Category: ambient music

In 2019, one of Portland’s great cult-classic albums was the subject of a much-needed reissue and remaster.

Ernest Hood’s 1975 Neighborhoods has long been cherished in the experimental music world as one of the best early albums of ambient music (beatless, atmospheric music designed to reward both background listening and close attention). A onetime Portland jazz guitarist and KBOO co-founder, Hood lost his ability to play guitar after being struck by polio and made Neighborhoods with a unique palette of zithers and early synths.

Hood pressed only 1,000 copies of the record, and for years, the only way most people could listen to it without shelling out triple digits on a vinyl copy was through a muddy YouTube rip that obscured the album’s sonic richness and tactile detail. Russ Gorsline’s remaster and Freedom to Spend’s reissue deserve all the Grammys in the world for bringing an almost-lost classic back to vivid life.

On Nov. 11, Freedom to Spend and the Brooklyn label RVNG Intl. released Back to the Woodlands, the second album from Hood (who died in 1995). Comprising archival recordings cut between 1972 and 1982, Woodlands is a much more immediate album, one I suspect newcomers will enjoy even more than Neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods devoted long stretches to field recordings Hood made around West Linn and other Portland suburbs. Replete with mundane conversations and distant natural and animal noises, the recordings opened up a portal into Portland’s past.

Woodlands also makes use of field recordings, including idyllic birds on “Noonday Yellows” and a familiar Northwestern shower on “Rain,” but they’re worked into the fabric of the music itself. While only about 60% of Neighborhoods actually consisted of music, Woodlands is a total immersion into Hood’s idiosyncratic sound. For just over 30 minutes, zithers arc across the stereo field like a bird unfurling its wings as rushing water and crickets murmur gently in the distance.

These field recordings are a little less specific than the ones on Neighborhoods. On one track on that album, you could hear an old-timer talk about the wreck of a boat still sitting at the bottom of the Columbia River. The old man’s memories were interwoven in the fabric of the album along with Hood’s, and it was hard not to wonder if the wreck was still there—and who the old man was and what his childhood was like.

Meanwhile, the rain on “Rain” could’ve just as easily been recorded in Wisconsin. The dark mystery of the Cascadian forest has been an inspiration to artists, from bands like Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room to indie-rockers like Phil Elverum to filmmakers like Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy), Rob Reiner (Stand By Me), and Scott Cooper (Antlers). These creators capture the primeval, pagan, threatening quality of the Northwestern woods, whereas Woodlands evokes a pleasant walk in the park.

The whole thing has a Bambi-ish, Thomas Kinkade-style quality that offers a harmless and tame vision of nature. The music doesn’t suggest any vastness, danger, awe or mystery. It simply exhales with appreciation at how beautiful everything is, as if perpetually in the midst of sniffing a flower.

Few artists can combine such unconventional instrumentation into something so natural and consonant-sounding, and the arcing zithers and primitive synths make it sound a lot wonkier than your average New Age healing shop tape. It just sounds plain great, and it’s hard to imagine anyone enthralled by synth curiosities (like Mort Garson’s recently reissued Mother Earth’s Plantasia) won’t fall in love with it.

Woodlands is a doozy of an archival find, and it works great if you’re trying to simply bliss out. But a true evocation of the Oregon woodlands it is not.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden has once again transformed into a garden of light with the return of its Lightscape holiday event.

The after dark walk-through experience has taken over a mile-long path of the 127-acre Arboretum with a display of 18 elaborate installations that mix light sculptures and special effects with upbeat holiday-themed music.

“It’s a marriage of spectacular lights and the natural beauty of landscape and plants,” said Richard Schulhof, director at Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. “Each experience is quite different, so it’s sort of a journey.”

Here is a look at five experiences guests will come across in Lightscape, which runs select evenings through Jan. 8, 2023.

Another world

Located in the Arboretum’s tropical forest area, which is made up of large trees and lush green plants, guests will feel like they’ve entered another dimension when they come upon the Laser Garden. Fog machines combined with subtle dark blue lighting set the tone for a walk through this installation that features hundreds of green, fast-moving laser lights being reflected on all the tropical trees and plants. In the background there’s ambient music and the sound of running water. As you slowly walk through the dark space, it’ll be easy to imagine that maybe you just landed in the middle of a fairy tale forest, or maybe even in the movie “Avatar.” It’s really that cool.

Get the selfie

The entire Lightscape exhibit is a selfie lover’s dream, but one particular installation seems to be attracting lines of selfie snappers. The Whole Hole is a tunnel made up of hundreds of white LED strips that light up in sequence to make it appear as if they’re drawing you into a sort of wormhole. During a recent visit, about a dozen people waited in line so they could stand in front of the tunnel and snap a pic. “It’s pretty magical,” said 34-year-old Sandra Lopez, who had just taken a picture with her family in front of the installation. “It almost looks like something from outer space.”

The party spot

Feel the rhythm of the trees at the Jungle Disco. With pop music playing in the background and a giant disco ball hanging from a tree, this spot had visitors shaking their hips on a recent chilly night as disco lights of all colors moved and pulsated on the floor and on the trees and nearby plants.

The tunnel of love

Made up of more than 100,000 LED globes and inspired by arched church windows, the Winter Cathedral tunnel is the only returning installation from last year, and that’s good news for couples. The installation is not only a visually stunning walk-through experience, but perhaps more significantly, it’s become the tunnel of love, too.

