Harold Budd
Today we’re listening to Harold Budd, an ambient musician and pianist from California. We previously featured his music in December 2020, shortly after he passed away. Budd grew up in Los Angeles and studied composition at California State University, Northridge and the University of Southern California.1 Inspired by John Cage and Morton Feldman, Budd began composing ambient music in the ‘70s and then teamed up with Brian Eno, with whom he collaborated on the 1980 LP Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror. We’re listening to that classic of the genre, but first we’re playing Budd’s 1988 LP, The White Arcades. That one, an overlooked offering in his catalogue, plays synths that oscillate between major and minor keys, creating what this newsletter is always in search of: an atmosphere of profundity.
The White Arcades - Harold Budd (42m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal
Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror - Harold Budd & Brian Eno (40m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal
We wish you a great start to your week.
