10 albums for flowing in the glow by Mark "Frosty" McNeill
Mark “Frosty” McNeill is a DJ, radio producer, lecturer, sonic curator, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. At the heart of his sonic explorations is a resounding passion for sharing transcendent experiences with one another. Fostering this sense of connection is a guiding principle he shares with the community-driven online radio platform, dublab, which he co-founded in 1999.
Curious what mood and albums would speak to him, we asked Frosty to contribute to our mood list series. What he shares with us is a true glimpse of what his sonic explorations tend to be: grounded as they are otherworldly, connecting as they are personal.
He shares: “Creative beings project their art into the spheres with hopes of hearing a ringing in return. They honor the miracle of existence while poking at distant edges to see how far we can expand. I’m entranced by sonic visionaries who honor our human condition while aspiring to transcend it. Nature often steers this course of inspiration—rooting us in earthbound energy while giving us glimmers of an interconnected existence that’s more than meets the ear. This sort of exploration doesn’t have to be overtly mystic or spiritual. It can often come in the form of pop tunes energized by a natural essence or humble folk songs illuminated at the edges. Here are some albums on this wavelength that ring my bell.”
Hailu Mergia - Hailu Mergia & his Classical Instrument
This sounds like feeling the sun after a torrential storm. Warmly constructed from minimal tones, Mergia’s power is in his loping pace. He rushes nowhere fast because this is the best place to be and as the drum machine idles alongside his purring organ all is well in the world once again.
Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms
This is an album of deep complexity but in such a purely organic form that it’s like breath flowing to and from your body. Misty forests and sandy beaches are elevated through synesthetic experiences sparked by an awe of the cosmos. Perhaps honeyed voice might as well be the lullaby that sweetly sung all of our cells into being.
Toumani Diabaté with Ballaké Sissoko - New Ancient Strings
This must be the sound that the earth makes when it smiles at the sky. Red clay beaming its radiance upward saying, “We’ve been together all these years and just beginning to fall deeper in love.”
Nelson Angelo e Joyce
These songs shimmer like a tree of golden leaves swaying in a solar breeze. It gently beckons souls upward to rest under its radiant limbs—an embracing healing force that although rooted in specific language is universal in dulcet tone.
The Life Force Trio - Living Room
This is the waiting room music for our momentary pause in the journey to the great beyond, because what’s the rush in reaching a destination when every pulsation of the now is so sublime? This sound offering’s rhythmic mysticism mirrors the optimism of our fellow voyagers and fills the atmosphere with a miraculous glow.
Massive Attack v Mad Professor - No Protection
This is a tractor beam. Mad Professor’s reworking of Massive Attack’s elemental material expands into the infinite. Riding on these echoes is like being sucked into a black hole that opens into a spectrum of brilliant radiance. A most gracious welcome to the other side of the universe.
Bennie Maupin - The Jewel in the Lotus
Maupin must have seen something in a dream that opened this portal. He glimpsed the key and sketched its form, providing a chord for us to grasp and pull ourselves gently to the light. He guides us with such serene security that our destination is assured even with eyes tightly closed.
Henri Texier - Amir
When the questions are this soothing, who needs answers? We hold mystery in our palms, reflecting on the facets as Texier slants every note so slowly towards sublime unknowing that we lose ourselves in the bliss of just being. Anxiety is a cloud that blew away long ago and we are free to be more at ease with the joy of the inquiry.
Antena - Camino del Sol
The atmosphere is so perfect that it’s hard to tell where your skin ends and the air begins. You’re feeling totally in step with yourself as the sunset hovers, layering all in liquid gold. That last glass of wine has kicked in nicely and you’re riding the waves into infinity with this resonance floating you forth. The rock of the hammock, the kiss of the saltwater, the soft brush of skin.
Javier Bergia - Eclipse
The moon charted its course to the heart of the sun, deeply intent on merging light and darkness to let us all know that duality reigns supreme. Bergia was there every step of the way, guitar in hand keeping a journal of this occurrence because the sky full of stars is for all of us.
