2001 classic ambient
Transcript of 2001 classic ambient
CLASSIC AMBIENT RECORDINGS: The 2001 Survey
Notes on Ambient Music, and The New Survey
It was a huge amount of work, but here at last are the results of the latest survey to determine the favorite and most popular ambient recordings of all time. Since Jack the Tab and "Sasha E." collaborated on the previous survey here at Hyperreal, in May of 1999, tons of new ambient recordings have been released, with many of them already showing up on this list. Although ambient music has not necessarily become a more commercially viable genre in the past three years, the fans and composers who keep this unique music a living, breathing art form have certainly increased their presence on the internet, with many more sites devoted to individual artists and the growth of discussion groups devoted to ambient and its various sub-genres. "Classic" ambient recordings are more easily obtained via the net, anyway; most retail record stores carry precious few titles from the genre. The best stores will at least have an "Electronic Music" section where some of the discs may be found, and many artists, like Steve Roach and Robert Rich, seem to be filed under "New Age" in chain stores such as Borders. This, of course, is a subject of endless debate among ambient listeners: how does one truly define "ambient," and where is the boundary between ambient and new age music? Ambient fans tend to be passionate creatures, and achieving a consensus is difficult, if not impossible. One Hyperreal member remarked that ambient is more a "state of mind" than an actual genre; another amusingly stated in a post, "I don't know how to define it, but I know it when I hear it." What one hears in this music is clearly a matter of individual perception.
The best ambient music allows you to immerse yourself in a particular sonic world or "field of sound," and if your psyche is tuned into those "frequencies," you may well experience the sort of rapture that the greatest music always aims to achieve. Ambient can take you to distant landscapes, remote reaches of space, or even to secret, unexpected memory-scapes that have been locked away inside your mind for years. This mysterious, often hypnotic music truly has that ability. Ambient "godfather" Brian Eno's definition of the form, when his manifesto accompanying MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS first appeared in the late '70s, essayed that ambient music should work as effective background music (ideal for reading, writing, taking a bath, etc.), but it should also have the ability to reward close listening (if one chooses to do so) by offering the type of sonic layering and musical complexity that would keep a listener coming back for more. Most would agree that to be truly successful, an ambient work should place the listener in a wide field of sound where they can experience many interesting little sonic details, or perhaps just a few prominent, continuous (but compelling) ones. There are drips, blips, waves and drones, frequently at the same time. The effect can be all-encompassing, or merely "in the background"; it's the listener's choice.
In the end, there are few absolutes about ambient music, and when its admirers are hard-pressed to even agree on a definition, one wonders how the music could ever really become conventionally popular. But most fans wouldn't want it to. Ambient music is special. Unique. It's intended primarily to be experienced in private, as a personal soundtrack for each listener. Although some pieces of ambient/electronic music have turned up in TV commercials and films (in fact, movies such as Heat and Traffic largely used ambient soundtracks, and film music itself is
arguably a "cousin" of ambient--witness the numerous soundtracks that turn up in this poll), the general public still remains largely unaware of the genre. But those who discover the secret sonic universe of ambient tend to find their listening habits changed forever. The sounds and sensations produced by classic ambient often inspire an entire world view, a greater awareness of one's surroundings (and the natural environment-- inherently part of ambient's aesthetic), and a heightened curiosity about the minutiae of everyday living. Perhaps ambient is, indeed, a "state of mind."
The 1999 Hyperreal survey was an enormously helpful tool for those of us curious to know what recordings were considered "classics" by group members. Not long after I perused that list a few times, I purchased some of the high-ranking items myself such as the Robert Rich/Lustmord "dark ambient" classic STALKER, which I found utterly mesmerizing, and Biosphere's SUBSTRATA, a chilly series of evocative sonic portraits that some say is the finest example of arctic, or "polar" ambient. I returned to the list again and again for ideas. But by late 2001, after endless discussions on the Hyperreal site and reading reviews of hundreds of provocative new discs on several different web sites, it seemed that it was high time for a fresh new survey. When no one was eager to volunteer for the task, I did so myself, with the help of second lieutenant, Reginald Perrin. My intention was to expand the parameters of the previous survey. Members of the ambient group at Hyperreal were asked to submit their lists of all-time favorites, as before, but I also sought lists from members of a few other web-based discussion groups, music writers, and programmers at radio stations where ambient and electronica get regular play. About 130 people all over the world ended up contributing their "votes." These are listeners, composer/musicians, journalists, programmers and more. The results clearly establish that there are certain undeniable repeat "classics" as well as newer recordings that are finding increasing popularity. The high number of discs released just in the last few years shows that a terrific ambient work can develop a following quickly; the community of listeners is still small enough that word travels fast when a 14-karat gem is discovered. Hence, this survey is a real mixture of the new and the old, as well as a collection of discs representing many different sub-genres.
It was my intention from the start to do a survey that would not only be fodder for discussion on the Hyperreal group from which it sprang, but would also become an informative tool for listeners arriving anew at the "Gates of Ambient," hopefully wide-eyed and curious about what the real favorites are. While no list should ever be considered definitive, I hope this one will serve as a helpful update for both experienced and inexperienced listeners, a wide-ranging survey of classics and personal favorites that may prompt a few new purchases and provide a bit of "chill time" comparing one's own list to the cumulative tally. As with the 1999 survey, the number in brackets is the number of individual votes a recording received, followed by the artist, then the title of the work. The "Big Ten" vote-getters are listed in boldface type, for emphasis. Artists with the same number of votes are listed alphabetically, but for ease of readability I chose NOT to put last name before first name, even though the sequencing is still by last name. There are so many collaborations and odd names that it seemed much easier to simply list the names the way you'd read them in a review, i.e. James Johnson/Stephen Philips: Lost at Dunn's Lake, rather than Johnson, James and Philips, Stephen: Lost at Dunn's Lake. Well, at least this is how we did it for items of 3 votes and up. There were so many discs that received one or two votes that I deferred to my assistant, Reginald Perrin, for the hard labor at the bottom of the list. Items receiving only 2 votes are listed alphabetically by first name. Same with single-vote items, which I originally didn't want to even include here. But I put the question to the members of Hyperreal, and most members wanted the one-vote discs included. So they do appear, but in columns at the bottom of the list, in smaller type, so they don't take up so much room. This is a massive, massive list, and some concessions to
space limitations simply had to be made. It should also be stated that every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of both artist names and album titles. Needless to say, many of these works are extremely obscure, especially at the bottom of the list. Again, I deferred to Mr. Perrin for much of the name-checking, although I ended up doing a lot of last-minute checking myself. There are probably still some mistakes here and there; apologies to any reader who finds one. But it took an unexpectedly long time to nail down the final totals and to check (and recheck) discrepancies. To the best of our ability, these names are accurate. And rest assured that the votes themselves are accurate; all lists were counted 8 or 9 times, exhaustively, to make sure the final tally is valid.
At the very end of the list, there are some interesting "stats" based on the results, just for fun. I enjoyed conducting this survey and I hope all you ambient listeners out there will have fun perusing it. I'd like to heartily thank Reginald Perrin for assisting with the project, and remaining enthusiastic to the end. I also thank everyone who sent a list in. The sheer variety of items people consider favorites is staggering. But clearly, the more votes an item received, the more of a consensus there obviously is that the item is indeed a classic. We may not all have picked the same recordings, but boy, we sure do know what we like, and would be apt to recommend. So…let the dialogue begin! And may all your drones be lush…all-encompassing…shiver-inducing, etc., etc. Happy ambient listening!
