Sonic Textiles: Saturday, Aug. 19 | 9pm

by Maggie Molloy
The vibrant textiles of Ghana inspired pianist William Chapman Nyaho’s album Kete, featured in this episode. Photo by Lee D. Baker.

Like any great work of art, a piece of music comes together one stitch at a time.

This Saturday on Second Inversion: Sonic Textiles. Join us for music threaded with vibrant color, texture, and pattern. From quilts to needlework and woven tapestries, we’ll hear from artists who explore the very fabric of music. Composer Gabriela Lena Frank traces the vivid threads of her Peruvian heritage, Ghanaian-American pianist William Chapman Nyaho explores the mesmerizing rhythm of the loom, and Caroline Shaw stitches together a musical patchwork quilt.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 9pm PT.

Music from William Chapman Nyaho’s album “Kete” is included in this week’s episode.

Knock on Wood: Saturday, Aug. 12 | 9pm

by Maggie Molloy
Percussionist Ian David Rosenbaum is among the performers included in this week’s episode.

A couple planks of wood might not sound like the most riveting orchestration—but it turns out the musical possibilities are endless!

This Saturday on Second Inversion: Knock on Wood! We’ll hear from composers who have built entirely new sound worlds from some very humble lumber. From the warm wooden tones of the marimba to literal two-by-four planks of wood, we’ll hear from artists who have logged some serious hours exploring the timbre of—well, timber.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 9pm PT.

Starry Night: Saturday, Aug. 5 | 9pm

by Maggie Molloy
“Cosmic Cliffs.” Image courtesy of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star—how I wonder what you are. It’s a question that dates back a lot longer than the old nursery rhyme. Since the beginning of time, philosophers, poets, and musicians have looked to the sky and tried to imagine what was up there. How many of us are still doing the same thing today?

This Saturday on Second Inversion: Starry Night. Join us for music that shimmers and sparkles like the stars in the sky. We’ll hear celestial sounds, astronaut anthems, and even music recorded in outer space. Plus, one composer’s musical impression of Van Gogh’s Starry Night—and another’s gravity-defying soundtrack for the Apollo 11 moon landing.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 9pm PT.

An Underwater Adventure: Saturday, July 29 | 9pm

by Maggie Molloy
Photo by Christopher Michel.

Music is like water: it can be calm and serene, or choppy and chaotic. It can lift you, carry you, or bury you—it can immerse you in its waves.

On this Saturday’s episode of Second Inversion, we’re scuba diving for new sounds. We’ll get lost in the waves, with music ranging from rippling rivers to epic storms and tender whale songs. Plus, a sound ecologist takes us to the beach to listen to the barnacles.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, July 29 at 9pm PT.

Desert Mirage: Saturday, July 22 | 9pm

by Maggie Molloy
Music from Robert Black’s Possessed is included in this episode. Photo by Gabriel Gomez.

Blinding sun, shimmering sands, prickly plants and an endless, open sky—there is something magical about the desert.

It’s difficult to put it into words, to capture it on paper, or to sum it up in a song. The music of the desert slips through your hand like sand, evaporates like a mirage—but composers have never stopped trying to capture it. This Saturday on Second Inversion: Desert Mirage. From singing sands to desert duets, cactus needles to cricket songs, we’ll hear music and stories from deep within the desert.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, July 22 at 9pm PT.