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Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: Kid Modernist on 07 May 2006, 15:19

Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Kid Modernist on 07 May 2006, 15:19
Recently I have been getting really into Ambient electronic music. I was just wondering if anybody had any good stuff that I probably haven't heard of that I would like? Also, what is everybody's (who is interested) ambient album? I'd especially like some examples of drone albums that are worth listening to.

I like Loscil, Brian Eno (Another Green World esp.), Boards of Canada.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: jariku on 07 May 2006, 15:38
Try every single 7" Drone Records has ever released.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: El Opium on 07 May 2006, 16:36
I'm not sure how far into the experimental you're looking to go, but I'm personally quite fond of.
Avarus
Ashtray Navigations
Birchville Cat Motel
Charalambides
Growing
Tim Hecker
Hive Mind (Only if you want to go over to the dark side)
Pan Sonic
Seht
Skullflower (They lean more towards power-drone/noise)
Stars of the Lid
Yellow Swans (Lots of noise elements)

One drone album I can wholeheartedly reccomend to anyone is Fripp and Eno's Evening Star.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: amok on 07 May 2006, 16:44
couple of album ideas

Biosphere - Substrata
Robert Rich & Brian Lustmord - Stalker
Stars of the Lid - Avec Laudenum
Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sound of Stars of the Lid
Synaesthesia - Ephemeral
The Orb - Adventures Beyond The Underworld
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: jariku on 07 May 2006, 16:54
Quote from: El Opium
Avarus

Avarus is maybe more in the free jazz realm of things, but they're still highly recommended. They're also a good gateway into the Finnish outsider folk/experimental/whatever scene, which includes gems like Kemialliset Ystävät, Es, Hotguitars, Lau Nau, TV-Resistori, Hetero Skeleton, Mohel, Kiila, Space Rocket, Circle and a bunch of other great bands that are even more off-topic.

Yeah, uhm. Future Sound Of London is good for those Ambient moments.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Kid Modernist on 07 May 2006, 17:00
An added question: I've heard about "Dark Ambience" or something similar and it sounds interesting. What is good or "the ultimate album in" that genre?

Also, rather than just a list (which I like) would you mind talking about them a bit? When it comes to long lists I sort of just glaze over.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: jariku on 07 May 2006, 17:09
Quote from: Kid Modernist
An added question: I've heard about "Dark Ambience" or something similar and it sounds interesting. What is good or "the ultimate album in" that genre?

Grab a Cold Meat Industry (http://www.coldmeat.se/) sampler or two for those Dark Ambient moments. I'd especially recommend MZ 412, Raison d'être, Ordo Equilibrio/Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, Sanctum and Aghast.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Kai on 07 May 2006, 17:16
Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works are great.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: KharBevNor on 07 May 2006, 17:36
My favourite 'ambient' albums/EPs, if such they could be called, and I'm sure someone will jump down my throat and explain why they are not ambient, are:

Beherit - Electric Doom Synthesis
Burzum - Daudi Baldrs
Coil - The Angelic Conversation
Ildjarn+Nidhogg - Hardangervidda
Mortiis - Emperor of a Dimension Unknown
Ulver - Silence Teaches You How to Sing

I also put out my own 'ambient' EP, which, truth be told, I do rather like:

http://www.last.fm/music/Halo+of+Flies/Solar+Symphony
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Rubby on 07 May 2006, 18:27
Fennesz is really good. Some of it isn't quite so droney, but really good none the less. Try "The Endless Summer" if you haven't heard any it.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: McTaggart on 07 May 2006, 18:49
If you see names that you can't find in stores, Mimaroglu Music Sales is probably a good place to look. It's also probably worth browsing the catalogue by genre and seeing what sounds interesting.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Staralfur on 07 May 2006, 21:46
Hammock, get the album Kenotic. Kind of like Ambient Shoegazing. Really good. If you can't find it, I can send it to you. It's sort of rare, I think.

