Matt Hillier is one of those brilliant artists whose work is not
encountered nearly enough. Throughout his restless search
through sound he has adopted such aliases as Elve, Ishvara,
Indigo Egg and Ishq among others - the later producing the
acclaimed CD "Orchid" in 2001. The work TIMELAPSE IN
MERCURY (57'28") was begun prior to this, and years later
completed and released. On this CD we find an exploratory
exuberance expressed in a complex and luxuriant range of
synthesized sounds. Arranged not in identifiable rows or
columns, or even as a linear experience, TIMELAPSE IN
MERCURY is more a finely tuned collage. Seeming to be in a
constant state of gradual expansion, the nine tracks blend and
morph beautifully across a subtle interstellar backdrop. Hillier
uses a seemingly endless sound palette as the unique timbres
he realizes arise, hang in space, brighten then darken then twist
into something new. This gives the piece a feeling of
weightlessness, but not randomness. Out of this the listener
enjoys their own sense of floating - energized by well-placed and
shaped electronic tones.

Tune into STAR'S END this weekend for music from TIMELAPSE
IN MERCURY by Ishq

For more on Ishq, access: http://www.ishq.org

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Markus Reuter Live on STAR'S END 08.10.08

Markus Reuter has become known for the brainy, brooding and
atmospheric ambient music he creates using a touch guitar; a
metal stringed guitar-like instrument designed for two-handed
playing and extended sound generation. His musicianship
moves beyond the virtuosic with the addition of several layers of
echo, reverb, pitch shifting, long and short delay lines and other
forms of digital processing. His re-imagining of loop music
comes by way of collaborations with the likes of Bernhard
Wostheinrich and Ian Boddy. Their works with Reuter are more
about improvisation and turning sound inside out than floating
textures and breathing washes of sound - as on Reuter's earlier
releases. In his music, Reuter creates a truly unique dream-like
mood; reminiscent of the sleeping mind as forms wander
unconsciously from theme to theme in a free association of
half-thoughts, lost memories and forgotten places. His
compositions eventually settle into their own odd ambient area.
Characterized by the reiteration of extended phrases and
weighted by unpredictable shifts in timbre, Reuter's work is in
some ways minimalistic. But the primary force shaping his
realizations is Reuter's bold creativity and technical skill as he
effectively combines the ethereal with the surreal.

Markus Reuter will play a live in-studio on-air radio concert on
the 08.10.08 broadcast of STAR'S END

For more on Markus Reuter, access:
http://www.markusreuter.com

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STAR'S END 30th Anniversary Anthology CD

To mark 30 years of continuous broadcast of STAR'S END,
WXPN has released the STAR'S END 30th Anniversary Anthology
CD. This double CD contains over 120 minutes of live music
from 12 renowned artists. The unique performances were culled
from on-air in-studio radio concerts by some of our community's
greatest talents. Included on the disc are previously unreleased
live selections donated by: The Ministry of Inside Things, Orbital
Decay, Ian Boddy, AirSculpture, Radio Massacre International,
Robert Rich, Rudy Adrian, Jonn Serrie, Jeff Pearce, Saul Stokes
and Steve Roach.

The STAR'S END 30th Anniversary Anthology CD is available for
a $60 donation to WXPN, which includes membership and all of
its benefits (current WXPN members can receive the STAR'S
END 30th Anniversary Anthology CD for a $25 donation). Call
1-800-565-WXPN for details.

Thanks very much for your support!

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STAR'S END broadcasts every Saturday night/Sunday morning
from 1am-6am (EDST) on:

88.5fm WXPN Philadelphia, PA
88.7fm WXPH Middletown, York and Lancaster, PA
90.5fm Worton/Baltimore, MD
99.7fm Harrisburg, PA
104.9fm Lehigh Valley, PA
W285DH Whitehall, PA

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

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