Windham Hill Founder Will Ackerman's Songs of Reflection: The Echoes Interview
In the beginning, there was Will Ackerman. The guitarist and founder of Windham Hill Records launched a movement in 1976. He created a new wave in music that brought new acoustic instrumental music into the mainstream. It was 50 years ago that he founded Windham Hill Records with his debut album. We profiled Will and Windham Hill earlier this year. Today, I talk to will about his new album, Home, and a state of mind where the end is much closer than the beginning.
Will Ackerman: I feel the clock ticking, you know. I mean I’m not gonna be here forever. and it’s not as if I need to pour something out, but if I’m utterly connected to it, if I feel that I’m really expressing whatever is in my heart, then I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.
John Diliberto talks to him about this Autumnal recording on Echoes from PRX.
Hear our 50th Anniversary Feature on Windham Hill Records & Will Ackerman
| Start Time | Running Time | Artist | Song Title | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 17-18, 2026 – Program 2641A | ||||
| First Half Hour | ||||
| 0:01:00 | 5:27 | Will Ackerman | The Five Sisters | Home |
| 0:06:00 | 7:02 | Ulrich Schnauss | A Forgotten Birthday | A Long Way To Fall |
| 0:12:33 | 4:45 | Francis Mann | Rain | Aquarius |
| 0:17:05 | 2:59 | Beck | Disappearing Act | Ride Lonesome |
| 0:19:57 | 4:12 | Tim Farrell | Ray of Sunshine | Hidden Treasure |
| 0:23:57 | 4:26 | Perfume Genius | Natural High | Natural High (Single) |
| 0:29:30 | :30 | Michael Hewett | Gold (Live on Echoes) (excerpt) | Victoria Place – Echoes Live 23 |
| Second Half Hour | ||||
| 0:30:00 | 14:00 | Interview: Will Ackerman | ||
| 0:44:54 | 6:51 | Will Ackerman | Snow’s Stone | Home |
| 0:51:18 | 5:54 | Agnes Obel | Blood so Red | The Meaning of Flowers |
| 0:59:00 | 1:00 | Felsman & Tiley | Seeker (excerpt) | Protomensch |
| Third Half Hour | ||||
| 1:01:00 | 6:00 | Michael Rother | Quiet Dancing | Dreaming |
| 1:06:00 | 2:13 | Joanne Shenandoah | Kahawi’Tha | Matriarch_ Iroquois Women’s Songs |
| 1:08:37 | 3:14 | Hammock | On the Tips of a Thousand Grasses | Across The Horizon Vol. 2 |
| 1:11:41 | 5:17 | Rena Jones | Photosynthesis (Youth’s Iridescent Syntheserya Ambient remix) | Photosynthesis (EP) |
| 1:16:53 | 2:45 | Sherry Finzer | Within the Mossy Shroud | Clear Blue Sky – Solo Flute Soundscapes Vol 1 |
| 1:19:13 | 4:52 | Mark Isham | A More Beautiful Question | At the Carousel Club |
| 1:23:56 | 4:54 | Locust | White Light (feat. Olive Kimoto) | Spectral+ |
| 1:29:30 | 0:30 | Jim Kimo West & Michael Whalen | Malibu Breeze (excerpt) | Two Shores |
| Fourth Half Hour | ||||
| 1:30:00 | 4:57 | Encounters & Bluetech | Whisper (Air Mix) | Whisper (Single) |
| 1:34:43 | 3:27 | Bonobo | Shokoufeh | Distance in Static |
| 1:37:55 | 3:51 | Shekina Rose | Angelic Soul Calling | Angelic Soul Calling (Single) |
| 1:41:35 | 3:55 | Agnes Obel | The Meaning of Flowers | The Meaning of Flowers |
| 1:45:25 | 0:45 | break | ||
| 1:46:09 | 2:59 | Deepspace | Atlas Minor – ORMENOS V | The Atlas Sector |
| 1:49:02 | 3:25 | Bill Nelson | Thoughts Sail South On Silver Strings | Magical Thinking |
| 1:52:16 | 3:47 | Kaskade & BUNT | Comes Back Around | Origin |
| 1:55:47 | 1:37 | Michael Nyman | The Heart Asks Pleasure First | The Piano |
On the next Echoes, Hermanos Gutierrez, the Ecuadorian-Swiss brothers who make dreamy instrumentals that are like songs from the high desert. We’ll also hear music from Portuguese guitarist, Francis Mann. It’s part of the soundscape on Echoes from PRX.
| Start Time | Artist | Song Title | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 17-18, 2026 – Program 2641B | |||
| First Half Hour | |||
| 0:01:00 | Fernwood | The Pan Chaser | Arcadia |
| 0:06:00 | Agnes Obel | Never Been | The Meaning of Flowers |
| 0:11:00 | Tim Farrell | Air on the B String | Hidden Treasure |
| 0:13:48 | Bombay Dub Orchestra | View From Space (Vlastur Remix) | View From Space [EP] |
| 0:18:35 | Julia Holter | The Laugh Is in the Eyes | Materia |
| 0:23:00 | Deepspace | Atlas Null: NULL SPACE | The Atlas Sector |
| 0:25:20 | Bill Nelson | Pearly Nightfall | Magical Thinking |
| 0:29:30 | Message to Bears | Half Light (excerpt) | Tired Eyes Waking Hearts |
| Second Half Hour | |||
| 0:30:00 | Elephant Stone | A Beautiful Fate | ASHA |
| 0:33:08 | BALTHVS | Sunday Forecast | MANIFEST |
| 0:36:35 | Loreena McKennitt | Marrakesh Night Market | The Mask & Mirror |
| 0:42:54 | Break | ||
| 0:43:35 | Will Ackerman | Wood Thrush | Home |
| 0:47:43 | Francis Mann | Different Suns | Aquarius |
| 0:51:53 | Bonobo | Fire on the Water (feat Arooj Aftab) | Distance in Static |
| 0:54:49 | Hermanos Gutiérrez | La Danza del Viento | Los Ojos Del Cóndor |
| 0:59:00 | Bluetech | Nightvale (excerpt) | Sci-Fi Lullabies |
| Third Half Hour | |||
| 1:01:00 | David Arkenstone | Red Sun | Colors Of The Ambient Sky |
| 1:06:00 | Rena Jones | Photosynthesis (Youth’s Iridescent Syntheserya Ambient remix) | Photosynthesis EP |
| 1:11:11 | Delerium | Into the Light (with Diamanda Galas) | Exuadire |
| 1:16:25 | Agnes Obel | Blood so Red | The Meaning of Flowers |
| 1:22;14 | Lars Leonhard | Gardens of Distant Light | A Place Between Worlds |
| 1:29:30 | Jim Kimo West & Michale Whalen | Malibu Breeze (excerpt) | Two Shores |
| Fourth Half Hour | |||
| 1:30:00 | Beck | Disappearing Act | Ride Lonesome |
| 1:32:52 | Rodrigo y Gabriela | Astrum In Corpore | Our Home |
| 1:37:30 | Break | ||
| 1:38:12 | Tangerine Dream | Marmontel Riding On A Clef | Phaedra Farewell Tour 2014 |
| 1:45:35 | Locust | All of Them (feat. Nick Holton) | Spectral+ |
| 1:48:56 | Colin Rayment with Joe Rayment | Shifting Perspectives on an Illuminated Arc | Lumen |