On Friday October 15th I was fortunate enough to be invited by The Detroit I Love / Spot Lite Detroit to curate and perform an ambient experience on their alley. In addition to newly composed mixes and original video projections, I DJed for just over four hours in one of Spot Lite's unique concrete patio caves (the first ever performance in this part of the venue!).  For the set, I mixed a number of new ambient favorites into classic chill out and IDM, all while mixing in a constant stream of field recordings and found sounds. This mix represents the first hour of that set - headphones recommended. Special thanks to Steven Reaume, Tyler Yglesias, Mike (the Agent X) Clark, DJ Holographic, Audio Rescue Team, and Spot Lite Detroit.

Tracklisting:
-(intro) audio clips of survivors of the Great Depression / Christopher Bissonette "Comfortable Expectations"
-1. Woob "Odonna"
-2. Xela "The Only Rose" (Inspired by Harold Budd)
-3. Bibio "Phantomworks pt 2"
-4. Rafael Anton Irisarri "Passage"
-5. Ash Ra Temple "Echo Waves"
-6. Panda Bear "Search for Delicious"
-7. Keith Fullerton Whitman "Modena" (with Pink Floyd "On the Run")
-8. Autechre "Yulquen-Iro"
-9. Cluster & Eno "Ho Renomo"
-10. Oneohtrix Point Never "Blue Drive"

Live from Spot Lite Detroit (Part One) [Ambient Alley Experience]

Archival Ambiance Pt. I - Michigan (recordings made during the first two weeks of August in 2020).

Watershed Preserve Pond Deck Ambiance:
This soundscape was captured at the Addison Township Watershed Preserve, located in a remote part of rural southeast Michigan. This 229 acre nature preserve features four kettle lakes, wetlands, and hiking trails that snake through the forest and meadows. The Zoom H6 recorder was set on a wooden dock that ran out into a secluded pond. This allowed it to capture those quiet yet clear & crisp laps of water and rising bubbles in the closer edges of the deep soundfield. Filling out the rest of the frame are a variety of birds including morning doves and crows to name a few, crickets, flies/bees, and more to be discovered with a good pair of headphones. No editing besides fade in/out, and doubling the track for increased volume. Maintained and presented as an HD 96k WAV file.

All sounds and images property of R.J. Stefanski. (2021)

Archival Ambiance

Watershed Preserve: Pond Deck Ambiance (Crickets, Birds and Quiet Water Sounds) 96K WAV

Archival Ambiance Pt. I - Michigan (recordings made during the first two weeks of August in 2020).

Poolside Ambiance with a Swarm of Bees (plus Cicadas, Birds, and more):
For this single take recording, I set up the Zoom H6 with stereo mic capsule on top of a table to raise it up near some very tall tropical grass. These grasses were near a pool (you can hear the filter quietly running in the near distance) and were flowering, so a swarm of bees was circling the microphone. Also appearing in this rural backyard soundscape are day crickets, cicadas, birds (further off), and light traffic. Headphones recommended for this 96k WAV recording.

All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski 2021.

Poolside Ambiance with a Swarm of Bees, Cicadas, Birds, and more (Relaxing HD Field Recordings)

Archival Ambiance Pt. I - Michigan (recordings made during the first two weeks of August in 2020)

Call of the Northern Cardinal
This single take recording was captured in Romeo Michigan in a backyard that runs alongside some woodlands. The focus is on a single Northern Cardinal and it's unique, powerful call.

Headphones recommended. Captured on a Zoom H6 with stereo capsule at 96k WAV. All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski 2021.

Call of the Northern Cardinal (HD Bird / Nature Sounds)96k WAV Zoom H6 Stereo

Archival Ambiance Pt. I - Michigan (recordings made during the first two weeks of August in 2020)

Night Cricket Chorus (Aug 2020 Version 1)
This single take recording was captured at night in a backyard in Romeo, MI (small village an hour north of Detroit). The main focus is on a loud chorus of crickets chirping out from all corners of the backyard and nearby woods. The full take was about 10 minutes in length, so I trimmed a little bit off in the fade in & out. Volume was increased as well as a bit of EQing to remove some of the mid-range traffic noise. 

Headphones recommended. Captured on a Zoom H6 with stereo capsule at 96k WAV. All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski 2021.

Archival Ambiance Vol. I

Night Cricket Chorus (08-20 V1) Relaxing HD Field Recordings

Archival Ambiance Pt. I - Michigan (recordings made during the first two weeks of August in 2020)

Pool Hyrdrophone Drone (Excerpt Pt One)
This is an excerpt from an extended 10+ minute hydrophone recording of a large above ground pool while the filter was running. The filter seems to roar almost like an engine, giving the soundscape the feel of capturing a submarine or perhaps a space rocket launch. Other than trimming this piece down, adding the fade in/out and increasing the volume of this mono recording - no other edits have been made. The full recording will be used in the near future for the foundation of a new original dark ambient production.

Headphones recommended. Captured on a Jez Riley French Series D Hydrophone attached to Zoom H6, mono WAV. All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski 2021.

Archival Ambiance Vol I

Pool Hydrophone Drone (Excerpt Pt One) HD Underwater SFX

Archival Ambiance Pt. I - Michigan (recordings made during the first two weeks of August in 2020)

Deep Woods Ambiance (Watershed Preserve Pond)
This single take recording was captured at the Addison Township Watershed Preserve, located in a remote part of rural southeast Michigan. This 229 acre nature preserve features four kettle lakes, wetlands, and hiking trails that snake through the forest and meadows. The Zoom H6 recorder was set up in a clearing near the pond and captured water spillover into a drain, creating a very calm atmosphere. There is also a unique bird call I am not sure of, please comment if you know what species this is. Filling out the rest of the frame are a variety of birds, crickets, flies/bees, and more to be discovered with a good pair of headphones. No editing besides (partial) fade in/out, and increased volume. I liked the way this soundscape drops the listener straight into the scenery without the complete fade in. Maintained and presented as an HD 96k WAV file.

Headphones recommended. Captured on Zoom H6 with stereo capsule. All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski 2021.

