Ambient 1: Music for Airports cover

Ambient 1: Music for Airports

Released

Fun fact one: I can’t listen to this without dissolving. It got me through one breakup and one death, and it has never failed me yet. Fun fact two: the album that brought the word “ambient” into wide use is built on a sturdy, very noticeable melody, which happens to be very slow. Or, more precisely, “1/1,” the opening track, is built on that kind of melody. The other three tracks rely on clouds of wordless singing, combined with piano and synth. These do, in fact, align with what Spotify is telling you ambient sounds like. 1978! Your boy simply went the fuck off and changed how music works.

Sasha Frere-Jones

Recommended by

Suggestions
Recordings From the Åland Islands cover

Recordings From the Åland Islands

Jeremiah Chiu, Marta Sofia Honer
Almanac Behind cover

Almanac Behind

Daniel Bachman
Honest Labour cover

Honest Labour

Space Afrika
Outland 1 cover

Outland 1

Bill Laswell, Outland, Pete Namlook
Indicum cover

Indicum

Bobo Stenson
There's a Riot Goin' On cover

There's a Riot Goin' On

Sly & the Family Stone
Asleep on the Floodplain cover

Asleep on the Floodplain

Six Organs of Admittance
Butterfly Effect cover

Butterfly Effect

Shinichi Atobe