Dance

Ambient Light & Darkness, Retro, Silliness - Soundtracks for Dreaming

This track is inspired by my improvisation earlier this month for Ambient Awakening. That was my first-ever live performance.
New miking, and new equipment patching & settings - I like the results. More of a dark ambient/ambient industrial mood. 
22 inch wind gong is from The Gong Shop in San Francisco. My chau gong "Saturn" originally from Steve Weiss. The activators were B Love flumies and homemade flumies, and regular gong mallets.
No effects or other instrumentation, only the gongs.

Dark Ambient Gongs, June 23, 2021

22 inch wind gong, newly christened "Dawn". Played with various impact mallets to start, then two D-Love friction flumies for the rest of the track.

Dawn Gong - July 6, 2021

First recording of "Brill", my new 32 inch "Brilliant White Chau Gong" from The Gong Shop in San Francisco. 
https://www.thegongshop.com/products/brilliant-white-chau-gongs?variant=39522195505226

I made this recording for an ambient event later in the evening.

Signal path:
Audio-Technica AT8022 > M-Audio preamp > Behringer Xynex Q802 mixer with in-channel compression limiters > Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 A/D > Audacity audio editing app

No post-processing except for a touch of compression.

First Recording Of "Brill", April 1, 2023

My set for Ambient Awakening, April 1, 2023
Special Mentions : The first track features Carolina Eyck on theremin; I chose this track for a friend. The two tracks fron Chandra Labs are "sonifications" of space telescope data sets.
https://chandra.si.edu/sound/

The set ends with a track I recorded earlier in the day. It's an improvisation on my new gong, which I've named Brill.

0:00:00	Carolina Eyck (theremin) with Bertram Burkert (guitar) - "Bachianas" 
	youtube.com/watch?v=IU7E31cfniU

0:04:00	Sherry Finzer - "Genesis" 
	sherryfinzer.bandcamp.com/track/genesis

0:08:05	Hania Rani - "Now, Run" 
	haniarani.bandcamp.com/track/now-run

0:14:26	Pelican Daughters - "Aurascape" 
	shulgin.bandcamp.com/track/aurascape

0:20:04	our Blue Heaven - "the egg" 
	undercoverrunner.bandcamp.com/track/the-egg

0:24:25	Julianna Barwick - "Inspirit" 
	juliannabarwick.bandcamp.com/track/inspirit

0:28:21	halftribe - "New Light" 
	halftribe.bandcamp.com/track/new-light

0:32:21	Iyakuh - "De la Luz" 
	numalove.bandcamp.com/track/de-la-luz

0:34:17	Carl Lord - "Expanse" 
	carllord.bandcamp.com/track/expanse

0:40:56	Forrest Fang - "Forever Cascades".flac" 
	projektrecords.bandcamp.com/track/forever-cascades

0:47:33	Chandra Labs - "Chandra Deep Field South, in X-ray Light" 
	chandralabs.bandcamp.com/track/chandra-deep-field-south-in-x-ray-light

0:54:27	Chandra Labs - "Cat's Eye (NGC 6543), in Multiwavelength Light" 
	chandralabs.bandcamp.com/track/cat-s-eye-ngc-6543-in-multiwavelength-light

1:02:11	loscil // lawrence english - "Pink" 
	loscil.bandcamp.com/track/pink

1:07:31	Ai Yamamoto - "Far Away Home Away" 
	pitp.bandcamp.com/track/far-away-home-away

1:12:17	r_beny - "Bright Lanterns on the Horizon of the Wetlands" 
	pitp.bandcamp.com/track/bright-lanterns-on-the-horizon-of-the-wetlands-r-beny

1:15:29	Soulbeams - Solo gong recording, April 1, 2023
	soundcloud.com/soulbeams/first-recording-brill-april-1-2023

Ambient Awakening - April 1, 2023

So very honored to be asked to open for Chillits 2023! 

0:00:00	Orbital		"Belfast tsafleB"
	The ending of Orbital’s “Belfast” played backwards.

