This month had me thinking about all the great dance, opera and ballet going on round the world rn, with thriving living composers creating incredible, accessible and meaningful work and masterpieces by late legends of the game which continue to hold huge relevance in the scene and potential appeal to wider communities, should the desire to engage take them.

I heard Daniel Blumberg performing his soundtrack to the upcoming movie The Testament of Ann Lee last week - it handled free improvisation, period instruments, shaker hymns, birdsong, a percussive masterclass, and Amanda Seyfried all at once and in perfect matrimony. This mix aims to do something like that with moments of trance-like intensity, others of ethereal folk melodies and much in between.

This month's episode takes a step back and a lie down into some gentle ambient soundscapes to thaw to.

Helena Tulve - Sula/Thaw

Yuri Umemoto - huhhh

Karen Tanaka - Invisible Curve

Arvo Part - Silentium; Kevin - Cloud Cover

A christmas-adjacent edition of Seek Refuge with some festive takes and composed gems thrown in too. Betsy Jolas' Piano Concerto 'bTunes' is at the centre of this month's episode, which, while isn't exactly and chart topping xmas hit, certainly summons some seasonal spirit. Around it are a range of works including a couple of tracks from Brian Whitman's iconic 'Singular Christmas.'

Okkyung Lee – Rainy Night Ride with Roy

Brian Whitman – Singular Christmas (Radiant Bells)

hmurd – Oh What Fun!

Lina Filipovich – Blessed be the Lord

Charlie Panigoniak – Santa Claus is coming to town

Bubo bubo – Lulling 3 (Cover) (Cover) (Cover) (Cover) (Cover)

Betsy Jolas – bTunes (Nicholas Hodges, piano)

Sugar World – Merry Christmas Darling

Invisible Cities – The Devout Vary Their Chants

Endless Joy – This Is What I Call Christmas

Sugar World – Blue Christmas

Brian Whitman – Singular Christmas (Mountain Noel)

Basch – silentnight§1

Seek Refuge explores sonic spaces between familiarity and the peculiar, exploring contemporary composition and re-contextualising it through unorthodox pairings and disparate sonic relationships. This month's show reflects the docile, misty-minded mirage of riding the southwestern rail for hours on end.

Keiji Haino - 景; Leilehua Lanzilotti - on stochastic wave behavior i - ō; The Dwarfs of East Agouza - Titular; Clarence Barlow - Im Januar am Nil; Katokye - Ekyeshongoro Kyabakazi; Henryk Górecki - Popule meus

As autumn closes in and nature fades into the distance, we're back with a selection of Botanica found in recent internet digs and other music which the genre brought to mind. Amongst the lesser known soundcloud artists featured (all named in the tracklist) are composers and artists evoking something similar through their various practices - including Lamin Fofana, Sawako, Kaija Saariaho and more.

05 – luminous; xfchiba, aadithyaa – vale; John Adams - Shaker Loops - IV. A Final Shaking; N22T - Milk House; Lamin Fofana – Bird; kia. - 2112‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ; ISLTR - sea of satellites; kia. - rest [lay_ur_head_down] -͙˚ *. ⋆ ༘✶ ; morethanahalf – yearsofyearning_2; Sawako – Sweet Hygiea Glass; Hans Abrahamsen, Arditti String Quartet - String Quartet No. 4: II with Motion (Dance of Light); havluv - unforgotten friend; kia. - still_winds‧₊˚彡 ; Kaija Saariaho/Anssi Karttunen - 7 Papillons: No. 4; iilotoli - 新緑のすがた; Cornelius Cardew, Larum - Treatise 76 - Live at New Ear Festival; Viznode – Reconcile; foryears. - Surrendered to Protocol (Let go); Dan Trueman/Sō Percussion - Machines for Listening with So: Stromatolith for So; plaiem8 - everpupal

On this month's episode I welcome Italian artist Mana (Daniele Mana) to chat about his new album 'Anemoi's Lies' and his wider work. Anemoi's Lies grew from his idea of making orchestral music that sounds like it's written and performed by some alien entity that have never seen nor touched an instrument in its life. Entirely electronic, it sounds organic, orchestral and entirely unpredictable.

bise habitat zero; Shu’s Sister; Symphony of Regulation; Altostratus Veneration City; Promessa; Mana Raven - Anonymous Flight; Fifth Eye; Seventh Eye; Du Temple; The End of the Way; Archipelagi pt.1; L’amour toujours – Mana Cover Edit; One; Their Voices; Anemoi’s Lies

Have you crashed early this summer? Was the heatwave too much to bear? Wallow in your summertime emotions with this hour of tearjerkers and thinkers in a range of musical styles - there's something for everyone in this month's episode of Seek Refuge.

Messiaen/Sean Shibe – O Sacrum Convivium!

Handel – Laschia ch’io pianga

Julius Eastman – Buddha

Aphex Twin – Gwarek2

Alinah – Doe Eyes

Nico Muhly – Lilt

Anna Thorvaldsdottir - þann heilaga kross

Camille Keller – Felt Right

HEALTH – Perfect Skin

Joe Hisaishi, Steve Reich – The Desert Music: III A. Slow

John Tavener – Funeral Canticle

Waldo’s Gift – Jellyfish

Thomas Ades – Arcadiana, Op.12: VI. O Albion