--Kevin Renick, January 2002
THE POLL RESULTS
[34] - Biosphere: Substrata
[32] - Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Vol. II
[25] - Brian Eno: On Land
[22] - Brian Eno: Apollo
[21] - Brian Eno: Music For Airports
[20] - Tetsu Inoue: Ambiant Otaku
[19] - Harold Budd/Brian Eno: The Pearl
[18] - Global Communication: 76:14
[17] - Future Sound of London: Lifeforms
[16] - Harold Budd/Brian Eno: The Plateaux of Mirror
[15] - Brian Eno: Thursday Afternoon
[14] - Tetsu Inoue: Organic Cloud
[13] - The KLF: Chill Out
[12] - Tetsu Inoue: World Receiver
[12] - Robert Rich: Trances/Drones
[12] - Robert Rich/Lustmord: Stalker
[12] - Woob: 1194
[11] - Biosphere/Higher Intelligence Agency: Polar Sequences
[10] - Jon Hassell/Brian Eno - Fourth World Vol. One: Possible Musics
[10] - Lustmord: The Place Where the Black Stars Hang
[9] - Autechre: Amber
[9] - Thomas Koner: Kaamos
[9] - The Orb: Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld
[9] - Steve Roach: Dreamtime Return
[9] - Steve Roach: The Magnificent Void
[9] - David Sylvian/Holger Czukay: Plight & Premonition
[8] - Boards of Canada: Music Has the Right to Children
[8] - Datacide: Flowerhead
[8] - James Johnson/Robert Scott Thompson: Forgotten Places
[8] - O Yuki Conjugate: Equator
[7] - Pete Namlook/Tetsu Inoue: 2350 Broadway
[7] - Pete Namlook/Tetsu Inoue: 2350 Broadway II
[7] - The Orb: UFOrb
[7] - Jeff Pearce: To The Shores of Heaven
[7] - Plastikman: Consumed
[7] - Robert Rich: Numena (by itself or in 2-CD set with Geometry)
[7] - Steve Roach: Quiet Music
[7] - Sun Electric: 30.7.94
[7] - Susumu Yokota: Sakura
[6] - Another Fine Day: Life Before Land
[6] - Ashera: Cobalt 144
[6] - Bola: Soup
[6] - Harold Budd: Lovely Thunder
[6] - Brian Eno: Discreet Music
[6] - Fripp & Eno: Evening Star
[6] - Pete Namlook/Dr. Atmo: Silence I
[6] - Vidna Obmana: The River of Appearance
[6] - Vangelis: Blade Runner
[6] - Various - Axiom Ambient: Lost in the Translation
[5] - Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works, '85-'92
[5] - Michael Brook: Cobalt Blue
[5] - Brian Eno: Neroli
[5] - Brian Eno: The Shutov Assembly
[5] - Robert Fripp: A Blessing of Tears
[5] - Gas: Pop
[5] - Global Communication: Pentamerous Metamorphosis
[5] - Jeff Greinke: Lost Terrain
[5] - Steve Hillage: Rainbow Dome Music
[5] - Human Mesh Dance: SecretNumberTwelve
[5] - The Irresistable Force: Flying High
[5] - The Irresistable Force: Global Chillage
[5] - James Johnson: Entering Twilight
[5] - Thomas Koner: Teimo
[5] - O Yuki Conjugate: Undercurrents in Dark Water
[5] - Steve Reich: Music For 18 Musicians
[5] - Klaus Schulze: Mirage
[5] - Skylab: #1
[5] - Stars of the Lid: Avec Laudenum
[5] - Stars of the Lid: The Ballasted Orchestra
[5] - Tangerine Dream: Rubycon
[4] - Autechre: Incunabula
[4] - Biosphere: Cirque
[4] - Michael Brook: Hybrid
[4] - Harold Budd/Cocteau Twins: The Moon and the Melodies
[4] - Brian Eno: Music For Films
[4] - Jon Hassell: Power Spot
[4] - Heavenly Music Corporation: Anechoic
[4] - Heavenly Music Corporation: Lunar Phase
[4] - James Johnson/Stephen Philips: Lost at Dunn's Lake
[4] - Thomas Koner: Permafrost
[4] - Alan Lamb: Primal Image
[4] - MLO Productions: Io
[4] - Monolake: Interstate
[4] - Pete Namlook: Air I & II
[4] - Pete Namlook/Dr. Atmo: Silence II
[4] - Vidna Obmana: The Subterranean Collective
[4] - The Orb: Orbus Terrarum
[4] - Stephen Philips: Desert Landscapes
[4] - Rapoon: Fallen Gods
[4] - Robert Rich/Alio Die: Fissures
[4] - Steve Roach: Early Man
[4] - Steve Roach: Structures From Silence
[4] - Steve Roach/Jorge Reyes: Vine, Bark & Spore
[4] - Steve Roach/Robert Rich: Soma
[4] - Paul Schutze - New Maps Of Hell 2: Rapture Of Metals
[4] - Shpongle: Are You Shpongled
[4] - Shuttle358: Optimal
[4] - A Small, Good Thing: Slim Westerns
[4] - Spyra: Phonehead
[4] - Michael Stearns: Planetary Unfolding
[4] - David Sylvian/Holger Czukay: Flux & Mutability
[4] - Terre Thaemlitz - Tranquilizer
[4] - TUU: All Our Ancestors
[4] - Vir Unis: The Drift Inside
[4] - Paul Vnuk Jr.: Silence Speaks in Shadows
[4] - Various: The Ambient Expanse
[4] - Various: Isolationism
[3] - Adham Shaikh: Journey to the Sun
[3] - Alio Die/Amelia Cuni: Apsaras
[3] - Alvo Noto/Scanner: Uniform
[3] - Arovane: Atol Scrap
[3] - Arvo Part - Fuer Alina
[3] - Baked Beans: Baked Beans
[3] - Bass Communion: Bass Communion
[3] - Kevin Braheny: The Way Home
[3] - Harold Budd: The White Arcades
[3] - Celtic Cross: Hicksville
[3] - David Darling: Cello
[3] - DJ Spooky: Songs of a Dead Dreamer
[3] - Robert Fripp: Let the Power Fall
[3] - Edgar Froese: Epsilon in Malaysian Pale
[3] - Future Sound of London: Dead Cities
[3] - Future Sound of London: ISDN
[3] - Peter Gabriel: Passion
[3] - Gas: Konigsforst
[3] - Jeff Greinke: Cities in Fog
[3] - Heavenly Music Corporation: In a Garden of Eden
[3] - Higher Intelligence Agency: Colourform
[3] - Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson - Children Of Nature
[3] - Mark Hollis: Mark Hollis
[3] - Howie B.: Music For Babies
[3] - The Illusion of Safety: The Illusion of Safety
[3] - Tetsu Inoue/Carlos Vivanco: Zenith
[3] - Jean-Michel Jarre: Oxygene
[3] - Thomas Koner: Nuuk
[3] - Brannan Lane: Sleep Cycle
[3] - Lull: Continue
[3] - Ingram Marshall: Three Penitential Visions
[3] - Miasma: Miasma (Em:t 1195)
[3] - Moby: Ambient
[3] - Monolake: Gobi (EP)
[3] - Pete Namlook: The 4 Seasons
[3] - Pete Namlook: Silence III
[3] - Pete Namlook/Burhan Ocal: Sultan
[3] - Pete Namlook/Tetsu Inoue: 62 Eulengasse
[3] - Pete Namlook/Tetsu Inoue: Shades of Orion 1 & 2
[3] - Pete Namlook/K. Schulze/B. Laswell: Dark Side of the Moog 5
[3] - Bill Nelson: Chance Encounters in the Garden of Light
[3] - Orbital: In Sides
[3] - Jochem Paap: Vrs. Mbnt Pcs 1 & 2
[3] - David Parsons: Dorje Ling
[3] - Jeff Pearce: Daylight Slowly
[3] - Jeff Pearce: The Light Beyond
[3] - Pole: CD3
[3] - Raison D'Etre: Prospectus I
