The mind revealing itself to itself: the TOP 100 AMBIENT ALBUMS as voted by ILX

it’s cause people don’t listen to music anymore, they just put it on

just kidding

hence all the “is this ambient” talk. maybe it doesn’t matter if it’s all ambient now anyway

Personally I'd say that ambient music has more in common with self-care tools like ASMR or guided mindfulness exercises than other types of music in terms of how I use it to relax and/or deal with stress. It's mainly functional music for me.

I went to see O Yuki Conjugate and Zoviet France recently and it was like some kind of group relaxation session. It made me feel more like I was listening to ASMR than on a night out.

wow that's an amazing double bill!

I reckon it's more that the web just facilitates bringing affinity groups together. I certainly don't see any day to day evidence of more people listening to ambient music, but my internet interactions might lead me to think that way. Dunno.

I remember first getting into Richard Skelton back in 2010 and buying one of the 200-limited runs he produced (with pine cones and little bits of moor detritus included) and realising I legitimately knew in real life 10 people who owned one and internet-knew another 25. I could have been forgiven for thinking everyone was listening to Skelbo.

Loving that Caretaker album. Not sure how I'd not come across it before.

Reminds me a lot of playing Bioshock

I was always underwhelmed by anything Aphex Twin

One for the musical controp thread.

For maximum impact, that is.

SAWs I and II, and Polygon Window are nice... the rest, meh. Not my thing. SAW I though, so pretty. SAW II is just weird, it's like a book of ambient paint swatches. Good weird though, I like it a lot too.

i do think the resurgence of ambient/new age has something to do with changing lifestyles, but at least in the US, it doesn't have to do with working fewer hours. if you click that link siegbran posted above with the weekly work hours data and then manually add the united states, we here in the greatest country on earth are going in the opposite direction of europe, with more and more weekly work hours since the 1960s.

however, i do think work has something to do with it. at work, i listen to almost exclusively instrumental music, much of it "ambient". when i'm on the bus or train to and from work and i'm able to get a seat, i listen to ambient while i read. ambient is my work and reading music, and it's easier than ever these days to do make that happen via streaming. maybe more and more people are catching on to that? beats me.

but obviously there's more going on to the resurgence than just work. part of it is probably just the cyclical nature of taste

Ambient is great for office work, it rewards inattention, the hours accommodate listening to long-form works, and bonus: sometimes people come to your office and don't realize there's music playing but get disturbed by the "weird noises" and leave you alone.

interesting how it ends up being a class thing

working retail I just had to hear Coldplay and the National over and over

you guys, it's the "self care" epidemic amongst people who have time to even pencil in a yoga class between hustles.

or is the "sound bath" an older phenomenon than I'm aware of?

new age as a genre has had the self-care element since the 70s, although they didn't call it that then

xp it's really a shame how thoughtless the sound design is in most public / commercial spaces

true.

in all seriousness though, yoga with no music is the best yoga.

xp it's really a shame how thoughtless the sound design is in most public / commercial spaces

i completely agree. the urbanized world sounds like shit

i feel really fortunate that i get to pick my own music at work. it's one of the only reasons that keeps me at this otherwise nauseating job. unfortunately, though, putting on ambient would mean i wouldn't hear 98% of what was playing (kitchens are loud) and it would also be sort of unacceptable / not super morale boosting. i think that partly explains why i have a lot more to say here about the stooges and ac/dc and not so much harold budd

consider open headphones or ear clips?

similar situation here. A delicate balance.

i mean you just cannot be a line cook and wear headphones

ohh I only work next to one! Been a while since I was inside, blasting Deerhoof. They loved me.

Brilliant poll and rollout, everyone. I'm sorry I did not contribute.

I will surely be referencing this list for many months to come. Thank you!

Most recent Fax discovery: Namlook and Richie Hawtin's From Within I. Veers into NOTAMBIENT in places but is damn fine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNk6Olt5Kc

For those interested, I re-sorted the results by decade:

1960s (2 albums, 0 in the top 20)
41. Miles Davis: In a Silent Way (1969)
74. Raymond Scott: Soothing Sounds for Baby Volume 1: 1 to 6 Months (1964)

1970s (13 albums, 3 in the top 20)
3. Brian Eno: Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978)
16. Tangerine Dream: Phaedra (1974)
17. Brian Eno: Discreet Music (1975)
33. Fripp & Eno: Evening Star (1975)
36. Tangerine Dream: Zeit (1972)
39. Vangelis: L'apocalypse des animaux (1973)
40. Harmonia & Eno '76: Tracks and Traces (1976 (issued 1997))
44. Fripp & Eno: No Pussyfooting) (1973)
50. Brian Eno: Music for Films (1978)
52. Iasos: Inter-Dimensional Music (1975)
70. Popol Vuh: In den Gärten Pharaos (1971)
75. Charlemagne Palestine: Strumming Music (1974)
80. David Behrman: On the Other Ocean (1978)

