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DAVID PARSONS: The Atmanautic Globetrotter

Updated: 1 day ago

In Memoriam / Tribute episode feat. STEVE ROACH, RUDY ADRIAN, BERT STROLENBERG



Some composers write music, while others create inner geographies. David Parsons, a New Zealand artist from Wellington, crafted a body of work over decades that felt more like cartography than performance, mapping spiritual and cultural landscapes through sound.


Parsons was not simply an ambient musician using synthesizers and sampled textures. He was an explorer of sacred spaces, especially the Indian and Tibetan Himalayan traditions. David's discography, which includes reference albums such as Dorje Ling, Ngaio Gamelan, and Atmanaut, exists at the intersection of technological experimentation, ethnomusicological documentation, and metaphysical inquiry. Parsons worked precisely in this space. To honor his legacy, we are joined by three special guests whose paths crossed with David's at various points in their journeys:

Steve Roach, a defining voice in ambient music, whose sonic landscapes share a deep affinity with Parsons’ sense of space and immersion.

Rudy Adrian, a fellow New Zealand composer, introduces us to the local context in which Parsons created and his distinct identity in the ambient scene.

Bert Strolenberg is a respected Dutch journalist and electronic music reviewer who has followed Parsons’ releases over the years and conducted a rare interview with him.

Together, they provide insight into the music itself and into the man behind it.

In the final mix, you will have the opportunity to listen not only to excerpts from David Parsons' albums, but also to an 18-minute unpublished track.


This commemorative edition is an attentive examination of how one artist expanded the vocabulary of contemplative electronic music. For those who have followed our sonic explorations as a means of inner discovery, this episode continues that journey. For new listeners, it provides a clear entry point into a style that has remained quietly influential.


VIDEO TEASER

Useful links:


DAVID PARSONS on Celestial Harmonies label: David Parsons Biography

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