which you get hooked. And most of tonight's tracks are excerptional due to their extensive length. Take all of them, provided by Ivan Black (Our Drowning World), Elrox (Era), Bob Hedger (2020 Karma Cafe Jam Sessions Vol. 1), RadioSilence (RadioSilence III), Fratoroler (Different).

Rings of desires on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/902-episode-524

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

Recently, I have been at the coast for a short vacation. It was quiet at first, as going for journeys just has started again after lockdown. So great to have a change in scenery after all these months. My wife and I enjoyed the nature and the sea up in the north eastern part of Germany, at least until the hords rolled in to the end of our time up there. Still, people seem to be tense. Surely because of the strange times we are in. And actually, it's not as difficult as in other places. Looking out in the world, some things are not right. Some people seem to have the impression to be more important than others. And there is no justification for hatred at any time. As one of my favourite novelists puts it: Everybody counts or nobody counts. So, stay safe, my dear friends in sound, in health and everything else. As of this show, for your mental well-being, you get very much enjoyable music served by Ben Blackett (Portals), John Gregorius (Full of Life), Divine Matrix (Helios), Ian Boddy (Behind the Sky Presents: Portals), Eleon (Rendezvous), Catalin Marin (Art of Darkness).

We are one on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/903-episode-525

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

So I followed a competition recently on scoring a pursuit scene of Westworld season 3. Lots of composers uploaded their take to that famous video platform. And I must be crazy to watch the scene over and over again, only the score being different. After a while I knew the lines by heart, and it got difficult to follow through. To me it seems very difficult to compose music for a film, having to see scenes over and over and over to match the music to the films details. And only few of the compositions did so, some failed big time to match the scene's cuts or impressions at all. But I was impressed on the sheer variety of approaches to making the music work with the story. Unfortunately I was to late to try myself. It still reminded me of how I work on music, listening to short sequences repeatedly for hours to get the details right, so it sounds good to me, like I want it to be. Of course, only until a few days later when I find some new details to change. Maybe, I will never get done with it. Well. Some great musicians did and put out their music as album, single, or contribution to a compilation. Six of them made it to tonight's edition. Have a great time with music by Der Waldläufer feat. BaoBao (Inyourmind), Myth (History of Life), This Digital Landscape (Waveform Magazine Issue 3), Tangram (Ether), moonbooter (Elected Pieces 2012 to 2020), Nubrada (Pote 3).

Nailed it on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/904-episode-526

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

The big rollout is about to start again. It's vacation time and timely restrictions on travelling were lifted recently. Is this a happy time? I don't know, yet. Maybe, I am too cautious and conservative. Or am I just more careful than others? It seems to be true with respect to health issues, but what about music? As you know, I do like to have some more experimental stuff on the show. Sometimes. Well, maybe rather rarely. Indeed, I prefer harmonic and melodic sounds. This not necessarily has to be exclusive. The albums presented tonight are somewhat in between. Mostely harmonic, but sometimes with a little spark of twinkling surprises. Have some aural fun with tracks by Scott Reich (Interbeing: Elements of Connection), Xenoton (Crescent), Jarguna & Henrik Meierkord (Tapestry Flow), Ivan Teixeira (Strength of Spirit), Jack Hertz (Artificial), radium88 (Until the Last Leaf Falls).

Seeds well placed on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/905-episode-527

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

What is time exactly? Is it a dimension like with space? It's often said that time is a precious good. But it is no good. You cannot collect time, cannot save time, cannot borrow time or buy it. Although, there are lots of phrases telling one you could. Is it possible to travel in time? Who knows. There are several theories what time travel would mean, like that each choice opens a new timeline, so you could switch between them. I love movies and stories about time travel. But in the end, you are a time traveller indeed. Also, there is only one direction and a constant, non-modifiable speed: always going forward. Well, ok, there is Einstein telling you that time will slow down, when you hit lightspeed. And it's said that speed of time depends on gravity. Well, we're not in space on a daily basis, yet. Currently, it's rather a matter of what you do during the time you experience as life. One great thing to do, is to listen to music. Especially, if it is as good as the tracks you will hear on syndae. For example the ones on this show by Jim Ottaway (When Eternity Touches Time), Obukhovaudio (Orphans of the Sky), The Garwin Project (E-Scape 2020), Bob Hedger (2020 Karma Cafe Jam Session Vol. 3), and Wolfgang Nachahmer (Triptychon).

The beat is ticking on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/906-episode-528

Yours, Stefan

[treibklang]

Weekend. Time to celebrate or simply turn the world off for a while and simply enjoy the silence. On this edition you will meet the latter with excellent ambient sounds and rides. Actually, one of the most serene editions for a long time. And with all those strange things happening around the world in these times, I'd say that taking some time off and getting lost in ones own mind is a great alternative. Well, ok, I do talk. But hopefully not too disturbing. If so, you can easily visit the artists' and labels' sites and fetch copies of the albums presented, which are by Sam Rosenthal & Jarguna (Sunwashed Evening Fire), Cousin Silas (Emporium Sampler), Shinpal (Momentary Disappeared Memory), Forest Robots (After Geography), Howard Givens & Craig Padilla (The Bodhi Mantra).

Breathe and relish on
https://www.syndae.de/episodes/907-episode-529

Yours, Stefan

[AudioAlien]

Very nice!

[treibklang]

Thank you