Ambient Systems (1995). Ambient Systems is a compilation of Instinct's most talked about discoveries, an Underground Ambient epic of sorts exhibiting the talents of NY pioneer Terre Thaemlitz, the nationally acclaimed and officially supported SETI project, the brilliantly provocative Human Mesh Dance, and European ambient master Dominic Woosey as Mysteries of Science. Ambient Systems also features works from the captivating and ingenious Omicron, as well as the red-hot Sub Dub, Evolve Now, Adam Shaikh and Deep Space Network. Ambient Systems is pleased to introduce Facil, a collaboration between Tension Record's Abe Duque and P909's Dietrich Schoeneman. All artists are represented with compilation-only, exclusive tracks not to be found on their full-length releases…
20 years of Pop Ambient. Pop Ambient Music is medicine against illnesses, that you don’t even suffer from. It’s giving everything, demanding nothing. Musical lotus leafs, off which the virtual wastewater of our time is rolling like the reality is dripping off the matrix. In this sense, we’re happy about the pop-ambient anniversary greetings from new and old companions like Thore Pfeiffer, Max Würden, Yui Onodera, Jörg Burger, Thomas Fehlmann, Morgen Wurde, Leandro Fresco aswell as contributions from T. Raumschmiere, Andrew Thomas and, after a long break, from friends from early days like Joachim Spieth, Markus Guentner und Klimek.
Ambient Sleeping Pill 1 (2014). This album is divided into two 40-minute, 5-track halves - both a sort of mini voyage. Both “Warm Night on the Cold Front” and “Dark Moon Lullaby” are epic and blissful (though quite different), slowly fading in and out, ebbing and flowing, with the most dynamic range on the album. Both tracks fade out slowly enough to allow you to fully leave your consciousness behind, before giving you a plush entrance into dreamland via “A Strange Economy” and “Gumball.” We then visit the more mysterious scenes of night, with the reverent “Catenary” and “Eluded.” Flying back on the wings of “Drift Chamber” and “Watching a Glowing Horizon Bend with Earth,” we drift in the heavens for what seems an eternity longer, before coming awake again…
From blue planet beauty to far-off galaxies, Lemongrass has been sowing his wide and abundant “Ambient Land” dreamscapes once again. A healing sedative, that slowly works its way through the bloodstream, flooding the brain with finest delta waves. With “Ambient Land 4″, Lemongrass masters the art of simplification, intuitively reducing the production to what is essentially important. Thus this EP goes beyond quietly epic reportage, leading to a state of inner peace and meditation…
Terra Ambient create a vibrant collection of themes, setting from approaches near to Ambient Tribal, and exploring various melodic and symphonic in a very imaginative manner. Some of the melodies present in the album have a suggestive epic air typical of a swords and sorcery story. To this magic, mysterious touch specially contributes the very successful combination among unearthly atmospheres generated by the synthesizers and the acoustic textures with an archaic taste such as those present in the percussion. In fact, for some of the sampled sounds the artist has counted on the help of Michael Stearns. Another additional collaboration is the one by Jeff Pearce, who has participated with additional guitars in the theme "The Ghost in Me".
The third volume in Virgin's Ambient series doesn't change the game much; there are a few newer acts sprinkled amongst the two-disc set (FSOL, William Orbit, Bark Psychosis) but the main focus here is on classic ambient masters (Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, David Sylvian, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Harold Budd) and quieter selections from Virgin artists who wouldn't normally be classified this way (Prince Far I, Holger Czukay, Shu-De, Bill Laswell, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan). The result is another fine collection, a must have album for any eclectic music lover.
On Land represented a significant move away from the strategies Brian Eno had employed in earlier ambient releases such as Discreet Music and Music for Airports. Instead of using a specific process to generate music with minimal interference from the composer, he here opts for a more gestural and intuitive approach, creating dreamy pictures of some specific geographical points or evocative memories of them. It's quite easy to imagine these works as soundtracks to mysterious footage of imprecisely glimpsed landscapes. On Land is an album that would become highly influential with the rising tide of new age composers, though few if any would capture the chilly beauty or latent romanticism that is part and parcel of Eno…
This 2-CD album, produced in Australia by Anthony Asher Wright and a couple of guest performers, is well within the “traditional” spirit of Brian Eno’s original concept of ambient music. It is designed not to intrude, but to exist in the aural background of the listener’s consciousness, and enhance calm or meditative moods. The album cover says “Play at lower level; do not operate machinery or drive vehicles.” This sums it up pretty well. “Ashera’s” sounds feature, in different tracks, whispers of synthesizer chords, gently tinkling bells, Australian environmental sounds, and crooning female voices. It’s soft, really soft. Even if you turn the volume up, it’s still soft…