Hearts of Space
Encyclopedia
Hearts of Space is a United States
weekly syndicated public radio show featuring music of a contemplative nature drawn largely from the ambient
, New Age
and electronic
genres, while also including classical
, world
, Celtic
, experimental
, and other music selections. For many years, the show's producer and presenter, Stephen Hill, has applied the term "space music
" to the music broadcast on the show, irrespective of genre. It is the longest-running radio program of its type in the world.
by Hill and Anna Turner
. It was first broadcast as Music from the Hearts of Space, a three-hour long late-night show on KPFA-FM in Berkeley
, California. It was hosted by Hill under the on-air pseudonym
"Timotheo", with Turner becoming co-host from 1974 to 1986 as "Annamystic".
Shortened to a one-hour version, it entered syndication on public radio in January, 1983, and quickly grew in popularity, signing its 200th station within three years.. , it is still broadcast by over 200 public radio stations weekly. Until April 1, 2010, Hearts of Space show was also broadcast nightly by XM Satellite Radio. Beginning on its Audio Visions
channel in 2001, older shows aired weeknights at 11 PM ET. The current week's show was broadcast on Saturdays at 9 AM ET, then repeated on Sundays at 9 PM ET. After the merger, Sirius XM Satellite Radio moved the program to its Spa channel until discontinuing it. As of August 19, 2011, 955 installments of the show have been produced.
-mixed music. The show concludes with back-announced track details. Before her death, co-producer Anna Turner
(1944?–1996) jointly announced the show with Hill. , Hearts of Space is presented by Hill and produced by Hill and Associate Producer Steve Davis. A number of other individuals have worked on Hearts of Space, including guest producer Ellen Holmes who created a series of "Adagio Recordings classical spacemusic" shows.
(including 5 divisions, sub-labels or label imprints: Hearts of Space Records, for the core space music; Hearts O' Space, for Irish/Celtic albums; World Class, for world-music albums; Fathom, for sounding the deep: dark ambient albums by artists such as Robert Rich and Steve Roach; and RGB, for soundtrack and pop-oriented electronic albums). The record label released nearly 150 albums over the course of its existence; it also licensed and released European albums in the U.S. During the 1980s Hill also produced albums for other labels, such as those of Eckart Rahn (Celestial Harmonies, Fortuna Records, Kuckuck Schallplatten
). In 2001, the label (and catalogue) was sold to Valley Entertainment
. Stephen Hill, though no longer associated with the label's business side, continues to work on A&R
and to produce new compilation recordings for the label.
"). A running gag during the film, which sported an ambient noise soundtrack similar to the music typical of the show, was to imitate the announcer of the program. One of the host segments featured "Music from Some Guys in Space" as a parody of the show. According to the Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, the MST3k staff were sent several albums from the Hearts of Space producers after the episode aired.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
weekly syndicated public radio show featuring music of a contemplative nature drawn largely from the ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, New Age
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
and electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
genres, while also including classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, world
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
, experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
, and other music selections. For many years, the show's producer and presenter, Stephen Hill, has applied the term "space music
Space music
Space music, also called spacemusic, is an umbrella term, synonymous with a segment of New Age Music and Ambient Music, used to describe music that evokes a feeling of contemplative spaciousness. Space music can be found within a wide range of genres. It is particularly associated with ambient, New...
" to the music broadcast on the show, irrespective of genre. It is the longest-running radio program of its type in the world.
History
Hearts of Space was created in 1973 by Stephen Hill, co-producedRadio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
by Hill and Anna Turner
Anna Turner (producer)
Anna Turner was an American producer and administrator. Turner is best known as the original partner of Stephen Hill for launching the space music radio show Hearts of Space: she was its original radio co-producer and early co-host , as well as co-founder and record co-producer of the associated...
. It was first broadcast as Music from the Hearts of Space, a three-hour long late-night show on KPFA-FM in Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, California. It was hosted by Hill under the on-air pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Timotheo", with Turner becoming co-host from 1974 to 1986 as "Annamystic".
Shortened to a one-hour version, it entered syndication on public radio in January, 1983, and quickly grew in popularity, signing its 200th station within three years.. , it is still broadcast by over 200 public radio stations weekly. Until April 1, 2010, Hearts of Space show was also broadcast nightly by XM Satellite Radio. Beginning on its Audio Visions
Audio Visions
Audio Visions was a new age music channel on XM Satellite Radio. It was available in both the United States and Canada. It was also heard on DirecTV channel 856 until February 9, 2010....
channel in 2001, older shows aired weeknights at 11 PM ET. The current week's show was broadcast on Saturdays at 9 AM ET, then repeated on Sundays at 9 PM ET. After the merger, Sirius XM Satellite Radio moved the program to its Spa channel until discontinuing it. As of August 19, 2011, 955 installments of the show have been produced.
