Author Topic: Long Term Listening - your ambient classics (Read 20988 times)

Alan Imberg · « **Reply #20 on:** January 12, 2010, 06:34:58 AM »

Quote from: Mark Mushet on January 11, 2010, 04:26:41 PM

In terms of endless returns (ie. proven and continiued longevity) it must be:

Budd/Eno: Plateaux of Mirror and The Pearl
Budd/Foxx: Drift Music
Budd/Guthrie: all collabs

But I see many lists here I could duplicate!

Somnium would be a contender but for format/system config issues!

Ah yes. How could I leave some of the Budd collabs off my list?

hjalmer · « **Reply #21 on:** January 14, 2010, 11:50:40 AM »

lists...

Antdude · « **Reply #22 on:** January 14, 2010, 09:35:25 PM »

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 1 & 2 | You can find something new every time you hear this.
David Bowie - Low, Heroes | Not strictly ambient, but these two albums certainly influenced a whole generation of musicians and musical styles, including ambient.
Harold Budd/Brian Eno - The Pearl | The crystallization of everything Eno had been experimenting with up to that point.
Wendy Carlos - Sonic Seasonings Love my Switched-On Bach, but this album has always pulled me back throughout the years. Possibly the First ambient music album, from 1972! Still brilliant.
Brian Eno - Ambient 4 On Land | Sometimes, shorter is better. I liked that these pieces were shorter, yet still packed with dense landscapes that took you places.
Entia Non - Distal | Lightning in a bottle.
Tetsu Inoue - Elektro Harmonix, Organic Cloud
Thomas Koner - Kaamos | You can almost feel the wind blowing in from these sub-arctic landscapes.
Lustmord - The Place Where the Black Stars Hang | (Best Ricardo Montalban voice) "It is very cold….in spaaaace."
Pete Namlook - Air | If I'm going to pick one Namlook/Fax recording, it might as well be the one that got Fax off the ground.
Oophoi - Athlit | 38,000 feet into the troposphere, the deep blue of the ocean and the curve of the Earth, stretched out before you.
Sleep Research Facility - Dead Weather Machine re: Heat | A cheap mic and a dying air conditioner. Who would have thought you could fit infinity in there.
Stars of the Lid - Tired Sounds, Refinement of the Decline | Enough said. These are perfect for the desert island or the Black Lodge.
Steve Roach - Quiet Music, Dreamtime Return | These two are the albums I recommend to people curious about ambient and the perfect place to start your Steve Roach education.
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra | May 1975, TD Live, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Smell of 'herb.' I think I left my brain behind there…

drone on · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2010, 07:18:33 PM »

This must be the tenth or fifteenth such list, but oh well, what the heck they're fun:

Budd/Eno-The Pearl
Steve Roach-Origins
Budd/Cocteau Twins-The Moon and the Melodies
David Sylvian/Holger Czukay-Flux and Mutability
David Sylvian-Gone to Earth
Robert Rich-Numena
Namlook/Mixmaster Morris-Dreamfish 2
Namlook/Inoue-Shades of Orion 2 and 3
Oophoi/Tau Ceti-Celestial Geometries
Syn-The Glass Bridge
Redshift-Wild 2
Solitaire-Ritual Ground
Carbon Based Lifeforms-World of Sleepers
Suso Saiz-Hypnotics
Rapoon-Fallen Gods
Alio Die-my own special brew compilation set
Mathias Grassow-Silent Lucidity

ech3 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 18, 2010, 05:51:47 AM »

Speaking of lists of classics...a year ago, someone posted they were going to take up the cause of the All Time Greatest Ambient albums from the ambient mailing list.

I sent in my list, but I never saw the results.

Anyone know what happened?

edentropy · « **Reply #25 on:** October 06, 2010, 03:32:02 PM »

It's an older topic but an evergreen, so I figure I'll dip my feet in.

Many classics already mentioned. In addition to Eno, Fripp/Eno, Zoviet France things (and limiting myself to one album per artist) that I'd add are:

- Popol Vuh "Aguirre" (the CD bonus track "Aguirre III is my favorite song period and has remained so for five years)
- Coil "Time Machines" (Simply brilliant)
- Rapoon "Fallen Gods" (love it, my favorite of the many great Rapoon releases)
- Klaus Schultz "Irrlecht" (neo-classical Kraut)
- Mother Mallards Instant Masterpiece Company "Like a Duck to Water" (the whole album's pretty good, but the track C.A.G.E. is perfection itself and brilliantly blends early minimalist composition with early MOOGs)
- Lustmord "Heresy" (probably mentioned upthread, this album is practically responsible for the whole dark ambient scene that followed)
- Muslimgauze "Veiled Sisters" (Favorite by the very prolific Mr. Jones, a great collage of beats and sounds with neither clouded the other)

I am sure there are others too that I will slap my forehead for missing, but that's what I have right now.

headonist · « **Reply #26 on:** October 16, 2010, 11:28:09 AM »

It's hard to talk about personal classics when I've only discovered such greats as Steve Roach and Thomas Köner the recent year.

But... some albums that stands out for me at the moment are:

Steve Roach - Immersion : One
Oöphoi - Hymns To A Silent Sky
Robert Rich - Echo Of Small Things
Alio Die - Suspended Feathers
Harold Budd - Avalon Sutra
Daevid Alien And Micro Cosmic - Sacred Geometry
Robert Henke - Signal To Noise
Thomas Köner - Nuuk
Tuu - All Our Ancestors
Monolake - Gobi. The Desert EP
Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol.1
Rapoon - Time Frost
Joel Tammik - Eluline
Fennesz - Venice
Bass Communion - Bass Communion II
Tetsu Inoue - Ambiant Otaku

mgriffin · « **Reply #27 on:** October 19, 2010, 08:46:43 AM »

There's nothing wrong with bumping up an old topic if the subject is still interesting. In this case, I always love reading people's selections for all-time ambient classics. I don't want to be too backward-looking in my listening but it's always great to find some decades-old classic I managed to miss.

jim02 · « **Reply #28 on:** October 24, 2010, 01:14:48 AM »

mmm, this subject makes makes my brain cracking... but some that are on the the top of my mind while checking my ipod now;

steve roach - dreamtime return, vine, bark & spore, atmospheric conditions, the dream circle, origins
thomas koner - teimo/permafrost
jeff greinke - lost terrain
vidna obmana - memories compiled 2
vidna obmana & alio die - echo passage
andrew chalk - time of hayfield
andrew deutch - the sun
busso de la lune - stream in city
chi - the original recordings
tetsu inoue - world receiver
jason sloan - the space between beginnings
oophoi & tau ceti - celestial geometries
robert rich - somnium, stalker
vir unis - the drift inside
.......

most of them i regard as personal classics, music i keep coming back to it..

dreamin4ever · « **Reply #29 on:** October 30, 2010, 07:57:12 AM »

Tangerine Dream (not considered ambient)- The early classics from this german electronic band. Rubycon, Ricochet, Phaedra, Encore, etc. Most of the Tangerine "Tree's" and "Leaves"

Steve Roach Nightbloom-although Steve's newest album I have listened to this beautiful album around a dozen or so times since I've recieved it. Artifacts, Origins, Well of Souls, Mystic Chords and Sacred Spaces, On This Planet(1997) was my second encounter seeing Steve perform live in Tucson. Just too bad it was not a 2 cd set.

Robert Rich w/ Alio Die-Fissures, Trances and Drones, Below Zero

Vangelis Antarctica, The City, China, Albedo 0.39, Direct

Campus Stellae · « **Reply #30 on:** October 30, 2010, 08:53:54 AM »

Amon Duul: Paradies Warts Duul, Phallus Dei, Yeti, Tanz der Lemminge, Carnival in Babylon, Wolf City
Popol Vuh: Hosianna Mantra, In den Garten Pharaos, Affenstunde
Tangerine Dream: Alpha Centauri, Zeit, Atem
Cosmic Jokers: all their output
Ash Ra Tempel: Ash Ra Tempel, Schwingungen, Seven Up, Join Inn
Neu: Neu!, Neu 2, Neu 75
Agitation Free: Malesch, Second, Last
Can: Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi, Future Days
Frumpy: All Will Be Changed, Frumpy 2

and many many more germans

Anglican · « **Reply #31 on:** November 27, 2010, 07:40:31 PM »

Great discussion topic. Off the top of my head, the perennials are:

*Steve Roach, The Magnificent Void -- On my first listen, having just discovered Roach through Structures from Silence, I didn't like the Void at all, but somehow, eventually, it got to me and is in constant rotation.
*Steve Roach, Structures from Silence -- first Roach discovery
*Brian Eno, Music for Airports -- seemed like an old friend even on the first listen
*Brian Eno, Apollo -- the highest form of space music
*Rod Modell and Michael Mantra, Sonic Continuum -- wow

A quick check of a four-year run of last.fm history (see here: www.last.fm/user/Anglican), reveals a few others that have garnered lots of spins:

*Solar Fields, Blue Moon Station
*Steve Roach and Loren Nerell, Terraform
*Loren Nerell, Taksu -- could be an alternate soundtrack for Apocalypse Now
*Stars of the Lid, anything
*Tangerine Dream, anything
*Vangelis, anything -- first discovered as a young lad listening to the "Cosmos" soundtrack . . . ambient before I knew the word

drone on · « **Reply #32 on:** November 29, 2010, 03:06:54 AM »

I just re-read my list from above and I should be FLOGGED for omitting what has rightly been included on others' lists: "Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks" (Brian Eno, w/Daniel Lanois and Roger Eno).

