Guidelines for submitting music to Mystic Music and the Visionary Music Dept. at KKUP

First, peruse my playlists and my lists of favorite artists and albums on my web page to see if you recognize any other artists that I play. If you see several whose work you think is similar to yours, there's a good chance I may play it if you send it to me.

Second, let me be a bit more specific about the categories that I play. I have said that mystic music includes spacious, contemplative, heartfelt, trance-inducing and psychedelic sounds in such genres as space music, electronic, ambient, visionary, acoustic, world fusion, classical, neo-classical, and even some progressive rock; a mix of entrancing drones, structures, and rhythms. Thus, Mystic Music extends from Bach to rock. The emphasis is on electronic ambient space music. If this sounds like your music, I would be very interested in hearing from you.

But you might identify with one of these categories, even though your music wouldn't fit. These things are always hard to define, but I'll try to give you some more specific indications of what I am and am not interested in. If your music is jazzy new age, especially if it has lots of saxophone, jazzy guitar and drums, I won't play it. Rock sounds that are too loud and energetic, and which don't have a strong dose of romantic or spacious ambience and atmospheric delicacy of sound, won't be aired on Mystic Music. If your music is avant-garde, I probably won't play it unless it has thoughtful form and some emotive, spacious and/or spiritual qualities. I love experimental music and innovative sounds, especially in the ambient field-- provided the experiment leads to some good music. Novelty for its own sake is not a virtue in my book. If your music is solo piano, it'd better be really special, since there's so much of it around. Unless you have a large promotional budget it's probably safest to assume that I won't play it. Acoustic sounds combined with sensitive electronics might work for me, though.

I don't play too many vocals, though I might if the voice is expressed as part of an instrumental or voice ensemble that creates a powerful spiritual ambience. I don't play very many "songs," especially ordinary love songs or songs with preachy traditional religious or new age lyrics. To me, the music speaks much louder than just the words. Truly brilliant, poetic or spiritual lyrics, on the other hand, rare as they are, are appreciated and worth a listen if the music and singing are also good and fit my format.

I am interested in music based on other world cultures, provided it expresses their spiritual tradition in a very sensitive way. Just because the music comes from a non-Western tradition does not make it mystic music. On the other hand, if your music aspires to be like, or is based on, that of great Western composers or traditions, it is mystic music only if it has the spacious, emotive, mystic qualities we are looking for, and if it is original and creative-- something worth adding to the tradition, instead of just a copy of it.

I play music that has relaxing ambience rather than intrusive energy; music that is spiritual, contemplative and/or emotional rather than bumpy, thumpy and merely physical. On the other hand, I sometimes play music that has a powerful uplifting energy. Music that is only quiet, pretty or relaxing will probably not get played on Mystic Music; it must have a degree of subtle depth or intensity. Most of all, I am looking for great creative composers who share the mystic vision (or something similar), and want to express it in musical form and sound.

If your music fits in one of the categories I mentioned in the second paragraph above; if it is something that only you can do because it is original and breaks new ground; if it has compelling depth and power, and if it helps people connect with the source of their lives; then your music may be what I am looking for.

Please send your release to KKUP Radioat:

There are other programs at KKUP which might be interested in your work. The guidelines for these other programs are similar to those for mine. There are some differences though; for example, some of the other programmers at KKUP play more world and ethnic music, or minimalist music, than I do. Check the lists of other similar programs on my web page, or the entire KKUP Schedule, to get an idea if your music might fit in with any of our other programs.

Our radio station broadcasts in a major market: the San Jose and Santa Cruz areas of California. We broadcast from Noon to 3 pm on Fridays; not a bad time, but not a peak time either. Our audience at KKUP is a select group of sensitive folks who like many kinds of music. We are non-commercial and totally listener-supported.

Thanks for your interest in Mystic Music, and good luck with your projects! Great new music is truly a part of the creative spiritual renaissance of our times, and your contribution is truly valuable. Even if I don't play your music, others might; so don't give up!