Meditative

Moonlit Hermetics | Sonic Gnostic Research [bedcrumbshow Ep. 42]

Throw on some headphones and sink into a meditative zone for this nocturnal vinyl mix of kosmik travelers and innerspace wanderers from Germany, America, Jamaica, and India. Let the shadowy sounds of kosmische musik, free folk, drone-pop, and raga wash over as you drop out of linear time under dimly lit consciousness of the midnight hour.

Featuring Klaus Schulze, Collie Ryan, Gunter Schickert, Fursaxa, Sonny Sharrock, Dennis Wise and other innerspace travelers.

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Om – Live

Style: Spiritual Metal, Stoner Rock, Mantra Drone, Heavy Psych

Moods: Meditative, Epic, Spiritual, Sombre, Stoned

Musical Qualities: Live, Slow, Heavy, Riffs, Chants, Repetitive, Dynamic

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Osjan – Roots

Style: Free Folk, Organic Music, Progressive Folk, Psychedelic Chamber Music

Moods: Ritualistic, Ancient, Flowing, Tribal, Earthy, Communal, Hypnotic, Intertwined, Medieval, Mysterious, Mystical, Nocturnal

Musical Qualities: Percussive, Collective Improvisation, ?Acoustic, Suite, Thematic, Progressive, Atmospheric, Repetitive

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John Surman – Upon Reflection

Style: Post-Minimalism, Ambient Jazz, Folk-Jazz, ECM Style

Moods: Meditative, Pastoral, Futuristic, Mysterious, Impressionistic, Hypnotic, Soothing, Searching

Musical Qualities: Electro-Acoustic, Minimalist, Instrumental, Pulse, Solo

Instrumentation: soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, synthesizer

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Swans – leaving meaning.

Style: Gothic Americana, Neo-Folk, Post-Rock

Moods: Brooding, Existential, Shadowy, Eerie, Sombre, Spiritual, Apocalyptic, Contemplative, Cryptic, Hypnotic, Focused, Nihilistic, Patient, Philosophical, Suspenseful

Musical Qualities: Slow, Lush, Vocal Harmonies, Repetitive, Lyrical, Droney, Rhythmic, Atmospheric

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Sélène Saint-Aimé – Potomitan

Style: Avant-garde Chamber Jazz, Afro-Carribean Jazz, Gwoka

Moods/Themes: Ancestry, Ritualistic, Meditative, Hypnotic, Communal, Rootsy, Poetic, Sombre, Elegant, Flowing, Warm, Mystical

Musical Qualities: Polyrhythmic, Percussive, Acoustic, Repetitive, Improvisation, Technical

Instrumentation: Upright Bass, Bèlè Drum, Ka Drum, Trumpet, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals, Cello, Violin

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Rich Ruth – I Survived, It’s Over

Style: Kosmische Jazz, Progressive Electronic, New Age

Vibe: Healing, Cosmic, Warm, Ethereal, Colorful, Uplifting, Spiritual, Exploratory, Heartfelt, Soothing

Musical Qualities: Improvisation, Repetitive, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Atmospheric, Instrumental

Instrumentation: Keyboards, Synthesizers, Upright Bass, Saxophone, Electric Guitar, Drums, Flute, Harp

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Dirty Three – Ocean Songs

Style: Chamber Rock, Slowcore, Post-Rock

Vibe: Aquatic, Melancholy, Flowing, Patient, Soothing, Meditative, Longing, Lonely, Dreamy, Mellow, Lethargic

Musical Qualities: Atmospheric, Loose, Soft, Instrumental, Loops, Improvisation

Instrumentation: Violin, Drums, Electric Guitar, Loops, Melodica, Piano, Harmonica

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Fountainsun – Sweep the Temple

Style: Spiritual Folk, Outsider Folk

Vibe: Mystical, Pantheistic, Contemplative, Uplifting, Enchanting, Intimate, Heartfelt, Forest, Ritualistic, Meditative, Morning, Warm, Storytelling

Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Suite, Spoken Word, Melodic, Lyrical

Instrumentation: 12-String Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Marimba, Vibraphone, Vocal Harmonies, Gong, Percussion, Shakuhachi,

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Sam Amidon – Sam Amidon

Style: Dream Folk, Jazz-Folk, Warped Americana

Vibes: Warm Melancholy, Springtime Reflection, Rootsy, Early Afternoons in the Garden, Dreamy, Intertwined, Heartfelt

Musical Qualities: Lush; Improvised Arrangements; Studio-as-an-Instrument, Melodic, Vocal Fx

Instrumentation: Banjo, Saxophone, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Flute, Acoustic Bass, Synthesizers, Piano

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Peter Kardas – I Saw You

Style: Inner Space Music, Ambient Pop, Tape Music, Minimal Wave

Vibe: Ethereal, Suspenseful, Introspective, Soothing, Nocturnal, Hypnotic, Meditative, Cinematic, Dreamy, Ominous (A2, B2, B3)

