Index

 

O.A.S.I. (Italy)

Il Cavaliere Azzurro (1986)

Theater music by a group led by Paolo Modugno. Rather exotic sound here, with lots of percussion, both sampled and real.

See also: Modugno, Paolo

 


O Head (UK)

Silent Universe (1998)
Steps Across the Cortex (2005)
Space Daze (2006)
Decade In Space (2008)
Gaia's Garden (2008)
Dream State Circus (2010)
Visitor (2012)
Resurgent Resonance (2017)

O Head is Dave Hendry and his music is firmly in the Berlin School / TD territory.

 


Ô Lake (France)

Refuge (2019)
Still (2023)

Neo-classical project of Sylvain Texier who is based in Rennes. He uses classical instrumentation such as piano and string section, but also synthesizers that become more prominent and up-front (both for background sequencing and for melodic analog lead lines) on the more intense, upbeat sections. File under (slightly) EM-related.

 


O Morto (Portugal)

Memento Mori (2012)
The Forest, the People And the Spirits (2016)
Dans la Gorge d'un Monstre (2023)

Experimental project based on processed field recordings and ethnic instruments. There is also a strong ambient / droning synth element.

 


O.R.D.U.C. (Netherlands)

New Cubism (1981)
Pink & Purple (1981)
D-Train (1988)
Uranium (2021) (recorded in 2006 and 2008) (S)
Four Warnings (2021) (S)
Shifting Times (2021)
Fast Forward (2022)

Minimal synth outfit led by Nicko Selen formed in 1971 as experimental music ensemble and later switching to pop structures. These albums might be interesting for EM fans. Further investigation is needed. O.R.D.U.C. stands for One-o-seventh Royal Dutch Underground Company.

 


O Retiro dos Artistas (Brazil)

Dimensão Surpreendente (2021)
O Mundo Oferecido (2022)

A bit dubby music but sort of weird: a mishmash of styles really, with lots of arpeggios, some technoid rhythms and nice jazzy synth solos. A progressive sound for sure but not for the purists. I found it enjoyable. O Retiro dos Artistas is a project of Gabriel Guerra.

See also: Vamos Desistir

 


O Samuli A (Finland)

100% Polyester (1998) (S)
Perro (1999) (S)
Kiitos Kyydistä (2001) (S)
Field Trip (2014)
Ei Vittu Kytät (2017) (S)
Condition Yellow (2019)

Unique artist mixing local Finnish skwee influences with Prog EM. A lot of the material on Condition Yellow sounds like stripped-down, rhythmic and dark Kraftwerk circa The Mix. Then there are some techno / acid influences as well as those of cosmic EM (these atmospheric numbers are excellent, btw).

 


O Yuki Conjugate (UK)

O Yuki Conjugate (1983)
Scene In Mirage (1984)
Into Dark Water (1986)
Peyote (1991)
Equator (1994)
The Euphoria of Disobedience (2006)
OYC25 (2009)
Ambiguism 1983 - 1987 (2010)
Tropic (2017) (recorded in 1994 and 1995)
Untitled (2018) (S)
Sleepwalker (2019)
Artefacts (2021) (EP)
A Tension of Opposites (2021)
New Meridian (2024) (with Open Yellow Circle)

Organic / Tribal Ambient from Tim Horberry, Roger Horberry and Andrew Hulme.

 


Oahu (USA)

Plant Life (2016) (S)
Mountain Rain / Garden Flood (2016) (S)
Phases (2018) (with Benjamin Mauch)

Experimental electronic project of Adrian Todd Webb. Repetitive, minimal, wacky.

 


Oak In the Woods, The (UK)

The Oak In the Woods (2020) (S)
Seasons (2021) (S)

Pretty nice "comfy synth" project, inspired by nature, childhood dreams, forests and bygone days.

 


Oakeater (USA)

Intrusion (2006)
Oakeater (2007)
Molech (2008)
Aquarius (2015)

Dark Ambient project with a horror / industrial feel.

See also: Ga'an, Barnett, Alex, Fisher, Jeremiah.

 


Oakes, Stephen (Australia)

Benthic Drift (2006)
Mutawintji (2011)

 


Oaklimb (UK)

Woodland Passage (2021) (S)

Forest synth from the UK.

See also: Winter Seer

 


Oannes (Greece)

Inverted A (2003)

Solo music by Socratis Papachatzis, ex-member of new wave band Blue Light. The music is based on the sound of the piano, but with some electronic sections and tracks as well, all done in a melodic, symphonic, often repetitive style.

 


Oar (Norway)

Adrift (2021)

A project of ambient artist Odd Jensen.

See also: Havdis

 


Oat Oaks (Russia)

Osbriv (2014)
Ex-Homies & Mystic Lovers (2019) (S)

The 2019 release contains melancholic, sometimes cosmic compositions recorded with Soviet synthesizer / string machine TOM 1501. Some Klaus Schulze flashbacks here.

 


Oath Program (USA)

You Are Right Where You Need To Be (2022)

Electronic duo of Keltin Watson and Jakeb Beard. Both play synths & fx. Abstract, ambient, noisy, intense...

See also: Nec Divinos

 


O'Baoighill, Ruairi (Ireland)

The Faceless One (2014)
Walpurgis (2017)
To See Without Eyes (2018)

Ritual Ambient.

 


O'Bergh, Jon (USA)

Millennial Landscapes (1998)
Specters of Twilight (1999)
Songs From Other Planets (2004)

Millennial Landscapes is Atmospheric Space electronics. Songs From Other Planets is an experimental work with rhythmic grooves and mutated "alien" voices. This guy has several other releases that are more or less in meditative / new age mould.

 


Oberland, Frédéric D. (France)

Derniére adresse (2007) (with Elisa Point and Ed Rolll)
Ombrages (2008) (with Colin Johnco)
The Rustle of the Stars (2011) (with Richard Knox)
The Freemartin Calf (2013) (with Jayne Amara Ross and Gaspar Claus)
Peregrinus ubique (2015)
Labyrinth (2018)
ARBA, DÂK ARBA (2020) (with Irena Tomažin)
Même soleil (2021)
Solstices (2023)

Born in 1978, Frédéric D. Oberland is a French musician and improviser. Utilizing both acoustic and electronic instruments, he seems to have a preference for the exotic, using theremin, analog electronics, mellotron, guitars, field recordings, toy organs, pianos and so on. He is normally very influenced by classical music. However, it is hard to describe or even pin down material heard on Peregrinus Ubique. Let's say it's a mixture of musique concrete, some acoustic instruments, folk melodies and electronics that at times takes on a decidedly Prog EM form. A strange and unique mixture and a fascinating listen overall.

See also: Oiseaux-Tempête, Foudre!, Le Réveil des Tropiques.

 


Oberlin (Germany)

Writing On Water (2016)
La mer et les rochers (2017)
Hidden Thorns (2018)
Lent (2019) (S)
Stundenglas (2019) (S)
Grauer Morgen ungewisse Bilder (2020)
Those Fleeting Moments (2021)
Six Dreamwebs (2022)
Dymaxion Variations (2022)
Lake Constance Days (2023)
Invierno (2023)
My Ivory Age (2023)

Sort of organic modular synth compositions from Alexander Holtz.

 


Oberst & Buchner (Austria)

Sfumato (2019)
Marble Arch (2022)

Sebastian Oberst and Andreas Buchner work within the rhythmic idiom that includes influences of genres such as electronic dance music, synthwave and downtempo. Only partially EM.

 


Obierki (Poland)

#3 (2019)

Analog synth music that often sounds as if it was recorded in the early 1980's. Sometimes sounds influenced by Kraftwerk (on the more rhythmic tracks).

 


Obitania (Spain)

Pagan Crystal Sphere (2001)

Ritual Ambient.

 


Objekt 4 (Sweden)

Facility 77 (2004)
World of Ruin (2004)
No Light District (2005)
Extermination Processing Tower (2006)
Her Face Among the Shadows (2006)
Mindscars (2007) (recorded in 2005 - 2006)
Dead World Ambience Analysis (2007) (recorded in 2003 - 2004)
Shades of Night (2007)
Space Jungle Slums (2007)
Test VIII (2007) (S)
The End; The Beginning (2007)

The first album contains pure Death Ambient with sounds from an old mortuary house. Objekt 4 is the project of Swedish artist Anders Peterson.

See also: Last Industrial Estate

 


Objeto (Spain)

Micromundos (2018)

A project of Spaniard Jordi Navarra. Sort of crude sound here, between Prog EM, minimal synth and coldwave perhaps. The music is instrumental.

 


Oblique (Netherlands)

Oblique (1985)

Oblique were a duo of Gerard Stokkink (keys) and Tommy Bachmann (drums), On their self-titled LP from 1985 they are supported by a cast of guest musicians and the music is a mixture of electronic prog and instrumental / new age styles. It was released by CBS and was intended as a soundtrack for a dance performance.

See also: Stokkink, Gerard

 


Oblivion (Kazakhstan)

Light of A Distant Star (2015)
Voyage To Discovery (2016)
Walking On the Other Side (2019)
Secrets of Time (2021)

Spacesynth project of German Shlandikov who is originally from Almaty and currently residing in Saint-Petersburg. In terms of melodic content, there is also a prominent Jarre influence, especially on tracks like "Space Symphony of Rain" (Secrets of Time).

 


Oblivion Guest (UK)

The Light In the Black Hole (2019)
The Emptiness That Filled the Universe (2020) (with Una Shamaa)
Red Monsoon (2023) (soundtrack)

A project of Hunter Barr that on The Emptiness That Filled the Universe shows something of a Coil quality, with cold recited vocals, lots of noises, an industrial feel, etc. However, it is also quite progressive and some of the tracks ("Thymine Carrier", "Creation ex Nihilo", "The Master of Serpents", the title track) are closer to EM actually than any industrial.

 


Oblivious Solitude (USA)

The Land of Wind And Ghost (2001)
The Zone of Middle Dimensions (2003)
No Final Resting Place (2003)

Ambient from Bill Fieger.

See also: Stares To Nowhere

 


Oblong (UK)

Indicator (2006)
The Sea At Night (2019)

Krautrock / EM-influenced band.

See also: Benge

 


Obraztsoff, Alexey (Russia)

Pictures (1997)
Beatoom (2006)

Russian synthesist with a fairly traditional sound.

 


Obscure Transmissions (USA)

Volume 1 (2018) (S)
Volume 2 (2019)

Repetitive analog synth melodies from this New Jersey-based project. Sort of dungeon synth-like.

 


Obscurer (USA)

Untitled (2010)
Mind Tombs (2010)
Shining Arbors (2012)

Theremins, synths, guitars and voices. The exact style is not known but it's supposedly quite ambient.

 


Observation Point (UK)

Sidewinds (2003)
Above And Beyond (2003)
Geometer (2004)
The Orangery Concerts (2004)
Multiplex (2006)

Ambient synth soundscapes.

 


Observatories (UK)

Flowers Bloom, Butterflies Come (2021)
Our Recently Acquired Knowledge (2023)
Frost Forms (2023)
Autumn Diffusion - Winter Seclusion (2023)

Ambient project with a decayed, tape loop and analog synth-based sound from Ian Hawgood and Craig Tattersall.

See also: Hawgood, Ian

 


Obsidian Relic (USA)

Obsidian Relic (2020)
The Titan Gate (2022)

Dark soundscape project from this South Carolina-based project. Drones, obscure noises, menacing or reflective piano notes...

 


Obsidian Teeth (UK)

Pius Rubus (2020)

Abstract, weird, experimental, Cluster-like pieces.

 


Obsolete Synthesis (USA)

Korolev (2012)
The Rogue River Wars (2012)
Faux Lascaux (2013)
The Normal Year (2015)

Illinois-based artist who is into analog synthesis and seems to be especially fond of PAiA modular gear. He makes compositions that are sometimes noisy, but his albums are predominantly ambient, with a couple of noisy tracks thrown in for good measure. I don't know anything about Korolev, though, which was released on a reel-to-reel tape.

 


Obst, Michael (Germany)

Metal Drops (1983)

Spacious electronic sounds. Avant-garde synthesist.

 


Obtuso (Brazil)

Nave Colônia (2020)

A project of André Godoy from Florianópolis. Nave Colônia is framed by two darkish and moody ambient electronic tracks and has three techno numbers in the middle. The atmospheric stuff is pretty good and I wish he would make a whole album in this style, as the techno numbers I found rather lackluster (but maybe that's just me). Anyway, an interesting space / sci-fi-inspired concept work.

 


Obukhovaudio (Russia)

Warning (1994)
Moonday (1995)
Ambiance (1995)
Air (1995)
Approximation (1995)
Farenheit (1995)
Voyage To Sunset (1995)
Purple Tone (1996)
Resonance (1996)
Night At Studio (1997)
Airstranger (1998)
At Trance (1998)
Recurrence (1998)
The Edge (1998)
Stardust (1999)
Friends? (1999)
Main (1999)
Light Mountain (2000)
Radio Saturn (2000)
Nemo (2000)
Night Antenna (2001)
Darkbeat (2001)
Echo Analogue (2002) (S)
Coma (2003)
Atomsphere (2004)
Tame Time (2005)
Eastwind (After Goa) (2005)
Concerto For Synthesizer And Sequencer (2005)
Cityvolts (2005)
Utmost (2005)
Silent Sound of the Ground (2006)
Silent Sound of the Ground 2 (2006)
Concert For the Synthesizer With the Sequencer 1 (2006)
Concert For the Synthesizer With the Sequencer 2 (2006)
Concert For the Synthesizer With the Sequencer 3 (2006)
Concert For the Synthesizer With the Sequencer 4 (2006)
Polaroid Concert (2020)

Born in Khakassia (Siberia), Alexander Obukhov (aka Alexander Obuhov) has been experimenting with EM since 1991, when he started to build his own sound-producing machines from found spare parts. He then added a few Soviet-made synthesizers and started recording his music. Alexander has an individual style, influenced by the Berlin School of Electronic Music.

 


OCA (Germany)

Preset Music (2018)
Aging (2019)

Looping, hypnotic and melodic ambience from the duo of Florian Zeisig and Yo van Lenz.

 


O'Callaghan (UK)

City of Light (2012)

Jamie O'Callaghan is a British artist residing in the Netherlands. Varied EM in general rhythmic / melodic style.

 


Occult Orientated Crime (Netherlands)

Just A Clown On Crack (2016)
The Occult Orientated Crime Album (2019) (recorded in 2014)

Ambient project by the prolific Danny Wolfers. This one sees heavy use of analog synthesizers but the overall style is hardly comparable to other artists, although it's definitely progressive and definitely EM, channeling everything from vintage library vibes, to Berlin School and general melodic / cosmic EM from the 1970's, on to that slight early 1990's FAX touch (perhaps by means of voice samples and some very sparse downtempo rhythms).

See also: Smackos, Legowelt, Wolfers, Danny, Weltman, Klaus, Falckenhaus, Franz, Phalangius, Knutson, Saab, Nomad Ninja, Ufocus, Zandvoort & Uilenbal, Taniyama, Satomi, Rising Sun Systems, Osmo, Sammy, Star Sheperd, Psychic Stewardess, The, Bontempi 666, Lobosquillo, Mavelli, Florenza.

 


Occupied Head (Germany)

Steady (2019)
The Secret Teachers (2021) (with Boban Ristevski)
Interoception (2022)

Repetitive and atmospheric, industrial-tinged electronics from this Hamburg-based project (Dieter Mauson).

See also: DSIP

 


Occur (USA)

Syrup (2018)

A duo of Brian Grainger and John-Paul Kramer. They use a minimal, completely hardware setup, and the music is rhythmic, a bit static and influenced by downtempo and Prog EM.

See also: Milieu, Coppice Halifax, AQV.

 


Ocean (Poland)

From the Rolling Ocean (1995)

Polish EM trio with various styles, both rhythmic and ambient.

 


Ocean Floor (UK)

Jupiter (2014)
7/9/14 (2016) (S)
Four Shadows (2017) (S)
The World of Rain (2017)
Redland (2018)
The Sound of Rain On A Balloon (2019) (with Coims)
Vernalis (2019)
Void / Through (2019)

Cosmic synths in analog style with a huge organ presence from this Bristol-based experimental project. Sounds like a mixture of church music and ambient EM.

 


Ocean Moon (UK)

World of Light (2019)
Crystal Harmonics (2020)
Adventures In the Rainbow Vortex (2021)

Nice analog EM in atmospheric / floating vein with some sequences. A project of Jon Tye.

See also: Captain Sunshine, Seahawks, Pink Fluid.

 


Oceanic (Netherlands)

Live At De School (2018)
Swallow A Party (2020) (with Greetje Bijma)
Choral Feeling (2023)

A project of J. M. Oberman. Live At De School was perfomed on a special string instrument connected to a modular system. An interesting sound, mixing electroacoustic techniques with synth pulsations and sound of the EM pioneers.

 


Oceanic Alpha Axis (Spain??)

Sonic Meditations (2022)

Varied EM - mostly atmospheric and cosmic, with good melodic content as well.

 


Oceano (Chile)

Oceano was a Chilean band formed in the early or mid 1970's by keyboardist Hernan Pantoja together with guitar player Javier Echeverria and drummer Andres Salas. No official recordings exist as of now, but there are at least two bootlegs circulating among fans and over the Internet, En Vivo en la Sala Bulnes, Universidad Tecnica del Estado (1977) and Tiresias en Vivo 1980 - 1981. The group mixed progressive rock and Electronic Music.

 


Oceanographer (USA)

Nectar (2021)
Modern Prophecies (2022)

Oceanographer is Missouri-based Ryan Howell. He likes to use analog synths and makes nice, playful EM with crisp sequencing. Sometimes cinematic, with even a Vangelis flair.

 


Oceanvs Orientalis (Turkey)

Ex Nihilo (2020)

A project put together by Safak Ozkutle. Mostly downtempo music, but with some EM influences, mostly on the first two tracks.

 


OCH (Sweden)

Så vidare EP (2023)

Krautrock band with heavy electronic vibes on Så vidare.

 


Ocher, Mary (Russia)

Approaching Singularity: Music For the End of Time (2023)

Moscow-born, Berlin / Hamburg-based indie-pop artist and singer. Some of the material on Approaching Singularity approaches (no pun indended) EM territory or experiments with the genre (tracks like "Cosmic Rock", "Post Everything" or the title track on which Roberto Cacciapaglia guests on piano).

 


Ochi Brothers (Japan)

Ochi Brothers (1999)
Beating the Earth (2001)

Tribal Ambient duo that mixes spaced-out synths and lots of acoustic percussion. More active than, say, Steve Roach, approaching 1990's ambient techno.

See also: Ochi, Yoshiaki

 


Ochi, Yoshiaki (Japan)

Natural Sonic (1990)
Natural Sonic 2 (1996)
Aqua (1996)
Earth Music Cafe (2002) (with Dream Dolphin)

Tribal Ambient artist. On the first volume of Natural Sonic, the music is almost 100% acoustic, with synth in supporting roles on a couple of tracks, so it's EM-related at the very best. However, on Aqua, apart from the percussion, we have lots of nice, ambient synth waves that will put you into a dreamy state of mind.

See also: Ochi Brothers

 


Ochre (UK)

Understory (2020)
An Eye To Windward (2021)

IDM project of Newcastle-based Christopher Scott Leary. Understory, although obviously influenced by the IDM genre, shows strong ambient and melodic EM traits.

 


OCO (Portugal)

Beyond Dust And Bones (2014)

Ethno-folk band from Portugal who released their debut in 2011. Apparently, it was completely acoustic and based on the sounds of multiple ethnic / folk / archaic instruments. For Beyond Dust And Bones, though, they adopted a more electronic-oriented approach, with synths and drum machines alongside the acoustic instrumentation mentioned above. Nice for fans of World Music and Tribal Ambient.

 


ØCOASTensemble (USA)

No Coast (2019)

Improvising modular synth / electric piano / drums / bass ensemble led by Philip Rankin.

See also: Rankin, Philip

 


Ocoeur (France)

Everything (2020)
Connections (2021)
Nouveau départ (2023)

A project of Franck Zaragoza. Previous works are supposedly IDM-related. However, the material on Everything (with a few exceptions) will be enjoyed more by fans of melodic ambient EM. Connections continues in the same vein. Nouveau départ brings in a stronger classical influence.

 


O'Connor, Martin E. (USA)

New Music For Synthesizers (1985)

 


O'Connor, Neil (Ireland)

Oscillator Suite (2023)

Archaic but timeless music created on vintage modular systems and arcane test equipment. For fans of Edward Artemiev's ANS works.

See also: Ordnance Survey

 


Ocram Orchestra (Germany)

Music From the Same Place (2021)

A project of German Marco Wollenberg, currently residing in Taipei. A mixture of ambient electronics and ambient techno a bit reminiscent of Pete Namook and early FAX sounds.

 


Octachoron (Georgia)

Land of Meta (2018)

Pleasant synth / sequencer pulsations heavily influenced by classic Berlin School works.

See also: Soulvent

 


October Second (USA)

Flesh (2019)

Ambient duo of Michael Haddad and Riley Wichmann.

 


Octopus's Garden (Germany)

Octopus's Garden (1992)
...And God Listened (1992)
Chronicles of A Lost Land (1994)
Live At the Chapel On the Hill (2006) (recorded in 1992)
Live At Saint Germanus (2006) (recorded in 1992)

Sort of a precursor to Electric Orange consisting of Dirk Jan Müller and Frank Burkhardt.

See also: Müller, Dirk Jan, Electric Orange, Cosmic Ground, Bloop.

 


Ocular Corporation (Russia)

Genesis (2013)
Stigmata (2014)

Supposedly, droning Ambient.

