Five Ambient Albums
Last month I discussed Mark
Prendergast’s book The Ambient Century: From Mahler to Moby -- the Evolution of
Sound in the Electronic Age. Here is a sampling of five great ambient albums, to give
you an introduction to the music itself. Because ambient refers more to the effect
the music has on the listener than to any compositional or instrumental category, this
short list crosses the usual genres lines. These discs would also make a good soundtrack
for your perusal of The Ambient Century.
 Satie: The Early Piano
Works [Philips 462 161]; Reinbert de Leeuw, piano. In the first chapter of his
book, Prendergast makes the case for Satie being one of the founders of ambient music.
Satie sometimes referred to his music as "furniture music," indicating that it
was meant to be part of the overall atmosphere of a space, much as furniture defines a
room. The influence of his Gnossiennes can be heard in much later work, such as
that of Brian Eno. |
|  Morton Feldman: Piano and String Quartet [Nonesuch 79320]; Aki
Takahashi, piano; Kronos Quartet. While Feldman’s Piano and String Quartet is
mesmerizing, at a little over 70 minutes it only hints at what can be found in some of his
longer works. New listeners might start banging their heads waiting for something to
happen, but sustained listening reveals patterns that can’t be detected if the work
is not heard in its entirety.
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|  Boards of Canada: The Campfire Headphase [Warp
CD123]. This disc, only a few months old as I write, is a good example of contemporary
ambient music. There are instruments, most noticeably guitars, to go along with the
electronic soundscape. At low volumes, it can be very calming; played loud, it might have
the opposite effect. The Campfire Headphase is a more adventurous choice than the
other releases listed here, but its otherworldly charm might enthrall you.
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|  Brian Eno: Ambient
1: Music for Airports [Astralwerks 66495]. Intended as background music -- for,
you guessed it, airports -- this music was actually installed at New York’s LaGuardia
Airport in the late 1970s. Despite being intended as background music, Ambient 1
can be engaging, and evoke calm and open spaces. Many people consider this the most
important ambient album, not only for its artistic success but for its lasting influence.
Astralwerks has done a great job in its recent reissues, remastering with great care both
the Ambient series and Eno’s other early works.
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|  Miles Davis: In
a Silent Way [Columbia/Legacy 86556]. Miles Davis made so many great albums that In
a Silent Way is sometimes overlooked. Recorded in the late 1960s, it never stops
sounding contemporary -- it could just as easily have been recorded this year. The
original release comprises tracks spliced together from different takes, but the three-CD
boxed set The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions [Columbia/Legacy C3K 65362] reveals
everything in its original form as well as in the final edited versions. In a Silent
Way was one of the first Davis albums to feature electric piano and bass, and
demonstrated that, as Miles himself might put it, what you don’t play can be
as important as what you do.
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...Eric D. Hetherington
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