Best Ambient Albums | The Red Pony Review #2

Best Ambient Albums: A Journey Through Soundscapes

Ambient music is often dismissed as irrelevant background noise at its worst. It is also commonly perceived as generic music for meditation or relaxation. While it can be all that, ambient music at its best is much more than that: a truly immersive experience into a sonic landscape that evokes emotions and transports listeners to otherworldly realms.

Most of the time, focus moves away from melodies and chord progressions into atmospheres, repetition, textures, and static harmonies. Some people even report psychological states of trance that can be experienced through mantra-like sounds.

Ambient music is a genre today so prolific that it is unfathomable, but some works deserve special attention for their historical relevance or for their recognition for aesthetic excellence. With this criterion in mind, here’s a look at what we believe are the greatest ambient albums ever recorded.

Brian Eno – "Ambient 1: Music for Airports" (1978)

This album is credited with helping define the term “ambient.” It is also the first in a series of four Brian Eno’s albums labeled as “ambient” in their title.

Eno developed his technique of mixing tape loops to create ambient music through collaborations with Robert Fripp on (No Pussyfooting) (1972) and Evening Star (1975), and later in his solo works Discreet Music (1975) and Music for Films (1978), as well as in his collaboration with the German kosmische/krautrock band Cluster on Cluster & Eno (1977).

In 1975, when he was hospitalized after an automobile accident, a friend left an album playing quietly in his room before leaving. The music had very low volume and the control to turn it up was out of Eno’s reach. As a result of the blending of the heavy sounding rain outside and the music, Brian realized that music didn’t have to be at the forefront of the listener's experience. This moment inspired the composition of his Ambient series.

Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978) consists of four compositions created by layering tape loops of differing lengths. It was designed to be continuously looped as a sound installation, with the intent of defusing the anxious atmosphere of an airport terminal.

In 2016, Pitchfork ranked it the greatest ambient album of all time. Certainly, it is one of the most influential in defining the genre.

Popol Vuh – "In den Gärten Pharaos" (1971)

Popol Vuh, led by Florian Fricke, was one of the first and most iconic German groups to merge electronic experimentation with synthesizers, electric guitars and acoustic instruments with a spiritual and meditative vision.

Fricke, originally trained as a classical pianist, was drawn to the innovative possibilities of electronic music. In the early seventies, he was one of the few German musicians that owned an expensive Moog III synthesizer. He was very interested in religion and spiritual traditions from all over the world. This inspired an introspective exploration of sounds through his synthesizer and the evocation of mystical atmospheres.

In den Gärten Pharaos (1971) is largely an electronic album, characterized by its extensive use of the Moog to create otherworldly and immersive soundscapes, blending them with African and Turkish percussion instruments. Building on the early explorations of their debut Affenstunde (1970), this record cemented the band’s role as pioneers in the kosmische and ambient genres.

Fricke eventually shifted toward more organic textures in later releases, marking a significant evolution in his artistic journey, relying more on acoustic instruments, which lead to his neoclassical new age masterpiece Hosianna Mantra (1972).

Moreover, Fricke’s work is inseparably linked with his collaborations with filmmaker Werner Herzog. His compositions of the soundtracks of Herzog’s films, such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) and Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), are also remarkable.

Roedelius – "Wenn der Südwind weht" (1981)

Hans-Joachim Roedelius, a key figure in the krautrock and ambient scenes, was best known for his work with Cluster and Harmonia. By the time he released Wenn der Südwind weht in 1981, Roedelius had already established himself as a pioneer of experimental electronic music. This album, however, marked a shift towards a more delicate and melodic approach.

Unlike the more abstract and avant-garde tendencies of early Cluster records, Wenn der Südwind weht embraces warm, pastoral synth textures and gentle, flowing compositions. Its nostalgic and tranquil atmosphere makes Roedelius’s solo work more accessible than his earlier collaborations with Cluster. The album serves as a bridge between the experimental roots of krautrock and the evolving landscapes of ambient and new age music.

Roedelius’s influence extended far beyond Germany. His collaborations with other luminaries like Brian Eno and his work throughout the late '70s and early '80s helped shape a more introspective and meditative approach to electronic music—a legacy that continues to resonate in contemporary ambient compositions.

Aphex Twin – "Selected Ambient Works 85-92" (1992)

Richard D. James, better known as Aphex Twin, is one of the most innovative figures in electronic music. Selected Ambient Works 85-92, released in 1992, is considered a landmark album in ambient techno, blending lush soundscapes with subtle, intricate beats. Unlike the more beat-driven electronic music of the early '90s, this album showcased a unique ability to create atmospheric compositions, but still keeping a musical rhythm that the ambient genre usually lacks.