[3] - Giles Reaves: Wunjo
[3] - Reload: A Collection of Short Stories
[3] - Jorge Reyes: Bajo El Sol Jaguar
[3] - Robert Rich: Bestiary
[3] - Robert Rich/Lisa Moscow: Yearning
[3] - Steve Roach: Atmospheric Conditions
[3] - Steve Roach: Dream Circle
[3] - Steve Roach: On This Planet
[3] - Steve Roach: Slow Heat
[3] - Steve Roach/Vidna Obmana: Ascension of Shadows
[3] - Steve Roach/Vidna Obmana: Cavern of Sirens
[3] - Scanner: Sound For Spaces
[3] - Klaus Schulze: Timewind
[3] - Seefeel: Polyfusia
[3] - Seti: Pharos
[3] - Shpongle: Tales of the Inexpressible
[3] - Solar Quest: Orgship
[3] - Solea Amphibia - Stratosphear
[3] - Carl Stone: Mom's
[3] - David Sylvian: Approaching Silence
[3] - David Sylvian: Gone to Earth
[3] - Tangerine Dream: Atem
[3] - Robert Scott Thompson: Blue Day
[3] - Vir Unis: Aeonian Glow
[3] - Uzect Plaush: More Beautiful Human Life
[3] - Zoviet France: Shadow Thief of the Sun
[3] - Zoviet France: Shouting at the Ground
[3] - Zoviet France: What Is Not True
[3] - Various: Mystery of the Yeti 2
[3] - Various: The Other World
[2] - Aerial Service Area (Atom Heart & Victor Sol & Niko Heyduck) – 1
[2] - Alan Lamb - Night Passage
[2] - Aloof Proof - Piano Text
[2] - Alvin Curran - Songs & Views From The Magnetic Garden
[2] - AMP - Perception
[2] - Angelo Badalamenti - Twin Peaks (Soundtrack)
[2] - Anthony Manning - Chromium Nebulae
[2] - A Produce - Inscape And Landscape
[2] - A Produce - Reflect Like A Mirror, Respond Like An Echo
[2] - Ashera - Colour Glow
[2] - Atom Heart - Dots
[2] - Atom Heart - Jet Chamber 3
[2] - Basic Channel - Basic Channel
[2] - Bill Laswell/Pete Namlook - Outland
[2] - Biosphere & Deathprod - Nordheim Transformed
[2] - Bowery Electric - Beat
[2] - Bruce Kaphan - Slider
[2] - Chris Meloche - Recurring Dream Of The Urban Myth
[2] - Cluster - Sowiesoso
[2] - Coil - Worship The Glitch
[2] - Core - An Area’s Era Aria
[2] - Darshan Ambient - Darshan Ambient
[2] - David Hykes - Listening To Solar Winds
[2] - David Parsons - Sounds of the Mothership/Tibetan Plateau
[2] - David Parsons - Yatra
[2] - David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees
[2] - Dead Can Dance - Serpent’s Egg
[2] - Deep Chill Network - Dreams 2
[2] - dreamSTATE - Between Realities
[2] - Edgar Froese - Aqua
[2] - Edward Artemyev - Solaris, The Mirror, Stalker
[2] - Elaine Radique - Trilogie De La Mort
[2] - Fluxion - Vibrant Forms
[2] - Forrest Fang - Gongland
[2] - Francisco Lopez - La Selva
[2] - Future Sound of London - Cascade
[2] - Gas - Em:t 0095
[2] - Gas - Zauberberg
[2] - Gat/Sol - Gat/Sol
[2] - Gavin Bryars - The Sinking of the Titanic
[2] - Global Communication: Remotion
[2] - Harmonic Choir - Hearing Solar Winds
[2] - Harold Budd - By The Dawn’s Early Light
[2] - Harold Budd - Luxa
[2] - Harold Budd - The Room
[2] - Harold Budd - The Serpent in Quicksilver/Abandoned Cities
[2] - Isan - Lucky Cat
[2] - Isan - Salamander
[2] - Jalan Jalan - Bali
[2] - Jim Plotkin & Mark Spybey - A Peripheral Blur
[2] - Jon Mark - The Standing Stones Of Callannish
[2] - Justin Bennett - Cityscape
[2] - Kenji Kawai - Ghost In The Shell (Soundtrack)
[2] - Kiril - Homebound
[2] - Klaus Schulze - Cyborg
[2] - Klaus Schulze - Picture Music
[2] - Kraftwerk - Autobahn
[2] - Lightwave - Tyco Brahe
[2] - Liquid Mind - Balance
[2] - Lucid Dreams - Em:t 0096
[2] - Lull - Cold Summer
[2] - Lustmord - Heresy
[2] - Maeror Tri - Myein
[2] - Main - Firmament 1-4
[2] - Makyo - Yakshini
[2] - Mark Rownd - Painting Twilight
[2] - Markus Guentner - In Moll
[2] - Martyn Bates & Mick Harris - Murder Ballads
[2] - Masters Of Psychedelic Ambience - Mu
[2] - Mathias Grassow - Fragrance Of Eternal Roses
[2] - Matt Borghi - Huronic Minor
[2] - Meg Bowles & David Bilger - From The Dark Earth
[2] - Mick Harris & Bill Laswell - Somnific Flux
[2] - Moby - The End Of Everything
[2] - Modula Green - Shellground
[2] - Monolake - Gravity
[2] - Morton Feldman - Piano And String Quartet
[2] - Muslimgauze - Azzazin
[2] - Mychael Danna & Tim Clement - North Of Niagara
[2] - Nor Elle - Phantom Of Life
[2] - Numina - Recluse
[2] - Open Canvas - Indumani
[2] - Orbital - The Box EP
[2] - Oval - 94diskont
[2] - Paul Ellis - Into The Liquid Unknown
[2] - Paul Giger - Chartres
[2] - Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster & Panaiotis - Deep Listening
[2] - Pete Namlook: Seasons Greetings - Summer
[2] - Pete Namlook & Richie Hawtin - From Within 3
[2] - Pete Kuhlmann (Namlook) & Rehberg & Mense - Sunken Road
[2] - Philip Glass - Kundun (Soundtrack)
[2] - Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook - Sleeps With The Fishes
[2] - Pole - Pole 1
[2] - Pub - Do You Ever Regret Pantomime
[2] - Pub - Summer
[2] - Rapoon - Easterly 6 Or 7
[2] - Rapoon - The Fires Of The Borderlands
[2] - Rapoon - Vernal Crossing
[2] - Robert Rich - A Troubled Resting Place
[2] - Robert Rich - Below Zero
[2] - Robert Rich - Humidity
[2] - Robert Rich - Inner Landscapes
[2] - Robert Scott Thompson - Air Friction
[2] - Roger Eno - Voices
[2] - Ryoji Ikeda - +/-
[2] - Sara Ayers - Sylvatica
[2] - Saul Stokes - Outfolding
[2] - Saul Stokes - Zo Pilots
[2] - Seefeel - Ch-Vox
[2] - Single Cell Orchestra - Single Cell Orchestra
[2] - Sounds From The Ground - Kin
[2] - Spacetime Continuum - Sea Biscuit
[2] - Spool - Spool
[2] - Spyra: Etherlands
[2] - Steve Roach - Origins
[2] - Steve Roach - World’s Edge
[2] - Steve Roach/Byron Metcalf - The Serpent’s Lair
[2] - Steve Roach/Vidna Obmana - Well Of Souls
[2] - Steve Roach/Vir Unis - Blood Machine
[2] - Steve Roach/Vir Unis - Light Fantastic
[2] - Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
[2] - Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear
[2] - Tangerine Dream - Zeit
[2] - Terre Thaemlitz - Soil
[2] - Terry Riley - A Rainbow in Curved Air
[2] - Tetsu Inoue - Slow & Low
[2] - Tetsu Inoue & Jonah Sharp - Electro Harmonix
[2] - Thomas Fehlmann - Good Fridge Flowing
