Ambient Music

[Wesley Dodds]

I'm a bit of a music autistic -- I don't "get" a lot of music. Generally, I can only really enjoy music if it has words to keep my brain occupied. But since getting an ipod I've been trying to expand my taste. Anyway, recently I've been playing the computer game Secret of Evermore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_of_Evermore). I love the ambient music soundtrack. Does anyone have any ambient music recommendations?

[Adam C]

I've never gotten much into Ambient music, at least not yet. So I can't reccomend much other than the works of the genre's progenitor Brian Eno. He got the idea to create a kind of music that could be easily ignored as it was interesting to the listener, and would supposedly subtly influence the listener's perceptions of his or her environment. Anyways his first full solo album of that was called Discrete Music (1975) and then he launched into a series of four albums referred to as 'Ambient':

1. Music For Airports
2. The Plateaux of Mirror
3. Day of Radiance
4. And On Land

And that's as much as I know about his discography in that area that's worth investigating. His "pop album" (insofar it had music with words) Another Green World is considered to have ambient pieces (I guess those would be the instrumental parts) among it's beautiful, idiosyncratic electronic pop. His collaborations with King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp - No Pussyfooting and The Evening Star are apparently also considered ambient to a degree.

[Quilt]

If you like rock, you'll probably find 65DaysOfStatic (that's all one word) really good. Just one song doesn't quite work though. An entire album works best.

[mattx110]

There's this awesome ambient music band, and they actually released their album in the form of a white noise machine, available in any Bed Bath and Beyond...;)

[Valmore]

I'm a bit of a music autistic -- I don't "get" a lot of music. Generally, I can only really enjoy music if it has words to keep my brain occupied. But since getting an ipod I've been trying to expand my taste. Anyway, recently I've been playing the computer game Secret of Evermore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_of_Evermore). I love the ambient music soundtrack. Does anyone have any ambient music recommendations?

Sign up for eMusic. They've got tons of ambient and new age choices.

[Jonathan Bogart]

If the music on a videogame is what turned you on to the idea, then what you really want is Tangerine Dream. I'd try their 70s material first, as it gets somewhat more schlocky as the decades go by, but it'll all pretty much hit that sweet videogame-soundtrack spot.

[cactusmaac]

I wouldn't really call 65daysofstatic ambient, they're more of a math rock band. Give Porcupine Tree and Om a try.

[Sanagi]

If the music on a videogame is what turned you on to the idea, then what you really want is Tangerine Dream. I'd try their 70s material first, as it gets somewhat more schlocky as the decades go by, but it'll all pretty much hit that sweet videogame-soundtrack spot.
Normally this would be a good reccomendation, but Secret of Evermore really does have an ambient soundtrack. Lots of nature sounds, lots of empty space. It's eerily quiet. Just one more reason why the game is underappreciated(though having said that, I still don't like it very much).

[Cayman]

Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Vol 2
Global Communication's 76:14
Tom Middleton's Lifetracks
Various CD released by the Norwegian artist Biosphere
The Field's From Here We Go Sublime