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Best Of Show Playlists Specials

Best of 2023 – Part 1

first aired 12.12.2023

Part 1 of my review of the best music from 2023 – tracks by Hello Meteor, Omni Gardens, Future Islands, Erwilian, Pure Bathing Culture, David Arkenstone, Mount Maxwell, Terminus Void, Dreamstate Logic, and much more

Convergence Zone: ambient soundscapes of the Pacific Northwest and beyond; every Tuesday night at 10:30pm PT on 90.7 KSER, 89.9 KXIR, streaming at kser.org – more information at https://convergencezone.fm

KSER playlist (opens in new tab)

FM Attack – Timeless – 00:00
NAVVI – Clemency – 04:38
Future Islands – The Tower – 09:56
Hibou – Night Fell – 13:28
Echo of the Low Light – Disco – 19:30
Altin Gün – Rakıya Su Katamam – 23:36
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – The Silver Cord – 27:16
Pure Bathing Culture – The Memento – 33:35
Crumb & Melody’s Echo Chamber – Le Temple Volant – 37:22
NCY Milky Band – Aphex Twin – 39:17
Hello Meteor – Earth Journos – 43:59
Saloli – Waterfall – 47:00
Pabellón Sintético – Bauhaus – 51:25
Brendan Pollard – Steel Blue Sphere – 59:31
Dreamstate Logic – Lost But Not Forgotten – 01:02:34
AeTopus – Sundial – 01:11:17
Omni Gardens – Rain Jacket – 01:18:19
Volcano Lazerbeam – At Sea – 01:21:14
Terminus Void – Flow of Order – 01:29:46
Erwilian – Masters in This Hall (Live) – 01:36:15
Makushin – No More Rush Hour – 01:43:20
David Arkenstone – Darkening Skies – 01:49:29
Mount Maxwell – Sky Eye – 01:53:07
Hotel Pools – Metro 地​下​鉄 – 01:58:17

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Show Playlists Specials

Halloween Special 2023

first aired 10.31.23

Episode 031 – I read somewhere that if your program’s 31st episode airs on the 31st day of October —  you’re required to go all-in on Halloween

This week on Convergence Zone, I discard the music of calm, focus, relaxation, and uplift — and plunge into horror and the occult, dark catharsis, tones that unsettle and display, music for liminal spaces and end times
Local darkwave from ACTORS, Soft Release, Lydia, LEATHERS, and A Covenant of Thorns

Brand new folk-horror ambient from the Hidden Britain compilation “Analysing a Ghost By Electronic Means”; excursions into the underworld with Chuck van Zyl and Cryo Chamber

Dark classics from, Молчат Дома, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Sisters of Mercy, Boy Harsher, and Bauhaus

The dark tides arrive on Halloween Tuesday, October 31, 10:30pm Pacific – on 90.7 KSER, 89.9 KXIR, and streaming at kser.org, TuneIn, and on the flickering shortwave radio in your undead crypt

Includes excerpts from:
The Lovecraft Investigations, “The Whisperer in Darkness”, BBC Sounds
Numbers stations – The Lincolnshire Poacher, Skyking, and others

KSER playlist (opens in new tab)

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band – Halloween Theme – 00:00
Soft Release – Broken Number 13 – 01:42
The Cure – Burn – 05:16
Echo And The Bunnymen – The Killing Moon – 12:50
ACTORS – L’appel Du Vide – 18:25
Siouxsie And The Banshees – Cities In Dust – 21:39
Depeche Mode – Rush – 2006 Remastered Version – 26:19
LEATHERS – Phantom Heart – 30:31
New Order – The Perfect Kiss (2022 Digital Master) – 34:18
Molchat Doma – Судно (Борис Рижий) – 39:34
Bauhaus – Dark Entries – 41:47
Nine Inch Nails – Burn – 45:36
The Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion (excerpt) – 50:26
Lycia – In Flickers – 58:56
Tom Waits – What’s He Building? – 01:02:01
M83 – Car Chase Terror – 01:05:12
B.Michaael – Dying Waves – 01:09:56
The Soulless Party – Vigilamus – 01:13:40
Nicholas Bullen – When They Return – 01:17:30
Buried Marie – White Night – 01:23:25
Chuck van Zyl – News Flash – 01:31:00
Scott Lawlor – Crossing the Veil – 01:48:00


