The best ambient artists in the world that nobody has heard of...

[Rhys]

I am only going to start a ball rolling, one that may well founder in the marsh where the scintillation of my imagination flourishes. As we all know, with the dramatic advances of communication and technology music has undergone huge transformations especially in acoustic quality and availability in a number of formats, and immediacy. Also there seems to be more of it than ever before, more choices of rhythm for the different moods of the day. In this flourishing new plethora of sound architecture I wonder sometimes if a flower of infinite beauty is passed unnoticed. Recently, for instance, I was loaned some CDs of New Zealander Andrew Forrest and was blown away by the perfection of sound tapestry this artist could weave. I am sure many of you have heard of Andrew (though his CD marketing is limited) but there must be many artists out there that are even less known and yet deserve to be known. Gulan from Latvia for instance? Discussions have already highlighted that wonderful artist from Australia called Ashera (Anthony Asher Wright) who is perhaps not that well known.

Thanks to Atmoworks and those individuals who have got this thing up and running, there is opportunity not only to listen and absorb a whole new constellation of sound but to invite in the best artists in the world that no one has ever heard of.

[John Koch-Northrup]

Slightly off topic...

A great thing about the community we're building is that many artists have joined and posted their music who don't release with us. We've only had the site up since April and the first couple months were somewhat beta test/stealth mode - and I'm thrilled with the number of people who've signed up. Igneous Flame I think was the first one to really jump in and upload his tracks and get into the various features available on the site - a lot of people liked it - and we've got a release from him coming out (not to say that everyone posting here gets to release... and we've known Pete's music for a long time...)

The internet is an amazing thing... finding artists through forums and social sites a like myspace and virb and ning - and the old days of mp3.com, netlabels, etc... I'm old enough to clearly remember no internet (and no cable, and dial phones, and...) - wow - what a crazy world now. Whatever your passion is - you can find people who have a similar passion from around the world.

Ashera is a great example. I think he dropped off in visibility a bit due to retiring from writing - I'm not sure if that's permanent or just a long break. I'm personally fairly unknown (show of hands - before coming here had you ever heard of Interstitial??? I thought not! I've been on a 4+ year break from writing/releasing so you'd have to be a fan of the Foundry label or familiar with my live show with Vir Unis (which we plan to rerelease sometime this year - probably sooner rather than later...)

Also - I think some groups of artists are more well known in certain circles.... I loved the early batch of 12k artists - especially shuttle 358 and Taylor Deupree... some here haven't heard of the 12k label at all. I posted a shuttle 358 video in the 90's music thread on the forum...

Anyway - getting back on topic - I'll nominate Shuttle 358 to the probably semi-unknown (but well known in some circles...) - his music is subtle, leans towards microsound but keeps a lovely ambient feel to everything I have from him.

Albums I own:

optimal.lp - released on 12k - I believe it's completely out of print in cd - but I've seen it for download
frame - followup to optimal.lp on 12k, rereleased in 2007 so easier to get
understanding wildlife on mille plateaux
dan abrams - stream - released under his real name instead of shuttle 358. also on mille plateaux.

[SAVO]

Im so glad u started this discussion Rhys! I listen to sooo many obscure artists in the Ambient genre alone!

Here's a list for everyone to check out:
[Artist - Album/EP]

Rafael Anton Irrisari - Daydreaming
Nest - Nest EP
A Lily - Wake:Sleep
Stars of the Lid - Tired Sounds
Library Tapes - Hostluft
Anders Ilar - Ludwijka (Extended Visit)
Xela - Tangled Wood
Tied & Tickled Trio - Aelita
Bitcrush - In Distance
God Is An Astronaut ( whole DISCOG)
Epic45 - May Your Heart Be The Map

Thats What Ive been able to dig up off the top of my head ;)

[Rhys]

Wow, well done, I haven't heard of any of these artists! This will keep me busy for the rest of the year. Now what can you drag out from the bottom of your toes? :-)

[Rhys]

Hi John
My hand is up, I had heard of of your former name Interstitial but i think at a time before I had broadband. I was into electronic transfers from Atmoworks until I tried downloading James Johnson's long-form piece "Entering twilight". I got there in the end but James had to push from his end while I prayed (mostly cursed) to get the piece through in one piece on dial-up. I really like the first track Marie on your page.
Blessings Rhys

relaxed machinery said:

Slightly off topic...

