Chuck van Zyl

I host Star’s End, the radio program of spacey soundscapes which first aired on WXPN in 1976. Every weekend from 1:00 a.m. Saturday night until 6:00 p.m. Sunday morning will find me at the FM broadcast studio spinning a wealth of Ambient, Ethereal, Spacemusic. My mix is dreamy, continuous, and seamless, with on-air announcements delivered gently so as not to intrude on any sleepers in the audience.

The purpose behind Star’s End is as diverse as its listeners. Conjuring a sonic state as unique as each individual, some use it to discover new music, others for quiet contemplation, or as a soundtrack for sleep and dreams.

The content is as varied as possible while keeping within the spacey format. I include works from all over the world, from a range of genres, cultures, generations, and backgrounds – and pursue the ideal of achieving something larger than the sum of its parts – where the individual tracks take on greater meaning and effect when taken together in the flowing dreamscape.

Significant early encounters with this music and local scene led me to produce my own original Electronic works. Performing Spacemusic in collaborations and solo since the mid-1980s, I have enjoyed playing live at a range of venues and issued numerous studio albums and concert recordings – which all serve my enduring impulse for expression.

In 1992 I founded The Gatherings, initially as a listener get-together. Designed to highlight musicians exploring the multiple realms of Innovative Music, the concert series now exists as one of the cornerstones of Philadelphia’s Experimental Electronic scene.

Born and bred in the Philadelphia area, I am a graduate of Temple University and have been a record store clerk, motorcycle safety instructor, USPS Letter Carrier, fine art photographer and world traveler, all while hosting Star’s End since 1980.