Musical Qualities: Pulse, Home Recording, Minimalistic, Atmospheric, Vignettes

Instrumentation: Keyboards, Drum Machine, Vocals, Tape Loops, Electric Guitar, Marimba, Echo

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Sergius Golowin – Lord Krishna von Golka

Style: Spiritual Folk, Kosmische, Prog

Vibe: Devotional, Ritualistic, Ethereal, Exploratory, Visionary, Mystical, Cosmic, Meditative, Mysterious

Musical Qualities: Progressive, Chants, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Acoustic, Atmospheric, Spoken Word, Raga, Dynamic, Percussive, Choral Vocals, Jams

Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar, Tabla, Organ, Mellotron, Bongo, Chimes, Bells, Flute, Harmonica

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boris – Flood

Style: Drone Metal, Post-Rock

Vibe: Aquatic, Meditative, Monolithic, Suspenseful, Cathartic, Apocalyptic, Melancholy, Epic

Musical Qualities: Slow, Dynamic, Suite, Loops, Repetitive, Droney, Minimalistic

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Swans – The Glowing Man

Style: Experimental Rock, Post Rock

Vibe: Cathartic, Visceral, Spiritual, Brooding, Shadowy, Apocalyptic, Ritualistic, Suspenseful, Climactic, Dark, Powerful, Heavy, Cryptic, Philosophical, Surreal, Epic, Hypnotic, Sombre, Meditative, Mysterious, Monolithic, Longing, Existential, Disorienting

Musical Qualities: Dynamic, Repetitive, Dense, Crescendo, Rhythmic, Droney

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Terry Riley – Shri Camel

Style: Ecstatic Minimalism, New Age, Drone

Vibe: Spiritual, Meditative, Heavenly, Cosmic, Hypnotic, Mystical, Longing, Intertwined

Musial Attributes: Just Intonation, Instrumental, Minimalistic, Repetitive, Suite, Improvisation, Drone

Instrumentation: Yamaha YC-45D Organ with multiple digital delay channels for live layering & interactions

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Ilyas Ahmed & Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – You Can See Your Own Way Out

Style: Drone, Tape Music, Ambient, Drone-Folk

Vibe: Nocturnal, Haunting, Hypnotic, Ethereal, Meditative, Warm, Nature, Nostalgia

Musical Qualities: Sound Collage, Instrumental, Field Recordings, Collage, Electro-Acoustic, Noisy, Home Recording, Vignettes

Instrumentation: Tapes, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Piano, Drum Machine, Synthesizers, Bass, Keyboard, Percussion, Bass Clarinet (B2)

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Brainticket – Celestial Ocean

Style: Kosmische Musik, Prog, Space Rock, Progressive Electronic

Vibe: Cosmic, Ethereal, Aquatic, Groovy, Exploratory, Hypnotic, Meditative, Hallucinogenic, Spiritual, Futuristic

Musical Qualities: Progressive, Suite, Raga, Headphone Album, Raga, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Dense

Lyrics: Conceptual, Egyptian Book of the Dead, Spiritual, Philosophical

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Earthforce – Earthforce

Released in 2021 on Lion Productions Recorded 1977, Archival Release Format: LP, includes 12-page 12″ booklet Style: British Folk, Psych Folk, Spiritual Folk, Raga-Influenced Vibe: Hippie, Morning, Communal, Spiritual, Pastoral, Earthy, Eclectic, Nature, Peaceful, Mystical, Meditative Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar (6 & 12 String), Sitar, Harmonium, Doogi, Synthesizers, Percussion, Fretless Bass, Flageolet, Table, Electric Piano

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Sarah Louise – Earth Bow

Style: Free Folk, Cosmic Appalachia, Ambient Folk, Healing Music

Vibe: hypnotic, amorphous, confident, cosmic, dreamy, earthy, ethereal, existential, exploratory, forest, warm, spiritual, spontaneous, soothing, psychedelic, passionate, nature, meditative, hallucinogenic

Musical Qualities: Suite, Electro-Acoustic, Studio-as-an-instrument, Loops, Home Recording, Progressive, Field Recordings

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Between – And the Waters Opened

Style: Psychedelic Chamber Music, Kosmische Musik, Ritual-Folk, Global Fusion

Vibe: Spiritual, Meditative, Communal, Psychedelic, Earthy, Forest, Ritualistic, Tribal

Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Atmospheric, Chamber, Droney, Raga, Percussive, Chants

Instrumentation: Oboe, Keyboards, Conga, Acoustic Guitar, Bamboo Flute

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Tortoise – TNT

Style: Post-Rock, Experimental Rock
Influences: Dub, Kosmische Musik, Bossa Nova, Lounge, Minimalism, Jazz, Electronic
Vibe: Contemplative, Eclectic, Focused, Futuristic, Impressionistic, Lush, Meditative, Peaceful, Soothing
Musical Attributes: Atmospheric, Complex, Digital Production, Percussive, Polyphonic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Loops, Headphone Album, Rhythmic, Pulse, Instrumental, Progressive, Polished

