Hello, music lovers and lovers of life. Time for another midweek cafe and lounge. I am still trying to find some time to prep a series on Japanese ambient music. In the meantime, let’s start from the beginning. What follows is the title track to Brian Eno’s landmark album Discreet Music.
The concept for this piece came in part from his recovery from an accident. He often found it inconvenient to get up to adjust the volume of his stereo, so the much of what he was intending to listen to was barely audible. Got him thinking of how music could be used intentionally to be played in the background, and this composition was something of a test run for his other ambient pieces later on during the 1970s and into the 1980s.
His remaining rock albums during the 1970s often had ambient-style pieces as well. His basic sound at the time reminded me a good deal of some minimalist composers, perhaps a bit of impressionism, and maybe just a hint of John Cage. Eno would influence a number of others in the 1990s and beyond. I seriously doubt Aphex Twin, DJ Spooky, or Howie B – not to mention Augustus Bro would have been possible without Eno’s work as a touchstone. In these turbulent times, some tranquility is much needed.
For those of you wondering how I and Neon Vincent are circumventing Sucuri to embed videos, here is an example of the embed code we use, so that you can replicate as wanted:
Just remember that each unique 11-digit video code in YouTube needs to be pasted in two separate locations within the embed code in order for your video to show up properly. So easy that I can do it!
Chilled beverages and chill-out music. What more can you ask for.
“Chilled beverages” — how about a Blue Iced Tea from Tipsy Bartender?
The bartender is taking requests for more chilled drinks.
Becalmed:
Arguably my favorite track from Another Green World.
This piece was a collaboration by Augustus Bro (a Finnish composer) and Gallery Six (a Japanese ambient artist) – consider this something of a precursor to the eventual Japanese ambient set.
I’ve posted Aphex Twin pieces before, but not this one:
Selected Ambient Works, Vol. 2 was an absolutely gorgeous two-CD set. It was certainly his most consistent recording, and one I played quite frequently while writing throughout much of the 1990s.
An Ending:
Another Aphex Twin track I haven’t shared here before.
Drukqs seems to be the relatively unappreciated album among Aphex Twin’s releases. Always seemed a bit of a shame. It had some gems like this piece awaiting discovery for those willing to give the album a listen.
Something a bit more uptempo but related:
Richard Kirk got his start in the 1970s with Cabaret Voltaire. By the time the Cabs called it quits, they were mining the same territory explored by Orb, Aphex Twin, and any of a number of electronica artists active in the early 1990s. Richard Kirk kept on exploring, creating some rather fun soundscapes in the process. Chillout music to dance to.
Seemed like the perfect video for Xtal, an early Aphex Twin track. Having spent some time in Budapest, it’s one of my favorite videos – not just for the music but for the scenery as well.
All this Aphex Twin has reminded me of my favorite cover of my favorite Aphex Twin song, Alberto Balsam. Take it away, University of Cincinatti steel band!
A friend showed me this on FB about three years ago. I fell in love…that is a great cover.
A chamber orchestra called Alarm Will Sound released a wonderful acoustic set of Aphex Twin’s work last decade. That is also worth seeking out. As other-worldly as Aphex Twin’s work can appear on the surface, the acoustic arrangements I’ve heard over the years (including this video) are good reminders of how down-to-earth his work really is.
The LP The Moon and the Melodies was a bit of a departure for Cocteau Twins. Anyone who only knew them from their early post-punk recordings would have been in a state of shock. Certainly nothing quite like it before or during their subsequent decade. Harold Budd’s piano style is of course quite distinctive, and on full display here. Over three decades later, tracks like this one manage to hold up quite nicely.
Something considerably more recent by Aphex Twin.