 


Oculo Rapido (USA??)

Analog Planetfall (2009)

Analog, flowing and experimental Ambient from an Eurock collaborator who calls himself Doktor Bob.

 


Oda, Andrew (USA)

Sotto (2020)
Back To the Body (2022)

Climatic, at times melodic, at times experimental ambient compositions from this Virginia-based artist.

 


Oda, Kohnosuke (Japan)

Music-Effect (1980)
Der Trophen Am Horizont (1986)
Star Child (2002)

These two albums supposedly contain music and effects created for various NHK specials from 1977 to 1984. Spacey synth sound.

 


Odalie (France)

Derrière l'Écran (2021)

A project of Sophie Griffon who mixes classical instrumentation (mainly cello) and electronics. Complex, unusual, exotic...

 


Odd (Norway)

Middelalder (1985)
Lava (1985)
Elektronisk Landscap (1985)
Himmelflukt (1985) (S)
Lydroser (1986) (with Jens) (S)
Tåke (1987)
Ephesos Memories (1990)
Maudlin Masculine Music (1990)

Obscure synthesist (full name - Odd N. Løken) who released a string of cassettes during the 1980's and on to the 1990's with music supposedly in classic / cosmic EM style.

 


Odd Dodo (Greece)

Futurepast Temporalities (2023)

Intense, loud, wall-of-sound synth / bass / drums / trumpet project / band led by Iannis Chatzipapas. It is a bit closer to improvised post rock / math rock than EM, but the influence is there.

 


Odd Person (USA)

Junk Tropics (2016)
Star Maps From the Flower Temples (2017)
The Flowers of Arcadia (2019) (S)
Myths of the Crystal Plateau (2022)
The Secant Archives Vol One (2022)
The Secant Archives Vol Two (2022)

Varied electronic compositions from August Traeger. Mostly of ambient nature and with a tropical feel.S

See also: Sun Colored Pods

 


Odes (UK)

Journey Again (2020)

Ambient project. Long tracks of soothing synths.

 


Odin Kaban (Spain)

Cuerpos Sutiles (2023)

Electronic musician, multi-instrumentalist and sonic experimenter. Cueros Sutiles is an intriguing work mixing electronics with some acoustic instruments and processing. Different, but definitely progressive-sounding.

 


Odland, Bruce (USA)

Leaving Eden (1991)

Bruce Odland was born in 1952 in Wisconsin. He is an author of numerous sound installations as well as dance theater and television scores. Leaving Eden is a CD that features ambient atmospheres of the darker variety.

 


Odlum, Brian (USA)

Interregnum Vigil (2000)

American cello player and electronic composer. Between Dark Ambient, classical arrangements and World Music.

 


O'Donnell, Roger (UK)

The Truth In Me (2006)
Songs From the Silver Box (2009)

Keyboardist of The Cure with this strange diversion of an album (The Truth In Me). The disc is a mixture of instrumental tracks and some songs (with female vocals) and it was all done on a Moog Voyager. Songs From the Silver Box supposedly continues with the same formula.

 


Odour Sonour (Hungary)

Dysfunctional Death (2007)
Earth Burial (2015)
The Strange Wonders of the Flesh (2015)
The Cult (2016) (with Stone Wired)
Distance Swallower (2017) (S)
The Seven Sleepers the Seven Death (2019) (with Voidmorf)
All Shall Fall (2020)

Death Ambient with elements of death industrial.

See also: Mortum Exabyss, Voidmorf.

 


Odumodneurtse (Peru)

Espectros e Imaginarios de Posguerra (2019)

Peruvian krautrock band with a very Ash Ra Temple-like sound. Extremely spaced-out stuff.

 


Odvas (Hungary)

Decayed Bark Sets the World Ablaze (2017) (S)
The Haunting Turmoil of the Stormcorner Soul (2020) (S)

Dark, droning or melancholic ambience.

 


Odyssée (France)

Arid Fields (2023)

Solo Electronic Music from Edouard Lebrun, member of math-rock band Jean Jean. Arid Fields presents a rather cinematic style, full of effective synth stabs, good melodies and carefully chosen textures. There is some influence from "deconstructed club", but overall this is Progressive Electronic proper. The album was inspired by and composed during a trip through several deserts in the US.

 


Odyssey (Denmark)

Metastasia (2018)

Available as digital download and on a reel-to-reel tape, the above album is an energetic, melodic EM affair from this Danish group. Good for lovers of Picture Palace Music, Maxxess and their ilk.

 


Odyssey (Greece)

Who (1974) (S)

Odyssey is none other than Vangelis (referring to his middle name, Evangelos Odyssey Papathanassiou). This extremely rare single was released after the album Earth and sounds partly like an outtake from the Earth recording sessions. The first side ("Who") is a pop number with vocals by R. Fitoussi. Vangelis arranged the piece and played keyboards. The second side ("Sad Face") contains a rare solo piece by Vangelis.

See also: Vangelis

 


Odyssey (Poland)

Syntharsis (2001)
Ypsilon Project (2003) (with Remote Spaces)
X - Space Odyssey (2009)
Music For Subway - Symphony For Analogues (2012)
Osyssey & We Are the Hunters (2013) (with We Are the Hunters)

Odyssey is Tomasz Pauszek who started playing keyboards in 1989 (he was 11 years old) and during the 90's he became interested in Electronic Music. He formed the project "Odyssey" and gave many concerts of Electronic Music as well as collaborated with another Polish EM project - Remote Spaces.

See also: Pauszek, Tomasz

 


Oe, Tatsuya (Japan)

Suchness (2020)

Relaxing ambient compositions with a new age flair.

 


Oedipus Apartment Complex (???)

The Blissful Sounds of Miracula (2023)

Varied melodic tracks - from slow melodies on top of plodding rhythms to upbeat, synthwave-like stuff and sequencer-based EM.

 


Oehlmann, Frank (Germany)

Kreuzbestäubung (2008)
The Luminous Ones: Meditations Earth + Mars (2020)
Platonic Year Meditations - The Twelve Constellations of the Zodiac / Chiron Meditation - The Never-Healing Wound (2023)

The author describes the material heard on Kreuzbestäubung as "Brian Eno and Harold Budd influenced ambient music".

 


Oestergaards (Sweden)

Rötterna (2018)
Moloken (2019) (EP)

Dark Ambient project from Sweden.

 


Oesterhelt, Carl (Germany)

Formen (2016) (with Hans-Joachim Irmler)
The Anatomy of Melancholy (2016) (with Johannes Enders)
Die Gesänge des Maldoror (2017) (with Hans-Joachim Irmler)
Eleven Pieces For Synthesizer (2019)
The Aporias of Futurism (2021) (with Andreas Gerth)
The Dualistic Principle (2022)
Music For Unknown Rituals (2024) (with Andreas Gerth)

German musician (drummer and keyboardist), songwriter, member of new-wavers F.S.K. and intelligent disco-pop group Merricks. Eleven Pieces For Synthesizer is a nice and vibrant work recorded with the help of analog gear. It covers a lot of ground, from the typically French melodic synth of the opener to pulsing, cosmic, experimental, lysergic ala Schulze's Cyborg and more.

 


Of all the Things I Am (USA??)

Melodic Tendencies (2022) (S)

Ambient artist. Floating pads, drones and subtle melodies.

 


Of Sun And Rain (UK)

The Flutter of Wings (2022)

Nice, shimmering ambient sound here. A bit lo-fi.

 


Of Unknown Origin (USA)

Seven Ovens of the Soul (1998)

Pre-A Murder of Angels dark soundscapes by Bryin Dall and Derek Rush.

See also: A Murder of Angels, Unfeeling.

 


of1000faces (USA)

Astronomica (2021) (recorded in 2020)

Under this alias hides Matt Walker, a musician from Chicago, Illinois. Astronomica is a cosmic synth album with varied styles, from floating and ambient to vaguely rhythmic.

 


Off Land (USA)

Heliopause (2007) (S)
Thickly Settled EP (2011) (EP)
Egressives (2011) (S)

Tidewater Pulse (2013)
Quinarian (2014)
Slow Waves (2016)
Out World (2017) (EP)
Afterglow (2017)
On Earth (2017)
Resonance (2017)
Eventide Passage (2018) (recorded in 2012)
Quiet Earth (2018)
Blue Narration
(2018)
Field Tangents (2019)
Continental Drift (2020) (with Specta Ciera)
Welkin Paths (2020)
Excursion (2022)
The Moon Rituals (2023)

Ambient somehow influenced by Pete Namlook's calmer works. Off Land is Tim Dwyer.

 


Off the Cuff (Russia)

Part of the Sky (1995)
Uronit' na tolpy mrak (2002)

Drone Ambient from Dmitry Chistov and Andrei Ivanov.

See also: Hum, Maw, Медве На Мече, Mikosterion.

 


Off World (Canada)

1 (2016)
2 (2017)
3 (2023)

Unique, dramatic Electronic Music, both ambient and disturbing. Some tracks have a weird Cluster touch. Off World is a studio project put together by Sandro Perri with some friends.

 


Offermose (Sweden)

Bag de Hvide Tinder (2016) (S)
Ofring i Sverige (2017)
Mørkt Foraar (2018)
Stilhedens Tårn (2020)

Repetitive synth atmospheres and ritual ambiences.

 


Offthesky (USA)

Cold Distances (2003)
Gently Down the Stream (2005)
It Is Impossible To Say Just What I Mean (2005)
We All Fall Down (2006) (with The Circular Ruins)
The Geist Cycles (2007)
Subtle Trees (2008)
!Escape Kit! (2008) (with Juxta Phona)
Flyover Sound (2009) (with Billy Gomberg)
Creek Caught Fire (2009)
Suspended (2009) (with Darren McClure)
Fluorescence (2009) (S)
Hiding Nature (2010)
The Beautiful Nowhere (2011)
Endless Yonder (2011)
Boy With the Golden Cough (2011) (S)
The Curio Collection (2012) (with Kinder Scout)
The Door In the Wall (2012) (EP)
The Lowern Decay (2012) (EP)
Afar, Farewell (2012) (EP) (with Man Watching the Stars)
Through the Lines (2012)
Breathing (2013) (with Ryonkt)
Exit To Anywhere (2013) (S)
The Season of Lost Buttons (2014) (with Radere)
Light Loss (2015)
A Thousand Fields (2015) (with Pleq)
The Soft Parallel (2015)
The Serpent Phase (2015)
Silent Went the Sea (2016)
Coma Communion (2018) (S)
Enfolding (2018)
To Break Is Something Sacred (2019) (S)
Illuminate (2019)
All Other Voices Gone, Only Your Remains (2019) (with The Humble Bee)
Fallow (2019)
Layers of Memory In the Quiet Voice of Motion (2019) (with Bill Seaman)
We Were the Hum of Dreams (2020) (with The Humble Bee)
Psalm of Solum (2020)
On Wonders And Things Unseen (2021) (with Nhung Nguyen and Giulio Aldinucci)
aSpiritual (2021) (with Rin Howell)
Opening Opening (2023)
Sunder (2024) (with Benoȋt Pioulard)

Modern Ambient / chill-out music from Jason Corder with some albums on Databloem label. More melodic and accessible than what this label is mostly known for. Jason also has a collaborative album (he appears under his own name) with Matthias Grassow.

See also: Tiny Isles

 


La Ofrenda (Venezuela)

La Ofrenda de Vytas Brenner (1973)
Hermanos (1974)
Jayeche (1975)
En Vivo! (1977)

The band put together in Venezuela by German-born Vytas Brenner. With the line-up of himself, Carlos Acosta, Pablo Manavello, Chu Quintero, Nene Quintero and Ivan Velazquez he developed a complex style that basically included the following elements: 1). Progressive rock 2). Venezuelan folk music 3). Electronic Music 4). Jazz-rock. The music was largely instrumental (with only a couple of vocal songs) and they made a lot of live shows throughout Venezuela and had considerable success. La Ofrenda was disbanded somewhere in the end of the 70's.

See also: Brenner, Vytas

 


Ogasawara, Shigeo (Japan)

Satoko (??)

 


Ogawa, Yasunori (Japan)

Quiet Emotion (1999)

One of the rarer Japanese ambient releases of the 1990's. Relaxing, a bit mysterious sound with just a touch of glitch and some neat use of field recordings.

 


Ogboh, Emeka (Nigeria)

Beyond the Yellow Haze (2018)
6°30’33​.​372”N 3°22’0​.​66”E (2022)

Sound installation artist and electronic musician. Beyond the Yellow Haze is a sonic portrait of the buzzing city life of Lagos. The music is drenched in field recordings and ranges from rhythmic, downtempo-like to ambient. Pretty immersive stuff.

 


Ogeon (Costa Rica)

Poás (2018)

Nice Ambient inspired by Costa Rican landscapes.

 


Ogle (Italy)

Cascade (2022)
Elsewhere (2023)
Random Intentions (2023)
Constellation (2023)

Ogle is Giulio Fontana, ex-member of several bands and solo electronic musician. Cascade was recorded with the help of a Buchla Easel Command and represents playful and sequencer-based EM, sometimes with an early (pre-ambient) Steve Roach feel (as on "Clouds", for example), sometimes quite abstract. A nice listen overall, if a tad minimal.

 


Og-Min (USA)

First Bardo (2013) (S)

Monolithic ambient drone.

 


Ogni Videniy (Russia)

Skvoz' Temnotu (2009)
2137 (2011) (with Six Dead Bulgarians)
Interference (2011)
Tayuschie (2011)
Sounding Emptiness (2014)
S (2015) (with Lunar Abyss)
Mohalociya Eroja (2015) (with Lunar Abyss)
Synapse (2015) (with Svetlo111)
Ñêåëåò â øêàôó äëÿ Áîãà (2015)

Ambient soundscapes.

 


Ōgon Batto (Belgium)

Ōgon Batto (2014)
Hedoro (2018)
Browse (2021)

A project of Bent Von Bent. Ranges from experimental sound sculpting to nice spacey synthiness. "Golfbrakers" (from the 2014 release) sounds very much like Heldon circa Electronique Guerilla.

See also: Hare Akedod

 


Ogorodov, Michael (Russia)

Schody do Nieba (2008) (with Daniel Bloom, Josef Skrzek, Paul Lawler and Steve Schroyder)
Transparent Things (2010)
Nils Klim Underjordiske Reise (2012)
Theatre Music 1998 - 2000 (2016)

Mikhail "Michael" Ogorodov is a keyboard player from Saint-Petersburg who works mostly with analog synthesizers and church organs. He has collaborated with Josef Skrzek and Pierre Moerlen's Gong, among others.

See also: Total Station

 


Ogre (UK)

194 (2012)
Calico Brawn (2013)
Clusterfunk (2013) (S)
195 (2014)
Gradients Live (2015) (S)
Calico Noir (2016)
All Hallows' (2016) (with Dallas Campbell)
Beyond the Infinite (2016) (with Dallas Campbell)
The Psychic Zero (2016)
Night of the Living Dead (2016)
Murals (2017)
The Field Recordist's Guide To: Summoning Lesser Demons (2017)
Ballard (2018)
Megacopter (2018) (soundtrack)
The Chairman (2018) (soundtrack)
All Hallows' II (2019) (with Dallas Campbell)
IV Gates of Nessus (2020)
Interzone (2020)
Cybercism (2022)
The Rise of the Synths (2022) (soundtrack)
Wilder (2023)

Orge is video game / film composer, chiptune / outrun / synthwave artist and electronic musician Robin Edwin Ogden. You can tell he listened to a lot of Tangerine Dream soundtracks, as he combines driving sequences and strong melodies ala 1980's TD with his synthwave influences.

 


Ogu, Yu (Japan)

Before & After Migration (2022)

Japanese ambient artist. Full name - Yuya Oguma.

 


Oha Aho (Switzerland)

Thank You! (2014)
A_E (2019)

Weird, comewhat cheesy and krauty electronic sound from this duo, like Cluster with African influences.

See also: Ave Eva, African Ghost Valley, Eyyes, Mind Waves.

 


Ohama (Canada)

Original Music From the Film PULL (2012) (soundtrack)
Arts Commons Soundscape Part I Speakers 1 - 3 (2018)
Arts Commons Soundscape Part II Speakers 5 - 8 (2018)
Arts Commons Soundscape Part III Speakers 9 - 12 (2018)

Tona Walter Ohama has been playing synthesizers since the 1970's. He is mainly a synth-pop artist. However, this album here supposedly contains some brooding bits and more progressive arrangements made as a soundtrack.

 


Ohashi, Yuto (Japan)

Ein Nebelhaftes Zimmer (2016)
Juvenile - insubstantial, re-present - (2018)
Weltkarte (2020)
Uranometria (2020)
Matrix (2020) (S)
Ein Ort - Der Stille Weltraum Im Blau (2020)
Loka:Immanence (2022) (S)

Ambient artist with a rather minimal sound.

 


O'Hearn, Patrick (USA)

Ancient Dreams (1985)
Between Two Worlds (1987)
Rivers Gonna Rise (1988)
Eldorado (1989)
Mix-Up (1990)
Indigo (1991)
White Sands (1992) (soundtrack)
Trust (1995)
Simpatico (1995) (soundtrack)
Crying Freeman (1996) (soundtrack)
Apostles (1996) (with Peter Maunu)
Metaphor (1996)
So Flows the Current (2001)
Beautiful World (2003)
Slow Time (2005)
Glaciation (2007)
Transitions (2011)

Patrick O'Hearn was born in 1954 in Los Angeles, USA. He has a rich background in jazz music, having played bass with many well-known artists. In 1975, he met Frank Zappa which led him to jamming with Frank for a couple of years. Zappa introduced Patrick to synthesizers (he had a sizeable collection). From Frank, O'Hearn also learned a few things about avant-garde techniques like tape splicing and editing. After playing with a couple of bands during the early 1980's, Patrick went solo. He eventually became one of the first artists to sign for Baumann's Private label. Patrick's solo music is very atmospheric in style and not comparable to other artists.

See also: Group 87

 


OH/EX/OH (UK)

Extant (2012)
The House In the Woods (2013)

Ambient drones from Manchester.

 


Ohio (USA)

Upward, Broken, Always (2019)
Drift of Summer (2022)

Ambient duo with a minimal, droning sound often based on analog synthesizers.

See also: Deupree, Taylor, Fuller, Corey.

 


Ohm (USA)

O2 (1997)
Voices (1999)
Raw Ohm (2001)

Experimental space rock band formed in 1995 by Doublas Ferguson together with S. Forest Ward and a couple of friends. The music consists of electronics, percussion, clarinet & sax and a couple of other instruments. No guitar here. The music is psychedelic and space rock-influenced but also with strong EM element.

See also: Frankie Teardrop, Vas Deferens Organization.

 


Öhman Sollin, Johan (Sweden)

Ultra (2018)
Morbid Decay (2021) (S)

Dark, mutant horror-inspired compositions and Carpenter / TD-like soundtrackish synth grit.

 


Ohmi, Goro (Japan)

My Youth In Arcadia (1982)
Battle of Sci-Fi Animation (1983)
Guin Saga - Henkyōhen (1983) (soundtrack)
Crusher Joe (1983) (soundtrack)
Dr. Slump (1983) (soundtrack)
Niji Sinden (1984)
Moonlight Dream (1985) (S)
Guin Saga - Graffiti (1985) (soundtrack)
Guin Saga - Senran Hen (1985) (soundtrack)
Guin Saga - 7-nin No Madoushi (1986) (soundtrack)
銀牙 流れ星銀~音楽集~ (1987) (soundtrack)

Goro Ohmi is a soundtrack composer, specializing in science fiction animation mainly. He's done some interesting electronic arrangements.

 


Ohm-N-I (USA)

Sombre (2019)

Vaporwave-related project of Emmanuel Hoachlander. Sombre will be enjoyed by fans of Ambient.

 


Ohmodron (France)

Ohmodron (2013)
Accursed Share (2014)
Deep Life Church (2016)

Primeval sharp analog drones and varied electronic sounds from the duo of Nicolas Debade and Pedro Lopez. Somewhat noisy. Good for fans of Experimental EM.

 


Ohno, Yasuhito (Japan)

Music In DNA (??)

Rare electronic LP with unknown date, possibly from the late 1980's or early 1990's. Lilting, playful, abstract...

 


Ohno, Yuji (Japan)

Love Saves the Earth (1978) (soundtrack)
Silent Dialogue (1979) (with Masa Matsuda)
Cosmos (1981)
Lifetide (1982)

Japanese soundtrack composer. He is basically a jazz pianist and a lot of his stuff is disco / funk based & is very easy-listening, with only a few hidden spacey gems, so tread carefully. I will try to list his albums containing EM or EM-related material here.

 


Ohrenbetäubende Stille (Germany)

Nº1 (2014)

Moody Ambient made with synths / keyboards and guitar by Harnes Kretzer and Christian Pensel from Bonn.

See also: Kretzer, Harnes

 


Ohyung (USA)

Imagine Naked! (2022)

New York-based experimental rapper of Asian (supposedly, Chinese) descent. Imagine Naked! is an ambient release.

 


Oiseaux-Tempête (France)

Unworks & Rarities 2012 - 2015 (2016)
Al-'An! (2017)
The True History of the Tortoise & The Hare According To Lord Dunsany (2018) (with The Bunny Tylers)
TARAB (2018)
From Somewhere Invisible (2019)
TLAMESS (Sortilège) (2020) (soundtrack)
What On Earth (Que Diable) (2022)

French post-rock duo of Frédéric D. Oberland and Stéphane Pigneul. The material I've heard on their regular releases was very guitar-oriented in pure post-rock vein, although both members are also credited with electronics. The above retrospective release, containing various unreleased and obscure material, though, includes some very electronic-oriented pieces, like the opener "Eclipse & Sirocco", among the usual post-rock fare. Christine Ott guests on Ondes Martenot. This album is still EM-related at best.