A great thing about the community we're building is that many artists have joined and posted their music who don't release with us. We've only had the site up since April and the first couple months were somewhat beta test/stealth mode - and I'm thrilled with the number of people who've signed up. Igneous Flame I think was the first one to really jump in and upload his tracks and get into the various features available on the site - a lot of people liked it - and we've got a release from him coming out (not to say that everyone posting here gets to release... and we've known Pete's music for a long time...)

The internet is an amazing thing... finding artists through forums and social sites a like myspace and virb and ning - and the old days of mp3.com, netlabels, etc... I'm old enough to clearly remember no internet (and no cable, and dial phones, and...) - wow - what a crazy world now. Whatever your passion is - you can find people who have a similar passion from around the world.

Ashera is a great example. I think he dropped off in visibility a bit due to retiring from writing - I'm not sure if that's permanent or just a long break. I'm personally fairly unknown (show of hands - before coming here had you ever heard of Interstitial??? I thought not! I've been on a 4+ year break from writing/releasing so you'd have to be a fan of the Foundry label or familiar with my live show with Vir Unis (which we plan to rerelease sometime this year - probably sooner rather than later...)

Also - I think some groups of artists are more well known in certain circles.... I loved the early batch of 12k artists - especially shuttle 358 and Taylor Deupree... some here haven't heard of the 12k label at all. I posted a shuttle 358 video in the 90's music thread on the forum...

Anyway - getting back on topic - I'll nominate Shuttle 358 to the probably semi-unknown (but well known in some circles...) - his music is subtle, leans towards microsound but keeps a lovely ambient feel to everything I have from him.

Albums I own:

optimal.lp - released on 12k - I believe it's completely out of print in cd - but I've seen it for download
frame - followup to optimal.lp on 12k, rereleased in 2007 so easier to get
understanding wildlife on mille plateaux
dan abrams - stream - released under his real name instead of shuttle 358. also on mille plateaux.

[John Koch-Northrup]

Awe shucks - it's cool you'd heard of me prior to here... :)

Yep - I remember trying to pull large files down on a 9600 baud modem (then 14.4 and oh so superfast - 28.8!) - before I moved to dsl and finally to cable.

[rikm]

Oh Wow! I love posts like this! I'm very fortunate to be in a position through my own net store and the associated net label to have a lot of people come to me to tell me about what they're doing. I'm constantly amazed at the talent that's out there, the simply amazing work that is being produced...

To that end here are a few suggestions you might want to check out;

1) Sylken: The work of Eric Hopper and a rotating group of collaborators, Sylken is flat out beautiful and gorgeous space music that is some of the best music I've heard in any genre. Trust me on this. I would particularly recommend his collaboration with Alan Bloor of Pholde called "Sculptor", a disc that literally stayed in my CD player for a year before I took it out and replaced it with another Sylken disc. If memory serves me correctly I think his first disc was released through Atmoworks. Check his work out at http://www.myspace.com/sylkenmusic

2) Akumu: Deane Hughes is a huge influence on my own musical ideal, having been the first person I ever knew to release his own CD back in the early 90s. Since then, Deane's project Akumu has released an inspired trio of releases that create fascinating soundscapes using processed field recordings. I've been truly honored to be able to collaborate with Deane for the last year on a new project that should see release in the next month or so. Find out more about Akumu at http://www.spiderrecords.com/akumu/

3) Sara Ayers: Sara is one of those amazing talents that used to hang around mp3.com a few years back, making truly wonderful vocal inspired ambience that was simultaneously otherworldly and intimate. I've lost touch with her the last few years, but I still pull out her old discs and I'm still amazed. I was lucky enough to do a show with her a few years ago where we did two improv pieces that have never been released and I would count them as two of the finest pieces of music I've ever had the pleasure to be part of. She also has a release on Atmoworks I think... Check her music out at http://www.saraayers.com/

4) Spatial Correlation: Ryan Hagerman is a fellow that I was introduced to a few years ago by a mutual friend that swore Ryan was one of the nicest guys he'd ever met. Not only was he one of the nicest guys I've ever met, he's also one of my very favorite artists ever. Unfortunately Ryan hasn't done very much to promote himself, so his work has gone relatively unnoticed which is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of music if you ask me. Sparse and minimal delicate melodic work that has brought tears of joy to my eyes more times than once. Quite honestly I started my net label specifically so I could promote his work to a wider audience, I feel that strongly about him. You can hear some of his tracks at http://www.myspace.com/spatialcorrelation

5) I would assume that all of you are already familiar with Austere, The Circular Ruins, Numina, dreamSTATE, and Aidan Baker. If not, let me know and I'd be happy to tell you all about them as well...

