The Ambient Thread

[Twilightseer]

Ok, time to talk about ambient music :)

Ambient is one of my favourite genres, here's a few releases I own and deem excellent

Brian Eno => The inventor of the genre. I recommend

- Music For Airports
- On Land
- Apollo
- Thursday Afternoon
- The Shutov Assembly
- Neroli

In Collaboration with excellent piano player Harold Budd
- The Plateaux Of Mirror
- The Pearl

Then, I would recommend the following artists/Records

- Aphex Twin => Selected Ambient Works 2
- The Orb => Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld
- FSOL => Lifeforms
- Global Communication => 76 14

On my list of stuff to get : more Eno, more Budd, Terre Thaemlitz, Dilate, Datacide, KLF, Biosphere and a lot more.

Now, people I want your recommendations :)

[Cylob]

2 of my favourites (for now):

Slowdive - Souvlaki
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc700/c733/c733094e5ln.jpg
Brian Eno hijacked Slowdive in '95 and made a horrible album - Pygmalion. That's not to say Brian's solo work isn't good, I haven't heard any yet. Souvlaki (1993) is a perfect album in every respect. Pure Slowdive.

Broadcast - Work and Non Work
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc000/c080/c08051q6bjd.jpg
Amazing compositions on this album. :)

[Triton4]

Originally posted by Twilightseer
Ok, time to talk about ambient music :)

Ambient is one of my favourite genres, here's a few releases I own and deem excellent



Is Ambient in any way related to New Age (or) World genres? I know several New Age artists like Enigma, Deep Forest etc... but can we classify them as Ambient artists?

[Cylob]

2 More....

Stereolab - Music For the Amorphous Body Study Centre
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc000/c050/c05090s7rch.jpg

Console - Rocket in the Pocket
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre000/e064/e064493re2p.jpg

[Twilightseer]

Originally posted by Triton4
Is Ambient in any way related to New Age (or) World genres? I know several New Age artists like Enigma, Deep Forest etc... but can we classify them as Ambient artists?

Well, ambient has become a very generic term so sub-genres are allowed I guess :)

[Cylob]

Okay then. I guess this is an excellent ambient work:

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc500/c503/c5030766264.jpg
Rush - Hemispheres

[laz]

Ambient as in techno, or as in all types of genres?

I greatly like Biosphere, a techno band, that I would classiphy as ambient.

[Cylob]

Originally posted by Twilightseer
Well, ambient has become a very generic term so sub-genres are allowed I guess :)

Sub-genres are in Laz. I've had Biosphere/Microgravity for over a year, but I've only listened to it once. How tragic is that?

[Twilightseer]

Next ambient purchase will probably be Steve Roach's 4-cd boxset "Mystic Chords and Sacred Spaces". I heard tracks from it and sounds great (pure beatless textured stuff) :)

[Rovastar]

What seer you rate Slected Ambient WOrks 2 above the first one 85-92....Ummh. Other than that (Although not a great fan of the Orb(overrated IMHO)) excellent choices.

ALso Pete Namlook esp his Air 2 album. And eariler stuff definative Ambient Collection Vol 1. and many of his projects Dreamfish (Irresistable Force/Mixmaster Morris) and others. He has too much work sometimes and I cannot claim to folllowing it all.

Mixmasater Morris - Global Chillage

oh and of course KLF _ chill Out (not as traditionaly ambient as there previous work Space but a modern classic)

[Twilightseer]

Haven't heard the first SAW so I can't judge :)

Definitely have to check out Namlook's stuff, I only know a couple of tracks heard on shoutcast streams.

Other recommendations

Solar Quest - Orgship.
Awesome album from a Belgian (Dutch ?) artist. Very hard to find but excellent stuff.

[Cylob]

Loads of good stuff in this thread.:) How did you obtain Solar Quest then 'seer?