“In the Winter Cathedral last year I think we had about 10 wedding proposals,” Schulhof said.

Waterworks

During our visit, dozens of people began to gather around a viewing area near the park’s Baldwin Lake to watch a show inside the Venus installation. Suddenly, beams of light in various shapes and colors were reflected on rows of water shooting from cannons in the lake. The water beams rose about 50-feet in the air and spread out about 100-feet across the lake, with the programming all synchronized to a booming version of the holiday song “All I want for Christmas Is You.” People danced and sang along as they were hit with gentle clouds of mist from the lake.

“It’s this kaleidoscope of forms and color. It’s a spectacular effect,” Schulhof said.

Lightscape

Where: 5:30 p.m.-8:45 p.m. select evenings through Jan. 8

Where: Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia

Tickets: Tickets start at $37 for adults and $18 for children ages 3-12 at arboretum.org.

Sweater weather

A curated assortment of menswear that celebrates the return to Polo Ralph Lauren’s origins, Polo Originals blends British tailoring blends seamlessly with a rugged style, and refinement shaped by centuries of academic tradition. From Fair Isle Wool Sweaters inspired by the fishermen of the Shetland Islands, to Trench Coats tailored in Italy from British Millerain oilcloth, to iconic silhouettes cut from custom-made Shetland tweed crafted by Abraham Moon & Sons, Polo honours the subtle, the sartorial, the discerning, in a powerful return to distinctive products entrenched in history and imbued with modernity.

Collector’s knives

Italian knifemaker Emmanuel Esposito collaborates with The Hour Glass to produce an exclusive set of collectible folding knives called The Elemental Project. Exquisitely crafted by hand — mixing materials like titanium, gold and mother of pearl — the exceptional care and finesse in craftsmanship manifest in the immaculate details in engineering and finishing. A unique patented folding mechanism, the Double C-Lock, ensures the blade run with maximum precision and smoothness, that can be locked in open or closed positions. Available in three designs, each Elemental knife ($34,400) is presented in a custom display box made of solid wood coated with more than 30 layers of lacquer. Discover them at Malmaison by The Hour Glass.

See also: Montblanc looks to new artistic director Marco Tomasetta to inject coolness into its leather goods

Musical tribute

German luxury penmaker Montblanc pays tribute to rock legend, Jimi Hendrix, with a limited collection of three fountain pens bearing elements of his storied career. Our favourite is the Montblanc Great Characters Jimi Hendrix LE99, which refers to the 30th anniversary of Woodstock in 1999, when Hendrix’s posthumous album Live at Woodstock was released.

Cream-coloured lacquer is used on the cap to mirror the look of his favourite Fender Stratocaster guitar, while an engraved Au 750 solid white gold plaque is etched with the names of the songs from his Woodstock set. The tremolo bar that Hendrix used so expressively to create his soul-stirring sound encouraged the shape of the palladium-coated clip. His portrait is engraved on the handcrafted Au 750 solid bi-colour gold nib, while the Au 750 solid white gold forepart is engraved with his signature alongside the same geometric pattern that decorated Hendrix’s guitar strap at Woodstock. The pen comes together with a calf leather notebook and violet-coloured ink recalling his timeless hit, Purple Haze.

See also: Red carpet glam: Why red carpet events are important to Chopard

World’s lightest laptop

The Acer Swift Edge (SFA16-41) supports the work demands of on-the-go professionals combining performance and durability in a sleek 16-inch lightweight laptop. Weighing only 1.17 kg and measuring 12.95 mm in height, it sports an ultra-slim magnesium-aluminium chassis, making it significantly more portable and durable.

Supposedly the world’s lightest 16-inch 4K OLED laptop, the Swift Edge laptop is powered by AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U. Built-in Windows 11 Pro is integrated with security processor Microsoft Pluton, which features biometric authentication to help safeguard sensitive user data.

On this, you’ll be able to enjoy cinema-grade visuals on a 4K OLED display with 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut support and 500 nits peak brightness. The laptop also features a narrow bezel with a 92% screen-to body-ratio.

Commute in style

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For the urban man on-the-go, Berluti has created a new, functional backpack for everyday wear inspired by its iconic Jour line. Called Working Day, the bag is made of patinated Venezia leather worked into a minimal yet essential design. Sufficiently-sized to carry a laptop with padded compartments, the spacious bag offers plenty of zippered pockets to carry everything from mobile phones to passports. Working Day comes in two shades — Nero Grigio and Cacao Intenso — engraved with its signature Scritto Swipe motif.

Retro music player

British-owned Ruark Audio unveils the latest version of its award-winning R2 music system, the R2 Mk4 ($799) — a complete music system to suit the music needs of every generation and occasion. Known for its class-leading sound quality, this model has a 20% smaller footprint (compared to the previous model), as well as a retro Scandinavian-inspired slatted wooden grille design to add a luxurious touch to homes.

Aside from being able to support major streaming services via Bluetooth 5.0, the R2 Mk4 gives users an extensive selection of ways to connect the music system between devices, such as a USB-C port for playback from a flash drive, an auxiliary line input, and a headphone output. The USB-C port can also be used for charging devices.

To top it off, the colour LCD screen displays time, alarm, and programme information, including station and album artwork, and automatically adjusts the brightness to suit ambient light levels.

