5 ambient records for winter
It’s cold as hell in much of the Northeast, and set to get colder this weekend. This is a time of year that, at least for me, is all about self-reflection and planning. If you’ve also found yourself looking inward, you may similarly benefit from a stable of ambient music to pull from. These recommendations are a little off the beaten path, but should satisfy a variety of moods, whether you’re trying to warm up or embrace the chill.
Tuluum Shimmering - Dark Star
The UK’s premiere durational ambient mastermind, this particular Tuluum Shimmering release is a 100-minute exploration of the Grateful Dead song “Dark Star.” If that sounds like a nightmare to you, I implore you to give it a chance anyway! This is full of warm, swirling guitar loops that trail out into reverberated lushness, expounding upon simple variations of the original song’s complex chord progressions. It’s simultaneously a lot to take in and an easy listen, rewarding no matter how actively you want to enjoy it.
Robert Turman - Flux
Robert Turman’s tape explorations are legendary, and Flux, his 1981 debut full-length, is the perfect introduction to his work. This is an album of muted low tones that are exceedingly pleasing on the ears. The tape saturation adds even more dimension to the affair, and while it’s maybe a little trite to say that it sounds out of time, it’s also the truth.
The Skaters - Crowned Purple Gowns
For something with a little more menace, turn your attention to The Skaters. Perhaps the blog era’s premiere weirdo ambient duo, James Ferraro and Spencer Clark trafficked in a queasy, ritualistic style of drone and ambient that takes the listener into some really strange territory. Crowned Purple Gowns centers around tribal percussion and vocalizations, (maybe samples, maybe not) atop some unnerving drones that eventually cascade into a fever pitch around the 30-minute mark. True weirdo shit from a band that made a lot of it.
Points of Friction - Afterlife DNA Finger Painting
This is the entry that veers closest into noise territory — sorry, I couldn’t help myself. But if you’re already into experimental music, this is a great entry point into some freakier territory. Points of Friction were something of a supergroup, featuring LA Free Music Society veteran Joseph Hammer and the tragically undersung Damian Bisciglia, (who built many of his own instruments from found objects and wrangled some truly singular sounds from them) among others. Afterlife DNA Finger Painting is all over the place, with warm tones atop mechanical clicking giving way to off-kilter loops and feedback, with a distinct aquatic theme throughout. While there’s a healthy dose of clangor, it’s an oddly soothing listen.
Phil Thornton - Edge of Dreams
From the depths of the New Age wastelands comes Edge of Dreams, a distinctly fantasy-inspired (but NOT dungeon synth!) album that will have you feeling as though you’re in the midst of an encounter with the unicorn that graces its cover. Phil Thornton has released quite a bit of material covering many different themes, (1996’s Alien Encounter is a highlight) but this one is probably his best — lots of sparkly FM synths that, while distinctly 80s, offered a unique preview of what the world of fantasy synth music could look like when traveling outside the dungeon.
