Various Artists
環境音楽 (Kankyō ongaku): Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980–1990

Various Artists - 環境音楽 (Kankyō ongaku): Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980–1990
Critic Score
Based on 9 reviews
User Score
Based on 379 ratings
Liked by 29 people
February 15, 2019 / Release Date
Compilation / Format
Ambient, New Age / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

92
Resident Advisor

An exceptional overview of '80s Japanese ambient and environmental music.

90
PopMatters

An essential instrumental set that's impeccably assembled and executed.

90
Exclaim!

Summing up an entire musical movement in a single reissue is no easy feat ... But as a package, Kankyō Ongaku gets incredibly close, shining a brilliant light on one of Japan's most fascinating — yet hidden — musical periods.

90
Slant Magazine

By showcasing an artistic fusion of the tranquil with the bustling, the primal with the technologically advanced, the compilation shows how much work has already been done to find ways of summarizing and celebrating the potential of this new reality.

90
Uncut

If some of this music still bears the whiff of eucalyptus oil and yoga sweat, then it’s a small price to pay for the awe it elicits.

90
Spectrum Culture

Whether the sounds were meant for purely commercial use or for art, each track falls within a unifying vision that’s rare in an anthology.

85
Pitchfork

Visible Cloaks’ Spencer Doran curates an appealingly cohesive compilation of Japanese ambient music that, while decades old, feels uncannily suited to contemporary listening habits.

80
AllMusic

Both as a listening and reading experience, the entire collection is fascinating and eye-opening, and far more than just pleasant, unassuming musical wallpaper. It's also somewhat overwhelming in a sense, simply because there's far more music from this era to discover, and this release barely scratches the surface.

80
The Needle Drop

Light in the Attic comes out with an excellent compilation of old school ambient music from 1980s Japan, an era and location that hasn't gotten enough shine up until this point.

chutbarn
NR

Easily the best compilation of Japanese ambient music from the 80s that I’ve heard all year.

RakkSmells
80

You're in Japan. You're not looking at the flashy neon signs or the tall skyscrapers in Tokyo. You're not in a tour bus. You're not talking to anyone. You're just taking in the nature around you. As you explore the beauty of the nature and years of history before you, you want to do nothing but embrace it all. Just the droplet of water from a leaf is a detail you can't miss. Sometimes you're walking past the historical structures on your own and putting yourself into that scene. Sometimes ... read more

PipePanic
83

This album is like soup.

It's comforting, peaceful, filling and just feels good in your soul, yet the music (even though it's extremely dreamy) is still forceful and doesn't feel meaningless. The production and soundscapes created in these pieces are nothing short of delectable, like a small cozy fire being lit inside you, or a hug from a great friend. I'm not the biggest nerd when it comes to ambient music, but this is a compilation I really enjoyed. It's an album I hope to come back to when ... read more

jeaaan
95

Waos, según el humor que tengas, el sonido que escucharás

thatkubeczkokid
100

I don't know many other ambient collections, so I'm just going to say this is the best. okay.

C419
100

In the words of Anthony Fantano this album is nothing but flames, ambient flames.

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Track List

Disc 1

  1. Still Space - Satoshi Ashikawa
  2. Glass Chattering - Yoshio Ojima
  3. Nemureru Yoru (Karaoke Version) - Hideki Matsutake
  4. Islander - Joe Hisaishi
  5. Ear Dreamin' - Yoshiaki Ochi
  6. Variation III - Masashi Kitamura + Phonogenix
  7. Park - Interior
  8. Nube - Yoichiro Yoshikawa
  9. Meet Me In The Sheep Meadow - Yoshio Suzuki
  10. Ishiura (abridged) - Toshi Tsuchitori
  11. Tomoshibi (abridged) - Shiho Yabuki
  12. Chaconne - Toshifumi Hinata
Disc 2
  1. Seiko 3 - Yasuaki Shimizu
  2. Apple Star - Inoyama Land
  3. Blink - Hiroshi Yoshimura
  4. See The Light (abridged) - Fumio Miyashita
  5. Praying For Mother / Earth Part 1 - Akira Ito
  6. Breathing New Life - Jun Fukamachi
  7. Snow - Takashi Toyoda
  8. Loom - Yellow Magic Orchestra
  9. A Dream Sails Out To Sea - Scene 3 - Takashi Kokubo
  10. Umi No Sunatsubu - Masahiro Sugaya
  11. Original BGM - Haruomi Hosono
  12. Nagareru - Ayuo Takahashi (LP Only)
  13. Dolphins - Ryuichi Sakamoto (LP Only)

Year End Lists

#38/Bandcamp Daily
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Added on: February 11, 2019