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Botany – End the Summertime F(or)ever

While the luminescent drones and angelic simulacra of Deepak Verbera expanded out into the cosmos, Botany’s newest LP feels more rooted in the soil of our material reality. The bass heavy beats and impassioned vocal samples inspire movement and action rather than contemplation alone, not to say the results aren’t heady. Rich tapestries of resonant acoustic instruments (harps, flutes, percussion, strings), woozy synths, and warm tape hiss are as intricate as ever and easy to lose (or find?) yourself in.?Recommended to fans of Flying Lotus’ Until the Quiet Comes, Boards of Canada, and Alice Coltrane.?

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James Holden & the Animal Spirits – The Animal Spirits

These communal sound rituals express a digital-era longing to reconnect to the Earth. The grooves here are circular and ceremonial, not rooted to any specific musical traditions but borrowing from many, including cosmic jazz, kosmische musik and undoubtedly inspired by Holden’s collaboration with legendary Gnawa musician Maleem Mahmoud Ghania. Drums and percussion ground the proceedings while muscular sequencer and fiery saxophone arpeggiations hypnotically intertwine.  The sounds of fluttering recorder and modular synthesizer swirl through the air like offerings to the cosmos. 

Recommended for fans of The Comet is Coming, Tonto’s Exploding Head Band, Maleem Mahmoud Ghania & Pharoah Sander’s Trance of Seven Colors, Natural Information Society, Colin Stetson

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Third Ear Band – Alchemy

Style: Free Folk, Chamber Music, Progressive Folk

Vibe: Ritualistic, Hypnotic, Earthy, Tribal, Nature, Meditative, Medieval, Exploratory

Musical Attributes: Acoustic, Improvisation, Instrumental, Minimalistic

Instrumentation: Oboe, Violin, Viola, Recorder, Percussion (Tabla, Drums, Chimes), Cello

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Mike Oldfield – Ommadawn

Style: Celtic New Age, Symphonic Prog

Vibe: Ethereal, Medieval, Spring, Mellow, Meditative, Rainy, Soothing, Cinematic, Eclectic, Epic, Pastoral

Musical Qualities: Suite, Orchestral, Lush, Atmospheric, Progressive, Studio-as-an-Instrument

Instrumentation: harp, electric guitar, acoustic bass, electric bass, bagpipe, uilleann pipes, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, classical guitar, mandolin, bodhran, bouzouki, banjo, spinet, piano, Organ, synthesizer, glockenspiel, percussion, choral vocals, brass, tympani, drums, percussion

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John Fahey & His Orchestra – Old Fashioned Love

Another interesting one from Fahey, side A consists of some amazingly intricate guitar duets with Woodrow Mann, including my favorite Fahey song “Jaya Shiva Shankarah”. Side B takes a strange turn though…halfway through the title track a 10-piece dixieland band kicks for a few tracks of New Orleans-style jazz. The album closes in a more familiar place with a contemplative solo piece that most Fahey fans would dig.

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The Books – The Way Out

The Books’ music is simultaneously funny, innovative, catchy and enlightening. They use found sound and spoken word mixed with innovative recording techniques and acoustic instruments to create beautiful sound-collages that somehow create unity between all these disparate sources, as if they were all meant to be together. Everything these guys do, solo or together, is absolute genius.

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Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Bitchin Bajas – Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties

A far cry from the sparse folk usually recorded by Will Oldham, “Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties” finds his intimate voice and warbly acoustic guitar enveloped by the cosmic drones, blooming synths, airy flutes, and hypnotic tape loops of Chicago new age trio, Bitchin Bajas. The lyrics are essentially fortune cookie mantras and, while there’s a chance they’re tongue-in-cheek, it’s difficult not to smile and feel a brightening of the spirit when hearing uplifting phrases like “Your hard work is about to pay off, keep on keepin’ on” or “you and your whole family are well” get repeated over and over. This collaboration is a soothing, heartwarming listen and a refreshing change-of-pace from Oldham’s tendency towards melancholy and solemn lyrical content.

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Deradoorian – Eternal Recurrence

There is a fathomless void within each of us. And while many choose to run from it, clinging to anything to keep from falling in, Deradoorian dove right in on her meditative release, Eternal Reccurrence. Here she provides somewhat of a sonic roadmap for diving deep within yourself, guided by the blooming drones of harmonium, Juno synthesizers, and flutes. Arising from the ether, layers of otherworldly voices sing mantras of facing our Shadow (“Mirrorman”), finding the love that resides in the core of our being, and bringing it back with us into this material dimension.

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