 

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Episode 030 – Terminus Void “Aperion” premiere

first aired 10.24.23

This week on Convergence Zone I’m thrilled to share the worldwide radio premiere of the new LP  “Apeiron” by Terminus Void — and excerpts from my exclusive interview with project creator J. Ronald Smith.  We spoke about his influences, the themes captured on this debut record on Groove Unlimited, and the story threaded through the musical layers on “Apeiron”

Also –  brand new local music from AeTopus and from Pure Bathing Culture, as well as by Wild Nothing, , and Driftmachine; and celebrating local tour stops by Eydis Evensen and Loscil with Lawrence English

I’ll also pay tribute to Norm Chambers, the prolific Seattle composer, performer, and music curator

Convergence Zone arrives on Tuesday night, 10:30pm Pacific time, 90.7 KSER and 89.9 KXIR — streaming around the world at kser.org, TuneIn, and other fine radio services

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Convergence Zone.028 – AeTopus album premiere

first aired 10.10.23

We’re getting deeper into Spooky Season tonight on Convergence Zone

I’ll have the broadcast premiere of “Relic”, the first single from AeTopus’s upcoming album! The project of Bellingham veteran electronic musician Bryan Hughes; he’s joining forces with Spotted Peccary Records with this new LP

Regional darkwave artists Soft Release and ACTORS have local shows coming up, and I’ve got songs by both of them; also brand-new synthwave from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (!)

More new local music from Mount Maxwell, loscil & lawrence english; the new re-release of Hiroshi Yoshimura’s influential ambient installation work from 1986 “Surround”; and music from the new compilation “The NID Tapes”, an archive of early electronic music from India recorded between 1969 and 1972

Convergence Zone arrives tonight at 10:30pm Pacific on 90.7 KSER, 89.9 KXIR, and streaming at kser.org, TuneIn, and more

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Episode 025 – Fall Drive 2023

Fall Drive 2023 – first aired 09.19.2023

first aired 09.19.2023

KSER’s Fall Membership Drive Converges with the final week of summer, and the 25th episode of my program, Convergence Zone

nearly half a year celebrating the musical atmospheres of the Pacific Northwest — and beyond…

please join me Tuesday night for a celebration of the show so far and the power of radio to unite us all — and please consider supporting the show  with your donation at KSER.org.  I’d appreciate if you mention Convergence Zone in the comment field

Ahead of the Long Dark, we embrace joy through new music, great regional artists, and look ahead to an array of live shows in the area

Brand new progressive ambient from Chronotope Project; the gorgeous new single from Pure Bathing Culture, it’s called ‘The River’; the new debut single from darkwave duo Soft Release, the “fortuitous convergence” of Carolyn B. from Mt Fog and Andy S. from Select Level

David Arkenstone returns to the region and his tour kicks off on Friday in Monroe, Washington — I’ll have more excerpts from our conversation about his band and his brand new album, ‘Winterlüde’

Lots more from friends of the show like Terminus Void, Erwilian, Rudy Adrian, Dreamstate Logic, Siren and the Sea, Chuck van Zyl, and a celebration of Tangerine Dream’s return visit to Seattle by playing their famous song ‘Phaedra’ in its entirety

Convergence Zone arrives for the KSER Fall Membership Drive – Tuesday,September 19 at 10:30PM PDT on 90.7 KSER-FM, 89.9 KXIR-FM, and kser.org

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Replay: Convergence Zone.004

(Replayed July 25, 2023 – first aired April 4, 2023)

It’s a time of transition in the Pacific Northwest, from the season of stillness to glimpses of light and warmth.  Celebrated through the ages, whether through the revival of Osiris, the rise of the Aten, the passion of the Christ, or the Hareland Ley feasts of the goddess Ēostre

On this week’s Convergence Zone, we honor these transitions with music for death and rebirth — and we also honor the music of Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died on March 28, 2023 at the age of 71