See also: Oberland, Frédéric D.

 


Ojas (USA)

Seven Levels of Man (1978)
Lotussongs Volume One (1979)
Lotussongs Volume Two (1980)
Rebirth (1982)
Live '82 (1983)
Trance Tape (1983)
Trance Tape #2 (1984)
Faces of Ever (1984)
Live Ojas (??)
From This Red Earth (1990)

Ojas is the project of American musician Steve McLinn who has been playing various acoustic instruments (such as woodwinds) since the 1960's. In 1976, Oklakhoma-based McLinn became interested in Electronic Music and assembled his own electronic studio. He then founded his label Ojas Music and started releasing his albums there. Steve's period of activity coincided with the birth of new age movement and his music got lumped together with the rest of new age productions although in the early stages he had more in common with electronic artists. The praise that his releases gained from doctors, hospitals and therapeutic centers of all kinds, as well as the meditative nature of some of his works didn't help matters either. However, Steve's early synthesizer works (acoustic intruments are used, too) are definitely of some interest to fans of Electronic Music. Steve is still composing, having drifted towards ethnic music and outright new age. Therefore, the discography above is not complete.

See also: McLinn, Steve

 


øjeRum (Denmark)

He Remembers There Were Gardens (2014) (EP)
Hvid hvile, sort ro (2016)
The Blossoming of the Nothingness Trees (2016)
Væv (2016)
Sne (2016)
When Birds Fly, the Eyes of Heaven Can Rest (2017)
Træerne & intetheden I-II (2017) (S)
Træerne & intetheden III-IV (2017) (S)
Træerne & intetheden V-VI (2017) (S)
Skygge (2017)
Træerne & intetheden VII-VIII (2017) (S)
Træerne & intetheden IX-X (2017) (S)
Træerne & intetheden XI-XII (2017) (S)
Landscape With Silent Figure (2017) (S)
Needleshaped Silence (2017)
Skælver fuglenes vinger (2017)
Very Invisible (2017) (S)
Under Gange (2018)
Vindens segl (2018) (S)
Stilhedens strømmen i fuglenes blod (2018)
Selected Organ Works (2018)
Selv i drømme lyser den første sne (2018)
There Is A Flaw In My Iris (2018)
Silent Figure With Landscape (2018)
A Certain Grief (2018)
Sometimes I See Myself Sleeping In A Stone of Falling Eyes (2018)
Red Sun Phase (2018)
Syv segl (2019)
Nattesne (2019)
Don't Worry Mother, Everything Is Going To Be Okay (2019)
Alting falder i samme rum (2019)
There Is A Flaw In My Iris (2019)
The Eyeless Sea (2019) (S)
Forgotten Works (2019) (recorded in 2009 - 2017)
Without Blood the Sun Darkens (2019)
Under røde måner (2019)
Through the Archway of Mouths (2019)
An Image Of A Bird Seconds Before It Appears (2019)
7 SJÆLE (2020)
The Swollen Lips of the Horizon (2020)
Nothing Is Meant To Be (2020)
Without Blood the Sun Darkens (2020)
Selected Percussive Works 1998 - 2001 Vol. I (2020)
Selected Percussive Works 1998 - 2001 Vol. II (2020)
Selected Percussive Works 1998 - 2001 Vol. III (2020)
Cette mer qui est en toi (2021)
Spor af intet (2021)
An Image of A Bird Seconds Before It Appears (2021)
Sølverhvide skyer (2021)
Stigma (2021)
Støvfald (2021)
Lav Sol (2022)
Music For A Lonely Moon (2022)
19 Strings (2022)
Reversed Cathedral (2022)
Butterfly Tongues More Ancient Than Flowers (2022)
Coiled Souls (2023)
Snow Is Absence Singing (2023)
Nattens hvide sten (2023)
The Limited Circle Is Pure (2023)
Your Soft Absence (2023)
Everything Wounded Will Flow (2024)

Low-fi folk / acoustic drone project of Paw Grabowski. I don't know how much of his music would qualify as EM, but the above releases contain nice ambient music.

See also: Lapith Girl

 


Ojijo, Richard (Germany??)

20 Years of Music For Marcel Odenbach (2021) (recorded in 2000 - 2020)

Darkish ambient music for films.

 


Ojima, Yoshio (Japan)

Kinematician (1982)
Club (1983)
Daylight Stars (1987)
Airy Walks (1987)
All Day Long (1987)
Score In Your Eyes (1987)
Une Collection des Chainons 1 (1988)
Une Collection des Chainons II (1988)
Hands Some (1993)
Caresse (1994) (with Satsuki Shibano)
Music For Element (1994) (with Satsuki Shibano)
Belle de Nuit (2012) (with Satsuki Shibano)
Serenitalem (2019) (with Visible Cloaks and Satsuki Shibano)

Ambient by the musician who assembled his own synthesizer studio by the early 1980's and whose later work is characterized by heavy use of computers.

 


OJN (UK)

Movers And Shakers (2006) (S)

Varied, wistful, playful compositions from John Brenton, member of a few indie rock bands.

 


OK EG (Australia)

Pebble Beach (2019) (EP)
Intertidal Zone (2021) (EP)

Relaxed, rhythmic EM with influences from downtempo. OK EG is a Melbourne-based duo of Lauren Squire and Matthew Wilson. In 2023, they released a full-length album Rivulets, but sadly (for us Prog EM fans), it was completely in techno vein.

 


OK Wetten (Norway)

Mjøsa i Sikte (2021)

Bassist and electronic composer. Varied, sometimes acoustic or jazzy, sometimes noisy, primeval or cosmic, Cluster-like. Pretty unique stuff

 


Okada (USA)

Life Is But An Empty Dream (2019)
Fragility (2022)

Intense, dramatic, cinematic, emotional. A project of Gregory Pappas. Pretty good stuff if you ask me. His previous albums I know nothing about at the moment.

 


Okahashi, Nobuhiro (Japan)

Inner (2023)

Ambient artist from Osaka. Droning, a bit-lo-fi and industrially-tinged sound.

 


Okamura, Yukari (Japan)

Theory (2022) (S)

Techno artist from Japan. Theory closes with a 7-minute ambient piece titled "Circle".

 


Okano, Hiroki (Japan)

1987-1990 (1991)
Enn (1992)
Rainbow Over the Gypsy Hill (1994)
Music of Wind (1994)
Leela (1997)
Heaven In the Koo (1997)
Shoukou (2002)
Hearing There (2002)
Peace Prayer (2011)
.JP (2014)
Water Goddess (2016)
Return To the Soul (2016)
観音 Avalokiteśvara (2016) (with Miwa Fuku)
The Time, Now - 2017 (2017)
The Time, Now - 2018 (2018)
龍宮 Avalokiteśvara (2018) (with Miwafuku and Zenichirou Ohno)

Ambient artist who is rather new agey. He uses lots of acoustic / ethnic instruments and voices and reminds on some World Music artists and a deeper version of Kitaro. Early albums are on IC label.

 


Okei (Finland)

Periferia (2020)

Melodic / experimental synths and at times dubby rhythms.

 


Okinbaan (USA)

Deep (2021)

Melodic EM based on the sound of analog synths from US artist Stellar Mundane.

 


Okko (Germany)

Sitar & Electronics (1971)
Solo (1977)
E (1988) (with Asmus Tietchens)
Hybrid Farts (1994)
Stockholmer Totentanz (1999) (with Asmus Tietchens)

Dutch musician (born and raised in Germany) Okko Becker (aka Okko Bekker) is known playing sitar on the Cluster & Eno album. His first LP represents exactly what the title promises. The others I know nothing about at the moment.

See also: Liliental

 


Okkulte (USA)

To All This Darkness (2020)

Brooklyn-based Dark Ambient project.

 


Oklart (Sweden)

Väder (2018)

Tinkling bell synths, Terry Riley-like organs, soft house rhythms... Varied compositions from Rasmus Persson.

 


Oklou (France)

Zone W/O People (2018) (S) (soundtrack)

Oklou is a project of Paris-based singer and musician Marylou Mayniel. She usually composes different forms of dance music and synth-pop. Zone W/O People is her beautiful and nicely done ambient synth soundtrack. A few vocal moments here, but the rest is instrumental (bar some vocal samples).

 


Oko, Adam (UK)

Diet of Germs (2015) (S)

Dynamic, repetitive, rhythmic and sometimes ambient compositions.

 


OKRAA (Colombia)

1994 (2022)

Nice EM from Juan Carlos Torres Alonso. Rich sound with a structure definitely influenced by minimalism and repetition.

 


Okumoto, Ryo (Japan)

Synthesizer (1980)
Solid Gold (1980)

In 1997, keyboardist Ryo Okumoto joined progressive rock band Spock's Beard as a permanent member. However, a bit earlier, he had already had some solo albums released in his native Japan, including an album of driving, keyboard-based rock / fusion (Makin' Rock) and this electronic goodie here (Synthesizer). After that he also released Solid Gold, a rock album framed by two excellent, but criminally short (1+ -minutes) electronic etudes.

 


Okuniev, Ihor (Ukraine)

Roots (2018) (S)

Tracks that range from noisy to melodic ambience (a bit dungeon synth-like).

 


OkyDoky (Lebanon)

Aldebaran (2020)

Beirut-based project that often sounds like Middle Eastern Moebius with hip-hop beats.

 


Olan Mill (UK)

Pine (2010)
Home (2012)
Paths (2012)
Hiraeth (2013)
Half Seas Over (2014) (S)
Seismology (2014) (with Keung Mandelbrot)
Land Cycle (2014) (S)
Cavade Morlem (2015)
Tramuntata (2016) (with Alex Lucas)
Orient (2017)
Curves (2018)
Sounds of A New Father (2018)
Variations On the Letter H (2018)
Sacred Geometry (2019)
Citation Index (2021)

Olan Mill is a project of UK artist Alex Smalley whose style is unique in that he combines neo-classical arrangements with ethereal voices, strings, piano and other chamber instruments with a classic Ambient sound. This is airly, emotional and cinematic, like a cross between film soundtracks and Ambient / Vangelis style.

See also: Smalley, Alex, Pausal, Cask, Ilm.

 


Olczak, Michał (Poland)

Zgubiłem się (2020)

Complex compositions with lots of sampling.

 


Old Castle (USA / UK)

Old Castle (2019)
Welcome To Graceland (2021)
Artwork 51 (2022)

Quirky, experimental synth music from the trio of Robert Pepper, Robin Storey and Shaun Sandor. Sometimes noisy and slightly grating.

See also: Rapoon

 


Old Dark House (USA)

Welcome Home (2021)

Darkish melodic music with "gothic"-type vocals. Also some nice instrumental EM material here. A duo of Andrew Crawshaw and Corey Brewer.

See also: Crawshaw, Andrew, Meridian Arc, New Frontiers, Somafree Institute, Brewer, Corey.

 


Old Dead Wood (???)

Summoning Grief / Mold & Moss (2019)

A project mixing dungeon synth with Dark Ambient and a horror vibe.

 


Old Million Eye (USA)

Teleportation Chronicles (2019)
Now Land (2020)
Smoling Holes (2020)
Set & Drift (2021)
Warm Alliance With the Outside (2021)
Future Wonder (2021)
The Incandescent Switch (2021)
Lone Receiver (2022)
Brilliant Channels (2022) (with Stuart Chalmers)
Quartz Hive (2024)

Abstract, cosmic, tribal... A project of Brian Lucas from Oakland.

 


Old Monks' Saga (Ukraine)

Trilogy of Cognition And Absolute Reason of Ancient Depth (1998)
Epopee (2001)
09.11.01: Illuvatar's Children Present Time (2002) (S)

Dark Ambient. One of the albums includes a Burzum cover version.

See also: In Meditarium

 


Old Sorcery (Finland)

Realms of Magickal Sorrow (2017)
Strange And Eternal (2019)
Clandestine Meditation In Two Parts (2020)
The Hand of Merlin (2021) (soundtrack)

Unusual project at the basis of which lies the classic dungeon synth sound. However, it adds something you don't hear often in that genre - Berlin School sequences and solos (an influence of Jim Kirkwood?) A very nice dungeon synth / EM hybrid overall.

 


Old Tower (Netherlands)

The Door (2015) (S)
The Book of Ages (2015) (S)
Spectral Horizons (2016)
Remembrance of the Lone Enclave (2016)
The Rise of the Specter (2017)
Ruination, The New Dawn Cometh (2017) (S)
Stellary Wisdom (2018)
Drachenblut (2018) (S)
Finsterströmung (2019) (S)
Seelenasche (2020) (S)
Plague Harvest (2020)
Grim Alchemy (2021)
Tales of the Mad Moon (2021)

Dungeon synth-related project. Much more atmospheric and ambient than most releases in the genre.

 


Old Warrior (UK)

Dragons & Fables (2023)

Plymouth-based project in melodic, repetitive, a bit lo-fi dungeon synth vein.

 


Olden, Marc van (Netherlands)

Consensus Sequences (2006)
Fusionary (2006)
Look Into the Future (2007)

Solo Electronic Music from one of the members of ModularWhite.

See also: ModularWhite

 


Oldfield, Mike (UK)

Tubular Bells (1973)
Hergest Ridge (1974)
Orchestral Tubular Bells (1974)
Ommadawn (1975)
Incantations (1978)
Exposed (1979)
Platinum (1979)
Q.E.2 (1980)
Airborn (1980)
Five Miles Out (1982)
Crises (1983)
Discovery (1984)
The Killing Fields (1984) (soundtrack)
Islands (1987)
Earth Moving (1989)
Amarok (1990)
Heaven's Open (1991)
Tubular Bells 2 (1992)
The Songs of Distant Earth (1995)
Voyager (1996)
Tubular Bells 3 (1998)
Guitars (1999)
The Millennium Bell (1999)
Tres Lunas (2002)
Tubular Bells 2003 (2003)
Light And Shade (2005)
Music of the Spheres (2008)
Return To Ommadawn (2017)
Carnegie Hall 1993 (2018)
Nineteen 73 (2024) (recorded in 1973) (with friends)

Mike Oldfield is a famous multi-instrumentalist who has released a lot of albums, but is mainly known for his Tubular Bells. It's an epic multi-instrumental work with many changes and different ideas. It has stood the test of time, even if it may be of no big interest to synth fans. In fact, although Mike is highly revered in the EM circles, most of his output has nothing or very little to do with Electronic Music. I would say that Mike belongs more to the progressive rock world. He was even the founder (and inspiration) of the so-called "Oldfield progressive" sub-genre of progrock. The guitar is his main instrument, but he has also released some synth-dominated albums (The Songs of Distant Earth comes to mind immediately). Unfortunately, after his rather interesting 70's period, he began moving more and more towards pop and new age structures (remember "Moonlight Shadow"?), and his 80's and 90's works just do not match the level of creativity displayed in his early albums. Many people say that his Tubular Bells 2, Tubular Bells 3 and The Millennium Bell are too weak to sustain any interest, and I'm inclined to agree with this, because I've heard parts of these works. Forget 'em. If you are willing to discover Mike's music, stick to his classics instead.

 


Oldrup, Mikkel (Denmark)

Bracing Days (2021)

Copenhagen-based synthesist with a cosmic, reflective, analog sound. Sometimes rhythmic / sequencer-based.

 


Oleak, Rainer (Germany)

Zeiten (1985) (with Reinhard Lakomy)

East German synthesist and member of several groups who has collaborated with Reinhard Lakomy. Nowadays he mainly composes film music.

 


O'Leary, Mark (Ireland)

Skyshifter (2007) (with Günther Müller)
Fabrikraum (2008)
The Synth Show (2008) (with Kenny Wollesen and Jamie Saft)
4 Urban Landscapes (2010)
Project Apollo (2011) (with Jeff Herr and Søren Kjærgaard)
Astral Fishing (2011)
Norge - Italia (2012) (with Daniele Santini)
Instanbul (2012) (with Erdem Helvacioglu)
Antarctica (2012) (with Jeff Herr and Søren Kjærgaard)
Seascape Murals (2014)
The Keeper of the Northern Lights (2015)
Electronic Rhythms (2015)
Lighthouse (2017)
Nuova Musica Elettronica (2017)
Allegory of the Three Suns (2017)
Driving In Iceland (2018)

Irish jazz guitarist and electronic musician. His electronic (or partly electronic) stuff is listed above. He utilizes a lot of field recordings, guitar drones and sampling. The Synth Show is a jazz / electronic album that has Klaus Schulze on the cover.

 


Olesch, Gunther (Germany)

Sternenmusik (1984)
Kosmorock (??)
Aramus (??)
Contact the Future (1993)

Gunther Olesch's Sternenmusik is a classic of German melodic / cosmic Electronic Music from the 1980's. Rather simplistic but with a nice sound.

See also: Dr. Go

 


Olesen, Claus Thorsager (Denmark)

Landscapes (2014)

 


Olhon (Italy)

Veiovis (2001)
Sinkhole (2006)
Underwater Passage (2008)
Lucifugus (2009) (S)

Echoing and aquatic Dark Ambient sounds based on processed field recordings from Massimo Magrini (Bad Sector) and Zairo (Where).

See also: Bad Sector, Where.

 


Oli Guzul (Germany)

Agents des Lichts (1999)
Blunas Revenge (1999)
Goldland (2002)

Jörg Hüttemann's (jayAge) alter ego.

See also: jayAge

 


Olio Tähtien Takana (Finland)

Morphogenesis (2017)

Sort of a downtempo / cosmic synth / dungeon synth hybrid sound here.

See also: VRTX Motion

 


Olisun (France)

Din Is the World (2009) (S)
Space Through (2012)
Tuberose Ic1920 Ep (2014) (EP)
Sun Electric (2015)
Permafrost (2016)
Geometrische Abstraktionen (2019)
A Wildlife History (2021)
Mensaell (2023)

Aka Olives In the Sun. A project of Olivier Perraguin who on Geometrische Abstraktionen explores the possibilities of granular synthesis in creating intense ambient compositions. A Wildlife History is varied long-form ambient EM. Mensaell is a turn towards more rhythmic / melodic and kraut / motorik-infused electronics.

 


Olivares (Spain)

Seven Dreams From A New World (2021)

Ambient synth music from this artist based in Mallorca. Varied, cosmic, analog...

 


Oliver, Dan (???)

Aromatherapy (2000)

New age both in concept and sound, this CD would not even make it here if it were not for the first two (of three) long tracks, "Seashore" and "In Essence", which both use relaxing pads and a slow, sequenced rhythm, the whole reminding on some stuff released on IC label in the late 1980's and early 1990's. For me it brings to mind some Patrick Kosmos in particular. I doubt it was intentional but the results are rather nice, if a bit repetitive. Still, it's EM-related at best.

 


Oliver, Steven (France)

Les Enfants du Silence (1987) (S)

 


Olivetti, Conny (Sweden)

Probing the Sonic Heritage (2013)
Klangwelt (2015)
Impulsive Thrust (2017)
In Trance As Mission (2018)
Discomfort With Benefits (2018)
Music / Emotions / Harmonic / Frequencies (2019)

Varied, mostly experimental EM, ranging from rhythmic, Moebius-like excursions, to more atmospheric stuff with weird samples etc.

 


Olivgrau (Germany)

Best of Tapeworx 1991-1999 (2021)

A project of Oliver Graubohm, who has been recording stuff in his home studio since 1990, using various hardware synths and samplers. Rhythmic / melodic, from typical early 1990's EM sound to techno rhythms. Best track: "Ambient Shadows".

See also: Ambient Circle

 


Oliwa (Argentina)

Rituals (2012) (S)
Panamerica (2012) (S)
Naturalia (2013)
Futura (2013)
Time Immemorial (2014)
Selva Primaria (2014)
Eras (2015)
Patagon (2016)
Lost Memories (2019)
Drift ion Soma (2021)
Exile (2021)

Organic synth soundscapes from Sebastian Oliwa based in Buenos Aires.

 


Ollies, The (Germany)

First Steps (1992)
Want More? (1998)

A psedonym used by Oliver Ganz in the 90's. These are his early attempts in the EM camp.

See also: Ganz, Oliver, Kein Kaufzwang!

 


Olnick, Joe (USA)

Wink of An Eye (2020)

Ambient artist who uses electric guitar loops and extensive processing. Mastered by Robert Rich.

 


Olofsen, Niko (Netherlands)

Feeling Frequence (1991)

Melodic, energetic.

 


Olographic Landscapes (Italy)

Shui (1999)

A project of Fausto (member of Kryptasthesie). Several styles, including spacey EM.

See also: Kryptasthesie

 


Ololiuqui (international)

Other Side of Odra (2006) (recorded in 2004)

This album is a live performance from Ricochet Gathering in Poland by Volker Koenig, Józef Skrzek, Jens Zygar, Bill Fox and Conrad Gibbons.

See also: Skrzek, Józef

 


Olsanik, Otakar (Czech Republic)

Advanced Process (1986) (with Jan Martis)
Moonspell (1994)
Sufism (1998)
Mystic Prague (??)

Otakar Olsanik was a Czech guitarist and composer. The first is a library record in Klaus Schulze / Tangerine Dream vein. Rare. Later albums are in new agey spacey vein. Otakar Olsanik died in 2008.

 


Olsen, Michael Peter (Canada)

Yearning Flow (2021)
Narrative of A Nervous System (2023)

Born in Vancouver, Michael Olsen is a Toronto-based artist who combines the sound of processed acoustic and electric cello with electronics. The results are ambient but pretty dramatic.