James—born in 1971—had been experimenting with electronic music since his teenage years, creating the tracks between 1985 and 1992. Emerging from the vibrant UK electronic and rave scenes, his early work combined the energy of acid house with a reflective, ambient quality. The album’s lo-fi production—often recorded on cassette tapes with rudimentary equipment—adds to its raw intimacy.

Compared to Aphex Twin’s later, more complex and at times harsher works like Richard D. James Album (1996) or Drukqs (2001), Selected Ambient Works 85-92 remains one of his most accessible and beloved releases. Its influence on both ambient and electronic dance music is undeniable.

Boris – "Flood" (2000)

Boris emerged from Japan's underground noise and experimental scenes of the early '90s. The band became internationally recognized for its genre-fluid approach, though it consistently leans toward experimental tendencies. Their ability to fuse intensity with tranquility through mantra-like drone music drew comparisons to bands like Sunn O))) and Earth.

Flood (2000) is one of their most acclaimed works, consisting of a single, hour-long piece that evolves through multiple phases, blending atmospheric and experimental elements with heavier and saturated sounds. Their work on Flood represents a minimalist approach in a usually heavier and noisier discography.

The album begins with sparse, delicate guitar arpeggios, gradually building into thick walls of droning distortion. The transitions between sections are seamless, creating a sense of ebb and flow that mirrors the movement of water. This structure makes Flood a unique entry in the ambient genre, combining elements of drone, post-rock, and minimalism to craft an immersive sonic experience.

William Basinski – "The Disintegration Loops" (2002)

William Basinski’s The Disintegration Loops is one of the most poignant ambient works ever recorded. Created when Basinski attempted to digitize old tape loops, the recordings began to physically deteriorate as they played, producing a hauntingly beautiful effect.

The project emerged from Basinski’s long-standing interest in the aesthetics of decay and the passage of time. The gradual disintegration of the tape loops created a powerful metaphor for impermanence, resonating deeply with listeners who found beauty in the inevitable process of loss.

The album gained even greater significance following the events of September 11, 2001. Basinski, who was in New York at the time, witnessed the collapse of the World Trade Center from his rooftop. He took a photo of the burning Twin Towers, which became the cover of the album. This tragic context imbued the work with additional layers of meaning. The Disintegration Loops remains a landmark in ambient and minimalist music, celebrated for its emotional depth and conceptual brilliance.

Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – "Love Is a Stream" (2010)

Jefre Cantu-Ledesma’s Love Is a Stream takes ambient music in a bold direction, blending elements of shoegaze and noise into an overwhelming wash of sound. Unlike the calm, meditative quality typical of traditional ambient music, this album is dense, chaotic and yet precious, filled with heavily processed guitar and layers of distortion.

Cantu-Ledesma emerged from the experimental music scene of the early 2000s in San Francisco, drawing inspiration from both shoegaze pioneers and the noise music underground. Love Is a Stream is a blend of technicolor walls of shoegaze noise that are both melancholic and cathartic. A blast of blurry clouds oscillating between grey, silvery, and multicolored.

The album’s swirling textures and indistinct melodies create an impressionistic effect, akin to looking at an old photograph through a foggy lens. It stands as a unique entry in ambient music, demonstrating the genre’s potential for both beauty and intensity, while also marking a significant moment in Cantu-Ledesma’s evolving artistic journey.

Rafael Anton Irisarri – "A Fragile Geography" (2015)

Rafael Anton Irisarri’s A Fragile Geography is a deeply personal work, shaped by themes of loss and displacement. Drawing on his own experiences of upheaval and renewal, Irisarri channeled these emotions into a series of dark, introspective soundscapes that explore the fragile nature of memory and identity.

Before this release, Irisarri had been recognized for his contributions to contemporary ambient music, with critically acclaimed earlier works like Daydreaming (2007) and The North Bend (2010) that delved into themes of introspection and melancholy. With A Fragile Geography (2015), he further refined his signature style, blending drones, processed piano, and field recordings to craft an atmosphere of delicate beauty and profound emotional depth.

The album resonates as a meditation on impermanence and change, reflecting a global sensibility in times of uncertainty. It stands as one of the most affecting ambient records of recent years, showcasing Irisarri’s ability to transform personal pain into universally relatable art. In his own words:

“I had a pretty tumultuous year in 2014 – a change in environment to say the least. It was a life defining moment and much stressful I must say. At the same time I was going through so much disarray, I’d read the news and look to the outside world and see my personal troubles seem minuscule by comparison. For the longest of time, music has been a way to cope with my own frustrations and health issues. Depression can be a powerful ally when you channel it correctly. Sometimes I look at the world and the only sensible thing to do is make a bunch of noise and let it all out somehow. This new album is indeed a time capsule of a period in my life. There’s great beauty in sadness.”

*Red Pony is the pseudonym of Darío Gómez González, a musicologist and founder of the record label Fritanga Records. Darío uses this alias for his solo American Primitive Guitar project and to write on this blog.