The Relay Station

Episode 7.21 /// Featuring Isabel Pine and Philippe Deschamps

In this program, I’ve got the stunning new album “Fables” from stringed instrumentalist and composer Isabel Pine that’s ornately imbued with her four-piece stringed arrangement and dreamy ambient layers, and later in the program I’ve got the new album “Les Juif Riches” from film composer Philippe Deschamps, a pensive, dreamy, and contemplative ambient soundtrack. Plus new music from JJRD + mRn, Rayan Haïdar, Abul Mogard, Loneward and more. Strap in and make yourself comfortable. Join us for the next hour for global ambient music, on The Relay Station. Artist information Isabel Pine Isabel Pine is a Canadian stringed instrumentalist and ambient artist based out of British Columbia, who I’ve become acquainted with through Kranky, a Chicago-based ambient label. Pine had released an LP and a handful of EP’s and singles before making her debut on Kranky with her latest LP “Fables”, an album that has quickly risen near the top of some of my favorite ambient albums in my vinyl collection. Ornately imbued with cello, viola, violin, and double bass, she experimented with field recordings laced in her compositions, but eventually moved the production to a small, remote cabin deep in the BC to capture the rustic beauty of the landscape that surrounded her. The finished piece is a tapestry of astonishing vignettes and deeply meditative motifs that patiently unfold and cascade like the long, slow push and pull of the tide. To call “Fables” a listening experience is to do a disservice to the way in which it infuses the listener with a sense of weightlessness, where it feels like you’re drifting out of space and time, and into a dreamlike state. When I lose myself into the music, it feels like the gentle rise of the sun over the horizon, kissing my face with that first break of daylight, gently nudging me to wake, to rise, and go experience its beauty first-hand. That is the beauty of “Fables”. From the album “Fables”, here’s Isabel Pine with the track “Wolves”, here on The Relay Station. https://isabelpine.bandcamp.com [https://isabelpine.bandcamp.com]https://kranky.bandcamp.com [https://kranky.bandcamp.com] Philippe Deschamps Philippe Deschamps has long-been a friend of The Relay Station, almost since the early beginnings of the program when I heard his album “Blue Baths”. Each progressive release of his since then has continued to seduce me with its tranquil and contemplative vibes. His latest film score is of no exception — the sound track for the 31-minute independent film “Les Juif Riches” which recently made its debut at the prestigious German film festival “Die Berlinale” in February of 2026. The film is a pensive exploration of director Yolande Zauberman’s post-World War II family footage, revisiting the stories of her Jewish relatives who rebuilt up their lives from nothing. The film score, which Deschamps orchestrated as the musical backbone for the film, is richly layered with dreamy instrumental veneers, soft-swelling melodies, and the feeling of clouded memories made nearly opaque from the passing of time. Because it’s a film score that serves as a backdrop, “Les Juif Riches” is a great soundtrack for your workday, that focused study session, or a contemplative morning with that cup of hot tea and a journal to write your reflections in. It’s a beautiful album and I encourage you to give it a spin! From the album “Les Juif Riches (Bande originale du film), here’s Philippe Deschamps with the track “Sarah, Fragments”, here on The Relay Station. https://philippedeschamps.eu/ [https://philippedeschamps.eu/] Playlist * [0:00] INTRODUCTION * [00:01:23] “Lluvia de Octubre” by JJRD + mRn from “Études Sónicas” (Wayfarer Music Group, 2026) * [00:05:53] “Cities burn as we dream of a return” by Rayan Haïdar from “Cities burn as we dream of a return” (Dragon’s Eye Recordings, 2026) * [00:11:16] “Along The River (Reduction Edit) - BONUS TRACK” by Abul Mogard from “In a Few Places Along the River (2022 reissue)” (Soft Echoes, 2026) * [00:18:06] Featured Artist Segment * [00:20:24] “Wolves” by Isabel Pine from “Fables” (Kranky / Isabel Pine, 2026) * [00:24:12] “Woven Immensity” by Loneward from “Paradox of Silken Stars” (Independent, 2026) * [00:33:58] “Shells” by Alexander Eldefors from “Vivel” (Laaps Records, 2026) * [00:39:12] “Kindness Will Keep Us Afloat” by Nicola Olla from “Dissolution” (Blue Spiral Records, 2026) * [00:41:54] Featured Artist Segment * [00:43:51] “Sarah, Fragments” by Philippe Deschamps from “Les juifs riches (Bande originale du film)” (Shindo Sea Records, 2026) * [00:48:06] “Early Morning” by Absence from “Names of Unknown Places” (Imaginary North Records, 2026) * [00:54:14] “Torres Blancas [Madrid]” by MiDi B***H from “Habitat” (Cyclical Dreams, 2026) Become a supporter today! Join our community and become a monthly supporter of The Relay Station. Your financial support helps cover operating expenses and our collective efforts for the program to reach carbon neutrality. Join us at https://stolace.com/support/ [https://stolace.com/support/] Get full access to The Relay Station at therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe [https://therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 7.20 /// Featuring Violeta Vicci & Bruno Bavota and Glacis with Henrik Meierkord

