Best Ambient Music of 2020

After 5 years of budding interest – ambient completely took over my listening habits in 2020. Previously I had dabbled in those “6 hours of healing meditation” BS videos on YouTube. But the trick is to go straight to the artists who are making the good stuff.

This music has been a revelation for me. It’ll completely alter your state of being if you embrace it, or just let it wash over you. Bandcamp publishes a monthly “best of” list an that’s a great place to keep tabs on the genre.

Before we begin, here’s my own personal 2020 awards.

• Album of the Year – The Mosaic of Transformation by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
• Label of the Year – Ghostly International
• EP of the Year – ISS006 by Skee Mask
• Song of the Year – Suite pour l’invisible by Ana Roxanne
• Video of the Year – PRELUDE by raays

And now for the list…

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith • The Mosaic of Transformation

The best piece of music in all of 2020 – in all genres. And my new favorite ambient artist, or musician in general. Angelic layered vocals and stunning, imaginative production. Sounds like nothing else out there. Highly recommend her back catalog as well. She’s the artist I keep coming back to the most over these past few years since discovery in 2020.

Released on Ghostly International in NYC

Skee Mask • ISS006

Techno lovers will be well-familiar with Bryan Mueller and his incredible work within that genre, which has occasionally strayed into ambient territory. His first fully ambient release (6 stunning tracks in all) is one of the standouts of the year While a lot of ambient has a “sameness” quality to it, the sound SCNTST has sculpted a body of work with a truly unique and otherworldly sound.

Released on Ilian Tape in Munich

Sam Prekop • Comma

If you know The Sea & Cake band then you know Sam Prekop, their vocalist. He’s been experimenting and releasing solo ambient and modular stuff for years, and this is his magnum opus IMO. An endlessly beautiful piece of work. Allowances for the hi-hats & percussion!

Released on Thrill Jockey in Chicago

Juliana Barwick • Healing Is A Miracle

Heavenly vocal harmonies backed by soaring strings. Sounds like you’re in an ancient cathedral, hundreds of years in the future. Atmosphere for days, and a truly breathtaking piece of work. Need more of this! Title track is the highlight.

Released on Ninja Tune in London

KMRU • Jar

Signature tranquilizing drone ambience from the Nairobian master. If you absolutely need peace of mind right now, this is it. His Peel album from this year also comes highly recommended.

Released on Seil Records in Germany

Heathered Pearls • Cast

The Polish/Michigan/NYC artist casts a mesmerizing spell with moody loops and spoken word. Gets better with each listen. The techno background and influence is on clear display. Highlight: Life Out Of Balance ft. Shigeto

Released on Ghostly International in NYC

Night Oceann • Sorcerer’s Dream

The lack of Bandcamp support on this one is mind boggling. Perhaps that’s because the artist and label are relative newcomers – but this release is virtually flawless, integrating feel-good string driven melodies, hazy environmental recordings, and percussive elements into a perfect whole.

Released on Expeditions Above in Tbilisi

Ana Roxanne • Because of A Flower

Much anticipated 2nd release from the NYC artist. Germinated over a span of 5 years and informed by her intersex identity. “Suite pour l’invisible” – and all it’s soaring vocals, is a contender for ambient track of the year in my book!

Self-released on her Bandcamp

Mary Lattimore • Silver Ladders

Harp-driven soundscapes recorded over a span of nine days. The 3rd and final album on this list from Ghostly International, whom I think we can now crown the (ambient) label of the year in 2020. Worth it for the title track alone, and it’s rapturous crescendo.

Robert Carlos Lange •
An Explosion Made Me Think Of You

The artist otherwise known as Helado Negro put out two other ambient EPs this year, but it was this one-track release, made with an MPC 2000 XL, that caught my attention the most with it’s lush percussive echos and reverb; a simple yet timeless and effective piece of music.

Self-Released on his Bandcamp

Wata Igarashi • WIP01

The first release on the respected Japanese techno producer’s new WIP label (with 4 releases in 2020) was the one that caught my attention the most. A 15 minute meandering arpeggiated number followed by a high pitched drone pice make for a very effective one two punch.

Self-released on his Bandcamp in Tokyo

Jogging House • Be

Warm, vaguely melancholic yet comforting analog driven compositions that would be perfectly at home with a backdrop of 808s and 909s, yet make perfect sense without. The great thing about Seil is that their releases are always free for the first month or so. Highlight: Degree of Change.

Released on Seil Records

Pinkcourtesyphone • Leaving Everything To Be Desired

Evoking feelings of a muted, stretched, and softened Caretaker, this project alternates between grand euphoria and darker emotions, with everything in between. First two tracks are the highlight.

Released on Room40 in Australia

Fogweaver • Vedurnan

Fittingly to the cover artwork, I discovered this while lying in a hot-spring on a riverbed, nestled in the foggy mountains of Taiwan. The sounds of the music and my environment simply melded into one as I soaked the evening away. Also, strong sci-fi vibes as evidenced by the cover.

Self-released on his Bandcamp in Colorado

raays • PRELUDE audio visual mixtape

Sitting here in May 2022 when this popped on my radar and my what a dope project. Straddling the lines between ambient, chill-out beats, and experimental, it’s one of the best pieces I’ve heard in a while. There is an incredibly trippy full length video to accompany the album, and all of the proceeds benefit AFRORACK, giving inner city Chicago youth access to modular synthesis! Be sure to check out his 2022 Innervsm album as well!

Self-released on his Bandcamp in Los Angeles

Josiah Steinbrick • Liquid/Devotion

Another product of the incredibly fruitful ambient/jazz community in Los Angeles. Since his album in 2021 seems to have disappeared from Bandcamp and streaming, I figured this would be a good addition to the 2020 list. It’s not fully ambient but that’s what makes it really interesting. This guy is completely in his own lane. It’s a great listen and I can’t say there’s a bad song here.

Released on RVNG Intl. in New York