Whoever said you must spend big to get premium wireless audio hasn’t kept tabs on the headphone market. All you have to do is Google the best cheap wireless headphones and a plethora of high-quality options will pop up on your screen.

Sure, some of these bargain entries won’t match the superior sound quality or active noise cancellation (ANC) of category leaders like the Bose 700 or Sony WH-1000XM5. A few may even lack modern features like touch controls and wear detection. That doesn’t make these headphones any less valuable, especially when their pros outweigh their cons by a ratio of 2 to 1.

To save you time and money, we’ve ranked the top selections under $100. Expect to find consumer favorites like Anker, Jabra, and Sennheiser on this list, along with new Amazon darlings such as 1More and Monoprice. Scroll down to see which ones best suit your needs and your budget.

What are the best cheap wireless headphones?

Coming in at No. 1 on our best cheap wireless headphones list is the Jabra Elite 45. These on-ear cans pack high-end features into a sleek, lightweight design. Notables include a customizable EQ, Find My Headphones function, sleep mode, and firmware updates. Battery life is also some of the longest at up to 50 hours. You can purchase the Elite 45 in four attractive colors: Copper Black, Gold Beige, Navy, and Titanium Black.

A close second is the 1More SonoFlow. The company’s first noise-cancelling headphones are a triumph that squeezes a powerful soundstage, sufficient ANC, and 70 hours of playtime into a streamlined design. Comfort and fit are standouts. LDAC support lets you stream music from hi-fi music services (e.g., Tidal, Qobuz), while Bluetooth multipoint connects the headphones to two devices at the same time.

The Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT comes in third place. This mid-range entry has remained a top seller for the past three years, thanks to strong audio performance with deep bass and pleasant frequency range. Build quality is on par with Sennheiser’s more expensive models. Pairing is seamless via NFC functionality; simply tap the headphones on a compatible Android device for instantaneous connectivity. A full charge gets you 20 hours of listening time as well. 

See our full rankings of the best cheap wireless headphones below.

The best cheap wireless headphones you can buy today

Several models make a strong case for best cheap wireless headphones under $100, but the Jabra Elite 45h remains the clear-cut winner based on performance. The 40-millimeter audio drivers deliver entertaining sound that can also be customized by manually adjusting the EQ or selecting from a handful of music presets. It’s the only available feature at the moment, but with the headphones supporting firmware updates, we’re expecting more to come in the following months. Bluetooth 5.0 operates superbly to offer stable connectivity across all devices, while 50 hours of playtime ensures you have enough juice to enjoy music and movies for nearly two weeks before recharging.

We can look past the plastic construction, especially when factoring in how light and comfortable these headphones feel. Our biggest complaint is the lack of noise isolation, which, due to the on-ear design, leaks a lot of sound. However, it’s no big deal if you’re listening at mid-level volume.

Read our full Jabra Elite 45h review.

There aren’t many cheap noise-cancelling headphones that can get you 50 hours of ANC use. The SonoFlow is one of the few. A full charge keeps these cans operating for weeks. Turning off ANC extends battery life to 70 hours. An aux cable comes bundled with the purchase, if ever you forget to recharge, but you’ll want to leave it in the carrying case since it hinders audio performance. When in wireless mode, you can expect the SonoFlow to pump out engaging sound and powerful bass, thanks to 1More’s 40mm dynamic driver with DLC (diamond-like-carbon) composite diaphragm. LDAC codec support also improves connection quality and lets you hear details clearly when jamming out to tracks on lossless streaming services (e.g., Tidal, Qobuz).

Noise cancellation is fine for the price, blocking out low frequencies very well, though the transparency mode is disappointing and doesn’t let in much incidental noise.

If money is tight and you want something that can fulfill your audio needs for cheap, we highly recommend these budget wireless cans.  The Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT is one of the best cheap wireless headphone deals under $100 you’ll find, delivering full, energetic sound highlighted by its monstrous low end and well-tuned midrange.

Despite being an older model, these headphones provide you a generous amount of playtime (24 hours) and Bluetooth range (30 feet). The bundled aux cable is also clutch for listening in passive mode, granted it’s pretty fragile and has no buttons to manage playback or volume. Still, those are small compromises to live with for the asking price.

Bigger sound, noise cancellation, and bonus features: Anker blessed this set of cans with the works. The Life Q30 comes equipped with 40mm silk drivers that generate thumping lows and crisp mids to enjoy music across multiple genres. Anker also made these headphones compatible with the Soundcore app, so you can personalize the soundstage to your liking by manually adjusting the EQ or by picking any of the 22 presets available. You don’t see that on many noise-cancellers priced under $100. Noise neutralization is improved from the previous model, so you’ll be able to block out a higher level of external sounds. The three ANC modes (Transport, Indoor, and Outdoor) are engineered to cancel out noises found in different settings too.

We applaud Anker for giving the Life Q30 a more premium look and better aesthetics, though this is still one big, heavy pair of ‘phones to lug around.

Read our full Anker Soundcore Life Q30 review.

Sol Republic’s noise-cancelling headphones are a plausible entry in the category that packs powerful battery life and sound into a robust, professional-looking design. The 500mAh battery built into these cans generates up to 30+ hours of playtime, which, when listening in moderation, equates to about a month of use. Listening to orchestral songs demonstrates the Soundtrack Pro’s wide frequency range, as lows and highs are well-defined to distinguish sonic elements. You can also snag a pair in three stylish finishes: Glossy Black, Gray, and Champagne.