 


Olsen, Ollie (Australia)

Emptiness (1999)

Haunting ambient soundscapes from ex-member of Melbourne-based pioneering synth-punk band Whirlywind.

 


Olshanoe (Russia)

What Do You Hear Coming Home? (2021)
Miracles (2022)

Melancholic blend of dungeon synth, folk and progrock. Nice stuff.

 


Olson, Aaron M (USA)

For Dorothy (2022)

Varied ambient electronics, both relaxing and wacky / playful. Aaron M Oslon is a Los Angeles-based artist.

 


Olsson, Bjorn (Sweden)

Instrumentalmusik (1997)

Cosmic and pastoral landscapes, with guitar, organ, drums etc, somewhat along the lines of Bo Hansson and early Popol Vuh.

 


Olsson, Dan (Sweden)

The Creature From Outer Space (2015)

Imaginary soundtrack to a sci-fi thriller performed mostly on a Yamaha DX7 with processing.

 


Olsson, Kristian (Sweden)

Skogsvakan (2020)

This is a haunting, Dark Ambient soundtrack to John Duncan's children's book "The Woodman And the Elves". Kristian Olsson is a Swedish noise / power electronics / post-industrial artist.

 


Oltretomba (Italy)

Saltatio Imaginum In Meis Tenebris (2000)
Symphónĭa Nordica (2003)
Requiem For the Total Death of the Sun (2010)

Ambient duo of Ross Vanscondio and Donata Guerra. They go either for Deep Ambient sound (parts of Saltatio...) or for something more intense and with a clear influence from Black Ambient. The soprano vocals and medieval touches make it pretty unique.

 


Olur (Russia)

Dark Avenue (2007)

Yuri Morozov under a pseudonym. Part of the tracks are (semi) acoustic, part electronic. Not comparable to other artists.

See also: Morozov, Yuri

 


Olyam (France)

Equus (1992)
Thanx 4 the Noodles (1993)
(All) the Cakes (Were Eaten) (1993) (S)
Everyday's Tales (1994) (with Sandrine Roussos)
Overnight Letters (1995)
Orpheus, the Iniciate (1997)
Human (1998)
Terres Sans Frontieres (1999)
Symphony No. 1 (1999)
Meditations (2001)
Attacama (2001) (with Hernan Saavedra)
Pleiades (2001)
Figurative Translations (2002)
Arsamian Symphony (2002)
Cristal Reveur (2002)
Lemuria (2003)
Full Moon Rise (2004)
Tales And Fairies (2004)
Orange Love (2005)
Natural Beauties (2014)
Horizons Sonores (2018)

Olyam is a nom-de-plume of French synthesist Olivier Brigand who also plays guitar. He is very new age-like, at least on his 2001 album with pan pipe player Hernan Saavedra. Earlier albums may well bring to mind some Tangerine Dream, but I'm not certain of that.

 


Olympisk Løft (Denmark)

Livorno (2015)
For Erik Bering (2015) (S)
Tvillingeseglet (2017)
Syv Satser (2018)
Et Øjeblik Passerer Som En Dråbe På Jordens Bryst (2022)
Vi Efterlader B​ø​gerne, Historierne B​æ​rer Vi Med Os (2023)

Saturated, repetitive Ambient from this duo.

See also: Internazionale

 


Om (???)

Earth Awakening (1989)

This is Electronic Music but I doubt that it is the same act as the 1990's duo of Tetsu Inoue and Dennis Ferrer that released trancey techno.

 


OM (Chile)

Altona (2011)
Viaje Al Interior (2014)

OM is an ambient project of Hector Stuardo (born in Santiago de Chile in 1979) who makes psytrance music as Ovnimoon and is known for several other projects.

 


Omala (Sweden)

Vital Indication (1987)
Germ (1988)
Relics (1990)
Relicon (1991)
Moder Svea (1992) (recorded in 1990) (with White Stains)
Matching Crosses (1997)
Cataclysm (??)

Swedish ambient project (Mattias Tegner and Andreas Karperyd) with elements from industrial music. In a way, they can be considered pioneers of the Dark Ambient genre, although their music is not so dark most of the time.

 


O'Malley, Stephen (USA)

Éternelle Idole (2015)

Stephen O'Malley is a Seattle-based musician and member of many groups, including Sunn O))). Although primarily a guitarist, he also released the above album, which has a strong Prog EM vibe. A few friends lend a hand, mostly on synths, including Steve Moore.

See also: Æthenor

 


Ombient (USA)

Ombient (2000)
Space Patrol (2015) (with Chuck van Zyl)
Sectio Aurea (2015)

Ombient is a project of Berlin School / Ambient musician Mike Hunter. Apart from the above listed works, there are also some download-only releases.

 


Omega Institute (UK)

Continuum (2022)
Theoretical Domains (2023)

This band plays wild, rocky, improvisation-based EM with space rock and krautrock influences. Led by Nigel Bryant on electronics.

 


Omega Men & Women (USA)

Spirit of the Egg (2020)

Varied ambient EM with an electroacoustic bend from this Wisconsin-based trio of Nick Shadow (reeds, flute), Jimmyjack Toth (synth, bass, sampler) and Amelia Courthouse (synth, electric piano, sampler, loops). Sometimes reminds on Miditation by Klaus Schulze and Steve Jolliffe.

 


Omega Syndicate, The (UK)

Analogue Waves (2004)
Escape Velocity (2004)
Leicester Live Debut (2004)
Limited Access (2004)
Sequences, Chords And Leeds (2005)
Phonosphere (2005)
Apocalypse (2006)
Same Synths Different Day (2006)
Horsemen On the Horizon (2006)
Baptism of Wire (2007)
All the Way To Leeds (2007)
Conservative Effort (2007)
Riding the Revelations (2008)
The Eve of the Holocaust (2008)
Limited Access 2 (2008)
Here's Some Music (2009)
The Village Fate (2009)
Learning Curve (2009)

Berlin School music by David Gurr (of C.H.A.O.S. fame - synths, samplers, sequencers & rhythm machines) and Xan Alexander (synths, samplers & sequencers). The Omega Syndicate was formed in 2002. They also had an unreleased track on Sequences magazine CD #28, called "Stormbringer".

See also: C.H.A.O.S., Architexture, Alexander, Xan, Gurr, David, Firebird.

 


Omegachild (Australia)

Postcards (2014)

A project of Daniel Newstead from Brisbane who plays synths and drums at the same time (also singing at times). Upbeat, flashy, accessible, like a mixture of Tangerine Dream circa Mars Polaris or Dream Mixes 3 and current (post 2010) EDM trends. Overall pretty inventive music which is good for traveling.

 


Omei (USA)

Black Eyed Angels (2001)
A Single Sickened Cell (2003)
Black Prayers I & II (2006)
When All Your Ghosts Are Tired (2006)
The Island (2018)

Dark Ambient / Isolationism from Chris Goudreau.

 


Omenya (USA)

The Esoteric Perversions (2001)
The Dark Meditations (2003)
Ancient Rites (2005)
Kali Mantras (2012)

Soft, droning, ethnic-tinged ambience by Mark Davis.

 


Omformer (Norway)

SINE01 (2020)
SINE02 (2020)
SINE04 (2021)
SINE05 (2022)

Norwegian duo with a heavily sequenced EM / trance sound.

 


Omicron (Greece)

Acrocosm (1994)
The Generation And Motion of A Pulse (1995)

This project by Greek musician Savvas Ysatis was influenced by techno from the very beginning. In fact, its inclusion in the encyclopedia of prog EM might seem something of a dubious choice. It is also true that after these two albums Savvas plunged with both feet into the world of techno / club music. However, these two early works will still be of some interest to fans of Ambient. Especially the second one is flowing and chilled.

 


Omit (New Zealand)

Intromit (1989) (recorded in 1987 - 1989)
Alienation (1990)
Internal (1990)
Overcast (1990)
Signals (1990)
A Block of Face (1991)
Inception (1991)
Fluid (1992)
Ionospheres (1992)
Quad (1992)
Transmogrification (1993)
The Invision State (1994)
Rundowns (1995)
Deformed (1996) (with Dust)
Zero (1997)
Open Spaces (??)
Disfunctions (??)
Interior Desolation (1998)
Frequency Drop-Points (2000)
Transfusions (2000)
Storage (2001) (with K-Group)
Rejector (2002)
Tracer (2002)
Recycled Music (2003)
InterCeptor (2005)
Transistor Rhythms (2011)
Proportions of the Skull (2012)
Echo Dot (2014)
EndClosures (2015)
Differential Hemispheres (2016)
Negative Pulse Logic (2017)
Spectrum Intersections (2018)
Suspension (2019)
Contamination Landscapes (2021)
InSec (2024)

The music of Omit (aka Clinton Williams) is influenced by the early works of Klaus Schulze (circa Cyborg).

 


Omni (Italy)

Green Line (1980) (S)

Containing music for TV programme about agriculture, this single with music by Claudio Gizzi (Automat) and helped by Jean-Pierre Posit includes one side of space disco music in the style of Space and another side with an ambient electronic track.

See also: Automat

 


Omni (Poland)

Omni (1985)
Lamia (1986) (S)
Mermaids (2006)
Przybysze z matplanety (2022) (S)

The eponymous work is a rare but reportedly great electronic album out of Poland. There was also a single by this band, released a year later. Omni consists of two synthesists Rafal Blazejewski and Marceli Latoszek.

See also: Latoszek, Marceli

 


Omni Gardens (USA)

West Coast Escapism (2018)
Moss King (2020)
New Directions In Meditation Tonalities (2022) (with Zen Monk Jogen)
Golden Pear (2023)

Nice and warm synth melodies from Steve Rosborough out of Oakland. Extremely relaxing and spaced out.

See also: Soothsayer

 


Omni Vu Deity (UK)

Nuiemiu Rift (2015)
Vuunayatu (2015)
Uvunayatu (2016)

Ishq under another pseudonym. Hypnotic Ambient with sequencing.

See also: Ishq, Elemental Journey, Elve, Experiments In Silence, Crystal Moon, Colourform, Ishvara, Futurology, Dividenthal And Aumgn, Indigo Egg.

 


Omori, Hinako (UK)

Voyage (2019) (S)
Auraelia (2019) (S)
A Journey... (2022)
Stillness, Softness... (2023)

Synthesizer artist born in Yokohama. At the age of 3, she was brought to London. Tranquil electronics with sparse vocalizations on Auraelia. Nice stuff.

 


On A Clear Day (USA)

On A Clear Day (2014) (S)
Photo 51 (2015)
Clothed In Great Power (2016)

Synthesizer duo from New York with an experimental, but rather cinematic style. On A Clear Day are David Grant and Ryan Martin.

See also: Snake Union

 


Onasander (Italy)

Shadows of Forgotten Legends (2020) (with Alphaxone and ProtoU)
Mundus Patet (2020) (with Kloob)
Candida (2021) (with Ajna)
Tempestarii (2022) (with Kloob)
Devotio (2022) (with Ashtoreth)
Eltanin (2023)
Goês (2023) (with Kloob)

Cosmos-inspired Space Music, mostly of darker variety. A project of Maurizio Landini.

 


Önd (USA)

Önd (2001)
For Influence Blooms of the Subtle Wing (2003)

Introspective Dark Ambient from Nicholas Szumowski.

 


Ondelette (USA)

Patient Afternoons (2012)
Yellow Jaguar / Black Jaguar (2014)

Ambient duo with a warm and sometimes darker sound.

 


One Key Magic (UK)

Worldly Noise And Electronic Atmospheres (2021)
One Key Magic (2023)

Droning ambient synth from Michael Mulvihill and Chris Tate.

 


One Million Eyes (Italy)

Brama (2021)
Iris (2023)

A duo of Luciano Ermondi and Paolo Mazzacani, between "balearic" and progressive EM. Previously known as Tempelhof ("electronica").

 


One More Time Ago (USA)

Snacks For the Night Time (2021)

Atmospheric, melodic EM with influences of synthwave and vaporwave. The music brings up images of a cozy evening at home with TV, wife, kids and a dog.

 


One of Each From Norway (Japan)

OEFN (2018)

Varied atmospheric electronic compositions.

 


One of Them (USA)

Sithabo (2020)
Excogitation (2023)

A project of New York-born, Greek-raised artist Nick Dalagelis. Varied, mostly ambient compositions. Sometimes cinematic.

 


One Sound Duo (Italy)

The Way Becoming (2014)

Ambient duo of Claudio Ricciardi and Orlando Lostumbo. They mix acoustic instruments (such as steel pan and acoustic bass) with electronics for a deep, organic, ethno-cultural sound, reminding on some classic Italian ambient masters like Alio Die.

See also: Spheric

 


O'Neill, Kevin (UK)

Icon (1984)
Metamorphosis (1985)
Intimations of Immortality (1986)
Islands (1987)
Omega (1988)
Live! (1989)
Katharsis (1990)
Compendium (1990)
Yggdrasil (1991)
A Hostage To Fortune (1992)
Live!+ (2017) (recorded in 1986 - 1989)
Departures - An Oddments Anthology 1985 - 1996 (2017)
The Secret Tapes (2017) (recorded in 1983 - 1996)

This Welsh synthesist creates mostly cosmic Electronic Music in the classic tradition, like Schulze, Tangerine Dream, etc, but also experiments quite a bit.

 


Oneirogen (USA)

Hypnos (2011)
Veni Nox Anima (2012) (S)
Kiasma (2013)
Plenitude (2015) (S)
Convivium (2016)

Fusions of power electronics with Prog EM are not very common for some reason, but New York-based Mario Diaz de León's Oneirogen is a good example. He mixes rough, aggressive synths, noisy rhythms, shouts and some distorted guitars (for a metal flavor) with some beautifully crafted bubbling sequences and arpeggios and does not shun an ambient track from time to time, either, as the closing track off Convivium attests.

See also: Diaz de León, Mario

 


Oneiromancer (USA)

Radiance (2019)

Long-form darkish ambience with a ritual flair.

See also: Zakarion

 


Oneiros (USA)

Songs For Demon Funerals (1998)
Blood of Black Wolves (2001)
Des Morts (2004)

Dark Ambient meets dark neo-classical from this Texas-based project. The name of the artist is Brendan Brooks and he was heavily inspired by the classic 1970's horror soundtracks (Goblin, etc).

 


Oneohtrix Point Never (USA)

Betrayed In the Octagon (2007)
A Pact Between Strangers (2008)
Transmat Memories (2008)
Hollyr (2008) (S)
Ruined Lives (2008) (S)
Power In That Which Compels You (2008) (S) (with Total System Failure)
KGB Nights / Blue Drive (2009) (with KGB MAN)
Scenes With Curved Objects (2009) (S)
Zones Without People (2009)
Returnal (2010)
Replica (2011)
Drawn And Quartered (2013)
R Plus Seven (2013)
Comissions I (2014) (EP)
Comissions II (2015) (EP)
Garden of Delete (2015)
Sticky Drama (2015) (S)
Drawn And Quartered (2016)
The Fall Into Time (2016)
Good Time (2017) (soundtrack)
Age of (2018)
Love In the Time of Lexapro (2018) (EP)
Magic Oneohtrix Point Never (2020)
Renditions 1 (2021) (S)
Again (2023)

Oneohtrix Point Never is an alias of American synth drone artist Daniel Lopatin. He has also experimented with other genres, such as synth-pop and jazz.

See also: Lopatin, Daniel, Infinity Window, Skyramps, Astronaut.

 


Onepointwo (Greece)

Melt Into the Sun (2017)
Cronos (2017)
Shape Metamorphosis (2018)
No Human (2019)
ΣOCIEND (2020)
θέρος (2020)
Into the Zone (2021) (S)
Synchronization (2021)
MondoProtozoa (2021)
Atlantis (2022)
Frequencies (2022)
Music For Spaces (2022)
Cycles (2023)

Cronos features minimal, repetitive music from Kostas Giazlas, sometimes like a stripped down version of 1988 Klaus Schulze mixed with elements of Ligeti's choirs and lots of samples. Shape Metamorphosis is a rhythmic concoction with more than a passing nod to Dusseldorf sound. No Human goes a more cosmic route, bringing to mind 1970's synth flights circa Timewind.

 


Oneven (Netherlands)

Op-Archive (2020)

Dutch-British electronic artist Andrew Visser. Op-Archive is ambient music made with a Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer.

 


Onewayness (USA)

Onewayness (2002) (S)
Blue Star Is Freezing (2011)
The Sound of Thunder (2012) (with dRachEmUsik)
Droneworks 1 (2012)
Droneworks 2 (2012)
Droneworks 3 (2013)
The Silence Is A Lie: Live Improvisations Vol. 1 (2014) (S) (with dRachEmUsik)
Immeasurable (2014) (with dRachEmUsik)
Astral Bridges (2015) (with Modulator ESP)
Droneworks 4 (2015)
A Handful of Dust: Live Improvisations Vol. 2 (2015) (S) (with dRachEmUsik)
A Picture of the Sky: Live Improvisations Vol. 3 (2016) (S) (with dRachEmUsik)
Mirrors To the Bonfire (2016) (with dRachEmUsik)
Orbital Transits (2017) (with Modulator ESP)
Onewayness Was Here (2017)
Random Oracle (2018)
Bansang (2019)
Patchworks I (2019)
Vigil: Live On Star's End (2019)
Live on WPRB (2019) (with Modular Moose)
Isolation Transmissions 1 (2020)
Isolation Transmissions 2 (2020)
And We Shall Drink the New Wine (2021) (S) (with Drekka)
Beginners Course / Second Edition (2022)

Varied atmospheric electronic project of Adam Holquist from Erie, Pennsylvania.

See also: Embral

 


Onfang (USA)

Audible Mending (2022) (S)
Sugar Jar (2023) (recorded in 2022) (S)
Where the River Meets the Sea (2023) (recorded in 2022) (S) (with Stewart Keller)
Late Winter Blooms (2023) (S)
Days Pass Like Hours (2023)

Warm, nostalgic "comfy synth" themes.

 


Ong, Shueh-li (Singapore)

Xenovibes (2003)
Xenovibes II: Music From Another Land (2007)
Xenovibes II: Xing Paths (2009)
A Working Title (2013)

Singaporean thereminist, synthesist and singer born in Australia and currently residing in the USA. She makes some kind of weird electronic pop. There is some instrumental material on her album Xenovibes, including a neat synth / theremin version of "Ave Maria". On the other hand, the second volume from 2007 features more ethnic-spiced EM material ("Lover's Tears") and something more complex, fusion-y and rocky ("NeuGenteels/Nuevo" sounds like Tangerine Dream with theremin leads!). A unique (EM-related) artist for sure and inexplicably overlooked.

 


Onirot (Italy)

Augusta Taurinorum (2001)
Deus Ex Machina (2006)

Isolationist Dark Ambient. Reminds on Megaptera / Lustmord material.

 


Online (Germany)

Online (1988)

Improvisational trio with Marco Dobra. The style is not known at the moment.

See also: Dobra, Marco, Overflow, Edition Holos, Minimax Maximalminimum.

 


Only Swallow (UK)

Stay Lost (2015)
Mood Obsidian (2017)

Varied Ambient with a slight electroacoustic vibe.

 


Ono, Tokio (Japan)

Individuals (2022)

Yokohama-based electronic artist. Warm ambient atmospheres, often with tribal rhythms.

 


Ono, Matsuo (Japan)

Play On Animals (1970) (S)
Space And Maryjuane Trip Is Same (1972)
Roots of Electronic Sound (1975)
Yuragi #2 (2004) (S) (recorded in 1991)
Memory In the Beginning (2005)
I Saw the Outer Limits / War In Space (2005) (recorded in 1977 - 1978)
Yuragi #10 (2011)
Whisper of A Chonoki-Botoke (2020)

Aka Matsuo Ohno. Japanese electronic pioneer who worked with Takehisa Kosugi, among others. He will mostly be enjoyed by fans of academic electronics, musique concrete and Experimental EM. There's a lot of confusion regarding  his Space And Maryjuane Trip Is Same LP. Some sources indicate original date of release as 1972. However, it seems that the very same music was re-released in 1978 as I Saw the Outer Limits and for this issue the date of recording also seems to be 1978! So, whether the actual music was actually recorded in the early 1970's and if the original 1972 pressing actually exists remains a mystery to me at the moment.

 


Onodera, Yui (Japan)

Entropy (2005)
Punkt (2006)
Porosity (2007)
Rhizome (2007)
Substrate (2007)
Suisei (2007)
Le Jardin (2007) (S)
Synergetics (2007) (S)
Radiance (2009) (with The Beautiful Schizophonic)
Generic City (2010) (with Celer)
Night Blossom (2011) (with The Beautiful Schizophonic)
Semi Lattice (2015)
Sinkai (2015)
Cloudscapes (2015) (with Vadim Bondarenko)
Quiver (2018) (with Stephen Vitiello)
Too Ne (2022)
Mizuniwa (2023)
Thousand Bells (2023) (with Takashi Kokubo)

Droning Ambient from this Japanese artist, based on electronics, guitars, a few acoustic instruments and lots of field recordings.

 


Onogawa, Hiroyuki (Japan)

August In the Water (1995) (sountrack) (with Kenjiro Matsuo and Tenzan Utagaki)
ユメノ銀河 (1997) (soundtrack)
Gojoe (2000) (soundtrack)
August In the Water - Music For Film 1995 - 2005 (2023)

Japanese composer and film director, responsible for several electronic soundtracks, mainly to films by Gakuryū Ishii. These are diverse sonically and mood-wise, but mostly atmospheric and mysterious.

 


Onomi (Sweden)

Irja (2019)
Bios (2022)

A project of Gustaf Lundh. Rich, cinematic synthesizer compositions, sometimes grating and with a weird chiptune feel.

