Classics of Ambient Music

Starting in the late seventies, Eno released of series of 4 works, Ambient 1-4, that defined the genre.

• Ambient 1: Music for Airports, is slow and meditative. There are four pieces. Eno created each piece by making tape loops of varying length. On each tape loop, he recorded sounds that would work together as a whole. Because each tape loop was a different length, the intervals between repeats varied from loop to loop. The result is that the sounds float by in a constantly shifting collage, almost like a sound mobile. The result is very quiet and reflective, because Eno uses soft piano and women’s wordless voices as is sound sources.
• Ambient 2: Plateau of Mirror. This is a collaboration with minimalist Harold Budd. On it, Budd creates slow piano works, reminiscent of some of Eric Satie’s more well-known pieces, or possibly Thomas de Hartmann’s. Eno processes Budd’s piano with phasers, tape loops, and backwards reverberation effects. Budd and Eno create sounds never heard before on Ambient 2.
• Ambient 3: Day of Radiance. Day of Radiance is a colloboration with Laraaji, a musician that plays hammered dulcimer. Day of Radiance is a little different from the other three members of Eno’s seminal ambient series. It sounds upbeat and happy! How much happy ambient music do you hear? Edward Gordon, known as Laraaji, is unusual in that he plays an electric, open-tuned zither & hammered dulcimer, but not in a folk-influenced style. The pieces on Ambient 3 serve as a contrast to the other Ambient albums, especially Ambient 4.
• Ambient 4: On Land. On Land is a test of people’s appreciation for the ambient genre. This is far away from many people’s ideas of ambient music. There’s nothing “new age” about this music. The cuts on this album are full of sounds and textures that are a little scary. Rumbly synths sound like thunder, or the wind blowing over an open bottle. Throughout the album, it’s rare to hear recognizable instruments. The music is made up of blurps, beeps and textures instead. Dark ambient artists owe a lot to On Land

Since these four important ambient pieces, much of Eno’s work has been in the ambient style. His colloboration with Harold Budd, The Pearl, is another collection of beautiful piano pieces. The Pearl is a lush, dark classic. Neroli is minimal, thinking music. Each of his more recent ambient works stakes out new territory for ambient music.

Eno’s work has inspired many other musicians, and many artists have released music that falls into the ambient category.

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