This totally makes me think that I should post some of my own music here...

BTW I remember John from mp3.com and I have both the Sub.terra disc, and the Fluidities Disc. I'm also quite sure that I have an Interstitial disc that I was sent for review in The Violet Collection, which I fully intend to pull out after I finish writing my response to this post.

BTW2 I find it particularly amusing to note that I've been listening to Beyonce's first solo album while I've been writing this...

[Rhys]

Thank you for this very informative response. I know few of these artists so look forward to exploring their music. Just to mention the name Numina alone makes my ears ring with ecstasy!

rikm said:

Oh Wow! I love posts like this! I'm very fortunate to be in a position through my own net store and the associated net label to have a lot of people come to me to tell me about what they're doing. I'm constantly amazed at the talent that's out there, the simply amazing work that is being produced...

To that end here are a few suggestions you might want to check out;

1) Sylken: The work of Eric Hopper and a rotating group of collaborators, Sylken is flat out beautiful and gorgeous space music that is some of the best music I've heard in any genre. Trust me on this. I would particularly recommend his collaboration with Alan Bloor of Pholde called "Sculptor", a disc that literally stayed in my CD player for a year before I took it out and replaced it with another Sylken disc. If memory serves me correctly I think his first disc was released through Atmoworks. Check his work out at http://www.myspace.com/sylkenmusic

2) Akumu: Deane Hughes is a huge influence on my own musical ideal, having been the first person I ever knew to release his own CD back in the early 90s. Since then, Deane's project Akumu has released an inspired trio of releases that create fascinating soundscapes using processed field recordings. I've been truly honored to be able to collaborate with Deane for the last year on a new project that should see release in the next month or so. Find out more about Akumu at http://www.spiderrecords.com/akumu/

3) Sara Ayers: Sara is one of those amazing talents that used to hang around mp3.com a few years back, making truly wonderful vocal inspired ambience that was simultaneously otherworldly and intimate. I've lost touch with her the last few years, but I still pull out her old discs and I'm still amazed. I was lucky enough to do a show with her a few years ago where we did two improv pieces that have never been released and I would count them as two of the finest pieces of music I've ever had the pleasure to be part of. She also has a release on Atmoworks I think... Check her music out at http://www.saraayers.com/

4) Spatial Correlation: Ryan Hagerman is a fellow that I was introduced to a few years ago by a mutual friend that swore Ryan was one of the nicest guys he'd ever met. Not only was he one of the nicest guys I've ever met, he's also one of my very favorite artists ever. Unfortunately Ryan hasn't done very much to promote himself, so his work has gone relatively unnoticed which is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of music if you ask me. Sparse and minimal delicate melodic work that has brought tears of joy to my eyes more times than once. Quite honestly I started my net label specifically so I could promote his work to a wider audience, I feel that strongly about him. You can hear some of his tracks at http://www.myspace.com/spatialcorrelation

5) I would assume that all of you are already familiar with Austere, The Circular Ruins, Numina, dreamSTATE, and Aidan Baker. If not, let me know and I'd be happy to tell you all about them as well...

This totally makes me think that I should post some of my own music here...

BTW I remember John from mp3.com and I have both the Sub.terra disc, and the Fluidities Disc. I'm also quite sure that I have an Interstitial disc that I was sent for review in The Violet Collection, which I fully intend to pull out after I finish writing my response to this post.

BTW2 I find it particularly amusing to note that I've been listening to Beyonce's first solo album while I've been writing this...

[SAVO]

Well, I didnt want to mention Cosmos by Murcof because Im sure most ppl would of heard of Murcof already. Hes a top producer. He lingers more on drone to be honest. But yes, theres something out of the bottom of my toes! hahaha

The ones that really stand out: Rafael Anton Irrisari. His track; Waking Expectations has so much depth because of the piano (I'm a nutter for piano music) doing what it usually does, hitting the emotion.

Nest's EP is one to admire. My favourite track is Cad Goddeau really hits the spot with Vivaldi-like violins (influence off Four seasons).

