November 2, 2020

Music Discovery: November 2020

Hi, I’m Alex Ruder and I’m a music supervisor at The Octave Group. No doubt it’s a prerequisite for the job, but I’m a fan of a lot of types of music. A genre that I’ve been particularly passionate about for a while now though, that you probably don’t hear blasting through the speakers at your favorite retail spots, is ambient music. The calm, spacious, and meditative tones – it’s been a welcome and much-needed reprieve from the noise of everyday life. Maybe a world where everyone listens to more ambient music would be a more peaceful and beautiful place? I’d like to think so.

While it’s been growing in popularity over the years, it’s still a style of music created by artists who aren’t often all that concerned with social media numbers or receive the support of major label marketing budgets. It makes digging for this type of music all the more thrilling, especially when you discover a song, or an album, or an artist that is able to magically sweep you off into a blissful and relaxing space.

Here are a few videos for songs in this realm that have caught my ears over the last few months. Hope you enjoy these selections and find some solace in the sounds.

OPEN THIS MONTH’S PLAYLIST IN YOUR BROWSER >

Artist: Adenine

Track: Smirr

Twitter: @Adenineharp

Artist: Hélène Vogelsinger

Track: Astral Projection

Artist: Penelope Trappes

Track: Afraid (Nico cover)

Twitter: @PenelopeTrappes

About Alex Ruder

Hi, I am Alex Ruder, a music supervisor at PlayNetwork with over 15 years of experience in the music industry.

I have had a passion for music since I was a kid, growing up listening to Seattle’s KUBE radio station (RIP) and creating mix tapes from radio recordings that I would then share with my friends. Thanks to the Internet, I soon found a passion for finding underground artists that weren’t played on the radio, and my obsession for discovering and sharing music by artists from all over the world blossomed.

My love for electronic music enabled me to break into the radio world: first volunteering at the UW’s Rainy Dawg Radio, and later interning at KEXP in Seattle—both experiences that ultimately led to hosting a weekly overnight variety show on KEXP in 2008, a time slot that I held down for over 8 years. I’m still involved at KEXP, hosting variety and electronic on-air shows, assisting the music director with reviewing new music, as well as booking and producing KEXP’s weekly guest DJ mix show ‘Midnight in a Perfect World.’ With this background, it’s natural that I landed at PlayNetwork. I love the ability to listen to music from the unique perspective of what works for retail, from up-tempo club music to spacious ambient music, all depending on the brand’s sonic direction. Plus, it doesn’t get much better than working with a bunch of other music nerds that share the same passion for music that I do.

When I am not at PlayNetwork or at KEXP, you can find me every now and then mixing it up in nightclubs under the alias DJ D’Nelski (a play on my middle name) or overseeing my independent electronic music label called Hush Hush Records, which unveiled its first release in August 2012.

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Music Discovery: November 2020

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