[2] - Thomas P. Heckmann - Raum
[2] - Ulf Langheinrich - Degrees Of Amnesia
[2] - VA - Ambient Eclipse
[2] - VA - Basic Channel Compilation
[2] - VA - Dr Alex Paterson’s Voyage Into Paradise
[2] - VA - Manifold Sampler Endless 2
[2] - VA - Skydancing Nada Masala Vol 2
[2] - Vangelis - Opera Sauvage
[2] - Vangelis - Soil Festivities
[2] - Vidna Obmana - Crossing The Trail
[2] - Vidna Obmana - Memories Compiled 1
[2] - Vladislav Delay - Entain
[2] - Vladislav Delay - Multila
[2] - Voice Of Eye - Vespers
[2] - Web (Bill Laswell & Terre Thaemlitz) - Web
[2] - Wendy Carlos - Sonic Seasonings
[2] - Windy & Carl - Antarctica
[2] - Zero Ohms - Sweven
The following recordings received a single vote each:
#9 Dream - Rhythm & Irrelevance
Abstract Speed - The Grace Of Strange Weather
Adham Shaikh & Tim Floyd - Drift
Aeolian String Ensemble - Lassith/Elysium
Aerial Service Area (Atom Heart & Victor Sol & Niko Heyduck) – 2
Alan Hovhaness - Shalimar
Al Gromer Khan - Almost Blossom Day
Al Gromer Khan - Mahogany Nights
Alias Zone - Lucid Dreams
Alio Die - Incantamento
Alio Die - Suspended Feathers
Alio Die - Under An Holy Ritual
Alog - Red Shift Swing
Aloof Proof - Expo One
Aloof Proof - Inside The Quiet
Michael Stearns/Ron Sunsinger - Singing Stones
Michel Huygen - Sonar
Michel Huygen - Ultra Cosmos
Mickey Hart - At The Edge
Microstoria - Improvisers
Microstoria - Init Ding
Microstoria - Snd
Mika Vainio - Ydin
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn
Mike Oldfield - Songs Of Distant Earth
Mike Simmons - From Anelog To Barsdey
Mindspawn - Conversing With Zardoz
Mindspawn - Darkness Weaves
Minit - Music (Sigma Editions)
Mixmaster Morris & Jonah Sharp - Quiet Logic
Alphawezen - System
Alpha Wave Movement - Transcendence
Alpha Wave Movement & Jim Cole - Bislama
Alva Noto & Opiate - Opto Files
Alvin Lucier - I Am Sitting In A Room
Alvin Lucier - Music On A Long Thin Wire
Amaruvision - Light Energy Performance
Ambient.Com - AA001
Amir Baghiri - Bluebox Collection
Amir Baghiri - Rooms
Amir Baghiri & Mathias Grassow - Autumn
Amir Baghiri & Mathias Grassow - True North
AMM - Newfoundland
Amon - The Legacy
Amongst Myselves - Still Life
Amon Tobin - Bricolage
Amorphous Androgynous - Tales Of Ephidrina
Anonymous 4 - The Miracles Of Santiago
Amphibian Industries - Sideways From Reality
Andy Hawkins - Azonic Halo
Angelo Badalamenti - Lost Highway (Soundtrack)
Another Fine Day - Lazy Daisy
Anthony Boast & Christian Rother - Quiet Latitudes
Anuvida & Nik Tyndall - Healing Hands
A Positive Life - Synaesthetic
A Produce - Land Of A Thousand Trances
A Produce - Smile on the Void
A Produce & M. Griffin - Altara
A Reminiscent Drive - Mercy Street
Aqueous - Entertaining Angels
Arcana - The Last Embrace
M. Northam & J. Grzinich - The Absurd Evidence
Modell / Mantra - Sonic Continuum
Modula Green - Modula Green
Monolake - Cinemascope
Monolake - Hong Kong
Moodswings - Psychodelicatessen
Morthound - Spindrift
Morton Feldman - Everything Else
Morton Feldman - For Phillip Guston
Morton Feldman - Rothko Chapel
MSB - Elektrons At Work
Muslimgauze - Azure Deux
Muslimgauze - Veiled Sisters
Mystical Sun - After Materia Cloudland
Mystical Sun - Primordial Atmospheres
Naoki Kenji - Downtown Tokyo
Narcosis - A Dark Ambient Compilation
Neina - Formed Verse
Neural Network - Modernite
Neutron 9000 - Lady Burning Sky
New Composers - Astra
Newt - 273C
Never Known - Once In A Lifetime
Never Known - Twilight's Last Gleaming
NLC - Le Langage De Autres
NNC - Fosen
Node - Terminus, Live At Paddington Station
Noise-Makers Fifes - Cruelty Has A Human Heart
Not Drowning Waving - Another Pond
Novisad - Novisad
Numina - Evolving Visions
Artemiev / Frohmader - Space Icon
Artemus Trine - The Celestial Railroad
Arthur Dent - Drift
Arvo Part - Cantarta For Benjamin Brittain
Ashera - Ambient Collection
Ash Ra Tempel - Ash Ra Tempel
Ash Ra Tempel - New Age Of Earth
Ash Ra Tempel - Schwingungen
Asmus Tietchens & Vidna Obmana - Syrenia 2
Atmosphere Collection - Thunderstorm
Atom Heart - Live At Sel I/S/C
Atom Heart - Orange
Atom Heart - Superficial Depth
Augur/Wilt - Navigations
Autechre - Garbage
Azusa Plane - Tycho-Magnetic Anomaly & FCOHH
Baby Mammoth - Swimming
Bad Sector/Contagious Orgasm - Vacuum Pulse
Baked Beans - Recycle Or Die
Baked Beans - Bean Me Up Scotty
Banco De Gaia - Last Train To Lhasa
Bang On A Can - Music For Airports
Bark Psychosis - Hex
Bass Communion - Bass Communion 2
Beaumont Hannant - Texturology
Bedrock - Beautiful Strange (Original Mix)
Bedroom (Daniel Pemberton) - Bedroom
Bernard Gunther - For Mark Rothko
Bern'd Friedmann - Leisure Zones
Bill Laswell - Ambient Translations Into Bob Marley
Bill Laswell - Divination: Ambient Dub 2
Nurse With Wound - Soliloquies For Lilith
Ojas - Lotussongs 2
Olivier Messiaen - Vingt Regards Sur L'enfant Jésus
Om (Tetsu Inoue & Ferrer) - Instant Enlightenment
Oophoi - Mare Imbrium
Oophoi - Mare Tranquillitatis
Oophoi - Spirals Of Time
Oophoi - Wouivre
Ooze - Where The Fields Never End
Ora - Aurem
Ora - Rosea
Orb, The - Cydonia
Orb, The - Orblivion
Orb, The - Pomme Fritz
Orb, The - Aubrey Mixes: The Ultraworld Excursions
Orbital - Orbital (2nd)
Osso Exótico - Cd 2
OST - Death Notice
O Yuki Conjugate - Peyote
O Yuki Conjugate - Primitive
Ova - Rosea
Oval & Christophe Charles - Dok
Pan American - 360 Business / 360 Bypass
Pan American - Pan American
Panasonic - Kulma
Pan Sonic - Aaltopiiri
Patchwork
Patio - Parallel Play
Patrick O'Hearn - Metaphor
Patrick O'Hearn - Trust
Pat Thomi - Pyramids
Bill Laswell - Lost In The Translation: Ambient Dub
Bill Laswell - Possession: African Dub
Bill Laswell - Rasa: Serene Timeless Joy
Bill Laswell/Tetsu Inoue - Cymatic Scan
Bill Nelson - Crimsworth
Bionaut - Lush Life Electronica
Biosphere - Microgravity
Biosphere & Higher Intelligence Agency - Birmingham Frequencies
Birds Of Tin / Mechanism - Votive
Bjork - Vespertine
Black Dog - Music for Adverts & ....