10:30pm PDT 4/4/23 – 90.7 KSER | Independent Public Radio

ArtistSongAlbumLabelShow Notes
Dreamstate LogicAndromeda TerminalStarboundBrand new music from Seattle! project by Colby Sixx
Dennis Russell Davies dir. Stuttgart OrchestraAct I:
Prelude: Refrain, Verses 1-3
Philip Glass; AkhnatenCBS Masterworks1984 premiere of Philip Glass opera
David BowieLazarusBlackstarISO RecordsFinal album released two days before Bowie’s death
LyciaA FailureIn FlickersProjektDarkwave from 2018
Small BlackTampaCheap Dreams100% Electronicawistful chillwave found-footage vibes
Future IslandsBorn In a WarAs Long as You Are4ADSynthpop
from 2020
GeorgiaRunning Up That HillSeeking Thrills (The Ultimate Thrills Edition)DominoCovering Kate Bush
Pure Bathing CultureBlack StarlingNight PassPortland new agey-dream-pop
Ryuichi SakamotofullmoonasyncMilanpartially recorded in Bastyr University Chapel
Ryuichi Sakamoto20220302 sarabande12MilanJanuary 2023 release
Ryuichi Sakamoto2022030412Milansketches for piano and electronics
end segment one
Craig Padilla & Marvin AllenOnwards and UpwardsWeathering the StormSpotted PeccaryNew! guitar & synth homage to Kosmiche Musik
Ryuichi Sakamoto2022030212Milansketches for piano and electronics
Ryuichi Sakamoto2021031012MilanJanuary 2023 release
Electric YouthMerry Christmas Mr. LawrenceA Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto – To the Moon and BackMilanToronto synthpop
‘remodel’ of Ryuichi Sakamoto
Terminus VoidDiscoveryOrigins UnknownSeattle synthesist
J. Ronald Smith
Peter GabrielIn Doubt

A Different Drum
Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of ChristReal Worldi/o: The Tour
Seattle
October 8
Arushi JainI Feel Incomplete Without SoundWith & WithoutGHUNGHRUOpening for Suzanne Ciani Seattle
May 20
Suso Saiz…Un Hombre OscuroOdiseaMusic From MemoryOn tour with Age of Reflections
LocsilEquivalent 7EquivalentsKrankyVancouver artist Scott Morgan, featuring samples from work created for Glenn Gould retrospective w/ Sakamoto-san

first aired April 4 2023, replayed July 25 2023

I was already contemplating death and resurrection as I produced this week’s episode of Convergence Zone – and then my friend Nick texted me the sad news that Ryuichi Sakamoto had passed away. 

Sakamoto-san’s impact — from his time in Yellow Magic Orchestra, his work in film scores and acting, and his prolific creations as an ambient and neoclassical artist — is impossible to do justice in words, at least as few as I can summon here.  But I can try and share some of his recent pieces, including one produced in part during his time recording as Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA.

His final album, “12”, dropped in January, consisting of solo sketches that Sakamoto-san recorded in his home over the past few years on piano and electronic instruments.  In several, you can hear him breathe as he begins to play.

Hearing Ryuichi Sakamoto breathe and create — on a quiet and cool early Sunday, on the day I was stunned by his death — was painful and exquisite.  I am so grateful for what he left us all.

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Replay: Convergence Zone.006

(Replayed July 18, 2023 – first aired April 18, 2023)

on this week’s Convergence Zone, we evoke the turbulent mood of spring in the PNW; brand new music from Frore, and from Active Region — and a new reissue of a rare album by Steve Roach and Michael Shrieve; classics from Jean-Michel Jarre, Kitaro, Dead Can Dance, and Michael Hoenig; synthwave and synthpop from Talk Talk, FM Attack, and Japanese Breakfast; …and lots of surprises

