The Best Psychill/Ambient/Downtempo Albums of All Time - Compiled

[bwhale]

I wasn't...........

[JonCrow]

hmmm.. how bout Third Ear Audio?

Hey,

 

I'll try my best to keep the list pure and as closely related to the psytrance genre as possible. For this reason I won't add your suggestion I'm sorry. If you think I'm incorrect please say why.

 

If anyone feels strongly that any of the albums that are on the list do not belong there in terms of GENRE for a PSYTRANCE specific forum then please say so and I may remove the listing. I am not perfect and this list is not perfect but I figure it's better that it exists for people's convenience than not at all.

 

Thanks

 

Jon

[Astrognomix]

Sometimes, I wish I could disqualify you from the internet. Sometimes, I don't.

 

Agreed... especially when it comes to taste in movies... some people can't help their trollishness though.

[Trance2MoveU]

Well done Jon Crow, lets see how this topic embiggens ( :lol: I love that word from the Simpsons) with time and replies.

 

It's a perfectly cromulent word

 

Mdk

[Ormion]

You should add Orbit Constructions-Androneda and Psyfactor-Endless Universe ASAP!

These two can't be missed by a top of the top list.

 

I would recommend Unstable Emelents-Technical Illusions too.

[murphythecat]

PS: I only actually listened to about 3/4 of the chillout music so far, so my list is not complete.

okay!! we cant wait for the rest!!!!

[bwhale]

 

Listening to music is actually like a chore to me. I force myself to do it, and to keep listening to new stuff, even when most of it sucks. You guys should be thankful that I share my research with you. :drama:

[murphythecat]

 

Listening to music is actually like a chore to me. I force myself to do it, and to keep listening to new stuff, even when most of it sucks. You guys should be thankful that I share my research with you. :drama:

i admit, most of it sucks, change of style, that's what i did, i still listen to psy, but really, for me, idm suits me way more. So all you have to do is to find your style, if you really thinks that most of it sucks, here a list of best 2008 that open my eyes on different amazing genre of electronica: TIER 1 : ABSOLUTE MUST OF 2008 : TOP 10 (alphabetical order)

 

Evan Bartholomew - Secret Entries Into Darkness (Somnia)

Hauschka - Ferndorf (130701)

Hecq - Night Falls (Hymen)

Jacaszek - Treny (Miasmah / Gusstaff )

Jóhann Jóhannsson - Fordlandia (4AD)

Library Tapes - A Summer Beneath the Trees (Make Mine Music)

Murcof - The Versailles Sessions (Leaf)

Ólafur Arnalds - Variations of Static (Erased Tapes)

Subheim - Approach (Tympanik Audio)

The Sight Below - Glider (Ghostly)

 

TIER 2 : THE VERY BEST OF 2008 : TOP 25 (alphabetical order)

 

Abbasi Brothers - Something Like Nostalgia (Dynamophone)

Autechre - Quaristice (Warp)

Barry Lynn - Balancing Lakes (Planet Mu)

Benn Jordan - Pale Blue Dot (Alphabasic)

Bitcrush - Epilogue In Waves (n5MD)

Blackfilm - Blackfilm (Spectraliquid)

Byetone - Death Of A Typographer (Raster-Noton)

Christopher Bissonnette - In Between Words (Kranky)

Clark - Turning Dragon (Warp)

Emanuele Errante - Humus (Somnia)

Evan Marc + Steve Hillage - Dreamtime Submersible (Somnia)

Fennesz - Black Sea (Touch)

Helios - Caesure (Type)

Ital Tek - Cyclical (Planet Mu)

Kettel - Myam James Part 1 (Sending Orbs)

Lights Out Asia - Eyes Like Brontide (n5MD)

Max Richter - 24 Postcards In Full Colour (130701 / FatCat)

Motionfield - Optical Flow (Somnia)

Peter Broderick - Float (Type)

Rudi Arapahoe - Echoes From One To Another (Symbolic Interaction)

Squarepusher - Just A Souvenir (Warp)

Sylvain Chauveau - The Black Book Of Capitalism (Type)

The Flashbulb - Soundtrack To A Vacant Life (Alphabasic)

Venetian Snares - Detrimentalist (Planet Mu)

Wisp - Katabatic (Rephlex)

 

TIER 3 : THE ESSENTIALS OF 2008 : TOP 40 (alphabetical order)

 