Boards Of Canada - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country
Bobvan - Water Dragon
Brain/Mind Research - Symphonies of the Planets (5-disc set, NASA soundscapes)
Brannan Lane - Lost Caverns of Thera
Brian Eno - Another Green World
Brian Eno - Eno I (Instrumental Box) Disk 3
Brian Eno - Lightness: Music For The Marble Palace
Brian Eno - Music For White Cube
Broadcast - Echo's Answer
Bugskull - Crock: The Motion Picture Soundtrack
Burger / Ink - Las Vegas
Cabaret Voltaire - The Conversation
Carbon Based Lifeforms - The Path
Carlo Gesualdo - Responsoria
Caspar Brotzmann Massaker - Koksofen
Cathars - Amorpheus
Certain Beyond All Reasonable Doubt - Live Berlin 98
Chaos As Shelter - Midnight Prayer/Illusion
Chaos As Shelter & Ruhr Hunter - Same
Paul Baker - Ladder Of The Soul
Paul Baker - The Tranquil Harp
Paul Horn - Inside The Great Pyramids
Paul Schutze - Abysmal Evenings
Paul Schutze - Apart
Paul Schutze - More Beautiful Human Life
Paul Schutze - Second Site
PBK - Shadows Of Prophecy / In His Throes
Peatbog Faeries - Faerie Stories
Peter Benisch - Waiting For Snow
Peter Janson - Sometimes From Here
Pete Namlook - Air 3
Pete Namlook - Create
Pete Namlook - Kooler
Pete Namlook - Namlook 5
Pete Namlook - Season's Greetings: Autumn
Pete Namlook - Seasons Greetings: Spring
Pete Namlook - Seasons Greetings: Winter
Pete Namlook - Silence 5
Pete Namlook & Peter Prochir - Possible Gardens
Pete Namlook & Klaus Schulze - Dark Side Of The Moog 3
Pete Namlook & Klaus Schulze & Bill Laswell - Dark Side Of The Moog 7
Pete Namlook & Richie Hawtin - From Within 2
Pete Namlook & Steve Stoll - Hemisphere
Pete Namlook & Tetsu Inoue - 2350 Broadway 3
Pete Namlook & Tetsu Inoue - Shades of Orion 3
Philip Glass - Glassworks
Philip Glass - Koyaanisqatsi
Philip Glass - Low Symphony
Philip Glass - Music With Changing Parts
Charlemagne Palestine - Four Manifestations On Six Elements
Charlemagne Palestine - Schlingen-Blängen
Charles Engstrom - Ulee's Gold Soundtrack
Charles Ives - The Unanswered Question
Chas Smith - Chas Smith EP
Chris Coco - All Of My Beautiful Friends
Chris & Cosey - Allotropy
Christian Hoy Knudsen - Hav
Chris Watson - Stepping Into The Dark
Cindytalk - The Wind Is Strong...
Circular - Divergent
Circulation - Magenta
Cluster - 2
Cluster - Grosses Wasser
Coil - Love's Secret Domain
Coil - Queens Of The Circulating Library
Coil - Themes For Hellraiser
Coil - Time Machines
Controlled Bleeding - Inanition
Core - Chants Of Race And Emptiness
Coyote Oldman - Floating On Evening (Songs From Otter River)
Cyber Zen Sound Engine & Matt Borghi - The Intercepted Transmissions
Cyrus Rego - Cyrus Rego
Dan Hartman - New Green Clear Blue
Daniel Menche - October's Larynx
Danna & Clement - Best Of
Dark Matter - Seeing Strange Lights
Darrin Verhagen - Soft Ash
Darshan Ambient - End Of Days
Dave LaDelfa - Dawn Planes
David Darling - Darkwood
Phil Mison - Lula
Philosopher's Stone - Apparatus
Phlegm - Ashes
Piano Magic - A Trick Of The Sea
Piano Magic - Bliss Out V.13
Piero Milesi - Within Himself
Plaid - Not For Threes
Plaid - Restproof Clockwork
Popul Vuh - Affenstunde
Popol Vuh - In The Garden Of The Pharao
Popul Vuh & Florian Fricke - Aguirre (Soundtrack)
Porter Ricks - Biokinetics
Porter Ricks/Techno Animal - Symiotics
Pulse Programming - 2 Of 2 In 1000
Quietman - Shhhh (Disc 2 - Ambient)
Rachel's - Selenography
Radio Massacre International - Frozen North
Radio Massacre International - Upstairs Downstairs
Radio Massacre International - Zabriskie Point
Raison D'etre - The Empty Hollow Unfolds
Rapoon - Cidar / Fallen Gods (Twofer)
Rapoon - Darker By Light
Rapoon - Dream Circle
Rapoon - Errant Angels
Rapoon - Just Say The Faith
Rapoon - Messianic Ghosts
Raventree, The - Thoughts Before Sleep
Ray Lynch - Nothing Above My Head But The Evening
Reinhard Voigt - Premiere World
Reload - A Collection Of Short Stories
Richard Bone - Ascensionism
David Darling & Terje Rypdal - Eos
David Helpling - Between Green And Blue
David Kristian - Room Tone
David Michael & Randy Mead - Mountain In The Sky
David Moufang - Solitaire
David Parsons - Himalaya
David Parsons - Ngaio Gamelan
David Parsons - Parikrama
David Parsons - Shaman
David Reeves - In Starless Space
David Sylvian - Alchemy
David Tibbets - The Fall Of Us All
David Toop - Screen Ceremonies
Dead Can Dance - Aion
Dead Can Dance - Spiritchaser
Dead Can Dance - Toward The Within
Death Cube K - Dreamatorium
Deep Chill Network - Cybersleep 1
Deep Chill Network - Cybersleep 2
Deep Chill Network - Cybersleep 3
Deep Chill Network - Cybersleep 4
Deep Chill Network - Dreams 1
Deep Chill Network - Dreams 3
Deep Chill Network - Dreams 4
Deep Chill Network - Heart Of The Tundra
Deep Forest - Savana Dance
Deep Listening Band - Ready Made Boomerang
Deep Listening Band - Sanctuary
Degrees - An Endless Search
Delerium - Karma
Delerium - Poem
Richard Bone - Coxa
Richard Bone - Tales From The Incantina
Richard Bone - The Spectral Ships
Richard H. Kirk - Virtual State
Richard Horowitz & Sussan Deyhim - Majoun
Riley Lee - Oriental Sunrise
Robert Carty - Darklight
Robert Carty - Gateway
Robert Carty - Horizons Call
Robert Carty - Nagual Heart
Robert Carty - Natural Wonder
Robert Carty - Plateaus Of Ether
Robert Carty - Silent Dreams
Robert Carty - The Inexplicable
Robert Carty - Timeless
Robert Henke - Floating Point
Robert Rich - Gaudi
Robert Rich - Rainforest
Robert Rich - Seven Veils
Robert Rich - Shambala
Robert Rich / Steve Roach - Strata
Robert Schroeder - Harmonic Ascendant
Robert Scott Thompson - Alchemy
Robert Scott Thompson - The Silent Shore
Robyn Miller - Riven (Soundtrack)
Rod Modell - The Autonomous Music Project
Roedelius - Diary Of The Unforgotten
