Patricia Wolf

Good morning.

Today we’re listening to Patricia Wolf, an ambient musician based in Portland, Oregon. She started making ambient music around 2017,¹ and has spread her wings across several sonic domains: designing sounds for Novation synthesizers, curating sound art at her Variforms gallery, using field recordings to create “non-linear compositions.”² A through line across her work is the principle that listening is a gentle act. It’s manifest on her new album, The Secret Lives of Birds, whose avian subject appears literally in field recordings and figuratively in chirping synths. “I'm hoping that this will bring some awareness to the plight of birds,” she told Sound Methods on a recent podcast episode. “Their populations have decreased 90 percent since 1970… just in the United States.” We’re also playing Wolf’s 2022 album, See-Through, which skews more toward drone including drawn-out vocals.

The Secret Lives of Birds - Patricia Wolf (40m, no human vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal

See-Through - Patricia Wolf (40m, non-lyrical vocals on a few tracks)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal

We wish you a great start to your week.

via Instagram

1. A Closer Listen

2. Sound Methods