AMBIENT 4 - ON LAND

The culmination of Eno's Ambient series, On Land subverts the purposes of the preceding album - instead of promoting a tranquil, relaxed atmosphere, the music attains a diametrically opposed result through extremely similar techniques. The soundscapes here brood with darkening tension - the landscapes may seem static at first, but soon it's apparent that there's rumblings underground and an earthquake on its way - one which never quite hits, but always seems just about to strike. Cobbled together via synthesisers and sound effects, this album amongst other things provided a blueprint for the early works of the likes of Aphex Twin and other ambient pioneers.