Ambient Music Thread Genre • Page 81

Congrats on being the 2000th post in this thread @OotyPa . I'll have a list sometime this week for yas.

 

my top 15

1) Pausal - Melatonia
2) Helios - Domicile
3) Luke Schneider - Altar of Harmony
4) This Will Destroy You - Vespertine
5) North Americans - Roped In
6) Miguel Noya - Canciónes Intactas
7) Roly Porter - Kistvaen
8) Gigi Masin - Calypso
9) Illuvia - Past Lives & Inner Worlds
10) Eerie Gaits - Holopaw
11) Waveform Transmission - AI-20: V 3.0-3.9
12) Susana López aka Susan Drone - crónica de un secuestro
13) Seahawks and Woo - Celestial Railroads
14) Jacaszek - Music for Film
15) Tatsuhisa Yamamoto - Ashioto (& Ashiato)

honorable mentions:

Jon Hassell - Seeing Through Sound
Andrew Tuttle - Alexandra
Blush to the Snow - S/T
Julianna Barwick - Healing is a Miracle
Chris Zabriskie - I Made This While You Were Asleep
Michiru Aoyama - Flat Lake
Ulla - Tumbling Towards a Wall
Purl - Renovatio
Laraaji - Through Luminous Eyes
r beny - Natural Fiction
Lieven Martens and Dolphins Into the Future - Insular Monographs
Hotel Neon - Moments
KMRU - Peel
Koyil - Healing Cycles
Morimoto Naoki - Hibi
Chris Watson/Georgia Rodgers- Notes From The Forest Floor/Line Of Parts

 

top 15

Andrew Tuttle - Alexandra
Ekin Fil - Coda
Ezra Feinberg - Recumbent Speech
Gia Margaret - Mia Gargaret
Glåsbird - Norskfjǫrðr
Halftribe - Cloud Dreaming and Shadows
Jusell, Prymek, Sage, Shiroishi - Fuubutsushi (風物詩)
Lemon Quartet - Crestless
Margins - I Tired For Hours
Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders
Midori Hirano - Invisible Island
North Americans - Roped In
Offthesky & The Humble Bee - We Were the Hum of Dreams
Okkyung Lee - Yeo-Neun
Windy & Carl - Allegiance and Conviction

 

that Helios is quite the beauty

 

Love how diverse those lists are, gives me plenty of stuff to check out. Here are my favorites, sorted alphabetically:

Austin Cash - All Over Alabama
Dylan Henner - The Invention of the Human
Jogging House - be
Julianna Barwick - Healing Is A Miracle
Gia Margaret - Mia Gargaret
Lake Mary & M. Sage - Shepherd's Bridge
Madeleine Cocolas - Ithaca
Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders
Matt LaJoie - Everlasting Spring
Morimoto Naoki - hibi
Nicole Oberle - Skin
Offthesky & The Humble Bee - We Were The Hum of Dreams
Sea Oleena - Weaving A Basket
Thme - That's what it will be like
Wife Signs - Beneath the Weight of Care

 

That Julianna Barwick record is gorgeous, might climb my list. Somehow forgot about it when writing my list, but added to my honorable mentions. I also dug that Dylan Henner record but didn't listen to it enough--very cool concept album. I listened to Halftribe this morning... good stuff, though I think I like their last one more

These came out recently. Really good drone. I loved their record which came out last month, too.

 

Vintage synths and really cool, trippy beats.

 

teaser for a new Eluvium album ?

 

Yes please.

 

New Morimoto Naoki out today on Seil records:

 

Seems like I've got a lot to listen to from the lists and new stuff posted. LOVE the diversity. @0rb waiting on yours

I'll be digging in after I finish this stunning track from 2019. I wish this artist put out more stuff since then, but nada

 

really feeling this one - play it LOUD

Ingrid, by Klara Lewis

 

doesn't that defeat the purpose of it being ambient?

 

I enjoy my ambient voluminous and all-encompassing

edit- I also think this lends itself to a discussion about the genre. I don't necessarily expect or want all ambient artists to make peaceful music.

 

When I get the chance to make a list, Ingrid will definitely be on it. Great stuff. Some of the songs on Oliver Coates' new album, though I wouldn't necessarily classify it as ambient, remind me of it, so check that out too if you like that droning cello sound.

 

depends on yr definition of ambient

the Eno definition of ambient was “must be as ignorable as it is interesting” but that is compositionally - did he mean we must play at a low volume?? maybe

but

that’s only one definition from one person

Wikipedia has this

Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. A form of instrumental music, it may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.[5] It uses textural layers of sound which can reward both passive and active listening[6] and encourage a sense of calm or contemplation.[7][8] The genre is said to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual",[9] or "unobtrusive" quality.[10]

I would feel that is better although there is ambient that is not instrumental

again... different views / definitions

all I have to say is if you haven’t listened to a Stars of the Lid album (especially the last two) at max volume on a good stereo (especially vinyl!) you will be wonderfully surprised at how much magic & power & detail is revealed

 

remember when power ambient was a thing? I kinda liked that term

 

thank you! will do

 

Absolutely agreed that listening to SoTL and other drone artists at high volume really brings out how sweepingly beautiful they are. I think ambient can definitely be "ignorable" but you don't always want to ignore it--sometimes you want it to overwhelm you.

 

so I've listened to Stars of the Lid a bit over the years but never really did a deep dive. what do y'all consider to be their seminal albums?

 

And Their Refinement, Tired Sounds, and Ballasted Orchestra are my faves. You can’t really go wrong with any of their albums though. The side projects are also beautiful and worth checking out.

Kyle Bobby Dunn’s newest album and Infinite Sadness are some of the best SotL tributes I’ve heard in a long while, those are also worth checking out (even though KBD has major issues)

 

listening to And Their Refinement... now. I feel like I have to finish this one to really get what they're driving at and then the other two you mentioned will be next. I appreciate the suggestions

 

For sure. Also drone is v mood-driven. If you’re not into it now, I’d say try it again when it’s past midnight and you’re the last one awake.

 

This Matt LaJoie record is transcendent, thank you @mesi for the rec. How were his others from this year?

On that note, I absolutely LOVED the Americana-tinged ambient wave we got this year, from North Americans to Austin Cash. Still waiting on that Chuck Johnson, too.

 

so after listening to four of their albums today: I think I'm in love with Stars of the Lid