 


Onori, Mattia (Italy)

Tra vento e oscurità (2024)

Music between electroacoustic composition and ambient electronics.

 


Onroda (Germany)

Schlauch (2021)

Varied, mostly pretty experimental EM.

 


Onsen (USA)

Kanaya Base (2015)

Onsen was inititally a solo project of Los Angeles-based Drew Straus, who recorded Kanaya Base alone, using synths and his voice. Most of the material is instrumental, melodic, jazzy and sounds like indie pop instrumentals, but with a Prog EM touch. Interesting stuff. A year later, he went on to release Earthquake Weather, a collaborative album made in the duo format, more in purely indie rock / pop style.

 


Onsturicheit (Belgium)

Waan (2016)
Angstzweet (2017)
Impressies (2018)
Splinter (2018)
In de Nevelen (2018)
Live At the PostX (2020)
Svartur (2020) (with Ashtoreth)
Dreuhnigkeit - Rheutels (2022) (with Dreun)
Fungal Connectivity (2023) (with Ashtoreth)

Experimental electronic project of Ghent-based Peter Moorkens. Ranges from loops and collages to nice Prog synthiness.

 


Ontario Blue (UK)

Mainline (1995)
Shine (1996)
Waiting For Rain (1999)

Ontario Blue is a solo project of Stephen Pennick from Endura. I haven't heard it, but it is said to be a bit less dark, but no less desparate and menacing. In other words, excellent stuff.

See also: Endura

 


Onukeio (France)

Onukeio (2002)

Ambient.

See also: No Empty Room

 


Onyx (USA)

Onyx I (2013)
Onyx II (2013)
Caverns (2013)
Diam Part I (2013) (S)
Diam Part II (2013) (S)
Chronicles I (2013) (S)
Chronicles II (2013)
Onyx III (2014)
Warcraft (2014) (S)

Onyx is the same type of repetitive, classically-infused, melancholy "dungeon ambient" (Medieval Ambient), practiced by people like Mortiis, Burzum, Noldor, Uruk-Hai, et al. It is a project from Maryland by someone who calls himself Ceyatatar.

 


Ooh La La! (Australia)

Postcard From Heaven (2022)

Melbourne-based project inspired by Cluster, vintage library music and Paul McCartney's second album.

 


OOHS! (Bulgaria)

Tropic of Cancel (2017) (S)
Plutonic Love Songs (2019)

Relaxing tropical / exotica songs and instrumental synth compositions. Listen to "Luminescent Deep" for a nice EM flair.

 


Oolluu (Australia)

Oolluu (2015)

Cosmic, flashy, melodic mixture of progressive rock and EM. Pretty nice stuff here and purely instrumental (bar some vocoder vocals).

 


Ooopopoiooo (Italy)

Ooopopoiooo (2014)
Elettromagnetismo e Libertà (2019)

Dual theremin works from the duo of Vicenzo Vasi and Valeria Sturba.

See also: Vasi, Vicenzo

 


Oophoi (Italy)

Three Lights At the End of the World (1996)
The Spirals of Time (1997)
Wouivre (1998) (with Klaus Wiese)
Night Currents (1998)
Behind the Wall of Sleep (1998)
Upuaut (1999) (with Mathias Grassow and Amir Baghiri)
Mare Vaporum (2000)
Mare Imbrium (2000)
Mare Tranquillitatis (2000)
Celestial Geometries (2000) (with Tau Ceti)
Time Fragments Vol.1 (2001) (recorded in 1995 - 1997)
Time Fragments Vol.2 (2001) (recorded in 1998 - 1999)
Time Fragments Vol.3 (2001) (recorded in 1999 - 2000)
The Archives Vol.1 (2001)
The Archives Vol.2 (2001)
The Archives Vol.3 (2001)
Athlit (2001)
Bardo (2002)
The Dreaming of Shells (2003)
Subterranea (2003) (with Tau Ceti)
The Rustling of Leaves (2003)
Dreams (2004)
Archaic Oceans (2004) (with Tau Ceti)
Time Fragments Vol.4 (2005)
Time Fragments Vol.5 (2005)
Time Fragments Vol.6 (2005)
I Hear the Water Dreaming (2005)
Signals From the Great Beyond (2005)
Hymns To A Silent Sky (2005)
The Sacred Orbit (2005) (with L.E.M.)
Postcards From the Void (2005) (S) (with Netherworld)
The Sun Is Falling In A Sea of Blood (2005) (S)
Vertigo (2005) (S)
Khumba Mela (2005) (S)
As We Sleep Away To Dream (2005) (S) (with Klaus Wiese) (recorded in 1998)
Leteph (2005) (S) (with L.E.M.)
Le Torri Del Silenzio (2005) (S) (with Tau Ceti)
Where the Green Ants Dream (2005) (S) (with Perceptual Defence)
Awakening the Nagas (2005) (S) (recorded in 2002)
The Light Sweeps All the Mist Away (2005) (S) (with Klaus Wiese)
A Call, An Echo (2005) (S) (with Klaus Wiese)
Lifting the Veil (2005) (S) (with Tau Ceti)
Aludra (2006) (S) (with L.E.M.)
Trifida (2006) (S) (with L.E.M.)
Algol (2006) (S) (with Tau Ceti)
Australis (2006) (S) (with Tau Ceti)
Borealis (2006) (S) (with Tau Ceti)
Deva Mela (2006) (S) (with Klaus Wiese)
Amnios (2006)
Aquos (2006)
Cherua (2006) (with Klaus Wiese)
Complete Drones (2006)
Complete Recordings (2006)
The Gates of Aldebaran (2006) (S) (with L.E.M.)
Nocturnes (2006) (with Paradin)
Distance To Zero (2006) (with Paul Vnuk Jr.)
Spiralis (2006) (S) (with L.E.M.)
Substrata (2006) (S) (with L.E.M.)
Dreams Part 2 (2007)
Dreams Part 3 (2007)
Forgotten Rituals (2007) (with Faryus)
Arpe di Sabbia (2007)
Outland (2007) (with Thomas Weiss)
Whispers From the Noisy Void (2007)
An Aerial View (2008)
Potala (2008) (S)
Il Silenzio di Dio (2011)
The Martian Chronicles (2011) (with Seren Ffordd)
Dreamfields
(2011) (with Paul Vnuk Jr.)
The Physics of Heaven (2013) (with Ran Kirlian)
I Hear the Wind Singing (2013)
I Hear the Woods Whispering (2013)
Allegorical Fragment Part I (2019) (recorded in ??) (with Alio Die)
The Dreaming Waters (2022)
(with Seren Ffordd)

Droning Dark Ambient music, with several works featuring some rhythms. Oophoi was the moniker Gianluigi Gasparetti, born in 1958 in Rome, Lazio, died in April, 2013. He started in 1995 with very basic equipment to build his droning soundscapes that were as much inspired by the early 1970's German EM, as they were by the ambient scene. He had quite a following among collectors of drone-based Ambient.

See also: Nebula, Liquid Ghosts, Aqua Dorsa.

 


Oort (???)

Oort (2006)

Privately produced CD. Melodic Electronic Music with an analogue feel, similar to Jarre.

 


Oosel, Sol (Mexico)

En allégeance à l’inconnaissable – Une étude en chorégraphique pour le flux d’énergie (2019)

Mexican sound / visual artist who explores modular and analog synthesis on his album En allégeance.... Ambient, mysterious, cosmic, noisy, experimental...

 


Oosh (Israel)

Her (1999)

Downtempo-related work, with lots of samples, some hard-hitting techno rhythms and some Progressive EM touches.

See also: Adar, Ishai

 


Oosterom, Hanyo van (Netherlands)

New Ambiance 2000 (1995)
Insight (1996)
Perspicate (1997)
Beyond the Surface (1997)

Ambient ala Brian Eno. Hanyo van Oosterom has been a producer of ambient forms of EM since the 1980's.

See also: Chi

 


Oosterveld, Ernst (Netherlands)

Square Dance (1983)

Self-defined as a "composer-hybrid musician" Ernst Oosterveld released Square Dance in 1983 as a soundtrack to a theater performance. The music was made with PPG Wave 2, ARP 2600 synthesizers and a Yamaha piano. It will be enjoyed by fans of both minimal synth and EM. The style is quirky and at times experimental but always listenable.

 


OP Rechts (Switzerland)

Alles, nur keine Vernunft! (2021)

OP Rechts was formed in the late 1980's as a power electronics and field recordings-centered project of Mike Reber. Alles, nur keine Vernunft! is a reflection of his pessimistic thoughts about modern politics and society. It consists mostly of sound collages and is sort of a concept work. There is also a nice use of his old trusty Korg MS-20, including on the closer "Luzid - Wah-Di-Wah-Puss-Puss", where a running sequence and sad lead lines really take the things in the progressive direction. Interesting and in a way fascinating stuff.

 


OpA MoteK (???)

Memories of A Time Long Gone (2021)
Winter Recollections (2021)

Nostalgic "comfy synth" project.

 


Opal X (UK)

My Future Is In Your Hands (2020)
Twister (2021)
Environments (2023)

The 2023 release features freezing polar drones and "Arctic Ambient" / Noise Ambient compositions. Opal X is Astrud Steehouder.

See also: Paper Dollhouse

 


Opaline (USA)

Terraqueous (2012)
Reflections (2013)
Refractions (2013)
Flight Patterns (2013)
No Worlds (2013)
Night Sounds Vol. 1 (2014)
Quixotic (2014)
Shade Virtual (2014)
Projector Mapping (2014)
Memory Drain (2015)
Spatial Awareness (2015)
Sea Glass (2015)
Open Source (2015)
Thought Texture (2019)

Varied ambient soundscapes from this New Orleans-based project. Dominated by analog synthesizers.

 


Open Canvas (USA)

Nomadic Impressions (1995)
Indumani (2000)
Travel By Sound (2009)
Relics of the Sun - Dune Tunes 1997 - 1999 (2014)

Open Canvas is basically Alpha Wave Movement, but with oriental motives and influences. I haven't heard it, but some of their stuff is supposed to be quite good.

See also: Alpha Wave Movement, Thought Guild, Within Reason, Biome, Subtle Shift.

 


Open Hand (USA)

In the Clouds (2022) (S)

Californian rock band formed in 1997. In the Clouds is an unexpected foray into instrumental ambient electronic territory. Mostly beatless material here, with a few relaxed rhythms.

 


Open Spaces (USA??)

Opening Space (2020)

Relaxing ambient synth compositions, sometimes with a new-agey touch. Music by Christopher Andrew Hancock.

 


Opéra Mort (France)

Des machines dans les yeux (2011)
Dédales (2014)
Film Works (2017)
Spectacle (2021) (S)
Le présent (2024)

Noise-related project that became more like Experimental EM with the passage of time.

 


Opera's Space (Germany)

Aus-Flug (2016)
Artefakt (2018)

Pete Farn (Peter Schaefer) under a pseudonym. Experimental EM (self-described and "Neo Psychedelic Avant-Garde Space Rock") with elements of downtempo and some e-guitar.

See also: Schaefer, Peter, Farn, Pete.

 


Opheles, Steph (France)

Screen News (??)

Rare electronic album released somewhere in the early 1980's.

 


Ophion (UK)

Pallor Absentis (2011)
Sacrosanct (2013)
Isolation And Liberty (2013)

Ambient duo from the UK.

 


Opifea (Germany)

Opifea (2014)

Relaxed, downtempo-infused music from Sebastian Reuschel. The material is very much influenced by (or at least sounds like) Pete Namlook and, in particular, some of the moments from the first several Dark Side of the Moog volumes of the Namlook / Schulze collaboration. Pretty minimal, but sequence-full sound. No solos, though, which approximates it with the techno scene, as opposed to Prog EM. A "fringe" inclusion. Opifea was released on cassette in 2014 and then re-released on LP three years later.

 


Opinion (Canada)

YT (2020)

Long, droning ambient tracks.

 


Opitope (Japan)

Hau (2007)
Sunroom (2010) (with Asuna)
A Colony of Kuala Mute Geeks (2013)
Physis (2014)
The Crepuscular Grove (2016) (with Asuna)

Ambient duo of Chinei Hatakeyama and Tomoyoshi Date.

See also: Hatakeyama, Chinei

 


Opium (Italy)

The Reborn of the Rebel Angel (2000)
Floatdownstream (2003)
Sympathetic Flying Objects (2005)
Thepresentday (2007) (with Jason Corder)
Algorithms (2007)
Watercolors (2007)
Autumno (2007) (with Jason Corder)
Etere (2008) (S)
Pain(t) (2009)
Stain (2011) (with Sostrah Tinnitus)
A (2011) (S)
Chaos Theory Laboratories (2011)

Probably excellent Dark Ambient music. Opium is Matteo Zini.

See also: Sola Translatio, Nosesoul.

 


Oplen (Sweden)

O-P-L-E-N (2021)

Varied, harsh, neurotic electronics. The disc (O-P-L-E-N) closes with a 15-minute ambient synth piece "0d13n". Oplen is Henrik Sunbring, member of "post-kraut" duo Domus.

See also: Domus

 


Oppenheim, Aaron (USA)

Cumberland County (2019)
Labor / Leisure (2021)

Varied ambient synth works with a touch of roughness / experimentation.

 


Opt Out (UK)

Corridors (2017)
Selected Easy Listening (2018)
Three Glimpses Into An Opal (2019)
The Tambura (2024) (S)

A bit lo-fi ambient compositions. From droning to soft sequencing / apreggios. Opt Out is James Wilson.

 


Optic Eye (UK)

Trance (1992)

One of the pioneering psytrance acts, UK's Optic Eye, composed of Brian Trower and Jake Stephenson, released their debut album on CD and LP in 1992. Curiously, while some of the music here is definitely trancey, part of the tracks sound more like late 1980's - early 1990's EM. Interesting tracks (from Prog EM standpoint) include "Crystal Moon", "Eye of India" (sounds like World Music) and "Flight". There may be some others as well. Overall, this embryonic album does not have the classic "techno / trance" sound to it (lots of digital sounds, general MIDI sounds...). Their follow-up from 1994 was already in pure psytrance vein.

See also: Colourform, Crystal Moon.

 


Optic Nest (Sweden)

Wheat (2007) (S)
...Och Djuren Dansade Vid Elden (2008) (with Senza Testa, Weasel Walter and Fred Longberg-Holm)
Tigers Run Wildly Blindly (2008) (S)
Plays the Buchla 200 (2008)
EAT (2009) (S)
Looojv (2009)
Entertainment (2010)
Korriderna (2010)
Ride On Silver (2013)

Solo electronic project of Daniel Fagerström. He sometimes uses vocals, but it's hard to tell on which albums. At least Entertainment and Ride On Silver do contain some of that. The music itself, however, is pure analog electronics. Some of the releases are supposed to be vocals-free, like Plays the Buchla, for example. Further investigation is needed.

See also: Fageström, Daniel

 


Optical Image (Netherlands)

Art of An Era (1992)
Treasure Point (1993)
Interference (1994)
Point of No Return (1995)
Back To Basics (1996)
Another Treasure Point (1997)
Moonchild (1998)

A project of Tom Habes in New Berlin School vein.

See also: Habes, Tom

 


Optical Music (Greece)

Τόμος 1 (1987)
Τόμος 2 (1994)
The First Words - Recordings 1984 - 1987 (2017)

Aka Οπτική Μουσική. Greek avant-garde ensemble put together by Costis Drygianakis. Ranges from electroacoustic music to ethnic / World Music hybrids and Ambient ala Eno or Jeff Greinke. Beware the vocals / vocalizations.

See also: Drygianakis, Costis

 


Optical Substance (Norway)

Adaptation (2010)

Relaxed mixture of rhythmic jazz and electronics from Kjetil Husebø and friends.

See also: Husebø, Kjetil, Skyggespill.

 


Opuntia (Mexico)

Mercurio (2024)

Solo project of Camila de Laborde from Mexico City, one half of Camila Fuchs duo. Mercurio is evenly split between experimenal indie / art pop and instrumental Progressive Electronic material in a unique, quirky style.

 


Opus Octopus (Denmark)

Music For Exhibitionists (1982)

A project of Gunner Møller Pedersen. The style is not known at the moment.

See also: Pedersen, Gunner Møller

 


Opus Pistorum (Portugal)

Herbáceas (2021)

Nice, nature-inspired electronic compositions. Relaxing, melodic, pastoral, cosmic. Sometimes with a sort of a kraut vibe (sort of like Popol Vuh).

 


Oqbqbo (Russia)

Oqbqbo (2016)
Oqbqbo (2019)
Tired Sun (2020) (S)

Nice short electronic tracks in varied style, from the flowing, to playful, arpeggio / sequencer goodness (tracks 5 & 6, for example). Oqbqbo is a project of Kaliningrad based model and musician Naty.

 


Ora (UK)

DAAC (1991)
Amalgalm (1991)
A Fallen Leaf (1991)
Turais (1993)
Trawler (1993)
Approach To Zero (1993)
Arkose (1993)
Sadalsuud (1994)
Rosea (1994)
Radio Daze (1994)
Parting (1994)
Orange Tales (1994)
Isle (1994)
The Door of Possibilities (1994) (with Alio Die)
The Toper (1994)
New Movements In G (1996)
Hollym (1996)
Live (1998)
Ora And Lol Coxhill Live (1998) (with Lol Coxhill)
Amalgam (1999) (with M. Northam)
Distances (1999)
New Movements In G (1999)
Aureum (2000)
Final (2001)
After Rainfall (2003)
Morgendämmerung (2004) (S) (recorded in 1997)
Time Out of Mind (2017)
Lol Coxhill & Ora (2023) (with Lol Coxhill)

A duo of Andrew Chalk and Darren Tate with the participation of Jonathan Coleclough, Colin Potter and sometimes Lol Coxhill. Atmospheric.

See also: Potter, Colin, Tate, Darren, Coleclough, Jonathan, Chalk, Andrew, Dada Lives.

 


Oracle Column (Italy)

Lily ≈≈≈ (2022)

Abstract, freeform electronics from this Italian duo.

 


Oracle.Sing (Germany)

Sing.Oracle (2013) (recorded in 2008 - 2013)

A project of Wilfried Hanrath. Varied EM, sometimes influenced by the Berlin School, sometimes abstract and / or jazzy.

 


Oracle, The (USA)

Hypogeum (2020)
Damnatio Memoriae (2022)

A project of Massachusetts-based Zach Weeks. Intense EM with touches of metal. Fat analog sounds, some pounding drums and lots of drones. Nice and different.

 


OrageOrange (UK)

Last Year's Bloom (2022)
An Isle Full of Noises (2023)

A project of ambient artist Theo Monnington.

 


Orand, Olivier (France)

Human (2018)
H+ (2022)

Modern rhythms, samples and good melodic synth content. An artist with a nice hybrid sound.

 


Orange Lem (Italy)

7 (2018)

Electropop / New Wave / Krautrock band from Pesaro, Italy. 7 features varied tracks, from Kraftwerk-like "Impolitik" to fast sequencer fest "Clà" to more synth-pop / synthwave-like material ("Telescope", "Splashdown"). Two tracks from the above album were also released as a 7-inch vinyl single.

 


Orange Reverie (UK)

Kataran (1988)

As you can guess from their name, this collective from Belfast plays music heavily influenced by Tangerine Dream. Orange Reverie consists of Howard Ingram, Paul McLlwaine, David Ewing and Graham Rodwin.

 


Oránj Climax (USA)

Industry (1988)
E-Noise (1988)
E-Noise Too (1998)
Lava (1998)
Sahara (1998)
Spiral (1999)
Spon Com Incident (1999)
Fall Out Sheltering's Muse (2001)

Original improvised Berlin School works from this electronic trio out of New York. The members are Charles DeLozier, John Ortega and John Pichardo.

 


Orb (USA)

Such Power Exists? (??)

A group put together by Mark Dwane in the 70's. It was inspired by German Electronic Music and they tried to blend these influences with rock elements. They did some live shows before calling it a day in 1981. I believe the second album also exists but I'm not sure about the fact. Nor do I know its title.

See also: Dwane, Mark

 


Orb, The (UK)

Metallic Spheres (2010) (with David Gilmour)
Metallic Spheres In Colour (2023) (with David Gilmour)

Ambient techno outfit formed in 1988 by Alex Patterson and Jimmy Cauty, later going through several lineup changes, with Patterson remaining the only permanent member. Metallic Spheres is a long-form electronic composition influenced by the Progrock greats. It has none of the weird samples and the techno / house influence is very subtle (mostly in the steady rhythm). The participation of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour adds a special touch.

See also: Sedibus, Chocolate Hills, Space.

 


Orb Weaver, The (Germany)

The Orb Weaver (2021)
The Fading Queen (2022)

Dungeon synth-like music. Mostly drones, though.

See also: Fjældmark, Willow Tea.

 


Orbe (Spain)

Interplant (2017)
The Horde In the Outskirts (2019)

Techno artist from the south of Spain who on Interplant mixes minimal and spaced-out techno with some ambient / EM-influenced material ("Multi-Filament Light", "Close People Dreams", "The Old Ideology" and a few other moments throughout the album).

 


Orbi (France)

Ventron (2022)

French ambient duo with a darkish sound.

 


Orbifold C (Russia)

Apeiron (2020)

Shimmering Space Music, floating cosmic synths and celestial melodies from this artist who first appeared in 2008 on Russian KLEM forum with several synth sketches that were supposed to sound like Jarre and Schulze. After receiving positive reviews, his compositions were perfected and elaborated and the end result is pretty nice, sounding more like Vangelis and Edward Artemiev than Jarre or Schulze (with a few exceptions based more on the sequencing). A nice find for lovers of melodic EM and spacey synth music. A Groove Unlimited release.