Active noise cancellation won’t blow you away. It’s adequate to silence office rumblings, though you’re bound to hear street noises when sporting these hefty suckers around town. Something else we noticed is that enabling the feature scales back the bass response, while listening in aux mode produces a fuzzy noise in the background.

If you want noise-cancelling headphones with an upscale design and soundstage, the N700NC is a suitable option. It’s not only a handsome noise-canceller, but also upholds the elite sound performance we’ve come to expect from the pro-audio heritage brand. Frequencies are well balanced to deliver clean, detailed sound. Toying with the AKG Headphones app also grants access to personalize sound by tweaking the different EQ settings. AKG’s noise-cancelling technology is effective as well at blocking out ambient chatter. Battery life seems pretty average at 23 hours with ANC on, but playtime is still higher than what the Bose 700 offers.

Where the headphones lose points are in the listening modes (Smart Ambient and TalkThru), which perform poorly in comparison to other models, and the alarmingly high sound leakage that will draw unwanted attention when blasting music in public spaces.

Samsung is currently selling the N7000NC for $99.

An audio brand known for selling some of the best computer speakers under $100, Monoprice has jumped into the cheap wireless headphones market and given us the noteworthy BT-600ANC. These inexpensive noise-cancellers reduce ambient sound at a high level, keeping the soundscape clear of disruptions, while also dishing out strong bass. Having longer playtimes than any Bose headphone adds to the product’s credibility, along with cool features like aptX support for hi-res audio streaming and multipoint technology. 

These headphones do not come with a companion app or wear detection, but then again, not many sub-$70 models do.

Panasonic might be more known for its home appliances and grooming devices, but creations like the RB-M700B show the brand can create a quality pair of cans. Bass performance is monstrous, thanks to proprietary XBS (Extreme Bass System) DEEP technology and 40mm Neodymium drivers with built-in Bass Reactor. Pressing play will feel like you’re at a concert or nightclub. A 15-minute quick charge produces 1.5 hours of listening.

Be wary of listening to music in ANC mode because it can affect bass performance and produce distortion on certain tracks. Something else to keep in mind is that the controls are a little difficult to access since Panasonic inconveniently placed them at the bottom of the right earcup.

Read our full Panasonic RB-M700B review.

How to choose the best cheap wireless headphones for you

The same criteria for selecting the best wireless headphones will apply here. That means prioritizing wireless functionality. Search for headphones operating on the latest Bluetooth version (Bluetooth 5.0 or higher). There are older models running on Bluetooth 4.2, which is still effective, but only when maintaining a strong signal during calls and streaming sessions. It doesn’t hurt to seek out cool wireless features either (e.g., Google Fast Pair, multipoint technology, NFC).

Sound is the next hallmark you should check off. Several of the brands featured on this list have legitimate audio backgrounds, while others are new to the game. Check for driver size because the bigger they are, the more powerful your headphones will sound. Some models have customizable settings to personalize audio. There are a select few that come with hi-res codec support (e.g., aptX, LDAC) to play lossless audio on compatible devices. Some even have a latency mode to reduce lag when mobile gaming or watching videos.

Going wireless means relying on portable power, which is why you’ll want something with long battery life. The standard for wireless headphones is around 20 hours or higher, though we’ve seen newer models nearly triple that amount, which is excellent. Quick charging support is another feature to keep in mind.

Lastly, look at the design. Any headphones that offer the right balance of form, function, and fashion is worth the purchase. Don’t overlook accessories either, specifically a carrying case to protect and transport your headphones.

How we test the best cheap wireless headphones

Laptop Magazine thoroughly tests the best cheap wireless headphones by evaluating several factors, including design, comfort, sound, and value. Our team then compares these selections to similar products in the category in terms of features, fit, and pricing. 

Wireless headphones are worn over the course of a week for 2 to 3 hours daily. We assess comfort, ease of use, noise cancellation, and audio quality. In addition, sample tracks across several music genres are tested, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, EDM, and classical. Reviewers analyze clarity, depth, imaging, and volume. Audiobooks, games, podcasts, and videos are accounted for too.

Any headphones featuring the latest audio codecs (e.g., aptX, LDAC) and spatial audio are tested using compatible hi-res streaming services (e.g., Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal). You can learn more about how these services that improve sound quality by checking out this expert audio codec FAQ, which breaks down all you need to know about FLAC files, MP3s, and other audio file codecs.

After completing the testing phase, we rate every model based on our five-point system, (1 = worst, 5 = best). Any product that is truly exemplary is awarded an Editor’s Choice.

We have thankfully now left behind an extended period when ambient music seemed to have gone out of fashion, being seen as some sort of embarrassing mistake of the recent past. Without a doubt, ambient is back! Settle yourself in for a long, relaxing journey through some of the best ambient music in history.

Listen to the best ambient music on Spotify.

