Top 5 Essential Ambient albums

1. Brian Eno - Apollo, Atmospheres & Soundtracks (1983):

A part-collaboration with Daniel Lanois, Appollo... is the soundtrack to a US space launch at the time.

The album is a deep brain massage, lulling one to forget all of life's woes. It is beautiful, free, inspiring and spatious. I have not seen the film but I can imagine that the album provides the perfect scape for the orgasmic release of the spaceshuttle.

2. Banco De Gaia - Maya (1994):

A more beaty affair than Eno's above release. This was the album that pulled me away from my Indie music obsession at the time. Beautiful, trippy, chilled and other such adjectives! The whole album serves up a Middle Eastern Dubby vibe that allows one's mind to float alongside one's soul! Music to try acid to!

3. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun (1999):

Sounding like a deranged more ambient Radiohead, this album always makes me cry on the build up to the crescendo on song 'Svefn-g-englar'. An over-used adjective but it is truly BEAUTIFUL! To say anything else would be to do it an unjustice!

4. Global Communication - 76'14 (1994):

Intelligent Dance Music at its best, although in a more ambient vein. The title is the actual length of the album in mins and seconds, and each song is also named after the time length of the song. Hauntingly beautiful (there I go again!) and in my top 10 album to float off to sleep to.

5. William Orbit - Strange Cargo Series (1987 - 1995 - I to IV):

William Orbit is responsible for one of my favourite dance hits - Bassomatic's 'Fascinating Rhythm' and for making Madonna funky ambient on 1998's 'Ray of Light' album. It's alluring, mesmorising and ...sod it, I'm going to say it...it's beautiful! Music to play at the dawning of the end of time. Ambient but also very danceable (but only if you dancing naked, alone and on a hill in Glastonbury). Warning - volume 1 is not good!