Ron Boots - Too Many Secrets
Royksopp - Melody AM
Rudy Adrian - Kinetic Flow: Sequencer Sketches Vol. 1
Ry Cooder - Paris, Texas (Soundtrack)
Delerium - Spiritual Archives
Delerium - Stone Tower
Detroit Escalator Co. - Soundtrack 303
Digital Mystery Tour - Digital Mystery Tour
Dino Pacifici - Hallowed Ground
Djivan Gasparyan - I Will Not be Sad in This World
DJ Krush & Toshinori Kondo - Ki-oku
DJ Spooky - Nest
Dogon - Redunjusta
Dome - Dome
Don Slepian - Sea Of Bliss
Double Muffled Dolphin - My Left Side Is Out Of Sync
Double Muffled Dolphin - The Lions Are Growing
Dub Tractor - Delay
Dubtribe – The Tree, The Ladder, The Chariot And The Self
Durutti Column - LC
EAR - Data Rape
EAR - Phenomena 256
Ekko - Centripetal
Elaine Radique - Kyema, Intermediate States
Electric Skychurch - Outside
Electronic Eye - Closed Circuit
Elektro Nova - Electro Nova
Em - Djinn
Encomiast - Encomiast
Enigma - Cross of Changes
Environments - Tintinabulation
Era - Infinity
Erik Satie - Gnosiennes
Erik Satie - Gymnopedies
Erik Satie - Performed By France Clidat
Ryoji Ikeda & Carston Nicolai - Cyclo
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Love Is The Devil
Sad World (Dr. Atmo & Ramin) - Sad World I, II & III
Savath & Savalas - Folk Songs For Trains, Trees And Honey
Scanner - August
Scanner - Delivery
Scanner - Spore
Scanner - Sulphur
Scanner - Wave Of Light By Wave Of Light
Schallbau - Point Zero Vol. 1
Schloss Tegal - Oranur III The Third Report
Schottstaedt - Dinosaur Music
Scorn - Evanescence
Scorn - Gyral
Seed - Vertical Memory
Seefeel - Succour
Seefeel - Quique
Senking - Ping/Thaw
Senking - Silencer
Sheila Chandra - A Bone Crone Drone
Shifts - Seven Dots
Shpongle - Celtic Cross
Shpongle - Eclipse
Shpongle - Mystery Of The Yeti
Shuttle358 - Frame
Sigillum S - Bardo Thos-Grol
Simon Fisher Turner - Blue
Simon Williams - Transicity (Inner City Mix)
Sketch - Abeyance
Skyray - Mind Lagoons
Sleep - Jerusalem
EVA - Extra Vehicular Activity
Exotendo - Endorcism Process
Exotendo - Push Kara
FFWD - FFWD
Fennesz - Endless Summer
Fennesz, Zeitblom & Rantasa - Music For An Isolation Tank
Fibreforms - Treedrums
Fires Were Shot - Form The Hearth
Five Way Mirror - Transcendence
Flanger - Templates
Flesh & Bone - Skeleton Woman
Forma Tadre - Automate
Francisco Lopez - Untitled 1981-1983
Francois Tetaz - The Motionless World Of Time Between Or Drunken Taxicab of Absolute Reality
Fred Giannelli : Telephatic Romance
Fripp & Eno - Essential Fripp & Eno
Fripp & Eno - No Pussyfooting
F.S. Blumm - Mondkuchen
Garry Judd - Ambience
Gal - Defragmentation / Blue
Gas - Oktember
Gavin Bryars - Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Akira (Soundtrack)
Geodesium - West Of The Galaxy
George Wallace - Communion
Giacinto Scelsi - Four Pieces For Orchestra
Gilbert, B. C. & G. Lewis - 8time
Giles Reaves - Sea Of Glass
Glide - Space Age Freak Out
Global Electronic Network - Time Square
Sleep Research Facility - Nostromo
Slowdive - Pygmalion
SND - MakeSNDcassette
Snowcrash (Soundtrack)
Solar Quest - A+B=C In D#
Sola Translatio - Ad Infinitum
Sola Translatio - Mother Sunrise
Solitaire - Ritual Ground
Somei Satoh - Mantra / Stabat Mater
Spacecraft - Earthtime Tapestry
Spacecraft - Summer Town
Space Time Continuum & Terence McKenna - Alien Dreamtime
SPK - Zamia Lehmanni: Songs Of Byzantine Flowers
Spyra - Escalator To Heaven
Starseeds - Parallel Life
Stephan Mathieu - Wormloch Variationen
Stephan Micus - Athos
Stephan Micus - Koan
Stephan Micus - The Music Of Stones
Stephanie Sante - Inner Beauty
Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri - Other Worlds In A Small Room
Steven McGreevy - Electric Enigma: The VLF Recordings
Stephen Philips - In The Moonlight
Steve Reich - Early Works
Steve Reich - Variations For Winds, Strings & Keyboards / Six Marimbas
Steve Roach - Artifacts
Steve Roach - Core
Steve Roach - Midnight Moon
Steve Roach - Streams and Currents
Steve Roach, Michael Stearns & Kevin Braheny - Desert Solitaire
Graham Fitkin - Log/Line/Loud
Greg Long - 002
Greg Long - Entropy
Griffin/Fulton - The Most Distant Point Known
Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams
Harry Bertoia - Unfolding
Haruomi Hosono - Medicine Compilation
Hazard - Wind
Heavenly Music Corporation - Consciousness 3
Heights Of Abraham - Electric Hush
Hemisphere - Early Reflection
Hemisphere - Intruders
Henry Wolff & Nancy Hennings - Tibetan Bells 1
Hildegard Of Bingen - A Feather On The Breath Of God
Hoedh - Hymnus
Holger Czukay - La Luna
Human Mesh Dance - Mindflower
Hybryds - Soundtrack Of The Aquarium
Iasos - Angelic Music
Ibizarre - La Sirena
Index ID - Federflug
Infinity Project - Mystical Experiences
Ingram Marshall - Fog Tropes
Ingram Marshall - Hidden Voices
Instruction Shuttle/Mercy Killah - Controlled Chaos
In The Nursery - Deco
In The Nursery - Engel
Irresistible Force, The - It's Tomorrow Already
Jam & Spoon - Tripomatic Fairytales 2002
James Bernard - Atmospherics
James Johnson - Linger
Steve Roach & Roger King - Dust To Dust
Steve Roach, Stephen Kent & Kenneth Newby - Halcyon Days
Steve Roden - Crop Circles
Stuart Dempster - Underground Overlays From The Cistern Chapel
Sturm - Sturm
Subsurfing - Frozen Ants
Subvision/Guy Gross - Farscape Soundtrack
Sunkings - Hall Of Heads
Suns Of Arqa - Jaggernaut: Whirling Dub
Sushi Club - Koi
Sushi Club - Neo Sashimi
Suspended Memories - Forgotten Gods
Susumu Yokota - Magic Thread
Suzuki Keiichi - Satellite Serenade
Sven Vath - Accident In Paradise
Sylvia Nakkach - Ah, Healing Music
Sylvia Nakkach - Inside
System Error - Nothing
23 Degrees - An Endless Search
Taj Mahal Travelers - August 74
Talvin Singh - Calcutta Cyber Cafe, Drum & Space
Talvin Singh - Ha!
