The Power of Memory by Altus

 

 

The first time I used a track from Altus in a mix was 10 years ago. I've been a fan ever since. Altus is Mike Carss, who also records as Loneward. Between those two musical personas, I've used Mike's music in 10 mixes.

• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/music-for-a-mars-landing/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/deep-sky-time-music-for-stargazing-2013/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/eight-days-in-july-the-journey-of-apollo-11/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/almost-home/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/best-ambient-of-2019/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/sleep-series-summer-slumber/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/the-stars-appear-like-diamonds/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/the-silence-of-snow/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/always-autumn-by-paul-asbury-seaman/
• https://www.mixcloud.com/lowlight/unfold-the-universe/

After listening to the new Loneward album, Pallid Memories, I asked Mike if he could create a guest mix for me. Luckily, he said yes and now we have this wonderful new collection, The Power of Memory. I've been listening to it nearly every day for the last two weeks and I just can't say enough about this mix. It transports the listener through space and time.

Here's what Mike says about this mix:

Our brains are mysterious machines when you regard how memory works. If you listen to new music and it causes you to sit up and take notice, there's a chance that moment in time will encode itself into the soundwaves. With each repeated listen, you can reinforce that, recording fragments of those periods of time. Afterward, no matter how long a time gap, if you listen to that song again, you can enjoy the memories held within. This makes the music yours and deeply personal.

Even more interesting is when you listen to new music and it simply unearths nostalgia within you.

The final track in this mix, written by me (Loneward), is my way of expressing both these phenomena.

As you might have guessed, each song (aside from the final track) has deep meaning to me. I'm happy to be able to share them with you, and I hope the music moves you enough to explore the albums they came from.

When Dave asked me to guest mix for LLM, I thought: yeah, that sounds like a fun project. I've never done anything like this before but knew there was an art to it. Now, I have a whole new level of respect for those who create these mixes. Coming up with a set list is one thing, but getting them to actually work together without unwanted dissonance . . .? Ouch!

My thanks to Dave for the opportunity. I hope you enjoy the journey.

- Mike

 

You can find Altus & Loneward music here - https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/

Links to every album used in this set, in the same order in which they appear in the mix:

• https://archive.org/details/Mantra28thOct2008
• https://robertrich.bandcamp.com/album/trances-drones
• https://hakobune.bandcamp.com/album/whispering-in-their-presence
• https://bleep.com/release/40902-manual-the-north-shore-bliss-out-v20
• https://n5md.bandcamp.com/album/embrace
• https://christophersisk.bandcamp.com/album/light-1
• https://mattborghi.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-meditation-and-sleep-short-forms-vol-1
• https://awakenedsouls.bandcamp.com/album/how-we-heal
• https://kwajbasket.bandcamp.com/album/science-fiction-soundtrack
• https://sudanobuto.bandcamp.com/album/modestly-calm
• https://ajna1.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled-ep
• https://eternell.net/album/waking-music
• https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-trilogy-25th-anniversary-remastered-edition
• https://wingsofanangel.bandcamp.com/album/don-t-trust-the-sun
• https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/mystic-chords-and-sacred-spaces-complete-edition
• https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/pallid-memories

 

Also thanks to Mike for collecting this social info for all the artists in the mix:

Facebook:

• Srg
• @robertrichmusic
• @hakobuneongaku
• Jess Kahr
• @Ex Confusion
• @christophersiskmusic
• @mattborghi
• Awakened Souls
• @kwajbasket
• Norihito Suda
• Ajna & @Massergy
• @eternellmusic
• @dirk.serries
• Wings Of An Angel
• @SteveRoachMusic

Twitter:

• Srg
• @robertrichmusic
• @hakobunemusic
• Jess Kahr
• @exconfusion
• @christophersisk
• @mattborghi
• @souls_awakened
• @Kwajbasket
• Norihito Suda
• Ajna & @massergy
• @illuvia
• Dirk Serries
• @WingsAmbient
• @steve_timeroom

Instagram:

• Srg
• @robertrichmusic
• @tobirarecs
• Jess Kahr
• @exconfusion
• @christophersisk
• @mattborghimusic
• @awakenedsoulsmusic
• @kwajbasket
• Norihito Suda
• @ajna_drone & @massergy_ambient
• @ludvigcimbrelius
• @dirkserries
• Wings Of An Angel
• @steveroachofficial

 

Thanks again, Mike, for creating this gem!

Cheers!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00 Srg - Mantra 28th Oct 2008 (Self Released 2008)
• 04:51 Robert Rich - Seascape (Trances & Drones on Release Entertainment 2000)
• 09:19 Hakobune - Whispering In Their Presence (Whispering In Their Presence on Sunshine Ltd 2012)
• 14:21 Jess Kahr - ICA (The North Shore on Darla Records 2004)
• 17:29 Ex Confusion - Speak Softly In My Dreams (Embrace on n5MD 2012)
• 21:00 Christopher Sisk - 03 (Light 1 on Christopher Sisk Music 2012)
• 24:30 Matt Borghi - Dream Journal (Music for Meditation and Sleep - Short Forms, Vol. 1 on SloBor Media 2020)
• 27:28 Awakened Souls - How We Heal (How We Heal on Stereoscenic 2020)
• 30:37 Kwajbasket - Do Not Go to the Medical Deck (Science Fiction Soundtrack / Self Released 2012)
• 32:37 Norihito Suda - Acceptance (Modestly Calm on Somehow Recordings 2011)
• 35:19 Ajna & Massergy - White Spinels (Self Titled EP / Self Released 2013)
• 38:25 Eternell - Gray Havens (Waking Music / Self Released 2013)
• 41:00 Vidna Obmana - Forever Grown (Passage In Beauty on Decade Collection 1991)
• 44:10 Wings Of An Angel - Your Clinic Of Asunderous Therapeutic Atrophies Has Won This Year's Nobel Prize (Don't Trust The Sun / Self Released 2015)
• 48:07 Steve Roach - Dream Body (Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces on Projekt 2003)
• 52:41 Loneward - A Collection of Lesser Moments (Pallid Memories on Altus Music 2022)
• 60:34 end