Ryuichi Sakamoto’s async: Recording, Tracks, and Context
A detailed guide to Ryuichi Sakamoto's 2017 solo album async, covering the tsunami piano, New York recording sessions, and all 14 tracks in full.
Latest posts
Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 85-92: Album Guide
Explore Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92, recorded on cassette in Cornwall using custom-modified synthesizers at the dawn of 1990s IDM.
Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert: Recording and Analysis
How Keith Jarrett's 1975 solo improvisation on a flawed rehearsal Bösendorfer at the Cologne Opera House became the best-selling solo jazz album.
Kraftwerk’s Computer World (1981): Album Review and Guide
A guide to Kraftwerk's 1981 album Computer World, exploring its Kling Klang synthesizer production, minimal rhythms, and influence on techno and pop.
Harold Budd’s The Pavilion of Dreams (1978): Album Guide
Discover Harold Budd's 1978 ambient album The Pavilion of Dreams, produced by Brian Eno and built on soft-pedal piano, harp arpeggios, and saxophone.
Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians: Pulse and Phase
A listening guide to Steve Reich's 1976 minimalist landmark Music for 18 Musicians, exploring its 11 chord pulses, phase shifting, and ensemble breath.
Toru Takemitsu and the Lineage of Japanese Ambient Music
Explore how Toru Takemitsu's philosophy of ma and the river of sound shaped Japanese environmental music through Hiroshi Yoshimura and Satoshi Ashikawa.
Brian Eno’s Apollo: Ambient Music and Pedal Steel Guitar
An archival guide to Brian Eno's 1983 landmark Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, recorded with Daniel Lanois and Roger Eno for Al Reinert's NASA film.
Japanese Environmental Music (Kankyo Ongaku) Guide
A deep guide to 1980s Japanese environmental music (Kankyo Ongaku), tracing the spatial sound of Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Ashikawa, and Midori Takada.
Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works Volume II: How to Walk Through a Rusted Hollow
A complete track-by-track guide to Aphex Twin 1994 monument Selected Ambient Works Volume II, exploring the vast acoustic hollow built from reverberation, sustained drones, and lucid-dream textures.