And some tracks on Life Is Full Of Possibilites by Dntel are pretty ambient, like the title track and Pillowcase.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: El Opium on 07 May 2006, 21:49
Reading the Mimaroglu catalogue makes me drool. When it comes to dark ambient I hear a lot of talk about the album 'Heresy' by Lustmord as being a genre definer in an ill-defined genre, though I've yet to personally hear the album.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: jariku on 08 May 2006, 01:49
Quote from: KharBevNor
Beherit - Electric Doom Synthesis
Burzum - Daudi Baldrs
Ildjarn+Nidhogg - Hardangervidda
Ulver - Silence Teaches You How to Sing

...it's also worth noting that all of the above have done black metal albums, so randomly picking up any album from the rest of their back catalogue without listening to it first is not a very wise move when looking for ambient music.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Misereatur on 08 May 2006, 02:36
Quote from: KharBevNor
Ulver - Silence Teaches You How to Sing

Seconded, thirded and fourthed.
Also try Ulver's Lyckantropen Themes, Silencing the Singing and Metamorphosis.

Oh, also try Thomas Koner's Zyklop and Kaamos albums (personally, Zyklop is my favorite).
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Hat on 08 May 2006, 02:53
Quote from: Kai
Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works are great.


I dunno. Its pretty cool, but I just found it too goddamn creepy to listen to on any regular basis. Maybe I'm just weird though.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: MilkmanDan on 08 May 2006, 10:49
Seriously minimal ambient awesomness. Not quite drone though. I think.
Gas - Zauberberg
Marsen Jules - Herbstlaub

Also, loads of the early 90's Warp records stuff. Pick up the Artificial Intelligence compilations and revel in the ambient electronica goodness.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: KharBevNor on 08 May 2006, 14:17
Quote from: jariku
Quote from: KharBevNor
Beherit - Electric Doom Synthesis
Burzum - Daudi Baldrs
Ildjarn+Nidhogg - Hardangervidda
Ulver - Silence Teaches You How to Sing

...it's also worth noting that all of the above have done black metal albums, so randomly picking up any album from the rest of their back catalogue without listening to it first is not a very wise move when looking for ambient music.


In fact, if you are looking for ambient music from my selection, just get the ones I said, as Mortiis has gone pretty dancey and Coil have done all sorts of strange and wonderful things.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: jariku on 08 May 2006, 14:24
Actually, getting every single thing Coil has ever released can't be anything else than recommended.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: KharBevNor on 08 May 2006, 14:26
Very true.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: timehat on 08 May 2006, 21:46
A lot of the RIO chamber prog type stuff gets pretty damn ambient. Suggestions: Univers Zero and Art Zoyd.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Kai on 08 May 2006, 21:52
Quote from: jariku
Actually, getting every single thing Coil has ever released can't be anything else than recommended.



Pretty much. Horse Rotorvator is amazing.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: onewheelwizzard on 09 May 2006, 13:39
Is there some reason why nobody's talked about SUNN0))) yet?
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: KharBevNor on 09 May 2006, 14:12
Yeah, we're talking about electronic drone, not drone doom.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: jariku on 09 May 2006, 15:34
Quote from: KharBevNor
Mortiis - Emperor of a Dimension Unknown

I didn't notice this earlier, but the above title is incorrect. That's an english translation of the real title of the album Khar is referring to: "Keiser av en Dimensjon Ukjent".

You'll have much more luck tracking down the album by using the original norwegian title.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Jedit on 09 May 2006, 16:35
The early Orb cannot be avoided when thinking ambient.  The first two albums (Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld and UFOrb) belong on every ambient shelf.

I shoved up a bit of dronology from the Deep Listening project in the Forced Listening Thread a while back; that one can be found on Epitonic, but I recommend tracking down the whole album (and also Stuart Dempster's solo album recorded in there).

Lastly, try Porcupine Tree's Voyage album.  Very, very dark.
Title: Re: Ambient Drones
Post by: nuisance on 10 May 2006, 00:01
Quote from: Kid Modernist

I like Loscil, Brian Eno (Another Green World esp.), Boards of Canada.

If you haven't already you can also download a whole Loscil album (http://one.dot9.ca/2/releases.php?id=027) for free on the net label one.  It's ace, IMO.  So still, as per the title.

Loscil's CDs are on a label called Kranky (http://www.kranky.net/).  You can look at their website for artist names and then search better propaganda (http://www.betterpropaganda.com), where most of them have a sample tune or two.  "Tune".  Hmm.  While you're there you could check out Milosh, who sounds a lot like Boards of Canada with a singer.  