 


Orbit Over Luna (Canada)

Transit (2013)

Ambient artist Shannon Penner. Warm drones.

 


Orbit Service (USA)

A Calm Note From the West (2011)
Stereo Magic (2016)
What Do You Fear the Most? (2016)
The Door To the Sky (2019)
Don't Get Lost (2021)
Dreamless (2021)
Radio Hypnosis v.1 (2023)

Shoegaze / indie rock / neo-psychedelia project of Colorado-based Randall Frazier who's been using increasing amounts of electronics starting from his debut in 2001. He also uses synths in a very pleasant, EM-compatible manner and there are also completely instrumental synth pieces (like the excellent "Focus" from The Door To the Sky). File under EM-related.

 


Órbita Sideral (Spain)

Sueño Intergaláctico (2016)

Spanish duo (Pedro López and José Gálvez) very much influenced by Kraftwerk, sometimes down to actually copying their sound circa Computerwelt.

 


Orbital (UK)

The Pentaverate (2023) (recorded in 2022) (soundtrack)

Legendary techno band formed in the late 1980's by two brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll. Their music never really captured me, just as the bulk of techno music, which I am definitely not a fan of. However, on The Pentaverate soundtrack, they flee from techno clichés and actually step into Prog EM territory, with lush, synth-based sound on most cuts, often venturing into Synergy and Vangelis territories even. Most tracks are very short cues, though, and it's all kind of uneven. Soundtracks, you know...

 


Orbital Decay (USA)

Orbital Decay (1998)
Re-Entry (1999)
Splashdown (2000) (recorded in 1979 - ??)
Drastic Park (2001)
Live On WXPN (2002)
Solar Maxima (2006)

Probably great Space Music band that has been around since the 70's, right from the beginning inspired by Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream. In 1998 Scott Watkins (one of the original members) was replaced with Tim Richardson and Terry Furber.

 


Orbital Patterns (USA)

These Haunted Objects (2020)
Behold, the Wraith (2022)
Impostor Syndrome (2023)

Aka Orbitalpatterns. Orbital Patterns is Abdul Allum (aka Abdul Rahim). He is a modular synth artist who focuses on looping modules and pedal processing & effects. This approach differentiates him from most ambient artists relying on modular synthesizers. Impostor Syndrome is a pretty varied work, bringing together processed acoustic sounds and strange electronic concoctions for a reflective, often hazy and otherworldly feel.

 


Orbitronik (USA)

Orbitronik (1998)
My Computer My Stereo (1999)

Orbitronik is a duo of Brian Ladd and Scott Gibbons with more than a passing nod to Kraftwerk in their sound. Robotic voices, vintage synths and driving rhythms galore.

See also: Lilith

 


Orca, Attack! (USA)

C.M.S.O. (Learning By Listening Vol. 1) (2021) (S)
You Won't Remember This (2022) (S)

New Orleans, Louisiana-based duo. C.M.S.O. is a strange work full of abstract synth melodies and vocoded / processed voices.

 


Orca Life (USA)

Shapeshifter (2011) (S)
Modern Living (2013) (S)
Among Waves (2014)
Synthetics (2015)
Strange Language (2019)

Moody, a bit lo-fi ambient compositions from Chris Roberts.

 


Orcchasm (USA)

Orcchasm (2022)

Eugene-based "dungeon synth" project with complex structure of tracks, varied textures and an ambient / Prog EM touch.

 


Orchard, Steve (UK)

Riverboat (2011)
Counting Stars (2011)
Undersail (2012)
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (2013)
Tidal (2014)
Pilgrimage (2014)
Retreat (2015)
Still the River Flows (2015)
Peripheral Vision (2016)
Zanzibar (2016)
Theory of Communion (2017)
With Winter Closing In (2017)
Skyway (2018)
Astral Travellers (2020)
Two Decades From Home (2020)
Listening For A Heartbeat (2021)
Enchanted Autumn (2021)
For Sunny Days (2022)
Macabre (2022)
Sharing Dreams (2023)

Melodic music from this multi-instrumentalist, between Oldfield and Vangelis, with a touch of new instrumental. Not very electronic most of the time.

 


Orchard Thief (USA)

The Gentle World (2020)

An Eno-like guitar / synth exploration from this indie pop musician (real name - Samuel Molstad).

See also: Material

 


Orchardist, The (USA)

Mercury Vineyard Surgeries (2018)

Unique abstract electronics and plant / water-related field recordings.

See also: Corum, Timelash, Blazing Worlds.

 


Orchestra Sideral Impact (France)

Orchestra Sideral Impact (1980)

Electronic Music made by a trio of Pascal de Falco, Olivier Lliboutry and Mitia Lanzmann.

 


Orchestra Solitaire (USA)

Different Skies (2014)

New Mexico-based project that combines ambient electronics with some relaxing jazzy guitar playing. I guess if you mix Brian Eno with Terje Rypdal, you might get a similar sound.

 


Orchestra Terrestrial (UK)

Here And Elsewhere (2001)

A project of the late Richard H. Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire fame, in which he experiments with beatless electronics and melodic / sequencer EM.

 


orchestramaxfieldparrish (USA)

Instant Light (2016) (recorded in 2009 - 2013)
Four Thousand Trees (2021) (S)

Dark, experimental soundscapes from Mike Fazio.

See also: ÆRA

 


Orchid (Russia)

Coldness And Hunger (2008)
Das Syndrom der Einsamkeit (2009)
Echo / North Not Found (2009)
Vest' Minuvshego (2010)

Melancholic Ambient from this obscure formation.

 


Orcus (UK)

Altar of Necropolis (2020)
Rite of the Sickened Hand (2021)
Heroes of the Last Glare (2023)

Dungeon synth project with some nice analog / cosmic synth sounds on Heroes of the Last Glare. Definitely a work that will interest fans of EM.

 


Orczy, Chris (New Zealand)

Serpent Beach Dream Promise (1992)
Edge of the Park (1993)
Lost (1998)
Enochia #2: The Watchtower of the East (1999)
Transition (2006)
Zimiamvian Night 2 (2007)

Christchurch-based musician.

See also: Prentice, Chris

 


Ordeal (Italy)

Ma|an (2002)

Dark and somber soundscapes at times augmented by minimal rhythms from Gabriele Santamaria. There is another album by this project, titled "Traumende" with a much more dynamic music and vocals on most cuts.

 


Order 1968 (Italy)

Misantropia (1988)
Verso La Fine (1989)
Guerrieri del Nord (1991)
Tears In the Snow (1991)
Misoginia e Decadenza (1991)
Hombre dal Passato (1991)
The Snow (1991)
Il Giardino delle Rune (1992)
Unreleased (1992)

Early project of Claudio Dondo (Runes Order). Some of these albums were released as "Rune 1968".

See also: Runes Order, Atom Infant Incubator, Die Sonne Satan, Tunguska.

 


Order of Flesh And Blood, The (USA)

Slightly Mutated (1987)

A duo of Arnold Mathes and Guy Taieb.

See also: Mathes, Arnold

 


Order of the Black Dawn (???)

I (2016)

Ritual / Black Ambient.

 


Ordnance Survey (Ireland)

Relative Phase (2019)
Ampere (2020)
Field Work (2021)
Nomos: O Riada Reimagined (2022)
Turas (2023)

A pseudonym of Neil O'Connor from Dublin, whose main output to date (as of early 2020) has been under the Somadrone moniker. The music released as Somadrone also contains electronics, perhaps just short of being considered as a possible EEM inclusion due to its focus on O'Connor's vocals and (not always) song structures. This one here is rather loose and completely instrumental, though, marrying synthesizers with classical instrumentation for a moody, ambient sound.

See also: O'Connor, Neil

 


Ordo Vermis (???)

Sanguis Drakonis (2015)

Dark / Black Ambient with a bit of a fantasy atmosphere.

 


Oremord (USA)

Fulchland (2019)

Long dungeon synth-like tracks with an extra neo-classical / folk touch.

 


Øresund Space Collective (international)

Oresund Space Collective (2005)
Picks From Space Vol. 1 (2006)
Picks From Space Vol. 2 (2006) (recorded in 2004)
Picks From Space Vol. 3 (2006) (recorded in 2004)
Picks From Space Vol. 4 (2006) (recorded in 2005)
Picks From Space Vol. 5 (2006) (recorded in 2005)
Picks From Space Vol. 6 (2006) (recorded in 2005)
Picks From Space Vol. 7 (2006) (recorded in 2005)
Picks From Space Vol. 8 (2006) (recorded in 2005)
Picks From Space Vol. 9 (2006) (recorded in 2005)
Picks From Space Vol. 10 (2006)
It's All About Delay (2006)
The Black Tomato (2007)
Picks In Space Vol. 11 (2007)
Picks In Space Vol. 12 (2007)
Dead Man In Space (2010)
Slip Into the Vortex (2010)
Live At Roadburn 2010 (2011)
Sleeping With the Sunworm (2011)
West Space And Love (2012)
Give Your Brain A Rest From the Matrix (2012)
Phase Your Ears (2012)
Organic Earthly Flotation (2013)
Live At Kildemose Festival 2008 - 2010 (2013)
Hamburg Concerts 2013 (2013)
Damo Suzuki Møder Oresund Space Collective (2014) (with Damo Suzuki)
Music For Pogonologists (2014)
Different Creatures (2015)
Out Into Space (2015)
West Space And Love Vol. II (2016)
Ode To A Black Hole (2016)
Visions of... (2016)
Hallucinations Inside the Oracle (2017)
Chatoyant Breath (2018)
Live In Berlin 2018 (2018)
Kybalion (2018)
Freak Out In the Fjord (2019) (with Black Moon Circle)

Members (and ex-members) of several groups from Sweden, Denmark  and elsewhere doing a mixture of cosmic Electronic Music and free space rock.

See also: Dr. Space, Dr. Space's Alien Planet Trip, Aural Hallucinations, Cosmic Cassiopeia.

 


Orfeon Gagarin (Spain)

Orfeon Gagarin (1986)
KEDR (1987)
Neumotorax Siglo XX (1988)
Halibut / Vaporub (1990)
Gift of Fire (1992)
Contestacion Capilar (1994)
Voces A 45 (2019)
Salmos Funiculares (2022)

One of the pseudonyms of Miguel Angel Ruiz.

See also: Ruiz, Miguel Angel, Funeral Souvenir, Ventral Metaphor, Exhaustor, Ambulatorio Segreto, Tecnica Material, Des Airlines, Michel.

 


Organ Mood (Canada)

Grands Projets (2010)
Comme si nous étions déjà libres (2015)
Indivisible (2019)

Playful or mysterious rhythmic synth music from Christophe Lamarche and Mathieu Jacques.

 


organIC (Greece / Germany)

In Excelsis (2021)

Ambient project of Ioannis Zedamanis.

See also: Jiannis

 


Orghanon (Italy)

Figures In Slow Motion (2015)
Retrospectre (2017)
Droneworks I-V (2022)

Spooky ambient soundworlds with a strong neo-classical feel. A project of Sergio Calzoni.

See also: Iluiteq

 


Orgue Noveau (France)

Orgue Noveau (2019) (S)
Archive #1 (2021)
Dévaster les Mondes (2022)
Le Triomphe du Vide (2022) (S)
Suivre La Lumière (2023)

Repetitive music from Nantes, between "dungeon synth", neo-classical and a touch of martial industrial.

 


Orichalcum (Denmark)

Cosmic Pillow (1998)

Long ambient track released as a promo by this goa trance project. A short version of it was later re-released on their Live CD.

 


Origami Galaktika (Norway)

Stjernevandring (1996)
Eesti Lilled Silmad Süda (1998)
Horisont (2001)
Live In Central Europe (2004)
Fashion Music For the 21st Century (2005) (with I: Wound)
Monolake (2005) (with I: Wound and Inderst Elia)
Laos Vegas (2008)
Songhellid Unmastred Album (2008)
021226 Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland (2009)
One (2014)
DistanceDelay (2020) (with Deep)

One of several "Origami" projects (that also include Origami Arktika). The artists behind this music are Benny Braaten and Kjell Øyvind Braaten. The style is Dark Space, I think.

 


Origami Girl (???)

Empty Inside (2018) (with Sangam)
See the Sadness Around My Eyes (2018) (with Sangam)
Too Cute To Die Too (2018)
Enchanted (2019)
召喚 (2022) (with telepath)

Vaporwave-related project. Too Cute To Die is melancholic Ambient, though, sometimes flowing, sometimes with slow rhythms. Pretty nice overall.

 


Origen (Ukraine)

Electro (1996)
Era of Aquarius (1998)

Formed by Kyiv-based Oleksii Zakharenko, Origen is an multi-instrumental / electronic project often classified as "new age". I can attest, though, that his early releases (listed) are not new age most of the time and will be enjoyed by fans of melodic / spacey EM sound of artists like Andrey Klimkovsky, Jean-Michel Jarre and Didier Marouani. There is also a touch of Enigma by way of Gregorian chants on Era of Aquarius. On that album, a slight shift to new age is already perceptible, but there are still plenty of tasty EM moments. On later releases, Oleksii, indeed, developed a more new-agey style, doing covers of classical tunes, pop songs, music for relaxation and similar stuff. Fans of EM should not sleep on Origen's early music, regardless.

 


Origin ST (???)

Dark Nights Are Setting In (2022)

Pretty much classic-sounding ambient stuff here. The spirit of early (circa Structures From Silence) Steve Roach is alive in these tracks.

 


Orini, Eddy (Switzerland)

Divine Moustache (1985) (recorded in 1976)

This album is subtitled "A Musical Tribute To the Genius of Salvador Dali". Apparently recorded in 1976 but released in 1985 on a jazz label, this album is completely out of EM fans' radar. So, what is it exactly? A sort of a wacky rock opera, actually. There's nothing jazzy about it, it seems to be mostly inspired by progressive rock greats, with a few vocal songs and acoustic pieces scattered among piano and keyboard sketches by Swiss-born singer and musician Eddy Orini. Joel Vandroogenbroeck helps with the production and also plays a few parts on the album. There are fine electroniñ tracks as well in a wacky and warm symphonic style that reminds on Tomita. This is a tribute to the great painter by someone who had known Dali personally and even played some piano parts from this album to "the mad genius" while at his home.

 


Orion Moustache (Germany)

EP03 (2021) (EP)
EP04 (2022) (EP)

Varied ambient electronics.

 


Orion's Belt (USA)

The Truth Within (2005)
Ecumenicals: The Mysteries of Time (2010)

Space Music from the duo of Darren Rogers and Jim Brenholts.

See also: Rigel Orionis, Rogers, Darren.

 


Orior (UK)

Elevation (1979) (S)
Strange Beauty (2016) (recorded in 1979 - 1983)
Still Strange (2019) (recorded in 1979 - 199?)

Obscure British duo (Jeff Sharp and Tom Barwood) that released only this mini-album before sinking into oblivion. They opted for a hazy and thick Ambient / Space Music synth sound.

 


Orkenblut (Austria)

Orkenblut (2017)

Obviously indebted to the dungeon synth, this one goes beyond the standard DS fare into the world of spacey synth sounds and ambient compositions.

 


Orkforge (Serbia)

Age of Power (2018)
Age of Battle (2019)

Orkish battle hymns and ambience from this Belgrade-based musician.

See also: Paleowolf, Metatron Omega.

 


Orkiestra Osmego Dnia (Poland)

Muzyka na koniec (1982)
At the Last Gate (1984)
Czekajac na komete Halleya (1985)
California In Blue (1994)

Polish project (Orchestra of the 8th Day). The first two albums are ambiental works with acoustic sounds and electronic backgrounds. The title of the first album translates to "Music For the End". The third album (Waiting For Halley's Comet) from 1985 is a dark electronic work for synthesizers and soprano. Supposedly, great. The fourth album is for synthesizers, soprano and tenor & is rather cacophonous work, overall.

 


Orla Wren (UK)

The Blind Deaf Stone (2021)

This artist has been making IDM-like music since the early 2000's. On The Blind Deaf Stone, he ventures to make an ambient record using only one monophonic analog synth.

 


Orlandini, Valerio (Italy)

Saturno Meccanico (2012) (EP)
Anullamento (2014)
Luci Acesse alle Soglie del Mattino (2014)
Spirale (2016)
7 Pieces (2018)

Varied soundscapes from this Italian artist - dark, moody, electroacoustic, synth, industrial, etc.

See also: Symbiosis

 


Orlando, Richard (USA)

Beyond Neptune (2007)
Fenruary Sessions (2013) (with Hal McGee)
The Electric Brains (2014) (with Hal McGee)
Extensions Through Dimensions (2015)
Warhead (2020)

Ex-member of Alien Planetscapes (previously known as Ethereal) with his own electronic compositions. Spacey, noisy, raw, experimental sound.

See also: Alien Planetscapes, Ethereal.

 


Orlin, Rob (Canada)

Divicept (2001)
Spirit Dreamer (2002)
The Human Connexxion (2002)

Synthesist with a rich, fat sound.

 


Orlov, Andrei (Russia)

Something New Which Surprises Even Ourselves (2017) (S)

Versatile synth artist, at times based on disco rhythms, at other completely Prog EM / experimental.

 


Orlov, Yuri (Russia)

Zapiski Snezhnogo Cheloveka (1987)

Solo record with ambient electronics by member of Nikolai Kopernik and Night Prospekt (with Ivan Sokolovsky). During the 90's, he became involved in the growing techno scene.

 


Orluk, Krzysztof (Poland)

Blurred Reflection (2009)

Reflective Ambient with some nature sounds and subtle noises.

 


ORM (Czech Republic)

Tropic (1983)

ORM (stands for Organization Recording of Music) was formed in Prague in the late 1970's as a disco duo of producers and keyboardists Petr Dvořák and Pavel Růžička. This is their fourth album recorded together with a female vocal duo Kamelie (aka Hana & Dana). Among the pop songs contained herein, you will also find lots of electronic arrangements and quite a few instrumental tracks, including the "Nippon" suite that will be enjoyed by fans of symphonic, classically-inspired EM, such as Synergy and Vangelis. File under EM-related.

 


Ormus (USA)

Negentropic Times (2018) (S)

Alternatively noisy and melodic synth compositions recorded in Portland using self-build instruments.

 


Ornament (Italy)

Strychninlovenectar (1999) (S)
Adorers (1999)
Unicorn Lullaby (2000)
Yzaniaaveis (2002)
Effortless (2003)
Unicorn Lullaby (2005)

Italian Dark Ambient project by Davide Del Col.

See also: Molnija Aura, Antikatechon.

 


Ornamental (Germany)

Assessment (2021) (with Tren Go! Sound System)
Zeitguised And Tangerine Utopic Dreaming (2022)

Sydney Jaffe aka Ornamental created diverse EM, mostly cosmic and sequencer-based.

See also: Arcane Allies

 


Ornamental Hairpin (USA)

Camus In Japan (2019)
Eye of A Snake (2019)

Grant and Rachel Evans in an ambient mould with some noisier bits.

See also: Motion Sickness of Time Travel, Nova Scotian Arms, Quiet Evenings.

 


Örnatorpet (Sweden)

Midvintersagor (2017)
Bergtagen (2018)
Blodbad Och Efterspel (2018)
Vid Ett Berg Uti En Dal (2018) (EP)
Hymner Från Snökulla (2019)
Fjällets Gyllene Slott (2020)

Dungeon synth-related projet from Sweden with a melancholic sound.

 


Oro!Oro! (Lithuania)

Rubicons of Nostalgia (2006)
Prarastos Ziemos (2007)
Įskeltas Ritas (2010) (S)
Sąstingis (2011)

Drifting ambient sounds from Laurynas Jukonis.

 


Orodruin (Netherlands)

The Fire That Welled There (2001) (S)
Orodruin / Vinterriket (2002) (with Vinterriket)

Tolkien-inspired ambience with epic black metal touches.

 


Orosi, Nik (Croatia)

Underline (2019)
Introspective (2020)

Varied electronic tracks, mostly melodic and propulsive. Good for travelling. Sometimes with a Jarre flair even ("Atje").

 


O'Rourke, Jim (USA)

Sleep Like It's Winter (2018)
Patience Soup (2019) (with Phew and Oren Ambarchi)
Side A / Side B (2019) (S) (with Not Waving)
Too Compliment (2021)
Lifetime of A Flower (2023) (with Eiko Ishibashi)
Eiko Ishibashi, Jim O'Rourke (2023) (with Eiko Ishibashi)

Long-form Ambient from this long-standing experimental musician.

 


Orozco Mora, José (Mexico)

Formas Aparentes (2020)
Memorias Suspendidas (2021) (with Concepción Huerta)
Sucesiones (2023)

Nice synth music released by this Mexican synthesist under his real name. Sparkling textures like Gong / Steve Hillage / Tim Blake all over.

 


Orphan Ann (Sweden)

The Practice of Surrender (2019)

Synth duo of Anja Enerud and Sofia Al Rammal Sturdza. Interesting analog synth arrangements and some vocalizations.

See also: SARS

 


Orphan Fairytale (Belgium)

Titania Moon (2020)

Unique dark, cosmic, psychedelic electronics from Eva Van Deuren.