In this program, I’ve got some fantastic collaborations in store for you, mirroring the beautiful potential of humankind. First up in the program, we’ll be showcasing the new album “Be Human” from violinist Violetta Vicci and pianist Bruno Bavota, showing the magical potential when two artists come together in the same room — and the result is sublime! And later in the program Scottish composer Glacis pairs up with the incomparably prolific Henrik Meierkord to produce the pensive and tender album “We Gape and We Are Healed”. Plus new music from Ambiente Solstice + JJRD, Natureland & Michael D. Tidwell, Luca Formentini, Shane Aspegren and more. Strap in and make yourself comfortable. Join us for the next hour for global ambient music, on The Relay Station. Artist information Violeta Vicci & Bruno Bavota I absolutely love a good collaboration, showing the potential of humanity when we work together, when we listen, and when we work to cooperate to create a thing of beauty. Violinist Violetta Vicci and pianist Bruno Bavota are a testament to that magic when one is open and creates a spaciousness for ideas to come together. Their new album “Be Human”, out now on Bigo and Twigetti, is the result of a chance encounter at a London recording studio — merely inquiring about the possibility of creating music together. One thing led to another, and before long they found themselves with a full-length LP. Most of the tracks were captured in a single take, keeping the spontaneity and imperfections of their first encounter with minimal post-production that they might preserve the feel of a live performance. The raw creativity and sheer excitement of making music comes through in every note. Bavota writes about their session, “Our aim initially was to record a couple of tracks to begin our collaboration and release as standalone singles. Luckily, our studio time was delayed on the first day and Violeta and I had time for a nice talk in the park [which] helped to build our bond. When we eventually got into the studio, instead of two songs we recorded ten. Something magical happened!” Something magical indeed. There’s a conversational tone in their improvisational performances with free-flowing give and take, one never over-powering the other and demonstrating the skill of being an active listener. It’s an emotive, delightful, and pleasant listen, and I can only imagine we’ll be expecting more from this duo in the future. From their new album “Be Human”, here’s Violetta Vicci and Bruno Bavota with the track “Golden Raindrops”, here on The Relay Station. https://www.violetavicci.com/ [https://www.violetavicci.com/]https://brunobavota.com/ [https://brunobavota.com/] Glacis with Henrik Meierkord Scottish composer Euan Alexander Millar-McKeenan, who operates under the name “Glacis” has teamed up with one of the most prolific collaborators that I know of — Swedish cellist Henrik Meierkord, an artist with a reputation for masterfully weaving his way through from one genre to the next, almost quite effortlessly. Naturally when the UK label WhiteLabRecs informed me of the Glacis-Meierkord album, I couldn’t wait to dive into the audio files and hit play to see what awaits me. And the result did not disappoint. The album is a beautiful and delicate interplay between the piano and the cello, with Meierkord’s steady and free-flowing musicality counterbalancing Euan’s ornate and thinly veiled piano-based compositions. The resulting work is a pensive emotional arc that gently dots the canvas with vulnerability, reflection, and quiet spaciousness. There’s ample room for each line and phrase to ring out and linger in an unhurried fashion, providing you a hushed listening session for you to ease into, lost in contemplation and drifting out of time. It’s a splendid collaboration from start to finish, and is well worth your time. From their album “We Gape and We Are Healed”, here’s Glacis with Henrik Meierkord with the track “Desire Becomes Sorrow”, here on The Relay Station. https://221604.bandcamp.com/ [https://221604.bandcamp.com/]https://henrikmeierkord.bandcamp.com/ [https://henrikmeierkord.bandcamp.com/] Playlist * [0:00] INTRODUCTION * [00:01:36] “Colder Days” by Ambiente Solstice + JJRD from “Colder Days” (Wayfarer Music Group, 2026) * [00:08:15] “That One Quiet Friend - Solo Version” by Natureland & Michael D. Tidwell from “That One