Grrr... Boards of Canada.  *ahem*

My favourite Eno ambient album is Ambient 4: On Land.

I like many releases on Touch (http://www.touchmusic.org.uk), such as Oren Ambarchi's 'Grapes from the Estate', Rafael Toral's 'Violence of Discovery, The Calm of Acceptance' and Fennesz's 'Venice'.  These are all albums ostensibly by guitarists, if that makes it easier for indie hearts to accept.

Presuming you want free business, here are some other net label releases that I reckon vaguely fit the area you've described and which are certainly on a par with heaps of CD releases:

Dighom - Vibrating Colours / Coloured Vibrations (http://www.thinner.cc/releases.php?r=apl009)
Gras - Gras (http://www.stadtgruenlabel.net/) - Site uses frames, but its catalogue number is gruen005, found under "releases"
Lomov - Vorstadt (http://www.miasmah.com/music/cat/mia060/mia060.html) - This guy has released heaps, his website (http://www.lomov.de) has all the links.
Vägskäl - As Summer Comes Creeping (http://monocromatica.com/netlabel/releases/tube020.htm)
.tape. - Sea-Scaping Monthly in 4 or 5 Movements (http://www.observatoryonline.org/releases/view_release.php?sku=os004) - Links are to Ogg Vorbis files, if you want MP3s follow the link on that page to Archive.org
[/list:u]
Meh, that'll do.  I've got more music than I can listen to :( but this is what came to mind to suggest.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Bunnyman on 10 May 2006, 01:12
MOUSE ON MARS!

I'm amazed no one's brought them up.  Nuin Niggung in particular is quite entrancing.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Rizzo on 10 May 2006, 01:50
Quote from: jariku
Actually, getting every single thing Coil has ever released can't be anything else than recommended.

Well nearly everything, I imagine buying their unpressed release would have been pretty dissappointing...
EDIT: To clarify, Coil released "How to Destroy Angels" as unpressed vinyl originally.

The only ambient I have is:
The Cellar by Antonio Cora
Dark River by Coil

Those two are individual tracks. Dark River is very nice (So is the Autchre remix).
The Cellar is a track inspired by The Blair Witch Project and isn't very good.

I think some of Type O Negatives interlude tracks could be considered ambient.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: nuisance on 10 May 2006, 06:22
Quote from: Bunnyman
MOUSE ON MARS!

I'm amazed no one's brought them up.  Nuin Niggung in particular is quite entrancing.

Mouse on Mars are one of my favourites, but I don't consider them anything like the 3 artists originally mentioned, so they never crossed my mind.

Of course same goes for Coil etc.  and even the Orb.  If the original poster wants an ambient history round up I'd be happy to join in.  'UFOrb' and KLF's 'Chill Out' were pretty defining rekkids of a certain place and time for me..
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Mary Worth on 10 May 2006, 15:14
It's worth pointing out that no one in the history og music has actually enjoyed listening to Beherit's Electric Doom Synthesis.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: KharBevNor on 10 May 2006, 15:25
Apart from me.

And the other fans of Beherit.

Though, obviously, not the members of Fuck Beherit.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Mary Worth on 10 May 2006, 15:26
Fans of Beherit don't like that awful thing, though.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: KharBevNor on 10 May 2006, 15:27
Well I like Beherit.

And I like Electric Doom Synthesis.

So in conclusion, go fuck yourself in the eye.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Mary Worth on 10 May 2006, 15:28
You're just one misguided person. Unless you know other fans of Beherit?
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Jedit on 10 May 2006, 15:46
Quote from: Bunnyman
MOUSE ON MARS!

I'm amazed no one's brought them up.


Nobody ate them.  :)

Seriously, I was planning on sticking one of theirs up next time I'm in the barrel in the Forced Listening Thread.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: jariku on 10 May 2006, 15:57
Quote from: Mary Worth
Unless you know other fans of Beherit?

Oath of Black Blood, motherfucker!
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Mary Worth on 10 May 2006, 16:02
That's a good album.
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Gryff on 10 May 2006, 16:21
Mary, Mary, quite contrary…

How does your garden grow?
Title: Ambient Drones
Post by: Jedit on 11 May 2006, 01:52
With blatant trolls and complete assholes
And pretty flames all in a row.