text & selection: freek kinkelaar, 2016, picture: freek's studio in the late 80s. (The synth was on ‘permanent’ loan from his school)
"this is me on a friday, pondering about a ‘best of’ mix tape for fhtn with the friendly ears. tough decisions to be made… i’m told to concentrate on drone/ambient stuff, but there is so much more to listen to and discover than what ends up in this list. ok, so i won’t mention all the pop music that i love so much on here, nor any of those rock albums, soundtracks, artist recordings, punk/wave or the bizarre stuff that hails from japan. too bad, but hopefully you’ll have a great time listening your way through this list anyways. all titles are endlessly and wholeheartedly recommended. ask me the same question on a saturday and the answer will be, of course, entirely different…"
ac marias – one of our girls, 1986
ok, one pop album. but a great ‘moody’ one and their only one. easy to find, cheap as chips.
ashra tempel – join inn, 1973
i’m not too keen on side one, but jenseits is one stunningly beautiful side-long ambient piece, which, incidentally, formed the inspiration for the body shop song by beequeen.
ai aso – umerumonoizen, 2009
a rickenbacker guitar and a small japanese girl singing songs with lots of background hiss and tape dropouts.
virginia astley - from gardens where we feel secure , 1983
beautiful pastoral piano music with sheep bleating and gates squeaking set in an english field.
angelo badalamenti – mulholland drive 2001
the soundtrack to one of my favourite movies. composer angelo badalamenti keeps the whole thing together with his trademark surreal sounding keyboards.
john bender - i don't remember now / i don't want to talk about it 1980
whenever i play this i get all nostalgic. diy minimal synth album with perfect songs, vocals and mix.
henning christiansen - op. 50 requiem of art (aus celtic) 2016
a very strange but compelling sound collage that makes me smile every time i listen to it.
brainticket - celestial ocean 1973
their trippy album cottonwood hill may be better known, but i think this one is better. way better.
brunnen - tippoo's tiger 2009
one side features harmonium recordings and the other one sounds like an aeroplane circling the arctic. it’s me, but you had that already figured out right?
gavin bryars - the sinking of the titanic 2007
there are several variations of this composition - i like this one the best.
come - come present rampton 1980
william before whitehouse. noiseless guitar hero. never too tired to listen to this.
ddaa - action and japanese demonstration 1980
french trio’s hypnotizing diy-production inspired by the japanese nebula. all their music and artwork is brilliant.
de fabriek – neveleiland 1983
spoken word stories from the island of ambon accompanied by beautiful music.
gerogerigegege - moenai hai 2016
haunting, ultra-low sounding masterpieces on an album that somehow make me very sad every time i listen to it.
paul giovanni - the wicker man 1998
the reissue with nicolas cage acting and badalementi playing the soundtrack out of their arses is disturbingly bad. just as this original is disturbingly good.
randy greif - alice in wonderland 1993
funny, scary and very surreal. just like the book.
hafler trio - hotondo kiki torenai 1985
andrew mckenzie shows he has got a sense of humour – and the knack to create beautiful soundscapes.
toshi ichiyanagi - opera from the works of tadanori yokoo 1969
beautiful trippy avant-garde japanese double picture disc album.
derek jarman – soundtrack to blue 1991
if you listen to only one album on this list, make it blue.
legendary pink dots – chemical playschool 3 and 4 1983
the dots at their best mixing songs with electronics and experiment with a charming ease. purchase this in remastered format at the dots’ bandcamp.
andrew liles - mother goose's melodies or sonnets for the cradle 2005
great bedtime stories set to equally great bedtime music.
muziekkamer – kamermuziek 1983
privately released cassette featuring a mesmerizing guitar arpeggio composition.
korla pandit - meditation volume 1 1977
korla hits all the right keys on this fantastic atmospheric album. his best.
boyd rice – boyd rice (the black album) 1977
boy scout boyd created this title-less album out of loops and cut-ups. this is far from the ultra-noise and uniform-fashionada silliness you might identify him with.
oskar schlemmer - das triadische ballet 2009
the soundtrack to a 70s restaging of schlemmer’s famous ballet from the 30s. feast your ears – and eyes.
swans - soundtracks for the blind 1997
a true soundtrack album, combining swans’ typical riffing energy with soundscapes, collages and found sound. i’ve been playing this for nearly 20 years and it never tires.
talk talk - spirit of eden 1988
another pop album you might think? wrong!
percy thrillington – thrillington 1977
another pop album you might think? right!
asmus tietchens – nachtstücke 1980
i have been told asmus himself doesn’t really like this album. i do.
gary wilson - you think you really know me 1977
my wife says this is music for a 70s porn movie. she might be right. she is most of the time.