2562 - Aerial

Aidan Baker And Tim Hecker - Fantasma Parastasie (Alien8)

Alva Noto - Unitxt (Raster-Noton)

Anders Ilar - Sworn (Level)

Another Electronic Musician - Five (m5MD)

BLÆRG - Auspices & Vagaries (Bottle Imp Productions)

Balmorhea - Rivers Arms (Western Vinyl)

Bluetech - Phoenix Rising (Somnia)

Claro Intelecto - Metanarrative (Modern Love)

DJ Hidden - We Are Haunted; The Signs (Prspct) & Past The Flesh; Prayer's End (Killing Sheep)

Daturah - Reverie (Golden Antenna / Graveface)

Digitonal - Save Your Light For Darker Days (Just Music)

Fjordne - The Last 3 Days Of Time (Dynamophone)

Funckarma - Vell Vagranz (n5MD)

Ginormous - At Night, Under Artificial Light (Hymen)

Goldmund - The Malady Of Elegance (Type)

Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday (Temporary Residence Limited)

Hammock - Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow (Darla)

Hecq - Golden Pines (Binkcrsh)

Hol Baumann - Human (Ultimae)

Igorrr - Moisissure (self)

Integral - Rise (Tympanik)

Jasper TX - Black Sleep (Miasmah)

Juxta Phona & Offthesky - !Escape Kit! (Somnia)

Kangding Ray - Automne Fold (Raster-Noton)

Kaya Project - And So It Goes (Interchill)

Machinefabriek - Dauw (Dekorder)

Meat Beat Manifesto - Autoimmune (Planet Mu / Metropolis)

Near The Parenthesis - L'Eixample (n5MD)

Nico Muhly - Mothertongue (Bedroom Community)

Ø - Oleva (Sähkö)

Ott - Skylon (Twisted)

Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista (Fonal)

Richard Skelton - Marking Time (Preservation)

Silent Land Time Machine - &hope still (Time-Lag / Indian Queen)

Skyphone - Avellaneda (Rune Grammofon)

Slow Dancing Society - Priest Lake Circa '88 (Hidden Shoal)

Stephan Mathieu - Radioland (Die Schachtel)

The Drift - Memory Drawings (Temporary Residence Ltd.)

William Basinski and Richard Chartier - Untitled 1-3 (LINE)

 

TIER 4 : HONORABLE MENTIONS AND COMPILATIONS : TOP 50 (alphabetical order)

 

40Winks - The Lucid Effect (Project: Mooncircle)

Aleph-1 - Aleph-1 (iDEAL)

Amon Tobin - Taxidermia EP (self)

Appleblim - Dubstep Allstars: Vol.06 (Tempa)

Benga - Diary Of An Afro Warrior (Tempa)

Cardopusher - Mutant Dubstep Vol.2 (Spectraliquid)

Deadmau5 - Tech-Trance-Electro Madness (Mixmag)

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into (Virgin)

Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull (Southern Lord)

Elite Barbarian - It’s only when you get to the end that it all makes sense (Front & Follow)

End.user - Left (Hymen)

Evol Intent - Era of Diversion (Evol Intent)

Ezekiel Honig - Surfaces Of A Broken Marching Band (Anticipate)

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles (Warp)

Heartthrob - Dear Painter, Paint Me (M_nus)

I Awake - The Core (Ultimae)

Ilar & Hedvall - Melt (Narita)

Interbellum - Over All Of Spain The Sky Is Clear (FSS)

Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood (Nonesuch)

Jérôme Chassagnard - (F)light (Hymen)

Kamran Sadeghi - Through Thickness (Dragon's Eye)

Kelpe - Ex-Aquarium (D.C. Recordings)

Kryptic Minds & Leon Switch - Two Swords (Defcom)

Lawrence English - Kiri No Oto (Touch)

Lustmord - [ O T H E R ] (Hydra Head)

Minilogue - Animals (Cocoon)

Mr Scruff - Ninja Tuna (Ninja Tuna)

Nebulo - Ãvutmã (Hymen)

Noisia - FabricLive. 40 (Fabric)

Peter Broderick - Home (Type)

Philip Jeck - Sand (Touch)

Plastician - Rinse 06 (Rinse)

Port-Royal - Flared Up Port-Royal Remixed (Resonant)

Portishead - Third (Universal)

Sigur Rós - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust (XL)

Sumner McKane - What A Great Place To be (self)