Tamaru - Karmaless
Tangerine Dream - Force Majeure
Tangerine Dream - Green Desert
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
Tarkatak - Lyssna
Telepopmusik - Genetic World
Terry Riley - The Harp Of New Albion
Terry Riley - Persian Surgery Dervishes
James Johnson - Surrender
James Johnson - Unity
James Johnson, Vir Unis, & Chris Short - Aqua Culture
Jan Garbarek - Visible World
Jan Garbarek, Nana Vasconcellos & Terje Rypdal - Eventyr
Jan Jelinek - Loop-Finding
Jansen, Barbieri & Karn - Ism
Japan - Voices Raised & Welcome Hands Held In Prayer
Jeff Greinke - Changing Skies
Jeff Greinke - In Another Place
Jeff Pearce - The Hidden Rift
Jeff Pearce - Vestiges
Jet Chamber - Jet Chamber (Fax)
JFC - Once Upon A Time
Jim Cole & Spectral Voices - Coalescence
Jim Cole & Spectral Voices - Sky
Jim Plotkin & Gutzeit - Mosquito Dream
Jimpster - You Are
Jliat - When We Focus On Nothing...
Joe Hisaishi - Kikujiro Soundtrack
John Avery - Jessica In The Room Of Lights
John Cage - 4' 33"
John Coltrane - Live In Japan
John Duncan - Incoming
John Foxx - Cathedral Oceans
John Renbourn - Lady And The Unicorn
John Shepherd - Libera Nos, Alva Nos
John Stanford - Deep Space
Jonathan Coleclough - Cake
Jonathan Coleclough - Murray One/Tunnel
Jonathan Coleclough / Andrew Chalk - Sumac
Tetsu Inoue & Atom Heart - Datacide
Tetsu Inoue, Charles Uzzel Edwards & Daimon Beail - Audio
The Implicit Order - They Live In The Sky
The Infinite Wheel - The Infinite Wheel
The Infinity Project - Mystical Experiences
The Moog Cookbook - Ain't Talkin Bout Love
The Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia - Ov Biospheres And Sacred Grooves
Thomas Koner - Aubrite
Thomas Ronkin – Within Distance
Thomas Tallis - Spem In Alium
Thom Brennan - Beneath Clouds
Thom Brennan - Summer Town
Tim Story - Beguiled
Tim Story - Shadowplay
Tim Story - The Perfect Flaw
Todd Fletcher - Star
Tom Heasley - Where The Earth Meets The Sky
Tony Conrad - Four Violins
Tony Gerber - Blue Western Sky
Tony Scott - Music For Zen Meditation & Other Joys
Tor Lundvald - The Mist
Toshimaru Nakamura - No-Input Mixing Board 2
To Rococo Rot - The Amateur View
Transambient Communications - Mauve
Transonic - Downstream Illusion
Trey Gunn - 1000 Years
Troum - Tjukurrpa 1: Harmonies
Tulkinta - Tulkinta
TUU - Frozen Lands
TUU - Mesh
Jonn Serrie - And the Stars Go With You
Jonn Serrie - Century Seasons
Jonn Serrie - Tingri
Jorge Reyes - Comala
Jorge Reyes - Mort Aux Vaches
Jorge Reyes - Nierika
Journeyman - Mama 6
Kapotte Muziek - Vier Stukken
KDNR - Diorda
Keith Rowe, Taku Sugimoto & Günter Müller - The World Turned Upside Down
Ken Ideda - Tzuki
Kenneth Newby - Ecology Of Souls
Kevin Kendle - Aerial Vistas
Kevin Kendle - Clouds
Khan & Walker - Empire State Building
Kid 606 - PS I Love You
Kid Loco - A Grand Love Story
Kim Cascone - Anechoic
Kim Cascone - Cathodeflower
Kitaro - Silk Road
Kit Watkins - Beauty Drifting
Kit Watkins - Rolling Curve
Klaus Schulze - Blackdance
Klaus Schulze - Body Love 2
Klaus Schulze - Dune
Klaus Schulze - Historic Edition
Klaus Schulze - Mediterranean Pads
Klaus Schulze - X
Klaus Wiese - Dunya
KLF, The - Space
Koichi Watanabe - Electronic Music 1978-1979
TUU - One Thousand Years
Twine - Reference
Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By
Ultra Milkmaids - V/S Part 1
Uman - People Of Cloud Nine
Underworld - Dark And Long EP
Unexplained Transmissions - Unexplained Transmissions
U. Srinivas & Michael Brook - Dream
VA - One A.D.
VA - Two A.D.
VA - Three A.D.
VA - Ambient Cookbook (Fax)
VA - Ambient Dub 1
VA - Ambient Dub 2
VA - Ambient Dub 3
VA - Ambient Dub 4
VA - Ambient Landscapes 2 (Dark Duck)
VA - Ambient Spirit (Earth)
VA - Ambient Spirit (Water)
VA - Ancient Lights & The Blackcore
VA - An Introduction To A Cooler World
VA - Apollo Compilation
VA - Apollo 2 The Divine Compilation
VA - Archaic Modulation
VA - Atomic Weight
VA - Dali: The Endless Enigma
VA - Deep Net
VA - Divination: Distill
VA - Divination 2: Dead Slow
VA - Em:t 1197
VA - Em:t 2295
Koji Asano - Quoted Landscape
Labradford - A Stable Reference
Labradford - E Luxo So
Labradford - Prazision LP
Lacoon - Immersion
Lackluster - CDR2
Lagowski - Ashita
Laika - Sounds Of The Satellite
Landing - Oceanless
Languis - Last Frequency Preset
Lanterna - Elmstreet
Laraaji - Ambient 3: Day Of Radiance
Laraaji - Essence/Universe
Laraaji - Flow Goes The Universe
Larry Kucharz - Harmonic Luminosity
Larry Kucharz - Unit 25 Dark Red
Leggo Beast (Murray Clark) - Meanwhile
Legion - False Dawn
Les Gilbert- Kakadu Billabong
Les Jumeaux - Feathercut
L. Gaab - The Sacred & The Profane
Liberator Dj’s - It's Not Intelligent, It's Not From Detroit
Lightwave - Mundus Subterraneus
Lightwave - Nachtmusik
Liquid Z - Apnoea/Amphibia
Locust - Weathered Well
Loop Guru - Catalogue Of Desires 3: The Clear White Variation
Loop Guru - Duniya
Loren Nerell - The Venerable Dark Cloud
LSG - Into Deep
Luigi Nono - No Hay Caminos
VA - Endless 1&2
VA - Excursions In Ambience 4
VA - Fahrenheit Project #1
VA - FAX Compilation 2 (Instinct)
VA - Freezone 1 The Phenomenology Of Ambient
VA - From Here To Tranquility
VA - Hacca Note 1004
VA - Hypnos Sampler #1 The Other World
VA - Invisible Soundtracks Macro 3
VA - Liminality (Digital Narcis)
VA - Liquid Dub Vol 7
VA - Narratives
VA - Nature Of Sand
VA - Return To The Source 2: Ambient Disc
VA - Run Lola Run (Soundtrack)
VA - Skydancing Nada Masala 1
VA - Soundscape Gallery #1
VA - Statics (CCI)
VA - Swarm Of Drones 1 (Asphodel)
VA - Swarm Of Drones 2 (Asphodel)
VA - Synoptics (Reflective)
VA - The Big Chill Presents: Enchanted 01 (Tom Middleton's Mix)
VA - Throne Of Drones
VA - Tone Tales From Tomorrow Too
VA - Twilight Earth
VA - Visor
VA - Wabi (Flying Rhino)
VA - Weightless Effortless
VA - X-X Section
Vangelis - 1492
Lustmord - Monstrous Soul
Lustmord - Purifying Fire
Lux - 100 Billion Stars
Main - Ligature
Makyo - Rhasa Bhava
Makyo - Shringara
Manna - Manna
Maria De Alvear - En Amor Duro
Mark Deutsch - Fool
Mark Isham - Film Music
Mark Isham - Tibet
Mark Riva - DJ Mix The Silent Mix
Marumari - The Wolves Hollow
Mathias Grassow - Ambience
Mathias Grassow - Darklight Quest
Mathias Grassow - Dissolution
Mathias Grassow - Empty Sky
Mathias Grassow - Himavat
Mathias Grassow - Himalaya
Mathias Grassow - Lanzarote Concert
Mathias Grassow - Lanzarote Spirits
Mathias Grassow - Psychic Dome
Mathias Grassow - Sky
Mathias Grassow - Space
Mathias Grassow - Sphere
Mathias Grassow - Thodol
Mathias Grassow & Klaus Wiese - Mercurius
Matt Borghi - December Impressions
Matt Coldrick - Music For A Busy Head Vol 1
Matt Uelman - Diablo II (Soundtrack)
Max Corbacho - Far Beyond The Immobile Point
Vangelis - Antarctica
Vangelis - L'Apocalypse Des Animaux
Van Morrison - Poetic Champions Compose
