Ambient

Off World – 2

featuring Sandro Perri, Eric Chenaux, Drew Brown, etc

Style: Alien Electronics, Tribal Ambient, Kosmische

Vibes: Spacey, Surreal, Imaginative, Exploratory, Impressionistic, Abstract, Cinematic, Meandering, Messy, Mysterious, Warm

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M. Sage – Paradise Crick

Style: Psychedelic Electronic, Ambient Americana

Vibes: Nature, Pastoral, Peaceful, Soothing, Hallucinogenic, Impressionistic, Light, Colorful, Forest

Instrumentation: Modular Synthesizer, Keyboards, Flute, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Percussion, Violin, Autoharp, Harmonica, Penny Whistle, Vocals

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David Sylvian – Blemish

featuring Derek Bailey & Fennesz

Style: Experimental Songwriter, Electroacoustic, Reductionism

Vibe: Lonely, Winter, Reflective, Sombre, Cold, Breakup, Depressive, Surreal, Meditative, Desolate

Musical Qualities: Electro-Acoustic, Glitchy, Sparse, Soft, Dissonant

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Grouper – A I A: Alien Observer

Style: Ambient, Dream-Folk, Drone Pop

Moods: Melancholy, Nocturnal, Cosmic, Grainy, Contemplative, Lethargic, Meditative, Peaceful, Intimate, Ethereal, Loner, Haunting, Dreamy, Hazy, Meandering, Monochrome, Murky, Soothing

Musical Qualities: Atmospheric, Droney, Lo-Fi, Home Recording, Loops, Simple, Slow, Soft, Solo

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Burial – Antidawn EP`

Style: Spectral Ambient Collage, Future Garage, lowercase

Moods: Longing, Nocturnal, Romantic, Lonely, Haunting, Foggy, Urban, Ethereal, Intimate, Rainy, Winter, Stark, Fragmented

Musical Qualities: Sampling, Soft, Atmospheric, Collage, Sparse, Reductionist

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Joseph Shabason – Anne

Style: New Age, Ambient Jazz, Progressive Electronic

Vibe: Healing, Woozy, Personal, Ethereal, Soothing, Intimate, Hypnotic, Mellow

Musical Qualities: Atmospheric, Spoken Word, Soft, Slow, Electroacoustic, Field Recordings, Studio-as-an-Instrument

Instrumentation: Saxophone (w/ FX), Synthesizers, Piano, Electric Guitar, Percussion, Violin, Trumpet, Flute

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Peter Kardas – I Saw You

Style: Inner Space Music, Ambient Pop, Tape Music, Minimal Wave

Vibe: Ethereal, Suspenseful, Introspective, Soothing, Nocturnal, Hypnotic, Meditative, Cinematic, Dreamy, Ominous (A2, B2, B3)

Musical Qualities: Pulse, Home Recording, Minimalistic, Atmospheric, Vignettes

Instrumentation: Keyboards, Drum Machine, Vocals, Tape Loops, Electric Guitar, Marimba, Echo

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Carlos Niño & Friends – More Energy Fields, Current

Featuring Laraaji, Shabaka Hutching, Sam Gendel, Jamire Williams, Aaron Shaw, Sharada, Jamael Dean, Nate Mercereau, Jira ><, Adam Rudolph, Devin Daniels

Style: Ambient Jazz, Ambient Beats, New Age

Vibe: Healing, Airy, Soothing, Woozy, Peaceful, Hypnotic, Aquatic, Communal, Spiritual

Musical Qualities: Atmospheric, Improvisation, Beats, Sampling, Sound Sculpture, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Field Recordings

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Ilyas Ahmed & Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – You Can See Your Own Way Out

Style: Drone, Tape Music, Ambient, Drone-Folk

Vibe: Nocturnal, Haunting, Hypnotic, Ethereal, Meditative, Warm, Nature, Nostalgia

Musical Qualities: Sound Collage, Instrumental, Field Recordings, Collage, Electro-Acoustic, Noisy, Home Recording, Vignettes

Instrumentation: Tapes, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Piano, Drum Machine, Synthesizers, Bass, Keyboard, Percussion, Bass Clarinet (B2)

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New Balance – The Spirits will Shimmer while I stare at their Shadows

While escapism is an understandable instinct in times of turmoil, The Spirits Will Shimmer encourages reflection on our current realities rather than turning a blind eye. New Balance’s Jeremy Leasure thoughtfully constructs a sonic cocoon of backwoods ambience from warped banjo improvisations and Casio synth atmospheres, foregoing the vivid lyrical imagery and lush arrangments of past releases. By offering a temporary respite from overstimulation, these meditative mood pieces carve out the space necessary to process the endless stream of information weighing on our hearts and minds.

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Brokeback – Field Recordings from the Cook County Water Table

Doug McComb’s first album as Brokeback is imbued with pastoral Impressionism, experimentalism, and a sense of Zen contentment. The record is mostly centered around his Bass VI, a short-scale bass with six strings that is trebly enough to function in both guitar and bass roles. This versatile instrument is usually wet with chorus and reverb that sculpt a fluid, aquatic tone to complement the slow, tranquil melodies. Outside of some solo pieces Doug is joined by a variety of accompaniment including lap steel guitar, synth, upright bass, Rhodes, vocals from Mary Hansen, and light percussion provided by producer/Tortoise bandmate John McEntire. This is a record that can be appreciated from a passive impressionistic standpoint, as well as under the microscopic attention of an engaged ear. (Follow link for full review)

Recommended for fans of Tortoise or Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti Western soundtracks

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Tim Hecker – Konoyo

Released in 2018 on Kranky Format: LPx2 Track Notes and Observations A1. This Life (Droney, Climactic, Mournful) Synths slowly dancing around each other in a beautiful sadness, Woozy, pitches bend and release in and out of tune Blooming structure, crescendos into overwhelming climax Disintegrates into a ghostly version of itself with high pitch sounds A2.

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Tangerine Dream – Zeit

This is what I imagine a black hole might sound like. “Zeit” translates to “Time”, yet time feels completely suspended here, filled instead with vast negative space in which burbling VCS 3 synthesizers, suspenseful organs, and a droning quartet of cellos float in and out. These four sidelong pieces erase all traces of rock or any kind of beat from Tangerine Dream’s sound, leaving ominous space-ambient music in its purest form.

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Eno, Roedelius, Moebius – After the Heat

Brian Eno and German kosmiche duo Cluster collaborate on a spacey synthesizer album with diverse moods, including peaceful ambient swells, sinister sequencers, industrial drum machine grooves, and suspenseful piano motifs. The release is mostly instrumental but Eno songs sparingly on a couple tracks. The last track features Can’s Holger Czukay playing some pulsing, harmonic bass grooves

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