On this week’s journey, we will explore the beautiful sounds of Cambodia, and pay homage to the thriving music scene that was destroyed by the Communist government of the late 70s. May their songs live on and provide inspiration for the rest of us. Music should be freed.
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Nordic/Baltic? Bizarre/Blissful!
Let the stereo typecasts and contradictions continue forever & never! Estonia lies on the cusp of incognition, not quite Nordic, and also not much like the other Baltic nations to the south… They are a surprisingly progressive nation just doing their thing and reaping the rewards of hovering below the world radar.
But guess what Estonia… WE SEE YOU! And yes, you are just as freaky as your Finnish brethren across the gulf. Thank the Norse Gods! Jolly accordions, synthesizers from deep space, cellos of catharsis, kannel harps, warped guitar wonkerings… We barely know you but it could be true love. Open ears to the sky.
Trip on down to the Nether World
Call it Holland or call it the Netherlands, just don’t call it a late bloomer. The Dutch are always on top of musical trends, from the dawn of rock n roll to the electropop 90’s.
Strangely enough, one of the most exciting bands in Dutch history actually comes from Southeast Asia. By the time the Tielman Brothers emigrated from Indonesia in 1957, they were already world-class innovators of a hybrid style of music (dubbed Indorock). In reality, this was an early version of Surf music, combining Polynesian beauty with the rawness of electric guitar fuzzardry. But what really amazes is their showmanship.. I quite honestly didn’t know people moved like this in 1960:
What other sonic gems from the lowlands remain undiscovered in the far west? Wander with us.
Fuzzrock Zambiance
Nestled in the middle of Southcentral Africa, Zambia is an underlooked country amongst overlooked countries. A shame, considering the potency of the music blooming within its borders. In the 1970s, freshly freed from the colonial rule of Britain, politics fueled and inspired a gritty guitar groove that became known as Zamrock. This is dark, beautiful music that seemingly came outta nowhere, then faded away without a trace before the rest of the world had even caught on to its existence. Thankfully, decades later, we have unearthed aural records from this flickering space in time:
And this timeless piece of music is hypnotizing on a completely different waveform. These kids can feel it…
Also, during the first hour of the show, Nick shares stories and sounds that moved him during the ArtsWells and Shambhalamusic festivals over the past weeks — truly some of the most inspiring manifestations of love and music in British Columbia. On Wandering Rhythms, we set our sights on the global music community, but we recognize that there is much to celebrate right here within our own soundscape. We are blessed.
841 Languages?!
The Melanesian islands of Papua New Guinea are home to only 6 million humans, but they represent 12% of all languages spoken on Earth. Paradoxically, this region is considered one of the most rural, unexplored corners of the planet. What will we discover? Dive inward!
And while you’re here, check out this brilliant Austrian/Spanish brand of synth perfection:
WANDERING RHYTHMS RADIO 