Any ambient recommendations?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ls35a, Feb 9, 2017.

  1. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    The two Dettinger albums on Kompakt are the best things the label ever released IMHO.

    Re: Gas, I always thought Pop was the weakest of the four albums, though many people seem to gravitate toward that one.


     
    Reamonnt and noname74 like this.
  2. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Front 242 Addict and noname74 like this.
  3. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    Basically:
    - any of the Ambient series by Eno and other early ambient albums.
    - any of the Ambient series albums released alongside Eno's Ambient series.
    - any of the artists who Eno collaborated with during this period (many names mentioned above, for good reason)
    - none of the "new age" artists which emerged and produced soulless elevator versions of ambient art.

    You may find it worthwhile to explore some of the music from the classical "minimalist" school, eg. Philip Glass, Steve Reich, etc.
     
    Front 242 Addict likes this.
  4. noname74

    noname74 Allegedly Canadian

    Location:
    .
    I love Eno but many on this forum seem to think ambient starts and ends with him....there is so much great ambient music out there beyond Eno and his influences.
     
    Snark, CHALKERS, dunkoid and 2 others like this.
  5. jmpatrick

    jmpatrick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit, MI
  6. jmpatrick

    jmpatrick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit, MI
    ...and Stars of the Lid...

     
  7. lucan_g

    lucan_g Forum Resident

    Some minimalism and ambient artists approach music making with an almost mathematical/scientific/clinical precision. Why doesnt that render it as soulless as the new age you disparage?

    Honest question... and I recognize this is definitely not true of all minimalist works (many of which I love)...but it certainly is of some...
     
  8. drasil

    drasil Former Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    I'm not sure what this means, but if you're referring to records in the ambient series not featuring Eno as a performer, there's only one (Laraaji's day of radiance). it's great.

    and ironically, it's a new age album, or as close to one as makes no odds. those looking for more floaty, Enoesque material will be very surprised.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2017
  9. riverrat

    riverrat Senior Member

    Location:
    Oregon
    I could have sworn there was a "All Purpose Ambient" thread, or something similar here somewhere but I can't seem to find it.
     
  10. BlueTrane

    BlueTrane Forum Resident

    This was mentioned on another thread, and I liked it enough to buy it.

     
    bluejimbop likes this.
  11. bunceman

    bunceman Member

    Location:
    Jamestown NY
    Steven Wilson's ambient project Bass Communion.
     
    peter fuller, Vanja and richard a like this.
  12. amonjamesduul

    amonjamesduul Forum Resident

    Location:
    florida
    The Plateaux of Mirror should be in every humans music library .
     
    garysb, Pipi3, mkolesa and 5 others like this.
  13. 3Dman

    3Dman The Adventure Begins

    Location:
    MI
    Dettinger is great for sure. I mentioned Pop because the other are a bit more "beaty" I guess. I love them all, the EPs too.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  14. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    Yes, and I was also thinking of Harold Bud, Michael Nyman, etc.
     
    Reamonnt likes this.
  15. telepicker97

    telepicker97 Got Any Gum?

    Location:
    Midwest
  16. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    Eno, Eno, Eno...
     
    Front 242 Addict and Reamonnt like this.
  17. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    A reasonable question. I can only speak for myself here, so some of what I might explain may not hold for others (who are welcome to express their thoughts in this area). I guess the difference for me is that the minimalism and ambient artists approach their work as artists/composers who are making a musical statement. Sure, some styles can be almost mathematical/scientific/clinical in nature, which may not be for everyone's taste.

    In comparison, I find the work by most new age artists to lack an element, to lack a bit of depth in the music. It feels like they have learned about and have been inspired about ambient music from the masters. However, they can replicate the basics, but not create originality with an emotional depth that the masters can do (hence my term soulless). I recall Philip Glass saying that his music sounds like it is a short pattern repeated, but it is repeated with great skill so it appears to be repeating but has subtle changes so not to become monotonous (to people who don't dismiss his music outright as monotonous!). New age artists have some skill, but to me don't compare to the masters. Plus I have found a lot of new age music to be churned out to be sold as a commodity in incense shops, like production music. It may serve a purpose and function, but this end of the market is not high art.

    I'm sure there are new age artists who do produce work of depth and substance (that I'm not familiar with), and I meant no offense to those among us who do like that music.
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2017
  18. drasil

    drasil Former Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    oh, the stuff on obscure. I don't know that I'd call any of it ambient, though, not even the Budd (pavilion of dreams is a brilliant record, but it predates his 'soft pedal' style).
     
    richard a and qwerty like this.
  19. lucan_g

    lucan_g Forum Resident

    Very good answer. I will say that personally, I think my favourite minimalist work is by Philp Glass -- Aquas da Amozonia as performed by Uakti. Nothing soulless about that...

     
    qwerty likes this.
  20. Duke Fame

    Duke Fame Sold out the Enormodome

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Not sure I'm really on top of what would be termed "ambient" but when I saw this thread I immediately thought of 'Watermark' by Enya.

    [​IMG]
     
    Dissidence, dunkoid and Bleu Noir like this.
  21. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    I got few favorite ambient-albums, but as Im kinda busy at work and can't come up with anything else for now.
    So anyways, here's one of my favorites:

    Brian Eno - Apollo: Atmospheres And Soundtracks (1983)
    1. Under Stars (Eno - Lanois) 00:00
    2. The Secret Place (Lanois - arranged by Brian Eno) 04:25
    3. Matta 07:55
    4. Signals (Eno - Lanois) 12:20
    5. An Ending (Ascent) 15:00
    6. Under Stars II (Eno - Lanois) 19:30
    7. Drift (Eno - Roger Eno) 22:50
    8. Silver Morning (Lanois) 25:55
    9. Deep Blue Day (Eno - Lanois - Roger Eno) 28:40
    10. Weightless (Eno - Lanois - Roger Eno) 32:40
    11. Always Returning (Eno - Roger Eno) 37:15
    12: Stars (Eno - Lanois) 41:05

    Track #5 An Ending (Ascent) is one of my favorite tracks.
     
  22. Blank Frank

    Blank Frank King of Carrot Flowers

    Oh yeah!

    See also: the Fripp and Eno Live in Paris 28/5/1975 box set; Travis and Fripp's Live at Coventry Cathedral or Discretion.
     
    klockwerk and richard a like this.
  23. Blank Frank

    Blank Frank King of Carrot Flowers

    Stars of the Lid got a mention, so how about A Winged Victory For The Sullen?
     
    jheyesen and Reamonnt like this.
  24. Blank Frank

    Blank Frank King of Carrot Flowers

    Or for something rather different: Continue by Lull...

    You will be a long way from the likes of Thursday Afternoon or Neroli with that one...
     
    bluejimbop and patient_ot like this.
  25. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Big fan of Lull's output from Cold Summer onwards. Probably not for people looking for light floaty atmospheres. Same with the works of the incredible Thomas Koner...
     
    bluejimbop likes this.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine