Oh - this vein = ambient records that are sentimental, that you can go to sleep to or get lost in, but that are paradoxically full of charming individual moments. Lots of great samples would be a plus, ha!
I do have a bit of other ambient - mostly not on CD which is one reason I can't put it on - but I'm not going to start listing the CDs I rejected cos it might limit your choices.
― Tom, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Moving beyond the 'duh, Eno' factor -- Lull and Thomas Koner are both very good if not exactly merry.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Melissa W, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― chippy, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
WELL. Hm...weird as it may sound, you could almost call His Name is Alive's second album ambient. Then again, there's always Vangelis.
― william, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Dan Perry, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― chaki, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Ah, bless you, Dan, of course. Mi Media Naranja also does the business, as does a fair amount of Stars of the Lid.
― dbini, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― DJ Martian, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Clarke B., Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Aix Em Klemm, p'rhaps? (Is this a collaboration between someone from Labradford and someone from Stars of the Lid or did I dream that?) Less drone-y/more interesting than SOTL.
― clive, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
I'll also second Melissa's recommendation for Tangerine Dream's Phaedra.
― Sean Carruthers, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
I could go into a whole realm of spacey, weird ambience a la Hash Jar Tempo, Bugskull, and more.. but I'm reluctant in fear of effigies of me stamped "ROCKIST" being burned.
― Brian MacDonald, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Tom, try: Ultramarine's Every Man & Woman Is A Star, if you haven't already. Also obviously: The Beloved's "The Sun Rising".
For blissful undulating ambience, there's Global Communication's 76 14 and Dettinger's Intershop. I'm currently listening to Miss Dinky's Melodias Venenosas i> which is quite charming rippling-but-dinky ambient synth pieces, but I'm not quite sure if I'd recommend it unreservedly yet.
As for the spacy wacky samples... that's trickier. Arguably this tendency in Orb and KLF is more a nod towards the contemporary Acid House/DJ Records boom rather than something that is inherent to much ambient. So I could see, say, early 808 State fitting the bill, but they were only ambient in fits and bursts ("Sunrise" is great though).
― Tim, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― jess, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Brock K, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― patrick, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Curt, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Tracer Hand, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Omar, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― michael, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Mark, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― M. Matos, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Tom, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― jess, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Ronan, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
a cop out only in that it's easier than making some positive. but come on tom, you gotta agree dance tends to get good when it goes a little dark. not all the time, but...
I do think certainly in the field of 'ambience' you find 'darkness' getting a little overdone - this is surely down to the subconscious need to differentiate it from new age heh.
― alex in mainhattan, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Maybe. The thing that always struck me in regards Eno's On Land is how dark it sounds, whereas I was expecting something more light/happy since these were supposed to be memories of childhood places. It probably is, as Jess says, harder to make something positive (just can come up with some of these Boards of Canada minatures like 'Olson' as an example, arguably some tracks on SAW 85- 92).
― bob snoom, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Maybe "Bola- Soup"?
― Todd Burns, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Mind Taker, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
David Toop's Screen Ceremonies is good for when you want to feel like you're watching a sadistic ritual involving monkeys in the rainforest.
Also like Lamonte Young's Well-Tuned Piano and Morton Feldman's For Samuel Beckett lately, they're kind of ambient...
Miles Davis, He Loved Him Madly.
I always thought Systemische was Oval's best album. 94 Diskont is almost all one track, and it's kind of boring after a while.
Just the very words Chill Out bring on flashbacks...
― Ben Williams, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Tracer hand, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Phil, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― justin case, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Deepchord?
― Evan, Thursday, 22 February 2024 20:26 (two years ago)
Sofie Birch
― default damager (lukas), Thursday, 22 February 2024 21:11 (two years ago)
my pal Ceremonial Abyss put out a new one that's pretty lovely, to my ears.
https://ceremonialabyss.bandcamp.com/album/betrayal
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Thursday, 22 February 2024 23:37 (two years ago)
I'd definitely follow the thread but not entirely sure what 'upbeat ambient' is!
― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Thursday, February 22, 2024 8:25 PM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink
you know, what got me thinking about it is putting on xtal by aphex twin. and sort of a go hawaii vibe by casino versus japan. that's sort of where my mind goes in this venture. maybe I'll do it, it would be seriously useful for me.