The Virgin label was home to a huge number of records influential on the formation of the ambient genre during the 70s. An obvious place to start is Mike Oldfield’s absolutely magical 1973 album Tubular Bells. Its main theme’s use as the theme for horror film The Exorcist maybe leaves it with rather scarier connotations than originally intended, but also remains one of the best ambient music recordings of all time, and makes the case for Mike Oldfield providing a precursor to the later development known as “dark ambient.” Greek composer Vangelis was also at work on minimal soundtrack work for Polydor, and tracks such as “La Mort Du Loup,” from L’Apocalypse Des Animaux, clearly prefigure much of the best ambient music of the decades ahead. Virgin signed Germany’s Tangerine Dream around the same time: the group had issued some excellent but challenging material in the years beforehand, but created one of the ultimate ambient albums in 1974’s timeless Phaedra (which boasts a formidable 18-minute title track) before repeating the success with other albums such as Rubycon.

Ambient isn’t a genre known for its snappy pop songs, but French composer Jean-Michel Jarre came as close as it was going to get with 1976’s “Oxygène, Pt.4” for Polydor, which now sounds beguilingly vintage and still effectively conjures a highly evocative portrait of the gas that underpins human life. Brian Eno popularised the term “ambient music” with his series of Ambient albums, but had already dipped his toe in the water with flawless compositions such as 1977’s Cluster collaboration and future Balearic vocal “By This River,” from Before And After Science. Virgin also hit again with prog explorer and future Orb collaborator Steve Hillage’s 1979 album Rainbow Dome Musick, the two side-long synth pieces on which including the tinkling “Garden Of Paradise.”

In the 80s, the age of lengthy, prog-friendly album tracks waned, but the cause was taken up by some of the burgeoning electronic scene’s frontrunners, including Art Of Noise, whose hardy perennial from 1984, “Moments In Love,” topped 10 minutes in its most blissed-out version. It’s also easy to see why some of the output of Simon Jeffes’ Penguin Cafe Orchestra has long been popular for chill-out purposes, as witnessed on “Wildlife,” from 1987’s Signs Of Life, which was later compiled on all manner of ambient collections.

Ambient really returned to popularity as the rave scene called for rooms in which the addled could reflect and recover. Perhaps the genre’s most totemic act emerged in the shape of The Orb, whose shuffling, stargazing “Little Fluffy Clouds” was inescapable in the early 90s, and who made a long and continuing career for themselves in and around the genre. While remembered as perhaps a little less hip, Virgin signing Enigma’s “Sadeness Part 1” almost single-handedly kickstarted a craze for Gregorian chant records in 1990 and had an easily translatable vibe that helped make the German project internationally popular right up to the present day. Likewise BBG’s “Snappiness,” which came out on Polydor the same year and has graced sun-drenched terraces ever since.

The extent to which the hottest acts of the time were toying with the genre becomes clear with previously unreleased material such as the 1991 ambient mix of Underworld’s “Dirty Epic”, included on the recent super-deluxe version of dubnobasswithmyheadman. By 1993, the floodgates had opened and ambient standards such as William Orbit’s “Water From A Vine Leaf” (for Virgin) were everywhere, that track epitomising an increasingly mobile young population’s desire to zip off to somewhere more tranquil. The following year also saw the label release one of The Future Sound Of London’s classic albums, Lifeforms, featuring then state-of-the-art pieces such as “Dead Skin Cells.” The album was lapped up by a highly receptive public, and the FSOL duo and their more obviously psychedelic alias, Amorphous Androgynous, have remained a cult favorite ever since. Typical of the time was also Union City act Voyager (better known as Tony Thorpe, aka The Moody Boys), who turned in 20 blissful minutes of gas escaping into the ether with 1993’s “Arrival,” alongside his more stock-in-trade acid numbers.

In the mid-90s, ambient was rapidly absorbed into other electronic genres, resulting in stunning, chilly crossovers such as Goldie’s drum’n’bass high-water mark “Inner City Life.” There were also so many cash-in ambient, Balearic and chill-out releases that one could be forgiven for overlooking Island’s 1997 Dreams Of Freedom (Ambient Translations Of Bob Marley In Dub). This one was, however, overseen by seasoned producer Bill Laswell, with Tetsu Inoue assisting on “The Heathen.” Likewise, you had to dig deep to find Astro’s 2000 remix of Watergate’s pop-trance release “Heart Of Asia” (on the commercially minded Positiva imprint). Based on Ryuichi Sakamoto’s theme for the film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, it was a useful, fully ambient take on a piece that had always been adaptable to a bit of feet-up contemplation.

One of the factors driving the current revival in ambient music is the recognition finally being received for the newer wave of composers working between that genre and classical music, something which has been a factor of ambient recordings since the beginning. In 2008, techno producers Carl Craig and Moritz Von Oswald ReComposed parts of the Deutsche Grammophon catalogue, including the gently looping “Movement 6.” Max Richter’s landmark 2015 piece, Sleep, also for Deutsche Grammophon, has been another major new chapter in the story, not least “Dream 3 (in the midst of my life),” which enters the best ambient music canon with ease.

Norwegian ambient electro duo Aiming For Enrike have shared a new live video of the whole of their 11-minute Empty Airports Parts 1, 2 and 3, which you can watch below.

It’s the title tack of the duo’s upcoming album, also called Empty Airports, which will be released through Jansen Records on January 20 next year. The new video was recorded at Norway’s Artilleriverkstedet venue.

“Minimalism, which has always been an important part of our expression, is now cultivated to a much greater extent,” says guitarist Simen Følstad Nilsen. “When the rush to fulfil musical expectations is abounded, it gives the music more space to become more hypnotic and mesmerising than before.”