Van Zyl/Gulch - Regeneration Mode
Van Zyl/Gulch - The Sound Museum
Velocette - Sonorities By Starlight
Vidna Obmana - Landscape In Obscurity
Vidna Obmana - Motives For Recycling
Vidna Obmana - Revealed By Composed Nature
Vidna Obmana - Soundtrack To The Aquarium
Vidna Obmana - Surreal Sanctuary
Vidna Obmana - Tremor
Vidna Obmana - Trilogy Box Set
Vidna Obmana - Twilight Of Perception
Vincent Clark & Martyn Ware - Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle
Vir Unis/James Johnson - Perimeter
Visit Venus - Music For Space Tourism
Vladislav Delay - Anima
Vladislav Delay - Ele
Vladislav Delay - Live At WMF Club, Berlin, July 29, 2000
Voice Of Eye & Life Garden - Hungry Void 1& 2
Voice Of Eye - Mariner Sonique
Voice Of Eye - Transmigration
Voices Of Kwahn - Rebirth
Voov - Grau 1
Wagon Christ - Phat Lab Nightmare
Waterwheel - Panchroma
We - As Is
Wendy Carlos - Beauty in the Beast
Werner Dafeldecker / Bd Hegenbart - Eis 9
While - Even
Max Corbacho - Vestiges
Media Form - Beauty Reports
Medwyn Goodall - Comet
Meg Bowles - Blue Cosmos
Michael Hammer - Gifts Of The Archangels
Michael Hoenig - Departure From The Northern Wasteland
Michael Peters - Ambient Veloopity
Michael Stearns - Ancient Leaves / Elysian E
Michael Stearns - Chronos
Michael Stearns - Encounter
Michael Stearns - Lyra
William Basinski - Watermusic
William Orbit - Strange Cargo 3
Will Sargeant - Themes For Grind
Wish FM - 97.1
Woob - 0094
Woob - 4495
Yellow6 - Overtone
Yoshihiro Kawasaki - 4 Seasons In Japan
Zero One - Prototype
Zero One - Prototype 2
Zia Mohiudin Dagar - Raga Yaman
Zoviet France - Just An Illusion
Zoviet France - In Version
About The Results…
The variety of recordings that earned votes in this poll is remarkable. It's doubtful that most people would consider artists like Steve Reich and Philip Glass to truly be ambient, yet here they are, receiving multiple votes. Likewise, early synthesizer pioneers such as Kraftwerk and Jean-Michel Jarre would seem to belong in some other category, but their inclusion here helps illustrate the fact that ambient music can incorporate discs from a wide variety of genres, if the overall experience of hearing the disc is deemed "ambient" by listeners. Arguably, the more "pure" ambient recordings are those near the top of the list, but no matter; these results show that what many consider ambient crosses the musical spectrum, from electronic to classical to film music to the progressive end of rock. Ambient is obviously a "flexible" concept.
The 2001 survey incorporated far more votes overall than the '99 survey; that fact alone makes for considerable differences between the two lists. Yet the consistency in general between the high vote-getters on each list is impressive. Here's the Top 10 from each survey, side by side for comparison:
The 1999 Survey: The 2001 Survey:
[27] Biosphere - Substrata[22] Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2[19] Brian Eno - Music For Airports[19] Robert Rich/Lustmord - Stalker[16] Brian Eno - On Land[16] Global Communications - 76:14[13] Thomas Koner - Kaamos[11] Brian Eno - Apollo[11] The KLF - Chill Out[11] Vidna Obmana - River of Appearance[11] Woob - 1194
[34] Biosphere - Substrata[32] Aphex Twin - SAW 2[25] Brian Eno - On Land[22] Brian Eno - Apollo[20] Brian Eno - Music For Airports[20] Tetsu Inoue - Ambiant Otaku[19] Harold Budd/Brian Eno - The Pearl[18] Global Communication - 76:14[16] Budd/Eno - The Plateaux of Mirror[16] Future Sound of London - Lifeforms
The lists are remarkably similar insofar as most of the high rankers carried over. Thomas Koner's KAAMOS and Vidna's RIVER OF APPEARANCE may have dropped out of the Top 10 on the new survey, but they still received plenty of votes. One of the biggest surprises is that the two collaborations between Harold Budd and Brian Eno, THE PEARL and THE PLATEAUX OF MIRROR, only received two votes each in the '99 survey, but they made the Top 20 in 2001. Additionally, Eno's THURSDAY AFTERNOON soared from 4 to 14 votes. There was also an amazing surge by Tetsu Inoue's AMBIANT OTAKU from only 9 votes in '99 to an impressive 20 votes in 2001, putting it in 6th place. In Inoue's case, one can theorize that his ambient gem was widely discussed at Hyperreal, and became newly available through several web sites, so more people may have sought it out and discovered its charms. In the case of the Eno discs, however, the reasons for increased popularity are less clear, since those discs had been out for many years. Perhaps the wider range of voter participation was a factor here. At any rate, many familiar names carried over to the new survey; the classics evidently are still considered classics. Newer discs such as James Johnson and Robert Scott Thompson's FORGOTTEN PLACES and Jeff Pearce's TO THE SHORES OF HEAVEN placed high on the new list, and one can predict they will continue to climb in future surveys, as will other newcomers. It's gratifying to see that ambient works can continue to find an enthusiastic audience, despite the relative invisibility in the marketplace of this genre.
The most suspenseful part of doing the new survey was watching the race between SUBSTRATA and SAW 2. It truly was like watching a gripping sporting event. As each batch of votes came in, the totals would change, but the two ambient titans were never more than a few votes apart. For weeks, in fact, they were deadlocked at 33 votes each, until a newer list broke the tie, and a cautious recount discovered that a vote for SAW 2 on one person's list was actually for SAW 1. But a little over 25% of the respondents voted for these two classics. Following are some other interesting stats based on the new survey:
Artist receiving most votes overall: Brian Eno [164]
Artist with most discs in Top 20 (incl. collaborations): Brian Eno, 7
Artists w/most different recordings on list (incl. collaborations):
Pete Namlook [31], Steve Roach [26], Brian Eno [18]
Artist with most impressive "jump" from last time: Tetsu Inoue (barely cracked the
Top 20 in '99, placed 3 discs in top 20 in 2001).
Most collaborative fellow: Steve Roach, "placing" with 10 different collaborators.
Artists who really should collaborate again after their 2001 ranking: Harold Budd
and Brian Eno.
Number of discs from '99 list that received fewer than 5 votes, but made the
Top 20 in 2001: 5 (Thursday Afternoon, The Pearl, The Plateaux of Mirror,
Inoue's World Receiver and HIA/Biosphere's Polar Sequences)
Number of discs in Top 20 in both '99 and 2001: 13.
Disc placing in Top 20 in '99 that dropped to 3 votes in '01: Pete Namlook and
Tetsu Inoue's Shade of Orion 2
Number of discs receiving 5 votes or more in '99 survey: 26
Number of discs receiving 5 votes or more in 2001 survey: 70