10:30pm PDT 4/11/23 – 90.7 KSER | Independent Public Radio

ArtistSongAlbumLabelNotes
FM Attack ft. Julian SanzaFade AwayDeja VuTonite RecordsSynthwave project from Vancouver BC (Shawn Ward) – 2013 sophomore album
Talk TalkIt’s My LifeIt’s My LifeEMI1984, second LP
Japanese BreakfastBe SweetJubileeDead OceansSold out performance at ZooTunes on August 20, 2023 with Built to Spill
Break 
Steve Roach & Michael Shrieve Theme For The Far AwayThe Leaving TimeNovus1988 collaboration re-released in October 2022
David ArkenstoneNight WindValley in the CloudsNarada Equinox2023 tour in May; dates include Bellevue, Enumclaw, Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver BC, Victoria BC, Portland…
Richard SoutherThe Long RidersCross CurrentsNarada Equinox1989 New Age
Break  
Dead Can DanceThe Carnival Is OverInto The Labyrinth4AD1993, remembrance of Brendan Perry’s visit to a circus as a pre-teen
Break   
FroreFern ClusterBiomeSpotted PeccaryBrand new! Releases on April 21 – label debut from Paul Casper
Pink FloydSigns of LifeA Momentary Lapse of ReasonEMI1987 – First Floyd album w/o Roger Waters…
Pink FloydLearning to FlyA Momentary Lapse of ReasonEMI …some may call it a David Gilmour solo album featuring Richard Wright and Nick Mason 🙂
Break   
RedshiftShift to Blue (live)RW Three2008 concert, at Hampshire Jam Seven festival
EndSegmentOne 
Active RegionInto the BlackHorizon DispatchExosphereFebruary 2023 release, project of Peter Brefini
Jean-Michel JarreOxygène, Pt 2OxygèneLes Disques Motors1976 album – perhaps most important album in the history of electronic music?
Break   
Mary LattimoreSilver LaddersSilver LaddersGhostly International2020, universal acclaim, Bandcamp Album of the day
Andreas VollenweiderThe Glass Hall (Choose the Crystal) – The Play of the Five Balls – The Five Planets Canopy ChoirWhite WindsCBS1984, fourth album with very long track titles
Keep Shelly in AthensMe Then (B-side)Philomeno / Me Then (single)Athenian Aura RecordingsGreek/Australian duo, 2021 single
Break
Boards of CanadaKid for TodayIn a Beautiful Place out in the CountryWarp2008 EP, Scottish brothers Mike Sandison + Marcus Eoin
Cool MaritimeApexBig Earth EnergyWestern VinylSeattle musician Shawn Hellfritsch; 2022 album
KitaroHiten (Flying Celestial Nymphs)Silk Road (Vol 1)CanyonSoundtrack for 1980 Japanese TV documentary series
VangelisTheme from AntarcticaAntarctica: Original SoundtrackPolydorKoreyoshi Kurahara drama – 1958 Japanese scientific expedition to the South Pole  
Break   
Michael HoenigHanging Garden TransferDeparture from the Northern WastelandWarner RecordsGerman composer, collaborated with Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Ash Ra Tempel; this was his debut album (1978)
EndConvergence  Zone006 Please support KSER with your donation
First aired: April 18 2023; replayed July 18 2023
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Convergence Zone.012 – remembering Dave Smith

first aired May 30 2023

This week on Convergence Zone, I’m excited to play new music I’m loving from artists like Yaeji, Eydís Evenson, Deborah Martin & Jill Haley, Bluetech, Siren and the Sea — and debuting a single from the upcoming self-titled debut LP by The Conspiracy Tapes

Awesome local music from AeTopus, Dreamstate Logic,  MIDI Janitor, Mt, Fog, and Style.King.Of.The.Week

And remembering the great Dave Smith, creator of the celebrated Prophet synthesizers — with music by dedicated players of his gear such as Betamaxx with FM Attack, CHVRCHES, and Shannon Hammett of LEATHERS and ACTORS

(other surprises too)

Convergence Zone arrives Tuesday nights at 10:30pm PDT on 90.7 KSER-FM, 89.9 KXIR-FM, and kser.org

