As most readers of this blog probably know, I cross-post these mixes over at Mixcloud. Recently I got a request from listener, TikTaalik. This is part of his post, "I was wondering if you could compile a mix that is optimistic throughout. The sort of ambience that I tend only to hear once or twice in a set. Can you get a solid hour of calm ambient music with a euphoric undertone?"At Low Light Mixes we give the people what they want, so here it is...Positively Ambient. I'm not sure if all of the music qualifies as "optimistic" or "euphoric" but it is all calm & beautiful. I start things off with Eno's "An Ending(ascent)" because I think it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. Although it may work better as "an ending" than as a beginning, I wanted it up front so everyone that plays the mix is guaranteed to hear it.
I hope the rest of the mix doesn't get too sweet or too pretty sounding. I don't want it to dissolve into new age crapola. I dug into the archives for some of the tunes like James Johnson's "Entering Twilight" from 2000, Jim Cole from 2002, Diatonis from 2003, Fox & Budd from 2003, Jeff Pearce from 1999 and Stephen Bacchus from 1998.
The feel of this mix is definitely soothing, no dissonant chords to be found. It works well as sleep music, meditation music, , etc. Just good 'ole traditional ambient music.
Download (right click/save as) : 83mb, 57:30
positively ambient
T R A C K L I S T :
00:00 Brian Eno - An Ending(ascent)
04:00 Arc of Doves - Reverie
09:00 James Johnson - Entering Twilight
14:45 Diatonis - Winding Road
18:00 Hammock - Maybe they will sing for us tomorrow
23:10 Stephen Bacchus - The Returning
30:25 John Foxx & Harold Budd - A Delicate Romance
36:45 Jim Cole - Light Shines in Your Heart
43:10 Jeff Pearce - Daylight Slowly
44:45 Hammock - Three Sisters
48:50 d_rradio - Into the Morning
54:05 Quosp - Quosp
57:30 end
8 comments:
I completely agree with you on the Eno tune being a bit melancholy. I guess if much of this mix has a melancholy tinge then I don't have to worry about it being to light & pretty.
As to the hideously disturbing request, I don't think that's going to happen. I do have some dark-ish ambient but generally I don't lie & don't get dark, scary ambient. Sorry.
Oh, man, beautiful mix! I wasn't sure that the mix would get better than the first Eno track (one of my top 5 ambient tracks), but it is just as you described. I think that Global Communication's 12:18, Aphex Twin's #19, some William Basinski, Harold Budd's Afar, and especially some Paul Avgerinos (Words Touch and love are both positive ambient monuments in my book) would be at home in this mix. Looking forward to another. If you want some music to mix, let me know. Thanks!!!!
Hey Dave,
Really enjoying the mixes. I am relatively new to ambient music(about a year or so) and have been back and forth from your mixes to sleep bot most every week to get my ambient fix. Biosphere is definitely my favorite find so far, I would love to hear more ambient music based around samples or that utilize sampling. I love the combination of vinyl and tape quality samples used to create or mixed with ambient music. If you could do a mix based around that idea it would be much appreciated.
Nice mix, classic tunes there =)
lovely mix but would love to have it in 320 or flac if possible??...one of the best uplifting ambient mixes ive heard for a long time
Unfortunately I don't have the mix available in anything higher than the 192kb bitrate. Sorry.
tonepoet - Thanks for the reminder about some of those tracks. I'll keep them in mind for another "positive ambient" mix.
Nice mix! Could you do another one like this some time? Some other happy ambient music that I enjoy includes Michael Manring's first few albums, Steve Reich-Music for 18 Musicians, Phillip Glass-Powaqatsi, Bruce Becvar (I know he skirts close to "new age crap", but I still think it's quite nice), Dexter Britain-The Best of Creative Commons, some of Deuter's stuff. Some of this stuff is more rhythmic and some not quite as much, but all has a happy feel to it.
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