Description

Personnel: Harold Budd (piano, electric piano).
Recording information: 1980.
After his genre-defining AMBIENT 1: MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS, Brian Eno collaborated with minimalist composer Harold Budd for AMBIENT 2: THE PLATEAUX OF MIRROR, which proved to be a natural pairing. By taking Budd’s solo piano compositions and applying his unique sound treatments, Eno managed to enhance a startlingly spare work, yet keep its simplicity intact. On many tracks, Eno’s additional sounds are so subtle that they easily mesh with any background noise that may surround the listener. A car driving by in the distance or an airplane flying overhead might fit seamlessly into one of the compositions. Budd’s delicate piano work, though, is always at the fore, slowly creating a quiet, yet expansive, sonic landscape. Here both musicians are wholly in their element, making this an album of truly astounding beauty.