Archival Ambiance I

Deep Woods Ambiance (Watershed Preserve Pond with Birds and Crickets) Relaxing HD Field Recordings

Archival Ambiance Pt. I - Michigan (recordings made during the first two weeks of August in 2020)

Morning Birds with Small Town Ambiance
This single take recording was captured in late morning in a backyard in Romeo, MI (small village an hour north of Detroit). The Zoom H6 w/ stereo capsule was set up in the middle of the yard, able to capture a full soundstage with birds, crickets, the more distant hum of lawnmowers, and lots of smaller details woven into the mix. The overall effect is a very relaxing morning in a small town. 
The only edits were a little bit of trimming in the fade in & out and volume was increased.

Headphones recommended. Captured on a Zoom H6 with stereo capsule at 96k WAV. All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski 2022.

Morning Birds with Small Town Ambiance (Relaxing HD Field Recording) Zoom H6

Stream one of my original ambient pieces here:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/rj-stefanski-sepia-memory-bank
Stream one of my relaxing rain recordings here:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/r-j-stefanski-20-x-2-05-romeo
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Both the longest and most comprehensive mix I have edited together yet, "5,000 Fathoms" compiles over 40 unique ambient artists into a 90 minute underwater journey. The sounds of a harbor can be heard as you set out on a small boat and soon plunge overboard. The concept continues from there but I'll leave that for you to discover. Throughout the journey, found underwater sounds are interwoven, including actual recordings of humpback whales (not mine, referenced below) and the constant manipulation of water sounds effects (scuba breathing). Each track was specifically chosen that both worked within an ambient anthology context, as well as a nautical theme ("Deep Blue Day", "By the Harbor") or a feeling of being isolated deep underwater (Basinski, Popnoname). Plug in your headphones and enjoy. 
Tracklisting as follows:
a found sounds intro feat: waves at Belle Isle, several underwater SFX incl: scuba diving sounds / Geir Jenssen "Summit - Only Slight Breeze..." / Oneohtrix Point Never "Blue Drive" / Brian Eno "Deep Blue Day" / Stars of the Lid "January '69" / Aphex Twin "Ropes" / Burial "In McDonalds" / Donnacha Costelo "Dry Retch" / Gas "Pop #5" / Deathprod "Cloudchamber" / Biosphere "Fast Atoms Escape" / Atrium Carceri "The Expedition" / Bvdub "Your Loyalty Lies Long Forgotten" / Tim Hecker "October (Part I)" / Markus Guentner "Chrom" / The Sight Below "Nowhere" / R.J. Stefanski "Summer Crickets and Cicadas" / Blamstrain "Tundra VII" / Arms and Sleepers "By the Harbor" / Boards of Canada "Farewell Fire" / Biosphere + Deathprod "warp/warble" / William Basinski "DIP 2.1" / Three Legged Race "Butter Colored Hallway" / Casino Versus Japan "Names on Maps.. Pt. 5" / Marconi Union "A Temporary Life" / Markus Guentner "Wanderung" / Triola "Leuchtturm" / Segue "Vapour Trails" / Yagya "Snowflake 10" / Kaito "Awakening (Beatless)" / Popnoname "Hafen" / Rene Hell "Untitled Solo Piece 4" / Riceboy Sleeps "Howl" / All "Logopedie 99" / Seefeel "Signals" / Loscil "Rye Fields" / Biosphere "Green Reflections" / Oliver Messiaen "Oraison" / Philip Jeck "Pax" / Plastikman "Drp" / Jurgen Muller "Coral Fantasy" / Ulf Lohman "Audrey" / Tim Hecker "Borderlands" / Casino Versus Japan "Slobid Bell Wave" / Blanck Mass "Weakling Flyer" / Casino Versus Japan "Ships Without Names" / Sigur Ros "Fjogur Piano" / Bibio "Cherry Blossom Road" & "Bewley in Red" / a found sounds outro feat. OPN "Blue Drive" 
"Sounds and Songs of the Humpback Whale" is sampled a few times throughout and can be bought here: http://www.amazon.com/Sounds-Songs-Humpback-Gentle-Persuasion/dp/B000021YJV
Spj Music, 1992.

5,000 Fathoms to the Bottom of the Ocean [Extended 90 Min. Deep Ambient Mix / 40+ artists]

My third release of pure-thunderstorm based sounds, this track compiles several storms I recorded on a patio in Detroit in late 2013. A variety of lightning cracks, thunder bellows, and different forms of rain can be heard across the 8+ minutes, with some light urban sounds finishing out the soundscape (generally when recording rain I try to only capture rain, in this environment a few cars splashing down the road were inevitable due to my proximity to a fairly busy street). This recording also marks the end of my material I taped using my older Tascam field recorder (from now on my recordings will be available in 96K as opposed to 44.1K) Feel free to add this to your favorite sleep playlist or use as a daily unwinding tool, plug in your best headphones and enjoy!

Sound Therapy Sessions

Buy on Bandcamp

Torrential Downpour in the City [HD Field Recording of Rain & Thunder Relaxing Sounds]

R.J. Stefanski - live at Trans Pecos (queens, NYC)
07.26.22

tracklisting:
1. Windy & Carl  "Set Adrift"
2. Sun Electric  "Castor + Pollux"
3. Stars of the Lid  "Atomium Pt. 2"
4. ALL  "Tal '90"
5. Donato Dozzy  "Moonlight"
6. Global Communication  "9:39"
7.  Mohn  "Saturn"
8. Stars of the Lid  "Virginia 20.03"
9. Aphex Twin  "Rhubarb"
10. Here We Go Magic "I Just Want to See You Underwater"
11. Pariah  "Safehouses"
12. Voices from the Lake "Hgs"
featuring a backing track of all original field recordings and soundscapes

R.J. Stefanski - Trans Pecos 07.26.22 (Ambient Set Recorded Live)

Last Glowing Embers: a new journey into experimental ambient soundscape:
Unlike the clearly nautical "5,000 Fathoms..." or the nature documentary context of "Buried Reefs", this project has a much more open-ended disposition, lending itself to any listening environment you choose (of course headphones recommended for the 1st listen). With no set narrative to focus attention to, I instead dove inwards, burying layer after layer of sound (samples and my own found sound) into thick atmospheres before dissolving into the next movement (the continuous 49 minute piece is designed to slowly transform from one moment to the next, blurring the vanishing point of where any particular sample ends or begins).  There are moments that veer closer to classical music than previous work, while other sections neatly summarize several sounds I have chased in the past. Ranging from subliminal to loud-and-clear, nearly every moment of the runtime contains field recordings captured on either a new Tascam hand-held device or a Crown P-SASS stereo mic (this is noticeable from the opening seconds as a stone skips from the left to right side of the mix). In a lot of ways I feel this project represents the culmination of a lot of hours spent editing ambient music over the past few years, slowly try to find my own voice in skewing together the voices of others. LGE resists easy categorization in the oftentimes stale world of ambient music, especially that aimed towards sleeping or meditation. This project has been edited for nearly 3 months towards lulling the listener into a false sense of calm before disrupting expectations with something like the low bass rumbles of Windy and Carl's "Antarctica" or the loud scrapes of gregorian chanting in Amp's piece. Put on your headphones and enjoy, I look forward to hearing your feedback.
Tracklisting presented as outline, divided into 3 parts or movements:
part I.
a found sounds intro featuring several of my own recordings / Chris Watson "Vatnajokull" / Brian Eno "An Ending (Ascent)" / Sigur Ros "Staralflur" / Christopher Bissonnette "Comfortable Expectations" / Biosphere "The Seal and the Hydrophone v.1" (this sample repeats in slightly different variations throughout the mix) / Eluvium "We Say Goodbye to Ourselves" / Windy & Carl "Antarctica" 
part II.
Diatonis "Persistence of Time" / Daniel Kobialka "Blue Spirals" / Thomas Fehlmann "Treatment" / Oneohtrix Point Never "Sand Partina" / The Seven Fields of Aphelion "Fever Sleep" 
part III.
Arvo Part "Speigel im spiegel" (performed by Angele Dubeau & La Pieta) / Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster, Panaiotis "Lear" / Amp "Receive" / Taylor Deupree "Snow/Sand" / Glitterbug "Into the Light"
part IV.
Ulf Lohmann "Sicht" / Sigur Ros "Staralflur" / Brian Eno "An Ending (Ascent)" / Chris Watson "Vatnajokull" / Biosphere "The Seal and the Hydrophone v.1" / 


Last Glowing Embers [Experimental Mix of Ambient / Found Sound / Neo Classical / Drone]

Download only available thru bandcamp: https://rjstefanski.bandcamp.com/

Headphones Recommended - 
Although I have previously uploaded soundscapes of rain and thunder, this is the first to be presented in audiophile 96 kHz / 24 bit clarity, recorded by both my Tascam DR-07 and a stereo Crown Sass microphone for select sections. This track consists of roughly 10 separate recordings from different locations in Michigan, USA, all chopped up across 16 different channels and is meant to have a clear beginning, peak/middle, and resolution. Most of these storms occurred in summer of 2014.

Precursor EP

Midsummer Thunderstorm [Audiophile WAV] Ambient Rain Sounds Sleep Relaxation Yoga

R.J. Stefanski - 24 Minutes of Tranquil Rain and Thunder (Pt One)
Be sure to listen to the other two parts:
Part Two: https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/24-mins-of-tranquil-rain-thunder-pt-twofield-recordings-for-sleep-relaxation
Part Three: https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/24-mins-of-tranquil-rain-thunder-pt-threefield-recordings-for-sleep-or-relaxation

An Extended Field Recording Collage - 
a tool for relaxation, meditation, yoga, sleep, studying, daydreaming and more.

Continuing my recent trend of presenting field recordings in an expanded setting (the 30+ minutes of "Dark Shadows in the Periphery" along with the 14 minutes dedicated to "Green Acres"), comes the latest installment in my ongoing series of rain and thunderstorm recordings. "24 Minutes" triples the duration of my previous rain releases. With the additional room to spread out, this soundscape differentiates itself from my past uploads with a more protracted narrative arc, allowing for deeper listening and a greater variety of storm sounds. Moreso than previous edits, I tried to keep as much human interference (cars, planes, etc..) out of this  project. One thing this collage does share with older tracks like "Torrential Downpour in the City" or "Midsummer Thunderstorm", is that it is in fact a collage - about ten separate field recordings are being edited and layered for a specific effect. For this particular soundscape  I wanted there to be a long intro and outro with very little thunder and an emphasis on the calming tones of rain and water. Throughout the duration there is a wealth of various water sounds - ranging from loud drips battling against an aluminum gutter (for most of the opening seven minutes or so), to the warm splashes of a light rain falling into a puddle, to the white noise created by a blistering downpour. 
     A big part of why I typically mix a variety of storms together is to achieve a fuller depth of field so that you can hear rain that is both 8-10 feet away and 50+ feet away. I also like the ability of shaping the storm in the same way as a DJ set.
     All the recordings were made with my Tascam DR-07 MK II in the late Spring / Summer of 2015 in various locations in Southeast Michigan.

Buy WAV on Bandcamp

24 Mins Of Tranquil Rain & Thunder (Pt One) [Field Recording Sleep , Relaxation, Yoga, Meditation]

R.J. Stefanski - Midnight Trails with Late Summer Crickets, Bats, Frogs & More [Field Recorded Sound Map 1.2]

For the second installment in my series of experimental sound maps, I invite the listener to travel about an hour's drive North of our last meeting (Belle Isle, Detroit), to Romeo, MI. The bulk of the recordings for this project came from two weekends spent at my parents home in the small rural village in late August and early September 2015. When I stay at their house, I have a nightly walking routine that takes me through some of the nearby fields and woods surrounded by stars and crickets. These walks are the genesis for this sound map, as it is designed to present the listener on a guided tour solely using field recordings of a few of these excursions. 

