Congrats on being the 2000th post in this thread @OotyPa . I'll have a list sometime this week for yas.
my top 15 1) Pausal - Melatonia 2) Helios - Domicile 3) Luke Schneider - Altar of Harmony 4) This Will Destroy You - Vespertine 5) North Americans - Roped In 6) Miguel Noya - Canciónes Intactas 7) Roly Porter - Kistvaen 8) Gigi Masin - Calypso 9) Illuvia - Past Lives & Inner Worlds 10) Eerie Gaits - Holopaw 11) Waveform Transmission - AI-20: V 3.0-3.9 12) Susana López aka Susan Drone - crónica de un secuestro 13) Seahawks and Woo - Celestial Railroads 14) Jacaszek - Music for Film 15) Tatsuhisa Yamamoto - Ashioto (& Ashiato) honorable mentions: Jon Hassell - Seeing Through Sound Andrew Tuttle - Alexandra Blush to the Snow - S/T Julianna Barwick - Healing is a Miracle Chris Zabriskie - I Made This While You Were Asleep Michiru Aoyama - Flat Lake Ulla - Tumbling Towards a Wall Purl - Renovatio Laraaji - Through Luminous Eyes r beny - Natural Fiction Lieven Martens and Dolphins Into the Future - Insular Monographs Hotel Neon - Moments KMRU - Peel Koyil - Healing Cycles Morimoto Naoki - Hibi Chris Watson/Georgia Rodgers- Notes From The Forest Floor/Line Of Parts
top 15 Andrew Tuttle - Alexandra Ekin Fil - Coda Ezra Feinberg - Recumbent Speech Gia Margaret - Mia Gargaret Glåsbird - Norskfjǫrðr Halftribe - Cloud Dreaming and Shadows Jusell, Prymek, Sage, Shiroishi - Fuubutsushi (風物詩) Lemon Quartet - Crestless Margins - I Tired For Hours Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders Midori Hirano - Invisible Island North Americans - Roped In Offthesky & The Humble Bee - We Were the Hum of Dreams Okkyung Lee - Yeo-Neun Windy & Carl - Allegiance and Conviction
Love how diverse those lists are, gives me plenty of stuff to check out. Here are my favorites, sorted alphabetically: Austin Cash - All Over Alabama Dylan Henner - The Invention of the Human Jogging House - be Julianna Barwick - Healing Is A Miracle Gia Margaret - Mia Gargaret Lake Mary & M. Sage - Shepherd's Bridge Madeleine Cocolas - Ithaca Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders Matt LaJoie - Everlasting Spring Morimoto Naoki - hibi Nicole Oberle - Skin Offthesky & The Humble Bee - We Were The Hum of Dreams Sea Oleena - Weaving A Basket Thme - That's what it will be like Wife Signs - Beneath the Weight of Care
That Julianna Barwick record is gorgeous, might climb my list. Somehow forgot about it when writing my list, but added to my honorable mentions. I also dug that Dylan Henner record but didn't listen to it enough--very cool concept album. I listened to Halftribe this morning... good stuff, though I think I like their last one more These came out recently. Really good drone. I loved their record which came out last month, too.
Seems like I've got a lot to listen to from the lists and new stuff posted. LOVE the diversity. @0rb waiting on yours I'll be digging in after I finish this stunning track from 2019. I wish this artist put out more stuff since then, but nada
I enjoy my ambient voluminous and all-encompassing edit- I also think this lends itself to a discussion about the genre. I don't necessarily expect or want all ambient artists to make peaceful music.
When I get the chance to make a list, Ingrid will definitely be on it. Great stuff. Some of the songs on Oliver Coates' new album, though I wouldn't necessarily classify it as ambient, remind me of it, so check that out too if you like that droning cello sound.
depends on yr definition of ambient the Eno definition of ambient was “must be as ignorable as it is interesting” but that is compositionally - did he mean we must play at a low volume?? maybe but that’s only one definition from one person Wikipedia has this Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. A form of instrumental music, it may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.[5] It uses textural layers of sound which can reward both passive and active listening[6] and encourage a sense of calm or contemplation.[7][8] The genre is said to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual",[9] or "unobtrusive" quality.[10] I would feel that is better although there is ambient that is not instrumental again... different views / definitions all I have to say is if you haven’t listened to a Stars of the Lid album (especially the last two) at max volume on a good stereo (especially vinyl!) you will be wonderfully surprised at how much magic & power & detail is revealed
Absolutely agreed that listening to SoTL and other drone artists at high volume really brings out how sweepingly beautiful they are. I think ambient can definitely be "ignorable" but you don't always want to ignore it--sometimes you want it to overwhelm you.
so I've listened to Stars of the Lid a bit over the years but never really did a deep dive. what do y'all consider to be their seminal albums?
And Their Refinement, Tired Sounds, and Ballasted Orchestra are my faves. You can’t really go wrong with any of their albums though. The side projects are also beautiful and worth checking out. Kyle Bobby Dunn’s newest album and Infinite Sadness are some of the best SotL tributes I’ve heard in a long while, those are also worth checking out (even though KBD has major issues)
listening to And Their Refinement... now. I feel like I have to finish this one to really get what they're driving at and then the other two you mentioned will be next. I appreciate the suggestions
For sure. Also drone is v mood-driven. If you’re not into it now, I’d say try it again when it’s past midnight and you’re the last one awake.
This Matt LaJoie record is transcendent, thank you @mesi for the rec. How were his others from this year? On that note, I absolutely LOVED the Americana-tinged ambient wave we got this year, from North Americans to Austin Cash. Still waiting on that Chuck Johnson, too.