instrumental

STS9 Lift Up California with Transcendent Shows

STS9 Lift Up California with Transcendent Shows

STS9 conjure pure mana for the soul with their wizardly sonic alchemy. The livetronica tone scientists continue to play at a very high level.

The 15 Best Ambient Albums of 2024

The 15 Best Ambient Albums of 2024

André 3000’s surprise Album of the Year nod at the Grammys was only one of the many ambient/experimental highlights to happen in a wild year like 2024.

Ambient Composer Rafael Anton Irisarri’s Dispersion of Belief

Ambient Composer Rafael Anton Irisarri’s Dispersion of Belief

For a record conceived of following the 2016 US election and a global pandemic, ambient maestro Rafael Anton Irisarri is ready to soundtrack our downfall.

STS9 Dazzle the Senses on ‘Chromalight’

STS9 Dazzle the Senses on ‘Chromalight’

Chromalight keeps a long winning streak going as STS9 continue pushing boundaries with their genre-blending sonic alchemy and collective improvisations.

Hermanos Gutiérrez Explore the Final Frontier on ‘Sonido Cósmico’

Hermanos Gutiérrez Explore the Final Frontier on ‘Sonido Cósmico’

In Sonido Cósmico, Hermanos Gutiérrez take to the stars, evoking the open spaces of an imagined Wild West and the even greater mystique of the final frontier.

The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2023

The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2023

In a digital landscape where consumption methods are constantly fracturing, leave it to the best ambient artists to excel and innovate despite impossible odds.

Animal Hospital’s ‘Shelf Life’ Is Intense, Layered Maximalism

Animal Hospital’s ‘Shelf Life’ Is Intense, Layered Maximalism

Under the moniker Animal Hospital, Kevin Micka unspools a potent mix of instrumental tension and experimentalism on his first full-length album in three years.

Massimo Pupillo’s Prayer for the Survival of the North Is a Haunting Ambient Masterpiece

Massimo Pupillo’s Prayer for the Survival of the North Is a Haunting Ambient Masterpiece

Massimo Pupillo’s Our Forgotten Ancestors takes the Sámi peoples of the Arctic Circle as its theme and inspiration for an instrumental tour-de-force.

The Nuanced History Eluvium’s Many Clockwork Fables

The Nuanced History Eluvium’s Many Clockwork Fables

Ambient maestro Matthew Robert Cooper (Eluvium) is two decades into his career, and on his latest LP, overcomes surprising obstacles physical and geographical.

The Sounds of the Fathers: An Interview With Codeine’s Chris Brokaw

The Sounds of the Fathers: An Interview With Codeine’s Chris Brokaw

Recording a series of guitar improvizations at a decommissioned Norwegian power plant is a tall order for any musician. For Chris Brokaw, it just makes sense.

The 10 Best Library Music Albums of 2022

The 10 Best Library Music Albums of 2022

The following ten best library music albums are bursting with largely instrumental, deeply cinematic tunes that’ll suit a gamut of possible occasions.

The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2022

The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2022

The post-pandemic flood of self-released ambient records has oversaturated the market in the best way: here are the best ambient albums of 2022.