 


Orphax (Netherlands)

Oniscus Acellus (2003)
In A Long Night (2004)
Sand In Boxes (2005)
Proof of Conspiracy (2007) (S)
Drowning In A  Pool of Trees (2008) (S)
Turn Loose the Goose (2009) (S)
Die Helden Sind Nicht Mehr (2011) (S)
A Room With A View (2011) (S)
Confused (2012)
Live At MFR HQ (2013) (S)
Live In Venlo (2013) (S)
De Tragedie Van Ein Liedjesschrijver Zonder Woorden (2013)
Un Cœur, Deux Cœurs, Un Cœur, Sans Cœur (2013)
Undone (2014) (S)
Under the Dutch Sky (2014)
Dream Sequence #1 (2015) (S)
over hoe De Regte Heide (2015)
Dream Sequence #2 (2016) (S)
Music For Thái Ngoc (2016)
Time Waves (2016)
As Yet Untitled (2016)
Dream Sequence #3 (2017) (S)
Dream Sequence #4 (2017) (S)
Studies In Dissonance (2017) (S)
2.20 (2017)
Warschauer Straße (2017)
Weerkaatsing (2017) (with Machinefabriek)
Somniātōrēs (2017)
Untitled (2017) (with Martijn Comes)
A Summer's End (2018)
Circles (2018) (S)
Live Circles (2019)
En De Stilstaande Tijd (2020)
Live At Cinetol, Amsterdam 9-12-2020 (2021)
Less Is More (2022)
Spectrum (2022)
Het Conglomeraat (2022)
Echoic Memory (2023)
Inheritance (2023) (with PONI)
Structure (2024)

A project of ambient drone artist Sietse van Erve.

 


Orpheus (UK)

Crystal Dreamscapes (2003)

Uplifting Space Music with some Tomita stylisms in there as well.

 


Orpheus (USA)

Lamentations (2021) (S)

Slowly rhythmic, vocoder-laden electronic tracks.

 


Orpheus Choir, The (UK)

Three Recordings Made Between 2010 - 2015 (2016) (S)

From ambient soundscapes to dark exercises in sequencer-based composition. A project of Glasgow-based Aleksander Jurczyk.

 


Orphic Endeavors (USA)

Murals (2000)
Murals: The Beats (2001)
Lock And Key (2002)
Sinister Sight: Left-Handed Vision (2003)
Icon (2006)
Abandoned Hospital (2006)

Although Bonnie Phillip Gardiner aka Orphic Endeavors cites some new age pop arists like Enigma, Delerium and Amethystium as influences, his own stuff sounds nothing like them. What we get here is basically deep and moody soundscapes of the dark variety with cinematic qualities.

 


Orphic Signals (UK)

Sounds of the Neutron (2017)

A duo of Lee Norris and Wil Bolton. Contrary to solo work of both artists, as Orphic Signals they create more active forms of EM and often base their sound on the sequences, although the ambient element is certainly there.

See also: Nacht Plank, Bolton, Wil.

 


Orqid (USA)

Ideology (2016) (S)
Tenderness (2019)

A project of Tom Butcher from Seattle who is a fan of vintage synths. He mostly makes instrumental ambient EM, but also sings from time to time.

 


Orquesta de las Nubes (Spain)

Manual del Usuario (1987)

This experimental band was formed in the 1980's by Suso Saiz and his friends. I don't know how much of their music would actually qualify as EM. This, their third album, however, has been compared to Jorge Reyes, so I decided to give it a go and include it. Further investigation is needed.

See also: Saiz, Suso

 


Orquesta Pandroginia (Chile)

La Mujer Insecto (2016)
La Isla Desnuda (2018)
Hiperstición (2020) (S)

Varied electronic project of Charlie Vásquez. From glitchy and dark ambient soundscapes on La Mujer Insecto to Berlin School pulsations on Hiperstición. There are also a couple of split releases with other artists.

See also: TCCV

 


Orrall, Jake (USA)

ASMR1 (2020) (EP) (with Kunal Prakash)
Apology Jazz (2022)

Strange arpeggio-laden jazzy electronics.

 


Orsi, Fabio (Italy)

Winterreise (2010)
Wo ist Behle? (2011)
The New Year Is Over (2012)
Qui vicino (2014)
Leaves Under Trees (2014) (S)
Just For A Thrill (2015)
Открытка из России (2015)
Landed Again (2016) (S)
Il ricordo improvviso dell'assoluto stupore (2017)
Giardino forico N.1 - Napoli (2018) (with Alessandra Guttagliere)
L'antipasto del re cielo (2018) (EP)
Sterminato piano (2018)
Motel a tre stelle (2018)
Uncharted Waters (2019)
Forse arrivi (2019) (S)
Il vento disperderà la schiuma (2019)
Tre notti e un mattino d'estate (2020)
Vibra (2020) (S)
Anemos (2020) (S)
Di lumi e chiarori (2020) (recorded in 2019)
Waltzing the Dune (2021)
Reverse Diverse (2021)
Lazy Ballads For Homeworks (2021)
The Afternoon Tapes (2022)
OT/TO (2022) (with TEZ)
L'alchimista (2022)
Cinque movimenti per A. (2023)
Dust At Night (2023)

Italian experimental artist who is presumably quite diverse. He's done some noisy stuff but also some esoteric ambient stuff and kraut-influenced stuff. Apparently, Fabio uses a lot of processed electric guitar and he is quite prolific, but I'll try to list his EM-related releases here.

 


Orson Throb (Argentina)

Hidden Processes (2015)
Veditabba (2018)

Deep ambient soundscapes with some field recordings.

 


Ortalion (Poland)

Ortalion (2016)
O 2 (2018)
Tri-Tones (2020)

This band mixes elements of space rock, funk, jazz and Electronic Music.

 


Ortmann, Andy (USA)

Chronopolis (2020)

Chicago-based Ortmann has been involved in various forms of experimental electronics and noise since 1990. Chronopolis is his eerie and intriguing "soundtrack" to a 1982 movie. Way out-there stuff that harkens back to 1960's formative sounds, vintage sci-fi synth scores, Edward Artemiev's ANS experiments, pioneering Ambient and industrial / noise experimentalists. Further investigation is needed.

 


Orvin, Daniela (Israel)

Untitled (2014 - 2016) (2017)
Home (2018)
The Writings (2019) (with Sven Laux)

Ambient artist currently residing in Berlin. Climatic music, often dominated by piano, but also with a lush synth sound. Tracks like "Spring Came Early" (Home) create a perfect balance between EM pulsations and subtle piano. Excellent stuff.

 


Os Acácios (Portugal)

Encontros Imediatos Do 10º Grau Com Os Acácios (1978) (S)

Strange easy-listening electronics that sound like carousel music played on synthesizers. It seems that Rui Ressurreição (member of Os Álamos) and pianist / conductor Jorge Machado are behind the arrangements.

 


Osa7029 (Finland)

Sounds For Abandoned Places (2021)
Roots/Branches/Cones (2021)

Creative pseudonym of Helsinki-based Aki Yli-Salomäki. Ambient synthesizer music - reflective, cosmic, serene.

 


Osada, H. (Japan)

Refinement (1983)

 


Osawa Tome (USA)

Mountain Minor (2022)

Weird mixture of Appalachian music and EM - banjo samples and analog synths galore. Is this what Cluster would have sounded like, had they retreated to the woods of West Virginia instead of Forst in the 1970's?

 


Osborne, Randel (USA)

Celestial Mechanics (1995)

Synthesist of Parallax fame.

See also: Parallax

 


Osñilation Circuit (Japan)

Serie Reflexion 1 (1984)

Most likely, Ambient. A private release.

 


Osñillate, Michael (Austria)

Droned Home (2021)
Hyperbolic Hypnosis of Luminescence (2021)

Dark electronics project of Michael Bargen. Nice, moody sound.

 


Oscillation, The (UK)

U.E.F. (2018)

Psychedelic rock / space rock / jam band project from Walthamstow-based Demian Castellanos together with Tom Relleen (sadly passed away in 2020). U.E.F. features two long tracks with wailing guitars and sequencers galore. A definite Tangerine Dream influence here.

See also: Autotelia

 


Oscillopeisia (UK)

Satellites of Mars (2015)
Cosmica (2015) (S)

A project of John Lee Richardson who has been quite prolific, releasing lots of music on his own label under various guises. This one has some EM influences.

See also: Hatcliffe, House Tapes, The

 


Oscilloscope (UK)

Life Nearer Water (2023)

Rich webs of modular sound from this Manchester-based project. Hints of Michael Stearns's "Serge phase", Orbifold C, Edward Artemiev, Richard Burmer, Steve Roach and more...

 


Oscillotron (Sweden)

Eclipse (2013)
Cataclysm (2016)

Swedish duo consisting of Christoffer Johansson and David Johansson. They create great energetic electronic compositions with real drums and sequencer overkill. Sounds like a rockier Tangerine Dream or Zombi.

 


Oscob (Germany)

帰宅 (2020)

Long ambient tracks from this vaporwave / glitch project.

 


Ose (France)

Adonia (1978)
Foucault's Pendulum (2024) (with Mark Jenkins)
3 Body Problem (2024) (with Mark Jenkins)

Music by Hervé Picart, with the participation of Richard Pinhas on Adonia. Heldon style.

See also: Heldon, Pinhas, Richard, Fluence, Video Liszt.

 


Ose (India)

With & Without (2020)

A project of San Francisco-based Arushi Jain who grew up in Delhi and is inspired by Indian classical music, among other things. She is a modular synth performer, apart from using her voice (mostly wordless vocalizations). Her angelic music has a special charm and will be enjoyed by fans of early Space Music and cosmic electronics in general as well as ethnic / World Music. Arushi Jain is also known to have opened for Suzanne Ciani in April, 2019. Interesting, unique and talented artist.

See also: Jain, Arushi

 


Ose (UK)

Ellipsis (2019)

A project of Ewan David Fisher. Sort of ambient electronics and vaguely Prog, but a bit noisy and with varied influences (IDM, glitch...).

 


Osees (USA)

The 12" Synth (2019) (S)
Intercepted Message (2023)

Music by John Dwyer and Tomas Dolas.

 


Oshio, Shunsuke (Japan)

Soundtrack For 'Sequence of A Dialogue' (2019)
Waterfall (2020)
Karmic Dream Sequences (2023)

Wacky, repetitive experimental electronics, a bit Cluster-like, but pretty unique overall, with lots of chirping synth sounds.

See also: Wörc

 


Oshlo (Netherlands)

Honeymoon (2020)

Dutch duo with a hybrid ethereal pop / new age / EM sound.

 


Osidarta (France)

Spirit Circles (1980)

Cosmic Electronic Music from Ali Ahekous and Jean-Jacques Dumas.

 


Osipov, Sergey (Russia)

Внутренний космос (2018)
Город (2020)

Russian composer (Сергей Александрович Осипов) with a classical / academic background, born in 1966. He also composes Electronic Music, as the above works attest. His style is rich in classical strings, pads and choirs, focusing on melody, harmonic development, cinematic qualities and atmosphere.

 


Osiris (Japan)

Journey To New World (1979)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1979)
Osiris Mythology (1979)
Astral Temple (1980)
Rhapsody For You (1980)
The Restration of Soul (1980)
In And Out (1980)
In the Mist of Time (1980)
El Rayo de Luna I (1981)
El Rayo de Luna II (1981)
A Failed Play (1982)
Echo Troublant (1982)

One of Hiro Kawahara's projects in Heldon style.

See also: Heretic, Astral Temple, Dr.Jekyll And Mr.Hyde.

 


Osiris (???)

Look Into the Future (??)

Cassette release on Electronical Dreams. The style is not known.

 


Oskura Najera, J. (Spain)

Phil Spectrum (2016) (S)

Spanish composer and film director. Horror synth tracks based on the sound of analog synthesizers.

 


Osland, James (New Zealand)

Departures (2017)
Colourless (2017) (with Finn Kelvin)
Gone For A While (2018)
Manitoba Gardens (2019)
Don't Worry I'm With You (2021) (with Finn Kelvin)
Almond Drive (2021)
Once We Were All Here And Nowhere Else (2022) (with Andy Heath)

Ambient soundscapes with lots of field recordings.

See also: Tomosla

 


Osmo, Sammy (Netherlands)

Schaduw Horizon (2008)

Imagined synthy spy soundtracks.

See also: Wolfers, Danny, Legowelt, Weltman, Klaus, Smackos, Falckenhaus, Franz, Phalangius, Knutson, Saab, Nomad Ninja, Occult Orientated Crime, Ufocus, Zandvoort & Uilenbal, Taniyama, Satomi, Rising Sun Systems, Star Sheperd, Psychic Stewardess, The, Bontempi 666, Lobosquillo, Mavelli, Florenza.

 


Osokin, Ilia (Monaco??)

1984 Extended (Original Graphic Novel Soundtrack) (2023)

Russian cellist based in Monaco, or French cellist of Russian descent (it is not clear at the moment). 1984 Extended is a varied soundtrack mostly focusing on moody electronics and some cello / classical instrumentation.

 


Osorio, M.J. (Spain)

Música desde el Alma (2021)

From piano music to melodic EM.

 


Ossa di Mare (Italy)

Heautoscopy (2016) (EP)

Hybrid techno / Ambient project. Of the four tracks (plus one remix), two are completely ambient.

 


Ossining (USA)

Ossining (2009) (S)
I Will Be Missed (2010)
Agitate the Gravel (2010) (S)
Jet Set (2011) (S)
Trike (2012)
Company Men (2013)

Floating, warm synthetic soundscapes, sometimes airy (with even a hint of Space Music), sometimes intense. Ossining are Brad Rose and Kevin Danchisko (also known as Sovetskaya Gone).

See also: Sovetskaya Gone

 


Osterhoudt, Andrew (USA)

Latitudes (2018) (with Mike Nigro)
Out Together (2023)

From wacky and rhythmic to cosmic and even new-agey EM from this artist.

See also: Channeling

 


Ostermeier, Marc (USA)

Chance Reconstruction (2010)
Percolate (2010) (S)
Lakefront (2010)
The Rules of Another Small World (2011)
Still (2015)
Tiny Birds (2016)

Baltimore-based musician. Classic Ambient - lots of piano, slow melodies, gently glitchy, reflective and warm, like light playing on water. For fans of Eno, Budd and the Japanese ambient artists.

 


Ostler, Andrew (UK)

Crossing the Line (2021)
Rolling Like A Bullet (2022)
Four Drones of Saxophone And Modular Synthesizer (2022)
Dots On A Disk of Snow (2023)

On Crossing the Line, synthesist Andrew Ostler puts his modular gear to good use, with nice Berlin School sequencing and drones, augmented by wailing guitars and bass clarinet solos.

See also: Darkroom

 


Ostracon (USA)

Unauthorized Modifications (2011)

Interesting duo of John Keston (generative electronics based on video signals) and Graham O'Brien (drums). It's sort of experimental but also highly listenable and often melodic / improvisational.

 


Ostrikov, Stas (Russia)

Traveling Bird (2019)

Ambient soundscapes with lots of field recordings. Best track: "Snowflakes Minute" - short, but extremely evocative.

 


Ostrouchov, Petr (Czech Republic)

Water Lost And Returned (2023) (soundtrack) (with Lenka Dusilová)

Guitarist and film composer. Water Lost And Returned is an ambient soundtrack with soft, sometimes cosmic synths and some whispers / vocalizations.

 


Ostrowski, Tomasz (Poland)

Krysztalowe Lzy (1995)
Virtualer (1997)
Electra'N'Dance (2000)
Vocoder Dreams (2004)
Romantic-On (2008)
ELSymphonica (2013)

Tomasz Ostrowski (born in 1975) became interested in music pretty early in his life. In the late 1980's he got himself his first keyboard. Influenced by Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis, he started creating his own intstrumental synthesizer compositions.

 


Ostwald, Helge (Germany)

Astounding Science - Amazing Fiction (1993)

Has been compared to Underwater Sunlight-era Tangerine Dream.

 


O'Sullivan, Daniel (UK)

Electric Māyā: Dream Flotsam And Astral Hinterlands (2020)
Fourth Density (2021)
Rosarium (2023)

British multi-instrumentalist. On Electric Māyā, he presents varied, mostly shorter tracks. A lot of them are mixed electronic and classical instrumentation, some are purely electronic.

See also: Æthenor

 


Ota, Yuya (Japan)

Dramatic Syndrome (2023)

Ambient artist with a dreamy, sun-drenched sound.

 


Otaku (UK)

Timeless Arrival (2005)

Melodic, energetic EM, like Mark Shreeve or T-Bass UK.

 


Otarion (Germany)

Es Werde Licht (1997)
Evolution (2000)
Creator (2002)
Faces of the Night (2004)
Out of Eden (2013)
Genius (2014)
Monument (2015)
Constellations And the Red Thread (2016)
Live Muenster 2016 (2016) (with Moonbooter)
Decide (2017)
Under Surface (2018)
Extensive (2019)
Prayer From the Deep (2020)
No Time Was Lost (2021)
Logos (2023)

Otarion is German synthesist Rainer Klein who makes great Berlin School inspired music with driving sequences and some electronic guitar soloing.

 


Otavan Veret (Finland)

Otavan Veret (2014)
II - SYVYS (2018)

Dark Space from this Finnish duo.

 


Otchy, Chris (USA)

Subterranean Landscapes (2019)

Analog music based on the sound of modular synthesizers. Mostly in sedate / relaxing mould with some more active moments.

 


Otero, Miguel (Spain)

Pequeños Círculos (2017)
Si el Verano Acaba (2017) (with Carlos Alcantara)
A Geographic Drama (2019) (S)
Salinas (2020) (with David Cordero)
Brief Tales (2022)
A Possible Distance (2022) (with David Cordero)

Ambient artist from Spain, currently residing in Cambridge. Nice, relaxing and / or emotional synth sound.

 


Other Lands (UK)

Pattern Transform (2018) (S)
Reharse In Reverse (2019)
Sounds For Isolated Souls (2021) (recorded in 2020)
Archipelagos (2022)

The first track, "Descent Into Nasqueron", will be enjoyed by fans of sequencer-based, purely analog EM. The rest has house beats in varying doses until we reach the closer, which is very EM again, although this time with a jazzier / funky flair.

 


Other Places (Australia)

Other Places (2011)
Symbols (2013)
Lost In the Sea of Paradise (2017)

Drums and electronics project of Melbourne-based Mathew Watson. Rhythmic, driving sound.

 


Other Skies (USA)

Vistas (1988)

A duo of Keeler (Keith Walsh of Port Said) and Anton Tibbe.

 


Other Voices, Other Rooms (USA)

Gods In the Tree Trunks (2020)

Wacky rhythmic electronics. Minimal and a bit Cluster-like, but with some techno / house / acid influences.

 


Other Without, The (UK)

The Other Without (2016)
The Other Without 2 (2019)

Warm, floating synths. Nice melodic / sequencer-based EM from Neil Mortimer (aka Urthona) and Michael J York.

 


Otherr (USA)

Floating Stones (2022)

Otherr (Steve Canfield) from San Diego creates cinematic music which is extremely complex, absorbing influences from film soundtracks, IDM, glitch, jungle, UK bass, progressive EM and more. Not bad. I like how "Light Switch" has an almost Heldon-y touch to it. The closer "Amen" is another killer track.

 


Othila (France)

Mother (2001) (S)
Elements (2002)
Yula (2003) (S)
Continents (2006)
Titouan (2012) (S)
Brónagh (2014)
Mag Mor 2001-2015 (2017)

A hybrid of Dark Ambient styles, with ritual elements and even a touch of Biosphere.

 


OTI (UK)

Recollection (2005)

Ambient from London-based artist Daimon Beail.

 


Otilo (Germany)

6402 (2019)

Ambient music with strong glitch / microsound elements.

See also: tau contrib

 


Oto Hiax (UK)

Oto Hiax (2017)
Two (2019)
EP1 (2021) (EP)

Electroacoustic explorations from the duo of Mark Clifford (Seefeel) and Scott Gordon (Loops Haunt). Unique sound - darkish, metallic, jarring, seemingly disjointed but with an inner sense of purpose and electronic sheen.

 


Oto Moya (???)

Essence Found (2023)

Ambient compositions with lots of field recordings and soft synth washes.

 


Otomi, Chie (Japan)

Namisen (2018)
Touch Again (2021)
Season of Wandering (2023) (with Hirotaka Shirotsubaki)

Pretty whimsical ambient compositions, sometimes reminding on Cluster, at other times pretty original. Warm sound.

 


Otorongo (USA)

Spells (2023)

Relaxing, psychedelic ambient compositions from Asheville, North Carolina-based Paul Gaeta.

 


Otryad Imeni Valeriya Chkalova (Russia)

BBC (1984)

Otryad Imeni Valeriya Chkalova was a duo formed in the early 80's by Alexander Sinitsin (lyrics, voice) and Mikhail Mikhailuk (electronics). It's a weird work that runs a gamut of styles from early proto-industrial / martial soundscapes to sound-collages, voice treatments, ethnic passages and cosmic electronics. BBC (should be VVS) means "Air Forces" and has no relation to legendary British radio station.

See also: Mikhailuk, Mikhail

 


Otso (Finland)

Tunti Sitten (1982)

Berlin School music from Otso Pakarinen aka Ozone Player. Early cassette release.

See also: Ozone Player, Visual, Tapa Paha Tapa.

 


Otsuka, Nao (Japan)

Penguin Kids (2017)

Gentle ambient soundscapes with lots of field recordings.

 


Ott (UK)

Heads (2023)

Downtempo / dub / reggae project of Grover Smith, based on synthesizers. The music on Heads can be considered a direct descendant of Steve Hillage's and Miquette Giraudy's psychedelic brand of EM (it is no wonder that both of them participate on one of the tracks), as well as Ozric Tentacles' obsession with reggae rhythms coupled with shimmering electronics.