The listener is greeted with the soft hum of a small town backyard just after sunset. It is shaping up to be a hot and muggy night as sounds begin to fill the neighborhood: a chorus of crickets two backyards away, a train's horn from much further, and then a low flying plane seems to split the sky in half. Slowly the chatter of neighbors enters the mix along with the family pet and some passing cars. As we head out from the backyard and towards the expansive athletic fields just a few blocks away, some frogs briefly appear and the variety of crickets changes as well.

Night fully descends as the sounds from the fringes of the village fade even more out of range as we reach the open fields west of town. The overhead sky is clear and bursting with stars and about a dozen low flying bats, clearly audible as they make a distinct sound which mimics that of a mouse chewing from a room away. Entering deeper woods brings us to a bizarre insect, some form of giant cricket with a rattle. Suddenly the clear skies have turned ominous, with rain slowly sneaking in before erupting into thunder. Something is not quite right in this part of the forest, as dark melodies are slowly played on an antique piano, and are soon accompanied by scattered AM radio transmissions. Just before it seems like the journey might be doomed, the trees begin to thin out and we are back in a familiar backyard. Tired and confused, the only remnants of that strange night are some hazy memories and these recordings.

All sounds recorded and edited by R.J. Stefanski 2015-2016. Including original piano composition and artwork. Use good headphones and enjoy!

Midnight Trails with Late Summer Crickets, Bats & Frogs [Field Recorded Sound Map 1.2 | Romeo, MI]

R.J. Stefanski ~ Michigan Ice Storm: Winter Sleet & Freezing Rain [96 kHz 24 bit WAV HD Field Recorded Soundscape]
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Throughout my field recording experiences so far, rain and thunder have been my most prevalent sound source. Naturally these storms have tended to occur in Spring or Summer, but some unusual weather patterns have brought rain and warmer temperatures through the first half of winter 2015/16 (this has been due to a number of factors including a strong El Nino effect and global warming, causing rain to be more common than snow).

I had the chance to record a number of these more Spring-like storms as they passed through the urban setting of Hamtramck, MI and the rural Romeo, MI (in each instance I mostly used a Tascam DR-07 set up on a semi-enclosed back porch). This soundscape is comprised of winter sleet, rain, and freezing rain, with the former falling as distinct chunks of ice splintering onto the tin porch roof and the frozen sidewalk.

Besides weather sounds, I also captured a bird that did not fly South for the winter, a train calling from a little ways down the road, and a fair amount of road ambiance and passing cars (unavoidable due to some of the storms' urban setting, the recordings from Romeo feature much less low end traffic hum).
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Reminder: Like nearly all my field recording work, this is not a single, straight through take of one storm. For this project I edited and collaged together roughly 10 separate recordings totaling over one hour of winter rain and ambiance. From there I cut the material down to the best 9 minutes. 
Enjoy on good headphones and be sure to download the original WAV for the full HD file (Soundcloud does not stream at 96 kHz WAV).

Michigan Ice Storm (Winter Sleet & Freezing Rain) HD Field Recording

An eerie and desolate journey into an alien landscape, "Crater Mapping.." is R.J. Stefanski's first mix dedicated specifically to the darker realms of ambient music. Through careful track selection, avant-garde mixing techniques, and a wealth of spacey sound effects, the mood is heavy, dense, and consistently evolving. No fewer than 53 separate artists are sampled and included in just over 61 minutes, resulting in a rich tapestry where at any moment 2-3 different tracks may be blended into one monolithic drone. 

The inspiration and conceptual framework for "Crater Mapping" is a sonic representation of the process of examining the surface of an exoplanet (a planet circling a star that is not our Sun, nearest ones suspected at 5-10 light-years away). Whereas most space soundtracks have followed the 2001: A Space Odyssey model of pairing classical music with graceful images of shuttles flying through space, this project focuses on the actual dirty work of wandering around dark craters, collecting data & samples, and drawing maps. 

Beneath the primary layer of dark ambient tracks sits a pool of sound sourced from Stefanski's collection of original field recordings as well as clips from NASA's trove of electromagnetic vibration "sound" captured in space (there is a link at the bottom of this that explains how this was done). To add to the otherworldly atmosphere, any original recordings from Earth have all been dipped into a vat of liquid metal to distort their origins. Some dialogue ripped from youtube of I.S.S. communications was also added, each layer of sound carefully molded into the project over roughly 12 rough/final drafts. Use good headphones and enjoy.

Lustmord - "Heresy V" / Chris Watson - "Low Pressure, Scotland" / Deathprod - "Disc" / Raison d'Etre - "The Slow Ascent" / Boards of Canada - "Ataranchronon" / Donato Dozzy "Vaporware 2" / Zenker Brothers "Erbquake" / GY!BE "Antennas to Heaven" / Animal Collective "I See You Pan" / Eluvium "Envenom Mettle" / Jefre Cantu Ledesma - "River Like Spine" / Tim Hecker - "Studio Suicide" / Demdike Stare "Matilda's Dream" / Neel - "Life on Laputa Regio" / Burial - "Forgive" / Helm - "Sky Wax (London)" / Hands - "Beelitz pt7" / Raison D'Etre "The Slow Ascent" / Aphex Twin "Tree" / Max Richter "Infra 3" / R.J. Stefanski - "Surrounded By Shores" / Stars of the Lid - "Fucked Up (3:57 AM)" / Brian Eno - "The Secret Place" / The Field - "Cupid's Head (GAS Ambient Mix)" / Deepchord - "Ocean of Emptiness" / The Sight Below - "It All Falls Apart" / The House in the Woods - "Hulking..." / Bvdub & Loscil - "Hespiredes" / The Haxan Cloak - "Mara" / GY!BE - "Antennas..." / Ursprung - "Am Buachaille" / Blamstrain - "Night Became" / Philip Jeck - "Wholesome" / Pauline Oliveros "Nike" / Claro Intelecto - "Quiet Life" / Loscil - "Steam" / The Sight Below - " / Vladislav Delay - "Viisari" / Infinite Body - "Gardens Grew Backwards" / OPN - "Melancholy Descriptions..." / Boards of Canada - "Opening the Mouth" / Christopher Bissonette - "A touch of heartbreak" / Fennesz - "Year in a Minute" / Blanck Mass - "Dead Format (Dalhous Remix)" / The Seven Fields of Aphelion - "Cloud Forest..." / Atrium Carceri - "A Path Through Remembrance" / Taylor Deupree - "Temper" / The Mars Volta - "Cicatriz" / White Rainbow - "Sundune Sandset..." / Main - "Kaon pt II" / Oval - "Store Check" / Alva Noto - "Xerrox 2nd" / Richard Skelton - "River Song" / Gavin Byars - "Titanic... Interlude" / Robert Rich - "Ceremony" / Pink Floyd - "Saucerful of Secrets" / Chris Watson - "River Mara at Night" / Marcell Dettman - "Stranger" 

http://canyouactually.com/nasa-actually-recorded-sound-in-space-and-its-absolutely-chilling/
All space recording by NASA, all others by R.J. Stefanski.
NASA Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nasa

Crater Mapping: Atlas of an Exoplanet Terrain [Dark Ambient & Field Recording Mix w/ 50+ Artists]

R.J. Stefanski / Cathedral in Grayscale.

A new chapter in the evolution of how I manipulate my field recordings, "Cathedral in Grayscale" is a six minute mini-odyssey sitting at the meeting point of ambient, drone, and sound collage. The foundation of the soundscape is a new piano piece blurred with effects and slowly accented with a flurry of new recordings. Winter rain, passing trains, a crowded  shopping market, seagulls, and waves are just some of the sounds that were added in one by one, layering them all into one dense atmosphere. 
The track is further augmented by taking a few field recordings (downtown ambiance, barcode readers, frogs) and slathering them with effects and slowing them down into a blissed out pool of reverb. More piano compositions were also slowed down to resemble stringed instruments, a technique acquired from hours of listening to Stars of the Lid. 
Throughout "Cathedral" the human voice enters through the fog, including AM preachers, astronauts, famous opera singers, and elderly people speaking on surviving the Great Depression. Enjoy on good headphones, any feedback / requests to include in podcasts / etc.. please message me.

All sounds, editing, and artwork RJ Stefanski 2016.

unreleased

Cathedral in Grayscale [original ambient piano composition]

Purchase soundscapes & recordings on bandcamp:
https://rjstefanski.bandcamp.com/

A new track in the Therapy series is here, 17 minutes of ocean surf:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/sound-therapy-sessions-002-relaxing-ocean-surf-relaxing-music-for-sleep-relaxation-hd-wav

After recently realizing I had yet to release any rain / thunder based recordings in 2016, I used the opportunity to begin yet another series examining the different formats available in curating, editing, and presenting original field recordings.  The Sound Therapy Sessions will feature lengthy sonic excursions favoring tranquil moods and the interesting mixtures of related sources within a specific location, theme, or concept.
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STS 001: Quiet Rain, Thunder & Waves
Obviously my favorite sound to build a track with - the rain for this particular piece was recorded on April 1, 2016 in Romeo, MI. Recording nature sounds near my parents home vs. Detroit allows me to avoid as much car/airplane/etc interference as possible. I try to make sure each new thunderstorm track I put out has a different feel then the previous examples - so with this version I decided to foreground the light, relaxing white noise of a light to medium rain (as compared to my usual focus on loud thunder). Over the course of the opening 6-8 minutes there are more and more layers of simple rain mixed in, all together from four separate recordings from two storms taped on an enclosed back porch. 

Slowly the rain forms into waves that ebb and flow throughout the stereo field. These were taped later in the summer of 2016 at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, MI. Around the same time a pair of boys playing and laughing on a trampoline in a Hamtramck backyard can also be heard.

Combining two soothing examples of the sound of water in nature with an extended run time and HD quality fidelity makes this track ideal for contemplative listening on good headphones. Enjoy.

All sounds, editing, and artwork by RJ Stefanski. December 2016

Sound Therapy Session 001 - Quiet Rain, Thunder & Waves [Relaxing Music for Sleep & Meditation]

Roughly my eighth soundscape devoted to the soothing tones of rain, "City Rain Falling on Umbrella" focuses on the white noise nature can create in an urban setting. Composed from three separate field recordings taken in November of 2016 in East New York (off Herkimer street near Broadway Junction), this soundscape centers around the light popping sound rain creates when it strikes an umbrella just above your head. Elsewhere in the stereo field you can hear droplets of water strike the pavement and pool up into the gutter, light bird song, and occasional bursts of city noise. 

Another large departure with this version of rain recordings is the lack of long fade-in, the listener is simply thrown into the environment. In this way the editing style mirrors the intense city setting I'm trying to represent. As always, the sounds have been recorded and maintained in pristine 96 kHz, 16 bit WAV files. Feel free to use this track in your own productions - I only ask you cite me as a source and send me a link.

Rain Recordings

City Rain Falling on Umbrella (Relaxing Nature Sounds) [Field Recordings of NYC]

If you wish to download this in full HD lossless quality, follow this link:
***Purchase on Bandcamp in WAV***
https://rjstefanski.bandcamp.com/track/relaxing-rain-and-loud-thunder

One of my first edits from my library of found sounds: "Relaxing Rain and Loud Thunder" is designed as a brief intro into my perspective on contemporary field recording. This is actually a few different storms, recorded in different times in various places piled up on top of each other to create a uniquely soothing three and a half minutes. Use good headphones and listen loud, but be ready for those loud cracks of thunder! More of my rain recordings:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/city-storm-pt-03-rolling-thunder-hd-field-recordings
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/city-storm-pt-05-sudden-downpours-of-relaxing-rain-with-rolling-thunder-hd-field-recordings
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/rj-stefanski-midsummer-thunderstorm-field-recording-96-khz-24-bit
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/r-j-stefanski-20-x-2-05-romeo
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/rj-stefanski-city-rain-falling-on-umbrella-hd-field-recordings-nyc-96k-16bit-wav
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/sound-therapy-sessions-001-quiet-rain-thunder-and-waves
All Sounds Property of Ryan John Stefanski 2013-2020
New artwork / image by R.J. Stefanski July 1 2020.