Musically Aiming For Enrike take influence variously from the likes of Nils Frahm, Burial, Jon Hopkins and Sunn O))). Empty Airports‘ title touches on the stopped nature of the COVID world, a sense of the post-apocalyptic, and is a tip of the hat to Brian Eno’s seminal Music for Airports.

Pre-order Empty Airports.

The music industry makes strong efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, yet the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased with the transition from CDs to streaming, according to music researcher Kyle Devine at the University of Oslo, Norway.

By Mari Lilleslåtten

Records made from sugar and climate certificates are just some of the music industry’s efforts to improve on sustainability. “They mean well, but have limited opportunities to create change,” says music researcher at UiO.

If you go to a music festival in 2022, there is a good chance that you will be served organic food, that there are parking facilities for bicycles, or that the artists have signed an agreement to travel in a climate-friendly manner.

Disposable beer glasses are a thing of the past, and artists can give some of their profits from record sales to good climate causes. It is all part of a greater climate accounting effort.

“There is widespread willingness to create climate-friendly solutions in the music industry,” says Kyle Devine, Professor of Musicology at the University of Oslo.

In 2019, Devine published his book Decomposed: The Political Ecology of Music, where he discusses the environmental impact of music—especially the recording industry. He experienced strong interest from music production communities and the international media, and the book led to offers of advisory positions in key green initiatives. But it also led him to start asking new questions about music and climate.

“The music industry is one industry among many, where climate is now high on the agenda. It can be seen as a microcosm for society at large. Therefore, what goes on there is also relevant to other fields.”

A greener alternative to vinyl records

One of the points Devine made in his book was that the music industry’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased with the transition from CDs to streaming. In many interviews about the research, he has been asked whether that means people can go ahead and buy vinyl records and CDs with a good climate conscience.

“It is a question of scale. For example, if you buy a vinyl record and listen to it over and over again, it may have a lower footprint than if you stream music non-stop,” he says.

“No matter how you listen to music, it will always have a climate footprint – but the format is an important factor in determining the extent of it.”

Devine began to toy with the idea of a more sustainable alternative to traditional vinyl. Many people had already explored this idea, and the researcher came into contact with a British company called Evolution Music.

“Over the past several years, Evolution Music has developed an LP made of bioplastics, from renewable raw materials.”

In September, they released their first sustainable twelve-inch single, featuring the A-side song ‘Future if Future’ by none other than R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe. 500 copies of the single were made, all of which were quickly snapped up by fans.

It doesn’t solve all problems

Devine was invited to sit on an advisory board for Evolution Music. This meant he could contribute his professional views and collect data for his ongoing research.

“The research ethics aspects involved in the role of both advisor and researcher are discussed in the book I am working on,” he emphasises.

The bioplastic in the music records is made of sugar. Currently, it delivers 90-95 percent of the quality of a regular vinyl record, but the goal is a record of equally good quality.

“The advantage is that it is more environmentally friendly than plastic, which is made from oil. It will also meet an urgent need in the music industry.”

There are currently long queues to get vinyl records pressed. The combination of big stars like Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Beyoncé releasing their records on vinyl, and the ongoing vinyl shortage, means that the bioplastic alternative is emerging as a very attractive option for the industry.

However, that doesn’t mean that Devine thinks a greener LP will solve all problems.

“Sugar also has a problematic history, which I know the company is fully aware of. If this were to be scaled up, they might have to think about raw material production in a different way.”

Fundraising for climate projects

Whereas greener products provide music lovers with an alternative when buying music, foundations and campaigns are a way to funnel some of the revenue back to the environment.

“One example is Earth/Percent. They encourage musicians and music organisations to give them a percentage of their income,” Devine says.

Earth/Percent was founded by Brian Eno, the 74-year-old musician who, after his time in Roxy Music, became best known as a pioneer of ambient music.

“The idea is that the money will go to actors who work specifically to stop climate change. Among other things, they have collaborated with Music Declares Emergency, which focuses on political influence through artists and music organisations under the slogan ‘no music on a dead planet’.”

Earth/Percent has also invited the professor to sit on their scientific advisory board, and they collaborate with the aforementioned Evolution Music. There are a number of similar initiatives. In the UK, a unified music industry started Julie’s Bicycle, which receives donations from companies such as Universal Music and Warner Music Group.

Climate certificates and labelling green alternatives

Norway’s Øyafestivalen has previously been honoured with awards such as the International Greener Festival Award and AGF Circular Festival Award. Itis one of several festivals that puts great effort into climate labelling themselves.

They are not alone in doing this.

“Many take courses and certificates to increase knowledge about carbon footprints, and to show the outside world that their festival or concert stage has climate consciousness.”

As part of his fieldwork, Devine has participated in such courses through Climate EQ in the UK.

“You learn about carbon footprints, perhaps increase your awareness – and not least get a certificate for completing the course.”

Anthems of the Anthropocene

Kyle Devine has followed the music industry for many years, and sees that new and industry-specific ways of addressing the climate crisis emerged after the year 2000. Although there is a high level of awareness, he believes it is still unclear what music has to do with climate change.

“You can look at the technical, the administrative or the cultural side of things. Measures like more sustainable products, lower emissions in connection with concerts and festivals, and climate certificates, belong to the technical and administrative side of things.”

On the cultural side, Devine takes a closer look at how it is possible to think about the influence of music on environmental thought and action.