Another:
Drexciya - Harnessed the Storm. Any Drexciya album is excellent.
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf100/f102/f102236a3pb.jpg

[webthing]

SCORN is very good. Anyone here of them?
Great DARK Ambient.

http://www.kompaktkiste.de/cd/_abc/_m/mosh130.jpg
SCORN - Ellipsis

http://musicinfo.kgb*****alba/scorn/gyral1.jpg
SCORN - Gyral

Scorn was created by Mick Harris in 1991 to create rhythmic, hypnotic drum and bass music. Since its inception, with its throbbing low end, ethereal sounds and big beats, Scorn has explored previously uncharted musical territory and, in the process, has redefined the world of ambient dub.

In a very short period of time, Scorn has emerged as the vanguard of both the post-rock and isolationist aesthetics; appropriating such distinctly communal musics as hip-hop and dub to extreme, individualistic ends.

Earning the respect of its contemporaries, 1994's Scorn lp Ellipsis featured remixes by Coil, Bill Laswell, Meat Beat Manifesto, P.C.M., and Scanner among others. Following a series of well-received, critically acclaimed recordings, Zander is Scorn's debut release for Invisible Records. With its unique blend of sub bass and minimalist grooves, Scorn continues to challenge standard concepts of structure to forge its own musical path.

http://www.mickharris.net/home.html

[DJ Egg]

Playlist (http://www.meggamusic.co.uk/winamp/Winamp_Playlist.html)

Playlist Entries:

approx. 3000 to 9000 ish (subject to change, lol)

...well, not all of those items are exactly ambient, but I guess it depends on what you class 'ambient' as, heh.

[Twilightseer]

Cylob,

I live near Belgium and a store here had the single copy I ever saw of this album so I bought it :)

/me goes looking for more ambient :)

[Cylob]

Which album?:weird:

[Cylob]

Getting alot of pleasure from this album:
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc500/c576/c57673lu466.jpg

Great ambience throughout, clearly influenced by Stereolab.:)

[sidd]

well, maybe my idea of ambient is different from yours..

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf500/f516/f51666jxffr.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre700/e765/e76543ruk34.jpg

btw, american analog set kick arse! i dint think anyone else knew about them ^_^

[Cylob]

Ambient Pop if you will then (all subgenres are in)! I'm relatively new to the American Analog Set, I like what I've heard.

So what are those albums siddhartha???

[sidd]

oh.. sorry

sigur ros - ()
sigur ros - agaitis byrjun

crazy icelandic band.. its very very hypnotic and emotional.. mainly instrumental based.. but the singer is really good also...

its too hard to descrbe, and you cant really compare it to anything..

soo...

[Cylob]

Sounds good then (worth a look in).:up:

I see Boards of Canada haven't been mentioned yet (they have now). I think this is excellent:
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre400/e421/e42100ehijk.jpg
Hi Scores EP (1996). If anything, better than their full albums.

[sidd]

well, while we are at it...

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf500/f598/f59837dhntw.jpg

[Cylob]

:up:
Nice way to start a week. :) I will check out Sigur Ros, I always thought he was an american guitarist.

[sidd]

people often compare them to godspeed! you black emporor, but thats just because they somtimes make really long intrumentalish epic pieces. Their actual styles are quite different. sigur ros is more soothing.

if you want to download some and then delete them before two days, XDDDD, then ide suggest getting "svan g-englar", "ny batteri" and "untitled track 8"

But you really need to hear a whole album.

[Cylob]

I've got a Godspeed album (as yet unlistened to). A feast of elongated tracks no doubt (rather like Labradford). I'm lapping-up ambient at the moment, alot of 90's stuff passed me by. Bands like Fridge, the aforementioned American Analog Set, Flowchart, 50 others.... Alot of holes to fill in.

This is a nice ambient piece: Influenced by New Order & a Certain Ratio. :D
Isolee - Rest (2000)
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre400/e419/e419883r6v8.jpg

[Cylob]

Swod - 2004 - Gehen
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002TY3WK.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Anything on City Centre Offices is awe enspiring, each album a journey. Yeah, well.

[Cylob]

The Album Leaf - In A Safe Place (2004)
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00023B1SK.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Flows like water.......