1980s (20 albums, 7 in the top 20)
2. Brian Eno: Ambient 4: On Land (1982)
7. Brian Eno with Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno: Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks (1983)
9. Laraaji: Ambient 3: Day of Radiance (1980)
14. Harold Budd / Brian Eno with Daniel Lanois: The Pearl (1984)
15. Steve Roach: Structures from Silence (1984)
18. Manuel Göttsching: E2–E4 (1984)
19. Pauline Oliveros / Stuart Dempster / Panaiotis: Deep Listening (1989)
21. Arthur Russell: World of Echo (1986)
22. Laurie Spiegel: The Expanding Universe (1980)
24. Harold Budd / Brian Eno: Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror (1980)
25. Brian Eno: Thursday Afternoon (1985)
26. Hiroshi Yoshimura: Music for Nine Post Cards (1982)
31. David Hykes & The Harmonic Choir: Hearing Solar Winds (1983)
49. Jon Hassell / Brian Eno: Fourth World Vol. 1: Possible Musics (1980)
51. Harold Budd: The White Arcades (1988)
64. David Sylvian / Holger Czukay: Flux + Mutability (1989)
69. Constance Demby: Novus Magnificat: Through the Stargate (1986)
83. Henry Flynt: You Are My Everlovin / Celestial Power (1986)
97. Hiroshi Yoshimura: Green (1986)
81 (tie). Syntonic Research Inc.: Environments 2: Tintinnabulation (Special Low Frequency Version) (1987)

1990s (26 albums, 6 in the top 20)
1. Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994)
6. Biosphere: Substrata (1997)
11. KLF, The: Chill Out (1990)
12. Orb, The: The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (1991)
13. Global Communication: 76:14:00 (1994)
20. Gas: Königsforst (1998)
27. Future Sound Of London, The: Lifeforms (1994)
28. Gas: Zauberberg (1997)
34. Éliane Radigue: Trilogie de la mort (1998)
38. Susumu Yokota: Sakura (1999)
42. Windy & Carl: Antarctica (The Bliss Out, Vol. 2) (1997)
45. Slowdive: Pygmalion (1995)
53. Autechre: Garbage (1995)
54. Thomas Köner: Permafrost (1993)
61. Oval: 94diskont. (1995)
68. Robert Rich & Lustmørd: Stalker (1995)
71. n/a: Symphonies of the Planets 1: NASA Voyager Recordings (1992)
76. Spacemen 3: Dreamweapon (1990)
84. Windy & Carl: Depths (1998)
56 (tie). Chapterhouse / Global Communication: Blood Music: Pentamerous Metamorphosis (1993)
56 (tie). Tetsu Inoue: World Receiver (1996)
66 (tie). Earth: Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version (1993)
66 (tie). Stuart Dempster: Underground Overlays from the Cistern Chapel (1995)
81 (tie). Woob: Woob 1194 (1994)
89 (tie). Steve Roach: The Magnificent Void (1996)
99 (tie). DeepChord presents Echospace: Liumin / Liumin Reduced (1997)

2000s (21 albums, 4 in the top 20)
4. Stars of the Lid: The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid (2001)
5. Gas: Pop (2000)
8. William Basinski: The Disintegration Loops (2002)
10. Stars of the Lid: Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline (2007)
23. Oneohtrix Point Never: Rifts (2009)
30. Bohren & Der Club of Gore: Black Earth (2002)
37. Tim Hecker: Harmony in Ultraviolet (2006)
43. Eluvium: Talk Amongst the Trees (2005)
47. Dead Texan, The: The Dead Texan (2004)
55. Fennesz: Endless Summer (2001)
60. Alio Die: Aura seminalis (2008)
62. Loscil: Plume (2006)
63. Boris: Flood (2000)
79. Biosphere: Cirque (2000)
87. Keith Fullerton Whitman: Playthroughs (2002)
91. Richard Skelton: Landings (2009)
96. Ekkehard Ehlers: Plays (2002)
72 (tie). Deathprod: Morals and Dogma (2004)
77 (tie). Vladislav Delay: Multila (2000)
89 (tie). Tod Dockstader: Aerial #1 (2005)
29. Autechre: NTS Session 4 (2018)