― Swen, Saturday, 2 March 2024 21:58 (two years ago)
though I think daytime is a better descriptor than upbeat, I just don't want to feel like I'm swimming in dark underwaters when I'm working, although I pretty much would like to feel like that at all other times
― Swen, Saturday, 2 March 2024 22:03 (two years ago)
The Detroit Variant group (cv313, Intrusion) just put out a bunch of lovely long form pieces. Kind of expensive ($18 each) but each one is 2 hours plus of some great clouds of sound.
https://variantsonics.bandcamp.com/album/analogue-oceans-w-digital-exclusive-limited-edition-set-variant-conductionhttps://variantsonics.bandcamp.com/album/suspended-in-a-moment-someplace-else-w-variant-refocushttps://variantsonics.bandcamp.com/album/depths-of-perception-submerging-waves-variant-submersionhttps://variantsonics.bandcamp.com/album/subtraktive-reprise-w-variant-etherscapes
― Psychocandy Apple Grey (Pyschocandles), Saturday, 2 March 2024 22:25 (two years ago)
inoue’s ambiant otaku is so goddamned good
― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 3 March 2024 12:25 (two years ago)
am I the only one that gets into Iasos? I guess he's pretty (very? lol) new agey but I'm obsessed
― Swen, Wednesday, 6 March 2024 13:56 (two years ago)
inter-dimensional music is an all time classic
― c u (crüt), Wednesday, 6 March 2024 14:40 (two years ago)
yessssss so glad i didn't just out myself haha <3
― Swen, Wednesday, 6 March 2024 14:43 (two years ago)
https://lakemary.bandcamp.com/album/its-okay-you-can-open-your-eyes-now
this was posted on the fahey thread, wonderful steel guitar work
― corrs unplugged, Thursday, 7 March 2024 12:01 (two years ago)
:) lake mary is so good
― z_tbd, Thursday, 7 March 2024 15:58 (two years ago)
this is one of those random records that blows up due to the youtube algorithm. pretty good i thought
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZacsXFFbWkWitan - Alchemy
― budo jeru, Tuesday, 26 March 2024 04:53 (one year ago)
Really excited about this one:
https://htoo.bandcamp.com/album/cycle
― Evan, Thursday, 18 April 2024 16:34 (one year ago)
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1283938153_10.jpg
Ooh! Great cover art, and that sample song is awesome. I'm excited now too.
― OneSecondBefore, Friday, 19 April 2024 18:21 (one year ago)
love that art
― Swen, Monday, 22 April 2024 05:18 (one year ago)
xpost to traditional Japanese music thread
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzwoO7DIZ0A
― Deflatormouse, Tuesday, 21 May 2024 05:15 (one year ago)
The daddy is back
https://loscil.bandcamp.com/album/umbel
― Iain Macdonald, Friday, 24 May 2024 22:14 (one year ago)
https://oxherding.bandcamp.com/album/point-of-incidence
― z_tbd, Thursday, 11 July 2024 21:51 (one year ago)
this is nice
https://badabingrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dreamloops
― I painted my teeth (sleeve), Monday, 15 July 2024 20:24 (one year ago)
^ whoa, very cool
― brimstead, Wednesday, 17 July 2024 19:30 (one year ago)
Absolute bargain from this Australian tape label at $7 for their digital discography.
https://perceptualtapes.bandcamp.com/album/the-softest-lace
― droid, Thursday, 18 July 2024 11:31 (one year ago)
https://earthtraxonline.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-whispers
recommended by max, p sherburne, me
rhythmic ambient with a tropical tinge
― default damager (lukas), Thursday, 18 July 2024 19:02 (one year ago)
that’s the dude from ptaki, dope
― brimstead, Thursday, 18 July 2024 19:54 (one year ago)
I don't know which one of you weirdos turned me on to this but it's v enjoyable
https://lennyibizarre.bandcamp.com/album/ambient-collection-vol-4
― default damager (lukas), Thursday, 25 July 2024 18:47 (one year ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXkATAvL49U
― brimstead, Saturday, 27 July 2024 15:08 (one year ago)
LocalGarda posted about this on the Music From Memory thread but reposting here. The second volume of the Virtual Dreams series is now out and looks amazing:https://music-from-memory.bandcamp.com/album/virtual-dreams-ii-ambient-explorations-in-the-house-techno-age-japan-1993-1999
― groovypanda, Wednesday, 23 October 2024 17:30 (one year ago)
Personally not going to call this new Music from Memory compilation ambient but it's magnificent all the same.
― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Wednesday, 30 October 2024 18:00 (one year ago)
I like Dylan Henner 'performs Raymond Scott's Soothing Sounds for Baby'. It's in that nu-new-age space but more the Green-House or even Penguin Cafe end of new age, if that makes sense.
https://dylanhenner.bandcamp.com/album/performs-raymond-scotts-soothing-sounds-for-baby
― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Monday, 18 November 2024 15:22 (one year ago)
a pretty nice collab track between Carbon Based Lifeforms & Erot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad1FDkddGAA
― StanM, Thursday, 21 November 2024 19:15 (one year ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxskjQvGb-sLocal News - A Simple Dream Pass (2011, 2:00AM Tapes)
― brimstead, Wednesday, 11 December 2024 06:14 (one year ago)
Love Comes Quickly reworked in a modular synth style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWNhPRJCQfA
― the_article_don (Iain Macdonald), Friday, 13 December 2024 11:53 (one year ago)
love this
― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 13 December 2024 13:40 (one year ago)
Getting around to upsammy's record from this year and it's delicious
https://topo2.bandcamp.com/album/strange-meridians
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 December 2024 15:39 (one year ago)
Enjoying the Röyksopp ‘Nebulous Nights’ album which is very Chill Out/Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld which suits me just fine.
― Dan Worsley, Tuesday, 17 December 2024 17:38 (one year ago)
https://enmossed.bandcamp.com/album/in-essence
enmossed is just constantly putting out beautiful stuff
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Wednesday, 15 January 2025 06:26 (one year ago)
the new Sofie Birch & Antonina Nowacka, Hiraeth, is really wonderful if you like your ambient pastoral
― rob, Monday, 18 August 2025 18:38 (seven months ago)
https://sofiebirchantoninanowacka.bandcamp.com/album/hiraeth
There's a new Caldwell/Tester that I need to check out -https://mediumsound.bandcamp.com/album/homes
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Monday, 18 August 2025 18:47 (seven months ago)
this Meitei album Sen'nyū is beautiful, really deep atmosphere
https://meitei.bandcamp.com/album/senny
― brimstead, Tuesday, 23 September 2025 16:20 (five months ago)
this is wonderful, thanks
― she freaks, she speaks (map), Tuesday, 23 September 2025 16:30 (five months ago)
ditto
― disco stabbing horror (lukas), Tuesday, 23 September 2025 17:52 (five months ago)
Love this, thanks. Will post to the Kankyo thread if that's cool?
― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Wednesday, 24 September 2025 08:49 (five months ago)
a friend just sent me this reissue of a 1989 album, sounds wonderful so far: https://shihoyabuki.bandcamp.com/album/forest-land
― rob, Wednesday, 24 September 2025 19:03 (five months ago)
love it, thanks
― sleeve, Wednesday, 24 September 2025 19:14 (five months ago)
if yr into Alio Die, this is a sort of early music meets ambient harp sounds thing. Name your price, it's quite beautiful
https://hexpartner.bandcamp.com/album/requiem
― a tv star not a dirty computer man (the table is the table), Friday, 6 February 2026 16:47 (one month ago)
I am in fact into Alio Die!
― ILX is like synthpop Kerrang (sleeve), Friday, 6 February 2026 17:04 (one month ago)
Also, former co-worker who is in the composition program at the university where i teach put this out, meditative piano stuffhttps://jiqpsalm.bandcamp.com/album/down-a-deep-deep-hole
― a tv star not a dirty computer man (the table is the table), Friday, 6 February 2026 17:32 (one month ago)
(She is very cool, we have a lot of similar tastes, I was a guest at her contemporary composition group back in the early autumn)
― a tv star not a dirty computer man (the table is the table), Friday, 6 February 2026 17:33 (one month ago)