The Black Dog - Radio Scarecrow (Soma Quality)

The Doubtful Guest - Acid Sauna (Planet Mu)

The Fun Years - Baby, It's Cold Inside (Barge)

The Herbaliser - Same As It Never Was (Studio !K7)

The Ideal Setback - Dream Dialogue (self)

The Remote Viewer - I Can't Believe It's Not Better (Mobeer)

Valet - Naked Acid (Kranky)

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL)

Various - Diaspora: Cottage Industries 5 (Neo Ouija)

Various - Now (Underscan)

Various - Our Sound 2 (Destructive)

Various - The Platinum Series (Metalheadz)

Windy & Carl - Songs For The Broken Hearted (Kranky)

Zentriert Ins Antlitz - ...No (Tympanik)

 

TIER 5 : ADDITIONAL READER'S SELECTIONS : TOP 50 (alphabetical order)

 

Aidan Baker - Book Of Nods (Beta-lactam Rin)

Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (4AD / Kranky)

Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (Rhymesayers)

Auburn Lull - Begin Civil Twilight (Darla)

Beach House - Devotion (Carpark)

Beck - Modern Guilt (XL)

Benoît Pioulard - Temper (Kranky)

Bersarin Quartett - Bersarin Quartett (Lidar)

Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - Dolores (PIAS)

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours (Modular)

Deadbeat - Roots And Wire (Wagon Repair)

Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Cont. (Kranky)

Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park (4AD)

Distance - Repercussions (Planet Mu)

Dusk + Blackdown - Margins Music (Keysound)

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid (Fiction)

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Bella Union)

Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing (ATP)

Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna (Warp)

Gas - Nah Und Fern (Kompakt)

Gregor Samsa - Rest (Own)

Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (Type)

Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (Enemies List Home)

Headhunter - Nomad (Tempa)

Leila - Blood, Looms & Blooms (Warp)

Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too (Smalltown Supersound)

M83 - Saturdays = Youth (Virgin / Mute / EMI)

Maybeshewill - Not For Want Of Trying (Field)

Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling (Matador)

No Age - Nouns (Sub Pop)

Our Sleepless Forest - Our Sleepless Forest (Resonant)

Pocahaunted - Island Diamonds (Not Not Fun)

Ratatat - LP3 (XL)

Ricardo Villalobos - Vasco (Perlon)

Scuba - A Mutual Antipathy (Hotflush)

Shearwater - Rook (Matador)

Shed - Shedding The Past (Ostgut Tonträger)

Starkey - Ephemeral Exhibits (Planet Mu)

Sun Kil Moon - April (Caldo Verde)

TV On The Radio - Dear Science (4AD)

Tape - Luminarium (Häpna)

The Alps - III (Type)

The Bug - London Zoo (Ninja Tune)

The Daysleepers - Drowned In A Sea Of Sound (Clairecords)

The Dodos - Visiter (Wichita)

The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me (City Slang / Domino)

Tricky - Knowle West Boy (Domino)

Twine - Violets (Ghostly)

Why? - Alopecia (Anticon / Tomlab)

Zomby - Where Were U In '92? (Werk Discs)

[bwhale]

Haha seeing that post, is like seeing a big list of chores that need to be added to my current list.

 

But I already have downloaded quite a few of those non-psy things, and will get around to them soon.

[murphythecat]

Haha seeing that post, is like seeing a big list of chores that need to be added to my current list.

 

But I already have downloaded quite a few of those non-psy things, and will get around to them soon.

i recommend: subheim, the abbasi brothers, wisp, kettel, Library Tapes, Blackfilm, Lights Out Asia, Another Electronic Musician, The Black Dog , Rudi Arapahoe and helios!!! thats my BIG discovery out of this list, but i encourage you to go see every artist myspace, it will give you a good idea

[Snapinho]

Hey,

 

I'll try my best to keep the list pure and as closely related to the psytrance genre as possible. For this reason I won't add your suggestion I'm sorry. If you think I'm incorrect please say why.

Mwah, that's kinda nonsense.

 

If so, what are Aphex Twin, The Orb, FSOL and Trentemoller doing on that list, for example?

 

I wouldn't want them removed, and would quite some other albums, but if you want to keep it psytrance specific, that's hard enough as it is...

[supergroover]

This list has and will continue to be compiled from here and here.

New PSYTRANCE RELATED additions welcome.

