Brian Eno – Ambient 1 (Music For Airports)

Certainly one of the most influential records of the last 50 years, Ambient 1 (Music For Airports) is the first of three Brian Eno albums released under the label of “ambient music,” a genre of music intended to “induce calm and a space to think” while remaining “as ignorable as it is interesting.” The story goes that Eno became interested in ambience after an automobile accident sent him to the hospital. A visiting friend left a record playing in his room and, unable to adjust the volume, Eno allowed the music to continue playing causing the sounds to blend with the rain outside the room. Eno: “An ambience is defined as an atmosphere, or a surrounding influence: a tint. My intention is to produce original pieces ostensibly (but not exclusively) for particular times and situations with a view to building up a small but versatile catalogue of environmental music suited to a wide variety of moods and atmospheres.”

Recommended – Full Listen