This album is just timeless. The ultimate soundtrack to all things MOON. I had it on LP around '86, then a cassette (remember those?), and it finally came out on CD but not until early 90's I believe. I bought the digipak original master reissue in 2005, then replaced that with the Japanese CD issue in mini-LP sleeve. I think this sounds the best. I noticed the digipak version had some annoying distortion esp. when playing on a home stereo system, which the Japan version did not. Don't know why this is, but it is noticeable.

I was blown away by "An Ending: Ascent" back in '86 when I first heard it. Funny how it finally got the recognition it deserved by being used in the closing credits to a movie almost 20 years later.

headonist · « **Reply #33 on:** January 10, 2011, 04:57:04 PM »

Quote from: Anglican on November 27, 2010, 07:40:31 PM

Great discussion topic. Off the top of my head, the perennials are:

*Steve Roach, The Magnificent Void -- On my first listen, having just discovered Roach through Structures from Silence, I didn't like the Void at all, but somehow, eventually, it got to me and is in constant rotation.
*Steve Roach, Structures from Silence -- first Roach discovery
*Brian Eno, Music for Airports -- seemed like an old friend even on the first listen
*Brian Eno, Apollo -- the highest form of space music
*Rod Modell and Michael Mantra, Sonic Continuum -- wow

A quick check of a four-year run of last.fm history (see here: www.last.fm/user/Anglican), reveals a few others that have garnered lots of spins:

*Solar Fields, Blue Moon Station
*Steve Roach and Loren Nerell, Terraform
*Loren Nerell, Taksu -- could be an alternate soundtrack for Apocalypse Now
*Stars of the Lid, anything
*Tangerine Dream, anything
*Vangelis, anything -- first discovered as a young lad listening to the "Cosmos" soundtrack . . . ambient before I knew the word

Nice to read your list, Anglican. I've just requested your friend ship on last.fm by the way. It seems we have good compability, no surprise though

mgriffin · « **Reply #34 on:** January 10, 2011, 04:59:25 PM »

I like everything on Anglican's list too... except with TD I wouldn't go so far as to say "anything."

spectral67 · « **Reply #35 on:** January 15, 2011, 12:59:09 PM »

FSOL - Lifeforms
The Orb - Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld
Steve Roach - Structures From Silence
David Parsons - Yatra
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol 2
Brock Van Wey - White Clouds Drift On and On
Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
Steve Roach - Dynamic Stillness
Global Communication - 76:14
The Orb - Orbus Terrarum
Maitreya - Telluric Waves
Sleep Research Facility - Deep Frieze
Biosphere - Substrata & Cirque
The Sight Below - It All Falls Apart
Thom Brennan - Mist
Steve Roach - Afterlight

headonist · « **Reply #36 on:** January 19, 2011, 01:08:16 PM »

Quote from: headonist on October 16, 2010, 11:28:09 AM

It's hard to talk about personal classics when I've only discovered such greats as Steve Roach and Thomas Köner the recent year.

But... some albums that stands out for me at the moment are:

Steve Roach - Immersion : One
Oöphoi - Hymns To A Silent Sky
Robert Rich - Echo Of Small Things
Alio Die - Suspended Feathers
Harold Budd - Avalon Sutra
Daevid Alien And Micro Cosmic - Sacred Geometry
Robert Henke - Signal To Noise
Thomas Köner - Nuuk
Tuu - All Our Ancestors
Monolake - Gobi. The Desert EP
Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol.1
Rapoon - Time Frost
Joel Tammik - Eluline
Fennesz - Venice
Bass Communion - Bass Communion II
Tetsu Inoue - Ambiant Otaku

I feel I should add something by Mathias Grassow to my list, so I say The Fragrance Of Eternal Roses. But to be honest, I havn't heard anything by him that I didn't like.

dwight · « **Reply #37 on:** January 20, 2011, 11:38:59 AM »

There are quite a few interesting lists here.
I must add that Bryars, Pärt and Groreki have the same feel as these below at times and it would be hard for them not to be added to this list.

Apollo - Eno
Evening Star - Fripp & Eno
No Pussyfooting - Fripp and Eno
Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics - Eno & Hassell
Lovely Thunder - Harold Budd
Timewind, X & Cyborg - Klaus Schulze

pbass2 · « **Reply #38 on:** April 20, 2011, 11:25:53 AM »

Here's a few that I've only been listening to for a short while, that are now on my "classics" list:

Taylor Deupree - stil

Murcof - Cosmos

Komet - Rausch (more micro-glitch-tech than ambient technically)

Escape Philosophy - A Towering Achievement of Indescribable Beauty (available on Bandcamp)

nightlamp · « **Reply #39 on:** February 29, 2012, 02:47:39 PM »

Please forgive this newbie for the thread necromancy, I couldn't resist...

Steve Hillage - Rainbow Dome Musick
Brian Eno - On Land
Rapoon - The Kirghiz Light
Tuu & Nick Parkin - Terma
Tangerine Dream - Atem
Robert Rich - Trances/Drones

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Author Topic: Long Term Listening - your ambient classics (Read 20988 times)