Production details
Episodes, or "transmissions," are thematic, commencing with a voice-over introduction by Hill, followed by almost an hour of uninterrupted segueSegue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
-mixed music. The show concludes with back-announced track details. Before her death, co-producer Anna Turner
Anna Turner (producer)
Anna Turner was an American producer and administrator. Turner is best known as the original partner of Stephen Hill for launching the space music radio show Hearts of Space: she was its original radio co-producer and early co-host , as well as co-founder and record co-producer of the associated...
(1944?–1996) jointly announced the show with Hill. , Hearts of Space is presented by Hill and produced by Hill and Associate Producer Steve Davis. A number of other individuals have worked on Hearts of Space, including guest producer Ellen Holmes who created a series of "Adagio Recordings classical spacemusic" shows.
Related projects
The Hearts of Space radio show has spawned a number of related projects, including the Hearts of Space Archive, a commercial ambient-music streaming service started in 2001, and a record label started in 1984, Hearts of Space RecordsHearts of Space Records
Hearts of Space Records is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment.From the label’s website, “Launched in 1984, this record label was created as an extension of the weekly syndicated radio show Hearts of Space...
(including 5 divisions, sub-labels or label imprints: Hearts of Space Records, for the core space music; Hearts O' Space, for Irish/Celtic albums; World Class, for world-music albums; Fathom, for sounding the deep: dark ambient albums by artists such as Robert Rich and Steve Roach; and RGB, for soundtrack and pop-oriented electronic albums). The record label released nearly 150 albums over the course of its existence; it also licensed and released European albums in the U.S. During the 1980s Hill also produced albums for other labels, such as those of Eckart Rahn (Celestial Harmonies, Fortuna Records, Kuckuck Schallplatten
Kuckuck Schallplatten
Kuckuck Schallplatten is a German record label founded in August 1969 by Eckart Rahn, Mal Sondock and the advertising agency ConceptData in Munich, growing out of his music publishing company...
). In 2001, the label (and catalogue) was sold to Valley Entertainment
Valley Entertainment
Valley Entertainment is a United States music distributor and independent record label based in New York City. The company was founded in 1996 by Barney Cohen, president and CEO. In 2001, they acquired the prestigious back catalogue of space, ambient, and New Age music from Hearts of Space Records...
. Stephen Hill, though no longer associated with the label's business side, continues to work on A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
and to produce new compilation recordings for the label.
Cultural influence
The show was parodied on MST3K Episode 303 ("Pod PeoplePod People
The Pod People is a 1983 Spanish science fiction film directed by Juan Piquer Simón. A young boy discovers a lovable alien creature, but the alien's mother is on the prowl...
"). A running gag during the film, which sported an ambient noise soundtrack similar to the music typical of the show, was to imitate the announcer of the program. One of the host segments featured "Music from Some Guys in Space" as a parody of the show. According to the Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, the MST3k staff were sent several albums from the Hearts of Space producers after the episode aired.
See also
- EchoesEchoes (radio program)Echoes is a daily two-hour music radio program hosted by John Diliberto featuring a soundscape of ambient, space, electronica, and New Age music. The program features in-depth artist interviews and intimate "living room" performances. Interview subjects have included Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel,...
, a nightly ambient music show produced by music critic John DilibertoJohn DilibertoJohn Diliberto is an award-winning radio producer, music writer, and host of Echoes, a radio program on Public Radio International featuring ambient, downtempo music "soundscapes"....
. - Musical StarstreamsMusical StarstreamsMusical Starstreams is a terrestrial and internet radio program that first aired in the San Francisco bay area in December 1981...
, a US-based commercial radio program produced and hosted by Frank Forest since 1981. - Star's EndStar's EndStar's End is a weekly, five-hour-long New Age music radio show broadcast by 88.5 WXPN, the University of Pennsylvania's radio station, in Philadelphia. It is the second longest-running show of its type in the world, after Hearts of Space.-History:...
, a weekly ambient music programme broadcast on public radio in Philadelphia since 1976, hosted by Chuck van Zyl. - Ultima Thule Ambient MusicUltima Thule Ambient MusicUltima Thule Ambient Music is a long-running, specialist ambient music radio show which has been broadcast on Australian community radio since 1989. The show has been described as one of the leading alternative music programmes on Australian radio. It is also available as a webcast and as a podcast...
, a weekly ambient music show broadcast on community radio in Australia since 1989. - Drone Zone, an ambient-drone music streaming channel on SomaFMSomaFMSomaFM is a listener-supported, commercial-free Internet-only streaming music station, which started broadcasting out of founder Rusty Hodge's basement garage in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California...
produced by Rusty Hodge since 1999. - Blue Mars, a streaming music channel featuring ambient electronic "Music for the Space Traveler"
- Cryosleep, a streaming radio program of electronic ambient music without beats.
External links
- HOS.com – official website (also HeartsOfSpace.com)
- Hearts of Space via streaming audio