“This is a tendency that goes back at least to the 1970s. One might think that music can raise awareness about climate change. That if the music says something that changes one listener, that one listener can change the world.”

An example of this tendency is the many playlists that music websites or individuals create. The newspaper the Guardian, for example, has Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi at the top of its list of the best songs about climate change (guardian.co.uk), while ANOHNI and Weather Station are among the artists listed by Pitchfork when compiling music that tackles the climate crisis (spotify.com).

“Although such lists certainly have a function, this understanding is very centred on the individual. Music as such will have a limited impact on the complex that constitutes the climate issue,” Devine emphasises.

‘Greenwashing’ is too simple a criticism

When commercial actors wear green colours or promote sustainable solutions, accusations of greenwashing are never far away.

“Such accusations are justified when large companies deliberately use the term sustainability to trick us into buying something that strictly speaking is not climate friendly,” says Devine.

But when someone develops alternative solutions, whether it be plant-based records, edible festival serving plates, or greener concert venues, the professor thinks the picture is more complicated.

“It is too easy to point a finger at something that doesn’t solve all the world’s problems and call it greenwashing. There may be good intentions behind it, and many people are doing the best they can.”

The researcher emphasises that the market, as it functions today, lays down a framework that leaves individual actors with little room to manoeuvre.

“Placing demands on an organiser or an artist to do things in a way that won’t allow them to make a living is too much to ask,” he says.

Climate is not the culprit in the climate crisis

In working on his analyses of the music industry’s climate adaptation, Kyle Devine still feels he has to carefully evaluate such efforts. In the book he is currently working on, Recomposed: Music Climate Crisis Change, the goal is to provide constructive criticism.

“If fighting the climate crisis is the answer, then we may need to look at the question the industry has asked itself in the first place.”

He suggests that the actors who fight against music’s carbon footprint should also focus on the structures that have caused the climate crisis.

“The basic foundations for the crisis can be found in the economic arrangement, i.e. capitalism, and the social architecture, i.e. class society. If we are to work purposefully against the climate crisis, these are the arenas where changes must also take place,” Devine concludes.

Traveling by boat or cruise is exciting, but your experience onboard can vary depending on the weather. If you have an upcoming sail planned, it’s worth knowing how to prevent seasickness before you depart in case you experience severe weather during your crossing.

Whether you’re traveling on a small boat or a large ship, here are some of the best ways to prevent seasickness while sailing. (Top tip: check out these ideas before you travel so you can download any necessary tools without getting stung by maritime roaming charges).

What Is Seasickness and What Is It Caused By?

Before we dive into how to prevent seasickness, let’s look at what it is and why it happens. Understanding the condition can help you better prepare for and prevent it if the dreaded sensation hits.

Seasickness is a type of motion sickness. When there’s a lot of unusual movement occurring, your brain can’t process the conflicting information your eyes, ears, and body are sending. Your brain’s confused reaction to these muddled signals is what makes you feel seasick.

Symptoms of seasickness can include:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Rapid breathing and heart rate
• Vomit

Although incredibly unpleasant, there are tools you can use to prevent seasickness. We’ve outlined five steps you can take to help avoid as well as manage feeling ill when at sea.

1. Breathe Slowly and Deeply

According to PubMed, controlled breathing (slow diaphragmatic breathing) has been shown to decrease motion sickness. Therefore, one of the best ways to prevent seasickness is to breathe slowly and deeply.

Controlled breathing can be trickier than you think, however, especially if you’ve not tried it before. Many of us are in the habit of breathing quickly and shallowly, so it can take a bit of practice to slow your breath down.

To help improve your breathing, you can download a meditation app that offers breathwork guides. This way, you can be prepared if seasickness overcomes you while you’re traveling.

It’s worthwhile practicing rhythmic breathing before you depart so that if and when seasickness hits, you can call upon this method automatically. Start by breathing through your nose gently and exhaling through your mouth. Try to slow your breathing down and make each inhale and exhale last as long as possible (don’t hold your breath!); counting can help you control the timing.

2. Stay Hydrated

There are plenty of hydration apps around that remind you to drink water, and you may need this reminder when you’re seasick. The thought of putting anything in your tummy while it’s somersaulting can make you feel worse, but it’s important to stay hydrated if you become seasick.

The important thing to do when trying to stay hydrated is to sip your water. Downing a glass of water might hit your stomach wrong and come shooting back up as quickly as you swallowed it! (Remember, this is what we’re trying to avoid, not encourage). How you drink is almost more important than how much you drink when you’re poorly at sea.

To help prevent seasickness, make sure you drink plenty of water before you board your ship. Starting hydrated is better than trying to catch up later if you’re struggling to take in and keep down any fluids.

3. Lay Down and Sleep (if You Can)

If you’re feeling dizzy and nauseous onboard, one of the best things you can do is lay down flat on your back. This can help align the sensory cues that your brain has muddled up and will hopefully ease any nausea and other symptoms.

Prior to departing, however, it’s worth getting some extra sleep in to prevent seasickness, as feeling tired and exhausted can make you more susceptible to unpleasant symptoms. If you struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, it might be worth trying an app designed to help battle insomnia or even investing in a smart sleep mask to improve your rest time.