There's a new genre for you, 'Liquid Music'. :)

[DJ Egg]

Some of my all-time favorite "ambient" releases:

Stevie Be Zet - Archaic Modulation (Recycle Or Die - 1994)

Hildenbeutel - Inner Peace (Track 6 from 'Looking Beyond' - Recycle Or Die - 1993)

Woob - 1194 (em:t - 1994) (esp. Track 4 - Wuub)

(also check the "0094", "3394", "2295" & "5595" compilations, same 'Em:t' label)

Human Mesh Dance - Mindflower (Instinct Records - 1994)

Heavenly Music Corporation - Lunar Phase (Silent - 1995)
(also, selected tracks from 'In A Garden Of Eden' & 'Consciousness III' albums)

Further - 5 Further Journeys (North South Records - 1996)

V/A - Feed Your Head (Planet Dog - 1993)

V/A - Twelve (Tip World / TIPW CD12 - 2001)

Phi - Sound Is Sound (Nova Zembla - 1994)

A Reminiscent Drive - Flame One EP (F-Comm - 1996)

V/A - Musiques Pour Les Plantes Vertes (F-Comm - 1996)

Global Communication - 76:14 (F-Comm - 1994)

Dilate - Octagon (Hypnotic - 1997)

Ishq - Sonic Incense Vol 1: Orchid (Dakini/Interchill - 2002)

Kaya Project - Walking Through / Elixir (Interchill - 2004/5)

EVA - Extra Vehicular Activity (Kickin' Records - 1995)

V/A - From Here To Tranquility Vol. 2 (Silent Records - 1993)

The Irresistible Force - selected tracks from:
Global Chillage / Flying High / It's Tomorrow Already (Rising High - 1993-98)

V/A - Chill Out Or Die Vol. 2 (Rising High Records - 1994)

V/A - Infinessence (Interchill Records - 2001)

V/A - Floatation (Interchill Records - 2001)

V/A - Ambienism Volume 1 (Spiralight - 2004)

V/A - Floating Point 3 (Sofa Beats - 2006)

V/A - Albedo (Ultimae - 2005)

V/A - Portal Of Perceptions (Celestial Dragon Records - 2005)

Magic Sound Fabric - Freedom Star (Spiralight - 2004)

Zero One - Psi-Fi (Spiralight - 2004)

Tripswitch - Circuit Breaker (Liquid Sound Design - 2005)

Kumba Mela Experiment - East of the River Ganges (Liquid Sound Design - 2001)

Liquid Mind - Ambience Minimus ('95) / VI: Spirit / VII: Reflection (2004) (Real Music)

Bluetech - Sines and Singularities / Elementary Particles (Aleph Zero - 2004/5)

Darshan Ambient - ALL! (End of Days / Zen Master's Diary / Autumn's Apple) (Lotuspike - 1995-2006)

Crystal Moon - Temple (Kinetix - 1997)

Steve Roach - Core (2001) / Light Fantastic (1999) / <add loads more here>

Robert Rich & Steve Roach - Soma (Hearts of Space - 1992)

Robert Rich & Lisa Moskow - Yearning (Hearts of Space - 1995)

Michael Stearns - Sacred Site / The Lost World (Hearts of Space - 1993/95)

Al Gromer Khan & Kai Taschner - Black Marble & Sweet Fire (Hearts of Space - 1996)

Al Gromer Khan - *****utra Experience / Tantra Electronica (New Earth - 2000/2004)

Alpha Wave Movement - A Distant Signal (Harmonic Resonance - 2002)
(also: Transcendence / Cosmology / Drifted Into Deeper Lands / Concept of Motion)

Alpha Wave Movement & Jim Cole - Bislama (2005)

Aes Dana - Memory Shell / Aftermath / Season 5 (Ultimae - 2002-4)
(note, not to be confused with the french grungy rock band of the same name)

H.U.V.A. Network - Distances (Ultimae - 2004)

Solar Fields - Reflective Frequencies / Blue Moon Station (Ultimae - 2001/2003)

System 7 - Point 3: Water Album (Butterfly - 1995)

Aural Expansion - Surreal Sheep (SSR - 1995)

Deep Space Network - Heavy Dose (Source Records - 1994)

Biosphere - Cirque (Touch - 2000)

V/A - The Ambient Cookbook (4xCD - Fax - 1996)

Pete Namlook - Air (1-3) (Fax - 1994-7)

