When the shelter in place order was first issued, I was very anxious and uneasy about the future. I was feeling paranoid about coronavirus and how it was going to affect the ways I navigated the world around me. Much of my life I’ve loved film scores and ambient music, so while my anxiety was through the roof, I found solace in those two genres. They calmed my nerves and took me to worlds that we’re more relaxed, and less frantic and uncertain. After a while, I began creating my own sounds and music and that allowed me to heal. I unpacked a lot of unresolved feelings I had internally through the creation of this album. Here’s a playlist of a few of the tracks that inspired my album.
A Stream With Bright Fish – Brian Eno and Harold Budd
Brian Eno and Harold Budd are two of my favorite ambient musicians and the them together on one song is priceless. This track is subtly beautiful with lush ambient chords pulsing throughout it. It comes from the album, “The Pearl,” which, true to its name, is full of gems.
Fr3sh – Kareem Lofty
The intro track to the excellent compilation album, “Mono No Aware,” reminds me of waves breaking over a rock over and over again creating a cycle that is slowly eroding the rock they crash upon. The main synth in this track crashes over and over again but then a slow string sound emerges amidst the rumbling layer.
Deep Blue Day – Brian Eno
The second Brian Eno track on this list comes from his classic 1983 album “Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks.” The song is a slow, swaying blend of Mid-Western music and a science fiction soundtrack. The feeling of effortlessness that this song conjures is unmatched.
MIKE – memories
MIKE is one of my favorite artists of all time. The way that he collages various sounds to create an ever changing soundscape is both refreshing and gorgeously dynamic and this track is a perfect example of his ability to do just that.
Yves Tumor – E. Eternal
The impressive range of sounds in this song inspired me to be more intricate with my production. Yves Tumor is so detailed with how they construct a song it’s jaw dropping.
Aphex Twin – #13 (Blue Calx)
Aphex Twin pioneered a lot when it comes to ambient music especially when it came to making ambient style, electronic beats. This song, however, is a mellow track. I love how it morphs and grows throughout the nearly 8 minute runtime.
