Ambient Albums I’m listening to as Autumn approaches
As I write this, August has just finished and with a turn of a page, September (and autumn) are now upon us. It’s my favourite time of the year - not that I have anything against the other seasons, but I feel I’m much more in tune with the way we approach autumnal months; I much prefer comforting food and the colder weather, and in general, a slower pace of life.
As someone who spends a lot of time in the garden, I can see how nature reacts to this change in seasons. The plants and wildlife have emerged and grown in spring and revelled in the heights of summer, but as autumn approaches, colours change, leaves drop and there is a distinct sense of slowing down. I think we can all draw parallels to this - spring and especially summer are normally always full to the brim.
As I sense these changes, there is a definite switch in the type of music I listen to. The dancefloor / festival ready techno, house and minimal hands over the reins to more atmospheric and reflective ambient records, mostly in long play formats.
Here are a few that are in my recent rotation…
Synth laden electronica and acid sequences from duo Dovs (Johannes Auvinen and Gabo Barranco) on one of our favourite labels Balmat Records. ‘Psychic Geography’ follows their debut 2019 LP ‘Silent Cities’, which offered more dancefloor ready tracks, and this latest release is certainly fully equipped for home listening or intimate venues.
This was recorded using a lot of hardware; Roland TB-303, Elektron Oktotrack MKII and a Behringer TD3, to name but a few, and the result is a rich tapestry of warm, cosmic sounds.
The Ghostwriters - Remote Dreaming
This is a dreamy 13-track album, which was originally released in the 80s. Cult reissue / experimental label Dark Entries got their hands on it and repressed it in the autumn of 2024.
The work of multi-instrumental duo (Charles Cohen and Jeff Cain), ‘Remote Dreaming’ was The Ghostwriters second studio album, following a well received debut ‘Objects in Mirrors’, and took nine months to record in full. It was released by (now-defunct) ambient outlet Mu-Psych to little critical acclaim, which is interesting, as it is now considered a key contributor to the 80s experimental / ambient / electronica genre.
It’s synth and piano heavy (with some tracks bordering on a modern classical feel i.e. ‘Left-Handed Fiction’) - a very soothing album to listen to.
Haroula Rose & Oliver Hill - Cycles
‘Cycles’ was recorded in one week, as torrential rain (after a long period of drought) battered Los Angeles and the duo of Rose & Hill were confined to their home.
It ‘explores the acoustics of the tactile world. - sounds coarse and smooth, heavy and light, the smell of wet terrain after a long drought, a long deep breath coming up from dark water to the surface’.
The duo are extremely talented across several media forms; Rose is an award-winning film maker, whos feature directorial debut ‘Once upon a river’ went to 40 festivals and amassed 19 awards. Hill is a prolific musician who has released several critically-acclaimed albums with bands Pavo Pavo and Coco, as well writing strong arrangements for many artists. As well as composing this album together, the duo also created the charcoal artwork that adorned the cover (in the same week!)
Pan Thorarensen - Ljóstillífun
A powerful 8-track ambient soundscape from Icelandic ambient / experimental artist Pan Thorarensen, complete with collaborators from across the globe.
Recorded in Iceland, you can almost visualise the surroundings as the album unfolds. Sweeping synths and nature-based field recordings seemingly transport you to the island, immersing you in the meditative surrounding of the flora and fauna.
Spaced-out, evocative ambient from Pakistani-British composer Qasim Naqvi in the form of ‘Endling’ - this album was penned as a prequel to the acclaimed works ‘God Docks at Death Harbour’.
The starting point for both pieces, was a quote, remembered by his wife after awaking from a dream. ‘God Docks at Death harbour’ invoked a very specific set of imagery in Naqvi’s mind, which went on to shape the two ambient / spoken word albums he released in 2023 and 2025.
In my opinion, this album feels made for solo listening - time to reflect.
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In a way it feels like years have passed, but by the time this article has been posted, Kaninhål will be two months old. A lot has gone into those two months, particularly around release selection, buying, product processing etc and I am still finding my feet with everything - I’m also still trying to find the right balance between, this, full time work and (normal) life!
September will see us introduce some labels I have been listening to for many years, so having them onboard is something I am looking forward to. The majority fall under the ambient / experimental genres and I expect a lot of the upcoming additions to the site to be similar. I’ve approached this in a way which will allow me to present each label in the best way possible, by presenting as wide a range of their discography as I can.
Moreover, I’m also exploring the possibility of introducing cassettes to the store - there are a lot of artists and labels that release on this format, so the only thing currently holding me back is sourcing packaging (in progress).
Our selection of ambient records continues to grow and I look forward to writing a similar piece, when the nights draw in, and winter begins to approach. For now though, thanks for reading and happy listening.