0:01:03	Moody Blues	"In The Beginning" & "Lovely To See You"
	Combination and edit of two Moody Blues tracks from the album "On The Threshold Of A Dream” 
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgHvIFxGT0c

0:03:43	Ott	"That Morning We Went Up The Hill"
	https://ottsonic.bandcamp.com/track/that-morning-we-went-up-the-hill

0:10:20	Xuqutopi	"Nativo Cosmico"
	https://numalove.bandcamp.com/track/nativo-cosmico

0:15:27	Drum & Lace	"Armatura"
	https://pitp.bandcamp.com/track/armatura

0:19:19	James Asher & Arthur Hull	"Pagoda Sunrise"
	https://jamesasher.bandcamp.com/track/pagoda-sunrise

0:22:45	Sheila Chandra	"Quiet 8"
	In Hindustani classical music, an octave has seven notes called swara. These notes are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. Sheila Chandra sings the name of the notes, starting on Pa.
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od3kVxapEFM

0:27:14	Chandra Labs	"M87 in Multiwave Light"
	Album note: “This evocative collection, generated from data taken by a NASA telescope in orbit around the Earth called the Chandra X-ray Observatory, lets us listen to some of the most extreme objects ever known, including black holes, exploded stars, clusters of galaxies and more.”
	https://chandralabs.bandcamp.com/track/m87-in-multiwavelength-light"

0:30:01	our Blue Heaven	"coming home"
	https://undercoverrunner.bandcamp.com/track/coming-home

0:37:23	Nashville Ambient Ensemble	"Waveguide"
	The group plays a unique form of music that has become loosely defined as ambient country or ambient Americana.
	https://nashvilleambientensemble.bandcamp.com/track/waveguide

0:42:47	Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismail, aka Love In Exile	 "Sajni"
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KbXVCEHsns

0:51:37	Wildflower	"Under The Night Sky"
	https://wildflowermusic.bandcamp.com/track/under-the-night-sky

0:56:38	Zony Mash	"The Last Song"
	https://open.spotify.com/track/2z9n6JY6f6XvpCCgrGVQtE?si=58f8d39b72c34729 
	
1:01:25	Sinéad O'Connor	"Trouble Of The World" - Soulbeams Remix
	The album “Trouble Of The World” comes with two tracks of the same gospel tune, with and without a band. I combined the two tracks, starting with the band and then fading into the track with only vocals.
	https://heavenlyrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/trouble-of-the-world-2
	
1:06:11	Sinéad O'Conner	"Sacrifice"
	From the album “Two Rooms”, which is covers of songs by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. I compressed the track a little bit so the vocals are easier to hear through an outdoor sound system.
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktP6Xb6AXb8"

1:11:19	Sherry Finzer	 "Flying Dreams"
	https://sherryfinzer.bandcamp.com/track/flying-dreams

1:15:37	Saariselka	"Horizons"
	"A collaboration between composers Marielle Jakobsons (Fender Rhodes, organ, synthesizers) and Chuck Johnson (pedal steel guitar and treatments)"
	https://saariselka.bandcamp.com/track/horizons

1:22:35,Trent Razor & Atticus Ross	"The Great Beyond" & "The Great Before", from the soundtrack to “Soul”
	The Great Beyond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_PhLde3QUA
	The Great Before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=infRlmySILw&t=44s

1:26:29	halftribe	"The Beauty Of Scars" featuring Marine Eyes
	https://halftribe.bandcamp.com/track/the-beauty-of-scars-feat-marine-eyes

Extra track from Saturday morning:
1:27:42	Eric Whitacre	Virtual Choir 6: Sing Gently
	17,572 singers from 129 countries come together to perform Eric Whitacre's "Sing Gently”
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InULYfJHKI0

Chillits 2023 Plus One

A performer couldn't be at Chillits on Saturday morning, so I volunteered to fill in for an hour. Tracks come from my crates for sets from two past events, so nothing new, but still good for 7:30AM.