2010s (18 albums, 0 in the top 20)
32. Various Artists: I Am the Center: Private Issue New Age Music in America, 1950–1990 (2013)
35. Caretaker, The: An Empty Bliss Beyond This World (2011)
46. Winged Victory for the Sullen, A: Atomos (2014)
48. Tim Hecker: Ravedeath, 1972 (2011)
58. Max Richter: Sleep (2015)
59. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Async (2017)
65. Gigi Masin: Talk to the Sea (2014)
85. Justin Bieber: U Smile (800% Slower) (2010)
86. Loscil: Endless Falls (2010)
88. Oneohtrix Point Never: Replica (2011)
92. Labradford: Fixed::Context (2010)
93. 2814: 新しい日の誕生 (2015)
94. Meg Bowles: The Shimmering Land (2013)
95. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith: Tides (2014)
98. Hatchback: Zeus & Apollo (2011)
72 (tie). Terekke: Improvisational Loops (2018)
77 (tie). Ian William Craig: A Turn of Breath (2014)
99 (tie). Stars of the Lid: The Ballasted Orchestra (2010)

awesome thank you

Oh shoot, that last Stars of the Lid album is supposed to be 1997, not 2010. I hope that doesn't mean I fouled up others.

Well, now the entire list is completely invalid.

j/k, this is awesome, thank you!

i used to work in a very special sector of retail, and the music was perhaps one of the only redeeming qualities of the job, alongside the copious free stuff. (i worked for a notoriously pricey luxury skincare brand from Australia in their brick and mortar stores in SF).

i played SotL endlessly, and we also listened to lots of Hammock, Andrew Chalk, and the soundtrack to The Proposition. all of this was on a work iPod at some point.

later, when i was able to choose from "stations," i often played the "postpunk" station and could be found slathering face cream on rich folks while rocking out to Kitchens of Distinction lol

good work/music crossover there

would this be a skincare brand people tell fables about

Vitamin Aesops?

xposts yes, that company.

chill out stores

Discovering so many great new records thanks to this thread. You guys knocked it out of the park again.

https://imgur.com/w3eE03K

This thread continues to reveal riches. My latest find is Pentamerous Metamorphosis which, with the garden full of late, golden light, is just about perfect right now.

I've been slowly working my way through the top 100 and so far my number one discovery is Apollo which I would have had in the top three of my ballot if I'd heard it befor voting. I picked up the reissue on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing as well, so that was nice.

It comes with a bonus disc of new material from Brian and Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois which is well worth checking out. This was a pleasant surprise as I've not been too impressed with Eno's work from this century (not that I've heard much of it).

Ending (An Ascent) from Apollo would surely be in the top three if we did an ambient tracks poll

Er I guess it's "An Ending (Ascent)"

I bought that David Behrman CD, so good

I Am The Center is the best new discovery for me - so far!

The weird thing is a went on a long meditation retreat at the beginning of the year and swear to god the view was exactly like the cover - same configuration of peaks, bathed in moonlight etc.

Please take me to your meditation retreat. I will literally say nothing!

i've made several great discoveries through this but one i just can't get my head round is the Constance Demby. Apart from a sublime 5 minute section on side 2 it is just so bombastic, as if John Williams went New Age. i just don't get it at all. What am i missing?

all the Hearts of Space stuff seemed indefensibly patently false to me as a teenager. then I turned 30. around 2003, those digitally sampled violins & oboes & choral pads became hilarious instead of offensive, then charming, and then 10 years later vaporwave further fused the strengths and weaknesses into one weird mess once all those sounds showed up in software, and now... I just don't know any more but laughing's more fun than crying

(Novus Magnificat would not be first stop for me but I give it props for being inescapable, the opening of side 1 got used as a bed on 80's episodes of Over The Edge all the time)

the eponymous Hearts of Space track sums up the tightrope of good & bad taste -- the first half is so ridiculously great, you feel almost incredulous it doesn't get namechecked in the avant / modular synth field more often, and then... the horn solo starts and you understand exactly why. in the same way that Wolf Eyes was named after a Paul Winter record, the only appropriate sequel to this poll will launch from the '500 most extreme noise albums of all time' thread so we can see which albums are nominated to both

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L9_6EXei5A

posted on his dedicated thread, but saw Charlemagne Palestine perform an aural ritual for Tony Conrad a week or so ago, and it was sublime.

I will give the Constance Demby another 20 or 30 years then and report back.

Oddly, despite waiting for the horn solo on the Kevin Brahenyh to fill me with disgust I quite enjoyed it. I don't think i would have even just a few years ago.

slippery slope!

got to that Meg Bowles record that made the list. full on Hearts of Space renaissance! still sounds modern though.

even though both Windham Hill and Hearts of Space were frequently typed as stereotypical 'New Age' labels, they were basically diametrically opposed sounds - former being cleanly recorded acoustic chamber folk, and latter being the US response to 70's EU synth / kosmiche / space music. almost diametrically opposed - I can think of only one artist who was on both labels

now that the blanket 'New Age' term has stopped being as much of a perjorative, I'm seeing it's usually the HoS side of the aesthetic that's getting reclaimed