In this program I have two absolutely spell-binding releases that we’ll be showcasing on the program that you simply cannot pass up. First up is Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith hot on the heels of her acclaimed album “Gush” from Nettwerk Music Group, an EP that is by stark contrast a contemplative space for you to be immersed in amazing layers of analog synthesis and a re-imagination of chamber music personified in her work; and later in the program New Zealand-based artist Stray Theories takes us for an epic ride with his transcendent amalgamation of ambient, neoclassical, and post-rock influences — an album that straddles opposing dichotomies in his massive vistas of sound, released through n5md Records. Plus new music from MICADO, loscil, Paolo Tortora, RL Huber and more. Strap in and make yourself comfortable. Join us for the next hour for global ambient music, on The Relay Station. Artist information Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith The classically trained American composer and electronic artist Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has followed up her critically acclaimed release “GUSH” with a three-song EP that quite nearly leaves me in a state without words — and appropriately so. If you’ve ever had a friend or loved one who is in the throws of grief, you’ve likely experienced the awkward space you hold with that person, unsure of what words to use to make everything feel, well, less painful. But as some of us have experienced, sometimes the best thing to do is sit with them, hold their hand, and just be with them in silence, a heart radiating love and compassion, and holding a quiet space of support for them — so that they know they’re not alone. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has quite masterfully and creatively composed that space for us all with a wide array of analog synthetic sequences, slow and reassuring moments of warm low end, a wide spatial exposition of evolving motifs, and a progressive re-imagination of the classical chamber orchestra in electronic form. The imaginative beauty represented here cannot be overstated, and to pass up this opportunity for your own moment of reflection with Smith’s new EP, would be to pass up on a moment of contemplative growth, akin to the feeling of holding space with grief. From her EP “Thoughts on the Future”, here’s Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith with the track “Dying is a Normal Part of Life”, here on The Relay Station. https://kaitlynaureliasmith.comhttps://nettwerk.bandcamp.com Stray Theories New Zealand-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Micah Templeton-Wolfe, who operates under the name “Stray Theories” has a brand new album out on n5MD that for me resides on a scale of immense grandeur, yet is approachable, contemplative, and deeply focused. It reminds me, in a way, of my time in the mountains of the Olympic National Forest in Washington state — surrounded by captivating, majestic, and transcendent beauty — yet ever-mindful and focused, hiking along the narrow crests scaling upwards toward the heavens. Templeton-Wolfe shared how the album “Falter” evokes a dichotomy of experiences and emotions — wavering, hesitation, and uncertainty, with intent, unmistakeable confidence, and purpose. He writes, “Optimism is present, but ever cloaked in doubt; moments of contemplative solace sit side-by-side with streaks of melancholia.” With dramatic cinematic ambient vistas, re-imagined and refined perspectives on neoclassical composition, and soul-stretching and near-spiritual apexes found in the post-rock genre, Stray Theories is your ticket to a mind-altering, transformative listening experience. From their album “Falter”, here’s Stray Theories with the track “Have It All”, here on The Relay Station. https://straytheoriesmusic.comhttps://n5md.bandcamp.com Playlist * [0:00] INTRODUCTION * [01:44] "The Berliner Schule Ambient Dream" by MICADO from "MindScapeS [CYD 0146]" (Cyclical Dreams, 2025) * [08:52] "Silos" by loscil from "Lake Fire" (kranky, 2025) * [15:30] "From a Memory Part 2 (excerpt)" by Paolo Tortora from "Waves of Fading Memories" (Torto Editions, 2025) * [20:32] Featured Artist Segment * [22:24] "Dying Is A Normal Part Of Life" by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith from "Thoughts On The Future" (Nettwerk Music Group, 2026) * [28:38] "A Flawed Design" by RL Huber from "Glass House Architecture" (Independent, 2025) * [32:20] "Under the Stars and Dreaming" by Brannan Lane & Billy Denk from "Celestial Lullaby" (Wayfarer Music Group, 2025) * [38:32] "Fall Again" by Erik Klinga from "Hundred Tongues" (Thanatosis, 2025) * [42:10] Featured Artist Segment * [44:06] "Have It All" by Stray Theories from "Falter" (n5MD, 2026) * [49:50] "trans𑑒" by Andreas Lutz from "Aura Trans" (Aura Trans, 2025) * [55:46] "6 am" by Le Code & KapTep from "Urban Garden, Vol. 2" (Ambient Cat Records, 2025) Become a supporter today! 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