0:00:00	Unknown,	Heartbeat - lubdub
0:00:01	Slow Dancing Society,	Shelter (Whenever You Need)
	From “Healing Sounds II”
	https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/healing-sounds-ii-a-compilation-for-those-in-need
0:05:06	Brian Eno	Theme From “Creation”
	From “Music For Films III”
0:07:56	Yosi Horikawa	Intro
	From “Vapor”
	https://yosihorikawa.bandcamp.com/album/vapor
0:09:22	Pelican Daughters	Aurascape
	From “From Here To Tranquility, Vol. 2”
	Also : https://daisart.bandcamp.com/track/pelican-daughters-aurascape
0:15:27	Al Yamamoto,	Far Away Home Away
	From “Healing Sounds II”
0:19:29	r beny,	Bright Lanterns on the Horizon of the Wetlands
	From “Healing Sounds II”
0:22:55	Awakened Souls,	A New Era
	From “Healing Sounds II”
0:28:30	FSOL (Future Sounds Of London),	Glacier Pt. 2
0:34:32	Syneva,	When You Fall In Love, I Will Fall Asleep
	From “Healing Sounds II”
0:38:01	Johann Johannsson,	Kangaru
	From “Arrival” soundtrack
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zy1aWS2pQc
0:40:39	Julianna Barwick,	Inspirit
	From "Healing Is A Miracle”
	https://juliannabarwick.bandcamp.com/album/healing-is-a-miracle
0:44:38	Eric Whitacre,	Virtual Choir 6: Sing Gently
	17,572 singers from 129 countries come together to perform Eric Whitacre's "Sing Gently”
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InULYfJHKI0
0:47:57	Jamie Catto and Alex Forester,	Safe Hands
	From “Internal”
	https://www.jamiecatto.com/internal
0:50:59	Alpha Wave Movement,	Forest
	From “Earthen”. Transition to next performer
	https://anodizesound.bandcamp.com/track/forest

Chillits 2023 Saturday Morning Set

Short eight minute performance at Ecstatic Dance San Jose, Feb. 9, 2024. Meditative ambience for the transition from dance to closing circle. Background sounds of deep breathing, and people gathering their things and leaving prior to the closing circle.
I think my small singing bowl was not adequate for that space, and I'll be leaving it home the next time I get to play there.
0:00 - 0:55  Singing bowl
0:55 - 8:10  32" Gong "Brill"

"Brill" Gong At Ecstatic Dance San Jose Feb. 9, 2024

Rehearsal for a short improvised sound bath at Ecstatic Dance San Jose on November 8, 2024. Recorded at home.
In addition to my 32" chau gong "Brill", I used the items shown in the picture:
Two sE V7 supercardioid  dynamic microphones. A recent purchase, I like the sound of these a lot more than previous miking options, and I'm hoping the supercardioid response pattern will help to prevent feedback when I play in louder environments.
Two Vic Firth Corpsmaster MB4-S mallets.
Three B Love flumies, sizes 7cm, 7.5cm, and 8cm . The two smaller ones are recent purchases, I really like how they've broadened my sound pallette.

Ecstatic Dance San Jose, Rehearsal - Nov 8, 2024

One hour audition mix for 2025. Combination of ambient and alternative sounds and solo gong playing in the last 17 minutes

Audition-Soulbeams-Ching-2025-04-07

From my set at Ambient Awakening, May 2025. I was DJing for the first part of my set, then did a solo gong sound bath. 
I use the vertical black cord when I want to stop the gong from swinging. That changes the tension between the gong and the flumies, giving a different sound. I've also started to touch the surface of the gong with a drummer's straw whisk while striking with mallets, which both mutes and shifts the tone of the sound.

Ambient Awakening May 2025 - Solo Gong

A special set for Chillits 2025. I had the opening DJ slot, and due to personal circumstances this was my last campout for the immediate future. 

I started my set with a segment from "Belfast" by Orbital, time reversed. The rest of the set are either personal favorites I've played at gigs in the last twenty-plus, or other tracks by favorite artists.

I closed with a short live solo gong performance. This is the biggest sound system I've ever played over to date. [Oct 5, 2025 Updated track with additional compression during the gong performance]

Truthful disclosure - the tunes portion of this set is a reproduction of my Chillits set. Somewhere in the signal path between my hands and the Chillits main mixer recorder my signal became mono, so I did a stereo recreation of my set at my home studio. The gong performance portion is from the main mixer recording, it was in stereo.

