6 ms·

Can you recommend a Top 5 ambient albums for working? EDIT: Thanks for all the suggestions!

slyall 13y ago
Try Ambient Nights - http://www.ambient-nights.org/ http://www.ambient-nights.org/ About 60 album length mixes
tuzemec 13y ago
Recently found this guy: http://soundcloud.com/s1gnsofl1fe http://soundcloud.com/s1gnsofl1fe Pretty nice. Also the french label ultimae releases some amazing stuff: http://ultimae.com/ http://ultimae.com/
mietek 13y ago
Carbon Based Lifeforms and H.U.V.A. Network are fantastic for focus: http://www.last.fm/music/Carbon+Based+Lifeforms http://www.last.fm/music/Carbon+Based+Lifeforms http://www.last.fm/music/H.U.V.A.+Network http://www.last.fm/music/H.U.V.A.+Network Other artists on Ultimae are also worth a try.
- Carlee 13y ago
  That is absolutely amazing. I am so in love with Carbon Based Lfieforms right now. I'm terrible at music genres myself, but I am a huge fan of Bonobo's music. It's classified as trip-hop - no idea if that falls under this category. Bonobo - Black Sands http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjF2_-bneM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjF2_-bneM the entire album is amazing He just released a new album not long ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Z4ibZFA6c&list=PLXEYOK9pTABB84-fyZ2HkarJvJaBoqfUm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Z4ibZFA6c&list=PLXEYOK9pTAB...
  - mietek 13y ago
    Also in a similar vein — Bluetech: http://www.last.fm/music/Bluetech http://www.last.fm/music/Bluetech
JonnieCache 13y ago
76:14 by Global Communication is an undisputed classic of the genre, however you might find it distracting because it's so good. And of course there's Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92, which should go without saying really. Again, you might not be able to work because it's such a good record. Also, it's not ambient in the sense of having no beats. If you've never heard it before you should probably just stop working right now and listen to it. Also he did a SAW vol. 2 album which is more beatless, but it's not as good. You can't go wrong with Future Sound of London. It's a bit dystopian, but utterly amazing stuff. The "minimalist" (he hates that word) work of composer Steve Reich is also very good for zoning out. All the other people in the modern "ambient" genre are ripping him off to some extent or another. I suggest starting with Electric Counterpoint. EDIT - some more: Hecq - 0000 Almost anything by The Orb, especially The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld. Make sure you get the proper UK version not the cut down US release. Portico Quartet by Portico Quartet All the Boards of Canada stuff
- joshwd 13y ago
  Another vote for SAW (and SAW Vol 2) as great ambient productivity music. Also I'm a big fan of M83 Digital Shades Vol 1 for this purpose.
- amitdugar 13y ago
  Thank you for suggesting Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works. I'd never heard of this before. Loving it :)
  - JonnieCache 13y ago
    Fun fact: if you believe the title, he wrote some of the tracks when he was 14 years old. Personally I don't believe it for a second.
    - hexagonc 13y ago
      I don't find it surprising, especially for someone that is already a musical prodigy. I remember dreaming of beautiful melodies as a kid, but lacking musical talent, I was unable to play them on a musical instrument. Thus, the melodies were just stuck in my head and usually forgotten shortly after waking up.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
shrikant 13y ago
You'd find some great suggestions in these past two discussions. [1] [2] I also picked up a Grooveshark playlist from someone (but can't rememeber where I got it from) that works really well: http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Ambient/54561881 http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Ambient/54561881 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3547694 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3547694 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3900711 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3900711
ScottBurson 13y ago
My favorite ambient artist these days is Lucette Bourdin: http://relaxedmachinery.com/earthmantra/artist-detail.php?id=17 http://relaxedmachinery.com/earthmantra/artist-detail.php?id... Also of interest is StilllStream, an ambient radio station: http://stillstream.com/ http://stillstream.com/
ssamuli 13y ago
I can recommend Top 2: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pearl_(album) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pearl_(album) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plateaux_of_Mirror http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plateaux_of_Mirror
epsylon 13y ago
http://di.fm http://di.fm is great for electronic music, they've got plenty of channels. Try also searching youtube, and if you find anything you like, use the "youtube mix", it's automatically generated but usually contains a lot of similar songs.
thirdsun 13y ago
My suggestions: Billow Observatory - Billow Observatory Nuojuva - Valot Kaukaa Global Underground 24/7 - Danny Howells (Day Disc) Willits + Sakamoto - Ancient Future Nils Frahm - Felt Bersarin Quartet - II The World on Higher Downs - Land Patterns
prawks 13y ago
Adding another suggestion, a little late: Helios (Keith Kenniff, aka Goldmund) - Caesura
nilaykumar 13y ago
Check out Emancipator: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCSN4DLG6Ng&list=PL7669BCCE53A9C09A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCSN4DLG6Ng&list=PL7669BCCE53... Trip-hop.

