ambient music

anyone got any recommendations for good recorded stuff of the above genre?
i need a change i think

 

Be a little careful - a lot of so called ambient music is noodly garbage. The good stuff is excellent. May I suggest you go back to the beginning and get a hold of Ambient 1: Music for Airports by Brian Eno (anf if you like that Ambient 2, 3 and 4). Others may have other suggestions and indeed there are many better informed people on the board than me, but IMHO when it comes to ambient, Eno is the Daddy. 25 years on and I doubt he has been bettered.

 

The other thing about ambient is its very hard to actually classify.
Check out warp records. Its all easy to get hold of and loads of great stuff. Also that shpongles guy, simon posford? or something. Shpongles anyway, his stuff is quite interesting, lots of stereo stuff going on. But warp is a goldmine.

 

The home of Aphex Twin who's "Selected ambient works" albums are well worth checking out.

 

Get some Gary Burton

 

A Late Junction Compilation No. 1

1. Himalayan Flight - The Overtone Choir
2. Falls Into View - Ben Christophers
3. Summa - Smith Quartet
4. Trundno Kochac (Hard to Love) - Kayah & Goran Bregovic
5. Miroloi (Lament) - Ross Daly
6. Guru Bandana in Desh Malhar - Asha Bhosle & Ali Akbar Khan
7. George - John Metcalfe
8. Setar Instrumental - Kayhan Kalhor
9. Paper Bag - Goldfrapp
10. Andean - Michael Brook
11. Consume - Plastikman
12. Purple Rain - Stina Nordenstam
13. Field recording by Richard Ranft
14. Jesus Christus - Kun-Woo Paik
15. Spiders and Flies - Mercury Rev

Tracks 1,7,10 and 11 would all fit the pigeon hole and give a fairly broad survey. The Overtone Choir are at the continuous drone/meditative end while Plastikman is closer to an Orbital sound. Michael Brook worked with Eno and so on. For a dip into different styles this is an excellent collection and is less hit and miss than the program can be these days.

 

I'm a great fan of Ambient - but I'm assuming that you already like this kind of music....if so, who do you currently like..? - I can advise (hopefully!) around this...I'll have nore time tomorrow anyway as I've just came back from a weeks break from work...

cheers

 

can i refer you to the stands in garden centres,you can make several selections and hear for yourself

try the one with a dolphin on

 

Is Deep Forest considered ambient?

I know their stuff is corny as hell (even my mum has a copy) but recently, I have been spinning their first album a bit and have come to the conclusion that it is a truely masterful quality recording. I think these guys were ahead of their time.

I still reckon the makers of "Blair Witch Project" flogged Deep Forest's logo for movie promo stuff!

And yes, I am preparing myself for some abuse re. this post.

 

Where to start? Check out the absolutely sublime Pop Ambient releases from Kompakt (available from www.warprecords.com), try and get hold of some of the brilliant Fax CDs (Jochem Paap's two CDs on Fax are brilliant). Aphex Twin Ambient Works Vol. II is a seminal album, Eno is a legend (Apollo is my fave). Check out an artist called VidnaObMana on Relapse Records, awesome atmospheric stuff. Another place to start (or continue) would be Yagya "The Rhythm of Snow" on Force Inc. and the GAS releases on Mille Plateaux. If you can find them, "Flying High" by Irresistable Force and the classic "Dreamfish", both on Rising High are classic examples of inspired, chilled early 90s ambient. You might also want to try www.toytronic.com for some great stuff, not ambient per se, but some great, melodic, relaxing stuff to be had from this brilliant British label, Ochre's "A Midsummer Nice Dream" and Abfahrt Hinwil's "Links Berge Rechts Seen" are personal faves on this label. "Time Machines" by Coil is the type of ambient that messes with your mind if you like that sort of thing! Happy hunting.

 

another vote for eno, aphex twin, square pusher, mu-siq also wiliam orbits strange cargo, tangerine dream, susumu yokota. the combilation - a brief history of amient is good and i've always wanted to get hold of a compilation of the bbc's radiophonic workshops output too. i guess you could class some unkle, fsol, amorphous androgynous, dead can dance, tosca, rothko as ambient as well but may be stretching the definition a tad.
then there is the 'pop' ambient - zero 7, deep forest, air, fragile state, ulrich shnauss, bent, etc. although these are more chill out than ambient although imho the genres blur a bit.
other stuff to try in a similar vein (although not strictly ambient but having a similar vibe) - shpongle / posford, the mysteries of the yeti pt2, photek, cocteau twins, david sylvian, enya, gong, grateful dead.
there was also a fantastic recording of a glacier that sideshow bob produced at one bakeoff which was just fantastic and probably the truest rendition of 'ambient' music i've ever heard - buggered if i can remember the name of the cd now.
cheers


julian.

 

I reckon Shpongle is pretty straight up ambient really. His other output isn't but that stuff is. All the bouncy water drops etc.

 

anex,
if eno is archetypal ambient then imho shpongle is a bit too upbeat to be 'classic' ambient it's more chilled / goa / trance. that's just my opinion though ymmv. it just proves what a tough genre 'ambient' is to pin down.
cheers


julian.

 

Yeah definately. Personally I reckon its moved on, as you say, Eno is 'classic' now and guys like shpongles have become current ambient. Perhaps, for all that it matters

 

What about early Kraftwerk? (this is guesswork, but...)

I remember Deep Forest - I'll have to try to get a copy of that first album at some point.

Tangerine Dream are great - pure classic...

 

I hope so - I've just won this on ebay for £2.80 (incluing p&p)!

try the orb, brian eno with harold budd, KLF's chill out...bio sphere

also check out amazon - can get some inspiration on there for the 'others who have bought this has also bought...' links...

 

Yeah all the orb stuff is worth getting, usually plenty of it on ebay

 

Café del mar always worth a listen although more inclined to chillout still a bit ambient.

Big it up for deep forest, there second album 'boheme' is pretty interesting with some rather different vocals.

I quite liked PARTS of the one giant leap album, although again probably more chillout than ambient.

Orb and Eno stuff worth a listen - agreed

Surprised no one has suggested Floyd?

 

I've got some Floyd stuff - but I find that while they can be relaxing one minute, the next they can be very loud...