self titled single

"Relaxing Rain and Loud Thunder"

Bandcamp Download

Relaxing Rain & Loud Thunder (Ambient Calm Field Recording for Sleep, Relaxation Meditation, Yoga)

Stream an original ambient piece here:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/the-retired-cosmonaut-pt-ii-hamtramck-1914
Stream relaxing rain sounds here:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/24-mins-of-tranquil-rain-thunder-pt-twofield-recordings-for-sleep-relaxation
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My 8th mix, "Anchor States", represents my second attempt at making a "sleep" collage. Unlike my mini anthology of ambient, this project uses beats but still maintains a peaceful, soothing atmosphere. The tone here is a bit more orchestral and sounds less electronic on the surface, even though many of these warm, organic drones are made with computers. Ambient main-stays Biosphere, Gas, and Stars of the Lid make appearances, as do lesser known artists like Loscil, Manual, and The Sight Below. All together you get a unique 53 minutes to zone out, relax, or fall asleep to. 
Feat:
Loscil - Endless Falls / H.I.A. & Biosphere - Cannon Hill / Tal - Tal’90 / Biosphere - Spindrift / Andrew Thomas - I Am Here Where Are You & A Thousand Pinholes in a Black Paper Sky / Gas - Untitled 3 (Konigsforst) / The Sight Below - At First Touch & Shimmer & Further Away / Ulf Lohmann - Java / Stars of the Lid - Requiem for Dying Mothers, pt.1 & Anchor States, pt.1 & Even (Out)+ / All - Alles Fliesst Nichts Bliebt / also w. Sufjan Stevens, Animal Collective, Manual, and various field recordings /

Anchor States [Ambient Sleep Mix w. Loscil, SotL, Sight Below & more]

Stream one of my original ambient pieces here:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/r-j-stefanski-the-retired
Stream one of my relaxing rain recordings here:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/a-new-rain-new-lp-previewextended-nature-sounds-for-relaxation
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From all the way back in January of 2011 comes my second ever mixtape and first in the ambient genre, "Mini Anthology of Ambient", dedicated and engineered for my (then) newborn nephew Cameron. I wanted to not only make a very relaxing, beatless soundtrack that an infant could fall asleep to, but also a chronological survey of a few pioneers of ambient production. So after a hypnotic intro we begin with Brian Eno's stately piano piece "1/1", before moving through decades of ambient classics: Aphex Twin, Biosphere, GAS, Stars of the Lid, and so on. 
     "Mini Anthology of Ambient" was originally created when I was relatively new to my editing software and before I began making my own field recordings. Needless to say, there were a few glitches I wanted to go back and smooth out. So, in 2013 I replaced the mix with a newly mastered update: the intros and outros were extended, some of my own field recordings were added into the existing ones which I had downloaded, a few rough patches/transitions were smoothed out, two artists were added, finally the overall volume of a majority of the mix was raised.

Feat:
// foundsound intro feat. Biosphere & Sigur Ros / Brian Eno - “1/1” / Aphex Twin - “Rhubarb” & "i" / Radiohead "Treefingers" / Biosphere - “Kobresia” / The Sight Below "Fervent" / Gas - “untitled 3” (from the album “Gas”) / Stars of the Lid - "Piano Aquieu" & "FAC 21" / Marconi Union - "Losing the Light" / Markus Guentner - “In Moll IV” / Boards of Canada - "Olson" / Keith Fullerton Whitman - “Modena” foundsound outro //

Mini Anthology of Ambient [Beatless Sleep Mix w. Eno, Aphex, Gas, Biosphere, Radiohead & more]

The first single from forthcoming release "Nostalgia Circuit [Compilation]", which will collect a series of extended field recordings produced between 2015 and 2019. This track is the newest recording in the batch - taken at the end of February on my balcony in Lefferts Garden, Brooklyn, NYC. The first three minutes mostly focuses on the crisp, clean sound of freezing rain landing behind my apartment building. To me there is something about the tone of the rain that reminds me of seashells washing ashore. Birds can also be occasionally heard, along with the unmistakable wash of light urban ambiance. The last few minutes prominently features church bells from the nearby 110 year old St. Francis of Assisi-St. Blaise. 


Track only available to stream thru soundcloud, entire album will be on bandcamp soon.

All sounds, editing, and artwork by R.J. Stefanski.

Freezing Rain in Brooklyn with Church Bells & Urban Ambiance [Relaxing HD Nature Sounds]

"Winter Weather Advisory" is a continuous 39 minute journey into a frostbitten landscape of ambient clouds, stately swells of piano and strings, and of course, theme-specific field recordings. The mix is bookended with found sound of boots crunching on snow and was somewhat intended as a soundtrack for a night time walk into a blizzard. Tracks were chosen that fit this cinematic, somewhat gloomy atmosphere: with titles like 'Fluffy Tufts" and "Then It's White", and artists with names such as "Voices from the Lake", everything complimenting the tundra vibe. The tracklisting is as follows:

Foundsound intro / Voices from the Lake "Circe" / Pole 'Karussel" / Yagya "Snowflake 5" / Mohn "Einrauschen" / Sigur Ros "Von" / Cocteau Twins "Fluffy Tufts" / The Field "Then It's White" / Sigur Ros "Med Sud..." & "Straumnes"  / Biosphere "Shika" (The Sight Below Rmx) / Markus Guentner "Express Yourself" / Voices from the Lake "Mika" / Yagya 'Snowflake 6" / Voices from the Lake "Circe" / Foundsound outro 

Winter Weather Advisory [Ambient Blizzard Mix for Sleep / Relaxation]

Placed right in the center of upcoming LP "Reservoir" (and its longest track at nearly 12 minutes) this soundscape travels around the dirt roads of rural Michigan, exploring fields and swamps bustling with crickets, frogs, and other creatures. This extended journey compiles a few different recordings taken outside of Romeo, Michigan over the years 2012-2015. These field recordings were recently unearthed while in COVID quarantine, and were formed into this long collage designed for study, relaxation, or sampling. 