ArtistSongAlbumShow Notes
Mt FogBehind a Silent DoorSpells of SilencePerforming at Belltown Yacht Club on June 7 2023
CHVRCHESThe Mother We ShareThe bones of what you believeSeptember 2012 debut LP
YaejiDone (Let’s Get It)With a HammerLive at Day In Day Out Festival August 12 2023
Melody’s Echo ChamberLooking BackwardEmotional EternalOne of my favorite albums from 2022
Holy Fuck ft. Nicholas AllbrookFree GlossDeleterFeaturing vocals by Pond frontman
FM Attack, BetamaxxCosmic VoyageCosmic Voyage (single)Sequential Prophet synth spotlight article
LEATHERSUltravioletUltraviolet (single)Interview with Shannon Hemmett for Sequential Prophet spotlight
Style King of the WeekEerie BlvdStyle king of the week EPLive at Vermillion Art Gallery June 26 2023
BluetechEchoes of OrionSpacehop Chronicles 2: Echoes of OrionContinuing the story of laika, the cosmonaut dog
Nils FrahmAll ArmedAll Encores2019 Brings together three Eps refined live
MIDI JanitorVapor KingBulk Orderoriginally imagined the MIDI Janitor as an aging maintenance man creating beats in the privacy of his supply closet
Gotan ProjectVuelvo al SurLa Revancha del Tango2001 debut LP
Still CornersShifting DunesThe Last ExitAmbient country, one of my faves from 2021
Segment two   
Deborah Martin & Jill HaleyHall of WhispersInto the QuietBrand new on Spotted Peccary
Eydís EvensonDreaming of LightThe LightLive at The Triple Door Oct 13 2023
EnyaThe Loxian GateDark Sky Islandinspired by designation of Sark, in the Channel Islands, as a dark-sky preserve
Siren and the SeaProbably Hawai’iGravity WaveMarch 2023 release from Cristina Cano
AeTopusAerie (Extended)UrbusBellingham artist, just signed with Spotted Peccary Records
The Conspiracy TapesFor As Long As it TakesThe Conspiracy TapesUpcoming debut album in June

Manila, Phillippines solo project
FumerollesCycliqueNuit jauneMontral illustrator and librarian Frédérique  Duval
{arsonist}Till human voices wake usReality structurePittsburgh artist — “unbraids time and decoloroizes nature”
Dreamstate LogicCrystalline multiverseEra4Colby Sixx, solo electronic project

January 2020
Tom EatonBefore ObsidianCollected Ambient Works Volum 1grammy-award nominated – New Hampshire-based ambient artist
First aired 5.30.23
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Convergence Zone.011 – World Goth Day

first aired May 23 2023

World Goth Day took place around the world this week; and on this edition of Convergence Zone we embrace the darkness

Brand new music from A Covenant of Thorns, Hello Meteor, Alio Die and Lorenzo Montaná, and NAVVI

Recent local music from Terminus Void, ODESZA featuring Julianna Barwick, and SNOWDN

Classics by Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy, and much more

Convergence Zone arrives Tuesday nights at 10:30pm PDT on 90.7 KSER-FM, 89.9 KXIR-FM, and kser.org

TimeArtistSongAlbumShow Notes
 FM AttackTimelesssTimelessMarch 24, 2023 w/ add’l vocals by Stella Dee Ward
 Nation of LanguageRush and FeverIntroduction, Presence2020 debut LP
 break   
 NAVVIUltimaeVSeattle new music
 Sally ShaproDulcinea (Ben Macklin Remix)Sad Cities (The Remixes)Swedish duo; London-based remixer; April 2022
 BA   
 New OrderPerfect Kiss (12″ mix)Substance 1987Jonathan Demme video
     
 A Covenant of ThornsGrace (Like The Back of a Fist)AshesBrand new! Comes out May 26, Scott-David Allen
 ID   
 The CureFascination StreetDisintegration1989, 8th LP, approaching 30 and began writing by himself as he wrestled with depression
 Sisters of MercyLucretia, My Reflection FloodlandFinal single from 1988 Floodland; written by Andrew Eldritch for bassist Patricia Morrison
 break   
 ACTORSStrangersActs of WorshipVancouver, BC 2021 release
 POLICAAliveMadness2022 Minneapolis synthpop
 Boy HarsherCome CloserCareful2019 album
 Mic Break   
 Depeche ModeStrangelove (Maxi Mix) 12″ single supporting Music for the Masses 1987
     