Try Ambient Nights - http://www.ambient-nights.org/ http://www.ambient-nights.org/ About 60 album length mixes

Recently found this guy: http://soundcloud.com/s1gnsofl1fe http://soundcloud.com/s1gnsofl1fe Pretty nice. Also the french label ultimae releases some amazing stuff: http://ultimae.com/ http://ultimae.com/

mietek 13y ago

Carbon Based Lifeforms and H.U.V.A. Network are fantastic for focus: http://www.last.fm/music/Carbon+Based+Lifeforms http://www.last.fm/music/Carbon+Based+Lifeforms http://www.last.fm/music/H.U.V.A.+Network http://www.last.fm/music/H.U.V.A.+Network Other artists on Ultimae are also worth a try.

Carlee 13y ago
That is absolutely amazing. I am so in love with Carbon Based Lfieforms right now. I'm terrible at music genres myself, but I am a huge fan of Bonobo's music. It's classified as trip-hop - no idea if that falls under this category. Bonobo - Black Sands http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjF2_-bneM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjF2_-bneM the entire album is amazing He just released a new album not long ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Z4ibZFA6c&list=PLXEYOK9pTABB84-fyZ2HkarJvJaBoqfUm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Z4ibZFA6c&list=PLXEYOK9pTAB...
- mietek 13y ago
  Also in a similar vein — Bluetech: http://www.last.fm/music/Bluetech http://www.last.fm/music/Bluetech

JonnieCache 13y ago

76:14 by Global Communication is an undisputed classic of the genre, however you might find it distracting because it's so good. And of course there's Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92, which should go without saying really. Again, you might not be able to work because it's such a good record. Also, it's not ambient in the sense of having no beats. If you've never heard it before you should probably just stop working right now and listen to it. Also he did a SAW vol. 2 album which is more beatless, but it's not as good. You can't go wrong with Future Sound of London. It's a bit dystopian, but utterly amazing stuff. The "minimalist" (he hates that word) work of composer Steve Reich is also very good for zoning out. All the other people in the modern "ambient" genre are ripping him off to some extent or another. I suggest starting with Electric Counterpoint. EDIT - some more: Hecq - 0000 Almost anything by The Orb, especially The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld. Make sure you get the proper UK version not the cut down US release. Portico Quartet by Portico Quartet All the Boards of Canada stuff

joshwd 13y ago
Another vote for SAW (and SAW Vol 2) as great ambient productivity music. Also I'm a big fan of M83 Digital Shades Vol 1 for this purpose.
amitdugar 13y ago
Thank you for suggesting Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works. I'd never heard of this before. Loving it :)
- JonnieCache 13y ago
  Fun fact: if you believe the title, he wrote some of the tracks when he was 14 years old. Personally I don't believe it for a second.
  - hexagonc 13y ago
    I don't find it surprising, especially for someone that is already a musical prodigy. I remember dreaming of beautiful melodies as a kid, but lacking musical talent, I was unable to play them on a musical instrument. Thus, the melodies were just stuck in my head and usually forgotten shortly after waking up.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

shrikant 13y ago

You'd find some great suggestions in these past two discussions. [1] [2] I also picked up a Grooveshark playlist from someone (but can't rememeber where I got it from) that works really well: http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Ambient/54561881 http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Ambient/54561881 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3547694 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3547694 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3900711 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3900711

ScottBurson 13y ago

My favorite ambient artist these days is Lucette Bourdin: http://relaxedmachinery.com/earthmantra/artist-detail.php?id=17 http://relaxedmachinery.com/earthmantra/artist-detail.php?id... Also of interest is StilllStream, an ambient radio station: http://stillstream.com/ http://stillstream.com/

ssamuli 13y ago

I can recommend Top 2: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pearl_(album) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pearl_(album) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plateaux_of_Mirror http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plateaux_of_Mirror

epsylon 13y ago

http://di.fm http://di.fm is great for electronic music, they've got plenty of channels. Try also searching youtube, and if you find anything you like, use the "youtube mix", it's automatically generated but usually contains a lot of similar songs.

thirdsun 13y ago

My suggestions: Billow Observatory - Billow Observatory Nuojuva - Valot Kaukaa Global Underground 24/7 - Danny Howells (Day Disc) Willits + Sakamoto - Ancient Future Nils Frahm - Felt Bersarin Quartet - II The World on Higher Downs - Land Patterns

prawks 13y ago

Adding another suggestion, a little late: Helios (Keith Kenniff, aka Goldmund) - Caesura

nilaykumar 13y ago

Check out Emancipator: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCSN4DLG6Ng&list=PL7669BCCE53A9C09A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCSN4DLG6Ng&list=PL7669BCCE53... Trip-hop.