RESERVOIR - a compilation of all new extended water-based soundscapes that will be out JULY 31st 2020.

Stay tuned for the full LP on all streaming platforms, as well as a limited Bandcamp physical version which is going to contain some really cool bonuses. 

All sounds, editing, and artwork by R.J. Stefanski. Taken on Tascam handheld recorders and maintained at HD 96 k, 16 bit WAV files. Enjoy on good headphones.

RESERVOIR

Buy HD on Bandcamp

Campground Swamp at Night (Romeo II) [Extended Nature Sounds Relaxation Sleep] HD Frogs & Crickets

Throughout the quarantine of 2020 I have been doing a few live streams of DJ sets, first from the living room, and now from my rooftop. This hour long journey into drone, chill out, and a few other genres was originally broadcast via Instagram (but only with phone-captured audio). This version utilizes the clean audio taken straight from my laptop, however I really liked how the streamed version contained the added bonus of loud cicadas in a nearby tree - so I used a separate recording I had of the bugs and added them in as intro/outros. I tried to recall as much of the tracklisting as I could:
(added intro: "Field Crickets with Cicadas")
1. Loscil "tbd"
2. The Knife "The Captain"
3. Underworld "Mmm Skyscraper I Love You" (outro only)
4. Boards of Canada "tbd"
5. Casino Vs Japan "tbd"
6. ?
7. Rhythm and Sound "Queen in my Empire"
8. Brian Eno "Lux"
9. The Orb "tbd"
10. The KLF "tbd"
11. ?
12. Biosphere + H.I.A. "tbd"
13. Oneohtrix Point Never "I Only Have Eyes For You"
(added outro: "Field Crickets and Cicadas")

Live from Flatbush 08.21.20 [Chill Out set Recorded Live on a Rooftop in NYC]

***a word on my field recordings: this was not a straight-through 9 min take of unedited thunderstorms, this is a soundscape of over 20 mins of footage edited down to showcase the best sounds I captured. It is meant to have a clear beginning, middle, and end, even though you are only hearing rain and thunder, there is a lot of editing and layering happening****

A sort-of follow up to my "Relaxing Rain and Loud Thunder" clip, this is almost 9 minutes of a series of thunderstorms descending upon the midtown area of Detroit, MI on Wednesday April 17 2013. My Tascam recorder was set up outside in a covered patio area, able to pick up the quickly increasing rain, while the extraordinarily loud cracks of lightning and booming thunder kept constant.  

Amazing Thunderstorms

Rain and Loud Thunderstorms [HD Sounds Field Recording Sleep Relaxation]

The very first piece of CITY STORM.
This intro gives a glimpse into the release focusing on storms captured in urban settings. Just under four minutes of sparkling audio with clear droplets of rain slowly pooling up on a midtown Detroit patio. Aimed out towards Second Ave, several cars streak down the soaked concrete, and towards the 3 minute mark you can hear the rain intensify and patter on the overhang. 

Enjoy on good headphones! 
Audio captured in 96 k / 24 bit WAV files with Tascam hand-held recorder.

City Storm

City Storm Pt. 0I (Intro): Rain Droplets & Passing Cars (Relaxing HD Rain Sounds)

"CITY STORM"
PT. 03: ROLLING THUNDER
-For the third part of "City Storm" the main feature is the arrival of thunder, albeit very distant thunder. I have never released a soundscape devoted specifically to this particular type of rolling, grumbling thunder that is travelling from quite a distance. I wanted to include some info from this great website "Sciencing":

on Rolling vs. Clap thunder:
-"You can typically hear thunder from a storm within about 15 miles of your position, occasionally farther out. Cloud-to-ground lightning that discharges fairly close to you will produce a sharp clap or crackle of thunder as the strong sonic shockwave from the part of the bolt nearest your position reaches you first.

A drawn-out, subsiding roll of thunder follows as your ear registers shockwaves from higher and more distant parts of the bolt’s channel.

The volume fluctuations of rolling thunder can be due to the zigzag and often forked shape of a bolt, differences in air density along the mostly vertical lightning channel and soundwaves bouncing off clouds, mountainsides and other obstacles – a combination of sound dulled and distorted by distance as well as echoes.

If you’re some distance from a thunderstorm, you may only hear rolling or pealing thunder." (check out the full article at: https://sciencing.com/difference-between-rolling-clap-thunder-6906574.html)

All audio was captured with handheld Tascam microphones in midtown Detroit a few years back. Enjoy on good headphones!

City Storm Pt. 03: Rolling Thunder and Quiet Rain (Relaxing HD Field Recordings)

Album now available on Bandcamp, merch version includes a CD with this continuous mix as a bonus track:
https://rjstefanski.bandcamp.com/album/city-storm

A continuous DJ style presentation of mini LP "City Storm". 37 minutes of audiophile field recordings capturing several storms in urban environments. Ranging from Detroit to New York City, the soundscape always blends the typically relaxing sounds of rain with the hustle and bustle of big cities, often with a very nocturnal feel. Best enjoyed with good headphones as all sounds have been recorded, mixed, and uploaded in HD Wav files.

I chose to flip the final two tracks, and close with the relaxing tones of the "Church Bells of Flatbush", but that's the only real deviation from the standard release. 

View all the individual tracks on Soundcloud here:
https://soundcloud.com/rjsfoundsounds/sets/city-storm-new-mini-lp

All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski. 2020
All rights reserved.

Buy CD on Bandcamp

City Storm (Continuous Full LP Mix) 37 Mins HD Field Recordings of Rain & Thunder

The latest chapter in my "Nostalgia Circuit" (an ongoing compilation of recordings that did not wind up on a larger release) - this soundscape presents 5 1/2 minutes of powerful ocean surf.

Recorded in the final days of summer 2020 on the sprawling beaches of Queen's Far Rockaways near Beach 67 Street. Tascam DR-07 used at 96k 24 bit WAV. Headphones recommended.

