How Brian Eno Created Ambient 1: Music for Airports (2019)
40 points
2 hours ago
| 4 comments
| reverbmachine.com
| HN
pickledoyster
34 minutes ago
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I did not realize Eno could not read sheet music. I always thought he used graphical expressions in his presentations as an artistic choice.
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krylon
1 hour ago
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I love this album. I often listen to it when programming, Ambient (or more generally: calm, instrumental music) helps me focus.
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gonzalohm
1 hour ago
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Do you have any recommendations?
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arcanemachiner
33 seconds ago
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Here's a playlist list of long-form ambient drone stuff I've been adding to for a couple years now:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGMYnukvmgiXXFxuTKDvZfw-e...

I listen to it while I work.

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krylon
30 minutes ago
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Sleep by Max Richter is great (and very long)

Sunset Mission by Bohren & Der Club of Gore is very very sleepy Jazz (they have released more albums, but this one is my favorite by a wide margin)

Long Ambients 1 & 2 by Moby - he was kind enough to make them available for download free of charge, too

Under Wires and Search Lights by Marconi Union

In A Silent Way by Miles Davis

Pretty much anything by Sigur Rós. It's not strictly speaking instrumental, but the lyrics are Icelandic, which I don't speak, so it's close enough

Cocteau Twins recorded many very ambient-ish albums. Not instrumental, but the "lyrics" are mostly glossolalia, so not distracting (at least for me).

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fragmede
21 minutes ago
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faidit
54 minutes ago
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Drone Zone on SomaFM (free internet radio) was how I discovered a lot of that stuff. Although they don't play the old classics as much these days, it's still good and they have a few similar stations there https://somafm.com/player24/station/dronezone
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averne_
1 hour ago
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Not OP but I also often to listen to ambient while programming. A couple recommendations would be "Music for Nine Post Cards" and other works by Hiroshi Yoshimura, and "Music for 18 musicians" and others by Steve Reich.

In fact, the use of loops described in this article reminded me of what Reich called "phases", basically the same concept of emerging/shifting melodic patterns between different samples.

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tuzemec
31 minutes ago
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For me - Aes Dana (Season 5 is still my favorite) and Carbon Based Lifeforms (Hydroponic Garden, World of Sleepers, Interloper).

Actually, check out the whole Ultimae catalogue: https://bandcamp.com/ultimae

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krylon
29 minutes ago
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Carbon Based Lifeforms are amazing.
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ErneX
13 minutes ago
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Their album World of Sleepers is my favourite from them.
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dijksterhuis
44 minutes ago
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music for programming podcast: https://musicforprogramming.net/latest/

some of the artists below are not strictly speaking ambient as in brian eno kind of ambient

jogging house, r beny, biosphere, anthony childs (surgeon doing ambient), abul mogard, alessandro cortini, alva noto (glitchy ambient), benoit piouliard, bing & ruth, bvdub, mu tate, jake muir, ulla, log et3rnal, space afrika, heurco s, donato dozzy - plays bee mask, imaginary softwoods, jo johnson, koen holtkamp, mountains, kyle bobby dunn, oneohtrix point never, neel, pendant, romeo poirier, domenique dumont, …

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tuyiown
16 minutes ago
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I've not seen Global Communication mentioned, 76:14 really is masterpiece. (Gamers will recognize a tune featured on GTA IV)
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jimlikeslimes
1 hour ago
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For a good intro the Sleepbot Environmental Broadcast radio is well worth listening to. Also their write up on how and why they produce the broadcast is really interesting.
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badmonster
1 hour ago
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Absolutely! For instrumental focus music, check out Nils Frahm or Max Richter. Do you prefer more electronic or acoustic sounds?
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ofalkaed
1 hour ago
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Biosphere - Shenzhou and Cirque, Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of The Stars of the Lid are favorites of mine. I would also include everything by Microstoria which is not ambient but it works to the same end.
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globular-toast
44 minutes ago
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Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works {85-92,Volume II}.
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ktallett
1 hour ago
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All of his and his brother, Roger's albums are great for this reason. I would recommend Svaneborg Kardyb as well, who are a great instrumental band.
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MultifokalHirn
1 hour ago
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"Ambient 4: On Land" is for me one of the most beautiful and mystical Albums of all time
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ktallett
1 hour ago
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I am always vastly impressed by the beauty of instrumental albums, and just how memorable and easy listening they are. Eno is of course so high up the list, but as I have got older I have explored instrumental music, from classical to jazz far more and there is true beauty and artistry in conveying your message and making people feel with just instruments and no words.
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