Booking a cabin is a good option to help prevent seasickness. If you’re going on a long voyage and you have the option to book a cabin, pick one that’s close to the center of the boat (and lower down, if possible). There’s less motion here which will reduce your chance of becoming seasick. Having a cabin also provides somewhere quiet and private where you can lie down if seasickness hits you.

Even better: try to sleep off the seasickness. Think of sleep as time travel to freedom!

4. Listen to Soothing Sounds to Help Relax

While you’re laying down to prevent seasickness (or any other comfortable position you manage to settle in), listening to soothing sounds will help you relax. Anxiety and panic can make seasickness worse, so an ambient sounds app might do just the trick.

You’ll find plenty of apps for listening to calming sounds on your device’s app store. The trick is to pick one that you know will relax you, so trying out a few different apps when you’re still on dry land is advisable. There is a wide variety of sounds available, from rain and thunderstorm sounds to white noise and ambient music, so take the time to pick a sound app that you enjoy—and that you know will help you relax.

5. Listen to an Audiobook to Distract Yourself

If you’re struggling to prevent seasickness, the next best step you can take is to distract yourself from feeling ill, and what could be more enjoyably distracting than listening to a story?

Looking at your phone’s screen may make you feel worse, but if you are able to control your device with your voice, opening an audiobook app could be your best bet.

Listening to an audiobook is a fully immersive experience as you’re taken away to another world (i.e. a better one than the physical plane you’re currently suffering in!)

Audible is a popular audiobook app with plenty of stories to choose from, and you can often benefit from a free trial of the app if you’re not ready to purchase. Alternatively, there are other free and cheap audiobook apps you can try to find the perfect story to listen to.

If you’re not an audiobook person, then you could listen to a podcast series instead. Podcasts are more accessible than audiobooks, and the majority of them are free. Just make sure you download any episodes or books you wish to listen to before you leave. If your ship doesn’t offer free Wifi, you don’t want to be stung with a whopping data bill for connecting to Maritime roaming charges.

How to Prevent Seasickness on Your Next Cruise

Feeling sick aboard your cruise can be miserable and unpleasant, but the steps above can help you prevent seasickness. Remember to take it easy, try to stay still and lay down if you can, and—if severe—reach out for help. There is always a team of trained first-aid staff aboard, so you can ask for help and support.

SINGAPORE – Author and musician Kelvin Tan shows up to this interview looking every part the maverick, clad in a Death Grips (American hip-hop group) T-shirt and quoting Kierkegaard, Franzen, Joyce and Adorno. He is 58 this year, “one year older than Singapore”.

At 27, he self-published his novel All Broken Up And Dancing (1992), which clocked in at nearly 400 pages. It was not quite a commercial success and a second print run did not follow. Today, only a few copies can be found in the public libraries. The same lukewarm reception greeted his second novel Nether(r);R (2001).

He brings up his contemporaries whose books have become staple O- and A-level texts with perhaps a tinge of jealousy, saying he remains an outsider looking into the writing community.

But through the years, he adds, All Broken Up And Dancing has been discovered by those who see themselves in tormented protagonist Brinsley Bivouac – a self-isolating but headstrong Singaporean teenager who pursues music and poetry at the expense of examinations and relationships.

“Every year, I’ll get e-mail from people saying, ‘This book made a difference to me’,” Tan says. “Through the years, the young have been hooked onto it and that’s enough for me.”

To mark the 30th anniversary of the novel, he is releasing a 12-track spoken-word album, Off-Tangent Towards Mars – 30 Years Of All Broken Up And Dancing, on Spotify. He reads his favourite passages from the book – set to delicate ambient sounds composed by local musician Patrick Chng and played by indie rock group The Oddfellows. Both Tan and Chng are in the band.

With titles like The Sadness, Cambridge People and Brenda Stefanie Chiong, the tracks recall moments when Brinsley skulks in Orchard Road or has a shot of vodka with Marilyn Monroe-esque friend Brenda. Tan likens it to musicians Lou Reed and John Cale’s 1990 album, Songs For Drella, a song cycle that pays tribute to their mentor, pop artist Andy Warhol.

“It means a lot to me. I managed to muster the courage to do something, which is hard to do, and now I think it is a good time to give it a different spin,” he says. “Hopefully, it’s a new medium that can help people connect to (the book) better.”

His album, he adds, comes at a time when the music scene in Singapore is more dynamic than ever, with bands like Sobs, Subsonic Eye and BGourd making waves locally and internationally. “They look better, sound better and play better. Who would have thought?”

“Singapore is still a very young nation, but as a result of the years of us trying to strive towards perfection, what’s happened is we have excluded this sense of cultural consciousness among society. It has affected everyone’s well-being. Now, we need to give them all the help we can.”

So what has become of Brinsley 30 years later? In the final pages of the novel, he was dancing to loud music in a rented apartment to forget his woes, thinking to himself: “It could be Jazz, it could be Rock, folk Classical, Rap… Turn on the volume, and don’t bother if the landlady screams.”

Tan says: “I believe he will find some way to stay true to himself and struggle to the very end, but whether he ends it or continues also depends on whether he finds a way to master the will, which I believe is a very powerful force in history. There are a lot of Brinsleys in society and they come in different forms – not just in the young, but also grown Brinsleys.”

To get a copy of All Broken Up And Dancing, e-mail Tan at metiokos@hotmail.com. The album Off-Tangent Towards Mars – 30 Years Of All Broken Up And Dancing will be out on Spotify on Nov 27.