Ambient Electronica

Look, we know you've had a long day, and the last thing you want to do is sort through a million songs for the perfect mind-numbing music. That's why we tested decades of tranquilizer tracks for you — because someone had to compile the ultimate ambient compilation, a pulse-lowering tour of everything from the sampledelic soundscapes of the Orb ("Little Fluffy Clouds") and twilight techno of Aphex Twin ("Xtal") to the surprisingly soothing side of Nine Inch Nails ("A Warm Place").

Some of the same names pop up in our Next Steps as well, driving tempos down a notch alongside Moby, Autechre, and Throbbing Gristle's very own Chris Carter.

If there's one thing most people forget about Moby, it's his position as one of electronica's leading ambient producers. Hear what we mean as a mid-afternoon shower duets with a delicate piano in "The Rain Falls and the Sky Shudders," a perfect complement to the melancholic machines of Autechre ("Yulquen"), the Kraut-flavored keys of Roedelius ("Besucher Im Traum"), and the devastating sense of tension and release that drives Stars of the Lid ("Requiem for Dying Mothers, Pt. 1").

And as we make our final descent in our Deep Cuts, you'd better believe we keep things smoother than a first-class flight on a crystal-clear afternoon . . .

While we're pretty sure most of you have heard of Brian Eno and Boards of Canada, our last set of Ambient Electronica Essentials is loaded with lesser-known artists that you'll be absolutely obsessed with after just one listen. That includes the fog-chasing Gas guise of Kompakt cofounder Wolfgang Voigt ("Königsforst 1"); the fuzz-flecked drone tones of Fennesz ("On a Desolate Shore a Shadow Passes By"), Tim Hecker ("Apondalifa"), and Justin Broadrick's Final alias ("Light"); and the weightless works that Rafael Anton Irisarri produces under his own name ("Passage") and the Sight Below ("Shimmer").

As anyone who survived the rave scene will tell you, one of the greatest things about warehouse parties was their "chillout rooms." More than just an excuse to hear ambient music on speakers you could never afford, they provided a much-needed break from the pulverized beats and hammerhead hooks on the main floor. Close your eyes and we'll take you there in no time at all, as the early days of electronica (the Black Dog, the Future Sound of London, Aphex Twin) get dropped in the same set as Kraut-rock icons (Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Roedelius), new-school sound sculptors (Ben Frost, Loscil, Lawrence English), and Brian Eno at his very best. Just don't operate any heavy machinery while listening unless you want to lose consciousness at a very inconvenient time.