Rhys said:

Wow, well done, I haven't heard of any of these artists! This will keep me busy for the rest of the year. Now what can you drag out from the bottom of your toes? :-)

[Rhys]

Has anyone heard of Marconi Union, representing British duo, Richard Talbot and James Crossley? The only CD of theirs I have got is called Distance (obtained long ago from eMusic.com) and it has got to be one of the best ambient/jazz CDs of all time! (in my unbiased opinion :-)

[Rhys]

Whoops, forgot to give the link: http://www.marconiunion.com/index.asp


Rhys said:

Has anyone heard of Marconi Union, representing British duo, Richard Talbot and James Crossley? The only CD of theirs I have got is called Distance (obtained long ago from eMusic.com) and it has got to be one of the best ambient/jazz CDs of all time! (in my unbiased opinion :-)

[åpne sinn]

Okay....

I've been traveling the last two days, and have been waiting until I was home and could reference my library before I answered this post. First off, I have to echo rikm....I LOVE this kind of post. This is the chance to tell anyone willing to listen about something really cool that you heard and really want them to share in. I've got about a million of these, but I'll try to limit myself to a few thousand here. Some of these might not be so "unknown" as all that, but all of them are remarkable for various reasons.

Ananta: Deep dark drone music just wonderful for putting on and "existing" to. You can find the release "Nasti" on Earth Mantra records, free for download (along with 39 other releases, most by Darrell Burgan of Palancar) at http://earthmantra.com/releases.php

Apollyon: The album is called Veror Aesik and is something like the meeting of Lustmord and Autechre. Imagine darker shaded ambient with just a hint of twitch. Highlight is "Leric". Available at eMusic.

Bluedark: Another deep, dark ambient drone project I stumbled across in hyperspace. No idea who the artist is, no idea where I found it, but a search for the release "Places of Mystery" is well worth the effort.

Einheit: Ronny Jacobsson released exactly four songs as Mortesium/Einheit before shutting the whole thing down. He's gone dark for several months now, and isn't likely to put out any new music any time soon, but the free download of his "Dream State" EP is a must have, and can be found on his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/mortesium

Idle Sunder: Another of those 3am "floating through hyperspace, hey....who's this" discoveries that I couldn't find again if I tried. The album is entitled "The Frozen Shard" and is free for download somewhere in the ether.

Invercauld: Deep, dark and very dreary....like Lustmord on a bad hair day. The album is "Tiamhaidh". Very Macbeth-ian, Celtic-ish drone ambient. Not to be listened to at night.

Lull: A surprise find on eMusic, with several releases just sitting there previously unnoticed. Varying styles across releases, from brighter-toned soundscapes on "Dreamt About Dreaming" to full-on suspension in the long form "Continue". A must have.

Mikolajewicz: Don't worry, I can't pronounce it either but ask Dean (Disturbed Earth) about the music. The full-length atmospheric excursion "Classify. Claim. Control" is available for free download through the artists MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/mikolajewicz.

Na-Koja Abad: Honestly, I know little better than nothing about the artist other than he has a strong interest in Sufism and shamanism. The music, a wonderful blend of ambient drones and tribal rhythms, is superb.

Nagual Art: Created by an artist known simply as Volador, this is low-centered soundscapes that are hard to define. Violins, drums and atmospherics combine for a truly unique experience. Check his work out on his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/nagualart

Northaunt: One of the Eastern European block of dark ambient artists (see also Kammarheit, Svartsinn, Gustaf Hildebrand), but one with an exceptional feel for slow-moving melody. Check his work out at http://www.myspace.com/northaunt.

Observation Point: A reclusive and very private artist from South Wales, the music varies from deep-space ambient to solo piano to drum and bass. Most albums are available for free download at the artists website (www.observationpoint.co.uk)

[åpne sinn]

Continuing that last post....

Shrine: Some of the most soothingly disturbing music I have ever heard, and some well crafted art at that. This Bulgarian composer's work is available for purchase/download at his MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/7604281404)

Sinke Dus: Markus Lonebrink is the sole architect of this Swedish dark-ambient act bent on releasing more than just the same old drones. His debut release "Akrasia" is phenomenal. You can find out more about the artist and sample his work at www.myspace.com/sinkedus

Telomere: Deep space ambient at its finest. They're 1998 release Astral Currents was impossible to top. 2005's "Zoetosis" did it. Available for purchase on eMusic or iTunes, along with the 2007 release "The Stellar Sea", which I just found while writing this post and am downloading from iTunes now!!!

There are others...many others and all worthy of mention, but these are just some of the artists that I have come to love over the years that deserve your attention. Hope you all enjoy!