Quiet Friend EP” (Independent, 2025-05-14) * [00:10:38] “Angel Lost (Radio edit)” by Luca Formentini from “Angel Lost” (Independent, 2026) * [00:16:07] Featured Artist Segment * [00:18:46] “Golden Raindrops” by Violeta Vicci & Bruno Bavota from “Be Human” (Bigo and Twigetti, 2026) * [00:23:36] “Spiritual Cannibalism” by Shane Aspegren from “Spiritual Cannibalism” (Prohibited Records, 2026) * [00:29:40] “Grey Nameless Mountain” by Mosaicist from “The Fog Is Lifting” (WhiteLabRecs, 2025) * [00:35:18] “Numb” by Hanakiv from “Lastele” (Gondwana Records, 2026) * [00:39:26] Featured Artist Segment * [00:41:24] “Desire Becomes Sorrow” by Glacis with Henrik Meierkord from “We Gape And We Are Healed” (WhiteLabRecs, 2026) * [00:46:06] “Dream sphere” by Mindmeld from “The Connection” (Cyclical Dreams, 2026) * [00:49:12] “The Lost Dawn” by The Silent Tide from “Memories” (Mare Nostrum, 2025) * [00:53:54] “Factory Settings” by Glåsbird from “Shades” (WhiteLabRecs, 2026) Become a supporter today! Join our community and become a monthly supporter of The Relay Station. Your financial support helps cover operating expenses and our collective efforts for the program to reach carbon neutrality. Join us at https://stolace.com/support/ [https://stolace.com/support/] Get full access to The Relay Station at therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe [https://therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 7.19 /// Featuring Simon McCorry and Cécile Lacharme

In this program, we’re giving a whole lot of love to one of the most expressive instruments known to human kind — the cello. I’ve got the new album “All The Important Things Are Now Connected” from Simon McCorry, a brooding and contemplative work, balanced with wonder and curiosity. And later in the program French experimental Cellist Cécile Lacharme has me absolutely spell-bound with her new looped cello album “Dérive”, and I simply cannot get enough of it! Plus new music from Simon Goff, Alex O’Donovan, Zen Lemon, Dobrawa Czocher and more. Strap in and make yourself comfortable. Join us for the next hour for global ambient music, on The Relay Station. Artist information Simon McCorry Simon McCorry is a cellist, sound designer, and ambient artist from Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom that spends much of his time in motion, touring the UK as a theatre sound engineer. As one might imagine, life on the road has a distinct feeling of impermanence, an impression that has permeated its way into his work. McCorry is a prolific artist with dozens of releases through Bandcamp — an impressive and expressive catalog spanning the last decade. His latest release “All The Important Things Are Now Connected” is a brooding, contemplative work that’s balanced with a sense of wonder and curiosity — centered around the cello and walking the fine line between cohesion and collapse. There’s something unique about McCorry’s work that sets him apart from other cellists in the ambient genre — it may be the raw vibe he evokes through the way in which he’s captured and manipulated the cello, or perhaps the up-close, intimate, and conversational way in which his melodies sing their truth, or maybe it’s the humble, unassuming nature of his compositions in which they don’t garner for attention or notoriety. Regardless of what it may be, his music invites a close-quarters dialogue, one that I hope you’ll take the time to discover for yourself. From his album “All The Important Things Are Now Connected”, here’s Simon McCorry with the track “Whisper Music”, here on The Relay Station. https://www.simonmccorry.com/ [https://www.simonmccorry.com/]https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/ [https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/] Cécile Lacharme Cécile Lacharme is a classically trained, experimental French cellist that’s made her debut with the modern classical label Bigo and Twigetti, entering the scene with a stunning album deserving of your time and attention. Over the last few years she has been developing a critically-acclaimed live show, creating a mind-altering, immersive performance with her solo cello as the foundation, and woven through a loop station and a variety of effect pedals. The result is a unique expression every time, and a performance that is captivating from the very first note, and to the very last as the sound lingers in the air. Her new album “Dérives” captures just that. Lacharme writes, “We wanted to keep consistency between the live performance and the album, so it was important for us to have this immersive feel starting from the recording process. The main challenge came from the fact that I was the only musician layering myself multiple times with the same instrument, within the same register, and in the same room.” But objectively speaking, when I listen to her album “Dérives”, it feels like an epic soundscape painted by the likes of Philipp Glass or Max Richter, like the score to a larger-than-life cinematic experience. The album is stunning and imaginative, the looped patterns and cello layers are engaging, and the space she’s created leaves me no option but to hit that repeat button and listen to her music over, and over, and over again. From her album “Dérive”, here’s Cécile Lacharme with the track “Fugue”, here on The Relay Station. https://www.cecilelacharme.com/ [https://www.cecilelacharme.com/]https://bigoandtwigetti.bandcamp.com/ [https://bigoandtwigetti.bandcamp.com/] Playlist * [0:00] INTRODUCTION * [00:01:32] “Now Their Pain is Sugar (Masayoshi Fujita Rework)” by Simon Goff from “Sparks” (Grand Chess Records, 2026) * [00:04:38] “Impermanence” by Alex O’Donovan from “Svalr” (Driftworks/Audiobulb, 2026) * [00:08:30] “Isolation” by Zen Lemon from “Drift Theory Aesthetic” (Chitra Records, 2026) * [00:11:57] Featured Artist Segment * [00:14:08] “whisper music” by Simon McCorry from “all the important things are now connected” (WhiteLabRecs, 2026) * [00:20:56] “Sehnsucht” by Dobrawa Czocher from “State of Matter” (FatCat Records, 2026) * [00:27:54] “Reveries” by Henrik Meierkord + Marco Lucchi & Pawel Kobak from “The Book of Dreams” (Whitelabrecs, 2025) * [00:37:02] “In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness - Part 2” by Clarice Jensen from “In Holiday Clothing, Out Of The Great Darkness” (FatCat / 130701, 2025) * [00:45:23] Featured Artist Segment * [00:48:04] “Fugue” by Cécile Lacharme from “Dérives” (Bigo and Twigetti, 2025) * [00:53:38] “Blue” by Moonlit Reef from “Blue (single)” (Independent, 2026) * [00:57:05] “Around the Lake, as Time Slows” by Hollie Kenniff from “For Those Who Stay” (Nettwerk Music Group, 2026) Become a supporter today! Join our community and become a monthly supporter of The Relay Station. Your financial support helps cover operating expenses and our collective efforts for the program to reach carbon neutrality. Join us at https://stolace.com/support/ [https://stolace.com/support/] Get full access to The Relay Station at therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe [https://therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 7.18 /// Featuring Francesca Guccione and Mike Lazarev

In this program, we’re going to take a contemplative dip into a dreamy blend of neoclassical and ambient music with our two featured artists. Italian violinist and composer Francesca Guccione has a new album that is a breathtaking surrender to the flow of the universe with her release “Panta Rhei: An Ontology of Becoming”; and later in the program Ukranian-born pianist and electronic artist Mike Lazarev makes his Bigo and Twigetti debut with a contemplative blend of textured piano and warm, sweeping synthesis in his introspective and ruminative album “Gradiscence”. Plus new music from Isabel Pine, Boreal Taiga, Tristan Allen, Byron Metcalf & Billy Denk and more. Strap in and make yourself comfortable. Join us for the next hour for global ambient music, on The Relay Station. Artist information Francesca Guccione If the name Francesca Guccione isn’t a familar name to you, well it ought to be. The Italian composer and violinist has a brand new album out now through the Neue Meister label that is deserving of your time and attention, with limited edition, signed companion vinyl and digipack CDs available through Bandcamp. For Guccione, her new album “Panta Rhei: An Ontology of Becoming” represents a natural continuation of the conceptual and sonic paths of her previous release “The Geometry of Time”. For the listener, I might add that she provides a breathtaking encounter with her contemplation of the passage of time and the transient nature of all things, a never-ending flow of transmutative experiences with the universe around us. Guccione collaborated with the likes of Violetta Vicci and Antonella Solimine on violin, Francesco Angelico and Chiara Trentin on cello, Frieder Nagel on synths and electronics, and Robert Gromotka on piano. Together they’ve created an album that is tender-hearted, delicate and ornate, and pensive with an invitation for deep contemplation and attentive listening. Even after each piece comes to a close, the deep-seated feelings conveyed through each composition lingers like an enchanting fragrance suspended in air, enveloping you with an invitation to follow its lead through reality into imagination. From her album “Panta Rhei: An Ontology of Becoming”, here’s Francesca Guccione with the track “Movement V”, here on The Relay Station. https://francescaguccione.bandcamp.com/ [https://francescaguccione.bandcamp.com/]https://neuemeister.bandcamp.com/ [https://neuemeister.bandcamp.com/] Mike Lazarev Ukrainian-born and London-based electronic musician and pianist Mike Lazarev is an artist whose work