 

A

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92

 

B

Boards of Canada - Geodaddi

 

E

Enigma - Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!

 

F

FSOL - Lifeforms

 

M

monolake - Plumbicon Versions

 

 

T

The Orb - Orbus Terrarum

Trentemoller - The Last Resort

yes, as snapinho said..

these are not psytrance related imho.

[JonCrow]

Mwah, that's kinda nonsense.

 

If so, what are Aphex Twin, The Orb, FSOL and Trentemoller doing on that list, for example?

 

I wouldn't want them removed, and would quite some other albums, but if you want to keep it psytrance specific, that's hard enough as it is...

Yeah, agreed. It's really hard. I was reluctant to take on the "responsibility" because of it.

 

I don't mind personally what's on the list because I'm not all that fond of drawing lines in the sand. I think of it all as electronica. It's important to keep things open in all wakes of life. I just wanted to try and keep complaints to a minimum because if it gets too painful then I can't be fucked trying to keep it all together. Should I just let it run free and just add everything suggested? Who am I to judge what should and shouldn't be added? That's why I said I'm not perfect in my knowledge and nor is the list, nor is there such a thing as a perfect list.

 

Better to have a list than no list, no? But how far should it blow out genre-wise?

 

"as closely related to the psytrance genre as possible"

 

People can hopefully use some common sense.

For instance someone would be more inclined to make a topic in the General Psytrance section of the forum about Androcell than they would about Autechre. And hence Androcell "belongs" a little more than Autechre does.

[Snapinho]

Yeah, I dig.

 

I'd suggest to keep it downtempo and psychedelic.

 

So I reckon Autechre's Quaristice wouldn't fit in, but Amber would. Ah man, you don't know what you got yourself into... either it's gonna expand beyond whatever, or else people are gonna complain it's not "psychill" enough.

 

The KLF - Chillout is most definitely essential, since it's the album that gave the whole genre its name.

 

FSOL - Dead Cities

FSOL - ISDN

The Orb - U.F.Orb

The Orb - Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld

Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children

Biosphere - Substrata

 

All classics that aren't psychill. Monolake doesn't really fit in though, if you ask me.

 

Nodens Ictus - Spacelines

Eat Static - Back to Earth

VA - Downbeat Liquid

VA - Dissolving Clouds

Unstable Elements - Technical Illusions

Electrypnose - Subliminal Melancholies

Krusseldorf - Smokers Lounge

 

Don't know if the above have been mentioned yet, but they could be included as well.

[JonCrow]

Yeah, I dig.

 

I'd suggest to keep it downtempo and psychedelic.

 

So I reckon Autechre's Quaristice wouldn't fit in, but Amber would. Ah man, you don't know what you got yourself into... either it's gonna expand beyond whatever, or else people are gonna complain it's not "psychill" enough.

 

The KLF - Chillout is most definitely essential, since it's the album that gave the whole genre its name.

 

FSOL - Dead Cities

FSOL - ISDN

The Orb - U.F.Orb

The Orb - Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld

Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children

Biosphere - Substrata

 

All classics that aren't psychill. Monolake doesn't really fit in though, if you ask me.

 

Nodens Ictus - Spacelines

Eat Static - Back to Earth

VA - Downbeat Liquid

VA - Dissolving Clouds

Unstable Elements - Technical Illusions

Electrypnose - Subliminal Melancholies

Krusseldorf - Smokers Lounge

 

Don't know if the above have been mentioned yet, but they could be included as well.

A system I was thinking of the day I posted the thing was that if 5 people clearly voted an album off the list because they thought it didn't belong here due to genre, then I'd remove it. What do you think?

 

Or anyone else please offer your opinions.

 

So if 3 more people at any stage posted clearly that Monolake doesn't fit. Then it goes.

[Snapinho]

A system I was thinking of the day I posted the thing was that if 5 people clearly voted an album off the list because they thought it didn't belong here due to genre, then I'd remove it. What do you think?

Sounds smart. Go for it!

[murphythecat]

Yeah, I dig.

 

I'd suggest to keep it downtempo and psychedelic.

 

So I reckon Autechre's Quaristice wouldn't fit in, but Amber would. Ah man, you don't know what you got yourself into... either it's gonna expand beyond whatever, or else people are gonna complain it's not "psychill" enough.

 

The KLF - Chillout is most definitely essential, since it's the album that gave the whole genre its name.

