I use various forms of ambient music A LOT in worship, learning events, retreats and other gatherings. Here’s something of a guide to the stuff that I like and have used over the years. I’d love to hear your recommendations. Once upon a time I would put hyperlinks to all of these, but nowadays people access their music through different services, so it doesn’t make much sense. However I recommend purchsasing rather than streaming music so that the artist gets a decent payment, and also first seeing if they are on bandcamp. If they are, I’ll put a link to them here, however not all artists sell their whole catalogue through bandcamp.
Note: some of this music falls more into the category of ‘quite instrumental music’ but is still worthy of inclusion, as they can make wonderful soundtracks for worship. In some cases there are standout ambient tracks on such albums as well. There’s quite a bit more edgy and discordant stuff that I haven’t included here, including film soundtracks. Check out Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross‘ work.
Artist and Albums
All India Radio
– The Aether
– Film Musik
– Piano and Ambience
– Sleep
– These Winter Dreams
– REALM (with Josh Roydhouse
Olafur Arnalds
– … and they have escaped the weight of darkness…
– For Now I am Winter
– Living Room Songs
– Found Songs
– Eulogy for Evolution
Eraldo Bernocchi and Harold Budd
– Music for “Fragments from the Inside”
– Winter Garden (with Robin Guthrie)
Bliss
– The Journey
Harold Budd
– Budd Box
Burial
– Untrue (ambient dubstep…)
Rufus Cappadocia
– Songs for Cello (not ambient as such but stunning)
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
– White Lunar
Philip Clemo
– Ambiguous Dialogues
The Dolby System
(individual tracks)
– Aleph at the Gate
– Sinking the Centaur
– Firetail
– Skylight
– Night Train to Sydney
– Luminescence
– Lamplight
– Forest Steeples
– Numinbah
Brian Eno (the godfather of ambient music)
– Ambient 1: Music for Airports
– Lux (my #1 ‘go to’ ambient album)
Brian Eno and Harold Budd
– The Pearl
– Ambient 2: The Plateau of Mirror
Colleen
– Les Ondes Silencieuses
Efterklang
– Tripper
John Foxx
– The Complete Cahtedral Oceans
John Foxx & Harold Budd
– Nighthawks, Translucence and Drift Music
Nils Frahm
– Music for Animals
– Empty
– Wintermusik
– Solo
– Spaces
– All Melody
– Graz
Goldmund
– Corduroy Road
– The Malady of Elegance
– The Time It Takes
Hauschka
– Pan Tone
– The Prepared Piano
– I Close My Eyes
Tim Hecker
– Dropped Pianos
– Harmony in Ultraviolet
Helios
– Eingya
Dennis Hendricksen
– Very Nearly a Whisper
Hilmar Orn Hilmarrson & Sigur Ros
– Angels of the Universe
Jon Hopkins
– Opalescent
– Music for Psychedelic Therapy
Jonsi and Alex
– Riceboy Sleeps
Thomas Koner
– Novaya Zemlya
– Nuuk
– Permafrost
– Teimo
Labradford
– fixed:content
David MacGregor
– Mostly Ambient
Brian McBride
– The Effective Discontent
Moby
– Ambient
– Ambient 23
– Live Ambients Improvise Recordings Vol 1
Duane Pitre
– Feel Free
Max Richter
– The Leftovers (soundtrack)
Various
– For Nihon