A Decade of Ambient

 

Ugh, this was difficult. I went through old end-of-the-year lists, checked Spotify playlists, looked up other folks' lists and dug up old mixes. There is just no easy way to sort through soooooo much music. But I finally ended up with something that is sort of coherent.

 I decided not to call this mix Best of the Decade as I have done with mixes for years. I've realized that the "Best" label is not accurate.  I'm sure I missed a ton of albums and I feel bad leaving some out. So these are my favorites that provide a good cross-section of ambient throughout the decade.

 Initially, I had harder electronic artists like Jon Hopkins & Rival Consoles on the list but I realized that I'd rather split those off into a smaller, favorite electronic album of the decade lineup. I'm not sure if I'll make a mix for the electronic favs but I'll at least post the list soon.

 The first thing that you'll notice about this mix is it's looooong. This is the longest mix I've done other than Endless Ambient, which was 5 or 6 hours long. This one clocks in at about 3 hours and 19 minutes. I basically was too lazy to make 2 mixes so we'll all have to put up with this monster which is actually kind of cool having this large of a collection of great music.

 Here's the list in alphabetical order:

1. 36 - Memories in Widescreen (2010)

2. 36 - Sine Dust EP (2015)

3. 36 - Tomorrow’s Explorers (2017)

4. 2814 - 新しい日の誕生 (2016)

5. A Strangely Isolated Place - Full Circle (2018)

6. A Winged Victory for the Sullen - s/t (2011)

7. Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol. 3 (2015)

8. Benoit Pioulard - Lingnin Poise & Slow Spark, Soft Spoke (2017)

9. Bersarin Quartett - II (2012)

10. Brambles - Charcoal (2012)

11. Brian Eno - Sisters (2017)

12. Chris Walla - Tape Loops (2015)

13. Chris Watson - El Tren (2011)

14. Colin Stetson - All This I Do For Glory (2017)

15. Dylan Howe - SUBTERRANEAN (2014)

16. Eli Keszler - Stadium (2018)

17. Jane Antonia Cornish - Constellations (2018)

18. Jens Pauly - Vihne (2019)

19. Johann Johannsson - Arrival OST (2016)

20. Johann Johannsson - Orphee (2016)

21. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - Ears (2016)

22. Kasper Bjorke Quartet - The Fifty Eleven Project (2018)

23. Klangriket & Sjors Mans - The Amsterdam Sessions (2018)

24. Koss, Henriksson & Mullaert - The Mollan Sessions (2011)

25. Kyle Bobby Dunn - A Young Person's Guide To...(2010)

26. Kyle Bobby Dunn - Bring Me The Head of (2012)

27. Loscil - Endless Falls (2010)

28. Loscil - Sketches from New Brighton (2012)

29. Mac Quayle - Mr. Robot, Vol. 1 OST (2016)

30. Maps & Diagrams - Get Lost (2011)

31. Maps & Diagrams - the town beneath the sea (2011)

32. Marconi Union - Distance (2012)

33. Max Richter - Sleep (2015)

34. Mohn - Mohn (2012)

35. Nest - Retold (2010)

36. Nils Frahm - Felt (2011)

37. Ocoeur - Inner (2018)

38. Olafur Arnalds - Island Songs (2016)

39. Olafur Arnalds - re:member (2018)

40. Paul Haslinger - Halt & Catch Fire (2016)

41. Robert Davies - Elemental Shimmer (2018)

42. Ryuichi Sakamoto And Alva Noto - The Revenant OST (2016)

43. Solidarity Hymnn - For a Wandering Beam of Sun (2018)

44. sonmi451 - spectrum (2010)

45. sonmi451 - Star Atlas (2011)

46. Steve Roach & Dirk Serries - Low Volume Music (2012)

47. Taylor Dupree - Fallen (2018)

48. William Ryan Fritch - Deceptive Cadence: Music For Film Vol. I & II (2019)

49. William Selman - Musica Enterrada (2018)

50. willamette - always in postscript (2012)

 

Here's to the next ten years of ambient music and ambient mixes!

 

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    36 - Poekhali (Tomorrow’s Explorers 2017)
• 06:27    Bersarin Quartett - Jedem Zauber wohnt ein Ende inne (II 2012)
• 11:36    Brian Eno - Hannah (Sisters 2017)
• 15:22    Chris Walla - Kanta's Theme (Tape Loops 2015)
• 20:00    Jane Antonia Cornish - Constellations 1 (Constellations 2018)
• 24:53    Brambles - To Speak of Solitude (Charcoal 2012)
• 29:00    Saffronkeira + Mario Massa - The Journey (Cause and Effect 2013)
• 33:33    Loscil - Khanamoot (Sketches from New Brighton 2012)
• 37:20    Koss, Henriksson & Mullaert - Monday Conversations (The Mollan Sessions 2011)
• 42:40    William Selman - Lithic Reduction (Musica Enterrada 2018)
• 44:40    Benoit Pioulard - Velha, nacre (Slow Spark, Soft Spoke 2017)
• 50:40    Solidarity Hymnn - For a Wandering Beam of Sun (For a Wandering Beam of Sun 2018)
• 56:10    Kyle Bobby Dunn - The Tributary-For Lost Voices (A Young Person's Guide To...2010)
• 1:02:15 Robert Davies - Honeysuckle Vapour (Elemental Shimmer 2018)
• 08:55    Maps & Diagrams - Floating Sculptures (Get Lost 2011)
• 13:22    Taylor Dupree - The Ephemerality of Chalk (Fallen 2018)
• 19:40    sonmi451 - Orange (Spectrum 2010)
• 23:25    Ocoeur - Echo (Inner 2018)
• 27:10    Paul Haslinger - The Scenic Route (Halt & Catch Fire 2016)
• 28:28    Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - Existence in the Unfurling (Ears 2016)
• 36:25    Johann Johannsson - Kangaru (Arrival 2016)
• 38:49    Olafur Arnalds - Raddir (Island Songs 2016)
• 42:26    Nest - Cad Goddeu (Retold 2010)
• 46:45    Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Revenant Theme Atmospheric (The Revenant 2016)
• 49:18    William Ryan Fritch - Visible Wear (Deceptive Cadence: Music For Film Vol. I & II 2019)
• 51:14    Nils Frahm - less (Felt 2011)
• 56:27    Max Richter - Dream 11-whisper music (Sleep 2015)
• 2:12:00 A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears (awvfts 2011)
• 15:05    Winterlight - Awake and Sleeping (A Strangely Isolated Place - Full Circle (2018)
• 19:14    Alva Noto - Xerrox Solphaer (Xerrox Vol. 3 2015)
• 24:20    Marconi Union - Inter (Distance 2012)
• 28:45    Eli Keszler - Flying Floor for US Airways (Stadium 2018)
• 32:03    Dylan Howe - Moss Garden (SUBTERRANEAN 2014)
• 37:27    Kasper Bjorke Quartet - Seminom Non Seminom (The Fifty Eleven Project 2018)
• 42:00    Klangriket & Sjors Mans - Prinsengracht (The Amsterdam Sessions 2018)
• 48:10    Mohn - Ambientôt (Mohn 2012)
• 53:08    Mac Quayle - 1.0_2-oneincontrol.aiff (Mr. Robot, Vol. 1 2016)
• 54:54    2814 - テレパシー (Birth of a New Day 2015)
• 3:00:50 willamette - avenue heights carouselled horse (always in postscript (2012)
• 02:45    Jens Pauly - Elde (Vihne 2019)
• 06:52    Steve Roach & Dirk Serries - Bow (Low Volume Music 2012)
• 3:18:51 end