 

FSOL - Dead Cities

FSOL - ISDN

The Orb - U.F.Orb

The Orb - Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld

Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children

Biosphere - Substrata

 

All classics that aren't psychill. Monolake doesn't really fit in though, if you ask me.

 

Nodens Ictus - Spacelines

Eat Static - Back to Earth

VA - Downbeat Liquid

VA - Dissolving Clouds

Unstable Elements - Technical Illusions

Electrypnose - Subliminal Melancholies

Krusseldorf - Smokers Lounge

 

Don't know if the above have been mentioned yet, but they could be included as well.

They HAVE to be added to the list

[JonCrow]

If you feel very strongly that an item on the list doesn't AT ALL belong on a psytrance forum in terms of genre, then state clearly in a post in this topic.

 

If FIVE people vote an album off it will be removed.

 

If a listing is excellent but is not specifically classified as "psy-whatever" (e.g. FSOL - Lifeforms, The Orb - U.F.Orb) please try your best to be forgiving.

 

I'll spam this ^^^ or something similar every time I update the thing. If anyone can think of any other rules, changes, or suggestions that might work, post them.

 

List Updated with:

Alien Community - Alien Community

Alien Community - Alien Community 2

Banco de Gaya - Maya

Biosphere - Substrata

Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children

Cardamar - Steam

Eat Static - Back to Earth

Electrypnose - Subliminal Melancholies

FSOL - Dead Cities

FSOL - ISDN

Gabriel Le Mar vs. Cylancer - Night Radio

Hoopy Frood - Psychonaut

Kick Bong - Flower Power

Mystical Sun - Energy Mind Consciousness

Nodens Ictus - Spacelines

OTT - Skylon

Psyfactor - Endless Universe

Quaid - Eight a Day (Unreleased)

S. Zeilenga - In Media Res

Ten Madison - Avenue

Terra Nine - Strange Craft

The KLF - Chill Out

The Kumba Mela Experiment - East Of The River Ganges

The Orb - Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld

The Orb - U.F.Orb

Third Ear Audio - Third Ear Audio

Unstable Emelents-Technical Illusions

Xerxes - The Mirror Formula

Zymosis - Elements Into Data

 

 

hmmm.. how bout Third Ear Audio?

Just to let you know that I added this one despite my comments earlier in the thread.

 

Jon

[Oopie]

Okay let's add some old school (some of these might've been added already but...)

 

Global Communication - Pentamerous Metamorphosis

Sun Electric - 30.7.94

Stevie Be-Zet - Archaic Modulation

Being - Tides

Being - Selected Transmissions/Point Two

Henrik B - Kryoniks

Starseed Transmission - Metamorphic Illumination

Reload - A Collection Of Short Stories

Om - Instant Enlightenment (Deep Trance Ambient Experience)

Move D - Kunststoff

Reagenz - Reagenz

John Beltran - Ten Days Of Blue

Dilate - Octagon

 

Well, enough is enough.

[mephistopheles]

Some more compilations:

 

VA - Eclipse, a journey of permanence & impermanence

VA - Illuminations

 

Some more artists:

 

Toires - Majmar, the remixed album part one (...)

Astral waves - Mystique

[technosomy]

anything by rhian sheehan

pitch black

the nomad

rotor +

avotor

signer

 

no names of albums as people should pursue them more

its a challenge, nz is so far away yet we have set standards over the years

[Bahamut]

just remove 'Ambient' from topic title and I'm ok with this thread ^^

 

oh yes and I vote for Substrata to be removed

not that I think it's very great, but at least I could save it from being associated with these heaps of psychill mediocrity

[p(sy)ayam]

Puff Dragon - Sazanami

&

VA - Kokopelli

 

are missing

 

e.

and VA - Mana Medicine, in fact all LSD compilations should be here IMO

[Yard Hippie]

Rena Jones - Driftwood

An underrated but absolutely fantastic downtempo psy chill piece

 

Struggling to think of any more absolute favourites you havn't already noted right now though; great list

[mk1]

Two more that definitely belong in a best psy-chill list are:

 

Peaking Goddess Collective - Organika

 

Flooting Grooves - Upsyde Downe

 

Whilst we shouldn't restrict the number of releases per artist, do so many of the Shpongle, Entheogenic, Solar Fields etc. releases really belong in a "Best Of" list? I'm not saying they aren't good, it just seems like some artists have got all of their releases listed without trying to pick the ones that are genuinely the best.