Pete Namlook & Dr Atmo - Silence 2 (1994)

Pete Namlook - Silence 4 & 5 (Fax - 1998 / 2001)

Namlook V - Reality (Fax - 1994)

Namlook IX - The Gate to the Milky Way (Fax - 1995)

Spacetime Continuum - Sea Biscuit (Fax - 1994)

Pete Namlook & Mixmaster Morris - Dreamfish (Fax - 1993)

Dr Atmo & Ramin - Sad World (Fax - 1994)

Transonic (Robert Musso) - Downstream Illusion (Fax - 1994)

Pete Namlook & Richie Hawtin - From Within (Fax - 1994)

David Moufang - Solitaire (Fax - 1995)

Farfield - Beginning To Freeze / Sonic Entities (2004)

Healer - Higher Grounds (CandyFlip - 2004)

Nodens Ictus (Ozric Tentacles spin-off) - Spacelines (2002)

Klaus Schulze - In Blue (1995) / Andromeda (2003)

Digital Mystery Tour - Digital Mystery Tour (Twisted - 2001)

Celtic Cross - Hicksville (Butterfly - 1998)

Blue 101 - Frozen Land (Out Of Romford - 1996)

Electronic Eye (Richard H Kirk) - Closed Circuit CD2 (Beyond Records - 1994)

The Fireman (Youth & Paul McCartney!) - Rushes (1998)

Carbon Based Lifeforms - Hydroponic Garden (Ultimae - 2003)

Mo Boma - Myths Of The Near Future part three (Extreme - 1996)

Penumbra - Anoraks (Universal Egg Records - 1999) (esp. trx 1, 2, 5)

Echo System - Headland (Deviant Records - 1996)

Astralasia - Whatever Happened to Utopia (Magick Eye - 1994)


I'll stop there before I venture off into Ambient Dub and other areas with too many beats (I kinda tried to stay on a similar vibe to the stuff listed in `Seer's first post).

ps. It only took me 3 years to post a proper reply, hehe ;-)
pps. Note, I also didn't bother to mention any of the artists in 'Seers first post
(but yeah, FSOL's Lifeforms & ISDN are well up there with the best)

[DJ Egg]

^Revised^ (and added a few more)

Mmmmm, that's a mighty fine 'n beautiful list :-)

btw, you can click the egg in my sig for playlist/tracklistings of all the above.

[Mattress]

Anything by Spacecraft (http://www.spaceformusic.com/spacecraft.html)
fantastic.

Numina (http://www.numinamusic.com/) is also quite good.

Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By

Sasha & Digweed - Northern Exposure
Not necessarily Ambient but it starts with a very ambient feel and holds onto the feeling through the album despite the introduction of beats. I guess you might call it progressive trance/house. Whatever progressive means.. Some others that do a great job of keeping an ambient feel in a record that has beats are Digital Witchcraft and Way Out West.

[Bilbo Baggins]

I didn't know that Spacecraft were still around. I have a few of their tracks that used to be available on MP3.com when it was a good site.

My favourite ambient album of the minutes is ISDN by FSOL.

[Mattress]

I found spacecraft via Bluemars.org (http://www.bluemars.org) which is a great ambient streaming radio station.

[Twilightseer]

Robert Rich - Somnium (2000)

7-hour (!) work released on DVD.

I also got my hands on his Trances & Drones album. Nice stuff, from soothing to creepy.

/rolls up sleeves to peruse Egg's list :D

[Cylob]

Originally posted by DJ Egg
^Revised^ (and added a few more)

Mmmmm, that's a mighty fine 'n beautiful list :-)It is, especially the fact you posted the labels (me = label collector). :D

Efterklang - Tripper (2005, Leaf)
http://www.dr.dk/musik/rock/anmeldelser/billeder/efterklang_tripper.jpg

Striking atmospherics.....

[Mattress]

Sparrow Orange - Hands and Knees Music
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg300/g348/g34828v02cv.jpg

[Cylob]

Andrew Thomas - Fearsome Jewel (2003)
http://www.deejays.net/data/media/16/andrewthomas.jpg

As ambient as Kompakt will ever get.