 


Ott, Christine (France)

Solitude Nomade (2009)
Only Silence Remains (2016)
Tabu (2016)
The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith (2017) (with Tinderslicks and Thomas Belhom)
Chimères (Pour Ondes Martenot) (2020)
Time To Die (2021)
Sans Soleil (2022) (with Manuel Hermia and Allysen Callery)
Éclats (Piano Works) (2023)

Chistine Ott is a perfomer on the Ondes Martenot, an early 20th Century electronic instrument. She also plays piano (a lot of it), various other acoustic instruments and synths, as well as sings (mostly wordless vocalizations). A large part of her output is more within the classical paradigm (the impressionist tradition to be exact) but the combination of piano and the haunting sound of the Ondes creates a truly unique experience. The electronic tracks like "Tempête" are truly magnificent and highly visual.

See also: Snowdrops, Theodore Wild Ride, Cry, The.

 


Ottaway, Jim (Australia)

First Light (2004)
Enlightenment (2005)
Aurora (2006)
Lightwaves (2006)
Strings Attached (2007)
Eclipse (2007)
Orion (2008)
Firestorm (2008)
Secret Forest (2009)
Centauri (2009)
Rise (2009)
Reflections (2010)
Music For Film Vol. 1 (2011)
Music For Film Vol. 2 (2011)
Liquid Moon (2011)
Chill Factor (2011)
Returning (2012)
La Flute Enchantée (2012)
Invisible Vortex (2015)
Heaven's Dreaming (2016)
Southern Cross (2016)
Timeless e-Motion (2017)
Deep Space Blue (2017)
Yesterday Passing (2018)
Beyond the Purple Sun (2019)
When Eternity Touches Times (2020)
Threshold of the Universe (2021)
Somewhere In-Between (2022) (recorded in 2008 - 2022)
Infinite Universes (2023)

Diverse artist with influences such as new age and dance music, but mostly going for light and darker Space Music sound (these albums are also the more interesting ones, musically).

 


Otterbach, Philipp (Germany)

Humans (2018) (EP)
The Rest Is Bliss (2019) (EP)
Everything Else Matters (2020)
Waiting Room (2021) (EP)
The Dahlem Diaries (2023)
Correct Me If I Am Incorrectly You (2023)

Berlin-based artist with a darkish style influenced by IDM, downtempo and Dark Ambient.

 


OTTO (Germany)

Greatest Hits (2016) (EP)
Full Auto (2017) (EP)
Stimmungen (2018) (EP)
Over the Top Orchester (2019)

German duo with a sound centered around an old Farfisa electric organ, a monophonic Roland synthesizer and drum machine rhythms. A krautrock / EM / easy-listening hello from the 1970's. Nice and different.

 


Otto, Andi (Germany)

VIA (2017)
Songs For Broken Ships (2023) (with MD Pallavi)

Hamburg-based cellist, multi-instrumentalist and electronic composer. He developed a unique sensor system for a cello bow, using this device extensively, along with drum machines, synths and other instrumentation. He mostly falls short of being Prog, steering closer to minimal techno forms or ethnic / electroacoustic music. One of the exceptions is the aptly titled "Everybody Needs A Modular Kraut Session" from VIA, as well as some bits & pieces on Songs For Broken Ships, which is very influenced by Indian music. File under EM-related.

 


Otto, Paul J. (USA)

Away With Words (1986)
Biddle Street (1987)

Paul J. Otto was a promising guitarist before being heavily injured in a car accident that left him paralyzed. In the early 1980's his family got a Texas Instruments computer as a promo item and Paul realized that there are other ways to compose music and became interested in computers and electronic instruments. During the next several years he composed and released no less than five cassettes with computer-aided music. As he could not move, nor speak, he had to rely on his family members and nurses to notate the music for him. Unfortunately, his life ended abruptly circa 1991 due to a medical accident. The music of Paul J. Otto is instrumental progrock and melodic / thematic EM.

 


Ottotoon (USA)

Quantum Mechanic (2019)

Ottotoon is US keyboardist Mark Larson who is part of rock band The Lizardz and has played with a few other artists, mostly in progressive rock and related genres. Quantum Mechanic gathers his solo synth music that ranges from funky and wacky to warm, melodic and cinematic. Mostly rhythmic, with soloing and / or piano melodies. Pretty varied stuff.

 


Ou Où (USA)

Baron Von Baron (2010)
Builded (2011) (S)
Rhythm & Blues Vol. 1 (2012) (S)
Geocities (2013)
Rhythm & Blues Vol. 1 (2013) (S)
Ou Ng (2014) (S)

St. Louis-based duo with a low-fi, loop / synth-based experimental style. Repetitive.

 


Oublieth (Canada)

Mornelance (2020)
Par​-​Delà la Forêt des Esprits Égarés (2020) (S)
À l'Ombre du Royaume en Cendres (2021)
Arcanes (2022) (with Cimerion)

Between lush, symphonic Vangelis style and "dungeon synth".

 


Oubys (Belgium)

Paths (2008)
Surrender (2009) (S)
Terra Incognita (2011)
Positronium EP (2012) (EP)
SQM lp Part I (2014)
SQM lp Part II (2014)
Kolf's Folk Floks I (2014)
Kolf's Folk Floks Digi P II (2016)
Second Planet (2017)
Live at Morbus Gravis Record Gore Day, 22.04.2017 (2018)
End Space (2021)

Ambient artist Wannes Kolf. Sometimes approcahes the techno / glitch territory.

 


Oudeis (Estonia)

Desmion (2014)
Mechanism (2015)
Skimming the Surface (2016)
Countdown / Three Domains (2017)
Theorema of Reality (2017)
Premonition (2017)
Little Ambient Tracks (2017)
Nadir / Neurasthenia (2019)
The Black Room / Exercise For NN17 (2020)
Beginnings (2020)
Path of the Crusher (2021) (S)

Varied project of Tallinn-based Artjom Jurov. Early works are often Dark Ambient, sometimes noisy and / or technoid. Beginnings is very synthy, though, and is pretty much classic spacey / moody Prog EM.

 


Oudhoff, Frans (Netherlands)

Synthese Musicale (1976)

Classical compositions performed on Roland synthesizers.

 


Our Lady of the Flowers (USA)

Holiday In Thule (2019)

Ambient collective of musicians based in Michigan. Hypnotic, deep sound, mixing electronics, guitars, processed field recordings and samples.

See also: Modell, Roderick Julian

 


Our Love Will Destroy the World (New Zealand)

Harm (2018) (S)

Unusual synthy release from diverse noise / drone artist Campbell Kneale, pressed on 10" lathe cut.

 


Our Mothers Meds (Sweden)

Our Mothers Meds (2021)

Varied EM from this duo - mostly sort of experimental, maybe kraut / Dusseldorf-ish, with a cosmic vibe.

 


Our Souls Are In the Hands of the Translator (USA)

An Era of Spiritual Tenebrae (2021)

Rhythmic, hypnotic, experimental EM from Jamal Moss.

See also: Hieroglyphic Being

 


Ouroboros (Italy)

Solve et Coagula (2004) (S)
Nigredo (2005) (EP)
Hiietont / Compendium (2007) (split with Hiietont)
Sigillum Solis (2007)
Lux Arcana (2007)
Lumen et Umbra (2008) (S)
Ars Regia (2008) (S)
Vanitas (2009)
Compendium II (2010)
Primae Materiae (2010)
Ouroboros (2010)
Opus Tartari (2011)
Somnium (2011)
Janua Inferi (2012) (EP)
Lunarya Fisica (??) (S)
Astral Lux (2013) (with Emme Ya)
Suspiria De Profundis (2015) (S)
Periculo Mortis (2019)
Danse Macabre (2019)
Psalterium Caini (2020)

Dark Ambient from Marco Grosso. Beware some vocals.

See also: Grosso, Marco, Permafrost, Snowfade, Dark Ambient Cult, Arretium.

 


Oustad, Kristoffer (Norway)

Filth Haven (2015)

Mostly Dark Ambient with a touch of industrial.

 


Out of Control (UK)

Synth music duo formed by Ron Berry in the 70's.

See also: Berry, Ron

 


Outer Space (USA)

Faucet Plains (2008)
Hydrogen (2008) (S)
Perfect Vacuum (2008)
Sea of Vapors (2008)
Weighted Ghost (2008)
0000278928993 (2009) (S)
Gemini Half (2009)
Ocean of Storms (2009)
Sea of Cold (2009)
Sea of Serenity (2009)
Stereo Constellations (2009)
Eastern Veil (2010)
Lightyear Demonstrations (2010)
Pyramids On Mars (2010)
Timespace Projection (2010)
Wrecked Math (2010) (S)
Outer Space (2010)
Last Vacuum Demos Vol. 1 (2011)
Outer Space "II" (2012)
Akashic Record (2012)
Phantom Center (2014) (S)
Gemini Suite (2016)

Solo drone music from John Elliott, a former member of Emeralds.

See also: Emeralds, Imaginary Softwoods, Colored Mushroom And The Medicine Rocks, Sharon.

 


Outer Space Alliance (Finland)

Outer Space Alliance (2009)
Two-Wheeler (2009) (EP)

Helsinki-based trio of Arto Koivisto, Jari Pitkänen and Tommi Björk. They create a flowing mixture of Ambient and Space Music, with occasional sequencer patterns and experimental touches. Their eponymous album is a reworked version of a demo the band released back in 1998.

 


Outermost (Greece)

Upon Different Degrees (2018)
Are You Afraid To Step From the Shadows? (2020)

A bit lo-fi electronic project, often with a Cluster feel, but noisier. Music by Miltiadis Merentitis from Athens.

 


Outlier (UK)

Alaya (2023)

Also known as o.utlier. A mixture of ambient tracks and dubby techno tracks from this London-based project. File under EM-related.

 


Outside the Glitch (UK)

Plateau (2019)
Cartography (2020)
Memory And Totem (2022)

Mostly ambient soundscapes that reminded me on Jeff Greinke's music. Some glitchy rhythms as well.

 


Ouvala (UK)

Psychology of Colour (2016)
Multiperspectivity (2018)

Ambient duo of Ian Hawgood and Tim Martin, with a warm sound, mixing in some elements of electroacoustics and lulling, kosmische analog synths.

See also: Hawgood, Ian, Maps & Diagrams, Atlantis.

 


Ouzo the Band (Greece??)

Psychedelic Summer (2004)
Psychedelic Autumn (2011)

Relaxed, rhythmic EM a bit in the style of 2000's Klaus Schulze and maybe also stuff like Solar Moon System.

 


Ov Pain (New Zealand)

Kauri Island (2022)

Experimental / post-rock / darkwave band from Aotearoa, consisting of Renee Barrance and Tim Player. Kauri Island is their ambient album, which will be of interest to EM fans. Percussive rhythms and droning / atmospheric synths.

 


Oval Angle (Belgium)

Conversation With A Table (2013) (S)
Talk of Sculptures (2015)
Speaking In Circles (2020) (S)

Playful, repetitive EM with a Cluster feel, but more clinical, perhaps mathematical. Charming stuff. A project of Antwerp-based Geran Knol.

 


Overcalc (USA)

Meaningless Terrain (2019)
Fruits of the Decision Tree (2022)
Calyx (2023) (with Steve Moore)

A project of Nick Skrobisz. Heavy electronics and some guitar. A very krautrockish / Heldon aesthetic here.

 


Overdriven Dreams (Serbia)

symphony // of // murmurings (2022)

Droning ambience and ghostly atmospheres from Uroš Kostić.

 


Overflow (Germany)

Enjoy (1987)
Heil Eris (1987)
The First TraXX (2022) (recorded in 1985 - 1986)

Obscure duo, seemingly influenced by sequencer and melodic / rhythmic styles, with both members appearing under pseudonyms.

See also: Dobra, Marco, Edition Holos, Online, Minimax Maximalminimum.

 


Overload, The (UK)

The Overload (2022)

The "hard synths / soft drums" duo of Alan Murphy and Mat Handley. Rhythmic, dynamic, repetitive, melodic...

See also: Murphy, Allan, Midwich Youth Club, Kehrschliefe.

 


OverScan (Australia)

These Hands (2014) (EP)
Conscious (2015)
Time Erases Memory (2016)
The Marriage of Violence and Desire (2018)
Dirac Sea (2022)

Ambient synthesizer artist (Marcus Miller). Also known as OVRSCN.

 


Overshift (USA)

Of Light And Shade (2017)

Moody ambient soundscapes with a touch of minimal techno from this New Jersey-based artist.

 


Ovod (Russia)

Between the Days (2015)
Forest Thoughts (2019)

Soundscapes made with synths and guitars. Ovod is Ivan Lavrov from Saint-Petersburg.

 


OVRA (France)

Milice (2024) (recorded in 2023)

Martial Ambient with some elements of martial industrial.

 


Ovum (Sweden)

Epepe (1999) (EP)
Droning In C (2000) (with The Law-Rah Collective and Jonas Lindgren)
Plastic Passion (2000)
Eld (2004)

Dark / Deep Ambient from Karl Midholm. Epepe, although a Mini-CD, does clock at around 45 minutes.

 


Ovvoid (Poland)

Echo, Ache (2022)

Ovvoid is Polish artist Michał Weicher. His intense music, built around the sound of analog synthesizers, is a reflection of his influences, which include 1980's soundtracks to B-horror movies and science fiction.

 


Owann (Belgium)

Particles (2015)
Eternal Return (2016)
State of Mind (2019)
Saga (2021)

Varied music from this Belgian synthesist (real name - Johan De Paepe), with ambient and Berlin School trends predominating.

See also: Tower Tree, The

 


Owen, Albert Alan (UK)

Following the Light (1982)

 


Owen Jones, Nik (UK)

I/O (2019)

Varied music from this synthesist, mostly melodic, with sequences etc.

 


Owens, Paul Immanuel (USA)

Space Ripples (1988) (with Brian Haines)

New age musician from Oregon who is mostly a piano player. However, my experience tells me that you have to persist and dig deeper into these obscure artists in pretty much any genre and sometimes you uncover a gem or at least an interesting release from EM standpoint. Space Ripples, released together with Brian Haines is one such example - a more electronic outing (could be because of Haines' involvement, though, whose name doesn't ring a bell either), combining Paul's usual piano playing in a relaxed, new-agey style and nice electronics that sometimes sound like a minimal version of Software (those sequences / arpeggios going up and down the scale), at other times sounding more unique.

 


Owl (Belgium)

Northern Light (2015) (S)
Blackstone (2017) (EP)
Inverted Horizon (2017) (with Clearlight)
Arashiyama (2019) (EP)
Infinite Horizon (2021)

A project of Pierre Nesi. Mostly ambient compositions here, sometimes with deep rhythms / pulses / sequences.

 


Owl Cave (Hungary)

Behind the Red Drape (2009)

Dark Ambient inspired by the Twin Peaks series.

 


Owl, The (Czech Republic)

Migration (2022)

This particular album (Migration) presents Dark Ambient compositions from this noise project.

 


Owlmask (UK)

Annihilation Products (2021)
It's Time. (2023)

A solo project of comic artist and musician Boo Cook who plays in a few bands. This one is pretty experimental and sees him mixing psych rock, krautrock in the style of Can and neurotic / cosmic EM vaguely in the vein of Heldon.

 


Owlsilar Gate (Slovakia)

Gate, Far Away (2020)
Through the Gate of Frost (2022) (S)
The Cursed Mountain (2024)

Slovak project in winter synth / Dark Ambient mould.

 


Owsey (UK)

To the Child Drifting Out At Sea (2016)
Castaway At the Crossroads of Time (2021)
I Loved You From the Day You Died (2023)

Owsey is Owen Ferguson from Belfast. He mixes influences of UK Garage, IDM, shoegaze (you can tell by the hopefull atmosphere), neo-classical and ambient EM into an emotional whole. Just about half of the material is instrumental, the other half features vocals (mostly used as an instrument but also for signing). File under EM-related.

 


Oxford Ambient Collective, The (UK)

The Unrequited (2011)
VAX 11/750 (2016)
Berlin Vol. III (2016)

Actually a solo project of David Smith (from Oxford). But, yeah, this is Ambient, with subtle German EM influences on Berlin.

 


Oxherding (USA)

The Past Is Gone And the Future Is Not Here Yet (2016) (S)
Circular Movements In the Sky (2018) (S)
Soft Moon (2018) (S) (with M. Crook)
Unfolded Along the River (2020) (S)
With the Windows Open (2021) (with Lake Mary)
An Echo Across the Lake (2021)

Warm ambient drift from St. Louis, Missouri. Oxherding is Fitz Hartwig.

 


Oxlund, Kim (Denmark)

Very Special Things (2023)

Danish artist living in Canada. Very Special Things is an album of relaxed, atmospheric synth instrumentals.

 


ØxØ (UK)

Mythologies (2019)

Varied music from this duo of David Berry and Barnaby Thorn. Rhythmic, melancholic, mournful... Nice sequencing on "Core".

 


Oxy (Russia)

Aether Gust (2023)

Stark, droning, gnarling EM from the duo of Ivan Pavlov and Aleksandr Galianov.

 


Oxygeno (Spain)

Rosas Que No Se Huelen a Rosa (2022)

Slow, melodic, anguish-laden, hymnal analog synth-based EM. A project of Diego Amido Teijero.

 


Oxykitten (USA)

Influential (2009) (S)
Toucht (2010)
The Streets Were Paved With Circuit Boards (2011)
Octagonal Wax (2012)
The Cutting Room (2012) (with Adderall Canyonly)
Escape From New Amsterdam (2013)
Parking Lot High (2014)
Pushing A Dead Horse Up Mt. Nowhere (2016)
Endless Summerchildren of the Corn (2016)
Gleeking the Cube (2018)
Attack of the Koala People (2018)

This pseudonym is used by Wayne Longer for the quirkier side of his work. Influenced by such trends as chiptune and minimal synth, here we have mostly shorter tracks of varying moods, sometimes with clear allusions to 1980's sound, sometimes influenced by Prog EM, with nice melodic solos.

See also: Adderall Canyonly

 


Oxymora (UK)

Alien Terrain (2008)

Berlin School duo of Dave Gurr and Stuart Judd.

See also: Gurr, David, Judd, Stuart.

 


Oxynucid (UK)

Live In the Front Room (2016)
YMS (2017)
Modular Allotment (2017)
Gyoza (2019)

Modular synth artist with a knack for both abstract and noisy sounds and more ethereal / vaguely melodic / sequencer-based constructions.

 


Ozaki, Koichi (Japan)

Mundo Transparente (2017)

The faster tracks on this album can be described as glitchy experimental techno. However, the ambient numbers like "Silhouette Screen" or the title track will be of interest to EM fans for sure.

 


Özdemir, Burak (Turkey)

Hermes (2019)

Turkish bassoon player who makes both classical music as part of his Musica Sequenza project / group of musicians and also acts as a solo electronic artist. On Hermes he mixes his electronics with some classical sound and influences.

 


Özdemiroğlu, Attila (Turkey)

Moog Gir-Gir (1975) (S)

Turkish composer (1943 - 2016) with an academic background, but who, starting from the early 70's was a member and leader of several pop / folk groups and ensembles (including Jupiter, Instanbul Gelisim, "Dun, Bugun, Yarn" Orchestra and a few others). In some of these ensembles Ozdemiroglu utilized Moog synth, along with more traditional tools. In 1975 he released an electronic single called Moog Gir-Gir which was used at the concerts of "Dun, Bugun, Yarn" Orchestra as an intro music and also could be heard in several Turkish feature films.

 


Ozier, Joe (USA)

Outer World (1994)

Californian synthesist whose album is that of rhythmic and ambient EM styles.

 


Ozis (Italy)

Ozis (1997) (recorded in 1988 - 1997)

Italian duo of Alessandro Vittorio and Antonio Severi. Space Music compositions recorded between 1988 and 1997.

 


Ozma (USA)

A Huge And Silent Place (2000)

Dark Space. A collaboration between DAC Crowell and Mike Metlay. Only one CD was released on Mike's "Atomic City" label before the duo split.

See also: Metlay, Team Metlay, DAC Crowell.

 


Ozone Player (Finland)

Insane Logic (2000)
Videozone (2001)
E (2002)
Frozen Paint On Boiling Canvas (2004)
Orange Apples (2008)
Long-Range Influence (2011) (with Matt Howarth)
The Mind Gap (2019)

Very diverse, like classic period Tangerine Dream mixed with nightmare overtones and alternate tunings. Ozone Player is Finnish synthesist Otso Pakarinen.

See also: Otso, Visual, Tapa Paha Tapa.

 


Ozoyo (Turkey)

Cosmic Planta (2022) (S)

Experimental / instrumental hip-hop artist. On Cosmic Planta, he approaches the EM territory.

 


Ozric Tentacles (UK)

Erpsongs (1985)
Tantric Obstacles (1985)
Live Ethereal Cereal (1986)
There Is Nothing (1986)
Sliding Gliding Worlds (1988)
Pungent Effulgent (1989)
The Bits Between the Bits (1989)
Erpland (1990)
Strangeitude (1991)
Afterswish (1992)
Live Underslunky (1992)
Jurassic Shift (1993)
Arborescence (1994)
Become the Other (1995)
Curious Corn (1997)
Spice Doubt Streaming (1998)
Waterfall Cities (1999)
Swirly Termination (2000)
The Hidden Step (2000)
Live At the Pongmasters Ball (2002)
Spirals In Hyperspace (2004)
The Floor's Too Far Away (2006)
Sunrise Festival (2008)
The YumYum Tree (2009)
Paper Monkeys (2011)
Technicians of the Sacred (2015)
Lotus Unfolding (2023)

Crossover space rock / electronic outfit. Very psychedelic jams rich in atmosphere and generally with a very fat sound. Hillage-like guitar over electronic backdrops and sequences.

See also: Nodens Ictus, Moksha, Seaweed, Wynne, Ed, Neptune, Silas.

 


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