Powerful Atlantic Surf (Relaxing Field Recordings Ocean Waves for Sleep Yoga Study)

Night River 

This soundscape is built from one field recording taken at night in Prospect Park in summer 2017. I set up my recorder on a wooden bridge that crosses one of the larger streams/rivers in the park. I edited out the best bit, this 7+ minute piece, and only did minor adjustments and added the fade in and fade out. The result is a soothing journey down the rippling water with crystal clear audio quality. Headphones recommended.

All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski
2021.

Nostalgia Circuit

Night River (Field Recordings of Relaxing Water & Crickets) HD Soundscape Sleep Yoga Study

Another chapter in my ongoing series of studio ambient mixes (not recorded live, produced over at least a month). This one is extra special for me as the title alludes to the fact that 2021 means I have been working in sound design for a decade. To help celebrate, I designed this new psychedelic journey, and layered it with field recordings from my collection of SFX I have captured going all the way back to my first upload folder from summer 2011. 

The track selection plays out like an anthology of some of the most talented ambient/sound design producers, blending eras and approaches ranging from pillars such as Biosphere, Stars of the Lid, and William Basinski - alongside emerging producers like Green-House and Zeze Wakamatsu. Molding everything together is a constantly shifting foundation of found sounds. The listener begins literally floating downstream as one subtle aquatic effect dissolves into another for the opening fifteen minutes. I also included many of my favorite audio finds including air traffic controllers, vintage game shows, NASA communications, nature documentaries, and religious A.M. radio hosts to list a few.

As a special bonus and thank you: I am pledging a $5 donation for every 350 plays of this mix* to Coalition for the Homeless (based in NYC)(*for the first 10,000 plays).
UPDATE: As of 08.26 $107 has been donated to cover the first 7,500 plays


Headphones highly recommended for this immersive mix. There are links below to support all of the included artists. Thanks for a decade of chilling out with me.

Tracklisting:

1. Intro / Floating down the River  00:00 - 16:30

-R.J. Stefanski "Small Stream near the Boathouse"
-Boards of Canada "Sundown"  00:20
-A.M. Radio snippet (lots of these captured by myself and hidden in mix)
-Zeze Wakamatsu "Concert in a Tortoiseshell"  03:20
-Cholosus "Lexicon Drive" 07:45
-Segue "Aurora"  11:40
-R.J. Stefanski "Powerful Atlantic Surf"

2. Floating in Space   16:31 - 39:00

-Markus Guentner "Keep Your Eyes Closed"  16:31
-audio snippet from "What's My Line" gameshow (circa 1950)
-The Orb "Moonbuilding 2703 A.D."(Wolfgang Voigt Mix) 20:45
-Sun Electric "An Atom of All Suns" 25:00
-R.J. Stefanski "Night River"
-Biosphere "Insolate" 28:45
-R.J. Stefanski "The Birds of Turtle Pond"
-Stars of the Lid "The Better Angels of our Nation" 33:00
-Loscil "Erit" 35:30
-R.J. Stefanski "Cars Passing in the Night"

3. Floating in a Dream / Outro 39:01 - 57:46

-Windy and Carl "Lighthouse" 39:30
-Aphex Twin "Cliffs" 39:30
-Green-House "Parlor Palm" 42:00
-Skee Mask "Dolby" 46:45
-R.J. Stefanski "Subway to Manhattan"
-William Basinski "O, My Daughter, O My Sorrow" 50:40
-R.J. Stefanski "unreleased rain recording 2011"
-Casino Versus Japan "Tropic" 54:30
-R.J. Stefanski "Wind Chime in south west Detroit"

Support artists:

Boards of Canada
https://boardsofcanada.bandcamp.com/

Zeze Wakamatsu
https://zezewakamatsu.bandcamp.com/

Cholosus
https://cholosus.bandcamp.com/

Segue
https://www.segueambient.com/

Markus Guentner
https://markus-guentner.bandcamp.com/

The Orb / Wolfgang Voigt
https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/moonbuilding-2703-ad-remixes-sin-in-space-pt-1

Sun Electric
https://sunelectric.bandcamp.com/

Biosphere
https://biosphere.bandcamp.com/

Stars of the Lid
https://starsofthelid.bandcamp.com/

Loscil
https://loscil.bandcamp.com/

Windy and Carl
https://windyandcarl.bandcamp.com/

Aphex Twin
https://aphextwin.bandcamp.com/

Green-House
https://green-house.bandcamp.com/album/six-songs-for-invisible-gardens

Skee Mask
https://iliantape.bandcamp.com/album/itlp04-skee-mask-compro

William Basinski
https://williambasinski.bandcamp.com/

Casino Vs Japan
https://casinoversusjapan.bandcamp.com/

R.J. Stefanski
https://rjstefanski.bandcamp.com/

Ten Years Adrift [Studio Mix of Ambient, Experimental, Soundscape & Field Recordings]

Brooklyn NYC + Detroit | Message directly for inquiries about sampling recordings, bookings, collaborations, or questions | Since releasing a series of diverse mixtapes in 2011, Stefanski has slowly turned his focus to his own ambient productions, often built entirely of original field recordings. He has released a wide array of original soundscapes ranging from brief, high-def clips of thunderstorms to extended sound collages, each project sharing a hazy, psychedelic glow. Before moving to Brooklyn, Stefanski curated the chill out room for infamous Detroit after-hours rave BAK DØR. After relocating he released an LP of short field recordinged ("20 X 2"), a podcast for an experimental NYC label (Metamorph) and an album for Bivouac's "60 Minute Cities" series. His relaxing rain soundscapes are some of the most popular on soundcloud, with one clip nearing 14 million streams as of late 2020. More recently Stefanski expanded his productions with visual components, including a new website which hosts the unique travelogue "The San Diego Tapes" and photography prints for sale.

~FEEL FREE to use my field recordings/original tracks in any of your own works, I only ask you cite me as a source and please send me a link of the finished product.  MESSAGE ME for questions, I won't see questions in comments.

#ambient #fieldrecording #soundscape #relaxing #fieldrecordings #sounddesign #meditation #soundeffects #drone #yoga #studying #study #newage #experimental #audiophile #foley

R.J. Stefanski

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