bridges cinematic soundscapes, advanced synthesis, and reductionist pianism — and his latest work through Bigo and Twigetti reflects that aesthetic. “Gradiscence” is both tender and gently-forceful, almost like the push and pull of the atmosphere before and after a spring rainstorm, and its amalgamation of neoclassical, texture-rich minimalist piano with long swaths of slow-sweeping synthesis have a subdued wistful quality. It feels introspective and ruminative, and has an alluring quality that bids you to gaze out the window, lost in thought with each composition serving as the score for your musings. Lazarev writes about “Gradiscence”, “This release focuses on my natural tendency to bring organic and synthetic sounds together, where each seeks to be heard and recognized amid the rising tempest. This reflects the dichotomy of my emotions in my mind when anxiety tends to take over my body. Breaking out is the only way.” Making his debut with Bigo and Twigetti, this six-song EP is a perfect pairing for those contemplative moments, when you find yourself gazing out blankly into the distance, hot tea in hand, and lost in thought. From his album “Gradiscence” here’s Mike Lazarev with the track “Break Out”, here on the Relay Station. https://mikelazarev.bandcamp.com/ [https://mikelazarev.bandcamp.com/]https://bigoandtwigetti.bandcamp.com/ [https://bigoandtwigetti.bandcamp.com/] Playlist * [0:00] INTRODUCTION * [01:40] “Winnow” by Isabel Pine from “Fables” (Kranky / Isabel Pine, 2026) * [04:35] “Auroral Zone” by Boreal Taiga from “Guovssahas - The Light You Can Hear” (Wayfarer Music Group, 2026) * [14:11] “Act III: Rite” by Tristan Allen from “Osni the Flare” (RVNG Intl, 2026) * [18:23] Featured Artist Segment * [20:03] “Movement V” by Francesca Guccione from “Panta Rhei: An Ontology of Becoming” (Neue Meister, a label of Edel Music & Entertainment GmbH, 2025) * [23:40] “Essential Peace” by Byron Metcalf & Billy Denk from “Activation” (Billy Denk & Byron Metcalf, 2026) * [29:58] “Synced Across Static” by Ryan Majoris from “The World Has Become a Great Nerve” (Independent, 2026) * [33:30] “Confident Wings” by Philippe Deschamps from “Les juifs riches (Bande originale du film)” (Shindo Sea Records, 2026) * [36:33] Featured Artist Segment * [38:13] “Break Out” by Mike Lazarev from “Gradiscence” (Bigo and Twigetti, 2026) * [43:59] “Through that garden gate” by Miguel Otero & Raquel Pavón from “Through that garden gate” (Noray Records, 2026) * [47:45] “where the hermit-thrush” by Simon McCorry from “all the important things are now connected” (WhiteLabRecs, 2026) * [54:59] “Deviation V” by Taylor Deupree & Zimoun from “Wind Dynamic Organ, Deviations” (12k Music, 2025) Become a supporter today! Join our community and become a monthly supporter of The Relay Station. Your financial support helps cover operating expenses and our collective efforts for the program to reach carbon neutrality. Join us at https://stolace.com/support/ [https://stolace.com/support/] Get full access to The Relay Station at therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe [https://therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Mix Tape Vol. 004

Playlist * [0:00] INTRODUCTION * [01:40] “I Have Worshipped The Wrong Gods” by Glacis with Henrik Meierkord from “We Gape And We Are Healed” (WhiteLabRecs, 2026) * [04:37] “An Accidental Encounter” by Adrian Lane from “Where Once We Danced” (Whitelabrecs, 2025) * [07:20] “Movement between Light and Shadow” by Small Chief from “Zero Movement” (Cyclical Dreams, 2026) * [20:58] “Drifting Ionosphere” by Boreal Taiga from “Guovssahas - The Light You Can Hear” (Wayfarer Music Group, 2026) * [30:34] “Stoneyman” by Craven Faults from “Sidings” (Craven Faults / The Leaf Label, 2026) * [44:59] “Pralaya I (Radio Edit)” by Senza Testa from “Pralaya” (Djupviks Elektronik, 2025) * [49:25] SIDE B * [49:26] “Gustav” by Hania Rani from “Sentimental Value” (Gondwana Records, 2026) * [56:23] “SOL” by Le Code from “Something in the Air” (Chitra Records, 2025) * [01:02:14] “From Tokyo” by Passepartout Duo from “Pieces from Places” (Independent, 2026) * [01:07:20] “The Long Hallway” by Paul Beaudoin from “Secretly Drawn” (Independent, 2025) * [01:14:14] “I Spend Time With You (...Clear as Water Textures)” by Alessandro Barbanera from “Nothing Like Home” (Chitra Records, 2025) * [01:19:48] “Songe” by Cécile Lacharme from “Dérives” (Bigo and Twigetti, 2025) * [01:23:53] “Midsummer” by Ghostloop from “Almost Autumn” (Chitra Records, 2025) * [01:28:51] “Through Nebulae” by Ancient Astronaut + Brannan Lane from “Through Nebulae” (Independent, 2025) * [01:33:20] “Diptyk.” by Rotating Tapes from “3” (Independent, 2026) Get full access to The Relay Station at therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe [https://therelaystation.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]