Recommendations for expanding my ambient collection

Yeah, I would say FE is your first stop for the Basinski CDs. IIRC, they are also the US distributor, so if anyone has them...

 

There used to be a Disintegration Box. Might wanna check around to see if that may save you a few bucks. Edit: I may be mistaken...I think Forced Exposure was just running a special if you bought all 4 discs.

 

Has anyone picked up Pop Ambient 2011 yet? For those of you who have all of them, would this one be as good as any to jump into the series or is there another year I should check out first? At $15-17 plus shipping I just wish it wasn't so expensive...

 

It's alright but not one of my faves. The Bvdub track is outstanding and it's my highlight...last year's too. The first track on 2011 has an almost Laibach-sounding vocalist :-(
I can post my faves when I get home from work.

 

I agree with this 100%, right down to the love for the Bvdub!

 

I would recommend to anyone who loves this sort of stuff to pick up Bvdub-The Art Of Dying Slowly before it skyrockets to $100.

 

I've really been enjoying Barn Owl's Ancestral Star. It sounds like Neil Young doing ambient. Kind of like the Dead Man soundtrack but not as busy.

 

Good tip! I looked around, and it appears to be disappearing already. Nothing on Forced Exposure, Experimedia, amazon. There are a few reasonably priced ($21.49) copies on GEMM at the moment, for those who need one.

Anyone know the typical press run of these releases? It must be less than a thousand, maybe 500 or so? I see that amazon marketplace copies of Bvdub's White Clouds start at $230! That makes me happy I scored one recently for less than a third of that.


To those who would know: Which would be a better introduction to Basinski, one of the Disintegration Loop CDs (if so, which?) or the Variations for Piano and Tape CD?

 

I prefer the Disintegration Loops myself, but both are worthy.

As for which one.. what's your favorite number?

 

Four. So, should I get them all?

 

Youtube link for Seven Ancient Glaciers (10 minutes of it) from TOE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hIEIkDBoYY

And the first 6 minutes of A Mysterious Fish Named Kun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8OaOqRGEHM

 

My favorite Loops is III but they're all pretty essential if you're into this sort of thing. Some of my favorite Pop Ambient years are 03, 05, 06, 09 & 10 but that's just my personal taste. None are "bad".

 

William Basinski- The River

Eliane Radigue-Biogenesis, Adnos I-III


for sound samples


http://beta.forcedexposure.com/Artists/BASINSKI.WILLIAM.html

 

Jansen/Barbieri/Takemura - Changing Hands (1997)

Lushly exotic, hypnotic slow-mo grooves, highly recommended!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilUlHx_m5e0

 

I'm pretty sure I've recommended anything and everything by Rod Modell here before, but if not...

 

Surprised I missed this thread. Interesting info.

Some of Daniel Lanois instrumental stuff is really great. Belladonna & Apollo w/Eno are 2 of my favorites. He also has a 3 CD set on his website of just instrumental stuff. He is a master on pedal steel. Friends Of Dean Martinez are also really good. I don't know if I would call this stuff "ambient" per se, but I find it relaxing "cinamatic" type music, if that makes sense. All India Radio is probably my most listened to "ambient" music right now. Great stuff. I think 1 of their albums has all vocals, but it's mostly spacey instrumental stuff. You can sample full songs and buy FLAC files at a very reasonable price. Check out http://www.allindiaradio.com.au/. Click on an album cover on the right side of the page to listen.

 

Has anyone heard the new Tim Hecker record Ravedeath, 1972? Looks like it's getting good reviews. Between this, Caretaker's Persistent Repetition of Phrases, the Thomas Koner 3-CD set, and one of the Pop Ambient comps I can't decide which one to get for my monthly ambient purchase (given the high price of most ambient CDs I can basically only afford one a month if I want to buy other types of music, as well).

 

It's awesome but I'm a Hecker fanboy.

 

+1

 

Would you guys recommend the vinyl over the CD with this, or is either OK? Does the vinyl come with a digital download code? Doesn't look like it on the Kranky website, which is a dealbreaker for me.

 

I'm enjoying the Julianna Barwick album a lot this month. Vocal overdub loops with some extra instruments in places, and on the creepy side of pretty. It's called "The Magic Place"

 

I've enjoyed every CD from Boards of Canada that I've picked up so far: their 3 full-length albums (Music Has the Right to Children, Geogaddi, and The Campfire Headphase) and a few of their EP's as well (Twoism, In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country, and Trans Canada Highway).

Now if I could only find the Hi Scores EP, i'd be a happy man.... anyone know if it's rare/OOP or something?

 

Shouldn't be that hard to find. Discogs has 6 for sale on cd right now.

http://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=2004&format=CD

Check out Tycho and Casino vs. Japan if you like BOC.

 

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"He Loved Him Madly" on Miles Davis' "Get Up With It" is my favorite ambient piece.