After The Heat - Eno Moebius Roedelius (1978)

I could fill this whole entry with biography and there would be a ton to talk about, but it’s all out there. Brian Eno is an icon of ambient and electronic music. Moebius and Roedelius are the minds behind the Kosmische band Cluster. If none of that means anything to you, then you want to hit wikipedia. I won’t get into it here.

Eno’s hallmark, especially in the late 70s and early 80s, was the idea of “sonic wallpaper”: music that you could engage with if you like, or let it fade to the background and soundtrack whatever else you’re doing. He spawned a whole genre of music with his ideas, but his approach is unique in a lot of ways. Rather than just washes of sound that you get with a lot of more modern ambient records, Eno’s compositions usually have some recognizable elements of melody and song structure. The point is that it doesn’t have to be background music, but it also doesn’t demand your attention. He recorded several albums with the members of Cluster, a band that was different than Eno but obviously influenced by his ideas.

This is music you can tune out or get lost in, and it’s fine with whichever you choose. It’s quite an accomplishment.

Tracks I Liked

Luftschloss and Old Land are both based around piano melodies, whereas Base & Apex is more synthy and beat driven. Both flavors sound good, but offer a lot of contrast.