It must have hit me back in the fall of 1983.
It was the start of my freshman year of college. I was living away from home (by maybe 2 miles) and exploring independence and freedom. There were late nights. Mine didn’t include drinking or drugs or partying. A lot of time was spent talking. Meeting new friends, learning about life. And there was a soundtrack. Especially late Saturday nights.
The soundtrack was Stars End on WXPN in Philadelphia. It opened up my mind to new worlds of sound, new ideas of music. The sense of serenity and mystery has always stuck with me.
The first LP I remember purchasing (from Garland of Letters on South Street in Philly) was Structures From Silence by the master of ambient, Steve Roach. To this day it is still my favorite piece of ambient music.
Thus began my love of ambient music. I spent years collecting LPs, then CDs. (Why did it take so long for Structures From Silence to make it to CD?) And then the MP3 revolution.
In recent years, the search for new music has offered a reward too great to be imagined–a plethora of beautiful ambient music offered for FREE! The new world of music distribution has placed artists in control of their work, and many want to know that their music is listened to and enjoyed. Some offer free music to promote the work that earns them a living. Others have art that they just wish to share, without the intention of making it a career. Whatever the reasons, there is an abundance of music to hear.
I half-heartedly started a blog to feature this music, but then saw a chance to go even further when offered a slot at StillStream ambient radio. I can now play this music and spread the word across the globe.
So, listen in. And follow along here. And hear some beautiful music that I hope will be the soundtrack to some amazing times in your life.
Brad Ross-MacLeod
August 2008
Hi Brad,
What you describe in the ABOUT section is what I remember of college in NYC, except it was 1966. I didn’t discover ambient music until about 10 years later, when I was in Boston. I heard ENO on some college station…Another Green World I believe. I studied music and then went on to do other things, returning to music a few years ago by starting to compose music on the PC with various software and keyboards. I like your show and your music and Lucette’s, of course. I was chatting with Mike and others Sunday when you got on about your new LOGO, which I think is very sharp. Mike Metlay helped me sign the waiver and said to send him my2 CD’s that I have done so far and maybe get them air time. MY name is on the play list but he didn’t have any CD’s. I love StillStream and have it on all the time except when I am composing. I’m in NH.
Keep up the good work and maybe some day I can help the station , somehow.
Kind Regards,
Peter DiPhillips
you, sir, are a rounder! whoops, wrong tab, sorry. me trying to multitask is like…hey, look! a pony! anyway, really appreciate your site and your show ‘n’ shit. ah, crap, that jerk in the other tab has sent me like, 53 messages. gotta jump.