Orbital	Belfast (Reversed Extract)	00:00:00
https://orbitalofficial.bandcamp.com/album/orbital-the-green-album-expanded
Overlords Of The UFO	Imagine	00:01:11
https://www.discogs.com/release/246530-Overlords-Of-The-UFO-Imagine-EP
Tranquility Bass	Monkey Forest Medley - Maya Yadana	00:09:35
https://www.amazon.com/Transmitting-Heaven-Classic-Collection-1/dp/B00001IVGO
Ultramarine	Honey	00:14:30
https://music.apple.com/us/song/honey/299716007
Martin Denny	Quiet Village	00:19:25
https://music.apple.com/us/album/quiet-village-the-exotic-sounds-of-martin-denny/721302402
Bruce Kaphan	Back to the Light	00:22:52
https://music.apple.com/us/album/back-to-the-light/75460244?i=75460193
Chris And Cosey	Sysdome	00:27:50
https://soundcloud.com/chriscosey/sets/chronomanic-library-of-sound
Johann Johannsson	Heptapod B	00:35:01
https://johannjohannsson.bandcamp.com/album/arrival-original-motion-picture-soundtrack
Bill Nelson	Hastening The Chariot Of My Hearts Desire	00:38:26
https://billnelson.bandcamp.com/track/hastening-the-chariot-of-my-hearts-desire
Alpha Wave Movement	Wunder	00:41:22
https://hrresonance.bandcamp.com/album/archaic-frontiers
Ambient Temple Of Imagination	Magikal Child	00:47:07
https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-School-Ambient-Temple-Imagination/dp/B01HQV64TQ
Ulali	Mahk Jchi	00:50:53
https://www.discogs.com/release/4799322-Various-Global-Divas-Voices-From-Women-Of-The-World
Dead Can Dance	Anabasis	00:55:01
https://www.deadcandance.com/discogs/anastasis
Laurie Anderson	The Ouija Board (with soundbites from "Hula Girls")	01:01:27
https://www.rhino.com/aod/the-ugly-one-with-the-jewels-and-other-stories-laurie-anderson
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0768116/
Sheila Chandra	Ever So Lonely	01:05:34
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/29/sheila-chandra-monsoon-interview-ever-so-lonely
Rebekah Del Rio	Llorando	01:08:56
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI8c3eSIkQY&t=26s

Soulbeams	Solo Gong Performance	01:12:27

Chillits 2025 - Soulbeams - Djing And Gong Performance

Sets I've performed at various ambient, chill, and other non-dance events since the early 2000's up to the present.

Next Stop - Dreamville

Live at OODE 18

Ecstatic Dance San Jose, February 22, 2019

Set List
Baird Hersey & Prana - "The Mani Wheel"
Aradia - "Call of the Crow"
Fat Chance Belly Dance with Helm & Phil Thornton - "Seventh Void"
Ekome - "Kpan Logo"
Shamans Dream - "Giving Gifts"
banKu - "Seiva"
Horizon 222 - "Homelands (Mighty Manitou)"
Heilung - "In Maidjan LIVE (excerpt)"
Jason Mythos - "Truth"
Tony Hunt - "Ionosphere"
Flembaz - "Barking Soda (Part 1) (Floating Machine Remix)"
Byron Metcalf - "Spirits of the Roadman (excerpt)"
Erik Wollo - "Return"
Mickey Hart - "Eving Samba"
Carlos Francisco - "Can You Feel It (Original Afro Samba Mix)"
Silvano Del Gado - "Red Tribal (Remix)"
Minds of Infinity - "DNA Activation Sequence (Edited)"
Cardamohm - "Take-Off"
Dominik Eulberg & Essáy - "Dream Machine (Edited)"
Mighty Sparrow - "Music and Rhythm"
Random Rab - "Curiosity"
Shamans Dream - "Prana Pulse"
Cigarra - "Hilda (Dj Nirso Edit)"
Desert Dwellers - "Sukhavati (Earthrise SoundSystem Remix)"
Within Reason - "Aura"
Deuter - "Mystic Voyage"

