STAR'S END Update 07.25.21

[Chuck van Zyl]

How many ways are there to be human? By seeking transcendence in the crucible of the concert Erik Wollo validates his existence in the showcase of live performance. With WINTER TIDE (60'14") he adds another enduring work to his discography - this one realized for SoundQuest Fest 2021. Released during a summer when thinking feels like a big ask, this eight part suite unfolds in slow, cooling sighs of sparkling synthetic sounds. As soaring guitar-driven anthems head for the sky, this album's confident melodies hold fast to the heart. Sending his instrument through a labyrinth of digital processing Wollo's playing yields a rich and varied palette of textures and tones. Alongside silvery lead lines he deploys chords of steel strings - which ride atop rising rhythms of electronic precision. The overflow of magical musical moments impacts us at a level deeper than that of words. Arresting, absorbing and rewarding, WINTER TIDE freezes time by inundating the mind with thought. Searching and contemplative, then striding into the deep, it achieves a satisfying, constant level of high thinking. The bright spots are incandescent, and we are moved by the concord of sweet sounds - only to sink into icy waters, where the turbulence really attracts the ears. The recital setting allowed room for risk. In this familiar space Wollo discovers a potent sense of drama - heard in the unique energy exuded throughout each track. Subtle in all the right ways WINTER TIDE was made for a particular kind of listener - determined to collect unique feelings and enjoy each span of sonic goodness while it lasts. Finding our way into this music is a familiar adventure - one where we learn the secrets that we knew all along.

Please tune in to the 07.25.21 broadcast of STAR'S END Ambient Radio for music from WINTER TIDE: Live at SoundQuest Fest 2021, the new live release by Erik Wollo

For more on WINTER TIDE, please access: http://www.projekt.com

For more on Erik Wollo, please access: http://www.wollo.com

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Huron - live on STAR'S END 08.01.21

Johnny Lancia realizes blissed-out ambient works and concerts under the name Huron. His music is filled with heady drones and idiosyncratic rhythms that reflect the natural world - filtered through a variety of modular synthesizers, analog electronics and tape manipulation processes.

Please tune in to the 08.01.21 broadcast of STAR'S END for a live-to-air radio concert with Huron

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STAR'S END - WXPN's Archived Stream

Beginning with the 10.07.18 edition, an archived stream of each broadcast of STAR'S END will be available through the WXPN website. To listen anytime, please access: http://tinyurl.com/starsendarchive

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STAR'S END broadcasts every Saturday Night/Sunday Morning from 1:00am til 6:00am (EDST) on:

88.5fm WXPN Philadelphia, PA
88.1fm WXPH Harrisburg, PA
90.5fm WKHS Worton/Baltimore, MD
91.9fm WXPJ Hackettstown, NJ
104.9fm Allentown, PA

and live on the world wide web at: http://www.xpn.org

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Chuck van Zyl
Host of STAR'S END Ambient Radio
http://www.starsend.org