 ODESZA feat. Julianna BarwickThis Version of YouThe Last GoodbyeBellingham-based duo, vcals from recorded therapy session
 EnyaStorms in AfricaWatermark 
 OrbitalI Wish I Had Duck FeetSnibilization1994 ambient techno
 Hello MeteorPhotic GlitterThe Lower PathBrand new from Seattle anonymous “cozywave” act
 Alio Die & Lorenzo MontanaCave Chasm RecallDialogue of WaterItalian artitsts exploring the perpetual flow of water; due out June 2023
 SNOWDN19XXModern Quilt EPDecember 2022 – Seattle-based artist Justin Benjamin; includes waves on the Puget Sound
 Terminus VoidDark OutpostOrigins Unknown2022 dark ambient
 Brian EnoThere Were BellsFOREVERANDEVERNOMOREClimate-focused single, 2022, first Brian Eno vocal projects since 2005
 Colin ChinThe Alluvial PlainsIntruding on a Silence1989 Narada
 Suzanne CianiThe Fourth Wave: Wind In The SeaSeven Waves1979 Japan-only release, re-released in US in 1984
 Abstract Audio SystemOut Beyond the BeltMarginal BreathMay 2023 on Neotantra
 Steve RoachInfinite ShoreThe Magnificent Void1996 dark ambient on hears of space label
First Aired 5.23.2023
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Convergence Zone.009

Listen now from the show archive

The dark palettes of the Pacific Northwest evoke vibes of gothic music and synthwave for many area artists, and this week on Convergence Zone we embrace that vibe

Brand new music from Frore and Locsil with Lawrence English; recent tracks by Bart Hawkins and Remote Vision

Vancouver BC cityscapes from FM Attack and LEATHERS

Gothic classics from A Covenant of Thorns, New Order, Sisters of Mercy, and Depeche Mode

With more surprises in store

Convergence Zone arrives Tuesdays at 10:30pm PDT on 90.7 KSER-FM, 89.9 KXIR-FM, and streaming at kser.org, smart speakers, TuneIn, and all fine internet radio services

TimeTrack NameAlbum NameArtist NameNotes
0:00To Ride A PterodactylEntering the Axis MundiBart Hawkins2023 album from Oregon artist 
 11:06ElegiaLow-LifeNew Order 
 15:49ClosedownDisintegrationThe Cure 
 19:52Marian – VersionFirst and Last and AlwaysSisters of Mercy 
 30:07PreciousPlaying the AngelDepeche Mode 
 34:34NumbBlackA Covenant of ThornsDarkwave project Scott-David Allen, originally from Seattle
 38:17Give Me a ReasonThe Runner (OST)Boy Harshersoundtrack to a short horror film written, produced, and directed by the duo
 38:54HighriseHighriseLEATHERSSolo electro-pop from Shannon Hemmett from ACTORS in Vancouver, BC
 42:18Sleepless NightsDreamaticFM AttackVaporwave pioneer from Vancouver, BC
 48:41The Girl with the Sun in Her HeadIn SidesOrbital 
59:00End Segment One
1:00:00BrainlessResults, Not AnswersYoung Scientist   Seattle trio formed in the 1970s – James Husted, Roland Barker, Marc Barreca
1:13:41The ArchitectThe Architecture of TimeRemote Vision 
 1:20:29Trapped in AmberBiomeFrorePaul Casper – “inspired by the interconnectedness of a forest, how one small swath of nature can contain infinite microbes, many components that comprise the whole”
 1:29:58Fundamental ValuesTripping with Nils FrahmNils Frahm 
 1:43:12Closed CircuitFRKWYS Vol. 13 – SunergySuzanne Ciani
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
 
 1:52:45VioletColours of AirLoscil,Lawrence English“collection of recordings of a century old pipe organ housed at the historic Old Museum in Brisbane, Australia, which were then processed, transformed, and elevated into eight majestic electro-acoustic threshold devotionals”
First aired May 9, 2023