Ecstatic Dance San Jose, Feb 22, 2019

Dance Elemental in San Jose, January 18, 2020. Element: AIR

Invocation
John Wubbenhorst	No Mind	00:00
		https://johnwubbenhorst.bandcamp.com/track/no-mind-2

Dance
Vox	While The Birds Sing	00:38
		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEQg3RyATCY

Frankie Knuckles	The Whistle Song	07:00
		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH2nU1spf_g

Shamans Dream	Giving Gifts	12:45
https://shamansdream1.bandcamp.com/track/giving-gifts

Cardamohm	Take-Off	20:08
https://cardamohm.bandcamp.com/track/take-of

Martin Roth	Alaçatı (Original Mix)	24:52
https://soundcloud.com/anjunadeep/martin-roth-ala-at

Dance Elemental - Jan. 18, 2020 - DJ Soulbeams

Dance Elemental, Jan. 18, 2020. Air

Dance Elemental in San Jose, January 18, 2020. Element: FIRE

Invocation
Forrest Fang	distant fires	00:00
	https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/track/distant-fires

Dance
Heilung	In Maidjan LIVE	01:42
	https://heilung.bandcamp.com/track/in-maidjan-live

GreatOwl	Arixirix	05:26
	https://greatowl.bandcamp.com/track/arixirix

CloZee	Barbatuques - Baiana (CloZee Remix)	10:31
	https://clozee.bandcamp.com/track/barbatuques-baiana-clozee-remix

Silvano Del Gado	From Jamaica to Brasil (Original Mix)	14:10
	https://paparecords.bandcamp.com/track/silvano-del-gado-from-jamaica-to-brasil

Chus Ceballos Mele	Galera (Original Mix)	18:49
	https://www.beatport.com/track/galera-original-mix/11314053

Mickey Hart	Evening Samba	24:10
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xC8nZ-uVdY

Dance Elemental, Jan. 18, 2020. Fire

Dance Elemental in San Jose, January 18, 2020. Element: WATER
A few oopses in tracks 3 and 4, experimenting with my dj controller.

Invocation
Ambient Temple of Imagination	Islands	00:00
	https://atoi.bandcamp.com/track/islands

Dance
Shamans Dream	Mother Water	01:51
	https://shamansdream1.bandcamp.com/track/mother-water

Desert Dwellers	One That Shows the Way	06:27 
I was experimenting with starting the track somewhere in the middle and then fading to the beginning of the same track, but my levels were a bit off.
	https://desertdwellersmusic.bandcamp.com/track/one-that-shows-the-way

Martin Roth	Epic Waves	11:22
And somewhere in here I just hit the wrong button!
	https://www.beatport.com/track/epic-waves-original-mix/5067726

Tycho	Coastal Brake	15:02
	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NYIJ3K8/

Cigarra	Hilda (Dj Nirso Edit)	19:11
	https://tropicaltwistarecords.bandcamp.com/track/cigarra-hilda-dj-nirso-edit

Within Reason (aka Subtle Shift)	Malibar Bay	21:50
	https://hrresonance.bandcamp.com/track/malibar-bay

Dance Elemental, Jan. 18, 2020. Water

Dance Elemental in San Jose, January 18, 2020. Element: EARTH

Invocation
Tom Colletti	Yama	00:00
	https://fireproductionz.bandcamp.com/track/yama-2

Dance
Minds of Infinity	Majick	01:35
	https://mindsofinfinity.bandcamp.com/track/majick

Desert Dwellers	Dreams Within a Dream	05:54
	https://desertdwellersmusic.bandcamp.com/track/dreams-within-a-dream

Hugh Masekela	The Lion Never Sleeps	11:46
	The first section of the medley "The Seven Riffs of Africa" from the 1984 album "Techno Bush".
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FaFf_0FIww

Dance Elemental, Jan. 18, 2020. Earth

Dance Elemental in San Jose, January 18, 2020. SPIRIT

Invocation
Steven Halpern	Om Zone 432 Hz (Part 11)	00:00
	https://www.amazon.com/OM-Zone-432-Hz-Part/dp/B06XCV7QDD
	
Dance
Psyonysus	Perpetual Light	01:47
	https://psyonysus.bandcamp.com/track/perpetual-light

Soulbeams

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