Ambient music, with its ethereal textures and expansive soundscapes, remains a vital undercurrent in the broader music scene. From minimalist drones that beckon listeners into a meditative state to intricate sound collages that map uncharted emotional territories, ambient – far from simply a background texture – can be some of the most powerful music out there.
As a genre that thrives on the periphery, ambient music offers a counterpoint to the frenetic pace of life, inviting a moment of introspection and solace. Its importance lies in its aesthetic appeal and its role as a cultural barometer, reflecting the nuanced shifts in our collective consciousness.
Our new monthly selection will strive to underscore the genre’s evolving narrative, highlighting its enduring relevance and continued innovation within the electronic music spectrum.
Follow our playlist to be swept away with the very finest ambient music every month
Donato Dozzy – Franca
Donato Dozzy is pretty much untouchable in his nice polyrhythmic ambient techno, and one of the strengths of his latest releases is that he never will be. Taken from his new LP Magda, Franca is epic in both scale and beauty, with sidewinding synth patterns cushioned by gently billowing pads. Delicate, intricate and utterly sublime.
58918102 – VII
Ukrainian dub techno and experimental artist 58918012 return with perhaps his most meditative music on the new album From One To Eight. A concept album of sorts, he limited himself to a single note for the first track, two for the second, and so on, meaning that VII is made from seven notes and arguably one of the most expansive in the collection.
Gallery Six – Utakata
The use of water recordings in ambient is arguably an overused trope, but it’s hard to argue with when it’s done this effectively. Japanese artist Gallery Six has close to two decades in the game now, and has the following advice when listening to this: “Please do nothing and think about nothing and just be in a daze. We are too busy.”
Beryllium – Labyrinthine Tunnels
You won’t find much else relaxing on gothic metal band Beryllium’s latest album Your Laughter Is An Echo In My Head, but Labyrinthine Tunnels is an unexpected sort-focus delight. Proof that you can find the glimmering light of ambient in even the darkest holes.
Leslee Smucker – air placed formally
Recorded in an abandoned water tank in rural northwest Colorado and inspired by Muriel Rukeyser’s circa-1935 poem of the same name, violinist Leslee Smucker explores the range and saturation of intense natural reverb on her new LP Breathing Landscape. Not strictly relaxing, but awe-inspiring nevertheless.
Tegu – IV
Mainly recorded in a single 24-hour block of attuned lo-fi improv, Florida-based producer Tegu’s new LP is music of peripheries and private spheres, traced in faint horizons of hanging moss, water, and moonlight. The dub influence is particularly strong in this one.
Frunk.29 – 14.123
Deeply chill and buoyantly optimistic vibes from Frunk.29 here. A lo-fi hazy bop that acts as a nice counterpoint to some of the more overtly self-serious selections on this list.
SVLBRD – On Top Of A Mountain
Agustín Mena has been releasing a steady stream of glacially inspired ambient for several years, with 2023 alone seeing him release half a dozen albums. On Top Of A Mountain is peak (sorry) SVLBRD, conjuring images of a slowly shifting, pale white landscape.
Billow Observatory – Garden Of Four Streams
Billow Observatory is a trans-Atlantic duo consisting of Detroit’s Jason Kolb (Auburn Lull) and Denmark’s Jonas Munk (Manual), who have worked together since 2006. Their new album Soliton is out one of the stand-outs of the year so far, with the poignant simplicity of Garden Of Four Streams a greta place to start if you’ve not had the pleasure of their music so far.
Naliah Hunter – Cloudbreath
The LA-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Nailah Hunter has recorded mystical folk and ambient-inspired music since 2019. Cloudhbreath sits right at the intersect of these two genres, with rich, dramatic pads set against delicate strings and subtle synth lines.
Ann Annie – Cottonwood
Another one that sits somewhere between folk, country and ambient, Ann Annie’s Cottonwood is one that fans of Liz Harris’s Grouper project will want to check.
Cowboy Sadness – Billings, MT
An ambient supergroup of sorts, Cowboy Sadness is a collaboration between Bing & Ruth, The Antlers and port St. Willow. A warm counterpoint to the stark vistas of SVLBRD, Billings, MT conjures images of warm sunsets and endless blue-pink skies. And if you can find me a better album title than Selected Jambient Works, Vol.1 this year, I’ll buy you a drink.
aloisius – 19may
the unfolding rose from which 19may is taken emerges as an expansive album, primarily consisting of spontaneous, single-take tracks. Crafted by aloisius with numerous collaborators, it offers an intensive 4-hour journey through ambient and experimental soundscapes. Ideal for those seeking a demanding listen, it promises moments of sheer beauty amidst raw dialogues and potent dissonance. Patience is essential, but the rewards are remarkable.
Dau – Neu
UK ambient musician Dau returns to Phantom Limb’s Spirituals imprint with the elegiac beauty and organic, breathing ambience of new album Gilly’s Wood, recorded on location in South Kent’s memorial woods of the same name.
newfound eden – relmz 2000
We finish with this Boards of Canada-adjacent cut from newfound eden; all creepy, meandering synth lines and bit-crushed drums. Tailor-made for feeling both relaxed and slightly anxious all at once.
