Crate Digging: “Green”

Ambient music is not just for studying. Yes, it’s an exceptionally effective sonic blanket for focusing or zoning out, but the world of ambient is so much more. Popular artists of the genre like Brian Eno and Aphex Twin exposed listeners to more experimental applications, incorporating sound design, beats and vocals. The common thread connecting each ambient contribution is immersive soundscapes, enveloping the listener in a cloud of sound.

1986 saw the release of “Green” from Hiroshi Yoshimura, a trailblazer in ambient music. Yoshimura is most known for his “environment music:” lush ambient instrumentation layered with real sounds from nature. While the album did not reach the height of its popularity immediately after release, avid listeners on YouTube rediscovered his discography along with several other Japanese ambient artists in 2017.

Yoshimura packs 43 minutes of his expressive atmospheres into eight tracks. Electronic synths and pads are modulated into spacey plucks and bassy hits. First track “CREEK” uses meditative arpeggios to create a calm energy. It feels like listening to nature’s lullaby while lying on the forest floor.

If you don’t watch the tracks change over while listening, the album blends into one cohesive song. Untethered to the use of lyrics to convey emotions, you become more in tune with the small contours and fluctuations of each musical element. Yoshimura, like many other great ambient artists, takes time to develop an idea, allowing each sound to live a full life in the track.

If you have yet to venture into the world of ambient, LPs like “Green” represent the tip of the iceberg. There are now decades-long developments to explore from this transcendent genre.