Ambient music is a slithering mood, settling in like the effects of a cool alcoholic beverage. Content to run in the background, it rewards close attention but doesn't demand it. I find ambient music essential for writing, particularly the work of the father of the genre, Brian Eno. Apollo Atmospheres and Soundtracks is an alien lullaby, oddly comforting in its flow of strange sounds, captivating when you bother to consciously listen to it. The first track "Under Stars," is my favorite. A low mechanistic undertone begins the composition while sinewy bass lines and ethereal synths fade in and out like meteorites burning up in the atmosphere. "The Secret Place" also has a rumbling bass presence. Odd noises come and go like sounds traveling through the hull of a spaceship. "Matta" has what sounds like a distorted cow mooing throughout its eerie soundscape. "An Ending (Ascent)" is heavenly exultation, almost wedding music, while "Deep Blue Day" resembles a surreal acid trip to the moon, its good time vibes courtesy of Daniel Lanois' peddle steel guitar loops. I prefer the initial spacemusic to the more mellow and melodic second half, but it's hard to deny the beauty of "Always Returning." A constant in my playlist, Apollo Atmospheres is a great album, whether you're actively listening to it or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment