I think of this group of albums as a beautiful Venn diagram from the perspective of music covered on Stationary Travels. Familiar elements of ambient, electronic, modern classical, and post rock appear, but so do many others in a prominent way – pop, shoegaze, folk, jazz, and trad. But these are only reference points, not…
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Travelogue 2014: A dozen noteworthy EPs
While the focus of year end retrospectives is typically slanted toward full length albums, there have been some wonderful noteworthy EPs released this year that are not to be missed. Here are a dozen to consider. Click on the cover art to discover/order any album and scroll down to listen to a sample from each. Ambient/Downtempo…
Read MoreTravelogue 2014: Top Ten Post Rock
Melodic post rock paints on a huge canvas with a diverse palette ranging from tonal colors and minimalist arrangements to exuberant crescendos and from lyrical romanticism to just plain frenetic energy. Whatever part of the spectrum they cover, each of these ten albums released in 2014 will fill your ears and head with great sounds.…
Read MoreTravelogue 2014: Top Ten Modern Classical
Nostalgia and modernity meet in this category as each artist performs their musical alchemy with a menagerie of bowed & strung instruments, piano, or voice combined with only the most discreet use of electronics and percussion. Expressive minimalism, elegant compositions, and sublime beauty abound in these ten outstanding albums released in 2014. Aaron Martin Comet’s…
Read MoreTravelogue 2014: Top Ten Ambient (Downtempo / Electronica)
Whether expansive and hypnotic, deep and liquid, or pulsing and glitchy, these beautiful albums released in 2014 are all about tone and atmosphere. Dub and ambient aesthetics meld together with a plethora of other tones, styles, and motifs that captivate the ears, engage the mind, fuel the imagination, and soothe the soul. Click on the…
Read MoreTravelogue 2014: Top Ten Ambient (Electroacoustic / Minimal)
Whereas as the power of ambient drones lies in the seamless binding of layers of sound together to create a mood and engage emotions directly, electroacoustic music weaves its magic by focusing on textural and environment details with a minimalist aesthetic. Acoustic instruments, human & environmental noises, and other auditory ephemera mix with synthesized sounds to…
Read More2014: Top Ten Ambient (Drone / Soundscape)
This year I’ve divided the ambient categories into drone/soundscape, electroacoustic, and electronica. For me, the best drone/soundscape focuses on mood and reverie. Elements, layers, and motifs blend into a whole that transcends the sum of the respective parts, a rich tapestry of sound that envelopes and transports the listener. These ten albums are some of the…
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